About 640 youngsters, along with teachers and administrators, made a smooth return to Tyrone Elementary School in St. Petersburg today, but no one is getting too comfortable.

That’s because in about 3 ½ months they’ll get to do it all again.

The 50-year-old school is shutting down for the Thanksgiving holiday break and will reopen at a new place with a new name when children return for classes Dec. 1.

It’s 4.1 miles away, said Principal Sandra Kemp, who obviously has traced the route many times. “Our staff has been looking forward to moving for quite some time. We’re excited.”

The staff has taken several field trips to the new school, at 3901 37th St. N., which will be called New Heights Elementary – a name chosen by a committee based on suggestions from school people.

The new campus has six buildings on two floors and modern upgrades for technology. The current campus has 13 buildings spread across the grounds and connected by covered walkways, typical of 1950s school construction.

For now, teachers are keeping half of their classroom materials in boxes.  They’re only taking out what they need for the first half of the year, Kemp said.

Later, all of it will be boxed and labeled for movers, and all the stuff is supposed to be there for us to unpack at the new school, Kemp said.

Despite the inconvenience, no one is complaining.

“I’m excited. I’ve never worked in a new school,” teacher Diana Lare said.

Lare teaches children with autism spectrum disorder and is taking videos of the new building to prepare them for the big move.

“For them, they need the routines,” she said. “So we’ll bring it to them about a month before and we’ll look at it every day or every other day.”

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