SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO.com) -- The school bell rings the end of the first day of kindergarten at P.F. Pettigrew Elementary School in southwest Sioux Falls.
Tentatively, the youngsters step through the doorway, looking for the familiar faces of mom and dad.
There are no tears among the Kindergarteners. They look happy as they enter the cool, windy September afternoon.
The first day can be hardest on the parents, like Tammi Williams, who was sending daughter Kaitlyn off.
"I was ok until we got to school and the bell rang and she started to cry," mom Tammi said. "She's my last child to go into school. It's a little bittersweet."
Big brother Jacob helped prepare his little sister as did mom, by taking Kaitlyn to school the day before to get acclimated.
The first day went ok. Kaitlyn got a package of Goldfish that said she was "O-fish-ally" a Kindergartner. And Kaitlyn was already looking forward to the second day of school.
"We're going to do art tomorrow!" she exclaimed.
And then it was hugs for all and off to home.