Couldn’t Make It to the Back-to-School Fair? Here Are a Few Things You’ll Want to Know

The open parking lot and field at the Montgomery County Public Schools headquarters in Rockville was filled with white tents, stages and crowds Saturday afternoon for the Third Annual Back-to-School Fair.

The event included a number of organizations that work with and alongside schools, as well as demonstrations of new technologies, including a solar power fountain created by the School's Energy and Recycling Team.

Donated backpacks were available to fair attendees, as well as plenty of pencils, erasers and other school supplies. Parents and kids at the fair also enjoyed lively music and games.

Health screenings were provided by one of the fair's sponsors, Kaiser Permanente. Kids could test their vision, get their teeth checked, as well as participate in a wide variety of games, tests and activities related to health. Students got a "healthy shopping grocery list" with their prizes.

"We want to help families kick off the school year properly, answer questions and learn about the curriculum so they know what their children should be learning," said Brian K. Edwards, chief of staff for the Superintendent of Schools.

If you couldn't make it out to Rockville, here are a few organizations and resources working in the Wheaton area that were at the fair:

• Kensington Wheaton Youth Services serves families in the Einstein, Kennedy and Wheaton high school communities. KWYS has numerous volunteer opportunities for helping elementary-age children with homework, providing childcare, organizing therapeutic recreation trips and more. KWYS is also involved in the Linkages to Learning Program, designed to help students and parents directly at their schools. Many of their staff are bilingual in English and Spanish, and can be contacted through the Linkages to Learning program at an individual school.

• Charles W. Gilchrist Center for Cultural Diversity offers programs at the Wheaton Library and at the Mid-County Regional Services Center. Classes include English for beginners, English conversation classes, basic computer skills and citizenship preparation.

• The Jewish Social Service Agency provided information on easing the return to school for special needs children, kids starting middle school and autism spectrum disorders. The agency also provides counseling and educational assessment for teens and families. An upcoming series of four interactive group sessions will be offered in November for children of divorce (ages 9 to 12) called "Kids Can Cope!"