Their eyes were twinkling : Appleton students return to classrooms for the first time since March Samantha West, Appleton Post-Crescent APPLETON - It s the middle of January and snow is on the ground. But in many ways, Tuesday felt like the first day of school in the Appleton Area School District. Around 8 a.m., Highlands Elementary fluttered with activity as kids hopped off school buses, toting big backpacks full of school supplies. Teachers and school staff stood nearby to greet them. Parents snapped photos of their children outside of the school, then escorted them to the front door where they said goodbye, sometimes tearfully.