Jamie Smithpeters is gearing up for her first year as a fourth grade teacher. "I have my moments where I'm terrified a little overwhelmed and not sure about some things, but I'm very excited," she says. Smithpeters is starting her career at the brand new Willis Shaw Elementary in Springdale. Because of the building's newness, she got to pick out everything from the banners to the bulletin boards. "I just came in and sat in the middle of the room and had blank walls and just tried to envision what I would want it to be like if I was a child coming in." Now that her classroom is ready for students, Smithpeters is making sure her lesson plans are ready as well. "Today I'm really trying to do more academic planning and really get copies and lesson plans and some last minute things for the kids that they need, cubbies and folders and stuff." Construction of the school shortened the time teachers had to spend prepping their classrooms from the usual four weeks down to two. Smithpeters says because of the time crunch, she'll be spending most of the weekend in her classroom. "We've spent a lot of time at night and of course here on Saturdays trying to get some stuff done before the kids come in on Monday."
