WAKE COUNTY, N.C. — Thursday is the first day of school for year-round students in Wake County. For some middle schoolers in Fuquay-Varina, it’s also their first day in a brand new school building.

Herbert Akins Road Middle School is the newest addition to the Wake County Public School System. The three-story school building is equipped with state-of-the-art technology, collaborative common spaces and elective classrooms.

Anne Marie Adkins has worked in education for 32 years. This is her third time being a principal but the first time opening a new school. Adkins says the design of the school is keeping up with the times to serve the next generation of students.

“It gives opportunities to build their skills in soft skills, communications, collaboration, learning how to build off their character strengths and community, to think critically to help move into the future,” Adkins said.

Each classroom has a Promethean touch screen TV that will allow teachers to incorporate new techniques and enhance learning for students.

Lisa Belben’s classroom is located on the third floor of the building, also known as Humanity Avenue. Each floor and hallway of the school has a street name. It’s a part of the school's positivity project to focus on character strengths of their students.

“For me, it’s important to teach them to be good human beings,” Belben said.

Belben is a sixth-grade language arts teacher. She has been teaching for 11 years.

“I had a brain aneurysm rupture when I was 25 so that kinda changed my thought process on what was important, and I really wanted to do something that would make a real impact on people,” Belben said.

Belben is doing just that. The door to her classroom reads, "honesty, love and kindness."

“I work very hard to develop a relationship with my students, allow them to get to know me not just as their ELA teacher but also outside of school - their likes, their dislikes, their home life, their foundation,” Belben said.

While having new features and technology will help grow the future of the students she teaches, Belben says connecting with her students and providing a safe learning environment is at the forefront in her classroom.

“The safety, well-being, the social emotions are at the forefront of our students and we are going to do everything in our means to keep them safe, happy and healthy while they are here,” Belben said.