Select high school students in the city’s northwest are set to begin the school year in a brand new building.

Robert Thirsk High School is set to opens its doors on Tuesday to 850 students in grades 10 and 11.

The school, named after the Canadian astronaut who attended grade school in Calgary, is located in Arbour Lake, near the intersection of Nose Hill Dr. and John Laurie Blvd. N.W.

The curriculum at Robert Thirsk High School will focus on career skills including the trades and digital media.

Teachers will take a new approach to educating students.

“We have an opportunity to build a high school when the design is starting to change,” says Chris Meaden, the school’s principal. “When many of us went to school, our schools were set up to think the same. I would say in our current world we're trying to set up a high school that encourages students to think critically, be creative thinkers, and learn who they are as learners.”

The school’s team names also carry a space related theme as they'll be called the Comets.