D.C.’s school year doesn’t start for another three weeks but students are already preparing for the big day.

Incoming students at middle and high schools are already on campus, getting the lay of the land ahead of their first day of classes.

“It’s always good to welcome our young people back to school,” said Lewis Ferebee, chancellor of D.C. Public Schools.

Incoming freshmen toured McKinley Technology High School in Northeast on Monday, including Caleb Dawson.

“We’re doing activities, learning the school and getting comfortable,” Dawson said. “I’m not really looking forward to all the work and all that, but I think I’ll be all right.”

Dawson is heading to high school from Stuart-Hobson Middle School.

“It’s an opportunity for them to get to know their peers, their staff, the building, the places where they’ll be learning and the people around them,” Ferebee said. “We think those relationships are so important.”

According to Ferebee, one of the main challenges for the new year will be focusing on math scores and increasing the number of students who are proficient.

“That’s one of the areas where we’ve seen a slower recovery since the pandemic,” Ferebee said.

He said he would also like to see a rise in attendance: “We want students to be in each school and know that each day counts.”

The first day of the new school year for D.C. students is Aug. 26.