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OCHO RIOS, St Ann - It's been three weeks since four-year-old Aliekia Linton first sat in a classroom, and the thrill still hasn't worn off. The huge grin on her face said it all, she was happy to be in the same space as her teachers and classmates. Before face-to-face classes began at Lime Tree Garden Primary in St Ann on November 8, her only experience with school had been online."My daughter is doing great in school. She said she loves her new school and she is happy because she is going to a real school. It seems as if the online school was not real for her. She is well settled in her classroom and she is wearing the mask without complaining, which I'm happy for," her mother Nadine Virgo-Linton told the Jamaica Observer on Monday.The thrill of getting dressed in her brand new uniform, slipping her arms into the straps of her backpack and looking down at her brand new shoes were all part Aliekia's first day."You know it's a joy for parents to see their children going to school. My daughter couldn't wait; she was overwhelmed with joy because it was her new school and first day - so you can only imagine," Virgo- Linton laughed.With her youngest now back in school, the practical nurse said, her older son Ashean Yorke will now have time to focus on his job hunt."I leave for work from seven to seven so it is my son that would have to monitor her. Now that she is back in school my son will be able to do other stuff with that time. This is a very good move and I was pleased with the way they set up the school. Every classroom door has their own pipe to wash their hands, and sanitisers, so I know my daughter is safe," she said.According to Qulin Brown-Walford, who has been the school's principal for 16 years, stringent measures were put in place to keep students and staff safe."Each student has his own kit with sanitisers, tissue, wipes, alcohol and so on that they use when at their desk. For the staff, two persons are assigned to a bathroom and they also have things to sanitise throughout the day," she said on the first day of school."The parents are very excited too but they are working with us and know that when they come in they have to go through our COVID booth, take their temperature - and they cannot muck around," she added.At Higgins Land Primary and Junior High, another rural institution in the hills of St Ann, students and parents were equally excited to be reunited with the staff, Principal Claridine Allen Wilson told the Observer on their first day back. Online classes had been a challenge, she said."Some of the students are not doing as best as they could because of the online learning," she said, adding that power outages and interruptions to Internet service had been major issues. "Sometimes the children simply don't understand, and they can't seem to explain why. Now the teachers will be able to walk around and check books. All COVD-19 protocols set up are in place and the students are working with us, so everything is going great," she added.- Akera Davis