REGION - Lunch boxes were packed, uniforms donned and books cracked open as almost two thousand kids across Ararat Rural City went back to school last week.
While some parents were no doubt relieved to get their children back into a routine after the long summer break, others were emotionally farewelling their young ones as they attended school for the first time.
The 13 primary and secondary schools in Ararat Rural City welcomed 152 prep students, while 188 year sevens made the leap to secondary school.
Ararat West Primary School principal, Chris Walter said there were plenty of happy faces in the school yard last Thursday.
"We had a big crowd of prep parents who wanted to see their kids off, which was great," he said.
"Everyone had a great day and they've settled in really well."
Mr Walter said everyone at the school was excited about beginning the new year, especially about being able to work in the new open learning environment without being disrupted by building work.
He said the school was looking forward to annual sporting events, camps and excursions as the term progressed.
"It's all systems go!" he said.
Lake Bolac College is also enjoying a positive start to the school year. Principal Gary White said 106 students were enrolled at the College for 2012, including 10 preps and nine year seven students.
Mr White said it the college was looking forward to completing a range of projects throughout the upcoming months.
He said it was highly likely the internal part of the school would be refurbished and that he hoped there would be two completely new science labs set up by the end of the year.
During term one, the students will turn their attention to focusing on athletic sports and preparing for the Lake Bolac Eel Festival.
"This year's theme is Flows - lava, water and story. The kids are learning about volcanoes in their natural disaster studies to tie in with it," Mr White said.
He said the students were also writing about their experiences of Lake Bolac and were taking a series of Aboriginal dance workshops with the aim of performing at the festival.
Students at Pomonal Primary School will be enjoying a bigger focus on art next term with the introduction of a new art teacher.
Principal Kim McCann said she was thrilled the students would be able to express themselves artistically with more formal art training.
There are three preps and a new grade three student among the 19 children enrolled for 2012.
Ms McCann said the school was looking forward to getting stuck into its swimming program in term one.
Ararat Primary School 800 students are also looking forward to beginning their swimming program.
Principal Jennifer Molan said the school had a busy term ahead with a family picnic planned for February 21, a swimming carnival on February 23 and a balloon launch on February 17.
There will also be an official prep welcome on February 20 for the school's 39 new preps.
Ararat North Primary School will host a welcome to 2012 school luncheon on February 17.
"Members of the school community and the greater community are invited to come along to a sausage sizzle and have a tour of the school," principal Wendy Byrne said.
The tour will include the award winning garden and the refurbished learning spaces.
Ms Byrne said 19 of the school's 86 enrolments for the year were preps.
"We're all very excited to be back at school and we're looking forward to a very profitable and great year," she said.
"We're all very calm and the children are back into a routine. Everything is very organised and there is an air of excitement in the place."
Buangor Primary School principal Paul Buncle said the school was looking forward to an exciting year, with upcoming events including a visit to Geelong's Water Adventure Park, a family day at Mount Cole and a trip to the Ballarat Zoo.
"It's wonderful. We've got a lot of things planned, our swimming program starts in a couple of weeks and we'll be doing excursions on Wednesdays," he said.
Although the school does not have any prep students this year, Mr Buncle said there was a possibility of up to eight preps joining the class of 2013.
Elmhurst Primary School principal Alison Cheater said the school's four preps were settling in well.
"The first few days back have been wonderful. We've got 17 students this year. They're settling in fast and they're having a lovely time," she said.
Ms Cheater said the students were looking forward to beginning swim gym in Ararat and to a visit to Sovereign Hill next term.
Students at Willaura Primary School have already gotten stuck into their swimming program, swimming every day at the local pool.
"We've had a beautiful start to the year," principal Sue Knight said.
"We've got seven preps, which is very exciting. The students are all really enjoying being in their new big open learning space."
Maroona Primary School principal, Peter Waterman is also pleased with the start to the school year.
"We've got 27 students this year, including two new preps, two other new students and three families to the school," he said.
Mr Waterman said the school had no specific events planned, but that it would just look forward to 'educating as usual'.
St Mary's Primary School principal Kim Butler said the school's 29 preps had settled in smoothly.
"I'm amazed, they seem to have settled in very quickly," she said.
Things are also going well at Moyston Primary school, which welcomed three preps for 2012.
Principal Anthony Cain said the school's 18 students were enjoying a positive start to the year, with the school's renovations almost complete.
About 560 students will attend Marian College this year, the largest number in the school's history.
Principal John Crowley said the 100 year seven students and the Year 12s started school a day earlier than the other grades.
"It was an opportunity for the year seven students to meet their buddies and familiarise themselves with the layout of the school," he said.
Marian College will celebrate the new school year with an opening mass attended by Bishop Peter Connors.
Ararat College enjoyed a hectic start to the new school year, employing 11 new teachers in January.
"We were able to start the new year with a full staff and everything went very, very smoothly," principal Geoff Sawyer said.
Mr Sawyer said 79 students have begun year seven classes at the College, which has an enrolment of just over 400 students.
Mr Sawyer said the school was looking forward to the 100th anniversary of state education in Ararat.
"The anniversary is next year but soon we're going to set up a working committee and begin planning. There's a lot of excitement about it already," he said.
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