AMY SZPARA

PHOTO: Jessica Blanchard, 17, of LaPlace, front, and Amanda Lions, 17, also of LaPlace, work on Microsoft Excel spreadsheets in the new computer lab at Riverside Academy Thursday afternoon, as teacher, Sean Quy Truong assists them. (Staff Photo by Amy Szpara) RESERVE – Juniors and seniors at Riverside Academy in Reserve who elected to take Computer Science I this year are the first to take the course in the new computer lab which features 24 computers, a SMART board and a teacher who is considered an expert on the subject. Students in Sean Quy Truong’s class Thursday afternoon were trying their hands at the Microsoft Excel software program. They will also be learning programs such as PowerPoint, Publisher and Outlook, which will allow them to design presentations, create Internet web pages and send and receive e-mail. “By the end of the class, they should be publishing, creating web pages and presenting their web pages to the class,” said Truong. “It’s pretty fun,” said Jessica Blanchard, a 17-year-old junior at Riverside. “We’re learning Excel, mostly spreadsheets.” Sitting next to her, Amanda Lions, also 17, but a senior, said, “It’s really cool so far. Everything is done with computers now.” “I’m learning a lot, and I think everybody should take it,” added Seth Johnson, an 18-year-old senior in the class. “The teacher’s cool.” “The computer room is also very nice,” said Travis Billings, 17, who is also a senior. The class worked on the spreadsheets as Truong stopped by their monitors to assist them from time to time. Though the course has been offered for years at Riverside, the students are now learning new software, whereas they before they learned programming that only comes in handy for those planning a career in the field. The programs they now use are helpful for all students going into college. Principal Barry Heltz said starting next schoolyear all entering freshmen will be required to take a basic computer class. The Civics class that has been mandatory for freshman up until now will be moved to the junior year to make room for the course. “We feel like computer skills are something they are going to have to use throughout their lives,” said Heltz. Heltz said more and more textbooks are coming on CD Rom and that students who are computer savvy can use those. The elementary students are also getting into the new computers. Kindergarten through fifth-grade students spend 30 minutes a week in the lab, and the middle school children have times during the day when they can sign up for time in the lab. The younger students learn computer basics, but according to Heltz, they know a lot more than was expected. The SMART board, which allows the students to see what is on the teacher’s monitor and lets students use their fingers to write in things, was recently used for students to view live feeds from NASA. Heltz said they have the capabilities to watch a college professor lecture from the classroom. Almost all of the $3,000 board was paid for with a $2,400 grant from the Smarter Kids Foundation. The new computers cost Riverside $50,000. “We have to keep up and stay ahead,” said Heltz. “We have to let people know we’re up on computer technology. That’s what parents want when they pay for private education. This is what parents want.” Heltz is especially excited to have Truong on board this year. He can also repair computers when they break. Teachers, too, will be taking classes alongside their students. Heltz said they may be offering Saturday morning classes for teachers to learn advanced technology. “We’re making our faculty more computer literate as well,” he said. Heltz said the school is also hoping to soon update their other two labs. “We expect to have three state-of-the-art labs set up. We’re quite excited about this,” he said.