LATHROP – The first day of school for all schools in Manteca Unified is today. But for hundreds of preschoolers, their very first day of their school adventure took place on Monday.

At Lathrop Elementary School on Fifth Street, 64 preschool adventurers stepped on campus for the first time. They are not all in one class. Preschool Teacher Ronna Brooks said they have two preschool classes with the young students equally divided between the morning and afternoon sessions.

The Warriors’ pre-kindergarten class is called Creative Childcare Preschool.

On Monday, Brooks and her teaching staff made up of Carlos Huerta, Carmen Roman, and Molly Khounsy, were busy with the preschoolers both inside and outside the classroom. Toward the end of the afternoon session, they were all outside in the play area on the north side of their preschool classroom keeping a close eye on the youngsters as they frolicked on the jungle gym and slide, filled their pails with sand, rode a three-wheel bike, and simply played tag.

As the preschoolers and their teachers officially started the school year, Principal David Silveira and the rest of his office and teaching staff were busy getting the classrooms ready for the official first day of the school year 2012-2013. For the principal, the hectic schedule included putting the finishing touches on his summer project – installing the Six Pillars of Character Counts and a Peace Pole in the back of the school. For Lathrop School’s new faculty member this school year, Benjamin Jex, his project on top of lesson-plan preparation was to finish weeding the citrus garden on the northeast corner of the campus.