Yoon S. Byun / Globe Staff

Angela Mayes taught her son Adrian Mayes-Weddington , 5, cursive handwriting,at her mother's home in Boston. Mayes moved to Boston from North Carolina to take care of her mother and found that her son was not registered in a school after she thought she had pre-registered him.

Yoon S. Byun / Globe Staff

Adrian Mayes-Weddington, 5, listened to his mother, Angela.

Yoon S. Byun / Globe Staff

Angela Mayes tested her son Adrian Mayes-Weddington, 5, on spelling.

David L. Ryan / Globe Staff

Information for school was provided in several languages at the Boston Public School East Zone Family Resource Center on Dorchester Avenue.

David L. Ryan / Globe Staff

Keith Hellmold, assistant director at the center, helped a family with their questions.

David L. Ryan / Globe Staff

Students waited at the family resource center.

Yoon S. Byun / Globe Staff

Olayemi Phillips packed a lunch for her daughter, Nia, before Nia’s first day of school. Nia is attending James J. Chittick Elementary School, despite the school not being one of her family’s top six choices.

Yoon S. Byun / Globe StaFF

A message wishing Nia a happy first day of school was written on a chalkboard in the kitchen of the Phillips family.

Yoon S. Byun / Globe Staff

Olayemi admired her daughter's school uniform.

Yoon S. Byun / Globe Staff

Olayemi talked to Nia before Nia’s first day of school at James J. Chittick Elementary School in Mattapan on Sept. 12.

Yoon S. Byun / Globe Staff

Olayemi got her daughter to smile for her husband, Charles, in the schoolyard.

Yoon S. Byun / Globe Staff

Nia sat in class on her first day of school.