Back to School Tailgate Party Aims to Strengthen Community Bonds

For most students returning to school means new supplies, reunions with friends and of course, the promise of homework to come, but at Peekskill City School District members of administration teamed up with the Peekskill Police Department to kick off the 2015-2016 school year with a special event. On August 27, Peekskill students who came for their school orientations were treated to a traditional tailgate party on the high school’s campus.

The back to school event piggy-backs on Peekskill High School’s “Real Talk” program, which is a new collaborative initiative that aims at fostering a safer community while offering an opportunity for officers, students and their families to interact in a friendly, casual environment.

“I think the great thing about today is that two agencies in Peekskill, the police department and the school district, are able to come together and build a positive day,” said Peekskill Police Department Chief Eric Johansen. “We’re here to show our incoming students that we all have to work together to make our city a better place. The teachers, police officers, and administration- we all get to build a relationship with these students under positive circumstances.”

At the tailgate party, local DJ and PHS Security Aide Pete Peterson provided music while Peekskill police officers played football with students and grilled hamburgers and hotdogs for all who attended. Members of District administration passed time by chatting with some students about the upcoming year, while other students chose to challenge PHS’ Assistant Principal Kent Picou to a game of ping pong.

“Today is so fantastic because we are beginning to build those collaborative relationships with our school community and our local police,” Picou said after wrapping up a ping pong game with a couple of incoming freshmen. “We don’t want what happens in other communities to happen here in Peekskill. We want everyone to know that we really are a caring community.”

Photo: Peekskill Police Chief Eric Johansen chats with an incoming PHS freshman at PCSD’s recent back to school tailgate party.