Article and photos by Brandi N. Montreuil
“I’ve been coming to this [event] since I was in the 1st grade, this year the backpacks are pretty awesome, and the backpack distribution helps my family out a lot with the back to school cost,” said Jazlynn Gibson who is entering the 8th grade.
Joining Jazlyn were kids of all ages to kick off the final stages of back to school preparations with the annual Tulalip Tribes backpack distribution on August 28th, at Quil Ceda and Tulalip Elementary schools.
The Tulalip Tribes Education Department, with help from the Johnson-O’Malley grant, has provided much needed backpacks stuffed with school supplies, according to age and grade, free to Native American students enrolled in the Marysville School District.
Last year an amazing 1,400 backpacks were prepared and this year the backpacks were in no shortage as new kindergarten and Montessori students joined the lines to choose their backpacks.
This year, computer tablets were used to check students in and out faster. With a quick show of the students’ tribal ID and a signature scrawled across the tablet, the information was quickly recorded and students were on their way to enjoy the free activities the event hosts every year, such as a gaming station, bouncy house, rock climbing, and tasty treats.
Students who were unable to attend the day’s events will not miss out on the yearly choosing of backpacks. All unclaimed backpacks will be held throughout the school year until the students can claim them.
Now that backpacks have been chosen, the students will say goodbye to summer vacation and look forward to the first day of class. We wish all the students a fantastic school year!