The Columbian | Serving Clark County, Washington

It was the last of the first-day hellos and welcoming hugs in Clark County schools.

Nearly 35,000 students in the Battle Ground and Vancouver districts began class on Wednesday, joining most other local pupils who started last week.

All public schools in Southwest Washington are now in session.

For many students, it was time to learn the rules and rituals under a new homeroom teacher.

Others making the leap to middle or high school needed to navigate strange hallways and complex class schedules.

And for hundreds of kindergartners, it was the first tentative step into public school.

Not all of those launches were easy. But, patient teachers, aides and volunteers, as well as resilient parents and kindly classmates, and, in some cases, a comforting sibling, jumped in to settle nerves.

All told, both large districts reported smooth sailing on Wednesday.

Most students and parents took new principals, revised school driveways or schedules and other transitions in stride, officials said. Turnout met expectations, with first accurate enrollment figures due next week.

The last opening day for local classrooms: Clark College starts its fall term Sept. 20.

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