By MOLLY DRYMAN

Staff Reporter

LULING — Raymond K. Smith Middle School opened its doors to students on Monday, in a new building and bright future.

Principle Diane Powell was with Eual Landry Middle School for five years, making this year her sixth at a new location and building.

“This has been a real exciting day for the kids and the teachers,” Powell said. “We’re in a new place, but we continue ideas we had at Landry, but moving to a new place you set higher expectations than before. We work from bell to bell.”

Powell said they are continuing to implement school improvement plans and that the kids came in on their first day with books, IDs and everything was ready to go.

“The building is beautiful, inside and out,” Powell said. “It has taken many people, working together to get the school ready for the kids. Head of maintenance Larry Sesser really devoted his time helping get everything ready. Today was smooth.”

Powell said so many great things will happen at the new school and the name makes working there special for her.

“Raymond was the first person in this district that allowed me to participate in professional development,” she said. “It is because of him that I am here today. It is kind of neat to be in this middle school named after him. R.K. believed everyday you should learn something new. I think we will continue those key thoughts he had, because students, as well as everyone should learn something new every day.”

R.K. Smith Middle School will continue to require after school tutoring sessions for everyone and have Tiger Pride, which is like school council to give the students a chance to participate in various school rules. Along with traditional services, new opportunities are now available.

“We have new program we call expanded learning opportunities,” she said. “On designated Saturdays throughout the year, we will have various activities for the students and their parents. The first activity will be a bike ride on the east bank. Students and parents will come to the east bank bridge park with bikes and we will split into two groups, one going to the German Coast Market and the other to the plantation. There will be combined with writing and learning activities.”

The new school is also wireless. Powell said she is looking forward to the this the most, because the students and the teachers love the new technology.

The eighth and seventh graders have PDA’s and wireless keyboards making it a “fun learning experience,” she said.

“I have always been proud of my students, because they do work hard,” she said. “Even though we worked hard before, we are going to work even harder now.”

For the students, Powell said “set your sights as high as you can, because you can never learn enough.”