The first day of school is the time when every student’s unique journey starts in the same place.

At Landstown Elementary School in Virginia Beach, children and their families arrived like a wave. Some posed for photos in front of a huge sign welcoming them, others shuffled in shyly. Some parents tried to snap pictures of their children from behind as they walked through the doors.

Among the first faces they all saw when they arrived was that of Tyler Peterson, an assistant physical education teacher. Peterson, 29, called to student after student by name, dapping them up and joking around with them.

“I try to give the kids a good, nice warm welcome, you know, bring that smile to their face early in the morning and just start the day off right,” Peterson said.

He’s been greeting students first thing in the morning for about six years now, he said.

“I love kids, there’s a reason why I’m here,” Peterson said.

Tyler Peterson, an assistant PE teacher at Landstown Elementary School, as he welcomed students back to school. (Bill Tiernan/ For The Virginian-Pilot)

Monday was the first day of school for most of the systems in southeastern Virginia — most changed their calendars after the state allowed them to start classes after Labor Day. The systems in Norfolk and Portsmouth started last week, those in Chesapeake and Isle of Wight County have opted to wait until after the holiday.

David Boord walked with his 8-year-old son to his first day of third grade at Landstown Elementary while sipping a coffee cup he brought from home. Asked what was going through his mind on his way out, Boord said he’s already thinking about the clients on his agenda for the day.

“I’m a veteran at this, this is my fourth child so this is nothing,” said Boord, 53. “This time I’m more equipped. With our first child, my wife would follow the bus to school for like the first week — we went crazy. But (the oldest child) is in college now, that was new for me.

“I’m still going through ‘daughter withdrawal,’” he continued.

Kiara Moore of Virginia Beach carries her son Carter Gomez,7, toward the entrance of Landstown Elementary School on his first day of second grade. (Bill Tiernan/ For The Virginian-Pilot)

Virginia Beach Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Donald Robertson described the first day of school as a “new birth.”

“It’s extremely exciting to see all the families involved, the children’s faces,” he said. “In all 85 of our schools today, there is a member of my team greeting students with the principals and staff. So this is really just a great time.”

And in Newport News, excitement was in the air at Stoney Run Elementary School as more parents than principal Karnesha Ford had ever seen came to drop off their children and support school staff. Virtually every school system on the Peninsula — Hampton, Newport News, Williamsburg-James City County, York County, Poquoson and Gloucester County — began classes Monday.

Parents and staff have increased their collaboration lately at Stoney Run, which established a Parent Teacher Association in the last couple years that has since capped at more than 100 members, Ford said. According to Ford, whether it’s phone calls home to check in or social media connections, she wants to ensure families are involved and up to date on their child’s education.

“It’s just going above and beyond what we’ve done in the past to get everybody in,” Ford said. “We’ve taken it from the student to everybody in our school community, not just who we’re serving day in and day out here.”

Ford added that’s because this year is many students’ first time experiencing school, and it’s many parents’ first time since they walked in that single-file line themselves.

“Our kindergartners, of course, this is their first year in school. They’re in a brand new school, they have teachers, and they just have a positive outlook for coming to school,” Ford said. “I think a lot of kindergartners definitely want to be here and have fun.”

Ford said she attributes the influx of kindergartners to the COVID-19 pandemic keeping everyone at home five years ago.

“We’ve seen a lot of kids coming in and smiling, and I think our kindergartners versus our upper grades, it’s just a new experience for them,” Ford said.

Gavin Stone, 757-712-4806, gavin.stone@virginiamedia.com

Devlin Epding, 757-510-4037, devlin.epding@virginiamedia.com

https://www.dailypress.com/2025/08/25/first-day-of-school-hampton-roads/