Last Friday morning at Luverne Elementary School, it was already humid and steamy before 7 a.m. as parents and students began pouring into the parking lots for the first day of the new school year.

Several students pulled their filled and rolling backpacks along behind them while others seemed weighed down carrying theirs on their backs.

Selleven Burnette, a sixth grader at LES, said that he &#8220felt good” on his first day back to school.

&#8220I'm ready to come back,” he said, smiling.

However, not everybody was quite as excited.

Tenth grader Erika Chambers said that she was &#8220not really ready” just yet for school to start.

Five-year-old Andreyaz Mack attended K-4 last year at LES, so he seemed ready for kindergarten.

&#8220I had fun during the summer,” Mack said.

Dian Lee and her daughter Laken Eddins, who is going into the first grade, all held hands while walking into the school with Lacey Powell and her daughter Kacey Powell, who is also going into the first grade this year.

Second-grader Jachlynn Taylor said that she didn't do anything really exciting this summer, so she was ready to come back to school.

&#8220My favorite thing about school is playing,” Taylor said.

However, starting the new school year wasn't as easy for everyone.

Two-year-old Dakota Watkins walked up carrying a book bag just like her big brother Dalton's. Dalton will be starting kindergarten, but his baby sister was a little upset about the fact that she couldn't go with him.

&#8220He's ready to start school,” their mother, Jennifer Watkins, said. &#8220He has his lunchbox, his naptime pad, his book bag, which is full of pencils, notebooks, paint and crayons, so I think he's ready.”

When asked what he had in his lunchbox, Dalton said, &#8220Just a snackŠsome fruit and some Cheetos.”

Many little ones starting school for the first time got a little help from Mom or Dad.

Little Callie Armstrong, 5, came walking toward LES Friday morning while Dad, Joe Armstrong, carried all of her belongings.

For mom Jennifer McDougald, this new school year was a little easier when it came to leaving her son, Greg &#8220Monk” McDougald, Jr., at school on the first day.

&#8220When I brought him to K-4, we both cried,” she said, smiling. &#8220When Monk started K-5, I cried, but he didn't. Today, he started first grade. I almost cried, but I didn't.”

&#8220Monk didn't cry at all,” she added. &#8220He just smiled at me and said, ‘Bye, Momma!'”