School District of Philadelphia Launches ‘Ring the Bell Bus Tour’ Offering Back-to-School Support
The calendar may still say July, but back to school is on the minds of the School District of Philadelphia. The district is preparing to launch a new season of…
Schoolchildren at classroom with raised hands answering teacher’s question.
Getty Royalty FreeThe calendar may still say July, but back to school is on the minds of the School District of Philadelphia.
The district is preparing to launch a new season of its Ring the Bell bus tour. This initiative connects parents and kids with essential school resources ahead of the new academic year.
Over the next several weeks, families can look for a "Ring the Bell" school bus making stops in neighborhoods across Philly. The bus will bring school support directly to families where they live and work. All stops will run from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
The following services will be available at each stop:
- Enrolling students for the school year
- Signing up for the Parent Portal
- Obtaining free backpacks and school supplies
- Accessing free immunizations and sports physicals (at select locations)
Dates and locations for the stops along the tour include:
- Monday, July 28: School of the Future, 4021 Parkside Ave.*
- Friday, Aug. 1: Fashion District, 901 Market St.
- Monday, Aug. 4: Martin Luther King High School, 6100 Stenton Ave.*
- Wednesday, Aug. 6: George Washington High School football field, 10175 Bustleton Ave.*
- Saturday, Aug. 9: Citizen Bank Park, 1 Citizens Bank Way
- Tuesday, Aug. 12: Marcus Foster Memorial Stadium (Gratz Supersite), 1627 W. Hunting Park Ave.
- Friday, Aug. 15: Roosevelt Mall, 2329 Cottman Ave.
*Denotes locations for state-mandated vaccines and sports physicals services
Adam Northam, the district's deputy chief of internal communications, noted to Metro Philadelphia that the stops will feature giveaways and a "giant block party-style atmosphere." Free games, water ice or ice cream, food trucks, a DJ, and other activities will be available. Parents and students can receive book bags filled with notebooks, rulers, pencils, folders, erasers, and other supplies.
