Students arriving at the brand-new Berkeley Institute for the first time yesterday were enthusiastic about the range of facilities on offer.

Shawn-Nae Hollis, 17, who was beginning S4 said: ?I?m excited and thrilled. The outside seems so sophisticated ? it makes me want to come and work. ?I?m looking forward to being the first to graduate out of this school.?

Christopher Douglas, 17, also starting S4 said: ?I?ve already seen the school as I had to do some tests. It?s big and it?s real nice but it?s definitely going to take some getting used to.

?I?m a senior student but it?s going to be like being a first-year again, trying to find out where to go in the new building. I?m looking forward to more space, the cafeteria, and improving my grades.?

Zico Mello, 16, also starting S4 said: ?I?m excited to come back to school and the new facility. I just hope we will treat it the way it?s supposed to be treated. I?m looking forward to graduating.?

Me-Esha Pace, 15, S3 said: ?I?ve not been through the school yet but it?s much much better and two or three times bigger than the old one. I?m looking forward to programmes like dance.?

Seth Pearman, 17, who was heading into S4 year said: ?I?m looking forward to a new school year.? He plans to study electronics and design.

Principal Michelle Simmons said she had been struck by how much the students appreciated the building.

?They came into the cafetorium this morning, sat down and you could have dropped a pin, I didn?t have to tell them to be quiet.

?They seemed to be quite struck by the facility. I am hoping it translates into them putting the effort in.

?They have a lot to do to live up to with the potential this building represents.?

Education Minister Neletha Butterfield toured the school yesterday and said she was itching to run a session.

Shortly afterwards she put a group of S4 students through She put the students through their paces with some geometry questions which were easily answered.

The session was being run by maths teacher Keisha Douglas who said the students were aiming to graduate next summer.

She said: ?You just missed me giving them the riot act. I have told them all about what they need to do to get themselves ready for June 2007.?

Meanwhile children at West Pembroke Primary were experiencing a different kind of first - their very first day at school.

The youngsters congregating with their parents ran about excitedly and there were no sign of any tears.

Linda Lottimore was dropping off her five-year-old granddaughters Tayzae Simons and Keiazia Busby, who are first cousins. ?I?m doubly excited because I?ve had them all summer,? she said.

?They?re very close and starting together means they?re not afraid. They?re inseparable.?

Five-year-old Jahseiko Richardson-Martin had a broad grin on his face as he arrived with his grandmother Thelma Foster and father Michael Martin.

They both said they were feeling as excited as Jahseiko was.