Summer vacation is over and almost 120,000 Calgary Board of Education students headed back to school on Tuesday morning.

Students at ten schools attended a brand new school or one that’s undergone massive renovations for the 2016-2017 school year.

Copperfield School, a K-4 school in southeast Calgary, is one of the new schools and has capacity for 600 students.

“It’s great. We can walk or bike to school. It’s in our community where the kids can meet friends and develop those relationships with their peers right in the community, which is essential,” said Calgary mother, Kristen Snead.

“They’re just so thrilled to have a school in their neighbourhood, they’re absolutely delighted,” said Principal Pattie Ann Swain. “It’s always so exciting you just can’t wait to meet all the kids and the parents and start to form relationships.”

Auburn Bay School, New Brighton School and Kenneth D. Taylor School in Evanston are the other K-4 schools opening in the Calgary area.

Two more schools, William D. Pratt School in Rocky Ridge/Royal Oak and Peter Lougheed School, in Saddle Ridge, are also open to students from Grade 5 to 8. Next year, those schools will accommodate students up to Grade 9

Peter Lougheed School will be delayed, as previously reported, by about three days. The CBE has suggested that parents find alternate child care if your student is enrolled there.

Some Calgary students also attended the new Nelson Mandela High School, which opened on Tuesday morning in the northeast.

Bowness and Jack James High Schools also opened after extensive renovations.

However, it’s not all smooth sailing for school openings. The CBE says that Buffalo Rubbing Stone School, Panorama Hills’ new school, won’t be open on schedule due to construction delays.

The schools will result in more than 6,600 student spaces in the City of Calgary.

An additional ten schools will be opening in January, providing another 6,000 spaces.

Safety is also top of mind with authorities on the first day of school.

The Calgary Police Service and school officials are reminding drivers to watch out for students and their families walking to and from school.

The reduced speeds in school zones are in effect from 7:30 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. throughout the week.