'Hello, James!' First Day of School at the Burbank, Belmont

"Hi James!" said a mom walking her child as they stepped onto the crosswalk on School Street leading to the Burbank Elementary School.

Standing in the middle of the road, waving his 'stop' sign over his head, Jim Marcantonio was stopping cars and SUVs in their tracks to allow a steady stream of humanity to cross the byway. 

"Nice to see you! Thank you, thank you," said Marcantonio to everyone he met today, patting some parents on the arm and greeting each student with a smile.

On a perfect, late summer morning – bright sun, dry and in the mid-70s – nearly 4,000 students walked, biked and drove to the town's six public schools on the opening day of the 2013-14 school year. 

For educators, today is about as exciting as celebrating a new year. 

Karen Shea, a kindergarten and first/second grade aide and Ellen McKellen, an aide in third and fourth grades, were happy to return to the Burbank for another term.

"Fabulous to be back. I love it!" said McKellen while Shea – who with her colleague were serving as traffic managers at the head of the school's driveway – remarked that, for at least this day, "the students are excited and happy to be back and ready to learn." 

At the Winn Brook Elementary School, where parents and students congregate at one of three entrances, a large crowd stood near the gym side entry, students lined up by grade while parents were ready to either escort their children inside to meet their teachers or take photos and wave good-bye. 

For Janet Carey, Winn Brook's principal, the first day of school is "very, very exciting that we have the children back after so many months away." 

"We want the children to have a sense of community here. We already have respectful children but that is something that we want to reenforce. And of course it's about the academics. We have a new math curriculum along with new language arts standards so we all are going to be busy," said Carey. 

Back at the Burbank, now in his fourth year as a crossing guard, Marcantonio said he was looking for "something so I could keep busy" after retiring from the Cambridge Fire Department.

Living for more than a quarter century in Belmont, the Audrey Road resident said his current position "gets me out and active. I just don't want to stay home." 

"And I really love the kids," Marcantonio said, as he takes off into the street one more time.