Elementary students in South Pasadena return to the classroom By Mary Stringini South Pasadena TK through 2nd grade return to school PASADENA, Calif. - Some South Pasadena elementary students returned to the classroom for the first time in nearly a year on Thursday. For some of the little ones, it’s their first day of school ever. For others, it's back to the campus they haven't seen since the pandemic began. Last week, the South Pasadena Unified School District school board approved the physical reopening of schools for in-person learning in preschool through second grades. Students who returned to the classroom on Thursday chose the district's hybrid instructional model.