This article, originally published at 10:06 a.m. Aug. 17, 2023, was updated at 3:38 p.m. Aug. 25, 2023, to reflect the latest events.
Montgomery County Public Schools and community organizations are working to make the start of the 2023-2024 school year as stress-free as possible for students and their guardians with fun-filled activities and school drive events. Students will be back in the classrooms beginning Monday.
Back to School Fair
MCPS presents its annual Back-to-School Fair from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday at Westfield Wheaton mall, 11160 Viers Mill Road.
The event will give parents and students the opportunity to learn about the school system and county programs and services. There will be free music, entertainment, giveaways and youth activities (including by the Montgomery County Recreation and Adventure Theatre), a scavenger hunt for kids, a DJ and Zumba dance performance.
There will also be a free immunization clinic offering vaccines for COVID-19, Tdap, Meningococcal ACWY, Meningococcal B, Varicella and HPV.
Free shuttles will be offered from four county high schools: Montgomery Blair in Silver Spring, Paint Branch in Burtonsville, Gaithersburg and Richard Montgomery in Rockville. The first shuttle will depart from the high schools at 9 a.m. and the last shuttle will depart from Westfield Wheaton at 2 p.m.
MCPS is also holding its MCPS Give Backpacks Campaign, which raises money to provide students in need with backpacks filled with school supplies. Donations can be made through the school system website.
Back-to-School Kick Off Event
Creative Outlets Arts Center, a nonprofit that helps community members to engage in arts-based learning and healing, presents its Back-to-School Kick Off Event from 10 a.m. to noon Sept. 3 in the Burtonsville Crossing parking lot, at 15701 Old Columbia Pike.
The event will include art supply giveaways, tie-dye shirt making with a minimum $5 donation and raffles. The nonprofit will also be accepting donations of new art supplies. People can RSVP for the free event on Eventbrite.