And so it begins! Folsom and Rancho Cordova usher in new school year with exciting new beginnings

And just like that … a new school year has begun in Folsom and Rancho Cordova. Some 21,000 students began their first day Thursday in one of 37 schools in the Folsom Cordova Unified School District (FCUSD). The Folsom Telegraph met with the district's new Superintendent, Erik Swanson, at Williamson Elementary School in Rancho Cordova, as he ushered in the brand new school year that begins a brand new story for so many people in the region. "I think it's exciting because in our profession there's a beginning and an ending and a renewal," explained Swanson. "One of the great things about our work is we have this time, we have a chapter in the students' lives and also in our lives as professionals, and the first day represents the first day of this new chapter. It's part of a larger story, but the new chapter is about beginnings." There are many new beginnings in the FCUSD, with 150 new teachers, some coming from other areas and some literally starting their career. At least a dozen of those new teachers grew up and went to school in the FCUSD, according to Swanson. so their lives have come full circle. "We have a lot of new teachers, where this is the first classroom they're going to have," said Swanson. "Our teachers have been thinking about this day for a lot of their lives and so there's a lot of excitement around that." School begins at 8:30 a.m., but as is typical for the first day, parents and their children showed up early to get acclimated, find out who their teachers are and where their classrooms are. Erwine Abraham, a Rancho Cordova mother of two kids entering third and fifth grade, said she welcomes the first day of school. "I'm just excited that they're coming back to school," said Abraham. "I'm excited to see what's new for them in a new grade, a new school year." Abraham's daughter, Keani, who is entering fifth grade, isn't so sure she shares the same sentiment as her mother. "I'm pretty nervous because I haven't met my teacher yet," Keani said. She wished summer would last longer but most of her friends are ready for school. "I think they just want to come to school already." Evelyn Martinez proudly took pictures of her son before school began; he was starting first grade. "I think I'm more nervous than he is," Martinez laughed. "I'm excited and I am very proud. He is achieving goals, he is growing up, he is learning, he is off to a very good start and I'm just very excited to help him succeed. That's what we are looking forward to, just helping him succeed." Williamson Elementary Principal Leslee Cottrell was busy putting up banners and signs, setting up a coffee station for parents, and all the details and festivities associated with the first day of school. "It's always really exciting. Kids are always excited to be back," Cottrell said. Cottrell said the new school year brings much of the same as previous years but this year, she has a new assistant principal and some new teachers. If she has one message for parents, it's that consistency makes a huge difference in a student's success. "Every day of school matters and attendance is really important and our students need to know that school is valuable," said Cottrell. "So bringing them to school every day opens the door every day for them, and their future." Over the next 10 years, the FCUSD is projected to grow by leaps and bounds. Swanson said they expect 10,000 new students over the next decade, which will bring their student population district-wide to 30,000. While the district will evolve and grow, there are some things that remain the same on the first day of school: excitement, nervousness, anticipation. And for parents, it's that complicated mix of emotions of watching a child grow and saying goodbye, yet also being so excited to see them fly. "Am I sad? I think there's always a little pang," Martinez said as she hugged her son goodbye. "A little sadness in the background, but it's just overpowered by happiness and pride."