> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.smdp.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Back in session - URL: https://www.smdp.com/back-in-session/ - Published: 2006-09-07T15:00:00.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-23T21:22:44.000Z - Author: Kevin Herrera - Tags: Education, Santa Monica, #archive-import *ANTICIPATION: Excitement, anxiety mark first day of school* LINCOLN BOULEVARD — Nancy Cruz walked quickly up the street toward Roosevelt Elementary School Wednesday, her eyes wide with excitement and anticipation for the start of the new school year — and she’s not even a student. “I’m ecstatic,” said Cruz, who held her 9-year-old son Carlos’ hand tightly as they passed scores of other parents — some with video cameras — who were walking their children to school. “It’s great to be getting back to the routine, getting him back in school. It was really fun getting him ready, buying him new school clothes. It brings back a lot of memories.” The first day of school can often be a bittersweet moment for parents and their children. It’s a day that many look forward to with so much anticipation that they can hardly sleep the night before — a chance to reunite with friends and colleagues, start fresh and engage in new activities. “I’m very happy,” said Antonia Fuller, an energetic 8-year-old with blue streaks in her blonde hair who was sipping proudly on an iced mocha — her first coffee drink. “I get to see my friends, my teachers … I’m not nervous at all.” However, the first day back in the classroom can also be a depressing time for those who can’t let go of the summer and the fun they had frolicking free. Gone are the lazy days of August, replaced by hectic September afternoons filled with soccer practice and homework — even on the first day. “I’ve got to write a letter to my teacher explaining what kind of student I am,” said Dorion Smith, 16, a junior at Santa Monica High School, who not only has to deal with day-to-day assignments but also must prepare for the SATs and college applications. “It can be kind of overwhelming, especially on the first day because it’s syllabus day, and that’s when you see all the work that’s ahead of you for the rest of the year,” said True Shields, a junior at Samohi who has the added pressure of looking out for his younger brother Zane, a freshman. “I didn’t see him all day,” the younger Shields said with a smile. “Yeah, as soon as we got on campus, he kind of disappeared,” junior Wyatt Henry said of the elder Shields. Despite all the fears about hazing, Zane Shields said his first day at the district’s largest school was pretty uneventful. He was able to navigate his way around the halls without much trouble and hooked up with friends from John Adams Middle School. He’s already staked out a spot to eat lunch — a priority for any teen. “The transition’s been pretty cool,” he said. “It’s definitely a big campus, but so was John Adams.” Speaking of transition, freshmen aren’t the only ones finding their way on campus. Samohi said hello to several fresh faces this year, from the principal and chief educational officer, Hugo Pedroza, to a new batch of faculty members. Pedroza was so busy on the first day that by 6:30 p.m. he was still walking the campus trying to find ways to “make it cleaner.” “It’s been a pretty hectic day, just trying to get things together,” said Pedroza, a former principal at Manual Arts High School. To prepare, administrators and teachers spent weeks before the schoolhouse doors opened purchasing supplies, cleaning their classrooms and holding meetings to devise a plan of action. “All of our teachers have been working hard to get ready. They’re just so happy to have their kids back,” said Martha Duran-Contreras, principal at John Muir Elementary School for the last four years. “The first day of school is like New Year’s for us because it’s a brand new year, a chance to make a fresh start, to put our best foot forward. I have full expectation that this will be a happy new year for us.” Principals and students aren’t the only ones who experienced a little back-to-school excitement. Administrators in the district’s main office couldn’t help but run out to school sites themselves to lend a hand. “It’s sort of a rush seeing all the kids come back.You know it’s crunch time,” said Maureen Bradford, director of educational services for the district.“On the first day, we don’t just sit in the office. We go out to the school sites and help out in any way we can, answering phones, pulling yard duty. It gives us a chance to get to be with the kids.” *Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on September 7, 2006.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/090706.pdf?ref=smdp.com)