On Monday, Berkeley Unified School District, or BUSD, teachers and students returned to in-person instruction for the first time since the pandemic first forced schools to close last spring. Under the BUSD hybrid plan, students in prekindergarten through second grade were eligible to return to in-person instruction. While students will have the next week off for spring recess, those in third to ninth grade will return to schools in person the following week of April 12. Tenth to 12th grade students will return the week after. For Marco Taylor, principal of John Muir Elementary School, the first day back felt like a first day of school. BUSD spokesperson Trish McDermott, who visited elementary schools this week, echoed the sentiment.