Elementary students begin school

For some children, the first day of elementary school on Wednesday was a piece of cake: a new classroom, yes, but the same old school, the same old hallways and the usual group of friends.

For others, it was a different experience: a brand new school and a bunch of strangers.

"I'm nervous. I'm really nervous and I don't know anyone," said 11-year-old Gavin Kieffer who was starting fifth-grade at Meneley Elementary.

Gavin's family just moved to Gardnerville from Pine Grove, Calif.

"I like it here. I like the mountains," Gavin said.

Gavin already made a friend in his new neighborhood, a girl one year older than him who also attends Meneley, but he said it's still scary being surrounded by hundreds of people you don't know.

At Scarselli Elementary School, 9-year-old Gabby Martinez was experiencing a similar change.

"I'm nervous. I thought I'd make no friends, but I have already made a few," said the fourth-grader.

Gabby's family just moved from Lancaster, Calif.

"I love it here. There's not all the bad stuff like in California," she said. "The people are really nice."

Gabby, who loves drawing and is looking forward to art projects, hit it off with her new classmate, 8-year-old Alana Mahoe, who also loves art.

"I'm really excited about seeing all my friends and meeting new people," Alana said.

Down the hall, computer teacher Nancy Pierce was lecturing a new batch of sixth-graders about the importance of keyboarding skills.

"This is your last year of instruction when it comes to computers," Pierce told her students. "You'll be in computer labs in middle school, but you'll already be expected to know how to use them. That's why we are so hard on sixth-graders."

Johnathan Hoyt, 11, said he was comfortable being in the sixth-grade, but was more anxious about middle school next year.

"I'm pretty excited about next year," he said. "It will be a new school, and I'll meet new friends. But I don't like keyboarding, and I know I will have to use it in the future."

At Meneley, a new generation of first-graders was starting the long haul to where Johnathan is now. First-graders in Sharon Yurtinus' class dressed their best for their first full day of school.

"It's great," said 6-year-old Danielle Vaughn, who was wearing a purple blouse, plaid skirt and pig tails.

She sported a huge pink backpack with a large red heart in its center.

"I want to play with my friends at recess," she said.

Much to her pleasure, her good friend, 6-year-old Elise Tahti, was assigned a seat next to her.

"I'm glad too because I get to play with my friends," said Elise, who was showing off a butterfly headband and Tinker Bell wrist watch.

Fellow first-grader Juan Duarte had used gel to spike up his hair, which he was reluctant to mess up when Yurtinus asked students buying hot lunch to place their hands on their heads so she could tally them.

"I do like chicken nuggets," Juan said.