Superintendent Aurora Lora visited with children, toured the school and read with prekindergarten students.
Lora even comforted a boy who started to cry when he realized his cousin was in a different classroom.
"Kids are happy. Teachers are happy. I think it's going to be a great year, she said. "Kids are excited to be back. Everyone loves summer, but sometimes you want to get back and see your friends and have things to do again."
Volunteer Ernest Odunze gives high-fives to all the children at the beginning of the first day of school at Thelma Parks Elementary School in Oklahoma City, Okla. Tuesday, Aug. 1, 2017. Photo by Paul Hellstern, The Oklahoman
Elsewhere in education news on Tuesday ...
Prosecutors dropped the criminal case against state schools superintendent Joy Hofmeister and four others, pending further investigation, Nolan Clay reported.
<figure><img src="//cdn2.newsok.biz/cache/r960-7b2143de1ad148f1ef7b20dd837a3c1c.jpg" alt="Photo - Volunteer Ernest Odunze gives high-fives to all the children at the beginning of the first day of school at Thelma Parks Elementary School in Oklahoma City, Okla. Tuesday, Aug. 1, 2017. Photo by Paul Hellstern, The Oklahoman" title="Volunteer Ernest Odunze gives high-fives to all the children at the beginning of the first day of school at Thelma Parks Elementary School in Oklahoma City, Okla. Tuesday, Aug. 1, 2017. Photo by Paul Hellstern, The Oklahoman"><figcaption>Volunteer Ernest Odunze gives high-fives to all the children at the beginning of the first day of school at Thelma Parks Elementary School in Oklahoma City, Okla. Tuesday, Aug. 1, 2017. Photo by Paul Hellstern, The Oklahoman</figcaption></figure><figure><img src="//cdn2.newsok.biz/cache/r960-0d5c8d21aba46de0bf5be29c42ecbc3b.jpg" alt="Photo - Four year old Chyna Garcia, front, Zaybion Black, 4, and Serenity Williams, 6, walk up to the front door at the beginning of the first day of school at Thelma Parks Elementary School in Oklahoma City, Okla. Tuesday, Aug. 1, 2017. Photo by Paul Hellstern, The Oklahoman" title="Four year old Chyna Garcia, front, Zaybion Black, 4, and Serenity Williams, 6, walk up to the front door at the beginning of the first day of school at Thelma Parks Elementary School in Oklahoma City, Okla. Tuesday, Aug. 1, 2017. Photo by Paul Hellstern, The Oklahoman"><figcaption>Four year old Chyna Garcia, front, Zaybion Black, 4, and Serenity Williams, 6, walk up to the front door at the beginning of the first day of school at Thelma Parks Elementary School in Oklahoma City, Okla. Tuesday, Aug. 1, 2017. Photo by Paul Hellstern, The Oklahoman</figcaption></figure><figure><img src="//cdn2.newsok.biz/cache/r960-fea3ac3fc8cf65fac0f5ce00ac6cd571.jpg" alt="Photo - Four year old Eryk King, left and six year old Kenneth Ezell wear their new backpacks at the beginning of the first day of school at Thelma Parks Elementary School in Oklahoma City, Okla. Tuesday, Aug. 1, 2017. Photo by Paul Hellstern, The Oklahoman" title="Four year old Eryk King, left and six year old Kenneth Ezell wear their new backpacks at the beginning of the first day of school at Thelma Parks Elementary School in Oklahoma City, Okla. Tuesday, Aug. 1, 2017. Photo by Paul Hellstern, The Oklahoman"><figcaption>Four year old Eryk King, left and six year old Kenneth Ezell wear their new backpacks at the beginning of the first day of school at Thelma Parks Elementary School in Oklahoma City, Okla. Tuesday, Aug. 1, 2017. Photo by Paul Hellstern, The Oklahoman</figcaption></figure><figure><img src="//cdn2.newsok.biz/cache/r960-7f1764e99a201e8ce6e59aab4e8b5d6f.jpg" alt="Photo - Mom Latissha Mask gives a hug to her four year old son Jhaymone at the beginning of the first day of school at Thelma Parks Elementary School in Oklahoma City, Okla. Tuesday, Aug. 1, 2017. Photo by Paul Hellstern, The Oklahoman" title="Mom Latissha Mask gives a hug to her four year old son Jhaymone at the beginning of the first day of school at Thelma Parks Elementary School in Oklahoma City, Okla. Tuesday, Aug. 1, 2017. Photo by Paul Hellstern, The Oklahoman"><figcaption>Mom Latissha Mask gives a hug to her four year old son Jhaymone at the beginning of the first day of school at Thelma Parks Elementary School in Oklahoma City, Okla. Tuesday, Aug. 1, 2017. Photo by Paul Hellstern, The Oklahoman</figcaption></figure><figure><img src="//cdn2.newsok.biz/cache/r960-6c7e23a71cab1d51fb2d354a08fcf044.jpg" alt="Photo - Six year old Myrah Allen gives a high-five to volunteer Ernest Odunze at the beginning of the first day of school at Thelma Parks Elementary School in Oklahoma City, Okla. Tuesday, Aug. 1, 2017. Photo by Paul Hellstern, The Oklahoman" title="Six year old Myrah Allen gives a high-five to volunteer Ernest Odunze at the beginning of the first day of school at Thelma Parks Elementary School in Oklahoma City, Okla. Tuesday, Aug. 1, 2017. Photo by Paul Hellstern, The Oklahoman"><figcaption>Six year old Myrah Allen gives a high-five to volunteer Ernest Odunze at the beginning of the first day of school at Thelma Parks Elementary School in Oklahoma City, Okla. Tuesday, Aug. 1, 2017. Photo by Paul Hellstern, The Oklahoman</figcaption></figure>
Juliana Keeping
Juliana Keeping is on the enterprise reporting team for The Oklahoman and NewsOK.com.
Keeping joined the staff of The Oklahoman in 2012. Prior to that time, she worked in the Chicago media at the SouthtownStar, winning a Peter Lisagor Award...
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