The Education Foundation of Indian River County partnered with Riverside Theatre to host the second annual RT Star’s Back to School Party last Saturday at the Riverside Theatre Complex, a fun-filled family event to get students prepared to conquer the upcoming school year.
Recyclable bags were quickly filled with free school supplies, as children raced from tent to tent gathering books, stickers, cute erasers, pencil cases and even candy treats. Their enthusiasm was infectious as they waited to get their faces painted or lined up to enter an inflatable bounce house set up on the lawn at Riverside Children’s Theatre.
Parents were equally busy, collecting information regarding bus schedules and lunch programs, and signing up for some invaluable school services offered through the School District of Indian River County. Parents were also able to sign up for free/reduced lunch programs and could learn about health screenings and vaccination requirements. Education Foundation partners even offered on-site vision screenings in the RCT lobby, an invaluable first test for those children who might be having difficulty reading.
There was also plenty of giggle-inducing activities to keep everyone laughing, such as a contest between teams of families that had children running around attempting to help mom or dad prepare a bag lunch or get dressed for school.
Teachers attending had a chance to win $50 gift certificates from Marine Bank & Trust, and a rolling crate of school supplies and Riverside Theatre performance tickets had been raffled off by the Education Foundation to a teacher nominated by the students.
While all that was taking place, RCT performers from the Riverside Children’s Theatre Touring Program performed songs from past shows, dressed in funny costumes, and told corny jokes – and the little ones ate it all up. Best of all they got to watch as IRC School Superintendent Mark Rendell, radio host Bob Soos and new RCT Director of Education Jim VanValen occasionally got stumped playing a game of “Are You Smarter Than a Kid?”
“The Education Foundation is excited to partner again this year with Riverside Theatre,” said Cynthia Falardeau, Education Foundation executive director. “Our mission is to increase the community’s investment in our schools and Riverside’s goal is to bring the community together with the arts, so we felt like it was a great collaborative effort.”
“We are fortunate to have community partners who provide such a wonderful event for the children to get ready to return to their classes,” said Rendell.
