Back to School Bash helps kids celebrate start of school year

This year’s Back to School Bash, organized by the Oxford Kiwanis Club, brought out 700 people looking to start the year off right ahead of the Talawanda School District’s first day of school.

Jennifer Marston, who helped organize the event, said they served 700 people this year, on par with the event’s total in 2023. The Bash was held at the Oxford Aquatic Center, which spent the evening at its max capacity of 350 people, from 5:30-8:30 p.m. Aug. 11.

Madiha Syeda attended the event with her daughter Omaima for the first time this year. Omaima, who’s going into eighth grade this year, said she was all set with her school supplies and went to the event because it looked like fun.

“If there’s a big thing going on in the city, I never know about it unless I hear it from close friends,” Omaima said. “I feel like they need to get more stuff, get more events and advertise it more so people don’t have to just rely on friends.”

Both Omaima and Syeda agreed that the Back to School Bash was well-advertised this year. They’ve been living in Oxford for five years, but this was the first time Syeda said she heard about the event, now in its third year. While they didn’t come for school supplies, Syeda said Omaima does still have one task left to get through before the first day of school.

“I think she needs to regulate her sleep cycle,” Syeda said.

The Bash blended together fun activities for families with free resources ahead of the start of the school year. Every attendee got a free meal, and the event featured free school supplies, clothing from Thread Up Oxford, help with final forms and booths from several community organizations. Local barbers also helped provide roughly 75 free haircuts throughout the evening.

John Manera and Kory Vonder Meulen set up a booth to talk about the local cub scout pack. It was the organization’s first time at the event, but both said it had already been a success within the first 45 minutes.

The pack currently includes roughly 40 kids. Aside from meetings, they help out with the Kiwanis Pancake Breakfast, take part in the Fourth of July parade and do other events in and around the community. Manera and Vonder Meulen said they plan to attend next year’s bash, as well.

Organizers didn’t place any restrictions on attendance from districts beyond Talawanda. Marston said they served families from Eaton, Ross, Hamilton and even Indiana.

Adalyn Mahlerwein had already started fifth grade by the time the Back to School Bash came around. She attends College Corner Union Elementary School, which started classes on Aug. 7. Still, she and her mom, Penny Mahlerwein, decided to come to the bash because it looked like a fun time.

Adalyn said her first week of classes went well, but nothing stood out as really exciting yet. Mahlerwein said the district would start testing this week, but until then their family was looking forward to having fun and swimming at the pool during the bash.

Most Talawanda students went back to school on Aug. 14. Kindergarteners and first graders will start on Aug. 19.