Sophomore Quynh Wills was happy to have her regular teachers back at Denver’s East High School on Thursday — the result, she said, was a much better-organized classroom than she’d encountered earlier this week.

“We’re learning what we’re actually supposed to in our classes,” she said.

Denver’s schools began returning to normalcy Thursday morning in the wake of a marathon all-night bargaining session that brought an end to the city’s first teachers strike in 25 years. Teachers, who’d walked out Monday in the name of better wages, began returning to their classes.

Denver Public Schools spokesman Will Jones said that although teachers were expected to return to work Thursday, because of the late notice — the tentative agreement to end the strike was finalized at 6:15 a.m. — central office employees continued to go to the schools they were assigned to, with principals determining the level of support they needed.

According to Jones, 81 percent of DPS teachers and 83 percent of students were in their schools as of 12:45 p.m. Thursday. Preschool classes remained closed Thursday due to staffing issues, but were expected to reopen Friday.

Yonas Anley, a sophomore at George Washington High School, didn’t have his teachers back on Thursday and many of his classmates remained absent, but he said one thing was clear: “Once the teachers left, you can see the importance they have in school.”

East High English teacher Josh Garfinkel said the day was an emotional one.

“I was very excited to see my students,” Garfinkel said.

At East High, most teachers had returned to school, according to Garfinkel, though student attendance remained lower.

English teacher Todd Madison has been with the district for 27 years, so he remembers the 1994 teachers strike. He said there’s “no comparison” in the mood of the teachers coming back on Thursday.

“We’re elated, unified,” Madison said. “We just feel strong.”

Madison believes the new contract — which includes an average 11.7-percent raise next year — will help with teacher retention, a point the union’s bargaining team stressed in negotiations.

That means teachers don’t have to make the tough decisions about whether to leave for other school districts or the career altogether because they can’t afford to live in their city, he said.

“That’s changing people’s lives,” Madison said. “It’s also changing Denver.”

Garfinkel said the new teachers compensation contract is a start, but there’s more work to be done, especially with a school board election in the fall.

Teachers and supporters took to social media Thursday to express their happiness at the strike’s end, but some also reminded one another about the upcoming election and action steps.

Both Madison and Garfinkel stressed how important the community’s support was during the strike. As they spoke about the contract Thursday afternoon, they sat in The Goods restaurant, across from East High, which had provided food and space for picketers during the three-day strike.

The union is also planning a rally to celebrate and thank the community at 4:30 p.m. Friday in City Park.

Cindi Lowery-Graber, the parent of a student at High Tech Elementary, said she and her family were proud to stand with the teachers and she’s looking forward to her son learning again in school.

Lowery-Graber said she understood why not all teachers were back Thursday, and said both district officials and teachers deserved a day of rest.

“I feel strongly the teachers deserve this opportunity to negotiate fair pay and this more transparent pay schedule and a raise,” she said. “I’m thrilled they’re coming back and I’m hoping everyone can really focus on getting back into the schools.”

George Washington High School teacher Joe Bolz said he went into the school Thursday, despite the late notice, because he wanted an opportunity to get re-established in the classroom.

Bolz lauded the new contract, saying it seemed to put teachers “at the heart of what needs to be done.”

“It’s like when we work with our students and we tell them we can’t really get them to learn when their basic needs are not being met,” he said, adding the same can be said of teachers.

Teachers and administrators within the schools are cognizant of potentially strained relationships after the strike.

“There is no doubt that there are some hurt feelings,” said Jones, the DPS spokesman. “Our school leaders are working to mend those relationships. The district is assisting in those efforts. Members of the DPS Culture, Equity & Leadership Team are providing principals with resources for their staff to assist them with processing, healing and strengthening school communities.”

Principal Sean Kavanaugh of Hill Campus of Arts and Sciences organized a basketball game for students and teachers, and asked returning teachers to come in at 1 p.m. to meet with him and others at the school.

Chief Financial Officer for the district Mark Ferrandino said the district and union still have a few issues to iron out, including whether teachers will get backpay for the time they were on strike, and he anticipates much of that will be resolved in the coming week.