The Ultimate Back-to-School Giveaway & Guide for Local Families

Families of Gardner, Spring Hill, Paola & surrounding areas - get ready! The countdown has begun, and the first day of school for your little ones is just around the corner. We've got you covered with the ultimate guide to kickstart the school year. Looking for school calendars in our area? Fun back-to-school events? Where to get your kid's back-to-school haircut or go back-to-school shopping? We have it all - but first, be sure to enter our Back to School giveaway!

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Macaroni KID Gardner-Spring Hill-Paola KS (@mackidgardnerspringhillpaola)

School Calendars:

• Gardner-Edgerton: View the Calendar for USD 231 
  • First day for K-9th Grade and any students new to the district: August 14
  • First day for 10th-12th Grades: August 15
  • First day for Preschool: August 15
• Spring Hill School District: View the Calendar for USD 230
  • First day for PreK-9th Grade: August 13
  • First day for 10th-12th Grade: August 14
• Paola School District: View the Calendar for USD 368
  • First day: August 14
• Osawatomie: View the Calendar for USD 367
  • First day for 1st-12th Grades: August 14
  • First day for Swenson Kindergarten: August 19
  • First day for Swenson PreK: August 21
• DeSoto: View the Calendar for USD 232
  • First day (1/2 day) for K-6th and 9th Grade: August 14
    First day for Early Childhood, Grades 7&8 and Grades 10-12th Grade: August 15
• Eudora School District: View the Calendar for USD 491
  • First day (1/2 day) for 1st-9th Grades and new HS students: August 15
  • First full day for 1st-12th Grades: August 16
  • First full day for EC & Kindergarten: August 19
• Wellsville: View the Calendar for USD 289
  • First day (1/2 day) for K-5, 6th and 9th Grades: August 15
  • First day all MS and HS students new to the district: August 15
  • First full day of school for K-12th grade: August 16
• Garnett United School District: View the Calendar for USD 365
  • First day: August 14
• Prairie View: View the Calendar for USD 362
  • First day: August 15
• Louisburg: View the Calendar for USD 416
  • First day for 6th & 9th grade: August 12
  • First day for 1st-12th Grades: August 13
  • First day for PreK & K: August 14
• Ottawa: View the Calendar for USD 290
  • First day (1/2 day): August 13
  • First full day for all students: August 14
• Baldwin City: View the Calendar for USD 348
  • First day (1/2 day) for Grades 6 & 9: August 14
  • First day (1/2 day) for PC & IC Students: August 14
  • First full day for K-12th: August 15
  • First day for EC: August 19
• Lawrence: View the Calendar for USD 497
  • First day (1/2 day) for K, 6th and 9th Grades: August 13
  • First full day for K-12th: August 14
  • First day for EC: August 20
• Bishop Seabury Academy: Link to Calendar
  • First day: August 14
• Holy Trinity: Link to Calendar
  • First day (1/2 day) for PreK & K: August 19
  • First day: August 19
• Queen of the Holy Rosary - Wea School: Link to Calendar
  • First day (1/2 day) for K-8th Grades: August 20 
  • First day for PreK: August 21

Back-to-School Events:

• August 9th: End of Summer Block Party - Spring Hill, KS
• August 10th: Back to School Bash - Gardner, KS
• August 24th: Back to School Bazaar - Gardner, KS

Primipil | Canva

^{Know of a community back-to-school event we're missing? Add it to our calendar now! 
Are you a local business or restaurant offering a back-to-school special? Teacher supply store? Stylist offering back-to-school cuts or a local photog with BTS mini sessions? Reach out to me, I'd love to get you added to our guide!}

Don't forget to show your support for the local businesses that are generously sponsoring our Back-to-School Guide! Their contributions play a crucial role in allowing Macaroni KID Gardner-Spring Hill-Paola to remain a free and valuable resource for our community. By supporting these sponsors, you're not only benefiting from their services and products but also helping us continue to provide you with valuable information and resources. We truly appreciate their commitment and encourage you to check out what they have to offer as a way to say thank you for their support!

Need advice or tips for dealing with that first-day anxiety? Printables to make those first-day pics special? Ideas on what to pack for lunch! Check these out:

• Capture the Moment: A Printable for That Special First Day of School
• 7 Things You Can Do at Home to Make the First Day of School Easier
• 5 Teacher-Approved Tips to Make Back-to-School Time Great
• Bento Box School Lunch Ideas
• What To Pack? 8 Parent-Approved Lunchbox & Afterschool Snack Picks
• 10 Books to Ease Back-to-School Fears
• Teach Kids to Tie Shoes in Less Than a Minute
• Back to School Tips for Students Who Need Extra Support