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Students, And Parents, Go Back To School In White Plains

by Brian Donnelly

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. – The first day of school can often be more significant for parents like Shari Caranante, whose son Julian started kindergarten at Church Street School Wednesday, than for the students themselves.

“I feel like it’s a bigger thing for me,” said Shari, who has already joined the school PTA and will help organize the spring carnival. “I’m sure he’ll do fine. I’m very excited. It’s a whole new stage.”

Kendra Raffington has been a member of the PTA for Post Road School, where her sons Gabriel and Elijah began second and fourth grades Wednesday. Although she has been through past first days of school, the financial analyst said each one feels like the first.

“It’s funny, it takes me back to when they were in kindergarten all over again, and they’re getting on the school bus for the first time,” she said. “You would think I would be used to it by now, but it just reminded me of that.”

For their part, Elijah and Gabriel were nervous about having a new teacher, but excited to see all of their friends and talk about the summer, their mother said.

Gabriel will continue this year in the elementary school’s dual language program, which teaches students in English and Spanish from kindergarten to fifth grade.

“By the time he graduates from fifth grade, he will hopefully be fluent,” said Raffington, whose older son had already started school when the program was introduced.  

There have been back-to-school events leading up to the start of school, with a few still to take place. Friday, there is a PTA welcome back coffee at Post Road School and back to school picnics at Mamaroneck Avenue and Ridgeway schools. The Post Road School PTA's back-to-school picnic is Sept. 21.

Some more events taking place include take your dad to school day at the high school on Sept. 14, and picture days, which will be held:

  • Sept. 13 at George Washington School
  • Sept. 20 at Ridgeway School
  • Sept. 21 at Eastview Middle School
  • Sept. 25 at Mamaroneck Avenue School
  • Sept. 27 at Church Street School
  • Oct. 9-11 at Highlands Middle School
  • Oct. 25 at Post Road School

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