Schools

Parents Rush to Get Ready for School

One student at George Washington Charter Elementary read more than 100 books to prepare for the new school year over the summer.

With school just a few weeks away, parents in Palm Desert have been working overtime to get their children ready for school, which starts Aug. 29 students in the Desert Sands Unified School District.

Joe Capraro of Palm Desert said his daughter, Dylon, a second-grader at Washington Charter Elementary School has been preparing for the new school year all summer.

“Over the summer we’ve had a homework packet, covering the core courses,’’ Capraro said, adding that she has read more than 100 books.

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That’s in preparation for what Capraro believes will be a year full of balancing more homework than last year.

“We've also began purchasing the tangible items such as uniform pants, shirts, skirts, shorts, hoodies, shoes,’’ he said. That’s in addition to basic supplies such as pencils, crayons and paper.

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Palm Desert Country Club resident Betty Gonia, whose grandson Donovan attends Gerald Ford Elementary School, said she still needs to go shopping for supplies.

She expects this year to be a challenge, mainly because her household only has one income.

“I feel fortunate that Donovan's school wears uniforms, so it is just a matter of seeing what he has grown out of and filling in,’’ Gonia said. “I did online price comparisons between , , and . I chose Target because they had adjustable waistband shorts and free shipping.”

Her grandson will be in a smaller, special-education class this year, allowing him to get the extra help he needs.

“I hope he is not stigmatized by this, but gets the extra help he needs to progress,’’ she said.


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