The Today alum reunited with her ex-fiancé Joel Schiffman to send their daughters Haley, 9, and Hope, 7, off to their first day of school Sept. 8.
"It’s here," Kotb captioned Instagram photos of the family drop-off, which showed her in a blue Denver Broncos sweatshirt and white jeans, while Schiffman donned a gray suit. "4th and 2nd grade! Whaaaatttt?"
And for their return to class, the kids both opted to wear pink. Haley rocked a striped T-shirt dress with all-white sneakers, while Hope sported a tiered floral frock with a denim jacket and running shoes with pink laces.
Kotb, 62, and Schiffman, 68, were together for eight years before breaking up in 2022. Since ending their engagement, the two have remained friendly as co-parents to Haley and Hope, who Kotb adopted 2017 and 2019, respectively.
"Joel is one of the best people I know, and he really is a great human being," Kotb raved on a 2024 episode of The Jamie Kern Lima Show. "And I feel like I'm a pretty great human being, but sometimes two great human beings together isn't quite enough to make it work."
In fact, the former morning show anchor said "growing at different paces" was what led her and Schiffman to amicably end their relationship.
"It's hard to be in sync," she explained. "I think a lot of people are probably in these situations."
Still, Kotb wouldn't change a thing about her time with the financier.
"I don't regret one day, not one minute, not one second of our time together because it brought me here," she said in a 2022 interview with People. "I have two incredible children I share with him."
Kotb continued, "And it's because of Joel that I have Haley and Hope, without question. I think I might have been too afraid to do it alone. That's not something I love to admit, but it's true."
And while she and Schiffman grew apart romantically, the pair "have it down" when it comes to raising Haley and Hope.
"He'll have a Saturday, and I'll do the Sunday. We switch each week," Kotb added. "He'll take the girls and do some fun things, and I'll take some quiet time. It's a healthy mix, and the kids love it. He's a great dad."
Keep reading to find out how other celebrities are sending their kids back to school.
The former Today anchor and her ex Joel Schiffman celebrated daughters Haley Joy and Hope Catherine kicking off their studies.
"It’s here! First day of school," she wrote on Instagram Sept. 8. "4th and 2nd grade! Whaaaatttt?"
Prince George was escorted by his parents to his first day at Eton College on Sept. 8.
The Kardashians star kept up with tradition, snapping a photo of son Tatum and daughter True on their first day of school.
“I canNOT believe Tatum started school today! And my True is in THIRD GRADE!” she wrote on Instagram Sept. 2. “Both of my babies are officially in school and I truly don’t know how we got here.”
The NBA icon's daughter Zhuri's first day of sixth grade on Sept. 1 was complete with a Herschel Supply backpack full of books and a ride to school.
The Today show anchor and his sports journalist wife sent their kids Sybil and Delano back to school on Aug. 26.
"So proud of these two," Melvin wrote on Instagram, "and can’t wait to see all they accomplish this year."
College 101. The Zoey 101 alum helped her daughter Maddie set up her dorm room at University of Southern Mississippi in mid-August. A few days later, she and her husband Jamie Watson sent their daughter Ivey off to third grade.
As the actress put it in an Aug. 19 Instgram post, "Definitely crying."
On Aug. 19, the Girls Next Door alum shared a dropoff selfie with her daughter Alijah, who she shares with ex-husband Hank Baskett.
"First day of 7th grade and i couldn’t be more proud of Alijah," she captioned the photo. "Made her a chicken quesadilla for lunch lol. Time to fly my love. Good luck my amazing daughter. I love you."
Good luck to the Good Luck Charlie alum, who started her senior year of high school on Aug. 19.
The Top Chef: All-Stars winner was served a plate of emotions while sending off his daughter Riley to her freshman year at Indiana University Bloomington, writing on Instagram Aug. 18, "Gonna miss you kiddo."
The longtime Bachelor couple dropped their son Maxwell off at the University of Colorado Boulder, with Trista writing on Instagram Aug. 17, "He’s gonna go so far and we’re definitely not angry. Emotional, yes, but so insanely excited and proud - which is a very strange place to be…caught between 2 drastic emotions."
And if that wasn't already a bittersweet moment, the parents of two also saw their daughter Blakesley off to her senior year of high school.
The singer made sure to soak up the sun with her son Wyatt before sending him off to his freshman year of college.
"Where does the time go?" whe wrote in an Aug. 17 Instagram post. "For any parent who just went through this, I know how you are feeling! So proud of the young man he has become, and sure am missing him around here!"
On Aug. 13, the Oscar nominee and her ex Iman Shumpert celebrated their daughters Junie Shumpert and Rue Shumpert's "first day" while showing there's one resemblance after another between the actress and her kids.
The Food Network star reunited with her ex Todd Thompson on Aug. 8 at a college send-off party for their daughter Jade.
The NBA star escorted his son Prince—who he shares with ex Jordan Craig—to his first day of fourth grade, joking in an Aug. 12 Instagram, "Man I’m getting old."
The Sabrina the Teenage Witch alum enchanted to see her and husband Mark Wilkerson's sons Braydon and Tucker head back to school on Aug. 12.
"Last first day of school for our Brady," she wrote on Instagram. "Senior year for him and 7th grade for Tucker. May God bless and protect all the children as they head back to school!"
Matthew Stafford's wife snapped this photo of the NFL quarterback sending their twins Chandler and Sawyer off to their first day of fourth grade. As she captioned the photo on Instagram Aug. 12, "New school, same girls."
The former Dancing With the Stars pro waltzed her and husband Sam Cusick's daughters Sage and June to class on Aug. 12, writing on her Instagram Story, “I can’t believe they are both starting school now.”
Summer is winding down. The Whine Down podcaster sent her kids Jolie and Jace—who she shares with ex Mike Caussin—as well as her and husband Allan Russell's son Roman off to their first day of school on Aug. 10.
"First day of Pre-K3, 5th grade & 2nd grade," she captioned a photo of their blended family. "So proud of these three and excited for all this school year will bring."
Jason Aldean's wife shared photos of their kids Navy and Memphis heading back to school on Aug. 11, calling it an "emotional Tuesday."
She's going to school for all the right reasons. The Bachelorette alum saw her daughter Addison start seventh grade on Aug. 11.
"You are incredible Tiny," she wrote on Instagram. "Praying for a great year in middle school!"
The Ex on the Beach alum helped her and Cory Wharton's oldest daughter Mila get ready for elementary school. As she wrote on Instagram Aug. 12, "My little first grader."