To all who have contributed to the rebuilding of St. Bernard Parish Public Schools, a heartfelt "thank you"! We appreciate your efforts on our behalf and want you to know of the progress we have made since every school in our parish was decimated by Hurricane Katrina in August, 2005.

This school year joyously began with the opening of two new schools and another that underwent a major change over the summer of 2010. The two newest elementary schools to open were Arabi Elementary and Chalmette Elementary. Chalmette Elementary School also houses our new professional development center. In addition, Andrew Jackson Elementary School underwent renovations this summer to reopen the year as a middle school. We currently operate a total of ten schools in our district with an enrollment of just under 6000 students. New students continue to enroll on a daily basis.

The new Cultural Arts Center and Library at Chalmette High School is still under construction and is scheduled to open mid-year. We have also begun construction on a new elementary school for our students currently attending Gauthier Elementary. It is slated to open in August, 2011. Our school district is still "under construction", but as you can see, great strides have been made in rebuilding our schools over these past five years.

Laura Bush, the former 1st Lady of the United States, visited Chalmette High School on August 27, 2010, to take part in our annual event, the "Community Day of Reflection Breakfast". Our school district hosts this event each year to remember and memorialize the devastation wrought by Hurricane Katrina. This year's ceremony marked the 5th Anniversary of Katrina and our program was especially moving. It was filled with music, thoughts of the progress we have made over the past year as well as remembrances of our losses. The program, which highlighted our children and those who have helped us along our journey of recovery, was made all the more special by Mrs. Bush's kind words of encouragement and support.

This year's district theme is Creating Pathways to the Future. It represents our district's role in the relentless pursuit of progress to restore our schools and our community. As we continue our reconstruction efforts, we consider our firm commitment to rebuild a premier school district for the citizens of St. Bernard Parish.

Under the leadership of Superintendent Doris Voitier, Assistant Superintendent Beverly Lawrason and the members of our school board, we know that we will continue to move forward. We are committed to providing our students with the quality education that has become synonymous with St. Bernard Parish Public Schools.

Thanks to each of you for your caring and support. We know how fortunate we are to have had people like you help us along the way, for we would not have made it this far without you. We will never forget the role you have played, and continue to play, in helping us along our journey of our recovery.