Despite a brief transportation glitch, Riley Dall’s first day of kindergarten on Friday was hardest on her mom.

“It’s been such a sad day,” said Molly Dall, while waiting for the school bus to bring her daughter home to Mitchell Road in Cape Elizabeth. “It’s the beginning of her life.”

However, when the bus stopped at the Dall residence, 5-year-old Riley was not on it. After a few quick words with the bus driver, Molly sped out the driveway and returned a few minutes later with her daughter, who had been dropped off at the end of the street by a different bus. It appeared to be the only mix-up of the day.

Riley was dressed and ready to go almost an hour before the bus came to pick her up, said her mom, adding that it will probably be the last year she ever does that.

Riley went to preschool last year, but Dall said kindergarten was a big step that was harder to face.

“I feel like I’ve done all I can and now I have to let her go into the world,” she said.

As for Riley, her first day went well. She appeared a little overwhelmed with the morning’s events as she sat drinking a juice on her front lawn, but her face lit up when she had something to tell her mother.

“The other kids had a longer recess,” she said.

Here’s a quick look at how Riley, plus Scarborough students Hunter Sackville and sisters Jenny Snyder and Katie Snyder, fared on their first day of school.

NAME: Riley Dall

AGE: 5

GRADE: Kindergarten, Pond Cove Elementary School, Cape Elizabeth

HOW WAS YOUR FIRST DAY?

It went good.

WHAT SHE’S LOOKING FORWARD TO:

I’m excited about meeting more people and making more friends.

WHAT SHE’S NERVOUS ABOUT:

I’m afraid I won’t know what 100 plus 100 is when I’m asked.

WHAT SHE LEARNED ON HER FIRST DAY:

I learned about writing and to keep my back against the seat when riding the bus.

NAME: Hunter Sackville

AGE: 12

GRADE: Sixth, Scarborough Middle School

HOW WAS YOUR FIRST DAY?

The first day was kind of hard. The school is just bigger.

WHAT HE’S LOOKING FORWARD TO:

I like having something different every day, gym and math class.

WHAT HE’S NERVOUS ABOUT:

They told us we’d have an hour of homework for each class, but we don’t have every class every day.

NAME: Jenny Snyder

AGE: 14

GRADE: Freshman, Scarborough High School

HOW WAS YOUR FIRST DAY?

It was pretty much as I expected. It wasn’t really exciting, it was just a normal school day.

WHAT SHE’S LOOKING FORWARD TO:

I’m hoping there will be more time later on. I only had about two minutes to eat my lunch.

WHAT SHE’S NERVOUS ABOUT:

The school is just much bigger.

NAME: Katie Snyder

AGE: 17

GRADE: Senior, Scarborough High School

HOW WAS YOUR FIRST DAY?

It was exciting to march in as a senior. We started in the parking lot, walked up, went inside and had a breakfast.

WHAT SHE’S LOOKING FORWARD TO:

My classes are a lot more laid back. The teachers seem to know that you’re older and more responsible. They didn’t give us a whole long list of rules.

WHAT SHE’S NERVOUS ABOUT:

I’m not looking forward to having to deal with a lot of homework and college applications at the same time, but I don’t think it will be that bad.

Calm or nervous, students survive first school day Calm or nervous, students survive first school day Calm or nervous, students survive first school day Sisters Katie Snyder, left, a senior, and Jenny Snyder, a freshman, have both begun important transitional years at Scarborough High School.