PORTLAND, Maine — School for most students across the state started Tuesday, but because various school districts often try their best to ease kindergarten students into their new regular routines, many kindergarten students still have not had their first day of school.
Kindergarten students at Reiche Elementary, which is part of Portland Public Schools, start school Thursday, but they were able to do a test run Wednesday.
New young scholars met their teachers, saw their classroom for the first time, and even took a short ride on the bus.
Starting kindergarten can be scary for some students. Reiche kindergarten teacher Mrs. Amy Wu said she has been teaching for 27 years, and she has helped many children settle into her classroom on the first day of school.
She sets a yearly goal to meet each year that she welcomes new kindergarten students.
"It's always to find out how to have the child feel as safe as they can and as successful as they can," Wu said. "They won't all start out the year feeling that way, but I'm pretty confident after 27 years I can get you to feel that way at the end of the school year, if not sooner. Hopefully a lot sooner."
Parent Sam Koenigsberg said his hope for his daughter Violet is that she "feels safe and accepted."
Some kindergartners may be slow to warm up as the learn how to navigate in a classroom and a school full of students and adults they don't know.
"If you're feeling scared, you can give me a 'me too' or a thumbs up. Anyone else feeling a little scared?" Wu said as she had circle time with her new kindergartners.
But others like little Bartholomew Mayfield and Ibtisam Ibraham are ready to get the year going.
"Before I even started school, I was so excited," Ibtisam said.
Ibtisam has two older siblings and a new baby brother. Her dad Awalea Ibraham said this is his third go around with watching his baby start school for the first time. Awalea said Ibtisam has been anxiously waiting to start school, meet her teacher and make new friends.
"She was so excited, she couldn't wait, he said. "Yesterday, she came with me and said 'daddy, I can't wait to go tomorrow to my class, to my open house.'"
Although some students may struggle with language barriers, working to start a new year, in a new place while simultaneously learning English for the first time, Wu said she is ready to meet her kindergartners where they are.
"You saw the way I did the chime. You don't need to know English to respond to that," Wu said. "You're watching your peers. I use the students to teach each other a lot. So, once you get a few students to understand what you want, they will come. They want to be with their peers."
Wu said another one of her goals is to make sure kindergarten students feel comfortable and their parents feel supported.
"Everyone wants the same thing, which is just success for their child," Wu said.
Ater Wedneday's test run, Reiche kindergarten students are ready for everything day one of kindergarten has to bring.