• Students will be welcomed with a celebration of the magic to come to celebrate this school year’s theme of "You are Magic." The students will experience high-energy activities as they arrive to school in the morning, including a serenade from vocalist Cinnamon Jones.

• School No. 45 is launching the 2018-19 school year with the theme “Building a Community of Leaders” for their students. The atrium has been transformed into a giant Lego world, complete with life-size Lego people, Lego towers, and hallways immersed in a Lego theme. As a community school, School No. 45’s goal is to showcase all of the partnerships involved in building a strong school community. Families will be able to drop off their children to class and then meet various supporting agencies that will work hand-in-hand with the school this year.

• Early Childhood School of Rochester No. 57 will host its annual fatherhood and community support initiative on the first day of school to welcome back all students. This initiative helped to build Cub Scouts Troop #57 last year. It also supports the Million Father March initiative, which includes the following focus areas – increased visibility in the school, support of school activities, participation in training programs, and mentorship to District students. Fathers, grandfathers, and mentors will welcome students as they get off the buses.

• Wilson Foundation Academy offers Swahili as a language study for fifth- and sixth-grade students. This is the second year that the school is offering Swahili.