Elk Lake welcomes students with ‘Fun Fest’

Elk Lake Elementary School welcomed students and parents back to school with Fun Fest Thursday, a combination party, school supply giveaway and meet and greet for parents and teachers.

Elk Lake Elementary School Principal Marc Weisgold said over 600 parents together with their student kids attended the event, now in its second year.

Incoming students picked up over 350 free school backpacks and other supplies and enjoyed hot dogs, pizza, flavored ices and music Thursday night.

But besides welcoming the kids back to school from summer vacation, Weisgold said the event was also designed to remove any concerns about whether the kids were ready to start school again.

“When parents don’t have to worry, the kids don’t have to worry about backpacks and supplies, they can focus on their first day of school and feel comfortable and confident that they have what they need. It makes a difference,” Weisgold said.

The school supplies, which Weisgold said reached 65 per cent of the school’s students, are donated from a variety of sources and over 80 volunteers, including faculty, parents and outside volunteers, who make the event happen.

“This wasn’t just one person’s doing,” Weisgold said.  “It took everybody.  We had several donations. We had people coming here donating their time, we had community outreach.  It makes a difference in the education of their child,” he said.

Thursday was the second year for Fun Fest.  School administrators and faculty developed the event last year to replace the traditional stiff, formal first meeting sessions held after summer break.

But the idea of Fun Fest coming from Elk Lake Elementary School shouldn’t surprise anyone:  what other school sends its kids off on the last day of school with a water gun and water balloon fight?