It is day two for 850-plus students at CedarBridge Academy today. The sprawling Prospect campus re-opened yesterday after it was shutdown for nine weeks in order to rid the facility of dangerous and potentially toxic mould.

The official first day of the new term was not at all typical ? principal Kalmar Richards and other administrators greeted students in front of the school as they arrived.

The kids were treated to hugs and wishes of happy new year from Mrs. Richards.

?It?s a great day,? declared deputy principal Dr. Timothy Jackson.

The Minister of Education, Randolph Horton, abruptly closed the school on November 1 amid fears the buildings were not safe for students and teachers.

A handful of teachers lodged complaints declaring that the mouldy facilities made them sick.

Those educators said they would not return to the school yesterday even though an estimated $4 million was spent to disinfect the campus.

The thorough cleansing was obvious to S1 student Averil Aviles.

?It was a little bit cleaner than usual,? he said just as students were being dismissed yesterday afternoon.

?It smelled new, very clean, like a brand new building.?

Students report a fresh coat of paint in some classrooms, a whole new colour on the walls of the bathrooms, and removed furniture ? including dry erase boards and cabinets.

?Everything seemed empty and bigger,? said S1 student Tanya Rego. She reported the carpets were pulled up in some case too.

In the morning as students were dropped off, some parents seemed slightly more anxious than others.

Parent Wendy Fox was a little worried about her son.

?He does suffer from asthma, so hopefully everything is solved,? she said.

Another parent Jeanette Wolffe was less apprehensive when asked if she?s nervous about her daughter?s health.

?No I don?t think so,? she said. ?Her auntie works up here and she said ?they?re ready.??

Although the re-opened campus is an apparent relief for educators and a huge step forward in securing confidence in the eight-year-old facility, a source inside the ministry cautions anyone who thinks the job is entirely done.

For one thing, the Ruth Seaton James Auditorium is still not safe enough for re-habitation.

And there?s no guarantee the mould won?t return.

School officials have to make certain new maintenance practices are kept and that students and teachers adopt new habits concerning where they eat, according to the source.

When the school closed two months ago students were eventually re-assigned to either the Bermuda College in Paget or the old Berkeley Institute in Pembroke.

Most of the returning kids yesterday were more than happy to be back.

?Of course, this is our home,? said S1 student Cynarra Phillips. ?There is no other place like our home.

?It was very small up there (Berkeley Institute). We didn?t have our supplies. It wasn?t organised,? she said.

?It?s much easier to concentrate here,? said S2 student Anthony DeCosta. ?It?s a better learning environment. It?s spacious, a lot better. It?s not so congested.?

Apparently the time away from CedarBridge made students better appreciate facilitates, that before now, were taken for granted.

The same may be true for educators.

?You have a different appreciation for the physical structure itself,? said Dr. Jackson.

?Prior to the incident taking place, some of us might have taken things for granted and not appreciated to the fullest extent the physical structure.

?But coming back yesterday I realised we have a lot to be thankful for.?

Many of the students arrived already dressed in blue blazers as part of their winter uniform, but the new dress code doesn?t officially take effect until Monday.

One student pointed out some of his classmates were noticeably missing yesterday, but he figured that was more to do with extended Christmas holidays than anything else.

?Some people were still away because they?re on vacation. They didn?t want to come back for Wednesday, Thursday, Friday,? he said.

School administrators and Ministry officials are expected to brief the news media today on first day attendance figures and other matters concerning the school?s re-opening.