Students Ready for the First Day of School

It was an early morning for hundreds of children in Riverdale Park and University Park Monday when they had to report for their first day of school.

At 7:50 a.m., students and their parents stood hand-in-hand outside Riverdale Elementary waiting for the gym doors to open. Some parents greeted one another, while had cameras documenting the important first day of school.

Mistie Devan, of Riverdale Park, said she spent the morning getting her four children ready for their first day of school.

"I have two at Riverdale Elementary," Devan said, "one in middle school and one in high school."

Her youngest son, Joey, is starting his first day of pre-K. She said he was excited to start.

"I bring him here all the time for events and he loves it," Devan said. "So he's not nervous, although I don't think he realizes I'm not staying with him this time."

On the other side of town, parents were asked to come in with new sixth and seventh graders at William Wirt Middle School. The school day there doesn't start until 8:50 a.m.

As students walked into school staff asked them to tuck in their shirts.

Tyrone Durant, of Riverdale, said his he walked to school with his son, who is in 7th grade.

"It might be a little far for him to walk everyday," Durant said. "He was telling me his book bag was too heavy."

They spent the weekend getting supplies and organizing for the first day.

"He's happy to come back," he said, "and get out of the house."

Sixth-graders reported to the school's media center to receive their schedules before they reported to homeroom.

As new residents to Riverdale, Shanita White and her husband, Michael, brought their two daughters to Wirt Middle Monday morning.

"We moved to the area about three months ago," White said. "The girls were a little nervous, but we attended orientation last week so they were less nervous after that."

She said she looked for discounts and sales when shopping for her three daughters' uniforms and school supplies.

"I like the idea of uniforms, but initially it costs a lot to get a few outfits," White said. "But later you just add to it as you need to."

Darrell Pressley, spokesman with Prince George's County Public Schools, said in total about 127,000 students are enrolled in the county's schools.