There were many smiling faces and a few tears shed as the students from grades kindergarten through 8th grade flooded into Boothbay Region Elementary School for their first day of school on Sept. 2 (also 9th graders at BRHS), and students in kindergarten through 6th grade arrived at Southport Central School and Edgecomb Eddy School.

The students at both schools spent the morning meeting their teachers, getting settled, decorating their lockers and talking about the new school year.

An all-school assembly was held at 8:30 a.m. at BRES, where Principal Mark Tess welcomed the students to another year of classes. He welcomed the students in pre-K, the Class of 2028.

At that, he remarked: “How many of you feel old now? I sure do.”

Many students received recognition and awards for achievements completed at the end of last school year and throughout the summer.