As the first day of school kicked off for many students and teachers across Kern County, families gathered outside Whitley Elementary School in eager anticipation—backpacks in hand, cameras ready, and smiles all around.
It was a heartwarming scene filled with joyful reunions, as longtime friends embraced after a summer apart. Inside the school, teachers prepared their classrooms and stood at their doors, ready to welcome a new wave of students—many stepping onto campus for the very first time.
Even before the school bell rang, some students were already in learning mode. One student, Elroy Davis, enthusiastically declared, “One trillion plus one trillion equals two trillion!”…