MADISON, Wis. -- In an effort to make the first day of school more comfortable on Tuesday, only sixth-graders were in Madison middle schools and only freshmen attended high schools.

The first of its kind districtwide experiment, aimed at helping ease the transition from elementary school to middle school and from middle school to high school, received rave reviews from both educators and students.

"It's supposed to help the sixth-graders get oriented, and know the school better without all the extra excitement," said Willy, a student at Georgia O'Keeffe Middle School.

Aiden, a sixth-grader at Georgia O'Keeffe, said not having older kids around the first day was helpful.

"Yeah, I think it's better because it really gives a chance to warm up to the school, not to have all those older kids running around and being themselves," he said.

Sue Burdick, a sixth-grade teacher at Georgia O'Keeffe, said the trial run seemed to put new students more at ease.

"They've just felt really comfortable walking in. There are only sixth-graders here, so they're not worried about older kids picking on them," Burdick said. "It is a very nice thing … because I think a lot of parents are a little nervous about their sixth-graders coming to middle school, so it gives them a chance to feel that it's comfortable and they can come in and there's no one else here and it's very quiet."

Superintendent Art Rainwater said the new students are going through a big transition.

"It's not just that they go to a different building. They're completely changing the way education is done. There's a big difference between an elementary school and a middle school, and even a bigger difference between the middle school and the high school," Rainwater said. "This kind of transition is important for their whole future."

Rainwater said there will be a review of how the first day went, but initial reaction was positive and it is likely this will be the routine in school for years to come.

The older Madison middle and high school students will return to school Wednesday, WISC-TV reported.