Suri Cruise Starts First Grade at Avenues School in New York City

By Tim Nudd and Emily Strohm

09/11/2012 at 10:00 AM EDT

Katie Holmes and Suri Cruise

Jackson Lee/Splash News Online

She may be the world’s most famous 6-year-old. But Suri Cruise was feeling much like any other first-grader on Tuesday morning, as she nervously arrived for her first day of school in New York City.

The daughter of Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes was seen biting her nails through the tinted window of her SUV as she and her actress mom arrived at the posh Avenues School in N.Y.C.’s Chelsea neighborhood.

Suri was sporting a pink bow in her hair and carrying a matching pink cheetah-print backpack.

Waiting photographers met the SUV as it backed into the school’s garage. Soon after, Holmes left without Suri and headed home.

Meanwhile, many other excited parents were seen walking their children to the school, stopping and snapping photos before heading in.

Avenues, a brand new for-profit school that is just opening this week, is welcoming more than 700 students – from nursery school all the way up through 12th grade.