ODESSA, Texas —
Schools all around the Permian Basin welcomed students back for the first day of school this week.
In Odessa, pre-K through sixth grade, along with high school freshman, went back to class on Wednesday.
Seventh and eighth graders start on Monday, same as the rest of the high schoolers.
Of course, the day was filled with parents making sure they took a snapshot to capture the moment.
"There's a lot of excitement on the first day, you know,” said Ector County ISD Superintendent Dr. Scott Muri. “As a parent, or anyone, the night before, a lot of joy and anticipation. You might be a bit nervous about who your child's teacher is going to be, meeting that person for the first time. You want to ensure as a parent that your child has friends, and is feeling welcome, and valued, and appreciated."
Some schools had special guests welcome their students.
Burleson Elementary had the University of Texas Permian Basin football team and Odessa High School cheerleaders welcome students through the doors.
Players gave high fives, opened car doors and walked with the kiddos as they made their way to class.
“Oh, they love this stuff,” said UTPB head football coach Kris McCullough. “We had our first practice last night. Practice two, literally two hours from now. I only asked 10 to come, and we had 20. So that just shows you the community service aspect of our program. It's huge for these guys."
McCullough said he is hoping his team can visit every school at some point to highlight their community outreach.