WINNER: Back to School Photo Contest

As many Patch users pointed out in their comments, every one of our top 10 photos had something special about it, whether it was a cute smile, a touching embrace, or even a priceless scowl.

And while all deserve a big round of applause, there can be only one top vote-getter.

With the majority of your votes, No. 1—the young boy waving through the window of a school bus—is the winner of our Back to School Photo Contest. Kerry Bomba, a Brookfield Patch user who we'll assume is the proud mother, has won a $50 gift card and a Patch Back to School prize pack. Congratulations!

We'd also like to thank everyone who uploaded a picture in the contest and all those who voted for their favorite pic. We hope you had as much fun as we did and wish you all the best for a safe, successful school year.

The original post follows:

Patch loves the first day of school, and now we know you do too, based on the number of entries we received in our Back To School photo contest.

Now we have chosen our Top 10, and it is time to vote in the comments.

To vote, please refer to the photo number (top right corner above the picture).

Voting in the comments section of the article will begin at 5 a.m., Sept. 17, and end at 6 p.m., Sept. 20. The photo with the most comments will win a prize — a $50 gift card plus a Patch Back to School prize pack complete with a notebook, pens, folders and a hat and T-shirt.

Some more important information:

• Open to legal residents of the 50 United States, the District of Columbia who are 18 and older.
• To enter, upload a photo to this article.
• All entries must be received by 11:59 p.m., Sept. 14, 2012 Eastern Time.
• You may enter one photo.
• Patch editors will choose 10 photos, which will advance to the voting round. Patch readers can vote for their favorite photos by posting in the comments on the article.
• Prize for the winning photo is a $50 gift card and a Patch Back to School prize package.
• Click Here for complete Official Rules.

This is a regional contest that accepts entries from Bethel, Bethwood, Brookfield, Danbury, Hamden, Milford, Monroe, Naugatuck, Newtown, Orange, Oxford, Ridgefield, Shelton, Southbury, Stratford, Trumbull, Woodbury-Middlebury.