End of summer less of a bummer

Students in the Vail School District have started class and the first day of school is rapidly approaching for kids elsewhere. Tucson Unified School District schools start Aug. 17.

Here are some tools to make the transition from summertime to school time easier, including how to gear up for school on a tight budget.

Free school supplies and fun

Admission is free to Ward 4's Annual Back to School Bash, which will be from 7 a.m. to noon Aug. 8 at William Clements Regional Center, 8155 E. Poinciana Drive.

About 2,000 people attended last year and organizers expect to equal or surpass that figure this year. Children must be accompanied by an adult.

"This is the ninth year. It's grown tremendously throughout the years, which indicates a need for such an event," said Renée Sowards, a Ward 4 council aide.

While supplies last, kids will each receive a free backpack courtesy of Cox Communications, a free packet of school supplies and raffle tickets at the bash, which starts with a pancake breakfast from 7 to 11 a.m. There will be free bike helmets, also while supplies last.

Other activities include an 8 a.m. bicycle rodeo, jumping castle, inflatable obstacle course, fingerprinting and information displays from 9 a.m. to noon, free raffles from 8 to 11 a.m. and a grand-prize raffle at 11:30 a.m. Plus, people can swim for free at the Clements Center pool from noon to close, weather permitting.

For more information call 791-3199.

A way to save: Go to the event. There will be food, school supplies, safety information and activities — all for free.

For immunizations:

Students need proof of all required immunizations, or valid exemption, to attend the first day of school.

Arizona students ages 11 and older who are entering the sixth and seventh grades now must receive vaccinations for meningitis and — if five years have passed since their last tetanus/diphtheria vaccine — whooping cough with the Tdap vaccine, the Arizona Immunization Program Office Web site says.

Go online to Pima County Health Department's Web site, www.pimahealth.org, to see requirements by age and grade level.

A way to save: Utilize free back-to-school immunization programs such as the one offered by El Rio Community Health Center. El Rio is holding a total of four immunizations clinics at Food City stores, plus there will be free school-supply giveaways and other freebies, while supplies last.

Currently the programs are all outside the east side, but since shots are free, it's probably worth the drive.

El Rio is building a new clinic site on the southeast side near East Golf Links and South Kolb roads, so El Rio will probably go further east with the immunization clinics next year, said Terry Brown, immunization coordinator for the pediatric department at El Rio's Congress Clinic, 839 W. Congress Street..

Dates and places for upcoming El Rio back-to-school immunization clinics are as follows:

● 1 to 4 p.m. today at Food City, 1221 W. Irvington Road.

● 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday at Food City, 3923 N. Flowing Wells Road. Free hardbound books while supplies last.

● 1 to 4 p.m. Aug. 6 at Food City, 2000 E. Irvington Road.

A parent or legal guardian must be present and should bring the child's immunization record. Go online to www.elrio.org or call 205-4947 for more information.

Later on in August, Pima County is holding immunization clinics at the Herbert K. Abrams Public Health Center, 3950 S. Country Club Road. The cost for one child is $15 for one vaccine; $25 for two to four vaccines; and $35 for five or more vaccines. Dates and times are as follows:

● 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Aug. 8 and 15.

● 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Aug. 11 and 18.

● 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. Aug. 13 and 20.

Go online to www.pimahealth.org or call 243-7988 for more information.

For school uniforms

Clothes meeting many schools' basic uniform requirements are widely available at Kmart, Wal-Mart, JCPenney, Target and other stores. Contact your school for its specific uniform guidelines.

A way to save: Contact your school to see if it has a uniform exchange or similar program.

St. Michael's Parish Day School, 602 N. Wilmot Road, holds period uniform exchanges — once before school starts, again the first day of school and again during the first part of the spring semester, said Tracy Holsinger, St. Michael's administrative coordinator.

Beforehand, the school's parent organization St. Michael's Angels sorts clothing people have brought in because their children have outgrown them or graduated. For the exchanges, the group lays out the clothes by size, putting out only those that are nice, Holsinger said.

Parents receive a ticket good for a free item of clothing for each one they give, so it's a true exchange. Each piece of exchange clothing costs $2 without a ticket.

St. Michael's parent Michelle Carrick is chairwoman of the uniform exchange. Last week she and the two St. Michael's Angels chairwomen — Deborah Jacob and Susan Bryson — sorted clothes for the upcoming exchange. All three use the exchange for their own kids as well.

Bryson, who has three kids at the school, said the exchange has been very handy.

"It is definitely well-used. Especially if you have more than one child, you really, really appreciate it."

For sports physicals

Participating in school sports doesn't have to mean a trip to the doctor's office to get a physical.

Some Walgreens and CVS stores have walk-in clinics that offer physicals for $30.

A way to save: NextCare Urgent Care is giving free sports physicals on Monday and Tuesday at its two new locations — 4280 N. Oracle Road, Ste. 100, and 5369 S. Calle Santa Cruz, Ste. 145. (Editor's note: This article was written in 2009; NextCare is not offering free physicals for the 2012-13 school year, a company spokeswoman said.)

Starting Monday, both locations will be open 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday and 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Only those two locations will be giving free sports physicals and only on this upcoming Monday and Tuesday.

No appointment is necessary and people can check in online at www.nextcare.com. For more information go online to that Web site or call 1-800-819-8566.

MHC Healthcare has $15 wellness visits, including school and sports physicals, for sliding-fee and uninsured patients. The clinics offer the same deal for immunizations as well. MHC has clinics around the Tucson area, not just Marana.

The following clinics are on or near the east side:

● Rita Ranch Health Center, 8045 S. Rita Road, 574-1551.

● Catalina Health Center, 3645 E. Pima St., 232-8438.

● Freedom Park Health Center, 5000 E. 29th St., 790-8500.

● MHC Primary Care Health Center, 5301 E. Grant Road, 616-4948.