VIDALIA — School will be in session again in Concordia Parish Friday, and Wednesday afternoon teachers were scurrying to finish last minute preparations.

At Vidalia Lower Elementary, Principal Doris Polk said teachers began their day with a staff meeting and an in-service training session to acquaint them with a new math program.

The new math program is a computer-based enrichment program, Polk said.

Vidalia Lower Elementary will have about 530 students including pre-kindergarten enrollment this year, Polk said.

New-to-the-school second grade teacher Monica Miller said she feels very good about the upcoming year and is excited to get it going.

Miller, who lives in Ferriday, came to Vidalia Lower from a Jonesville school where she taught fourth grade for several years, she said.

“I’m just trying to learn the ropes of the grade,” she said. “I’ve only had this job for about a week.”

Miller is also excited about change this year, she said.

“My son is in second grade this year,” she said. “He’s always come to the same school with me, but never the same grade.”

Pre-school special education teacher Sandy Dunn said she’s not rushing final preparations.

“I’ve been up here all summer,” she said. “I taught summer school and then helped out with some of the school beautification.”

Though she is slated to have several students, Dunn said the approach to special needs students is changing this year.

The school is trying to integrate the students into as much of the normal classroom environment as they can, she said.

“The idea is to work them into full inclusion,” she said. “We’ll just use (the special education room) to regroup and review when we need to.”

Pinning border around her doorframe in the hall, first- grade teacher Amanda Wilson said she will have her students play a few get-to-know-you games and then take them on a tour of the school Friday.

Wilson said her final preparations were making sure everything was in its place and rearranging the classroom to make it a better learning environment.

“I make sure no one has to turn their back on the board and they have plenty of space to move,” she said.