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Date: 8/9/2023
MONSON — With summer winding to an end and school creeping around the corner, staff and teachers in Monson Public Schools have found a way to make coming back fun. This year marks the eighth annual summer bus tour trip. The tour will run from 4-6 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 22.
“We started it about my second year here after I read how urban schools do it as a way to get the school year going on a positive note,” said Superintendent Dr. Cheryl Clarke.
From the first time Clarke and the staff began the bus tours eight years ago, the goal has always been about helping students.
“It started out with just one bus and a few staff volunteers. We would go around, kind of like the ice cream man, and shout a greeting to students with a megaphone,” said Clarke.
However, the popularity of the event made it nearly impossible to see each student.
“After a few years, we needed two buses and many more hands on deck. It took us hours,” said Clarke, who then decided to come up with the model they are using now.
This year, the tour is implementing some changes that they hope will result in reaching even more students and their families. Unlike other years, the bus will not stop at individual houses on the way to each planned location. Instead, the tour committee is hoping that parents and students will meet up for the bus at one of the following stops:
While some things about the tour have changed, much will remain the same. Like in previous years, banners will be hung, music will be played, megaphones will be blared, over 250 bags of school supplies will be distributed, and students and their families will be introduced to one another. This is an opportunity to say hello to staff and administration before the official start of the school year.
If there is rain, the tour will be converted into a drive-thru-like event. Parents can drive to Granite Valley School, wait outside, and have a staff member hand off a bag with supplies.
“It’s a lot of work but seeing the reaction from the students makes it worth it year in and year out,” said Clarke, who mentioned that she treats the volunteers to ice cream at Westview Creamery after the tour is completed.
There is no need to sign up for this free event.