Sonya Mars fixes the hair of her daughter, Savana Mars, on Savana’s first day as a freshman at Cathedral High School Thursday. Mars said her daughter transferred from the public school system because Savana wanted to be challenged by the more rigorous curriculum that Cathedral offers its students.

Cathedral senior Hannah Margaret Foster grabs books from her locker before heading to a history class on her first day back to school Thursday at Cathedral High School.

Cathedral science teacher James Shaidnagle prepares his classroom.