Teachers and administration welcomed parents and students to an open house at Porterdale Elementary School Wednesday, July 30 from 5-7 p.m., meeting youngsters for the first time and welcoming returning students moving to the next grade. Faces full of smiles filled the halls, from pre-K classmates playing with toys to parents and principals introducing themselves and beaming about the new school year, which began this morning across the Newton County School System. “We’re all aboard the train of excellence, and we have a committed staff to do that,” said Lizzella Dodson, who has been Porterdale’s principal for all of her 14 years in the district, of the school’s theme for the year. “It’s all about helping our kids be successful.”