By: HEATHER BOGARD
Associate Editor
On Tuesday, February 3, Evangeline Parish School District Superintendent and Rotarian Darwan Lazard invited his fellow members of the Ville Platte Rotary Club for a tour of the new location of Evangeline Reimagine Academy (ERA), which opened three years ago at Ville Platte High School. The school opened its new, permanent location in the old Heritage Manor Nursing Home for the 2025-2026 school year. Following the tour, Principal Alice LeJeune gave an update on the school’s status and achievements in student success.
LeJeune shared this year’s eight grade students started the program as sixth graders and will be the first group to complete junior high with ERA before heading off to high school next school year. She stated students are gaining experience while gaining confidence and building public speaking skills.
The school features five different learning zones (farming, gaming, communications, culinary and art) in addition to the regular curriculum. Students are matched to their zone of interest as much as possible. Students are paid hourly virtual funds each week to help learn how to manage money. They are also paid every three weeks as incentives based on grade improvement and behavior. The virtual funds can be used to pay for school field trips and purchasing from the school’s store, including a special recess pass, which allows the student to be able to do something different in a different zone.
ERA currently houses about 164 middle school students with a 20:1 student-teacher ratio. LeJeune noted ERA is the zoned middle school for Ville Platte, unless students attend James Stephens Montessori for grades 6-8.
LeJeune invited everyone to the ERA Expo and Market, which will be held Saturday, March 28, at the school from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. She then invited Assistant Principal/Zone Curriculum Coordinator Erica Fontenot and the school’s zone leaders Kate LaCaze (art), Katie Norris (farming), Chef Darious Ceasar (culinary), Austin Smith (communications) and Stephen LaCaze (gaming)to share what their students have been preparing for the expo. LeJeune stated, “Partnering with the community is how they give back.”
Norris shared about the students learning about farming and growing their own food which is used for school meals. They are hoping to get chickens to raise on the farming area on the campus.
Stephen LaCaze shared most people think of gaming like, they play games all day. However, the gaming zone focuses on the creation and business side of gaming. Students are in the process of testing out a board game they have created and are building a space-themed escape room for the expo, along with a golf course representing each of the five zones.
Kate LaCaze, during the tour, showed examples of the art projects they are making for sale at the expo, including refrigerator magnets and many other fun items.
Smith stated the communications zone is working on a children’s book and a 4D live experience to go with it during the expo. They will also have photo stations set up to take photos with the Easter Bunny at the expo.
Chef Ceasar said the culinary zone will have many baked goods and desserts for sale at the expo.
The event will have something for everyone and have games and demonstrations from students from each of the different zones of interest and the community is encouraged to come out and support the students’ hard work.
Rotary President Beau Wilson reminded members there will be no meeting on Tuesday, February 17, due to Mardi Gras. He also reminded members the annual Spring Social will be held on Saturday, May 2, with a Kentucky Derby theme.
The next Rotary meeting will be held Tuesday, February 10, with a program presented by Rotarian Jimmy LeBlanc.
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