First day of school in Hamilton brings excitement, joy and nervous kids and parents

As summer ends, Sharona Cole's excitement and slight anxietycome through her voice as herson, Kyree, prepares to start Grade 1.

"It's a little nerve-wracking, but I'm used to it," she said.

It was cool but sunny in Hamilton on Tuesday as parents waited patiently outside of Cootes Paradise Elementary for doors to open on the first day of school.

Some kids were catching up with friends and running around, while others were stuck to their parents' legs. Kyree, however, was excitedly jumping around his mom, thrilled for his first day of school.

"I'm ten years old," he shouted, excitedly.

"He's five," his mom said.

Cole and her family are originally from Montreal, so it was important for her that her son go into a French Immersion program.

"He loves school, so I'm super excited," Cole said. "It's a big step."

'Kids are here to learn'

Elizabeth Handy, another parent at Cootes Paradise Elementary on Tuesday morning, expressed her hopes for a smooth transition into Grade 3 for her son, Dominic.

"[I'm] nervous, because I know it's his first day of school and I know he's nervous about, you know, new kids and things," she told CBC Hamilton.

She likes the newly implemented cellphone ban in Ontario schools.

"I grew up way back when we didn't have cellphones in the schools back then, and I still don't think that cellphones should be in the classrooms either," she said."Kids are here to learn, not be on your phone."

Under the new rules, students from kindergarten to Grade 6 will be required to keep phones on silent and out of sight for the entire school day, unless allowed by an educator. For students in Grades 7 to 12, cellphones will not be permitted during class time unless explicitly directed by the educator.

Safety top of mind for parents

Kyrie has two adult siblings, so even though Cole has done first days before, going on this new journey with her son is like "starting all over again."

Her only concern so far is safety.

"I want to make sure that when they're outside, they're being watched. It's just regular parent concerns," she said.

"He's going to be taking the school bus next week, so I might follow the bus the first day."

Hamilton police reminded driversTuesday morning to slow down, plan ahead and stay alert.

In Niagara, the NRPS said in a post on X there would be increased police presence all day throughout the region to "help ensure everyone's safety."