Prince George's Schools Back in Session

Armed with backpacks, pencils, and a fresh set of summer memories, over 100,000 Prince George's County students returned to class Monday morning, marking the start of the 2012-13 school year.

The opening bell rings at a time of change for county schools, with outgoing superintendent William R. Hite . Officials announced Friday that Alvin Crawley, a veteran educator from District of Columbia Public Schools, .

But on Monday, the focus was on thousands of personal transitions: new grades, new books, and new faces.

At , the scene was a mix of excited students, encouraging family members, and a miniature traffic jam of SUVs and yellow buses—sure signs that school was back in session.

Other parents accompanied their children to school on foot, seeing them off for another first day.

"Have fun!" one mother called to her son as he headed toward the main doors. "Behave!" she added quickly.

Over at —where the greens, blacks, and whites of the school uniform are back in fashion—students strode and shuffled into the main entrance for the start of another year. 

For some, it was a return to familiar surroundings; for others, the first real taste of high school beyond last week's new student orientation.

Nearby, the school's LCD display flashed a friendly reminder: "FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL AUG. 20/YOU ARE LATE AT 7:45 AM."

And at , hugs and held hands were in abundance, as buses and cars delivered hundreds young students to school. Several parents stopped to snap photos of their children dressed for the occasion.

Paint Branch is in a transition of its own, as —formerly of Carrollton Elementary—takes the reins.

Did your child(ren) head back to school today? Did you encounter any hiccups along the way? Let us know in the comments.