Photos by Sam Dean | The Roanoke Times

As crossing guard Vicky Baylor stops traffic, Tiffany Tucker walks her son Christian Fayette to school at Lincoln Terrace Elementary.

A student completes a math lesson during the first day of classes Tuesday at Lincoln Terrace Elementary School.

First-grade students listen to their teacher during the first day of classes Tuesday at Lincoln Terrace Elementary School.

Three children sat in Lincoln Terrace Elementary School's cafeteria, contentedly chewing on waffles and drinking milk from a carton when Principal Freida Hines burst in.

"All right, kiddos," she said in that no-funny-business teacher-voice that you probably remember from your childhood. "I need you all to get going. You have about three minutes."

The children finished their waffles and scampered to class. The school year had begun.

Between 12,000 and 13,000 students headed back to school in Roanoke and 3,851 started school in Salem, which also opened its doors Tuesday. In Salem, students celebrated the new school year by eating foot-long hot dogs, a 25-year-old school tradition.

At Roanoke's Lincoln Terrace, back-to-school alarm clocks buzzed a little earlier than in the past. Rather than starting at 9 a.m., as had been the case for roughly 40 years, this year's elementary school day started at 7:45 a.m., a new time designed to capitalize on the sleep cycles of young children. Middle and high school start times were moved up from 7:20 a.m. and 8 a.m., respectively, to 8:45 a.m.

The changes caused a few late starts in Roanoke, as well as some crowded buses and isolated hiccups in ferrying students to special after-school programs. But officials said they were pleased with the overall results and vowed to fix any glitches.

"It should not be a situation that repeats itself," Deputy Superintendent Curt Baker said.

At Lincoln Terrace, two buses pulled up about 7:40 a.m., giving students barely five minutes to wolf down breakfast.

But that's OK. Everybody expects a little confusion on the big day.

For newly minted kindergarten students setting out on their academic careers, it was an especially momentous occasion. The 233-student school has staggered the first day for kindergarten students throughout the week to make the first days more manageable and to put students at ease.

Christian Fayette wore a colossal backpack and a no-less-colossal grin as he gripped his mother's hand and crossed the street on his way to Lincoln Terrace on Tuesday.

So, Christian, are you excited?

A vigorous nod.

What do you have in your backpack?

"Stuff I got to show."

It's actually pencils, paper and other supplies he'll need this year, explained his mother, Tiffany Tucker.

Not far away, James Leftwich, a preschool student, could barely contain his excitement.

"Look at my new shoes," he shouted and did a little jig in his spotless white sneakers.

Others, however, were overcome with shyness.

Brianna Wilson, sporting a pink backpack, didn't want to answer any questions. Instead, the kindergartner smiled and buried her face in her mother's arms.

Another little boy walked up to Hines, staring at his shoes, and said softly: "I don't know where to go."

"Well let's find out," the principal said. "What grade are you in?"

"Kindergarten."

"Well let's find your classroom," she said, putting her arm around the boy's shoulder and steering him toward the kindergarten wing.

A few minutes later, however, the school's newest students seemed to have overcome their jitters. They laughed and shouted along as their teachers read them a story on a runaway gingerbread man.

Then they set out on a scavenger hunt with their teachers, looking for this gingerbread man and picking up clues along the way. Some of the kindergarten students were able to read the clues by themselves, which stunned their teachers.

"That's the value of having early education," said Jackie Kaufman, a kindergarten teacher. Many of the new Lincoln Terrace students went to preschool last year, where they learned about letters and numbers.

Their gingerbread search led them to the guidance office, the principal's office, the school nurse, the secretary, the cafeteria, the gymnasium, the art room, the music room and the playground.

In the end they discovered gingerbread cookies waiting for them in their classrooms.

Maybe school isn't so bad after all.

Staff writer Cody Lowe contributed to this report.