FRANKLIN—Lavon Nichols-Powell, 9, found his first day back in school to be both strange and exciting.

“I had fun this summer, but I did miss school,” the fourth grader said. “I could not sleep last night because I was just so excited to meet my teachers.”

For Lavon, and the other 635 students registered at S.P. Morton Middle School, Tuesday was the first day back to wearing backpacks, taking notes, and importantly, not speaking when the teacher is speaking.

“I learned about manners today,” said 6-year-old Akeelah Wood, who is in the first grade. “When the teacher is talking, you don’t talk.”

When pressed, Wood said she wouldn’t talk when the teacher was speaking.

Lamari Scott, 8, got to start the third grade off differently.

“I led the school in the pledge of allegiance this morning,” he said. “It was pretty fun.”

Most students were also excited about recess, and getting to see their friends.

“My favorite part of the day was recess,” said second-grader Mekhi Brent, 7. “I played hide and seek with my friends. I missed my friends this summer.”

Second-grader Laney Phillips also got to hang out with her friends at recess.

“I hung out with my friends from the first grade,” the 7-year-old said of the friends who moved up to the second grade Tuesday. “We were tossing around ideas for a song I was trying to make.”

Even though many had fun at recess, learning was not lost on day one, though.

“It was so fun! We got to learn new stuff,” Laney said. “I learned about math today. We did a game with numbers.”

Fifth-grader Quadir Deshields, 10, said he was ready to learn as soon as he woke up and packed up his backpack.

“We took a quiz today, and it was easy,” he said. “I like it when stuff is hard and challenging, but I also like it when things are easy.

“My teacher is fun. She does not yell like some of the teachers.”

Quadir’s favorite part of the day was meeting one of his teachers.

“I got to meet my music teacher, Mrs. Anderson,” he said. “She was awesome.”

Principal Debbie Harris Rollins said the staff did a good job.

“We were well prepared for instruction,” she said. “We were also prepared for the return operations of school.”

Overall, Rollins said, the day went well.

“It was quite calm,” she said. “It went so smoothly, you would not have thought this day was the first day of school.”

Rollins said she and her staff are excited about the new school year.

“It promises to be a great school year,” she said. “We are excited about the new staff members, the new initiatives, and we are expecting great things.”

At recess, Lavon played with his friends — they played soccer and tag. In the classroom, he took a test on fractions.

“I think I did good,” he said. “I think I only missed one.”