Tears mixed with excitement were the order of the day as students at Presentation Convent National School, Warrenmount, Dublin, turned up for their first day at school yesterday.
Ms Eileen O'Connell, principal of the school, said many parents were already familiar with the school as their children had attended its "early start" pre-school programme.
Most were happy to leave their children with the teachers, and if a child was upset the school encouraged parents to stay with them until they had settled in.
But there was inevitably a "certain amount of nostalgia" for parents, she said. "It's an emotional break when they see them going to the big school," she said. "The main school came in at 9 a.m., whereas the junior infants came in specially at 9.30 a.m., so that when they came into the school yard they would not be overwhelmed."
Ms Wendy Corrigan stayed on in the classroom with her son, Clive (4), to help him settle down. "He was a little bit upset but he's okay now. I'm going to stay and play with him just until he's settled. He was very excited last night and this morning, but as soon as he walked into school the tears started."
Mr Abid Hussain was dropping off his daughter for her first day at school. His younger son was also playing with the other children in the classroom. Originally from Pakistan, he said it was good to see his children starting off their education at the school. "The first day is difficult, because everything comes together," he said. "But I'm staying here for a while to see how they get on."