Ukrainian front-line students celebrate back-to-school despite ever-present air raid alarms

ZAPORIZHZHIA, Ukraine (AP) — Just hours after a dawn air raid alarm rang through the city, Zaporizhzhia schoolchildren celebrated the traditional first day of school on Sunday.

With the front just 40 kilometers (25 miles) away, the war is never far from the minds of teachers and families at one school in the city. Because of a ban on large gatherings in the city, which is regularly struck by Russian artillery and missiles, only students starting their first and last years were allowed in the parade. The AP is not identifying the school for security reasons.

Wearing traditional embroidered Ukrainian shirts and carrying roses, the children lined up in pairs and held hands — each small student with a teenager. Despite the wartime restrictions, the entire ceremony was a celebration of Ukraine’s future.

Of the school’s 800 students, around 300 fled the war for safety abroad or elsewhere in Ukraine. The rest alternate one week of in-person study with one week online because the recently renovated bomb shelter can only accommodate around 250 people. Zaporizhzhia routinely spends hours each day under air raid alerts.

The school’s bomb shelter is about 75 meters (yards) away from the main school building, across an open playground. School director Kostiantyn Lypskyi said the youngest students attend in person every day and work in a classroom created just above the basement rooms, while the rest of the school operates in the main building.

“We prepared everything for the new school year. We equipped the bunker in case of air alarms, so children will have a safe space because our school will continue lessons during the air raid alarms in the bunker,” he said.

Sunday’s ceremony unfolded without problems and Olha Komarova-Lesko, the mother of an 11th grader and a 6th grader, said she was optimistic for the coming school year, which she described as the best solution under the circumstances.

“We are happy that the children had the chance go to the celebration today just as in the prewar times,” she said, “This is really exciting and joyful.”

First-grades attend the traditional ceremony for the first day of school in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine, Sunday Sept. 1, 2024. Zaporizhzhia schoolchildren celebrated the traditional first day of school near the frontline. With the front just 40 kilometers away, the war is never far from the minds of teachers and families. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)

First-grades hold balloons during the traditional ceremony for the first day of school in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine, Sunday Sept. 1, 2024. Zaporizhzhia schoolchildren celebrated the traditional first day of school near the frontline. With the front just 40 kilometers away, the war is never far from the minds of teachers and families. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)

First-grades wait with a teacher for the start of the traditional ceremony for the first day of school in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine, Sunday Sept. 1, 2024. Zaporizhzhia schoolchildren celebrated the traditional first day of school near the frontline. With the front just 40 kilometers away, the war is never far from the minds of teachers and families. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)

Parents help their son before the traditional ceremony for the first day of school in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine, Sunday Sept. 1, 2024. Zaporizhzhia schoolchildren celebrated the traditional first day of school near the frontline. With the front just 40 kilometers away, the war is never far from the minds of teachers and families. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)

First-grades walk to the traditional ceremony for the first day of school in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine, Sunday Sept. 1, 2024. Zaporizhzhia schoolchildren celebrated the traditional first day of school near the frontline. With the front just 40 kilometers away, the war is never far from the minds of teachers and families. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)

A first-grade girl holds the hand of her older schoolmate and walks to the traditional ceremony for the first day of school in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine, Sunday Sept. 1, 2024. Zaporizhzhia schoolchildren celebrated the traditional first day of school near the frontline. With the front just 40 kilometers away, the war is never far from the minds of teachers and families. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)

First-grades attend the traditional ceremony for the first day of school in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine, Sunday Sept. 1, 2024. Zaporizhzhia schoolchildren celebrated the traditional first day of school near the frontline. With the front just 40 kilometers away, the war is never far from the minds of teachers and families. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)

First-grades walk to the traditional ceremony for the first day of school in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine, Sunday Sept. 1, 2024. Zaporizhzhia schoolchildren celebrated the traditional first day of school near the frontline. With the front just 40 kilometers away, the war is never far from the minds of teachers and families. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)

First-grades wait for the beginning of the traditional ceremony for the first day of school in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine, Sunday Sept. 1, 2024. Zaporizhzhia schoolchildren celebrated the traditional first day of school near the frontline. With the front just 40 kilometers away, the war is never far from the minds of teachers and families. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)

Children attend the traditional ceremony for the first day of school in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine, Sunday Sept. 1, 2024. Zaporizhzhia schoolchildren celebrated the traditional first day of school near the frontline. With the front just 40 kilometers away, the war is never far from the minds of teachers and families. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Storm Ileana has weakened to a tropical depression, the National Hurricane Center said Sunday.

The tropical storm formed Thursday off Mexico’s Pacific coast as it moved ashore, making landfall on the coast of the Mexican state of Sinaloa Saturday, a day after it pounded the resort-studded Los Cabos.

On Sunday, wind speed dropped to 35 mph (55 kph), NOAA said in an advisory, as Ileana was nearly 30 miles (45 kilometers) southwest of Los Mochis, Mexico, and moving west-northwest at 2 mph (4 kph). It also forecasts the storm to become a remnant low — a post-tropical cyclone with maximum sustained winds less than 34 knots.

On Friday, a warning had been in effect for portions of the Baja California Peninsula, including Cabo San Lucas and San Jose del Cabo.

Juan Manuel Arce Ortega, from Los Cabos Civil Protection, said the municipalities of La Paz and Los Cabos had suspended classes in schools due to the storm.

Authorities prepared 20 temporary shelters in San Jose del Cabo and Cabo San Lucas, according to Los Cabos Civil Protection.

At the Hacienda Beach Club and Residences in Cabo San Lucas, valet worker Alan Galvan said the rain arrived late Thursday night and has been constant. “The rain isn’t very strong right now, but the waves are choppy,” he said.

“The guests are very calm and already came down for coffee,” Galvan said. “There’s some flights canceled but everything is ok at the moment.”

The rain remained consistent through Los Cabos Friday afternoon, with several roads flooded and some resorts stacking up sandbags on their perimeters. Some people were still walking around boat docks with their umbrellas.

“The priority has to be safety, starting with the workers. We always have to check on our colleagues who live in risk areas,” said Lyzzette Liceaga, a tour operator at Los Cabos.

Ileana was the only active tropical storm in the National Weather Service’s Eastern Pacific basin on Friday. In the Atlantic basin, post-tropical cyclone Francine was bringing heavy rain to parts of the southern United States, and Tropical Storm Gordon formed on Friday in the Atlantic Ocean, with forecasters saying it is expected to remain over open water for several days.

This satellite image provided by the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration shows Tropical Storm Ileana, left, near the coastal Mexican city of Topolobampo on the eastern side of the Gulf of California, on Saturday, Sept. 14, 2024, at 6:10 p.m. EDT. (NOAA via AP)