The holidays are always a busy time, but they’ve been especially busy this year for Lake Pontchartrain Elementary School’s faculty and staff.

It’s moving time!

The classrooms and offices at the school’s temporary location have been packed up and moved to the brand new school and are awaiting the return of staff and students in January.

Lake Pontchartrain parents and anyone from the community who would like to get a look inside the new school are invited to a grand opening at 9 a.m. Jan. 6.

We think you’ll like what you see. The new school has been designed with safety and the community in mind.

Front doors lock after school takes in, forcing all visitors through a separate entrance through the office.

Classroom doors also require a key to enter from the outside. Security cameras throughout the hallways provide added security.

Drop-off driveways also consider student safety, with separate lines for buses and car drop-off that put the passenger sides of vehicles adjacent to the front walkway so students are never crossing through traffic.

Wings on opposite sides of the building separate older and younger students, who also have restrooms inside their classrooms so that they don’t have to leave the room.

The school also has dedicated rooms for band classes and art classes, as well as computer labs, science labs and a media center.

However, the school is also a welcoming place for the community.

A cafetorium is located directly through the front doors of the school, and a gym is at the back of the campus separate from the main building. Both of these offer convenience to the public with the added security of never having visitors cross into the hallways.

To avoid future flooding problems, the school site has been elevated following FEMA requirements.

It’s been a while since the original school sat in floodwaters following Hurricane Isaac.

However, the Lake Pontchartrain Elementary staff has not only adapted but excelled under the circumstances, proving that walls are just that and it’s really the people inside who count.

The school was recently named a Top Gains school by the Louisiana Department of Education after raising its School Performance Score more than 10 points. The school has been visited by educators from around the country and been featured in publications such as Education Next for its innovations.

And it’s no mistake that the St. John the Baptist Parish Public School District Elementary School Teacher of the Year, Middle School Teacher of the Year and Principal of the Year all come from Lake Pontchartrain.

If they can accomplish all of this under less-than-desirable circumstances, we can’t wait to see what they do when they get to their new state-of-the-art facility.

We can’t wait to welcome the LPE students back home on Jan. 8 and hope the community will join us Jan. 6 for the grand opening.

Jennifer Boquet is the communications specialist for St. John the Baptist Parish Public Schools. Email her at jboquet@stjohn.k12.la.us.