PHOTOS: New York City celebrates first day of school

This week, New York City kids in public and private schools dusted off their backpacks and headed back to school.

To help kickstart the school year, Governor Kathy Hochul stopped by Brooklyn’s M.S. 582 (The Magnet School for Multimedia, Technology, and Urban Planning) to welcome students and talk about the school cellphone ban that is being implemented this year.

“So I am so excited about this policy, because for too long students have sat in schools, with their cell phone in their hand, distracted looking at TikTok dance videos. Anybody ever do that? You don’t have to tell me here, that’s all right. But do that at home, my friends. Do that at home. Do that somewhere else,” Hochul said to the students. “But this is a chance for you to learn, to make friends, to be in physical education class and talk to each other. Talk about what you’re going to do after school in the cafeteria, and just start communicating again.”

Hochul’s appearance was accompanied by Frankie Focus, the state’s new phone-free mascot. The governor also assisted in handing out pouches for phones to be stored in throughout the school day.

Though the official first day for public school students is Sept. 4, some schools got started a bit earlier. St. Francis Prep in Fresh Meadows, Queens, got started on Sept. 3, while Zeta Queens Jamaica Elementary School celebrated its grand opening on Sept. 2.