Hundreds of Brownsville Independent School District parents were showing up Thursday at the Hanna Early College High School gymnasium for free back-to-school backpacks, haircuts, vaccines and more as BISD geared up for the first day of classes on Aug. 16.
By mid-morning, Food and Nutrition Services had distributed 1,750 bagged breakfasts.
At noon, the department was to switch to bagged lunches, said Mark Mullendore, FNS assistant director.
The Back to School Community Bash continues through 7 p.m. Thursday at the Hanna gym.
Each of BISD’s 57 schools has a table at the event, where school officials are distributing mesh backpacks for every student, with the contents geared to elementary, middle school or high school.
Each school has a roster of students, with backpack contents geared to the student’s grade level. Backpacks that aren’t picked up at Thursday’s event or another one Saturday will be sent back to the campus to be given to the student when school starts, said Dolores Cisneros-Emerson, elementary curriculum director.
She and Maria Gonzales, early childhood education specialist, said Thursday’s event had many purposes, not least to welcome everyone back.
“We want our kids to be ready and successful,” Gonzales said, adding that the district wants everyone to feel comfortable in a school setting and that safety is the number one priority.
Cisneros-Emerson said BISD offers many opportunities beyond just classroom learning. She listed fine arts, athletics and after-school enrichment activities among many others.
BISD also was registering new students at the event.
To see more, view Brownsville Herald photojournalist Denise Cathey’s full photo gallery here:
Photo Gallery: Brownsville ISD’s Back to School Community Bash
