Getting ready for school
Shanta Key with son Keelan Mellars
Dalton Wheeler with son William Wheeler
Monessen police chief Jim Smith with Chavas Rawlins
Schoolchildren around the area are getting ready to go back to the classroom, some of them for the first time. Keelan Mellars of Washington attended kindergarten orientation with his mom, Shanta Key, at Washington Park Elementary Thursday to meet his teacher, tour the school and take a bus ride.
Meanwhile, Dalton Wheeler is eager to attend school after visiting the school with his dad, William Wheeler. And Chavas Rawlins, 6, shares a high-five with Monessen police Chief Jim Smith. Monessen police this year joined the annual effort by SPHS Family Center, 412 Reed Ave., to provide back-to-school supplies to students in the city. School in the Washington district starts Tuesday, while Monessen students return on Aug. 29.