CHARLOTTE, N.C. (WBTV) – Many Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools parents and students are saying goodbye to remote learning on Friday.

At least partially.

Starting on Monday, CMS students kindergarten through 5th grade have the option to return to school in a rotating schedule.

Nearly 40,000 students are going back on the A and B rotating schedule for in-person learning. That leaves about 23,500 students in K-5 still in the full remote academy.

Many families are preparing for a little bit more normalcy as their youngest kids go back to school.

“Mentally prepared and emotionally prepared. My kids are ecstatic,” said Travis Nicolaysen, who has a kindergartener and 3rd grader in CMS schools.

Nicolaysen said the months of zoom classes have been draining not only for his kids but also for him as a single dad. He said he wants to focus on being the best parent he can be, not necessarily the best teacher.

He said his kids are most excited to meet their friends and teacher, which up until this point, they’ve only met online.

But it’s going to look a lot different going back to class.

Nicolaysen was looking forward to some traditions that just aren’t happening this year.

“I don’t get to walk my little girl to her first day of class,” he said. “I have to show her a video of how to get to class.”

CMS says policies like not letting parents walk their kids to class are in place to bring students back but keep them and staff as safe as possible.

“We remind everyone to social distance and wear their masks and wash their hands. Everyone’s been doing a great job, even the littlest ones,” said Monica Adamian the coordinated school health specialist.

But not every parent is sending their children back to in-person learning.