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The new school year brings a fresh start for all students, but the students at Cashell Elementary School will get a new beginning in a gleaming new school building.

The original building at 17101 Cashell Drive in Olney was built in 1969. In January 2008, staff and students packed up the school and moved to the North Lake Center, a holding school located on Bauer Drive in Rockville, to make way for demolishing the old structure and building a new one.

"We will be ready for students on Aug. 31," Principal Maureen Ahern-Stamoulis said. "We can't wait to show them our beautiful new building."

The school normally welcomes students back to meet their teachers the week before school starts, but this year's "sneak preview" will be held 9-10 a.m. Monday.

"It may be a little more hectic this year, but we wanted to be sure everything was ready," Ahern-Stamoulis said.

The capacity of the new building is comparable to the old one, but the similarities stop there.

The new building, which cost approximately $16.5 million, is certified by the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program, which was developed by the U.S. Green Building Council and measures how well a building saves energy, conserves water, reduces greenhouse gas emissions and other factors.

"We are so excited about being a LEED-certified school," she said. "Because of the windows, in many cases we don't even need overhead lights on."

Ahern-Stamoulis said that has been the most frequent comment made by teachers and others visiting the school.

"They are all so excited about how bright and light-filled the new building is," she said. "Before, it was like we lived in a dark cave."

A new entrance provides a greater security. Visitors will enter through a main door and must enter the office to gain access to a second set of locked doors to enter the school.

Ahearn-Stamoulis beamed with pride as she walked through the new building last week, wearing sneakers to easily navigate staircases that did not exist in the old building.

Hues of blues, greens and gold are used throughout the school on walls and flooring.

"A lot of people comment on the colors because most elementary schools use primary colors," she said. "We are very happy with the colors we chose."

She is excited about a new expanded health suite, a large conference room, a staff lounge complete with cozy furniture, and an abundance of storage space.

Kindergarten teacher Christine Homon was one of many teachers at the school last week unpacking boxes and preparing their classrooms.

"I am very excited," she said. "It's so bright and airy, we have lots of new technology, and the storage space is just great."

Fifth-grade teacher Marta Duarte, who has taught at Cashell for 17 years, was also impressed with her new classroom.

"It is wonderful," she said. "The old school was built in the '60s as an open school with pods, so everything was oddly-shaped. "This is a very big change, and everything is so open and bright."

Technology includes Promethean interactive whiteboards and computer mini-hubs in each classroom, providing more computer access.

Other amenities include a courtyard, which will be used for environmental instruction, three new playgrounds and a long-awaited gymnasium.

A parent has painted a cougar, the school's mascot, on the center of the gym floor.

The new media center replaces one that Ahern-Stamoulis said was the second smallest in the county.

She credits the staff, parents and building services crew for working hard to prepare the school for its opening.

"It's been a busy, but exciting, summer, but the new school is beautiful." she said. "We will be ready to welcome students on Monday, thanks to the hard work of many, many people."

An open house is planned for 2-4 p.m. Oct. 4, providing an opportunity for members of the community to tour the new school.

"We'll be giving a special thanks to our immediate neighbors who put up with a lot of noise, dust and inconvenience over the last 18 months," Ahern-Stamoulis said.