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A parade of first-graders bursts through the doors and enters the room along with the early morning sunlight. A girl in a pink chef's hat, a boy in a Spider-Man hoodie, a girl in a ballerina tutu, a boy with light-up sneakers, a girl in a unicorn onesie and dozens of other energetic children meander through the line, clutching their parents' hands.
One girl, Maria, greets her "bestie" Harmony with an early valentine and receives a warm hug in return.
"Hello Xhyla, my little cheerleader," the kids' teacher, Kristin Minkler, says as they skip past the check-in table. "You're good, Zariah. I got you."
Minkler, sensibly clad in black leggings, tennis shoes and long puffer coat, informs the children that they are "going straight to school."
But this is not a normal school.
Minkler is the lead studio teacher for the hit ABC sitcom "Abbott Elementary," which means she is in charge of every child performer on the show from the moment they arrive on the Warner Bros. studio lot in Burbank. Immediately after checking in with Minkler, the young background actors -- who populate Abbott's classrooms, hallways, library and gymnasium onscreen -- change out of their everyday attire and into their costumes: tiny blue polos that bear the crest of their fictional Philadelphia grade school.
When the kids aren't busy acting opposite their TV teachers -- played by Sheryl Lee Ralph, Tyler James Williams, Lisa Ann Walter, Chris Perfetti and show creator Quinta Brunson -- they spend their downtime behind the scenes chipping away at their schoolwork.
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THE CLASSROOM
Around the corner from soundstages 15 and 16, where "Abbott Elementary" is filmed, is a dedicated learning space where Minkler and her team entertain the child actors with educational activities and help them with their studies.
The teachers fulfill a dual role as both educators and caretakers who are responsible for enforcing California's child labor laws on set. After a production delay caused by last year's Hollywood strikes, the studio teachers and child actors are back and busy working on Season 3 of "Abbott Elementary," which premieres Wednesday on ABC.
"I always tell [the children], 'This is real school,' " Minkler said. " 'It's different from the school that you go to, but this...