“They're going to feel like this is going to be the perfect classroom for them.”

Tucson Unified School District schools are preparing to open in about a week. Teachers are organizing their classrooms and getting ready to welcome students back.

At Carrillo K-5 Magnet School, kindergarten teacher Celina Morales said the first day is focused on building relationships with students who may be entering a classroom for the first time. She views learning as a partnership among teachers, children and families.

Morales also said kindergarten today involves learning foundational skills and preparing for state testing, rather than the rest and napping some parents may remember from their own childhoods.

Fourth grade teacher Monique Peralta said she wants students at Carrillo to feel comfortable and know they belong as soon as they enter her classroom. Although technology has changed childhood, she said fourth graders still want to learn and feel cared for by their teacher.