The backpacks are on, the crossing guards are out, and the days of summer freedom are officially over for the District’s school children.

Four new schools are also opening this year: Van Ness Elementary, Dorothy I. Height Elementary, River Terrace Elementary, and Brookland Middle School. And for the fourth year in a row, enrollment in District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS) is up. DCPS says it is on track to meet its goal of enrolling more than 50,000 students by 2017.

Across schools new and old, DCPS is introducing “cornerstones,” or lessons that all students in the same grade across the system will receive. All 10th-graders, for example, will build electric batteries, and all seventh graders will read Melba Patillo Beals’ memoir Warriors Don’t Cry about school integration.

“Challenging curriculum has always been part of DCPS’ strategy, but going forward, students will receive the same high-quality learning experience, no matter where they live or go to school,” said DCPS Chancellor Kaya Henderson.

Some scenes from the first morning back:

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