Students, parents and educators gather to kick off school

Students, parents and educators spent Monday evening mingling at one last summer party before Topeka students returned to classes today.

"I'm going to be a senior, so I'm looking forward to the school year and preparing for college," said Steve Greene, 17, who said he planned to head to Manhattan Christian College after graduating from Topeka High School.

"This is a great event," he said. "It's a good way to bring everyone together before the year starts and show that we're all in it together."

Greene was among 500 people who gathered at the south steps of the Capitol for a back-to-school rally. Starting at 6:30 p.m., free hot dogs, hamburgers, pizza and soda was distributed to the crowd. After dinner, brief performances were done by the Highland Park High School cheerleaders and the El Shaddai and Faith Temple church youth groups.

Following were short remarks from Mayor Joan Wagnon, Highland Park principal Grant Cushinberry and Jane Adams, director of Keys for Networking, a children's advocacy group. The evening ended with a candle-lighting and prayer.

"What we want is to begin the school year in an alliance," Adams said. "We all care about our children, so we want the kids to see their parents and teachers aligned. When kids see the two major authority figures in their life standing together, they see values there. You don't want to break that up."

Koralee Dulin, principal at Shaner Elementary School, echoed that sentiment and emphasized her own concern for her students.

"I've been in education in Topeka since 1964, so I know that we're all in this educational system together," she said, adding that she had spotted a handful of her students in the crowd. "It's extremely important that I show I care about their education and their learning. Meeting everyone out here -- it's very, very good. The students need to see that everybody wants them to be successful."

Angela Russell, a 15-year-old Highland Park sophomore, said she hoped the grade school students enjoyed Monday evening's kick-off and kept the excitement going throughout the school year.

"I'm ready for school," she said. "I think we need to show the younger kids that we're supporting them -- that we care about them and pay attention to what they do."

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