Lovett students will find a sparkling new dining hall when they return to class this week.

After 33 years, the "circle serve" is gone, replaced by a more efficient operation, according to Jen Sarginson, associate director of communications at the school. That's just one course of the dining room's makeover; it received new carpet, tile, paint, ceilings, lighting and windows, she said.

Upper school students return Monday, while the lower and middle schools start the year Tuesday. Sarginson said in an e-mail, "We are fully enrolled, at capacity, which is consistent with last year."

The students will find a new dining arrangement. "The Circle-Serve was replaced with a series of serving stations offering a variety of hot and cold items, some of which will be portioned and some of which will be self-serve," Sarginson said.

This will result in more food offerings and better customer service from the dining hall staff, she said.

In addition, the faculty dining room serving equipment was renovated. The serving areas are now built in and match the look and feel of the main dining hall.

The dining hall has grown more sustainable in recent years, she said. It has reduced its use of frozen fruits and vegetables in favor of locally grown, farm fresh produce; it no longer uses trays, saving 1,150 gallons of water per day; and has bulk dispensers for condiments and some foods to reduce waste.