On September 7, 2016, Philadelphia’s students grades 1-12 return to school while the youngest of our K-12 students, our kindergartners, start on September 16. And, for our littlest little ones, Philly pre-K programs are still accepting enrollments for the 2016-2017 school year!

So, as summer vacation continues to wind down, there are resources available right now to ease the stress of the approaching school year – including some resources you might not know about!

A happy Mayor Kenney helping a preschooler with a glittery art project.
Glitter can be a very helpful supply at school, as Mayor Kenney learned at Norris Square Pre-K Center in April 2016.
  1. School District of Philadelphia’s Back-to-School Resource Page: How can caregivers prepare their student for the upcoming school year? What are Philadelphia’s immunization requirements? Where are schools located? The School District of Philadelphia answers these questions (and many more!) on its back-to-school resource page. To stay updated on the latest information and events for Philly schools, be sure to follow the School District of Philadelphia on Twitter, too!
  2. Cradles to Crayons: This organization provides everyday essentials for low-income families and families with housing insecurity. The local chapter is on Twitter and the organization’s site has multiple resources for families who need a little bit of help – and for those who want to donate resources to help fulfill Cradles to Crayons’ mission!
  3. After School Activities Partnerships (ASAP): After-school programs improve the lives of our kids and have positive ripple effects across our communities! ASAP focuses on providing high quality after-school programs across Philadelphia to do just that. Schoolchildren of all ages enjoy chess, Scrabble, drama, debate, and athletics clubs. It’s a popular program, too: In 2015, nearly 5,000 kids participated in 363 ASAP activities!

    Banners hang in front of the Parkway Central branch of the Free Library of Philadelphia.
    With dozens of branches across Philadelphia, the Free Library of Philadelphia is a wonderful tool students and families can use.
  4. The Free Library of Philadelphia: Philadelphia is home to one of the largest libraries in America, and it’s the perfect resource for families beginning a new school year! With over 50 locations across Philly’s many neighborhoods, the Free Library offers students endless access to books, periodicals, digital collections, and the Internet – or simply a quiet, comfortable place to study or do homework. Even better? You can become a member of the Free Library instantly by signing up online!
  5. Pre-K Enrollment: While pre-K is expanding so thousands more kids and families have access in January 2017, there are still seats available for pre-K programs going on right now in Philadelphia! The School District of Philadelphia even has a site where parents and caregivers can easily download applications — and apply for a seat for their preschooler!
  6. Back-to-School Readiness Checklist: The Philadelphia Office of Emergency Management works to ensure that Philadelphians are ready for everything – including going back to school! The team there has put together this handy checklist you can review, like emergency contacts, while getting things in order for your student to return to school.

Do you want to stay updated on the latest education news and events? Sign up for updates on the Mayor’s Office of Education’s site – and be sure to follow MOE on Twitter and Facebook!