Mars Area School District hosts open house
ADAMS TWP — On a slightly rainy and chilly afternoon on Monday, Aug. 19, parents and students toured the Mars Area School District’s Primary Center, Elementary School and Centennial School for Open Building Visitation Day.
The Open Building Visitation Day aimed to help students and parents prepare for the upcoming first day of school.
“It’s a walk-through for any family of a students just so it eases their mind of coming to a new school or a new grade,” said Centennial School secretary Kelly Hart.
Outside the schools, Kona Ice trucks offered frozen treats.
Inside the schools, decorated tables offered maps and important information about the school year, including class schedules and teacher teams. Despite the classroom doors being locked, parents and students could walk the decorated hallways, pick up supply lists, and see their classrooms.
Additionally, families could also see where their friends’ classrooms were, and could use the time to catch up with friends outside of the classroom doors.
“I believe after a long summer, I just think it’s important for families to get a feel for the school and change any nervousness to excitement,” Hart said.
Many parents echoed Hart’s sentiment, both first-time Mars Area School District parents and long-time parents. While parents gathered the supply lists, children had fun exploring. In one hallway of the Centennial School, children played hopscotch on colorful squares.
“It’s nice to walk your child to the classroom so they’re not lost on the first day,” Valencia resident Allison Reddinger said. “Sure they’ll have help from the teachers, but it’s nice to walk them around.”
At the Primary Center, families of kindergartners and first-graders walked through the loud, banner-filled hallways.
A Girl Scouts of America booth covered in a green banner handed out information to families interested in joining the organization as families found their classrooms.
“I’m always looking for leaders. We’re always looking for volunteers to get involved,” Girl Scouts of America membership engagement specialist Kathleen Frederick said.
“We’ve had a great experience so far,” Mars resident Rachel Frazer said. When asked about what she enjoyed most about the school district, she said “the community, I think. We’ve already got a lot of updates which, as a parent, makes me super comfortable to send my kids here.” A new Butler County resident, this is Frazer’s first time sending her children to the Mars Area School District, “so it’ll be a new experience for us.”
Mars’ District’s Primary Center serves children ages kindergarten to first grade, Elementary School serves students second to fourth grade, and Centennial School serves students in fifth and sixth grade.
