Before it's back to school, students meet teachers in Hoffman Estates

Thomas Jefferson Elementary School in Hoffman Estates was a flurry of activity Tuesday afternoon as students and their families were welcomed to a meet-and-greet with their teachers.

Students dropped off supplies to their classrooms in the two-story school, as parents greeted each other at the end of another summer.

"The kiddies (kindergartners) are always the most excited," said Rebecca Latham, chief communications officer for Palatine Elementary School District 15.

District 15 educates more than 11,000 students from communities including Palatine, Rolling Meadows, Hoffman Estates and Inverness, at 15 elementary schools and four junior high schools. Thomas Jefferson Elementary has more than 400 students in kindergarten through sixth grade. Classes begin Wednesday.