Thanks to the dedication of Ray Waugh and the generosity of many individuals and the church, First Baptist Church School has realized a longtime dream and now offers instruction in its brand-new computer laboratory.

In fact, the fifth and sixth grade students are creating the first yearbook for the FBCS. They are entering the information and printing the yearbook with the help of other classes.

This first yearbook, entitled "Thirty Years Working Together: Cherished Memories in God's Path," will include information and pictures of the school from 1969 (when it was founded) to the present.

Each student and faculty member will receive one free copy of the yearbook and additional copies are being made available to everyone, school principal Brenda Horn said. She added 'that requests should be made soon and those who order a yearbook are asked to give a donation which will go to the FBCS computer lab for equipment and supplies.

According to Waugh, the lab features nine Gateway 2000 Pentium 11 computers with 15" inch monitors, Microsoft Office Professional 2000 beta, Microsoft natural keyboards and Microsoft NT 4.0 operating systems. Six more computers are needed to complete the lab.

Several dedicated men planned and built a nice, efficient computer lab with room for 15 workstations, network cabling and electrical supply, the instructor added. The students held their first discussion session in the lab, which previously had been used as a classroom, on February 16 and started setting up the computers and installing software on February 18.

In addition to creating and printing 'Thirty Years Working Together," during which students have used MS Word, Access and PowerPoint, they have, utilized imaging software to enhance and crop images; Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing; Encarta for research; Internet type forms to answer questions; and a variety of graphic/drawing/imaging tools for special projects such as creating a Mother's Day card.

Waugh's computer lab course for students from first through sixth grades is called "The World of Rocks and Tools" and its mission statement is to:

• Use technology to help the students prepare for a variety of educational, workplace, personal and yet to be discovered possibilities.

• Use the current/future computer - technology as the Christians used the Roman Roads to spread the Gospel.

• Help the students think for themselves and take personal responsibility in their interaction in the computer world.

"We have learned to troubleshoot a variety of hardware and software problems some accidental; some planned," Waugh said, Other' plans and goals include designing, creating and maintaining web pages related to ,the curriculum for use on FBCS Intranet with select pages on the Internet.

"We DO NOT plan for the computer lab to have Internet access that is available to the students," he noted.

FBC Pastor Mae Robinson said that knowledge of computers 'is "essential for students to live in the world and to be able to earn a! living." He added that FBC plans to offer adult classes there as well.

And what do the kids like about the lab? Fifth and sixth graders volunteered that they have learned:

• "how to use computers correctly."

• "to understand computer and how they work better."

• "to feel more comfortable. with them."

• "how to type, where the home keys are"

• "that computers are both fun and frustrating

• and, perhaps the most important, "to SAVE often."