New pencils, new uniforms and new paint jobs highlighted the first day of school as students at Guy Benjamin and Julius E. Sprauve Schools on St. John returned from summer vacation on Tuesday.

“I’m very excited for the school year,” said 9-year-old Alisha Turnbull, a Sprauve fifth-grader. “I like the subjects and some of the people,” she said.

At Guy Benjamin, another 9-year-old fifth-grader said she was excited to be back in school. “All my friends are here and I’m going to get A’s,” Kahlaijah Powell said.

Several students at both schools said math was their favorite subject, but Sprauve second-grader Alea Turnbull, 7, had a different answer. “I like coloring,” she said.

A couple of students admitted they were nervous about the first day of school, but nearly all the students interviewed said they expected to do well in their classes.

“I want a good life,” said Emelin Reynoso, 9 and in the fourth grade at Sprauve. She said that the way to get that good life was to study hard.

Others said they were glad to be back at school because it gave them something to do.

“Home is boring,” said 11-year-old Lee Christian, who’s in the fifth grade at Guy Benjamin.

Parents were on hand at both schools, some of them breathing a sigh of relief as their children returned to school.

“They were eating me out of house and home,” Sharon Penn said, laughing. Her son, Kahleem Powell, is in the fourth grade at Sprauve.

There was a smattering of fathers among the parents on hand to shepherd their children through the first-day rituals. At Guy Benjamin, Joseph Luke was there to see that Akhil Luke, 10, got a good start in the fifth grade.

“Dads play an active role in the life of a child,” he said.

The teachers and principals were also ready. Dionne Wells returned to Sprauve, but Brenda Dalmida, who was Sprauve’s assistant principal, took over the principal’s job at Guy Benjamin.

Dalmida took reporters on a tour of the school to show off the improvements made over the summer. “New seats on the swings,” she pointed out.

Guy Benjamin had 110 students registered Tuesday. Dalmida said all the staff positions were filled. The Spanish teacher’s post is temporarily vacant because the teacher is on military leave until October, but Dalmida said it will be filled by a substitute teacher.

The school in Coral Bay got walls to replace the lattice that enclosed the area that serves as the cafeteria. On Tuesday, the area also was put to use for Jeune Provost’s second-grade class because the airconditioner in her classroom wasn’t fixed yet and the room was roasting. She said it should be fixed by the end of the week.

Provost was delighted to be back at school. “I love the challenge of having first-graders come and blossom,” she said of her second-graders on their first day of school.

Special education teacher Katie Munnelly and language arts teacher Ed August compared notes as they waited for Sprauve to start.

“We’re ready to go,” August said.

At Sprauve, Wells said she had 224 students registered but expected that number to increase once all the students complete their paperwork.

She said she was short three teachers, but she expects the Education Department to soon hire a teacher’s aide, a secondary English teacher and a special education teacher.

Kathy Whaley, who serves as the Education Department’s special education director, was making the rounds of several St. Thomas/St. John district schools. She said Sprauve had 21 special education students with a variety of needs.

After linking the lower-grade students with their teachers, Wells had some words for those students in the higher grades.

“Everybody starts with 100 percent in their classes. It’s up to you to keep your grades up,” she said.