PHOENIX — Most kids in Arizona are now back in the classroom with a few more districts starting later this week.
During Bret Tarver Leadership Academy's first day of school on Monday, teachers and staff dressed up as Disney characters, saying their school was the happiest place on earth.
The hustle and bustle was felt as students walked through the hallways trying to find their class, hand in hand with either their siblings or their parents.
Some tears were also shed, not just from students but from their parents, too.
“Oh my god, it’s emotional. I waited forever for this and the day finally came,” the Quezada parents said, who dropped off their daughter for the first day of kindergarten.
Alondra Rascon, who dropped off two of her kids, said they told her she’d be the one crying.
“It would’ve been a little more hard if they were scared or if they didn’t want to get left alone or anything, but they’re all ready for it,” Alondra said of her kids.
Some parents have had the experiences some parents don’t, though. Bret Tarver Leadership Academy is connected to the Atkinson Middle School Gifted Academy. Dad Javier Tapia dropped off three of his kids, ranging from first grade to seventh grade.
“I felt pretty good this year. No stress. I did everything ahead of time,” he said.
Teachers have also been planning for the new school year for quite some time. This year, they prepared for a new schedule.
“What's new this year, though, is that our staff worked five days. So they came in on Fridays. This year, our staff is going to a four-day work week and that's what's exciting,” said Superintendent Leeann Aguilar-Lawlor, of the Cartwright Elementary School District.
The students in the district have been on the four-day schedule since returning from COVID. The teachers just started the schedule this year.
“We're very excited about being able to rest, being able to recoup on the weekends,” said Hannah Mulholland, a first-grade teacher at Bret Tarver Leadership Academy.
While some are excited about it, others feel it’s bittersweet.
“Sometimes, I just miss school,” said Angel Villa, an eighth grader.
Aguilar-Lawlor said they moved to the four-day schedule hoping to recruit and retain teachers. They’ve had success this year with general education teachers but are still in need of specialty teachers and other staff members that help a school run.
“This is the very first year as of last Thursday, we were fully staffed with all of our general education teachers. That is just unheard of in this day in a teacher shortage,” Aguilar-Lawlor said.
The district does work with the Boys and Girls Club to help fill the gap parents may have in child care while the kids are out of school on Fridays.
As the new school year gets underway, students are eager to learn and their teachers are excited to help them.
“It’s so exciting for me and them, being able to see how much they learn and they get so excited to learn,” Mulholland said. “It’s just a really awesome year to be together.”
