Remember the scene from Finding Nemo where Nemo excitedly wakes his dad with anticipation for his first day of school? While bouncing on his dad he yells, “First day of school! First day of school! Wake up, wake up! C’mon, first day of school!” His dad is exceedingly much less enthusiastic about this moment for his first born & only son! [Finding Nemo, Dir. Andrew Stanton, Lee Unkrich. Perf. Albert Brooks, Ellen DeGeneres, Alexander Gould. Buena Vista Home Entertainment, 2003. Film.]
The notion of being hesitant to send your kids back to school might make you chuckle as you’ve exhausted all your summer-time activities and are ready to get back into a routine. Or you may be a bit weepy (like me) as with the realization that another school year means the kids are one year older!
No matter where you fall on this spectrum, we hope you’ll find this 11th Annual Back-to-School Issue a valuable tool & that this will be a seamless school year for your family. There are 68 advertisers featured in this issue who want to help make this a reality. You can find their ads on pages 7-48 with the back-to-school quick reference guide on pages 49-59.
We’d like to offer a very special THANK YOU to ONCE UPON A CHILD of Fayetteville & Rogers for sponsoring this issue & for providing the cover clothing. They have a huge selection of gently-used, affordable clothing with brands like Justice, Aero, Children’s Place, Gap, Old Navy & more in sizes from preemie to 16/18. They also buy items every day & pay you on the spot with no appointment necessary.
We’re also proud to partner again with N.c.K. Talent Academy for our cover models. Their kids are talented, respectful & engaging. We’re always amazed with their poise & maturity. Having your picture taken in a field with a school desk was a strange notion for a 4 year old but Kaleena Matthews was a delight to photograph. She even received a toy bow & arrow from her mom as a reward–way to go!
WATCH FOR THESE UPCOMING ISSUES:
September Healthy Families
October Birthday Bash
November Holiday Gifts & Events
December Holiday Gifts & Events