MAURICE, La. (KLFY) -- The newly opened Vermilion Charter Academy in Maurice welcomed students in grades 1-4 today. 

Principal Patricia Thibodeaux greets parents and students as they arrive for their first day at the new school.

“The energy was so contagious in the parking lot and the car rider line," Thibodeaux said. "All of the kids were nervous but just very excited. We're beginning the process of teaching our students about our "Strong Minds, Good Hearts" promise at Charter Schools USA.” 

Thibodeaux said it is a relentless commitment to student success in school and in life that they embody. 

“We are going to work tirelessly in making sure that all of our students are successful,” Thibodeaux said. “The overall goal is to make our mark on the community number one. Our charter was approved for helping with the overcrowding in the northern part of Vermilion Parish and we hope to do just that. We're not a competition. We're part of Vermilion Parish's great schools. We want to make sure that we are offering the most quality education possible, and with that "Strong Minds, Good Hearts" promise is making sure that we are raising the future generation to be kind people.” 

Thibodeaux said the school has a two-story building with an art facility and STEM lab. The elevator is the first one brought to the town of Maurice. Vermilion Charter Academy offers all students band, music, art, technology, and foreign language classes. 

On the first floor are kindergarten, special ed, first grade, and second grade. On the second floor, grades 3-5 will spend the day on one side of the hallway, while grades 6-8 will take classes on the other side of the building. Thibodeaux said the separation of the grades will help the students.

"Safety is a top priority," Thibodeaux said. “We have a raptor system that would identify anyone who comes in the door. Parents come in through a main door outside and are held in a vestibule at our front office, and they are vetted before walking into our school. We also have the services of the Vermilion Parish Sheriff's Department, who have extended a cooperative agreement with us to have a school resource officer on campus and make that a very visible source. Making sure that all doors are staying closed. We also have alarms on all exterior doors that will sound if they are opened.” 

Vermilion Charter Academy does not require students to have clear or mesh backpacks like other schools.

“We want students to have that individuality and the idea that they're going to have that sense of enjoyment and sense of trust," Thibodeaux said. "We're never going to hesitate, of course, if we have probable cause but in that sense, it's a way of finding an identity.”

Eva Morrison is making her mark by beginning her 50th year in education today.

“We couldn’t be more happy to have this golden soul on the Bulldog campus,” Thibodeaux said  as they chanted the slogan “Strong Minds, Good Hearts.”

On Aug. 15, all students in grades K-8 will report to school from 7:40 am - 3:20 pm. 

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