Kindergarten teacher Elizabeth Werner quiets her students down before giving them a tour of Lutie Lewis Coates, a new elementary school in Herndon, Va.
Jahi Chikwendiu-The Washington Post
Gian Guevara, 5, is greeted by one of his teachers, Tracy Badger, as his mother stands by.
Jahi Chikwendiu-The Washington Post
Ashley Torgesen, 5, struggles to let go of her mother.
Jahi Chikwendiu-The Washington Post
Dheeraj Reddy, 5, gets handed off by his parents to his teacher.
Jahi Chikwendiu-The Washington Post
Harshini Venkat, 5, waves goodbye to her family.
Jahi Chikwendiu-The Washington Post
Sarika Maganahalli gets her nose squeezed by her mother.
Jahi Chikwendiu-The Washington Post
Daivik Sikkhi, 5, is comforted by his parents during a tearful parting.
Jahi Chikwendiu-The Washington Post
A student waves with her finger to a passing class.
Jahi Chikwendiu-The Washington Post
The first day of school at Stonegate Elementary in Silver Spring. Kindergarten teacher Thi Ha greets one of her new students, Caroline Metallo, 5, and her mother Karen.
Jonathan Newton-The Washington Post
Ninth graders on the first day of school at James Hubert Blake High School. Freshmen Samantha Carpenter, left, and Kellen Healy, center, get directions to class from English teacher Deena Barlev.
Susan Biddle-FOR THE WASHINGTON POST
Freshman Jeffrey Vargas takes in first-day instructions in Deena Barlev's English class.
Susan Biddle-FOR THE WASHINGTON POST
Tanner Giles-Tucker, Pradip Ramamurti, Patrick Richard and Jack Stern sit in Monica Saxton's freshman honors English class at James Hubert Blake High School.
Susan Biddle-FOR THE WASHINGTON POST
Freshman Minjee Shim goes over a handout in Monica Saxton's honors English class at James Hubert Blake High School.
Susan Biddle-FOR THE WASHINGTON POST
Freshman Vaughn Gee looks at his schedule as he makes his way to his next class at James Hubert Blake.
Susan Biddle-FOR THE WASHINGTON POST
Barlev helps James Hubert Blake freshman Johnathan Tolentino with a questionnaire. Varlev used to teach eighth grade at White Oak, where Tolentino was a student.
Susan Biddle-FOR THE WASHINGTON POST
Jesse Flores gives his daughter Layla, 5, a good-bye kiss as she starts her first day of school in Thi Ha's kindergarten class at Stonegate Elementary in Silver Spring.
Jonathan Newton-The Washington Post
At Stonegate Elementary school in Silver Spring.
Jonathan Newton-The Washington Post
Freshmen at James Hubert Blake make their way to the cafeteria. On the first day of school, freshmen were allowed to go to lunch five minutes early to familiarize themselves with the system.
Susan Biddle-FOR THE WASHINGTON POST
Freshmen chat during their first day of school at James Hubert Blake.
Susan Biddle-FOR THE WASHINGTON POST
Marjie Dewey gives her son Aidan, 5, a kiss goodbye as he starts his first day of kindergarten. Dewey is holding five-month-old, Lydia. Aidan will be in Thi Ha's class at Stonegate Elementary in Silver Spring.
Jonathan Newton-The Washington Post
Students fill the gymnasium at Laurel High School after a computerized information system left many without class schedules. The school faced other glitches too: the air conditioning didn't work in second-floor classrooms and 16 new classrooms that were supposed to be finished for the first day sat empty and unfinished on Monday.
Gerald Martineau-The Washington Post
Coltrane Thompson, 4, gets tagged with her first name during the first day of school at H.D. Cooke Elementary School in Washington, D.C.
Marcus Yam-The Washington Post
Pre-Kindergarten teacher Nora Schneider inspects the art that Coltrane Thompson, 4, made for her during the first day of school.
Marcus Yam-The Washington Post
Alyssa Gonzalez, 4, cries for her parents during her first day of school.
Marcus Yam-The Washington Post
D.C. Schools Chancellor Michelle A. Rhee, right, reacts as U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius addresses swine flu prevention. D.C. public schools reopened for the third time under Chancellor Michelle A. Rhee.
Marcus Yam-The Washington Post
Ana Perla, 4, Angel Garcia, 5, and Josue Villatoro, 4, get ready for their first day of school at H.D. Cooke Elementary School. For thousands of D.C. students, Monday was not only the first day of classes, but the first in newly renovated buildings, including H.D. Cooke.
Marcus Yam-The Washington Post
U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, Rhee and Mayor Adrian M. Fenty greet early bird arrivals for the first day of school at H.D. Cooke.
Marcus Yam-The Washington Post
Daniel Balbuena Jr., 4, reacts as his father hands him a drink during breakfast in the cafeteria at H.D. Cooke. His sister Lesly, 6, laughs in the background.
Marcus Yam-The Washington Post
Daniel Balbuena, Jr., looks to his father after breakfast. There were no major problems at H.D. Cooke, but across town, students at Garfield Elementary in the Southeast were forced to relocate because of a water main break.
Marcus Yam-The Washington Post
"It's game time," Brian Riddle tells his daughter, Tabatha, 8, who is transferring to Harrison Elementary from another school. Tabatha, who is starting third grade, says she was a little nervous about her first day.
Gerald Martineau-The Washington Post
Gallery Credits:
Producer, Photo Editor Stephen Cook
