Clutching his chalkboard sign announcing his first day of kindergarten, Ledger Collins' mother, Tarah, attempted to take his photo in front of the Hillview sign.
Ledger insisted on having his photo in front of the "no parking" sign.
Once Ledger's request was fulfilled, his mother was able to get his photo in front of the Hillview sign.
Tarah also attended Hillview during elementary school and said she has photos of herself in front of the sign, so she wanted the same one of her son.
Even though it was Ledger's first day of kindergarten, he attended early childhood at Hillview, so he said he already had friends at the school.
"I told him the friends he makes here will be his friends forever," Tarah said. "I'm still friends with the girl I sat by my first day of kindergarten."
Once it was time to enter school, the nerves began to set in as Ledger clutched on to his mom's side.
Hillview Elementary Early Childhood teacher Belinda Flanigan greeted students as they arrived and assisted everyone entering the building.
"It's fun seeing everyone so excited for the first day," Flanigan said. "Some are a little nervous for the first day of kindergarten."
Logan Isiah was one of the nervous kindergarten students. He said he was not so excited about the first day of school, but was looking forward to seeing all his friends as he remained shy and hid behind his mother.
Five-year-old Gracie Lynn Patty was obviously more excited as she ran towards Flanigan and greeted her with a big hug and first day of school photo. Flanigan was Patty's teacher last year.
Patty, decked out in her "Kindergarten Rocks" shirt and matching hair bow, was proud of her Fluffy Corn backpack that awaited in her classroom.
First-grade-student Molly Rush said she was most excited about having homework. Her mother said Molly stayed up the night before looking forward to having homework.
Mallory Dicken proudly held her "first day of second grade" sign in front of her while mother, Jamie, took a photo of her 7-year-old daughter.
"I'm not ready for her to grow up," Jamie said. It seems like yesterday she was starting kindergarten."
Mallory said she was thrilled to learn a friend of hers was in her class once again. The girls shared the same class since kindergarten.
"I'm excited about everything," Mallory said not being able to pick one item in particular.
Parents Jesse and Courtney Daughhetee dropped off their children, first-grade-student Lexi and kindergarten-student Mason, at Hillview Elementary like many parents the morning of the first day of school.
"They were excited and I was ready for them to get started," Jesse said.
Courtney said she handled the first day better than she thought she would.
"I thought I would cry," she said.
Helping to calm her nerves, she learned Mason has the same teacher Lexi had the year before.
Hillview Elementary Assistant Principal Debra Parish has been in education for 31 years and said each first day is just as exciting as it was in 1987.
"I don't want to ever loose that enthusiasm for the first day," she said. "I'm blessed to be a part of this school."
For the next several weeks, enrollment numbers will be hard to pinpoint as students transfer in and out of the district, but according to Parish, enrollment is about the same as previous years at this time.
New items and staff can be seen at and around Hillview for the 2017-18 school year.
Parish said a group of retired AT&T workers painted a U.S. map on the basketball court over the summer and she was very excited for everyone to see the creation and the curriculum teachers would plan around the newest piece of art.
While passing by Hillview, the newest addition can be seen flashing from about 7 a.m. -- 8 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. -- 4 p.m.
New flashing lights, coordinating with the school's calendar, have been placed on top of the speed limit signs at the east and west ends to better alert traffic when school is in session.
Also new on campus is registered nurse Chanda Pogue, also known as Nurse CC to students.
Being her first day at school as well, Pogue could relate with the students and even her son, who was beginning his first day of kindergarten at Hillview.
Pogue said she was able to spend the last two years at home with her son, so the nurse job at the school is "a blessing" and she will still be able to see her son.
"We are elated to have someone with her qualifications on campus for the students," Parish said.