MARYSVILLE — In some ways, it was the first day of a “between year” for the Marysville School District, since the 2008-2009 school year included the opening of a new school, just as the 2010-2011 school year is set to do, but the 2009-2010 school year’s biggest change was the adoption of a new math curriculum for its high school grades.

“There have been no new bus routes to get used to, which is very helpful,” said Gail Miller, assistant superintendent of the Marysville School District.

Miller noted that the projected enrollment for this year was 10,850 students in the district. The first day of school was Sept. 8, and although numbers are still being tabulated, Miller estimated that the actual enrollment for this year would be “slightly upward” of that projection.

“The fourth day after school starts is the official ‘count day’ for districts statewide,” Miller said. “That’s what our funding is based on. If a student shows up once during those four days, they’re counted. We have families whose children attend school the first day and then go on vacation the rest of the week, and some who don’t come to school at all on the first week. Their parents tell us that they’re just on vacation, but they can’t be counted. Some kids don’t show up until the fourth day, which makes the count very difficult.”

To ease both students and families into their schools, Miller explained that every school in the district conducts its own form of “welcome” event. For the elementary and middle schools, this often consists of ice cream socials or barbecues the week before the first day of school, although incoming sixth and ninth-graders also receive their own transitional assistance. Marysville-Pilchuck High School offers orientations for each grade level, plus opportunities for students and families to visit the campus, meet with teachers and administrators, and learn their schedules.

Quil Ceda Elementary, which also hosts the Marysville Cooperative Education Program, was bustling with activity on the morning of Sept. 8. PTA tables, stocked with coffee and donuts, were staffed as early as 8:30 a.m., to meet the steady stream of families who were already arriving with students in tow.

“Woo hoo!” yelled Sharon Redmon, who was dropping her children off with their second and fifth-grade teachers respectively. “I’m so excited to tell my kids, ‘Off with you, and have a fabulous experience!'” she laughed. “I used sit around and cry during the first day of school, but now I know they’re all good.”

Catherine Porter escorted her daughter, Katrina Porter, to her second-grade classroom, before she took her granddaughter, Onica Heisler, to kindergarten.

“It’s an exciting time, and I try to make sure they have positive thoughts,” Catherine Porter said. “I used to be as nervous as my children were about the first day of school, until I came back home and realized, ‘Oh, I have free time now,'” she laughed.

For Dan and Patty Carman, getting their sons — Jacob, Ryan and Zack — to school has become much more routine over the years.

“The first day of school has been really easy this year,” Dan Carman said. “We have to make sure they wake up early, but it’s gone much smoother. We’ve gotten into a groove.”

Lorico Edwards was encouraged by the fact that his son, Kilean, already knows many of his fellow students, and that they were able to prepare his schedules for sports and other activities before the start of the school year.

“It helps a lot to know what to expect,” Lorico Edwards said. “We know what the year is going to be about. It’s a good school.”

Kathleen Diaz and John Lombardi each bid farewell to their respective first-grade children this year. While Diaz’s daughter, Aliyah, was the last of her children to go through the first day of first grade, Lombardi was experiencing the first day of first grade for the first time as a parent this year.

“I love this school,” Lombardi said Sept. 8. “We had a good experience with the kindergarten last year. But I was surprised by the parking situation this year. I left 20 minutes early, but I got here right on time. It was a nightmare driving down here this morning. I’m definitely leaving earlier next year.”

Kathleen Diaz helped Lombardi secure a parking space and get to class, which they both cited as an example of how Co-op parents “all help each other out.” Diaz has faced her own challenges with the clock, as her children have grown older and wiser each year.

“My older kids know the routine, so I have to set the clock ahead, but then, I also have to keep in mind what time it really is,” Diaz said. “I always set out their clothes the night before, but I actually forgot the battery for my camera this year, so I had to go back and get it.”

Megan Miles’ daughter, Ellie, started kindergarten this year, but her oldest child also started college this year, so she’s far from a first-time parent. At the same time, this will be Megan Miles’ first year of coming home to an empty house after the first day of school.

“I’ll figure out ways to fill my time during the day,” Miles said. “I might be a little sad and lonely at first. I was much more intimidated by the back-to-school process before, though.”

Miles echoed other parents’ positive assessments of Quil Ceda and the Co-op, citing the bonds between the school’s parents as a confidence-builder.

“Don’t let your nervousness rub off on your kids,” Miles advised other parents. “Let them have their own experiences.”

First-time Quil Ceda parents Greg and Karenia Tarolli drove 2,100 miles in two U-Haul trucks from Texas to their new home in Marysville, for Greg’s job. As they sent their daughters Kattia to first grade and Katterina to fourth grade, they reflected on the changes they found in their new school.

“In Texas, they don’t want parents in the schools,” Karenia said, as she shivered and crossed her arms against the morning air, which was damp and cold compared to the dry warmth she was used to in Texas. “Not only could we come into the classrooms here, but it was almost expected. It’s been scary and exciting. All the parents and teachers have been really friendly and helpful, though. Our girls are dying to see their first snowfall here.”

Kirsten Green has taught kindergarten at Quil Ceda for five years, and she makes it a priority during her students’ first days of school to reassure them and their parents alike.

“I help the students get to know each other,” Green said. “I let the parents come in too. Because this is a Co-op, the parents work in the class as well. I try to send students the message that none of them has to know everything yet, because that’s why they’re in kindergarten. They’re all in the same boat in that regard.”

Green encouraged parental involvement, and advised parents to remind their younger children that, at the end of the children’s first day of school, they would see their parents again and return home.

Dave McKellar started his third year as principal of Quil Ceda Elementary this year, and it was the first year that he didn’t have to acquaint himself with a significant number of new staff members.

“In my second year as principal, we brought 16 new staff members on board,” McKellar said. “For this school year, 13 of our teachers had been RIFed, so we had expected to hire 13 new teachers, until they were all called back. We have one long-term replacement for a teacher who’s on leave, but that’s it.”

McKellar described the 2008-2009 school year as “crazy” in its upheavals, owing to many students and staff members being largely unfamiliar with one another. By contrast, he’s observed a much more “routine” first few days of school this year, due to the continuity in staff, which he sees as a benefit to the students.

“Kids can be a bit anxious about the first day of school, but they’re also resilient,” Miller said. “Emphasize to them that this is a fresh start, so that even if they’ve had difficulties before, the first day of a new school year can be a new beginning for them, as long as they believe that they can succeed.”

Click here for more photos.