Robin Mullett took her seat on the St. Tammany Parish School Board November 12 after she was sworn into office by Board Attorney David Pittman. She will represent District 9 in the Slidell area after having been elected October 17.

The post became vacant when former Board Member Carmen Johnson resigned in January due to a change in employment. Michael J. Gambrell was appointed as interim Board Member for District Nine in February.
 
A graduate of Salmen High School, Ms. Mullett has lived in Slidell since 1969. She has three children and has been active for many years as a PTA officer and volunteer. She has worked as a paraprofessional in Special Education in St. Tammany Parish Public Schools and also served as a TAP Tutor.

The second annual Veterans Recognition Program was held November 12 just prior to the monthly School Board meeting and the day after Veterans Day. The atrium was filled with guests as student musicians played patriotic selections as well as original compositions. Trey Folse, Deputy Superintendent, emceed the special event.

To begin the program, the Marine Corps Junior ROTC from Mandeville High School presented the colors, with a student from Tchefuncte Middle School leading the Pledge of Allegiance and a student from Northshore High School singing the National Anthem. Talented Music Students from Northshore High sang “God Bless America” while photos of the flag flying over Preservation Plaza were projected in the background.

The Armed Forces Salute featured the Fontainebleau Junior High School 8th grade music students playing the theme songs from each of the four branches of the armed services. Members of those branches stood in the audience while their theme was being performed.

The program included John Lamarque, School Board President, reading a special resolution honoring veterans, those visiting and also those who work for the School System.

To view a high resolution copy of the attached photograph, click here.

To view a high resolution copy of last year's Veterans Day program group, click here.

The second annual Teaching Academies Conference took place at the Instructional Technology Center recently, bringing together 79 junior and senior students from several high schools for a look at career opportunities in education. They were led by teachers who conduct the Teaching Academies at their individual high schools.

Deborah Tonguis of Mandeville High, the 2009 Louisiana High School Teacher of the Year, was guest speaker for the event and a session leader.

The St. Tammany Parish Public School System offered the conference to familiarize students with the techniques and technologies associated with teaching in the classroom. The conference is a parishwide event that brings the students together once a year, but the teaching academies themselves are a daily class that follows the State Department of Education’s STAR curriculum.

The STAR Program stands for “Students Teaching and Reaching,” and it gives future educators a headstart on their careers by offering college credits in education while they are still enrolled in high school. Juniors at the conference were enrolled in STAR I  courses and seniors coming back for their second conference were in STAR II level courses. Classwork in the academies includes class observation and tutoring.

Superintendent Gayle Sloan welcomed those attending and expressed her appreciation for their taking part in the important program.

Human Resources Coordinator Roxanne Lagarde gave the students an overview of the event and then sent them to three different sessions relevant to the subject of teaching.

“The teaching academies also help in our employee recruiting effort by the School System,” she stated, “since we are always looking to hire good teachers when they graduate from college. If we can get them back to work in St. Tammany, that would be wonderful.”

Julie Matte, Supervisor of Technology, said that the conference was an important event for the Instructional Technology Center, since it gave prospective educators a first hand look at the technology they would be using in the classroom. “We need to mirror the technology tools they will find working in the schools,” Mrs. Matte said. “Holding the event here gives them a taste of what they will be integrating into their classroom lessons when they become teachers.”

The students are shown the many free technology tools available from the Internet so they may enhance their teaching techniques at little or no cost. They also receive packets of information about student teaching, a list of reasons why they should consider a career in education, and federal student aid information about teaching grants for educators interested in serving low-income community schools.

The new instant alert notification system informed thousands of parents and employees about the early school closures due to Hurricane Ida. The alert notifications service offers instant communications through text messaging, e-mail, or voice call alerts for any emergency situations which may develop at a school or Systemwide.

“In times such as this, the alert notification system proves to be one of the best and most effective ways to communicate to parents. We encourage all parents to sign up for this free service,” said Superintendent Gayle Sloan. “We continue to post emergency bulletins on our Website, Channel 13, and local news stations, but when school closings are announced, the text messaging and phone alerts are faster and reach people wherever they are,” she stated. 

Parents and employees may register for the service by going to the Alert Notification Log In Page, and clicking on the sign up link.

Registering for the service sends emergency information parents and employees special alerts to the phone numbers and other means of communications they choose, whether it is school-specific alerts or news about the entire district. It is used only in emergency situations or unscheduled school closings.

There is also You Tube video available for viewing that explains how the alert notifications service works.

St. Tammany Parish Public Schools closed three hours earlier than normal dismissal times, Monday, November 9, due to possible problems from Hurricane Ida.  After care programs and night time events were not held.

Students of the St. Tammany Parish Public School System will soon be offered swine flu vaccinations free of charge, in a project being held in conjunction with the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals (DHH).

In a report to the School Board this past week, Supervisor Cathy Aime and Dr. Parham Jaberi, medical director for Region 9, DHH Office of Public Health, explained that arrangements were being finalized to offer the H1N1 vaccine to students. The effort will focus upon children nine years of age and younger, a group at-risk for serious consequences from the Swine Flu. That age group will require two doses 28 days apart, and the vaccination campaign is being designed to provide that schedule.

Vaccinations will also be given to school children of other ages, as well as to School System employees.

Letters will be sent out to parents with more details about the program as they become available. The vaccination campaign will take place on Saturdays at several schools on both sides of the parish. Parents may bring their children to the most convenient site, and employees will be able to get the shots by showing their ID cards.

Dr. Jaberi noted that the Department of Public Health held a mass vaccination exercise a couple of years ago, and the St. Tammany program against Swine Flu will put into practice the lessons learned from that exercise. He thanked the School Board for being one of the first School Systems in the state to conduct such a campaign and leading the way for other parishes to follow.

“Children often catch the flu from other children at their schools, then they go home and give it to their family members. By vaccinating the children and making them immune to the virus, it helps cut down the spread of the flu through the entire community,” he explained.

Mrs. Aime said that school children were learning how to prevent colds and flu by washing their hands repeatedly during the day, sneezing into their elbows, and placing used tissues into the trash. Students who exhibit flu-like symptoms at the beginning of the day are screened and sent home if necessary to prevent the spread of disease. Teachers and janitorial staff are continuing extra measures to combat the spread of colds and flu.

Dr. Jaberi spoke to the School Board in the Spring when concerns over the Swine Flu first arose. Over the past several months, he has maintained a close working relationship with School health officials to monitor H1N1 in the schools.

Four thousand students seeking information about college and careers converged upon the annual College and Career Path Fair held recently by the St. Tammany Parish Public School System at Pelican Park in Mandeville.

Participants were able to talk with representatives from more than 125 universities, apprenticeship programs, community and technical colleges, military academies, and lending institutions.

“The Castine Center was packed from start to finish,” said Dr. Regina Sanford, Secondary Supervisor, in a report to the School Board this month. “It was a tremendous success, giving students from throughout the parish the opportunity to meet with representatives from scores of colleges, vo-tech schools, and community service agencies.”

The aim was to provide students with the latest information to make career or college decisions. This year’s turnout brought a substantial increase in participants over last year’s event, Dr. Sanford said.

Hosted by the School System’s College Counseling Center, the program was assisted by numerous volunteers from non-profit organizations. Two sororities provided volunteers to help with registration, four Junior ROTC Units helped with unloading tables and display booths from vehicles, and all high schools sent guidance counselors and graduation coaches to assist in manning the information booths.

School bus drivers helped by bringing busloads of students to the event from Pearl River High School and Slidell High School.

Several non-profit agencies in attendance gave students a chance to enhance their college applications by learning about volunteering opportunities in the area so they could add community service hours to their resumes.

A teacher recruitment booth manned by Dorable Dangerfield with Human Resources and several school principals distributed information on careers in education. Also in attendance were representatives from the Project Graduation programs on both the east and west sides of St. Tammany Parish.

Dr. Sanford gave much credit for the success of the event to the School System’s College Counseling Center, staffed by Annette O’Regan and Christine Woodard. “Our vision to employ college counselors has proven to be quite a dividend for our students,” she said. The center also hosted a junior high college and career fair this year.

After the fair event, feedback was received from college recruiters and the non-profit organizations to serve as the key for strategic planning for next year’s fair.
All students in Grades 9-12 in public, private, or home-school programs were invited, along with their families, to attend the College and Career Fair at no charge.

The list of participants included Agnes Scott College, Aveda Institute, Baton Rouge Community College, Baylor University, Belhaven College, Belmont Abbey College, Belmont University, Birmingham-Southern College, Capital One Bank, Centenary College, Christian Brothers University, Colgate University, Cornell College, Court Reporting Institute of LA, Delgado Community College, Delta College- Covington, Delta State University, Dillard University, Emory University, Emory College, Oxford College, Fordham University, Grambling State University, Gulf Coast Bank & Trust, Hancock Bank, Harvard University, Howard University, Huntington Learning Center, and ITT Technical Institute.

Also in attendance were representatives from Johnson & Wales University, Judson College, Kaplan, Louisiana Army National Guard, LA School for Math, Science, and the Arts, LA.Barber Apprenticeship- UFCW Local 496, Louisiana College, Louisiana Education Loan Authority, Louisiana Office of Student Financial Assistance (TOPS), Louisiana Rehabilitation Services, Louisiana School for Math, Science, and the Arts, Louisiana Scholars' College, Louisiana State University - Alexandria, Louisiana State University, Louisiana State University ROTC, Louisiana Tech University, Louisiana Technical College, Louisiana Technical College Sullivan, Loyola University of New Orleans, LSU Health Sciences Center, School of Allied Health, Mark Anthony Institute, and McNeese State University.

Also present were MedVance Institute of Baton Rouge, Mercer University, Millsaps College, Mississippi College, Mississippi State University, National EMS Academy, New Orleans Center for Creative Arts, Nicholls State University, Northshore District Nurses Association, Northwestern State University of LA, Nunez Community College, Oglethorpe University, Ohio State University, Our Lady of Holy Cross College, Our Lady of the Lake College, Princeton Review, Purdue University, Reed College, Rollins College, Samford University, Santa Clara University, Savannah College of Art & Design, Sewanee: The University of the South, Southeastern Louisiana University, Southern Methodist University, Southern University - Baton Rouge, St. Tammany Fire District 4, The Catholic University of America, Tulane Air Force ROTC, Tulane Army ROTC, Tulane University, Tulane University School of Continuing Studies,United States Air Force Academy, and United States Air Force Reserve.

Representatives were also on hand from the United States Army, United States Coast Guard Academy, United States Coast Guard Recruiting, United States Marine Corps, United States Military Academy at West Point, United States Navy, University of Alabama, University of Georgia, University of Louisiana - Lafayette, University of Louisiana - Monroe, University of Massachusetts Amherst, University of Mississippi (Ole Miss), University of Mobile,University of New Orleans, University of Notre Dame, University of Richmond, University of South Alabama, University of Southern Mississippi, University of St. Thomas - Texas, University of Texas Austin, Vanderbilt University, Vanguard College of Cosmetology, Washington & Lee University, Washington University in St. Louis, William Carey University, Wofford College, and Xavier University of Louisiana.

Omni Bank recently announced seven winning nominations in this year’s “Making the Grade” program, a nationally recognized initiative that highlights successful educational projects in schools in Jefferson, Orleans, St. Tammany and St. John the Baptist parishes. Among the winners chosen from 200 entries were Pontchartrain Elementary School, Covington High School, and the a³ Virtual Academy.

New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees, a partner in the OMNI Bank program, gathered with bank officials in honoring the winners at a ceremony October 26. Each winner received a $2,000 check from the Brees Dream Foundation, along with an award from OMNI.

Pontchartrain Elementary School in Mandeville was nominated for its KidSense Playground, a play area for special-needs students. A first-of-its-kind at any public school, the playground helps over-stimulated children work out their energy, regain their focus and work smarter back in the classroom. The playground accommodates children of all abilities, with wheelchair pathways and Braille-patterned mosaics.

Covington High School’s Option 3 program also gained “Making the Grade” recognition. Students who struggle with academics at Covington High have an option that helps them stay in school, enrolling them in vocational classes that keep them working toward graduation. Option 3 students can graduate with a standard high school diploma, a GED or a certificate in a career field, giving them a wider range of choices for life after high school. 

The a³ Virtual Academy, a System-wide program was honored for its internet-based teaching. By offering on-line classes, the virtual school helps teens enhance their educational efforts.  Students who struggle with a course can re-take it over the Internet, while ambitious students can take extra classes.

“Improving the quality of education is one of our most important responsibilities,” Bank President Kyle Waters said. “Where there is excellent performance in our schools, we want celebrate it. Where there are opportunities to put creative ideas to work, we want to be part of the process. That’s why we’re proud to support the ‘Making the Grade’ initiative.”

The 2008-2009 school year was the third consecutive school year in which OMNI BANK and Brees are co-sponsors. Begun in the late 1980s, the program has earned national recognition for encouraging parental involvement, motivating businesses to become involved in education, and inspiring teacher and student imagination.

At its October meeting, the School Board passed a resolution declaring October 26-30, 2009, to be “Red Ribbon Week,” encouraging schools to take part in the nationally-recognized event presenting a unified and visible commitment towards creating a Drug Free America.

The theme for Red Ribbon Week this year was “Be Smart, Be Safe, Be You.”

Cheryl Arabie, Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction, told the School Board that Red Ribbon Week is an ideal way for the schools to show the community their stand against drug abuse. “During Red Ribbon Week each school holds exciting activities and programs,” Mrs. Arabie stated. “The week gives our students an opportunity to show their personal commitment to a drug-free lifestyle through the symbol of the Red Ribbon.”

Throughout the parish, students and staff wore Red Ribbons during the week to show their support of the event.

Kindergarten and first grade students at Marigny Elementary School in Mandeville were delighted when on the second day of Red Ribbon Week, a Drug Enforcement Agency helicopter landed at their campus. The agency takes part in a number of Red Ribbon Week activities at St. Tammany Parish schools. Each class was able to take a close up look at the Bell 407 helicopter and have their photograph taken in front of it.

At Covington Elementary School, the annual Just Say No Club parade and rally took place Friday morning with a large turnout from several schools and several law enforcement agencies. It was largest group ever assembled for one of the Red Ribbon Week events, said Laurie Caserta of Covington Elementary.Two helicopters landed on Pitcher Junior High Field, one from the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office and the other from U.S. Customs and Border Protection. David Graham from Customs spoke to students in attendance from Covington Elementary, Lyon Elementary, Pine View Middle School and St. Peter’s School, telling them the importance of obeying the rules, having integrity and working hard in school. In addition, parked around the football field were over a dozen vehicles used in drug law enforcement from the Sheriff’s Office, Covington Police Department, ATF (Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms), National Guard, Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries, including boats, armored humvees, and a Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) van.  Special displays included K-9 units and the Sheriff’s Office robot used for the remote handling of hazardous materials.The School Board resolution also expressed gratitude to the community volunteer organization Amplified Resources for its involvement in providing leadership in teaching young people about the life altering consequences associated with drugs and alcohol. The group, formerly known as PRIDE, helps raise awareness of the problem and teach drug abuse education classes to parents and students.

Red Ribbon Week was established in 1988 to honor the memory of a drug enforcement agent who was killed in the line of duty.

In a special election held October 17 voters of School Board District Nine chose Robin Mullett, a longtime PTA member, to fill the vacancy left by Carmen Johnson when she resigned the position in January due to a change in employment.
 
Ms. Mullett is expected to be sworn into office within 30 days.
 
“I am very excited to be elected to serve on our parish School Board and work with all the people who provide the education for our students,” Ms. Mullett said. “It is a continuation of my work in a number of different areas of our school system.”
 
She stated that her personal goal is to be the voice for students and parents of District Nine and the community. 
 
A graduate of Salmen High School, Ms. Mullett has lived in Slidell since 1969. She has three children and has been active for many years as a PTA officer and volunteer. She has worked as a paraprofessional in Special Education in St. Tammany Parish Public Schools and also served as a TAP Tutor.
 
Her involvements include working with the School SACS (Southern Association of Colleges and Schools) recertification committee, the “Teen Focus on Safe Driving” program and as a member of several Slidell High School parent committees.
           
In addition, she was Director of the Slidell/Pearl River Project Graduation 2009 and is a Life member for the Junior Auxiliary of Slidell, chapter of National Association of Junior Auxiliaries, volunteering for several Junior Auxiliary projects in St. Tammany Parish elementary, junior high and high schools during her five years as an active member.

Michael J. Gambrell was appointed as interim Board Member for District Nine in February and has been serving over the past several months. He chose not to run for the position in last Saturday’s election.

Two Slidell elementary schools have opened bank branches for students to give them first hand experience in opening and managing savings accounts. The Bank at School project is popular at several St. Tammany Parish public schools, providing real life skills in handling their finances and teaching the importance of saving money.

Brock Elementary School offered a Bank at School prior to Hurricane Katrina, and recently began operating its bank program again.  Alton Elementary School held its Grand Opening of its own banking program recently.  Together the schools had a total of approximately 60 students who banked a little over $500 on the first day of in-school banking, according to Shirrelle Gordon-Jefferson, liaison for the program.

Bank manager Holly Hooker with Whitney Bank in Old Town Slidell partnered with Brock Elementary and Alton Elementary Schools to provide the guidance for the student bank branches. The aim of the program is to help students learn the opportunities and responsibilities of saving money, with fifth grade students providing the manpower for the “bank” which offers a counter and teller windows at which other students conduct their financial transactions.

Parents, teachers and students kept school bus safety a top priority by observing the week of October 19 through October 23 as “National School Bus Safety Week.”

The theme of this year’s week was “Avoid Harm, Obey the Stop Arm,” a reference to traffic laws motorists must follow when a school bus stops to load or unload passengers. Cars driving around stopped school buses have resulted in many tragedies throughout the nation.

Additional efforts to insure the safety of bus passengers includes training drivers to be always aware of dangerous situations around bus stops, as well as dealing with distractions caused by students misbehaving on the bus.

In St. Tammany Parish public schools, the second week in February is set aside to show special appreciation for school bus owner/operators and bus attendants for their contributions and service.

In the 2008-2009 school year, approximately 25,393 St. Tammany students were transported by public school buses daily. The average daily distance covered by the 368 school buses totalled 28,782 miles.

School System officials and members of the Joseph B. Lancaster family took part in ceremonies to break ground for the new Lancaster Elementary west of Madisonville Friday morning, October 16. The new school, located between Pine Creek Drive and Perrilloux Road off Hwy. 22, will bring 47 additional classrooms to the fast growing southwest St. Tammany area.

Lancaster was the first officially-recorded superintendent of the St. Tammany Parish Public School System and was known for his vision of an educational system designed to meet the needs of a growing area. A number of Lancaster ancestors, some from out-of-state, attended the groundbreaking.

Gasaway-Gasaway-Bankston of Hammond is serving as architect for the project, with Donahue-Favret Contractors building the $18.3 million facility. The total square footage of the two-story building will be 104,814. The new school’s grade configuration will be grades two through five.

The event took place two weeks after the groundbreaking ceremonies for a new elementary school in the Slidell area, the Henry Mayfield Elementary off U.S. 190 near Tammany Trace.

The School Board agreed last year to name the new Madisonville area elementary school in honor of Lancaster after Superintendent Gayle Sloan recommended him for the honor. She recounted his many contributions to the community as lawyer, district attorney, judge, and state representative. “He was a very high-achieving individual,” she said.  He was named Superintendent by the first School Board in September of 1900, after it became an organized set of schools with parishwide administrative supervision and community governance.

Five descendants of Lancaster attended last year’s School Board meeting to name the school after their ancestor, including Lancaster's grandson, Judge Peter Garcia of the 22nd Judicial District. “Lancaster was a grandson of General David Bannister Morgan, who fought in the war of 1812 with Andrew Jackson and who is buried in Madisonville. So it is appropriate to name a Madisonville area school after him, since he has very strong connections to the Madisonville community,” Judge Garcia said.

Lancaster served as Superintendent of Schools until September, 1904, and died in 1916 in Franklinton.

For a photo slide show of the groundbreaking event,click here. (Windows Media Player required to show WMV file)

Kathryn J. McInnis, the technology helping teacher at Monteleone Junior High School, has been named one of two finalists for Louisiana’s 2009 Presidential Awardee for Secondary Mathematics.

She was recognized for the honor and presented a certificate at the October School Board meeting by Cheryl Arabie, Assistant Superintendent, Curriculum and Instruction.  She is a finalist with one other teacher from Episcopal High in Baton Rouge.  The winner will be announced next year. 

The Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching program was established by the White House in 1983. The program is sponsored by the National Science Foundation and identifies outstanding mathematics and science teachers from kindergarten through 12th grade in each state.

Award recipients serve as models for their colleagues and are recognized as leaders in the improvement of mathematics and science education, Mrs. Arabie said.

McInnis graduated from Louisiana Tech in 1995. She taught in Jefferson Parish and St. Charles Parish before coming to St. Tammany Parish public schools in 2003 as a mathematics teacher at Fontainebleau Junior High School. She joined the Monteleone Junior High staff in 2005, and in 2008, she completed her masters degree in education technology from Southeastern Louisiana University.

In observance of National School Lunch Week, St. Tammany public school cafeterias are hosting special programs and decorations along with serving nutritious meals to students and visitors October 12 - 16. The theme of the week this year is “All Star School Lunch.”

The School Board passed a resolution October 8 recognizing the event and the School System’s award-winning Food Service Program.  Special appreciation was given to the many Student Nutrition Advisory Councils, student groups who help food service personnel plan and present attractive and nutritious menus throughout the year.

School Board members and Central Office administrators traditionally visit the schools during National School Lunch Week to meet with the students and cafeteria employees, joining many parents who also visit the schools during the event.

The Food Service staff serves over 34,000 meals daily, 8,823 of those being breakfast and the remaining 25,116 being lunches.

In announcing National School Food Service week, Deputy Superintendent Trey Folse commended Sylvia Dunn, Supervisor of the Food Service Department, her cafeteria managers, and lunchroom technicians.

For photos of one school's cafeteria decorating theme for the week, click here.

The School Board recently adopted a new policy which sets up procedures by which employees keep track of communications with students via electronic means. The policy outlines the reporting responsibilities called for by the new law, Act 214, that requires teachers and administrators keep a log of communications with students at their school when using electronic means such as cell phones, text messaging or other electronic media. The policy aims to keep track of electronic communications so that there is no misunderstanding as to the nature of the contact. The policy requires that such communications be of an educational nature.The new policy is available for viewing by clicking here. (Adobe Acrobat Reader is required to view PDF File). A committee headed by Supervisor Cathy Aime put together the proposed version of the policy over the summer. Several parents, administrators, teachers, supervisors, and the Board’s legal counsel served on the group who worked out the details.

When the new procedures are implemented, letters will be sent to parents and employees notifying them of the new reporting requirements.

The fifth “Teen Focus on Safe Driving” was held at the Castine Center in Pelican Park east of Mandeville, October 14, 2009, presenting students from throughout St. Tammany Parish a wide variety of information on the importance of driving safely.

The theme this year was "The Amazing Race To Save Teen Drivers."In addition to several presentations on stage and discussion groups, a "Jaws of Life" demonstration was given in the parking lot, showing participants how first responders work to save the lives of people trapped in wrecked automobiles.

The first Teen Focus forum was held in November, 2004, in response to several tragic vehicle accidents in which teenagers from public and private schools were severely injured or killed. School System organizers brought together a wide range of knowledgeable community representatives to present their case in the first forum of its kind.“The safety of our youth is a top priority not only in our schools, but throughout the community,” said Superintendent Gayle Sloan. “We are committed to finding ways as a community to help prevent these deaths and injuries among our teens.”

The previous four teen forums have met tremendous success, with approximately 300 students from 14 high schools in attendance at each forum. They bring the message home to their high schools and conduct several follow up programs on their own campuses. Speakers at previous forums have included emergency room doctors, insurance experts, law enforcement officers, and beauty pageant winners telling their own stories of close encounters with tragedy on the roads.Participants at the forums learn vital facts about the issues surrounding teen driving, hear first hand experiences from accident victims, doctors and paramedics, and also visit a number of display booths staffed by volunteers from various community organizations.

Exhibitors taking part in this year's event included Acadian Ambulance, Amplify Resources, Booze ‘N Cruise, You Lose!, Buckle Up Stencil Project, DriveZebra.com, Lakeview Regional Medical Center, the Louisiana Automobile Theft & Insurance Fraud Prevention Authority, the Louisiana Highway Safety Commission, Louisiana State Troopers, the Mandeville High SADD Chapter, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the National Safety Council, Operation Drive Smart, Precision Driving Academy, Project Graduation, St. Tammany Fire District No. (Slidell) & Fire District No.  (Mandeville) –  Jaws of Life, St. Tammany Parish Hospital Parenting Center, and the Youth Service Bureau of St. Tammany.

After the presentations, the teams brainstorm to come up with ideas on how to share their experience with their classmates who did not attend. The result is a “plan of action” for each high school which has, over the years, proven effective in reducing teen injuries and fatalities.

School students went to the Parish Fair recently to celebrate 100 years of a “Clean and Green St. Tammany,” showcasing ongoing programs to recycle and reuse materials and become better aware of their environment.

Almost every public school participated in the setting up of educational booths at the fairgrounds, a tradition that goes back many years. Fairgoers were treated to exhibits in several areas, including horticulture, livestock, 4-H Clubs, and arts and crafts. The Parish Fair observed its 100th anniversary in 2009.

Each year, the educational booths illustrate and explain the various ways in which students learn about their community, including field trips, research projects, community service projects, and essay assignments. Exhibit themes in the past few years have ranged from recording historical facts about their schools to the responsibility of citizens to vote in elections. This year’s theme involved St. Tammany’s heritage of environmental concern, showing how going “green” has been a local objective for decades.

The booths are judged in four grade level categories, and among the first place winners in each category an individual “Grand Prize” winner is designated. This year’s Grand Prize winners were Mandeville Elementary in the Elementary Category; Sixth Ward Elementary in the Middle Grades Category; St. Tammany Junior High in the Junior High Grade Category; and Mandeville High in the High School Grades Category. Covington Pathways was named the Grand Prize winner in the Other Category competition.

Employees with the St. Tammany Parish Public School System conduct several community service projects throughout the year, particularly around the December holiday season. These efforts include food collection drives, clothing drives, and regular United Way contributions.

This year, a shortage of supplies at the Covington Food Bank prompted Central Office staff members to hold a special food drive in September, gathering donations of red beans and rice and cornbread mix from throughout the various School System support offices.

In addition, individual schools are active in a variety of charitable projects throughout the School Year to help specific local, regional, and national causes. 

In keeping with a tradition nearly 100 years old, the St. Tammany Parish Public Schools System will close on the second day of the Parish Fair, Friday, October 2. The parish fair is observing its 100th anniversary this year, celebrating a century of bringing to local residents the best in horticultural exhibits, livestock competition, community arts and crafts, home economics and examples of excellent local efforts in many other fields.

Designated as “School Day” at the parish fair in Covington, the October 2 holiday will give students and their parents the opportunity to visit the many educational exhibits at the fairgrounds and attend other special events and family-oriented attractions. The fair begins on Thursday, October 1, and runs through Sunday, October 4.

The School System has partnered with the parish fair association for decades to give students the day off so they could participate in many key fair activities such as providing marching bands in the fair parade, taking part in livestock shows, and displaying  4-H Club and FFA Chapter projects. For many years, the parish fair parade included entire classes of school children walking to the fairgrounds for opening ceremony festivities.

In addition to the wide variety of programs designed for youngsters, the fair also offers more than 40 large educational exhibit displays put together by students from schools across the parish. These exhibits feature student work in grade levels kindergarten through 12th grade. The theme of this year’s educational displays will be “Green and Growing: Celebrating 100 Years of A Clean and Green St. Tammany.”

School System support offices will also close on Friday, October 2. They will re-open and classes will resume on Monday, October 5, 2009.

Groundbreaking ceremonies for the new 38-classroom Henry Mayfield Elementary School west of Slidell were held at 11:00 a.m. on Monday, September 28, 2009.

Located at 31820 Hwy. 190 West, the new Mayfield Elementary School is the final construction project approved under the 2004 bond issue, with Polk Construction Corp. to do the work under a $18.9 million contract.

The school, which will relieve crowding at Bayou Woods Elementary and Carolyn Park Middle schools, will be on the south side of U.S. 190, just west of the Northshore Shopping Center and about a half mile east of Tranquility Road near Slidell. Plans for the school include 38 classrooms, a covered bus drop-off site, special education classrooms and music rooms. The  87,000-square-foot facility will be located on a 71 acre site adjacent to Tammany Trace.

The name for the school was proposed by Superintendent Gayle Sloan in August of 2004, following a request made by several retired educators that the Board consider naming a building to honor Henry L. Mayfield.    In 2007, representatives from the architectural firm of Coleman and Partners presented plans for the facility.

Mayfield Elementary is scheduled to open for the 2011-12 school year. The name for the school was proposed by Superintendent Gayle Sloan in August of 2004, and in 2007, representatives from the architectural firm of Dale Songy of Coleman and Partners presented plans for the facility.

Henry Mayfield was known as an academic leader in the parish. He began his career in the St. Tammany Parish Public School System in July, 1926, serving as a teacher for one year and as principal of Slidell Grammar School for eight years.  He was appointed the System’s first instructional supervisor in the Central Office in January, 1935. 

He served as a Supervisor of Instruction for 31 years.  Mr. Mayfield served as Assistant Superintendent from April, 1965, until his retirement in June, 1968. 

Before his retirement, Mr. Mayfield served with three Superintendents.  Mr. Mayfield also taught at Tulane University for more than ten years.  He died in 1992 at the age of 88.

According to former colleague Henri Ferrer, Mayfield worked as a “behind the scenes” leader whose expertise, dedication, and broad range of work helped make the St. Tammany System a leading school system.  Mr. Ferrer noted that Mr. Mayfield was recognized throughout Louisiana for his work in the St. Tammany Parish Public School System and in the field of education.  He was a frequent speaker at education conferences. 

“He could have worked in any university or school system in the country, but Henry opted to stay in St. Tammany,” said Mr. Ferrer.     

Grandparents from across St. Tammany Parish were invited to schools over the past four weeks to visit with and eat lunch with their grandchildren. Students invited their grandparents or any older adult they wanted to share the Grandparents Day special occasion with.

At Cypress Cove Elementary, the turnout was tremendous. “We have always had a great turnout for Grandparents Day,” said Principal Lisa Dial. “In fact, we offer the lunch on four different days in September, and often the same grandparents will come twice if they have more grandchildren.” On September 17 this year alone, there were 280 reservations, and many more without reservations, she said.

Students at the Kindergarten through First Grade school look forward to the event each year.

“It’s a fabulous thing,” Ms. Dial stated. “It’s an opportunity for the grandparents to visit the schools, and the kids love seeing their grandparents in school.” She made sure all the grandparents felt welcomed and told them that Cypress Cove Elementary had won many awards for its outstanding lunch menus. “The salad bar with fresh fruits and vegetables are always a hit with the grandparents. “

Many of the visitors come up afterwards to thank her and her staff for the event. “The first time we did this fifteen years ago, we did it all on one day, and we were still serving lunch at 3 o’clock in the afternoon, there were so many visiting grandparents,” Ms. Dial said. It has grown even more popular over the years.

National Grandparents Day was September 13, and different schools throughout the School System designated different special days for grandparents to be honored with programs, lunches, and classroom visits.

The week of September 21 is Grandparents Week at Mandeville Middle School, September 14 was Grandparents Day at Riverside Elementary School, and many other schools offered programs to honor, entertain, and recognize grandparents.

President Jimmy Carter first declared Grandparents Day a national holiday in 1978.

The Broadcasting Club at Florida Avenue Elementary got off to a great start Thursday, September 17, when WWL-TV News Anchor Lucy Bustamante served as guest host for the morning school news broadcast.

She took the place of Principal Ramona Carlin during a surprise visit to the school. After the morning broadcast, she met with all the sixth graders in the Broadcasting Club and told them about her experiences in television news.

During the morning broadcast, Gary Bennett, the computer lab technician at the school, manned the video camera and helped coach the four students from Sixth Grade Teacher Katy Vorenkamp’s broadcasting class, while Principal Carlin introduced Ms. Bustamante. The morning broadcast featured the date, how many days left in the school year, weather news, and a tip on how to save energy.

Ms. Bustamante talked to the sixth grade students about the challenges and opportunities presented in broadcast journalism, everything from overcoming nervousness to interviewing heads of state. She explained how she and her crew listen to police and fire radio scanners all the time in an effort to catch the next big news story, and she reminded the students that every news story has a what, where, who, and how. Among the people she has interviewed are Presidents Bill Clinton and George Bush and movie star Brad Pitt.

When the students asked who was the most interesting person she had ever interviewed,  she couldn’t name any particular person. “Because everyone is interesting in their own way,” she responded. She recently returned from New York where she was able to interview Regis Philbin, who is recognized as one of the most watched men on television.

Being a popular local news anchor means that she is often recognized in stores, she added.

With the encouragement of her mother, she got her start on the local television show for high school students, then moved on to an internship with a New Orleans television station where her news writing duties gradually increased. She stressed that knowing how to write well was essential, since news reporters and anchors have only a short period of time to clearly communicate important news to viewers who may be facing numerous distractions as they watch the news.

Ms. Bustamante also told the students that checking their facts is another key part of the business. “We have to be sure to use credible sources and reliable people,” she said. “There’s always the chance that someone will come along later and ask us where we got our information from,” she explained. Even information from the internet has to be checked out and verified as coming from a reliable source, she said.

The students asked several questions about careers in television news, how to get started, and what were the hours and salaries that could be expected.

Later this year, the students may take a field trip to WWL-TV news studios as a result of an invitation from Ms. Bustamante.

Principal Carlin said the daily presentation of school announcements has changed over the years, going from a general assembly of all the students to her delivering a newscast over the intercom in radio broadcast style. When they asked how many sixth grade students wanted to be involved in the new video broadcasting class, practically everyone raised their hands.

She hopes that as interest builds in the broadcasting class students will begin doing video features on the events and programs at the school. The visit by Ms. Bustamante will help focus attention on the great projects the broadcasting students can start thinking about, she concluded.

The St. Tammany Parish Public School System website now has a new “mobile” version available for better viewing on cell phones equipped with internet access.

The web pages on the new website are specifically designed for clearer viewing on the smaller cell phone screens. The address of the new website is http://mobile.stpsb.org.

The mobile web site features reformatted versions of key School System web pages, giving on-the-go access to important announcements, school addresses and phone numbers. The home page on the mobile site features links to four main categories: Breaking News, Important Numbers, School Directory, School Calendar, and Emergency Information.

For more detailed information, graphics, and photographs, parents can continue to visit the main School System website and/or the individual School webpages.

The fifth “Teen Focus on Safe Driving” will be held at the Castine Center in Pelican Park east of Mandeville on Wednesday, October 14, 2009, presenting to students from throughout St. Tammany Parish information on the importance of driving safely.

The first Teen Focus forum was held in November, 2004, in response to several tragic vehicle accidents in which teenagers from public and private schools were severely injured or killed. School System organizers brought together a wide range of knowledgeable community representatives to present their case in the first forum of its kind.

“The safety of our youth is a top priority not only in our schools, but throughout the community,” said Superintendent Gayle Sloan in announcing the date of this year’s Teen Focus on Safe Driving. “We are committed to finding ways as a community to help prevent these deaths and injuries among our teens.”

The previous four teen forums have met tremendous success, with approximately 300 students from 14 high schools in attendance at each forum. They bring the message home to their high schools and conduct several follow up programs on their own campuses.

Speakers at the forum have included emergency room doctors, insurance experts, law enforcement officers, and beauty pageant winners telling their own stories of close encounters with tragedy on the roads.

Participants at the forums learn vital facts about the issues surrounding teen driving, hear first hand experiences from doctors and paramedics, and also visit a number of display booths staffed by volunteers from various community organizations.

After the presentations, the teams have the opportunity to share their thoughts and brainstorm ways to help reduce teen accidents on the highways. The result is a “plan of action” for each high school which has, over the years, proved effective in reducing teen injuries and fatalities.

The forum is also accompanied by an art poster contest with the Teen Focus on Safe Driving theme.

For more information on the event, contact Terry Meyer at the St. Tammany Parish Public School System, 985-892-2276.

Louisiana State Superintendent of Education Paul Pastorek visited teachers and students at Abney Elementary School in Slidell on Wednesday, September 9, to tour classrooms and learn about the new STARS program and local efforts to establish a Teacher Advancement Program.

He had been invited by Principal Mike Alford to see the progress being made at the school after Pastorek came to St. Tammany earlier in the year. Pastorek spent over an hour at Abney talking with teachers, students, and administrators, including Superintendent of Schools Gayle Sloan and School Board President John Lamarque.

Most of his visit took place in the STARS classroom where 15 students are given extra instructional time to help them transition to the second grade.  Abney Elementary’s STARS pilot program provides extra tutoring and special attention to students entering the second grade by providing three weeks of classroom time prior to the actual start of school. The smaller teacher to student ratio, plus the use of the FastForward computer reading program, enables much improved progress at the start of the school year.

The class will remain together for the entire year, with never more than 15 students in the group. Principal Alford said that next year he is planning to expand it to three additional classes in third and fifth grade.

Alford had also visited the new Teacher Advancement program at a Rapides Parish elementary school and came back to Abney with plans to implement the professional development program at his own campus. A trip is now being planned for some of his teachers to visit the program in Rapides for a first-hand look at the program in action.

Schools throughout St. Tammany Parish took part in a variety of programs held in observance of Patriot's Day September 11, when special appreciation is expressed to law enforcement officers and firefighters for their dedicated service to the community.

In keeping with the day’s theme, students made banners, cards, and welcomed visiting police officers and fire district officials on campus throughout the day. Superintendent Gayle Sloan encouraged principals at the beginning of the School Year to plan special events in keeping with the significance of the day.

At Pontchartrain Elementary School in Mandeville, police officers and firefighters greeted children as they arrived at the school from the car line and came off the school buses.

Several firefighters from Fire Protection District No. 1 and area police officers were guests of honor for lunch at Fontainebleau Junior High School. The entire student body took part in creating decorations for the event in the cafeteria.

Patriot's Day was first established to honor the police and emergency personnel who lost their lives in the 9-11 World Trade Center tragedy in 2001. Some social studies classes viewed videos about the memorials being planned for those who lost their lives in the attacks.

A program to boost interest and skills in reading is underway at Covington High, with students and teachers taking part in several activities through the Readers Are Leaders program. One of the activities is an observance of September as “National Literacy Month” with September 8 designated as “International Literacy Day.”

Now in its third year, the Readers are Leaders program at CHS offers students various incentives for achieving pre-determined benchmarks in reading and recognizes the accomplishments of those who read a certain number of books during the school year.

Recently, three community leaders and Mayor Candice Watkins participated in a panel discussion at the school on the importance of reading and how it impacted their jobs. Mike Smith, the school’s closed-circuit TV channel director, had his Broadcasting Class students video-tape the interview sessions with the community leaders.

Mayor Watkins shared with student host Mary Myers how reading has been a challenge throughout her life. “I am a slow reader today because I didn’t read a lot when young, “she said. “Although I love to read for pleasure, I don’t have much time for that. That’s what I do on vacations, read.”
 
“In my job, I have to read over a hundred emails every day,” Mayor Watkins went on to say. One important factor in reading well is that it means being able to remain aware of opportunities that become available to us, the Mayor stated. She also noted that existing literacy improvement programs for Covington citizens are bringing about good results.

She read a proclamation for National Literacy Month that pointed out that the gift of reading opens the door to a world of imagination, lifetime experiences and enhances economic opportunities. “The ability to read is fundamentally necessary to leading a full and productive life,” the proclamation stated. “We want to stress the importance of literacy to achieving your dreams and enhancing your lives,” the Mayor concluded.

The other guests were a professional offshore surveyor, Greg Ryals; Pastor of the Greater Starlight Baptist Church, the Rev. Mallery Callahan; and the Youth Services Librarian for the Covington Library Branch, Ms. Jane Perreault.

Lisa Jamieson, the reading teacher at CHS, is coordinating the program this year, its third year at the school. The Readers Are Leaders program was implemented to motivate all the students to read. It calls upon them to keep a log of books read, with medals and certificates given for outstanding reading accomplishments.

Results have been impressive over the past few years, Jamieson stated, with students showing a new appreciation and passion for reading.

On September 8, the interviews will be aired on the school’s closed circuit television channel and may be aired on Channel 13 as well.

The school has partnered with the St. Tammany Parish Library in Covington in reaching out to the community to demonstrate to students the importance of reading as it pertains to literacy.

An educational television segment that showcases healthy cooking for children filmed at Cypress Cove Elementary School last year has won a Clarion Award from the Association for Women in Communications.

The "best practices" video entitled "Cooks for Kids" was part of a series being put together by the National Food Service Management Institute (USDA) and was created by Running Pony Productions out of Memphis, TN. It won in the category of Educational, Informational or Training Video Production - Longer than 15 minutes.

The Cypress Cove segment focuses on local school cafeteria preparation of a regional favorite, gumbo made with a greaseless brown roux. Videos were shot of food preparation, students in lunch lines and the dining room, and interviews with students, Principal Lisa Dial, Food Service Manager Robin Blakeman, and Food Service Supervisor Sylvia Dunn.

Additional video was shot of a nutrition education class, physical education class, and general campus views at Cypress Cove Elementary.

The purpose of the program "Cooks for Kids: Healthful Cooking Across America" is to address the problem of childhood obesity by offering ideas for healthier food preparation through school food service departments. Food service employees were the primary audience for the videos being produced. Teaching healthy food habits to children that will carry the wellness message into the home is a goal of the thirty-minute showcase of recipes, techniques, and practical solutions that schools can adopt to prepare healthier and tastier meals.

The Clarion Award honors excellence across all communication disciplines, with judging based on substance, style, originality and achievement of objective. The award will be presented on October 17 at the 2009 AWC National Conference in Seattle, WA. This year the competition drew nearly 500 entries, and 97 Clarions were awarded in a variety of categories.

In response to a recently passed state law concerning employee communications with students via electronic means, the School Board is currently reviewing a draft version of a new policy which will outline the reporting responsibilities under the new law.

A policy dealing with the new state law must be established by November 15. The Board is expected to discuss the proposed policy at the October 1 Committee As A Whole meeting. For public review, the proposed policy and guidelines are available by clicking here. (Adobe Acrobat Reader is required to view PDF File).

The new law, Act 214, requires that teachers and administrators keep a written log of contacts with students at their school when using electronic means such as cell phones, text messaging or other electronic media. The policy aims to keep track of electronic communications so that there is no misunderstanding as to the nature of the contact. The proposed policy would require that such communications be of an educational nature.

A committee headed by Supervisor Cathy Aime put together the draft version of the policy over the summer. Several parents, administrators, teachers, supervisors, and the Board’s legal counsel served on the group who worked out the details.  When the new procedures are adopted, letters will be sent to parents and employees notifying them of the new reporting requirements.

To provide public comment on the proposed policy, email remarks to public.comment@stpsb.org or click here.

The legislative bill calling for the new procedures was introduced by Rep. Frank Hoffman earlier this year.

The football stadium at Mandeville High School was officially dedicated to Coach Sidney Theriot in ceremonies Friday, September 4, 2009.

A large crowd of former students, administrators, colleagues, and friends and family were on hand to help celebrate the occasion. A plaque with Theriot's name and likeness was unveiled at the stadium, and afterwards, in a program at the school's auditorium, a video was shown of his career featuring interviews from his colleagues.

At a meeting in April, the School Board voted to name the stadium in honor of Coach Theriot, the long time coach and math teacher who started the first football program at the school in the mid-1960’s. He was given a standing ovation at the meeting for his more than 40 years as a coach and educator. A plaque with Theriot’s name and likeness has been installed at the Mandeville Skippers home field.

A Mandeville High School graduate who played on the school’s first football team in 1967 first proposed that the Mandeville High stadium be named after Coach Theriot, and widespread support for the idea came from former students, administrators, and former football players in Theriot’s athletics programs over the years.

Mike Dobson said that Theriot had “incredible positive impact” on the lives of those student athletes who were under his direction. He recounted the first season played by the team, the challenges they faced, and the life lessons they experienced. Many MHS alumni also remember Theriot as an excellent math teacher, he said.

Dobson recalled that in the first year of football at Mandeville High,  “Coach Theriot laid out the field, planted, watered, and cut the grass, lined the field before home games, washed the uniforms after the games, prepared scouting reports of the next games, wrote the articles that appeared in the paper, and many times drove the team bus. He had tremendous work ethic, taught us the value of teamwork, and was unselfish with his time and effort.”

To view a Quicktime movie of the stadium dedication ceremonies, click here.

In previous recognitions of contributions by area coaches, Covington High Stadium was named after Coach Jack Salter and Slidell High School Stadium was named in honor of L. V. McGinty, Sr.

Marigny Elementary School, the newest elementary school in St. Tammany Parish, hosted its ribbon-cutting ceremony on Friday, September 4.

A large number of parents, teachers, T-1 students and guests gathered in the school's auditorium to hear a welcome by Principal Leslie Martin, the Pledge of Allegiance and National Anthem presented by Kitty Cleveland,  and remarks by Superintendent Gayle Sloan. Beverly Muller and Stephanie Ross, PTA Co-presidents, also gave welcoming comments to those present.

Several administrators, School Board members, and individuals involved in the construction of the facility took part in the ribbon cutting ceremonies.The school opened August 7 to Pre-school, Kindergarten and T-1 students from Magnolia Trace Elementary. The new school is located at 1715 Viola Street in Mandeville, near Magnolia Trace Elementary and Lake Harbor Middle School. It was named in honor of Bernard de Marigny de Mandeville, the founder of Mandeville.

A starfish serves as the school mascot, and light blue and red were chosen as the school colors. At the ceremony, the students told why they had chosen the starfish as their mascot.

The campus was designed by the Gossen-Gasaway-Bankston architectural firm and built by Woodrow Wilson Construction Co. Inc.

The football stadium at Mandeville High School will be officially dedicated to Coach Sidney Theriot in ceremonies Friday, September 4, 2009, at 5:30 p.m., an hour before the first home game of the 2009 season against John Curtis High School.

A large crowd of former students, administrators, colleagues, and friends and family is expected to attend to help celebrate the occasion.

At a meeting in April, the School Board voted to name the stadium in honor of Coach Theriot, the long time coach and math teacher who started the first football program at the school in the mid-1960’s. He was given a standing ovation at the meeting for his more than 40 years as a coach and educator. A plaque with Theriot’s name and likeness has been installed at the Mandeville Skippers home field.

A Mandeville High School graduate who played on the school’s first football team in 1967 first proposed that the Mandeville High stadium be named after Coach Theriot, and widespread support for the idea came from former students, administrators, and former football players in Theriot’s athletics programs over the years.

Mike Dobson said that Theriot had “incredible positive impact” on the lives of those student athletes who were under his direction. He recounted the first season played by the team, the challenges they faced, and the life lessons they experienced. Many MHS alumni also remember Theriot as an excellent math teacher, he said.

Dobson recalled that in the first year of football at Mandeville High,  “Coach Theriot laid out the field, planted, watered, and cut the grass, lined the field before home games, washed the uniforms after the games, prepared scouting reports of the next games, wrote the articles that appeared in the paper, and many times drove the team bus. He had tremendous work ethic, taught us the value of teamwork, and was unselfish with his time and effort.”

In previous recognitions of contributions by area coaches, Covington High Stadium was named after Coach Jack Salter and Slidell High School Stadium was named in honor of L. V. McGinty, Sr.

A variety of summer programs offered to students from pre-kindergarten through 12th grade keep St. Tammany Public School System teachers and campuses pretty busy during June and July, according to Julie Matte, who gave a summer program report to the School Board recently.

Matte’s report brought Board members up to date on the large number of educational opportunities offered throughout the parish this past summer, everything from reading camps and band practices, to LEAP Remediation and Spanish language camp.

Summer programs for pre-kindergarten students were designed to continue their educational training in language-development, thinking skills and social development. “Teachers and paraprofessionals worked hand-in-hand to provide enriching and engaging experiences for the young students,” Matte stated.

Camp READ is a popular summer program for third grade children who seek additional instruction in building reading and writing skills. Special techniques are used to help develop confidence in their reading ability. This summer’s program had a theme revolving around “Ancient Rome,” which was carried out in various interesting ways.

A five week program, Camp Learn-A-Lot was held for the Alton Elementary School learning community and offered hands-on activities and group instruction, with individual instruction provided where needed. Math and science were the focus of the lessons presented. This was the second year Camp Learn-A-Lot has been offered, Ms. Matte stated.

The ESL (English as a Second Language) summer program was held at Chahta-Ima Elementary, Mandeville Elementary, and Whispering Forest Elementary. The goal was to immerse students from Kindergarten through Sixth Grade in the English language so they could continue acquiring skills through the summer. Chahta-Ima Elementary also offered ESL instruction for junior high and high school students as well as any interested adults.

At Honey Island Elementary, a two week Spanish language camp was held for the first time. Students participated in a variety of activities that enriched their learning of Spanish, including game-playing, arts and crafts, dancing, geography lessons, and cultural studies involving several different Spanish-speaking countries.

A new three-week program offered for the first time this summer was Second Grade Stars (Students That Are Ready To Shine). It helped students entering second grade to fine-tune their first grade skills in reading, writing, and math before making the transition. Classes were kept small to enhance small-group and individual instruction, and once the regular school year started, students in STARS found that their second grade teacher was the same person who had worked with them during the summer.

Other summer programs meeting the needs of specific groups of students included the Extended School Year program, LEAP Summer Remediation for 4th and 8th Grade students, and GEE Summer Remediation and Retesting for high school students. More than 750 students took part in Summer Band Camps offered at high schools across the parish.

The School System’s Virtual Academy hosted several online programs for a large number of  students wishing to take advantage of the additional instruction and extra courses available during the summer.

Elementary Summer School and High School Summer School helped students overcome deficiencies on their report cards and gave many participants help in strengthening areas in which they need additional instruction.

Community education classes were also available at seven schools across St. Tammany for students from Kindergarten through Eighth Grade. Classes range from Square Dancing and arts and crafts to a variety of other interests.

After the presentation, Superintendent Gayle Sloan told the Board members that with the full slate of summer programs being offered students and the community, the School System does offer year-round educational opportunities in a wide selection of subjects and activities.

Marigny Elementary School, the newest elementary school in St. Tammany Parish, will host a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Friday, September 4, at 10:00 a.m.

The school opened August 7 to Pre-school, Kindergarten and T-1 students from Magnolia Trace Elementary. The new school is located at 1715 Viola Street in Mandeville, near Magnolia Trace Elementary and Lake Harbor Middle School. It was named in honor of Bernard de Marigny de Mandeville, the founder of Mandeville.

A starfish serves as the school mascot, and light blue and red were chosen as the school colors.

The campus was designed by the Gossen-Gasaway-Bankston architectural firm and built by Woodrow Wilson Construction Co. Inc. with funding being provided by the 2004 Bond Issue. Work began in November of 2007.

A separate road for school buses provides access from La. Hwy. 59 to the side of the school site, keeping buses and private cars apart as parents drop off their children at the front of the school.

Principal Leslie Martin and Assistant Principal Marcella Caesar spent the summer getting things ready at the new elementary school and were on hand with the rest of the staff to welcome new students to the facility the first day of school.

Public schools in St. Tammany Parish will close Monday, September 7, 2009, in recognition of the traditional Labor Day Holiday. School System support offices will also be closed that day.

After the three-day weekend, support offices will re-open and classes will resume on Tuesday, September 8.

Initial classroom counts are showing an increase of 527 students attending St. Tammany Parish Public Schools this year.

A preliminary student count earlier this month showed that the largest increases came at four schools, Madisonville Junior High School, Abney Elementary School, Slidell High School, and Salmen High School. Those four account for approximately half of the total increase, with the other half spread out among the rest of the School System.

School System leaders had expected some growth and took that into consideration when hiring teachers before the school year began.

Student counts are held on the first day of school and then on several subsequent Fridays. Administrators are closely examining the initial enrollment figures to determine where additional teachers may be needed or where teachers can be shifted to better serve the new student population. Since classes started, eight new teachers have been added parish-wide.

Administrators say they will continue to look at future counts to see if any additional staffing will be needed due to the increased enrollment.

A professional development program to train future administrative leaders for the St. Tammany Parish Public Schools has now been enhanced with ten interactive sessions and in-the-field experience.

The new LEAD Academy will offer exposure to a wide variety of on-site administrative practices to create better understanding of what is expected of St. Tammany Parish administrators and make participants more knowledgeable of the day-to-day activities of school operations. The focus is on first hand, interactive experiences.

“The year long program widens the scope of our existing Prospective Administrators Academy,” said Roxanne Lagarde of the Professional Development Office in Human Resources. The School System began its administrative training program in 1987.

In the newly-designed sessions, supervisors and principals will meet with participants throughout the year to discuss the leadership qualities of highest importance to administrators, as well as discuss various scenarios that principals and assistant principals may face from time to time in their daily administrative responsibilities.

“The program gives an overview of the ideas involving administrative leadership that we in the public school system believe are essential to school operations,” said Brandon Clanton, Human Resources supervisor. “We emphasize many of the daily interactions that principals and assistant principals will have with the various departments and personnel within each school as well as how to interact with parents, the public, staff members and students.”

Academy participants will also spend 35 hours in field experiences with their site administrators, everything from chaperoning events, helping with the School Improvement Plan, learning and possibly participating in the school budgetary process and other activities that occur inside of a school setting that as non-administrators, they would not be exposed to on a frequent basis.

Among the topics to be discussed at the sessions will be the School System’s vision, the emergency preparedness plan, sexual harassment policies, discipline procedures, job applicant interviews, positive work environments, staff evaluation, special education, bus transportation and school food service operations.

Certificated employees may apply to take part in the leadership training program even without specific administrative certification. “It is open to any certificated person with a desire to learn more about administrative responsibilities and gives them a chance to learn first-hand if that is a direction in which they want to go in their professional career,” said Lagarde. The program will welcome people who are already working on their administrative certification and those who already have that certification.

Officials expect from 20 to 30 persons to take part in this year’s new LEAD Academy. LEAD is an acronym for “Leading Effective Administrative Development.

Application forms for taking part in the LEAD Academy are available by clicking here.

St. Tammany Parish Public Schools are continuing to use universal precautions in order to prevent the spread of all types of infections, including the H1N1 virus and the flu virus. Dr. Parham Jaberi, MD, medical director for Department of Health and Hospitals (Office of Public Health Region 9) told the School Board Thursday night that the H1N1 virus, commonly called Swine Flu, has proven to be fairly mild for most normally healthy people.

He gave an overview of the Swine Flu situation, how it is affecting schools statewide, and precautions parents and educators can take to prevent the spread of infection. “The concern is out there,” he said, referring to an Open House meeting he attended at Tchefuncte Middle School the night before. “There were over 1000 people present, and we were able to assure them that the swine flu is similar to regular season flu, somewhat milder, and requires the same precautions and methods of treatment.”

Dr. Jaberi has been closely monitoring the situation and staying in contact with School Officials for the past few weeks, and he told the Board that the community can be sure that the Office of Public Health and the School System is doing everything they can do. “We are on the right track,” he stated, noting that carefully monitoring of the situation will continue as the regular flu season approaches.

A video featuring Dr. Jaberi's remarks at the School Board meeting is available for viewing by clicking here. (Quicktime Movie Player needed to play video.)

School Board member Donald VIllere thanked Dr. Jaberi for his update, and especially for his attendance at the Tchefuncte Middle Open House. “It helped our parents to hear his view of the situation. We don’t want to overreact,” VIllere commented.

Superintendent Gayle Sloan told the Board about the week’s higher than normal absences, believed to be caused in part by parents keeping their children home because of the concern over swine flu. She explained how the high level of concern over swine flu in the Spring has eased somewhat as more information about the disease has been brought out. “Since we now know that Swine Flu is actually milder than originally thought, we wanted to get good information out to the parents so they can take the proper precautions,” she stated, “and make sure we are all on the same page about what is being done and what we need to do.” Superintendent Sloan will continue to follow the directions of the Office of Public Health as the season progresses and more information is gathered about the flu situation in general.

School nurses have been instructing students on the proper way to wash their hands and cover their mouths when they sneeze or cough. Special supplies have been brought in to enhance the current cleaning efforts by school custodial staff members.

Little was known about the H1N1 virus when it first emerged in the spring, or how seriously it could affect people's health, so medical workers and school officials were encouraged to proceed with an overabundance of caution, resulting in several school closures throughout Louisiana and the nation. The CDC is no longer encouraging the closure of schools due to cases of Swine Flu. If a child has a fever, medical experts are recommending the child remain out of school for 24 hours after the fever and major symptoms are gone.

A video interview with Dr. Jaberi and Superintendent Gayle Sloan is available online by clicking here.

Superintendent Sloan sent a letter to parents home with students Thursday giving additional details. An online version of this letter is available by clicking here.

Dr. Jaberi serves as the public health medical official for the region, which encompasses Livingston, St. Helena, St. Tammany, Tangipahoa and Washington Parishes. He is responsible for addressing any disease and health-related concerns that arise in this area and coordinating the response with the state health officer, state epidemiologist and other OPH officials.

For more information about swine flu symptoms, click here.

The official ribbon-cutting ceremony for St. Tammany Parish's newest high school was held on Friday. Lakeshore High School hosted a number of visiting local and regional dignitaries, School Officials, parents, students, and school personnel for the event.

Principal Brennan McCurley welcomed visitors, and the Lakeshore Titans band and Dance Team helped with the festivitives. Several School Board members and Superintendent Gayle Sloan participated in cutting the silver and black ribbon held across the front door of the new school for the official ceremony.

Lakeshore High is on a 60 Acre Site west of Hwy. 1088. The 158,550 square foot facility provides 39 classrooms, nine computer and business labs, and six science labs. The campus consists of a main classroom building, a gymnasium, Agri-science building, parking lots, a bus loop, and entry roads. The cafeteria features a full service kitchen and three service lines, with seating available for 336 students. The gymnasium offers General Assembly seating for 1,100 and basketball game seating for 1,000. The gym also has two classrooms, Coachs' offices, and locker rooms. The Agri-science building features an Autotech shop, a Woodwork shop, two classrooms, and one drafting classroom. Parking lots accommodate 216 faculty vehicles, 24 administration and visitor cars, and 590 student vehicles.

The athletic facilities are now nearing completion, and they will provide a football stadium with 1900 seats in the Home Section and 1,000 seats in the visitor bleachers. The playing field will be artificial turf, a first for St. Tammany Parish public schools.The stadium will feature an eight-lane track for track and field events. Two practice fields, four tennis courts, a field house, concession stands, and additional parking are also a part of the athletic complex area. Adjacent to the football stadium, the project includes a Baseball Field, Softball Field, Field House, and Concession Stand.

An auditorium is planned in the future with a seating capacity of 500 persons, a stage, dressing room, and orchestra pit.

Three new avenues of communication will be available to parents and employees of the St. Tammany Parish Public School System this School Year, an instant alert notification service for emergencies, an informative e-newsletter to be sent out periodically, and a mobile version of the School System web site designed especially for cell phone access.

The alert notification service will offer instant communications through text messaging or voice call alerts for any emergency situations which may develop at a school or Systemwide. Parents and employees may sign up for the service by going to the Alert Notification Log In Page, and clicking on the sign up link.

Registering for the service means that, in emergency situations, parents and employees will be sent special alerts to the phone numbers and other means of communications they choose. School-specific alerts will be sent out for the individual school sites checked by the person registering during the sign-up process. This will be used only for emergency situations and unscheduled school closings.

To view an informative video showing how to sign up for the alert notification service, click here. (You Tube video)

The second new means of communication, the e-newsletter service, will offer up-to-date information about events and programs of interest to the St. Tammany Parish Public School System parents and employees. Scheduled to be sent out quarterly, the news articles will focus on exciting programs happening within our schools and important dates and information for parents and community members. To sign up for this service, go to http://www.stpsb.org/CommServices/indexcommsystems.htm

The mobile phone web site features a reformatted version of the regular School System web site, giving on-the-go access to school directory information, district phone numbers, and other convenient information. It is designed to be viewed over cell phone screens with clear easy-to-read type and links. More information on this service will be released as the date nears for the official launch of the mobile website.

The alert notification service and e-newsletter registration processes are scheduled to begin on the opening day of school August 7.

All students in Grades 9-12 in public, private, or home-school programs are invited, along with their families, to attend the 2009-2010 College and Career Fair on Wednesday, September 30, beginning at 6:00 pm.

This free event will be held at Castine Center in Pelican Park in Mandeville and is open to the public.

Participants will be able to talk with representatives from more than 125 universities, apprenticeship programs, community and technical colleges, military academies, and lending institutions. Printed information will also be available for many other programs of interest to college-bound high school students.

For more information on the College and Career Fair, please call the College Counseling Center, 227 N. Jefferson Avenue in Covington, at (985) 898-6478.

The annual fall Coaches Event held by the St. Tammany Parish Public School System featured a talk by Van Chancellor, Head Coach of the LSU Womens Basketball Team.

A veteran head coach of 30 years at both the collegiate and professional levels, he told how coaches can have a powerful positive impact on young people’s lives, especially in junior high and high school grade levels.

The event took place at the Instructional Technology Center, with hundreds of coaches and assistant coaches attending. The purpose of the meeting is to give local coaches a chance to hear from one of the most successful coaches in the state and also to meet each other prior to the beginning of the various sports seasons.

Chancellor led the United States to a gold medal in the 2004 Olympics Games, won four WNBA titles with the Houston Comets and 14 NCAA Tournament appearances at Ole Miss. In his first season at LSU, the Lady Tigers went to the Final Four for the fifth straight season. He guided the team to its third Southeastern Conference regular season title in four seasons, and for his efforts Chancellor was named Southeastern Conference Coach of the Year by both the coaches and the media and was one of four finalists for the Naismith National Coach of the Year award.

In addition to his 2007 induction into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, Chancellor is also a member of the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame. During his ten years as head coach of the Houston Comets, he was named the WNBA Coach of the Year three times, and his team posted a 211-111 record, making him the winningest coach in the history of the league. In addition to his coaching duties, Chancellor has also spent time serving as a television analyst for women's college basketball, working for both ESPN and SEC-TV.

Click here for additional photos from the event. (Windows Media Player file)

Parents will want to mark their calendars for next year’s dates for the standardized tests required by the Louisiana Department of Education. LEAP, iLEAP and GEE testing will take place the week of April 12 through April 16, 2010, throughout the St. Tammany Parish Public School System.

LAA-2 Testing will also take place the week of April 12 through April 16.

The three major standardized tests now used in the State accountability program include the Louisiana Educational Assessment Program (LEAP), administered in grades 4 and 8; the Graduate Exit Exam (GEE), administered in grades 10 and 11; and the integrated Louisiana Educational Assessment Program (iLEAP), administered in grades 3, 5, 6, 7, and 9.   All these tests are built on the Louisiana Grade Level Expectations (GLE’s), with the exception of a portion of the iLEAP test, the Iowa Test of Basic Skills, which is norm- referenced.

Standardized testing in the St. Tammany Parish Public School System is linked to the Louisiana Accountability Program.  In 2005-2006, the accountability program was modified to comply with Federal No Child Left Behind (NCLB) requirements.  The requirement to test every student using a criterion-referenced test, beginning with the third grade, is one factor that has prompted a major change in the State testing program. 

Teachers use the results from these tests, along with evaluation of the daily classroom performance of students, to help assess needs and improve learning.

Three new avenues of communication will be available to parents and employees of the St. Tammany Parish Public School System this School Year, an instant alert notification service for emergencies, an informative e-newsletter to be sent out periodically, and a mobile version of the School System web site designed especially for cell phone access.

The alert notification service will offer instant communications through text messaging or voice call alerts for any emergency situations which may develop at a school or Systemwide. Parents and employees may sign up for the service by going to the Alert Notification Log In Page, and clicking on the sign up link.

Registering for the service means that, in emergency situations, parents and employees will be sent special alerts to the phone numbers and other means of communications they choose. School-specific alerts will be sent out for the individual school sites checked by the person registering during the sign-up process. This will be used only for emergency situations and unscheduled school closings.

To view an informative video showing how to sign up for the alert notification service, click here. (You Tube video)

The second new means of communication, the e-newsletter service, will offer up-to-date information about events and programs of interest to the St. Tammany Parish Public School System parents and employees. Scheduled to be sent out quarterly, the news articles will focus on exciting programs happening within our schools and important dates and information for parents and community members. To sign up for this service, go to http://www.stpsb.org/CommServices/indexcommsystems.htm

The mobile phone web site features a reformatted version of the regular School System web site, giving on-the-go access to school directory information, district phone numbers, and other convenient information. It is designed to be viewed over cell phone screens with clear easy-to-read type and links. More information on this service will be released as the date nears for the official launch of the mobile website.

The alert notification service and e-newsletter registration processes are scheduled to begin on the opening day of school August 7.

The first day of the 2009-2010 School Year went smoothly for public schools across St. Tammany Parish Friday, as teachers and school administrators greeted new and returning students from First through 12th Grade.

The School Board heard a Back-To-School report by Superintendent Gayle Sloan at its Committee meeting held the night before, with updates by Deputy Superintendent Trey Folse and Assistant Superintendents Cheryl Arabie and Pete Jabbia.

Janitorial and maintenance crews were praised for their efforts in the schools all summer, as they completed repairs, maintenance projects, and custodial work. Information Technology staff members upgraded technology systems, ran new wiring,  and installed wireless networking and security video cameras.

Transportation Director Ron Despenza reported that his bus route phone Hotline had received hundreds of calls all week from parents as the first day of school approached. Now in its second year, the Bus Transportation Hot Line provided parents with information about school bus routes and the name and contact information for their children’s bus drivers.

Mrs. Sloan commented, “Teachers and administrators have spent weeks getting our 56 schools ready for the first day of classes and all of that work paid off. The first day of school here in St. Tammany Parish went extremely well.”

Two new schools opened, Lakeshore High School on La. Hwy. 1088 and Marigny Elementary School on Viola Street, both in the Mandeville area. Officials reported successful start-ups in both cases.

The first day of the 2009-2010 School Year will be Friday, August 7, for public schools across St. Tammany Parish. Teachers and school administrators have been meeting for the past two weeks to get ready for the influx of new and returning students from Pre-Kindergarten through 12th Grade.

Bell times and supply lists by grade level for each school are available on the School Directory web page.

Janitorial and maintenance crews have worked in the schools all summer, carrying out needed updates, repairs and custodial work. Information technology staff have been upgrading technology systems, installing security video cameras, and, in some schools, updating computer network installations.

Two new schools will be opening that day, Lakeshore High School on La. Hwy. 1088 and Marigny Elementary School on Viola Street, both in the Mandeville area. Brennan McCurley will serve as principal of Lakeshore High, and Principal Leslie Martin will welcome her students at Marigny Elementary.

Now in its second year, the Bus Transportation Hot Line will be available to parents beginning Sunday, August 2, from 1:00 p.m. until 6:00 p.m., and Monday through Friday, August 3 through August 7, from 8:30 a.m. until 8:00 p.m. By calling the Hot Line at 985.898.3373, parents may get information about school bus routes and the name and contact information for their children’s bus drivers. For more details about bus stop locations and pick-up and drop-off times, parents may call the bus drivers themselves.

Pre-kindergarten and kindergarten students will be screened between August 7 and August 12, and those classes will start full-time on August 17.

Parents may want to be aware of roadway construction that may cause traffic delays when they take their children to school the first day.

 A St. Tammany Transportation Hot Line is now available to help parents get information about school bus routes for the 2009-2010 school year. The Hot Line opened August 2 and is continuing this week, August 3 through August 7, from 8:30 a.m. until 8:00 p.m. The telephone number for the Hot Line is 985.898.3373.

Parents can call the Hot Line to get the name and contact information for their children’s bus drivers, which will allow them to call drivers to find out bus stop locations and pick-up and drop-off times.

“The Hot Line is a great tool for parents. It allows them quick access to bus information and provides details they will need for the first day of school,” said Deputy Superintendent Trey Folse.

Parents can click on the Bus Transportation link on the School System's web site home page to find bus routes, bus driver contact information and pick-up points. Folse added, “Our Transportation Department is striving to be customer-friendly to our students and parents. We implemented the Hot Line and web link for the first time last year and both proved to be very helpful. We believe by providing the information again this year, it will make the start of school as smooth as possible for our students who use bus transportation.”

More than 3200 educators met in Lacombe recently to attend professional development workshops as the St. Tammany Parish Public School System geared up for the start of school on August 7.

Dr. Tim Tyson spoke to the teachers on how integrating technology into the classroom helps engage students and prepares them for entering the 21st century workforce. He addressed four different groups of certificated employees, each session with over 500 persons in attendance.

The annual professional development sessions go towards helping teachers meet the required six hours of workshop time per school year.

“Dr. Tyson has addressed our School System employees before, and we always have requests to bring him back,” said Cheryl Arabie, Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction. “His message brings home the importance of effectively using new and innovative instructional technology with a view towards the global economy and the workforce needs of the future.”

Tyson, formerly principal at Mabry Middle School in Cobb County, GA, has become a much sought-after speaker on guiding educational systems as more technology becomes available for use in the classroom. He has worked in the field of education for nearly 30 years as a teacher and an administrator, and he is internationally-known for providing educators with valuable knowledge of the free resources and techniques available from the internet.

Teachers were excited about how many of his ideas such as podcasting, blogging, and video production can be used as tools to reinforce what is learned in the classroom.  The new emphasis on student-produced materials gives them a chance to show what they have learned and share it with other students around the world.

Dr. Tyson visited the School System last year for an overview of how technology can be used and was a guest speaker at the 2009 Administrators Conference held at the Instructional Technology Center in Mandeville in July.

More than 2000 teachers signed up to take part in the recent 2009 Summer Institute, a two-day professional development program that provided St. Tammany Parish Public School System teachers opportunities to enhance their knowledge of content and best teaching practices. A total of 137 different seminars were offered.

Session presenters included teachers, special education facilitators and coordinators, textbook consultants, curriculum specialists, and NASA representatives.

The institute included sessions at several sites, including Fontainebleau High School, Covington Elementary School, Bonne Ecole Elementary School, Lake Harbor Middle School, the Educational Center in Covington, and the Instructional Technology Center in Mandeville.

Teachers were enthusiastic about the variety of topics covered and the instructional details provided. “DIBELS was fantastic,” said Clancey Anderson. “I learned how to interpret reports and the excellent resources that are available.”

Michelle Herring said the session “Write from the Beginning” was great. She was taught how to create mini-lessons and how to use them to the best effect with her students. Other teachers were excited to learn how to more effectively utilize the technology they are receiving this coming year. Curriculum specific sessions were especially popular, such as one entitled “Science Mysteries” and several presentations on teaching math.

Attending the seminars enable teachers to begin acquiring the six hours of required professional development credits for the school year and to receive Continuing Learning Credits (CLUs).

For the second year in a row, staff members at the St. Tammany Parish Public School System’s Channel 13 have earned top honors in the annual New Orleans Press Club awards.

A first place award was presented July 18 to John Harrison for his segment on the legendary Abita Opry, and a third place award went to David Williams, Kevin Mumphrey, and Charles Edwards for their school-oriented programming efforts. The honors were announced at the Press Club’s awards ceremony.

Channel 13 provides daily local educational television programming over the Charter Communications cable television system and is housed in the Instructional Technology Center in Mandeville. Channel 13 shows are also available for viewing on the internet as webcasts here on the School System website.

Melody Swang, Director of Broadcasting for the School System, said her staff was honored to be nominated several weeks ago. “We were in competition with all the New Orleans broadcast stations, so it was quite a moment when we won top honors,” Mrs. Swang said.

Harrison won first place in the entertainment category for his piece telling the story of  “The Abita Opry.”  Williams and Edwards earned third place for their documentary “Coaching the St. Tammany Way; From Good to Great” while Mumphrey’s public affairs PSA “Threats at School: No Joking Matter” won a third place certificate.

Mrs. Swang said she was especially pleased that Grant Yenni, a student intern at Channel 13, was able to join the group at the awards presentation for his contributions to the channel.

Superintendent Gayle Sloan said, “Channel 13 has always been a great communications tool for our School System, and receiving first place awards from the New Orleans Press Club proves its professionalism and effectiveness. We congratulate the whole team, the staff, student interns and Director Melody Swang, on their wonderful accomplishment.”

All the videos competing in the awards program were judged by other Press Clubs from throughout the nation.

The crew at Channel 13 were competing in the Press Club’s regular television media categories, not in a special educational channel category, so the awards meant even more to Mrs. Swang and her staff. “This was a wonderful highlight in our careers,” she said. “I am so proud of my staff.”

Last year the Channel 13 staff won two first place New Orleans Press Club awards, one in the Public Affairs category for its documentary “Teen Focus on Safe Driving: Survivor” produced by Mrs. Swang, John Harrison and Trevor Cassidy, and the other a first place award in the Sports Action Photo Category for a video produced by staff member David Williams featuring Slidell High School football star Matt Forte’.

The group also won an “honorable mention” last year for its video on Dr. Margo Guilott’s retirement.

Seventy children took part in a special two-week summer camp that featured Spanish culture, customs, language and games. It was the first year the event was held at Honey Island Elementary School in Slidell.

During the two one-week sessions, the children enjoyed arts and crafts, games, music, and basic language lessons, and on Fridays, activities included a fiesta complete with dancing and taking a swing at candy-filled pinatas.

The first day of camp all participants were given Spanish names, and they were greeted at the door each day by a Customs and Immigration table where they were handed their passports with the day’s country ready for its stamp. The campers themselves made the passports, as well as drawing each country's flag, putting a flag book together to display the flags, and decorating hand-made sombreros.

Three certified teachers who work in the School System were on hand to guide the educational activities such as game-playing, arts and crafts, dancing and language practice.

Each day, the campers were first introduced to a world map where they were given the chance to see exactly where the county of the day was located. Denise Nelon was Camp Coordinator, and participants in the project included Deana Cantin, Alissa Davies, Jennifer Madona, and School Board Member Mary K. Bellisario.

“And there were seven wonderful teen volunteers who really made whole thing happen,” Mrs. Bellisario said.

Every day was a different country, and during the session the kids were shown the flags, tasted the foods, and learned the characteristics of Spain, Argentina, Ecuador, Venezuela, Panama, Peru, Mexico, Puerto Rico and Chile.

Future camps may be offered with other cultural themes if enough teachers and volunteers can be gathered who are familiar with the language and customs.

For a slide show of photographs from the Spanish camp, click here. (Windows Media Player required to show file.)

 A St. Tammany Transportation Hot Line will be in place before school starts to help parents get information about school bus routes for the 2009-2010 school year. The Hot Line will be open August 2, from 1:00 p.m. until 6:00 p.m., and August 3 through August 7, from 8:30 a.m. until 8:00 p.m. The telephone number for the Hot Line is 985.898.3373.

Parents can call the Hot Line to get the name and contact information for their children’s bus drivers, which will allow them to call drivers to find out bus stop locations and pick-up and drop-off times.

“The Hot Line is a great tool for parents. It allows them quick access to bus information and provides details they will need for the first day of school,” said Deputy Superintendent Trey Folse.

Parents can click on the Bus Transportation link on the School System's web site home page to find bus routes, bus driver contact information and pick-up points. Folse added, “Our Transportation Department is striving to be customer-friendly to our students and parents. We implemented the Hot Line and web link for the first time last year and both proved to be very helpful. We believe by providing the information again this year, it will make the start of school as smooth as possible for our students who use bus transportation.”

Registration for all students entering the St. Tammany Parish public schools for the first time during the 2009-2010 session will be held at the school the student will attend according to the schedule listed in the fourth paragraph. 

Students changing schools within St. Tammany Parish (other than students going to another school because of grade promotion), students who are entering the School System from home schooling, and parents or court-appointed guardians who do not have the required proof of residency must complete an Assignment/Transfer Request Form at one of the Child Welfare and Attendance Offices.  They must obtain an Assignment Letter from this office before registering at the school they will attend. 

Every child, as a prerequisite to enrollment in any first grade of a public school, shall meet one of the following criteria: have attended a full-day public or private kindergarten for a full academic year; or have satisfactorily passed academic readiness screening at the time of enrollment for first grade. Students who have completed kindergarten at an accredited private school must furnish proof of attendance. Any child born before October 1, 2003, will be eligible for the first grade, and any child born before October 1, 2004, will be eligible for kindergarten.

Registration Schedule

The hours of registration will be 9:00 a.m. until noon on the dates listed: 

Monday,  July 27, 2009    

     Covington Elementary School  
     Covington High School
     Fifth Ward Junior High School
     Folsom Junior High School
     Fontainebleau High School
     Honey Island Elementary School
     Lake Harbor Middle School
     Lee Road Junior High School
     Little Oak Middle School
     Mandeville Middle School
     Northshore High School– 1st Registration
   
Wednesday, July 29, 2009    

     Abita Springs Elementary School
     Abney Elementary School
     Alton Elementary School
     Bayou Lacombe Middle School
     Bayou Woods Elementary School
     Boyet Junior High School
     Brock Elementary School
     Carolyn Park Middle School
     Clearwood Junior High School
     Cypress Cove Elementary School
     Florida Avenue Elementary School
     Folsom Elementary School
     Fontainebleau Junior High School
     Lyon Elementary School
     Madisonville Elementary School
     Magnolia Trace Elementary School
     Mandeville Elementary School
     Mandeville High School
     Marigny Elementary School (Marigny Elementary Students
                               will register at Magnolia Trace Elementary)
     Monteleone Junior High School
     Northshore High School– 2nd Registration
     Pearl River High School
     Pine View Middle School
     Pontchartrain Elementary School
     Riverside Elementary School
     St. Tammany Junior High School
     Salmen High School – last names A-L
     Slidell High School
     Slidell Junior High School
     Tchefuncte Middle School
     Whispering Forest Elementary School
     William Pitcher Junior High School
     Woodlake Elementary School

Thursday, July 30, 2009    

     Abita Springs Middle School
     Bonne Ecole Elementary School
     Chahta-Ima Elementary School
     Creekside Junior High School
     Lakeshore High School     
     Little Pearl Elementary School
     Madisonville Junior High School
     Mandeville Junior High School
     Salmen High School– last names M-Z
     Sixth Ward Elementary School
 
Registration Requirements

 The following items are required for student registration:

  1.  State Certified Birth Certificate
  2.  Proof of Residency
  3.  Social Security Card
  4.  Health Record of Required Immunization
  5.  Report Card/Records from last School/LEAP results (for in-state
        transfer)
  6.  Assignment Letter (if applicable)
  7.  Custody Papers (if applicable)

State Certified Birth Certificate.  Those who do not have a birth certificate may contact a St. Tammany Parish School Board Annex in their area for information on how to obtain one.  Contact the Covington Annex at 985-898-3370 or the Slidell Annex at 985-646-4917.
 
Proof of Residency.  Proof of Residency must be established, using at least three of the documents listed below.  Documents that are suspect or inconclusive may be disallowed and additional documentation may be required.  All documents must be the most current available.

Documentation may consist of a current utility bill (butane, electric, gas, water, cable, or satellite), the current year W-2 form, the most recent federal or state income tax return, a vehicle insurance print-out from the parent’s or guardian’s insurance company, a signed residential building contractor agreement, a signed real estate lease agreement, or signed mortgage loan documentation.  All documents must show the name of the parent or guardian, the utility service address (if using utility bills), and the street or road address of residence.  Lease agreements must show street or road location and must be from a real estate office, apartment complex, or mobile home property, not from an individual.
 
U. S. Post Office box numbers, printed checks, or drivers’ licenses are NOT considered proof of residency.
 
Social Security Card.  The Social Security number serves as a student identification number on all records.  The Social Security number written on a piece of paper cannot be accepted.
 
Health Record.  State Law requires that all children attending school in the State of Louisiana have the following immunizations.  This requirement includes students in pre-kindergarten through grade 12.  Included are students who are coming into the St. Tammany Parish Public School System from another parish, state, or nonpublic school.

1. DTP  (Diphtheria, Tetanus and Pertussis or Whooping Cough) – A minimum of four (4) doses is required.  The last DTP or a booster is to be given after the fourth birthday.          Polio – A minimum of three (3) doses is required.  The last polio or booster is to be given after the fourth birthday. MMR  (Measles, Mumps and Rubella) -  One (1) dose is required at twelve to fifteen months of age.  A     second MMR is required before entry to school. Hepatitis B – Three (3) doses are required for first time enrollees into Louisiana public schools. HIB – Four (4) doses or proof of at least one dose after fifteen (15) months of age are required for pre-kindergarten   and noncategorical students to enter school. Varicella (Chickenpox) – Two (2) doses or a history of the disease is required for pre-kindergarten and kindergarten.
2. MCV4 (Meningococcal Conjugate) – Required for all students entering grade 6 or eleven (11) years old in any other   grade.  These students must also have proof of booster doses of Tdap, MMR, and Chickenpox.

Dates of the above required immunizations must be recorded on an official immunization form and presented to the school at the time of registration.  Contact the Slidell Health Unit at (985) 646-6445, the Covington Community Wellness Center at (985) 871-6030, the Greater New Orleans (GNO) Immunization Network Mobile Unit at (504) 733-3268 for immunization information.The immunization policy of the St. Tammany Parish School Board dictates that no child be allowed to enter school without proof of immunizations.Report Card/Records from Last School/LEAP Results.  To ensure correct grade placement of new students, a report card and standardized test reports from the last school the student attended must be presented.  Students entering fifth and ninth grades from in-state public, nonpublic or any home schooling program are required to show evidence that they have passed the English/Language Arts and the Mathematics sections of the LEAP (Louisiana Educational Assessment Program) test, as mandated by the State of Louisiana.  All students entering grades other than fifth and ninth from home-school programs are required to take the home-schoolre-entry test.  For more information about the LEAP requirements, contact the St. Tammany Parish Public School System Testing Coordinator at (985) 898-6481.Assignment Letter.  Students who are transferring within the St. Tammany Parish Public School System (other than those being promoted to a higher grade from feeder schools), students who are entering the School System from home schooling, and parents or court-appointed guardians who do not have the required proof of residency (see Proof of Residency for requirements) must obtain assignment letters from a St. Tammany Parish School Board Annex in their area.  Contact the Covington Annex at (985) 898-3370 or the Slidell Annex at (985) 646-4917 for additional information.  The Child Welfare and Attendance offices are located at 406 East Boston Street in Covington and 980 Ninth Street in Slidell.Custody Papers.  Parents or guardians granted custodial rights of a student must present at registration the custody papers granted through a court system.
 
All public schools in St. Tammany Parish will open Friday, August 7, 2009.PRE-KINDERGARTEN REGISTRATIONPre-kindergarten classes are being offered at 21 school sites during the 2009-2010 school year for four-year-old children who meet program criteria.  Registration for all classes will be held at the school the child will attend, with the exception of Marigny Elementary School. Registration for Marigny Elementary School will be held at Magnolia Trace Elementary School.   The schools and registration dates are as follows:Monday, July 27, 2009       Whispering Forest Elementary SchoolWednesday, July 29, 2009       Bonne Ecole Elementary School
    Chahta-Ima Elementary School
    Covington Elementary School
    Fifth Ward Jr. High School
    Lee Road Jr. High School
    Little Pearl Elementary School
    Sixth Ward Elementary SchoolThursday, July 30, 2009       Abita Springs Elementary School
    Abney Elementary School 
    Alton Elementary School
    Bayou Woods Elementary School
    Brock Elementary School
    Florida Avenue Elementary School
    Folsom Elementary School
    Lyon Elementary School
    Madisonville Elementary School
    Mandeville Elementary School
    Marigny Elementary School (will be held at Magnolia Trace Elementary School)
    Pontchartrain Elementary
    Woodlake ElementaryTo qualify for any regular education pre-kindergarten class, a child must meet the following criteria: 1. has reached four years of age (48 months) before October 1, 2009;
 2. resides within the attendance area served by the school site; and
 3. has a family who agrees to participate in activities associated with the program and who will sign a contract stating   that agreementIn addition to the other documents required for registration, pre-kindergarten applicants must provide income verification – using at least one of following documents:  Food Stamp Card, TANF eligibility, McKinney Vinto eligibility, most current W-2 form, or two most recent pay stubs.

Other criteria must be met for some pre-kindergarten programs.  For specific information about student eligibility, placement or the screening process call the St. Tammany Parish Pre-Kindergarten Office at 898-6483, ext. 208. Families who do not meet income eligibility may be charged $400 tuition per month to attend a pre-kindergarten class.

An annual program was held recently at the Instructional Technology Center in Mandeville to help teachers new to the St. Tammany Parish Public School System become acquainted with overall goals, instructional strategies, and specific curriculum initiatives. In attendance were 120 new educators recently hired by the School System.

Holly Broom, coordinator of professional development, said the four-day session introduces new teachers to the local educational culture and helps provide a climate of understanding for what is expected of them.
 
“We show them some of the programs we are using to improve student performance,” she said. “The sessions are taught by the grade-level teachers who have a first-hand understanding of the various programs and how they work in the classroom setting.” New teachers meet in small group sessions led by a “master teacher” for each curriculum topic, and some of the meetings are one-on-one for specialized subject areas.

A full day was spent on familiarizing new teachers with the latest techniques for encouraging student engagement so that a meaningful learning environment is assured. The School System’s current “Working on the Work” initiative is also explained. In that effort, educators and administrators work in conjunction with the national Schlechty Center’s recommendations for improving student performance.

Topics range from LaTAAP and online teaching tools to special education and STI, an Internet based procedure that enables parents to check their children’s grades from home.

The new teacher induction program is now in its sixth year. Each year the new teachers are asked to evaluate what portions of the session were most valuable to them, and next year’s program focuses even more attention on those areas. It was recently scaled back from five to four days as year-to-year refinements were made based on feedback from the participants.

This year, there will be a new section in Blackboard, the School System’s intra-communications system, just for new teachers. It will contain information of interest to new teachers and allow them to exchange comments and questions.

More than 200 people gathered Thursday night, July 16, to take part in dedication ceremonies for Preservation Plaza at the C. J. Schoen Administrative Complex in Covington.

 The  ceremony for the new architectural feature on the Jefferson Avenue side of the former middle school building involved the cutting of several ribbons attached to the top of the flagpole in the center, with children and adults holding the ends of the ribbons around the circle similar to the May Pole activities of years ago. Hundreds of bricks make up the Plaza design, with many of them inscribed with the names of employees who have retired.

 The dedication program included recognition of employees who had retired in the past School Year, as well as those who had been honored by having their names inscribed in those bricks for the Plaza construction. The commemorative project honors the contributions and memory of those who have worked for the School System in the past 110 years.

 A video produced by Channel 13 featured several interviews with local educators, both active and retired, which illustrated how one educator will mentor another, and how past associations with outstanding administrators will inspire teachers to become administrators themselves. Thus the never-ending cycle of how established employees continually provide encouragement to younger employees was the reason why the Plaza was designed in a circular shape.

 Deputy Superintendent Trey Folse emceed the annual retirement recognition program, School Board President John Lamarque read an official resolution dedicating Preservation Plaza in honor of those who had worked for the School System and made it what it is today, and Superintendent Gayle Sloan reviewed how the devestation caused by Hurricane Katrina motivated school officials to protect, preserve, and electronically archive the papers, photos, and official documents of the School System.

 She mentioned that the Channel 13 interview show “Reflections” is taping interviews with many retired teachers and administrators, giving them the opportunity to recall the history and progress of the School System during their years of service.

 The emphasis on the heritage of the School System is also reflected in the naming of new schools, as plans and construction are now underway for Joseph B. Lancaster Elementary School in Madisonville, Henry Mayfield Elementary School in Slidell, and Bernard deMarigny Elementary School in Mandeville. 

 A new Archives section of the School System website also premiered at the event. The new web pages feature digital scans of a number of photographs in the School System archives housed at the C. J. Schoen Administrative Complex. Internet visitors may access the website at www.stpsb.org/PhotoArchives, enjoy viewing the old photographs and then provide more details for any pictures on which they may have additional information.  

 In the School Board resolution, Preservation Plaza was dedicated to the lasting memories of the thousands of committed individuals who, for more than a century, have dedicated their talents to making the St. Tammany Parish Public School System the success that it is today. “They have provided these young people with the educational tools and knowledge that will serve them over the course of their lives,” the resolution stated. “These retired employees have shared their knowledge, experience, creativity and care with their students, their families and the community,  and they continue, in their retirement, to serve as volunteers in support of the School System and its students.”

 Local Artist Bill Binnings was noted as the sculptor of the first bronze statue in the new plaza.

Seventeen high school students from the St. Tammany Parish Public School System took part in an intensive one-week Summer Video Institute recently, learning video production techniques from shooting raw footage and standup commentary in the field to final editing procedures in the studio.

The eighth annual summer video program brought outstanding broadcast journalism students together with the experienced staff members of Channel 13, the School Board’s educational cable television channel. Each staff member led a group of students as they created a video documentary from beginning to end. The institute included instruction on how to best tell a story employing camera handling techniques, lighting and music overlays.

A video festival held on the final day of the institute premiered the student-produced films.  One showcased the inner-workings of the St. Tammany Parish Justice Center; another the Dew Drop, an Old Mandeville jazz hall; another toured an alligator farm and learned the value of  raising and releasing alligators back into the wild; and the fourth video asked the question, “What is Art?”  The student produced videos will be broadcast on Channel 13 as well as the website.

Melody Swang, Director of Broadcasting for the School System, said, “We had a wonderful week. This has been the best institute we’ve had yet. The students came to us with some valuable experience from their school broadcasting programs and worked really hard for us.” Instructors agreed that the “kids were awesome” and they were proud of what they had accomplished.

Learning the basics of camera work, editing, and post production, the students came with a wide range of experience. Most of them are interested in professional broadcast journalism careers, so the institute is an extra boost to their education.

Students in the fourth grade WIN class at Riverside Elementary School in Pearl River have found that digging in the dirt can be more than just fun. They have planted a tomato garden and learned a number of invaluable lessons along the way.

Their teacher Jennifer Bennett asked a local gardening expert, her father, to visit the class and give students tips on how to make a garden box, how to prepare soil for planting, and how to use fertilizers. A former high school teacher, he spoke about the importance of using recycled materials when possible. The students were also told the benefits of using natural compost.

The week before Easter break, the class was split into groups of two or three each for the planting effort. Ms. Bennett said that the task seemed to be a stress reliever for some of her students who had taken part in high-stakes testing earlier in the day. “I chose this day because I felt that the students had worked so hard preparing for the test, they were very anxious about taking the test, and that this would be a good way for the students to focus on something other than testing, yet still be learning.” Ms. Bennett explained.

The class had been studying plants in science and had recently completed a Junior Achievement Day that taught students about personal finances.  “I thought that we could incorporate the two learning concepts into the gardening project where students would study first hand the growing process of plants and then the economic aspect of selling the grown produce to faculty and staff members at our school,” Ms. Bennett said.

“Each day we go out to the garden to make observations,” she went on to explain. “The students count the number of flowers, green tomatoes, and red tomatoes.  They also record any evidence of bugs or caterpillars.  Each Friday they record the height of the plant.  We will use this data the last week of school to create and compare different graphs about the plants.” This is generating discussions on possible number of tomatoes, why some tomatoes are green and others are red, etc.

The students really seemed to enjoy the experience and looked forward to checking on our plants each day.  Ms. Bennett found the response from parents as very positive.  “We had people in the local community donate the needed materials and supplies for this project,” she said. 

“But most importantly, the students are gaining first hand knowledge and experiences that they can use in their everyday life.  A few students have even begun a gardening project at their own home,” she reported.

Some follow-up activities that the class will engage in will be a food tasting to compare the tomatoes we grew to those purchased at a local food store and comparing the taste of green tomatoes to the taste of red tomatoes. “We may even generate some recipes or have students bring in dishes that they have made from home using tomatoes,” Ms. Bennett stated.

At the end of school, the class plans to sell the tomato plants in the teacher’s lounge, which will give them the opportunity to learn money management by voting what to do with the project’s financial proceeds. “My students are definitely getting a great sense of satisfaction out of growing their own food,” Ms. Bennett stated.

Riverside Principal Mary Lou Jordan said she was pleased when Ms. Bennett came to ask about planting a vegetable garden. Everyday, it creates quite a buzz in the third, fourth, and fifth grade students when they walk pass by the garden plot, she said.

“Ms. Bennett’s students have been so excited that their enthusiasm has spread across the entire school,” Ms Jordan commented. “On top of a beautiful healthy garden, they are planning to sell their produce as a fund raiser for their classroom.”

The tomato garden project has even gotten the 4-H club thinking about converting its rose garden in the front of the school to a vegetable garden next year.

Superintendent Gayle Sloan has asked all principals to encourage their teachers to start planting gardens such as this one with their students.

Click here for a photo slide show showing the vegetable garden project. (Windows Media Player is required to play slide show.)

WIN is a locally developed alternative program within regular education that serves at-risk youth in the elementary grades. In a self-contained, fifteen-student setting, students work on individual academic and social needs. The program encourages parental involvement and addresses areas of need as determined by standardized tests.

A revised budget for fiscal year 2008-2009 was submitted by Superintendent Gayle Sloan to the School Board Thursday, May 7, for its review and consideration for adoption at its May 21 meeting. 

For more information on the proposed budget revisions and to view a copy of the document, click here.

Graduating high school seniors across St. Tammany Parish are receiving their diplomas at several ceremonies held by the St. Tammany Parish Public School System this week.  A complete list of graduations for the 2008-2009 School Year, in alphabetical order, is as follows:

Covington High School will hold ceremonies beginning at 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday, May 13, at Southeastern Louisiana University at the University Center facility in Hammond.

Fontainebleau High School seniors will also receive their diplomas at Southeastern’s University Center, with their ceremony scheduled for Saturday, May 16, at 5:00 p.m.

Students graduating from the G.E.D. Adult Education program will meet at the Castine Center in Pelican Park in Mandeville at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday, May 26, to participate in the awarding of diplomas.

Mandeville High School graduates will take part in their graduation ceremonies on Tuesday, May 12, at Southeastern’s University Center facility, beginning at 7:00 p.m.

Northshore High School seniors were awarded diplomas on Saturday, May 9, at the University Center on Southeastern Louisiana University Campus

Pearl River High School will hold its graduation ceremonies on Friday, May 15, at 7:00 p.m. at the Northshore Harbor Center southeast of Slidell.

Salmen High School graduates will receive their diplomas in a 7:30 p.m. ceremony to be held at Northshore Harbor Center tonight Monday, May 11.

Slidell High School diplomas will be distributed to graduating seniors on Thursday, May 14, beginning at 8:00 p.m. in the stadium at Slidell High School.

For a printout of graduation dates and times, click here.

John Blake, a second grade teacher at Woodlake Elementary School in Mandeville, has been named a “Tech4Learning Innovative Educator" by a company that encourages technology use by young students.
 
“I was awarded the honor because of the videos my students made about conservation,” Blake said.
 
A company spokesman said they were thrilled to recognize the work that he was doing with various graphics software programs, thanking him for his continued support in educating 21st century students with advanced technology tools.
  
His work was commended for having an outstanding impact on student learning, and he will receive a special certificate and a symbolic badge for his website.
 
Dr. Jean Krieger, principal of Woodlake, said the school was proud of his latest in a series of recognitions for technology implementation in the classroom.
 
The Tech4Learning Innovative Educator program is designed to recognize the work that exceptional classroom teachers, community organizations, and principals are doing with Tech4Learning products.
 
Teachers named as Tech4Learning Innovative Educators are often invited to join beta software testing teams and to speak at educational conferences.
 
Nominees for the award submitted classroom-produced images or movies that were judged on the completeness of the story told about their classroom innovation, the creativity of submission (video, digital documentary, etc.), and the use of effective instructional strategies, such as differentiation, meeting of multiple intelligences, and a UDL approach.

The horticulture program at Lakeshore High School will get off to a good start next year thanks to a $29,000 grant from the state Department of Education that will help pay for a greenhouse on the new campus.

A 30 foot by 60 foot greenhouse has been added to the list of the school’s facilities to be ready by next fall, enabling it to offer instruction in the planting and care of flowering plants as well as edible produce. It’s part of an effort to emphasize new “green” concepts into the curriculum, especially the skills of gardening and greenhouse management.

“We see this as a way to give our students a variety of learning opportunities in horticulture and agriculture, from decorative flowers and bedding plants to ferns and growing their own food,” said Senior Secondary Supervisor Denise Parker. “This is the best way to use the grant’s funds since it teaches green skills, conserves energy, and produces food all at the same time.”

Greenhouses have become a standard feature at high schools across the parish, and the state money will enable Lakeshore High to start its horticulture program with a greenhouse of its own. The structure will feature a concrete slab, a sidewall height of six feet, ventilating fans, a heating system, and overhead sprinkler system. It will be located near the existing agriculture building.

St. Tammany Parish Public School System officials continue to closely monitor news and public health alerts related to the swine flu outbreak in Mexico and several states. They are staying in contact with local public health agencies and following the advisories of the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) as the situation progresses. School nurses are instructing students on the proper way to wash their hands to prevent the spread of infection, and students are being reminded to cover their mouths when they sneeze or cough. All schools across the parish are also viewing a video provided by the CDC that details the proper way to wash hands.“Our students have always been encouraged to wash their hands before eating breakfast or lunch, and we are reminding them the importance of doing so in the present situation,” said Meredith Mendez, Director of Public Information.

For more information about swine flu symptoms, click here. To view the video provided by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention on the proper way for washing hands, click here. To play the video, you will need the free Quicktime player installed on your computer.

St. Tammany Parish Public School System officials are closely monitoring the outbreak of swine flu in Mexico and in the United States.
 
“We are following the advisories of the Centers for Disease Control and staying in close contact with public health officials in St. Tammany Parish,” said Meredith Mendez, Director of Public Information for the School System. 

While there have been no cases of the swine flu reported in Louisiana, the schools are doing everything possible to protect the health of our students. Schools already practice a number of measures to prevent the spread of disease among student populations. “All employees and students are urged to use ‘universal precautions’ in dealing with sickness in the schools, especially by washing hands frequently and using sanitizers when possible,” Ms. Mendez said.

For more information about swine flu symptoms, click here.

To show gratitude for the services provided by substitute employees, schools across the parish took time on Wednesday, April 22,  to thank their substitutes and acknowledge their contributions to the continuity of education in the community.

Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources Pete Jabbia told the School Board at its April meeting that it was important for the schools to be “substitute friendly,” encouraging the recognition of substitutes for their dedication and hard work.

“Our substitute program has grown to approximately 3,850 active employees who support teachers, paraprofessionals, bus operators, clerical, lunchroom technicians, custodians, and other support personnel,” Jabbia stated. “Each school has been asked to submit a nominee for Substitute of the Year to recognize outstanding substitutes for their service and positive impact in our schools.”

A resolution passed by the Board declared April 22 as “Substitute Appreciation Day.” It mentioned the diversity of their talents, the contribution they make to the education of children when called upon, and the flexibility needed to adapt to different grade levels, classroom settings, and instructional plans on a day-to-day basis. “Their efforts to meet the needs of the children when teachers and other personnel are away from school is a meaningful contribution to the community,” the resolution stated.

For a slideshow of Substitute Appreciation Day photos, click here for wmv file. (Requires Windows Media Player to see photos)

Schools throughout St. Tammany Parish took part in Louisiana School Lunch Week April 20 through April 24 with special programs during lunch. Visitors were invited to come to the schools and enjoy a meal with their children or grandchildren, accompanied by entertainment such as singing, dancing and skits presented by the students.

All year long, nutritional information about healthy food choices are presented by the schools using special bulletin board displays, classroom visits by lunchroom personnel, and the student-oriented Nutrition Advisory Councils which help personalize school lunches while insuring healthy choices.

School Lunch Week focuses on the fun aspects and importance of eating a healthy breakfast and lunch.

Giving students a role in learning about nutrition, designing appealing menus, and showing what they have learned has made the St. Tammany Parish Public School System Food Service a nationally-recognized leader in student nutrition.

The international observance of Earth Day on April 22 made its mark in schools across St. Tammany Parish as students participated in a large number of events from planting trees on campus to classroom lessons about the environment.

Activities included arts and crafts projects using organic materials, viewing videos about Earth Day and the reasons behind it, and assembling and planting flower beds around the school buildings complete with stepping stones and benches.

Planting trees was a popular activity with the students, and at one school all the students were given the chance to throw a handful of mulch on the ground around the new trees at their school. Students also built bird feeders, made papier mache Earths, and read books about conservation of natural resources. 

In a community clean up project, students were asked to bring items to school to put in recycling bins, and other neighborhood beautification events were also held.

For photographs of Earth Day activities, Click Here. (Windows Media Player wmv file). Additional photos may be found on the Photo Gallery Page.

The Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education recently named the K-12 Schools that met or exceeded growth target goals in the state's Accountability Program for the 2008-2009 School Year. Twelve St. Tammany public schools were on the list.

Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction Cheryl Arabie reported at a recent School Board meeting that five St. Tammany schools had been honored for their “Recognized Academic Growth” and seven schools had been named to the list for “Exemplary Academic Growth.”

The purpose of this program is to recognize those schools that meet or surpass their growth target for the performance of specific groups of students. The growth targets are determined by a school’s performance score baseline and how well it has done in the past year in improving its academic instruction.

Schools in St. Tammany awarded the “Recognized Academic Growth” label this year were Abita Springs Elementary School, Fontainebleau High School, Lake Harbor Middle School, Madisonville Elementary School, and Madisonville Junior High School. Schools earning the “Exemplary Academic Growth” designation were Bayou Lacombe Middle School, Boyet Junior High School, Carolyn Park Middle School, Fontainebleau Junior High School, Little Oak Middle School, Mandeville Junior High School, and Sixth Ward Elementary School.

A “Recognized Academic Growth” school met its growth target for the year, and schools given an “Exemplary Academic Growth” label have met state-designated growth targets and have grown at least 2 points in the assessment indices for specific student groups.

A community service program partnering middle school students with senior citizens at a Northshore nursing home has won the 2008-2009 Superintendent’s Award for Outstanding Character and Citizenship.

The Tchefuncte Middle School fifth grade’s K.I.S.S. (Kids Interacting with Seniors Successfully) project was recognized at the Thursday, April 9, School Board meeting as the winner of the award which seeks to spotlight individuals and groups taking part in character-building activities.

The K.I.S.S. program won recognition also as a Learn and Serve intergenerational grant project put together by teachers Heidi Rhea and Ceres Kitchens. Its purpose is to build relationships between two fifth grade classes at Tchefuncte Middle School and their “senior buddies” at a Mandeville area nursing home. Twice a month, students visit the nursing home and take part in birthday parties, conduct interviews which will result in the students writing their senior partner’s biography at the end of the year, and the development of communication skills, acceptance, open mindedness, and tolerance.

Friendships result from the community interaction, and students come away from the encounters with a greater awareness of the need for courtesy, respect, and concern, said Ms. Rhea.

Finalist honors in this year’s Superintendent’s Award program went to the Random Acts of Kindness Club at Abney Elementary School in Slidell.

Teacher Alison Ryan said the project was to encourage showing kindness among students with the setting of monthly goals. “There are no external rewards given for our students when participating in our activities,” Ms. Ryan stated. “The aim of the club was to enable students to experience the intrinsic good feelings of being kind and showing respectful behavior.”

Students are “caught” by others who see them showing kindness, and after five random acts of kindness are credited to them, the student becomes an official member of the club.  “We have close to 936 students who have been recognized for doing some type of kind act,” Ms. Ryan commented.

A special award was also presented at the School Board meeting as Superintendent Gayle Sloan recognized Brock Elementary School for its “remarkable resilience and dedication following Hurricane Katrina.” The school was heavily damaged by the storm four years ago, and after moving from campus to campus hosted by other schools, the student body and staff returned home to a newly-repaired and renovated Brock Elementary last December.

Several public programs have been held since to give the community a look at the restoration of the historic downtown Slidell educational landmark.  Students and staff have expressed their great appreciation to local, state, and federal officials who helped provide the funding to rebuild the structure, which at one point was considered for demolition due to the extensive damage resulting from Katrina.

The Superintendent’s Award for Outstanding Character and Citizenship was initiated in 2003 to give the School System an opportunity to reflect on the many outstanding acts of character and/or citizenship by individuals and groups. The program aims to encourage and recognize the value of teaching and modeling good character and citizenship among the educators, staff, students, and groups within the System.

The football stadium at Mandeville High School has been named in honor of Coach Sid Theriot, the long time coach and math teacher who started the first football program at the school in the mid-1960’s. A plaque with his name and likeness will be installed at the Mandeville Skippers home field, with a special ceremony planned in the fall.

Coach Theriot attended the April 9 School Board meeting where the honor was bestowed, and he expressed his appreciation for the recognition. His work and dedication earned him a standing ovation at the meeting and an outpouring of gratitude from the community which benefitted from his more than 40 years as a coach and educator.

Widespread support of the proposal to rename the stadium came from former students, administrators, and former football players in Theriot’s athletics programs. Mike Dobson, who played on the school’s first football team in 1967, spearheaded the request to rename the facility and asked the School Board at its April 2 meeting to consider the action.

Theriot had considerable positive impact on the lives of those student athletes who were under his direction, Dobson said. Fontainebleau High School Principal Johnny Vitrano agreed with the renaming proposal and noted that Theriot still serves today as a substitute teacher at his school.
A new state law allows the naming of athletic facilities after individuals while they are alive, while other types of public buildings cannot be named after an individual until a year after their death. Prior to the new law, special legislation had to be passed to name Covington High Stadium after Coach Jack Salter and Slidell High School Stadium after L. V. McGinty, Sr.
In his comments about Theriot, Dobson said that few people have ever had to overcome the hurdles associated with starting a football program from scratch.  “St. Tammany Parish has grown exponentially since the football program was started at the then very small MHS in the spring of 1967,” he commented. “Every new school that has been started since then has at least had some students that had a prior opportunity to participate in organized football.  Coach Theriot did not have that luxury, in fact to my knowledge none of the 30 plus players had any prior 11 man football playing experience.”
That first year of Mandeville High football Theriot and his volunteer assistants taught the new players how to properly put on the equipment, learn the basics, give maximum effort, and compete with dignity and class, Dobson went on to say.  “Coach Theriot laid out the field, planted, watered, and cut the grass, lined the field before home games, washed the uniforms after the games, prepared scouting reports of the next games, wrote the articles that appeared in the paper, and many times drove the team bus,” Dobson recalled. “He had tremendous work ethic, taught us the value of teamwork, and was unselfish with his time and effort.”

The week-long Spring/Easter break for St. Tammany Parish Public School students began Friday, April 10.  Students do not have to report to school  through Friday, April 17. Classes resume on April 20.

School Board support offices were closed Friday, April 10, and Monday, April 13, and re-opened on April 14.

The new Kindergarten and first grade school on Soult Street in Mandeville has been named Marigny Elementary School in honor of Bernard de Marigny de Mandeville, the founder of Mandeville.

Principal Leslie Martin appeared before the School Board on April 2 to propose the name following March meetings of a naming committee made up of parents, teachers, and a supervisor. The Board voted April 9 to make it official.

The committee sent a letter out to ask for input from all Magnolia Trace Elementary parents and employees who will be making the move to the new school, and several possible names were suggested. Marigny was a well-known Louisiana political figure active in the development of the Mandeville area.

Principal Martin also reported that the committee decided they would like to designate the starfish as the school mascot and light blue and red as the school colors.

The new school is scheduled to open next fall. Located not far from Magnolia Trace Elementary, the $15.8 million project was designed by the Gossen-Gasaway-Bankston architectural firm and is being built by Woodrow Wilson Construction Co. Inc. with funding being provided by the 2004 Bond Issue. Work began in November of 2007.

A separate project is placing an access road from La. Hwy. 59 to the school site.

Superintendent Gayle Sloan told the Board that Principal Leslie Martin was doing a wonderful job of getting things ready at the new elementary school. “It’s a big job to get a new school open, and while Ms. Martin is still working at her post at Woodlake Elementary, things are coming along very well,” she said.

Bernard de Marigny was a French-Creole American nobleman born in 1785 in New Orleans. He served on the New Orleans City Council between 1811 and 1814 and was president of the Louisiana Senate between 1822 and 1823. He ran unsuccessfully for governor in 1828. Marigny was active in subdividing and selling land parcels in New Orleans and on the North Shore.

A Mandeville High School graduate who played on the school’s first football team in 1967 has asked the School Board to name the Mandeville High School stadium after Coach Sid Theriot. The Board will consider action on the request at its April 9 meeting.

Mike Dobson said that Theriot had “incredible positive impact” on the lives of those student athletes who were under his direction. He recounted the first season played by the team, the challenges they faced, and the life lessons they experienced. Theriot was credited with going door to door that first year to drum up public support for the creation of the football team. Even outside the sports program, many MHS alumni remember Theriot as an excellent math teacher, he said.

Fontainebleau High School Principal Johnny Vitrano agreed that Theriot deserved the honor and recognition being proposed, and that he still serves today as a substitute teacher at his school.

Mandeville High Principal Bruce Bundy has reviewed the request and agrees with the proposal, according to Superintendent Gayle Sloan. She told the Board that new state legislation allows the naming of athletic facilities after individuals while they are alive. Generally, state law prevents naming public facilities after persons until a year after their death, and special legislation had to be passed to name Covington High Stadium after Coach Jack Salter and Slidell High School Stadium after L. V. McGinty, Sr.

A newly revised proposed Booster Club policy was presented to the St. Tammany Parish School Board April 2 following public input on the document first introduced last month.

Superintendent Gayle Sloan told the board in March that while booster clubs provide substantial assistance to schools, an official policy was needed to safeguard the trust of those who spend much time and effort in working in those booster clubs. She introduced new text into the proposed policy that addressed comments and concerns received from parents, administrators and booster club members.

No one objected to a uniform set of rules for booster clubs, she said, and many agreed that a definite policy would help assure parents that the booster clubs they joined as their children progressed from one school to the next would operate in a sound fiscal manner.

The School Board has no direct oversight over booster club operations, but officials felt that such clubs would benefit from the new policy. Particular attention is being directed towards clubs that incorporate the name of the school itself into the organization’s name. The policy proposes that clubs wishing to use school’s name will have to get written permission every year from the school principal to continue using the name.
 
While acknowledging that booster clubs contribute to the educational and extra-curricular mission of the schools, the policy and Superintendent guidelines call for the organizations to use responsible procedures for the collection and handling of monies. Since many of the projects conducted by such booster clubs require and enjoy administrative support, the policy encourages school administrators to cooperate with the fund raising and other efforts, while providing a “clear understanding” of what is expected of them.

To read the policy and related documents, click here.

Principals have commented that the new policy will help clear up some issues, particularly in those situations where outside sales organizations try to give the impression that they represent the school in some way.

School System officials are continuing to monitor how high water conditions are affecting access to schools in the area east and north of Slidell.

Emergency management officials warned the School System earlier this week of possible flooding when the West Pearl River crested Thursday morning.

Schools began administering LEAP testing on Wednesday. Parents are assured that if students miss any LEAP tests as a result of access problems due to flooding, there will be time in next week’s schedule to make-up any missed tests.

A video telling about a community service project by students at Tchefuncte Middle School has been chosen as one of four national semi-finalists in the State Farm Service Learning Solution Showcase, a national competition featuring videocasts on community service programs.

The school program is an intergenerational project called “K.I.S.S. - Kids Interacting With Seniors Successfully.”  The video shows various activities during a nursing home visitation project .

As Tchefuncte Middle is the only Louisiana school in the national video competition, Teachers Heidi Rhea and Ceres Kitchens are excited about the video receiving one of the top selections, based on the number of people voting for their video at a special Web site blog page. Click here to see the voting choices with links to the video on YouTube. Tchefuncte Middle School is listed in the right hand column after scrolling down the page.

The service project began with a $5,000 Learn and Serve Grant this past summer. Twice a month, fifth grade gifted students walk to a local nursing home to visit their senior “buddy.” Students interview their senior buddy throughout the year and then present them with a hardbound biography at an end of the year get-together. In addition, students learn about historical and scientific events by making a timeline that begins the year their senior buddy was born.

“Our KISS program is a yearlong service project that gives our students the opportunity to use writing, technology, and communications skills effectively, along with learning and writing about history,” Rhea said.  “Throughout the year, we celebrate the holidays with the seniors, making cards and gifts for them, and we also entertain them with plays, musical performances and a fashion show.” Many parents accompany the students on their trips to the nursing home to witness first hand the extraordinary interaction between the students and the residents.

Michael J. Gambrell will replace District 9 School Board Member Carmen Johnson on the St. Tammany Parish School Board. He was selected from a field of six applicants during a special Board meeting Thursday night and was sworn into office shortly after the meeting. He will serve as an interim appointee until a special election can be held in October.

A native of Lake Charles, the 46-year-old Gambrell works as vice-president and Senior Business Banker at Hancock Bank in Mandeville.

Following his selection, he said, “I want to thank everyone for their support of my appointment to the board.  I look forward to working with everyone on the board and in the school system. It is a first class organization, and I am thrilled to be a part of it and have the opportunity to help the children of St. Tammany Parish.”

Gambrell moved to Slidell at an early age and attended Florida Avenue Elementary and Slidell Junior High. He graduated from Slidell High School in 1980 and earned a degree in accounting from LSU four years later.

In his presentation to the School Board, he noted his many years as a youth coach in soccer, baseball and basketball. He has also served on the Board of Directors of the Slidell Youth Basketball Association for the past four years. He noted that he wanted to serve on the School Board because he came from a family of educators. Both his mother and father were teachers. “This is a good way for me to carry on the legacy of my family in education,” he said, “and my banking experience will be valuable on the Board as well.”

A ceremonial oath of office will be held February 12 at the beginning of the regular School Board meeting.

District 9 Board Member Carmen Johnson resigned from the post due to a change in employment.   She joined the Board in November, 1998, when she was appointed to fill a vacant seat.  She was subsequently re-elected to the position in 1999, 2002, and 2006. 

Brennan McCurley, principal of the new high school on Hwy. 1088 northeast of Mandeville, told the St. Tammany Parish School Board Thursday night that incoming students were overwhelmingly in favor of naming the new school “Lakeshore High School.”

“I took the opportunity at our open house event to survey our students, and of the 343 comment forms returned, 228 wanted the name Lakeshore,” he told the Board. “They liked it because the initials would be LHS, setting it apart from other high schools, and because it didn’t pertain to any particular area. That would make everyone feel welcomed there. Those were the kind of responses I was looking for.”

Board member Charles Harrell made a motion, with a second by Ron Bettencourtt, that the name Lakeshore High be recommended for final adoption at the February 12 School Board meeting.
 
McCurley explained that the students were thankful for the opportunity to suggest names again in a second round of surveys. A committee narrowed the suggestions down to three: Lakeshore, Castine, and Marigny High. Castine got 57 votes, and Marigny received 58 votes at the open house event.

“There was a lot of excitement that night,” he said, explaining how the open house gave parents and students a close up look at the school.

In recognition and appreciation of school bus transportation personnel, the St. Tammany Parish School Board has proclaimed the week of February 9 through February 13 as “Bus Safety and School Bus Owner/Operator and School Bus Aide Appreciation Week.”

Schools are conducting special programs to thank transportation department employees for the excellent work they do in safely transporting 25,500 students over 24,500 miles daily. At the January meeting of the School Board, Deputy Superintendent Trey Folse said the student transportation system provides a most important service to the School System.

A resolution passed by the School Board at the meeting noted that the primary concern of the bus personnel is the safety of their passengers. “St. Tammany Parish citizens recognize the skill and dedication of the thousands of people who make this system possible,” the resolution stated, adding that the primary factors for the excellent record can be attributed to dedicated drivers, supervisors, superintendents, principals, teachers, parents, defensive driver programs, school bus driver instructional programs, student instruction in safe riding practices, careful bus maintenance and the vehicle inspections conducted. To view the resolution,click here.

Channel 13 produced a public service announcement in connection with the event. Click here to view the video webcast.

Providing transportation services in the most economical and efficient manner possible with the promotion of safety and reliability as the highest objective, the School System has participated in the annual proclamation of “Bus Safety and School Bus Owner/Operator and School Bus Aide Appreciation Week” for many years.

Two St. Tammany Parish public schools have earned perfect performance scores in state evaluations of their implementations of the Positive Behavior Support (PBS) initiative.

Fontainebleau High School and Mandeville Elementary School won top honors for meeting the criteria required by the program that trains schools on how to reinforce appropriate behavior among students. Many schools use what is called The “Fish Philosophy,” which encompasses four basic principles:  Be There, Choose Your Attitude, Make Their Day, and Play. 

At Fontainebleau High, several PBS programs focus on positive reinforcements instead of negative consequences. One FHS program aimed to reduce tardy slips using free ice cream as an incentive to change student behavior. Last year the school implemented a good behavior ticket program, in which tickets are given to students who are exhibiting traits of the FISH Philosophy. Students turn in the tickets for prizes in a monthly drawing. 

At Mandeville Elementary, the most effective component of the PBS program is the Morning Meeting where students and teachers join together to start the day in a positive and fun way. 

The St. Tammany Parish Public School System has mandated that all schools take part in the PBS initiative,  which is just one effort in line with the federal government’s Safer Schools program.

Administrative Supervisor Mike Cosse’ and Tamarah Myers are the state PBS facilitators in the schools, and Myers and Darryl Bruno are certified trainers who help other parishes teach school teams to implement the programs in their schools.
 
PBS is a very detailed and sophisticated program that emphasizes social competence among students. The whole program is implemented over a three to five year period.

Representative teams from each school are trained on the district level and then they return to their schools to design the specific implementation at their campus. St. Tammany Parish is the first school system to designate some individuals as interventionists who can provide an internal evaluation to a school which may experience problems implementing PBS.

Once a school reaches a certain level of fluency in PBS criteria, it is nominated for a state evaluation. Evaluators come in from the state level and conduct a thorough evaluation of the school-level program. Once it is determined that a school has attained demonstration status, it is considered a “model” PBS program. In addition to Fontainebleau High and Mandeville Elementary earning perfect performance state evaluations, Tchefuncte Middle School, Magnolia Trace Elementary, and Slidell Junior High were all commended with very good scores from their state evaluations.

By deliberately teaching pro-social behavior, PBS has made a difference in school environments. 

 “The work in continuing, and we hope to have all schools reaching an active fluency with the program initiatives soon,” said Ms. Myers.

 Stephen J. Soileau, assistant principal at Fontainebleau High School, said the school was proud to score 100% on the recent state assessment.  “We are not only PBS proficient, but we also hold the honor of being a demonstration site for other schools to see.  In addition, we may be the only high school in the state to achieve such a score.  All credit goes to our wonderful FHS staff and more importantly the fantastic student body of Bulldogs.”

Judy Hankel, Assistant Principal at Mandeville Elementary, said, "We recognize and reward our students, faculty and staff for their positive actions, sing songs, share stories and celebrate each others accomplishments! We build on the positive each morning, and it carries into the day."

Abita Springs Elementary School opened again for classes Tuesday morning after the school shut down temporarily when cafeteria workers arriving for work smelled natural gas.

The fire department was called out immediately to assess the situation.

After their investigation, fire department officials said the school buildings were safe for students and teachers, and the school was reopened. Any parents who were turned away earlier could bring their children to the school later in the day, and they were not to be counted as tardy.

Tours of the new high school campus on Hwy. 1088 northeast of Mandeville were offered to parents and students on Tuesday, January 27, 2009, from 6:30 p.m. until 8:00 p.m.

Principal Brennan McCurley reported that there is a lot of work going on to get the new school ready for its fall opening. “I am very excited about the upcoming months. Construction on the school is almost complete, and we are in the process of ordering furniture for the classrooms and offices,” he said. “This is a great first step in our efforts to open the new school.”

The open house gave parents and students a first glimpse of the new campus, from the main mall, to the library, cafeteria, and classroom wings. 

At January's School Board meeting, the school was accepted as “substantially complete” subject to the Architect’s recommendations, completion of the punch list, submission of all regulatory requirements, and approval of Superintendent Sloan.

Click here to go to the new high school's web page.

A national non-profit organization that ranks schools based on remarks by parents and various other criteria has named Fontainebleau High School one of the top-performing public schools in Louisiana.

BusinessWeek.com worked with GreatSchools, a San-Francisco-based web site that provides an online community for parents seeking top schools, and together they came up with the top five high schools in each state in a number of different categories. They identified the best overall public high school in terms of test scores, the best public high school with an economically disadvantaged population, and the best improved public high school.

Fontainebleau High School earned the title of “Parent's Choice” after receiving a GreatSchools rating of 10 out of 10. Criteria for the ranking included the most recent test scores, advanced placement exams, teacher statistics, student statistics, and extracurricular activities.

Fontainebleau Principal Johnny Vitrano was recently  interviewed by Business Week regarding the honor.  He said, “We are pleased to be acknowledged as one of the five top-performing high schools in Louisiana by Business Week and GreatSchools. The honor comes, in part, as a result of the many positive comments posted by parents and students on the GreatSchools web site, along with our outstanding test results and the excellent job done by our teachers.”

Great Schools aims to inspire parents to be involved in their children’s education and the ranking is one way it accomplishes that goal. Over 40 parents and former students posted comments on the GreatSchools web site giving Fontainebleau High School high marks for its teachers, academic preparation for college, and parental and community support.

After serving on the St. Tammany Parish School Board for more than ten years, District 9 Board Member Carmen Johnson has decided to leave the post due to a change in employment.   Persons interested in being appointed to fill the vacancy until a special election can be held later this year are asked to contact Superintendent Gayle Sloan by letter expressing their interest.

District 9 covers an area northeast of Slidell up to Pearl River. Click here to view map. Persons who live in the district interested in being appointed to the position may send a letter to the Board asking to be among those considered.  The letter must be hand-delivered to the Superintendent’s Office at the C. J. Schoen Administrative Office Complex in Covington, Louisiana by 1:00 p.m. on Thursday, January 29, 2009 or mailed in time to be received by the deadline. To qualify for the School Board position, a candidate must be at least 18 years of age, a resident of the state for the past two years, and a resident of the St. Tammany Parish School Board District 9 for the past year.

Mrs. Johnson joined the Board in November, 1998, when she was appointed to fill a vacant seat.  She was subsequently re-elected to the position in 1999, 2002, and 2006.  Active in the Parent Teacher Association (PTA) since her son started Kindergarten, Mrs. Johnson worked at local, district, and state PTA levels. It was her dedication to the PTA that led her to run for the School Board when the opportunity came.

“Serving the children of St. Tammany Parish Public Schools has brought me great satisfaction throughout the years,” she said. “As a School Board, we always worked together as a group, and it was a wonderful experience to spend ten years working with these people and the School System.”

Mrs. Johnson said she believes that the close working relationship between the School Board members is the main reason they were able to get so many things accomplished over the past decade.  “Leaving this work is difficult for me because it was challenging and rewarding, but I am relieved and extremely proud that I will be leaving this Board in the hands of a very capable and strong administration,” she commented.

Board President John Lamarque announced Mrs. Johnson’s decision Thursday night, saying that she will be very difficult to replace and will be much missed.

In its most successful United Way fund raising campaign to date, the St. Tammany Parish Public School System raised an all-time high of $140,907 for the community service agency this year. The School System has been the largest contributor to the United Way campaign in St. Tammany Parish for years. Administrative Supervisor Bill Brady reported to the School Board at its January 15 meeting that United Way really counts on the School System’s efforts to raise the funds needed to help provide critical services in St. Tammany Parish. “For every dollar we raise, about three to four dollars comes back to our parish in much needed services to the people who are less fortunate, people who are searching for answers in their family life and for the children of this parish,” Brady stated.In tough economic times, many demands are made on the United Way, he said, and the students and employees of the School System have stepped up and have come through with the contributions that make it all possible.Special awards were given to schools and offices which had 100 percent employee participation in United Way fund-raising efforts. They were Brock Elementary School, Covington Elementary School, Honey Island Elementary School, Lyon Elementary School, Mandeville Elementary School, the Educational Center, the Energy Management office, Student Health Services, the Instructional Technology Center, and Folsom Elementary. Mandeville Elementary School has reached the 100 percent mark for the past 11 years in a row.Fifth Ward Junior High School was recognized as the school with the most money raised through student contributions, the second year they have earned that honor. The amount came to $2,680.22.Brady announced that Fontainebleau High School raised the most dollars by employee contributions ($4,109), and the St. Tammany Parish School Board Administrative Complex central office was the support office site that raised the most dollars contributed by employees ($10,849).

Other locations to receive special recognition for outstanding efforts in their separate divisions were Folsom Elementary, Salmen High School, Lake Harbor Middle School, and Energy Management Office.

On March 22 the New Orleans Hornets will host "St. Tammany Parish School Night at the Hive" at the New Orleans Arena beginning at 6:00 p.m. The fund raising program will reward schools and students who sell the most tickets to the event with a variety of fun activities.

A special section will be reserved in the stands for St. Tammany Parish visitors, and selected students will go courtside while Hornets players do their warm ups. A St. Tammany Parish public school student will sing the national anthem, and the Fontainebleau High School Color Guard will present the flag.

Five dollars of every ticket sold by School System participants for the sports event will go back to St. Tammany Parish schools.

The game will feature the Hornets vs. Golden State Warriors. For more information, click here. (Adobe Acrobat PDF File)

A report on this year’s successful Caps for Kids fund-raising event was given to the St. Tammany Parish School Board recently, and $17,754 was collected last semester throughout the schools. That brought the total of funds raised by the School System over the past three years to $52,430.

Caps for Kids is an international non profit organization dedicated to providing celebrity-autographed headwear to children who have lost their hair due to treatments dealing with cancer. Money is collected at schools by allowing students who contribute a chance to wear their own favorite cap to school for a day. Administrative Supervisor Cathy Aime noted that 18 children within the School System are now undergoing treatment for cancer.

“Children and young adults who have experienced the physical aspects of treatment also require emotional and psychological support,” said Ms. Aime. The program addresses the whole child in a positive manner, she said, with benefits shown in each case when the child is presented with a cherished autographed cap signed by that child’s hero, star athlete or actor of choice.

Aime told the Board that cancer is a disease that touches every individual in some way, whether it involves their children, grandchildren, family members, or friends who have undergone treatment. Every school in the System chose to participate in the Caps for Kids program, collecting donations from students and faculty. “This effort exemplifies our compassion for our students and future generations,” she remarked.

The executive director of Caps for Kids and an administrator from Children’s Hospital also appeared before the Board to thank them for their participation in the program. 

A special guest at the School Board meeting was a fourth grade student from Bayou Lacombe Middle School who is being treated for cancer. He was presented with a cap signed by his favorite Hornets basketball player Chris Paul, along with several other players and coaches. Principal Patrick Woods contacted Caps for Kids to ask that the program obtain a special cap for his fourth grader.

The student also received two tickets to a Hornets game during which he was brought down on the court for special honors.

The Girls Swim Team from Northshore High School won top honors in recent statewide swim competitions, and at the School Board’s January meeting, Parish Director of Athletics Larry Favre introduced members of the group.

He reported they won the title of 2008 Louisiana High School Athletic Association Girls Division 1 State Champion Swim Team, praising them and their coaches for their outstanding efforts.

On the way to the state championship, the group placed first in the Slidell City swim competitions, first in the St. Tammany Parish swim competitions, and first in district meets as well. Favre said the team also won the prestigious New Orleans Metro Championship. They went on to win the state championships in Sulphur in November.

St. Tammany Parish Public Schools and School Board offices were closed on Monday, January 19, 2009, in observance of the birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr.

Classes resume and offices reopen on January 20.

U. S. Senator David Vitter and U. S. Representative Steve Scalise visited the newly re-opened Brock Elementary School in Slidell in December, taking a tour of the facility that has been completely restored after its near destruction in Hurricane Katrina.

The Congressmen visited several classrooms, spoke with teachers and students, and attended a special program in the gymnasium. Superintendent Gayle Sloan and Principal Rose Smith, as well as many of the students, thanked Senator Vitter for his direct assistance in getting the FEMA funding for restoring the school facilities, rather than demolishing the whole structure and starting a new campus from scratch.

Students from various grade levels danced, sang holiday songs, and presented the Congressmen with artwork in appreciation for their help in bringing back Brock. Two fifth grade students led the visitors on the first-hand tour of the school. Teachers said they were especially grateful to return to their own classrooms and their home school after spending years being re-located to other school campuses.

The school became ready for students in early December, three years and a couple of months after being flooded by the Hurricane Katrina storm surge that swept through downtown Slidell.

Also helpful in the restoration of Brock Elementary was U.S. Senator Mary Landrieu, Mrs. Sloan said. Officials had to push for a special change in FEMA rules to allow Brock to be restored instead of being demolished.

Representative Scalise distributed copies of the U.S. Constitution to the students and encouraged them to become good citizens. He also presented the school with an American flag that had flown over the Capitol Building in Washington, D. C.

Click here for photograph.

The School Board appointed Patrick Mackin principal at Slidell Junior High School in December, as Board members moved to fill the vacancy left by former Principal Brennan McCurley when he assumed duties as head administrator at the new high school on Hwy. 1088, set to open next fall.

Mackin, an assistant principal at Carolyn Park Middle School, comes to the Slidell Junior High post with 11 years of experience in education, with previous assignments as a fourth and sixth grade teacher at Bayou Lacombe Middle School; a seventh and eighth grade teacher at Boyet Junior High School; and a fifth and sixth grade teacher at Alton Elementary School.

He has a Master of Education degree in Administration and Supervision from Southeastern Louisiana University, and a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from the University of New Orleans.

A Certificate for Achievement For Excellence in Financial Reporting has been presented to the St. Tammany Parish Public School System for the 20th consecutive year by the Government Finance Officers Association of Louisiana (GFOA).

The presentation was made at the School Board’s December meeting. The School System also received, also for the 20th consecutive year, a Certificate of Excellence in Financial Reporting from the Association of School Board Officials International (ASBOInt), with specific recognition of the comprehensive annual financial report for Fiscal Year ending June 30, 2007.

Assistant Legislative Auditor Joy Irwin, CPA, and Joey Richard, Audit Director with Postlethwaite and Netterville, APAC, the School Board’s auditors, presented the awards to the School Board, saying that these are the highest awards given School Systems for outstanding financial reporting by their accounting staffs.  Chief Accountant Terri Fortenberry was commended for her work on the annual financial report.

The Winter Holidays/Christmas break for St. Tammany Parish Public Schools began on Monday, December 22. Classes resumed and the third grading period, Monday, January 5, 2009.

School board support offices were closed for New Year’s Wednesday through Friday, December 31, January 1 and 2. Support offices reopened January 5.

Two more top administrators have been appointed to the staff at the new high school being constructed on Hwy. 1088 northeast of Mandeville, scheduled to open to students next fall. Superintendent Gayle Sloan announced the appointments of Stephen Soileau as Assistant Principal and Arlana LeBlanc as Acting Assistant Principal.

Brennan McCurley was appointed principal of the new facility. He begins the new position this month. He said he is eager to get started at the new school and looks forward to working with Arlana and Steve.  “I know they are just as excited and committed as I am to making the new school a success.  We look forward to welcoming students to the campus in the spring for orientations,” he said.

Soileau is currently an Assistant Principal at Fontainebleau High School, and LeBlanc is serving as a curriculum specialist.

Soileau has been in education for 19 years, the past 17 and a half in St. Tammany. “I began at Northshore High School where I taught math for three years and then moved over to do the same job at Fontainebleau High when it opened in 1994.”

He also coached wrestling at Fontainebleau High for 10 years before he moved into administration. “I am looking forward to the opportunity to go to the new high school, a beautiful facility, and help start a new school for the second time,” he commented.

LeBlanc is originally from Texas and moved to St. Tammany Parish in 1996. She began teaching in the sixth grade at Carolyn Park Middle School in 1997, and a year later moved to Slidell Junior High where she taught the Youth Education Success (Y.E.S.) classes and later became the instructor for the school’s Science Technology Lab.  In 2005, she became the assistant principal at Carolyn Park Middle School, and last year she was named the math curriculum specialist for middle and junior high schools, grades fifth through eighth.

“I will draw upon my experiences as a teacher, curriculum specialist and administrator as we begin a new chapter for the district,” she said of the move to the new high school. “This is an honor and an incredible opportunity to be a part of such a huge endeavor, and I look forward to working with this team and most importantly working to make the community proud of its new high school.”

Spearheaded by the Northshore High School PTA, a major collection effort to help Hackberry High School recover from damage caused by Hurricane Ike was held recently by five PTA groups in the Slidell area.

“It was the first time I can remember that several PTA chapters, from kindergarten through high school, all worked together on a single project,” said Sharon Hewitt of the NHS PTA. “We pooled our efforts, each chapter doing its own thing, and it was amazing how people came together for this project. It was an opportunity to give back for all the help and compassion we got after Hurricane Katrina.”

Hackberry High School was hit by two feet of water during Hurricane Ike, and the other Cameron Parish high school south of Lake Charles had nine feet of water go through it. “Johnson Bayou High School was destroyed, and all of its students now travel another 45 minutes on buses to go to Hackberry High,” Ms. Hewitt said.

Northshore High PTA members talked with Principal Michael Peterson, who said that several faculty members were also talking about doing something to help a school in southwest Louisiana that had been hit hard by the September hurricanes.

When Hewitt talked to Cameron Parish school officials, their top request was for school uniforms, not just for high school students, but all the way down to Kindergarten, since the school was now teaching 300 children across all grade levels. That prompted Northshore PTA officers to contact PTA officers at other elementary, middle, and junior high schools in the Slidell area to ask for help in the drive. From there, it took off.

They gave themselves a week to collect the money, secure the items and deliver them to Hackberry, since the schools were reopening soon. The total money collected came to $5000, thanks in part to “passing the hat” at two homecoming football games and a band festival at Northshore High that brought in band students from across a wide area.

“Someone dropped off 300 uniform shirts at Honey Island Elementary, we don’t even know who it was,” Hewitt said. “Little Oak’s PTA took $90 out of their budget, shopped around for bargains throughout south Louisiana and Mississippi, and came back with $1800 worth of uniforms they had found on sale.”

The donated khakis were laundered at no charge by the local St. Tammany Association for Retarded Citizens commercial washing service.

It was a four hour drive from Slidell to Hackberry, with a truck driven by a worker
from the School System’s maintenance department. They hauled 40 boxes stuffed with khaki pants and other items. Several members of the Northshore High football team went with them, to help unload the boxes at Hackberry High School. The shirts were ordered from a supplier, who shipped them directly to the school. All total, there were 800 pairs of khakis and enough shirts for every student to receive three.

The St. Tammany visitors found Hackberry High a school where the wall insulation and flooring had been ripped out, and teachers and students were working on concrete. “But the teachers and administrators were really resilient,” Hewitt said. “They were determined to have their schools re-opened within six weeks of the hurricane. It kind of reminded us of what we had been through during Katrina and how quickly we wanted our schools to be up and running again.”

Cameron Parish officials indicated that they had become aware of one more needed item, and that was a fabric book bag organizer that hung on the backs of chairs in the lower grades. “They had the younger kids sitting in high school sized desks, and the students didn’t have any place to put their books and stuff,” Hewitt explained. “We searched the internet, found an organization in nearby DeRidder that made the chairback bags, and had them put together enough of them for the lower grade students at Hackberry. Everything just seemed to fall into place.”

Even after all the purchases, the group had $1300 left in its project fund, and when they went to Hackberry to deliver the items, PTA officers “kept our ears open” for any thing else that might be needed. The horrific story of the librarian at Johnson Bayou High School helped them decide to donate the money to help buy books for the library there once the school is opened again.

“The librarian said she had placed all the books into plastic bags and put them on top of the shelving units five feet off the floor. But when the nine feet of water came through, it just churned the books and furniture around and around,” Hewitt commented.

The whole project turned out to be a heartfelt reminder of the many groups and individuals who came from all over the nation to help out Slidell schools after Hurricane Katrina. “We found the faculty at Hackberry to be amazingly upbeat,” Hewitt said. “They weren’t wanting to complain about it, they were just making do with what they had, and they were making it work.”

Utility outages at some St. Tammany Parish Public schools, particularly those in the northern and western sides of the parish, could cause some schools to be closed on Friday, December, 12, 2008. Utility companies worked throughout the night to restore power to as many schools as possible.

A list of affected schools where lack of utilities will cause school closures was posted on the School System website at www.stpsb.org at 5:00 a.m. on Friday, December 12th. The information was released to local television and radio stations and on System educational Channel 13 on Charter Cable. The Emergency Information Message Center can also be accessed at 985.635.0801 or 800.580.1874. Parents were asked to make contingency plans in case school closures are necessary.

The extent of the wintry weather conditions surprised emergency weather officials and School System personnel December 9, 2008. A snow and ice mix expected to occur only in the very northernmost part of St. Tammany was seen throughout the western part of the parish, making driving conditions difficult and causing loss of electric power in several areas.

The ribbon cutting ceremony for Covington High School’s new Library/Media Center was held on Thursday, December 18, at 9:30 a.m. The event was rescheduled from December 9 due to the unexpected snowfall in the area.

The library expansion and renovation is part of a construction project that also included a larger administrative offices area. That part of the project was finished first, and a dedication ceremony was held late last year.

The library improvements have doubled the size of the original library and provide a teacher resource area, workroom, storage room, and space for computer labs.

Brock Elementary School, a Slidell educational landmark, reopened to students on Tuesday, December 9, 2008, three years after Hurricane Katrina caused massive damage to the two story brick structure located at 259 Brakefield Street.

For several days, maintenance department workers and teachers prepared the school for the influx of its 278 students who have been temporarily housed at St. Tammany Junior High School during reconstruction of the historic Brock Elementary building.

A faithful restoration of the educational institution was a top priority for the School System. As one of Slidell’s original schools, it graduated its first class in 1909 and has served the central Slidell area for generations.

St. Tammany Parish Public Schools closed for the Thanksgiving Holidays on Monday, November 24, through Friday, November 28. Classes resumed on Monday, December 1, 2008.

The National Parents Teachers Association recently certified Abita Springs Middle School in its national Parent Involvement Schools of Excellence program. 

Principal Donna Forrest and PTA President Julia Daniel appeared before the School Board at its November, 2008, meeting to be recognized for its accomplishment.

“Our PTA has worked hard to get our parents involved at our school,” Ms. Forrest stated. “I thank everyone for giving us this recognition, and I am very proud of our school for having earned this certification.”

Ms. Daniel told the board that research has proven that when parents are involved in their children’s education, they achieve more. “Schools perform better, and our teachers’ moral improves. Ultimately, the community is stronger when parents get involved in their children’s schools,” she said.

A lot of time and effort was necessary to apply for and document the criteria required by the certification, but the partnership of parents involved in the academic growth of students at Abita Middle was clearly evident.

“Most importantly, we thank you for your reception to parents coming into the school and being a part of their children’s education and for listening to us,” Ms. Daniel said to the board.

Over half of the PTA members in the state of Louisiana are from St. Tammany Parish schools, and every school in the System has an active PTA organization, said Supervisor Margaret Sharpe. 

Parent Involvement Schools of Excellence certification recognizes schools that develop and maintain outstanding parent involvement programs. Nationwide there are 660 schools with the designation. In Louisiana there are eleven schools that have received this certification, and of those eleven, nine are in St. Tammany Parish.

Public schools previously honored with the parent involvement certification are Abita Springs Elementary School, Covington Elementary School, Fontainebleau High School, Lake Harbor Middle School, Madisonville Elementary School, Mandeville Middle School, Pontchartrain Elementary School, and Woodlake Elementary School.

The Louisiana Association of School Executives has announced St. Tammany Parish Public School Superintendent Gayle Sloan as the 2009 School Superintendent of the Year for the state. LASE Executive Director Rogers Pope said, “Mrs. Sloan’s selection was based on her contribution to education in the state.”

State Superintendent of Education Paul Pastorek honored Mrs. Sloan at the LASE statewide conference on Monday, November 17, 2008. Upon receiving the award, Sloan said, “It is an honor to represent superintendents from around the State in this way. I am impressed with the degree of commitment to our core business among the superintendents in Louisiana and the resolve to work together to advance student learning. It is a challenging and exciting time to be working to improve public education in Louisiana.” Pope added, “St. Tammany is well respected around the state for being pro-active in education and she’s the leader of that movement.”

Gayle Sloan is a native of Mandeville who has been an educator for 37 years. In her early career, Mrs. Sloan taught second through eighth graders. She later held positions as a Resource Helping Teacher, Assistant Principal, Principal, Supervisor of Elementary Instruction, and Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction. After devoting her talents to serving the students and community of St. Tammany Parish, the School Board appointed Mrs. Sloan to the position of Superintendent in March 2003.

“There’s nobody more worthy to receive the honor,” said Pope. LASE is a professional organization with a membership of 2400 school administrators. Each year the group uses a team of retired Superintendents from around the state of Louisiana to select the Superintendent of the Year. Pope said, “I think it was Mrs. Sloan’s knowledge and grasp of education and educational issues, the way that she works with her staff, her interest in professional organizations and, just the overall way she does business in St. Tammany that led to this selection.”

The Bureau of Governmental Research (BGR) honored Deputy Superintendent Trey Folse with a Capital One Bank Keller Award for Innovation at its November 18, 2008, recognition ceremony in New Orleans.The BGR, a private, non-profit, independent research organization, is dedicated to the effective use of public resources for the improvement of government in the New Orleans Metropolitan area. Its awards program started in 1994 and singles out individuals for outstanding performance and creative problem-solving. Only eight persons from the New Orleans area are being recognized for 2008 at the BGR function.Folse was one of three receiving the Capital One Bank Keller Award for Innovation, which recognizes persons who have used innovative solutions to solve pressing problems. It is named in honor of the Keller Family Foundation, the founder of the BGR Excellence in Government Awards, and includes a cash prize of $1000.Superintendent Gayle Sloan commented that Mr. Folse provided strong vision and leadership in developing an energy conservation program that encourages wise energy use practices by students and staff and effective monitoring by System personnel.  “Our School System has saved money by avoiding higher utility bills even while fuel costs were skyrocketing, making more funds available for classroom instruction.  It’s been a win-win for our taxpayers and our schools,” she said.Folse has served the St. Tammany Parish Public School System for 23 years, as a teacher, administrative assistant principal, Central Office supervisor, and Assistant Superintendent for Administration.  He began his career as a Salmen High School computer literacy teacher.  Then he served as an assistant principal at Slidell High School for eight years, before being appointed to Central Office supervisory positions in Human Resources and later Administration.  He became Assistant Superintendent for Administration in October, 2002, and was appointed Deputy Superintendent in July, 2003.  Folse manages School System administrative matters, including Transportation, Child Welfare and Attendance, School Food Service, Construction, Maintenance, and Student Discipline.  In addition, he oversees the Business Affairs and Information Technology departments. 

He was graduated from William Carey University with a Bachelor of Science degree and a Master of Education degree, and he has +30 graduate hours beyond the Master’s degree. 

More than 70 junior and senior students and their teacher sponsors from high school teaching academies throughout the St. Tammany Parish Public School System attended a special conference at the Instructional Technology Center November 12, the first Teaching Academy Conference held to encourage young people to consider careers in education.

The six-hour program included several discussion sessions and presenters, including Dr. Nicki Anzelmo-Skelton, Ed.D., of Southeastern Louisiana University. She was instrumental in establishing the state department of education’s STAR program, which stands for Students Teaching and Reaching. That program gives college credits to high school students taking educational courses in preparation for a teaching career.

The event’s theme was “Aim for the STAR,” and the highlight of the event was a presentation by Louisiana State Teacher of the Year Deborah Tonguis of Mandeville High, during which she shared her reasons for wanting to teach.

Various aspects of the teaching profession were explained, and two student teachers from Woodlake Elementary School shared their experiences with the group.

The national shortage of teachers prompted the School System’s Human Resources department to offer the one-day event to emphasize educational career opportunities with information on college offerings in education, starting salaries for teaching, and new classroom technology tools, such as handheld student response devices.

The St. Tammany Parish School Board agreed November 13 to name the new elementary school being planned for the Madisonville area in honor of Joseph B. Lancaster, the first officially-recorded superintendent of the St. Tammany Parish Public School System.

Superintendent Gayle Sloan recommended him for the honor after discovering, during research of the School System’s history, Lancaster’s many contributions to the community as lawyer, district attorney, judge, and state representative. “He was a very high-achieving individual,” she said.

 He was named Superintendent by the first School Board in 1900, after it became an organized set of schools with parishwide administrative supervision and community governance.

His writings from the time convey his vision for the educational future of St. Tammany. At the meeting, Mrs. Sloan read his words encouraging the continued advance of education in the parish. “The people of St. Tammany have awakened to the necessity of a better and more thorough educational system, a system which will put within the reach of every child the means of acquiring a fair and adequate education,” he wrote over 100 years ago.

Five descendants of Lancaster attended the School Board meeting to encourage the naming of the school after their ancestor, three grandaughters, a grandson, and a great granddaughter. Lancaster's grandson, Judge Peter Garcia of the 22nd Judicial District, told the board that a new book was being published next Spring showcasing his grandfather’s letters and photographs from the period. 

“He was an amazing speaker and writer,” Judge Garcia said of Lancaster. “He was born in 1865 in Brookhaven, Mississippi, educated in New Orleans, and as a child spent time at the family brickyard on the Tchefuncte River near Lancaster Bayou.” After his education, he returned to Covington to begin serving the community in a variety of positions.

Articles in area newspapers and the minutes of the first parishwide School Board portrayed Lancaster as a well-known figure in the community. In one of his first addresses to the first School Board, he said, “It is for you and for me to create an enthusiasm in their hearts for public schools and to be a leader in the cause of education,” he said.

Lancaster was a grandson of General David Bannister Morgan, who fought in the war of 1812 with Andrew Jackson and who is buried in Madisonville. “So it is appropriate to name a Madisonville area school after him, since he has very strong connections to the Madisonville community,” Judge Garcia said. He instilled in his entire family a strong sense of community, something has been handed down to his descendants.

He served as Superintendent of Schools between September, 1900, to September, 1904, and died in 1916 in Franklinton. A resolution following his funeral noted that by Lancaster’s untiring energy and zeal, he had succeeded in placing the public school system of St. Tammany on a sound basis and laid the foundation for the splendid position now enjoyed by the System. He worked to extend the three-month school year to six months a year, and he brought the St. Tammany School System into the 20th century, establishing high expectations and hopes for education in the parish that continue until this day, Mrs. Sloan said.

The new elementary school is being built in response to considerable growth in the area and will offer more than 30 classrooms. It is to be located off Hwy. 22 west of Madisonville near Perriloux Road. Funds to construct the school were approved in the March 2008 Bond Issue referendum, and the opening of the new school is anticipated for the 2011-2012 School Year.

In other action, the Board approved a grade configuration for the new facility, agreeing with a recommendation made by Mrs. Sloan the week before. A grade configuration committee reached a consensus that Pre-Kindergarten through first grade students would remain on the campus at Madisonville Elementary School, grades two through five would be housed by the new elementary school, and grades six through eight would attend Madisonville Junior High School. 

Architects for the project are Gasaway-Gasaway-Bankston, and the construction budget is estimated at $19.5 million. 

Brennan McCurley will be principal at the new high school on Hwy. 1088, having been appointed by the St. Tammany Parish School Board at its November 13 meeting following a recommendation by Superintendent Gayle Sloan.

Currently principal at Slidell Junior High, McCurley will begin work in January in his new post, readying the new high school northeast of Mandeville for its first students in the fall of 2009.

“I thank you for this awesome opportunity, for entrusting this brand new school to me,” McCurley told the Board after its vote. “I assure you that I will do everything I can to make it the best school it can possibly be.” He said he looks forward to working with the community the new school will be serving, and he went on to say that his time as principal at Slidell Junior High has been very rewarding. He thanked his staff there for their hard work and dedication.

McCurley began teaching social studies in 1997  at Northshore High School, also serving as coach for girls softball and volleyball. In October, 2003, he became assistant principal at Covington High School, and in June, 2004, he was named an assistant principal at Northshore High School. He was appointed principal at Slidell Junior High in February of 2005.

A graduate of Salmen High School, he holds a Master of Education degree from the University of Southern Mississippi, as well as a Bachelor of Arts degree in Social Studies Education from Southeastern Louisiana University. He is a member of the Louisiana Association of School Executives, the Louisiana Council for Social Studies, and the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

Little Pearl Elementary School welcomed its first group of students November 11 in beautiful weather. More than 150 pre-kindergarten and kindergarten students filed into the new facility accompanied by their parents or delivered by school bus from around the Pearl RIver community.

Guides were stationed at the front entrance and bus drop off to help parents and students find their way throughout the new school. The students had been housed by Riverside Elementary School temporarily this year until the new campus on Hwy. 11 was completed.

Classroom doorways were decorated with Thanksgiving Holiday themes, and teachers and maintenance workers had worked steadily over the past week to prepare the building for its first pupils.

Little Pearl features sixteen classrooms, including two dedicated to Special Education, a Multi-Purpose room, Cafeteria, and Kitchen. Several features built into the school allow educators to focus on the young ages of the students and create developmentally appropriate programs. One new feature of this school is that every three classrooms share a covered porch so teachers can incorporate sand tables and other active outdoor activities.

The school will serve as an early childhood center for the Pearl River community. Click here for the school's web page.

The St. Tammany Parish School Board agreed Thursday night to name the new elementary school being planned for the Madisonville area in honor of Joseph B. Lancaster, the first officially-recorded superintendent of the St. Tammany Parish Public School System. Superintendent Gayle Sloan recommended the action after researching Lancaster's many contributions to the community. It was also noted that Lancaster was a direct descendant of a prominent Madisonville family.Lancaster was a well-known figure in St. Tammany Parish, a lawyer who served as District Attorney for the 26th Judicial District as well as a judge.  In his first meeting with the new school board, he told them it was their duty to be a leader in educational advancement of the parish. “It is for you and for me to create an enthusiasm in their hearts for public schools and to be a leader in the cause of education,” he said.He served as Superintendent of Schools between September, 1900, to September, 1904, and died in 1916. A resolution following his funeral noted that by Lancaster’s untiring energy and zeal, he had succeeded in placing the public school system of St. Tammany on a sound basis and laid the foundation for the splendid position now enjoyed by the System. He worked to extend the three-month school year to six months a year, and his goal was to eventually provide school for nine months a year.Superintendent Sloan felt it would be fitting to name the new Madisonville area school after Lancaster to recognize his contributions and vision. In response to considerable growth in the area, the new elementary school will offer more than 30 classrooms and is to be located off Hwy. 22 west of Madisonville near Perriloux Road. Click here to see the proposed location. Funds to construct the school were approved in the March 2008 Bond Issue referendum, and the opening of the new school is anticipated for the 2011-2012 School Year. Public meetings were held last month to discuss grade configurations for the new facility. Following those meetings, the grade configuration committee reached a consensus that the recommendation to the School Board would be to have students in Pre-Kindergarten through first grade remain on the campus at Madisonville Elementary School, grades two through five on the new elementary school campus, and grades six through eight at Madisonville Junior High School.  The configuration of grades for each site was based on the projected students in the grade spans and the capacity of each school.  The School Board also adopted the recommendation on the grade configuration.

Architects for the project are Gasaway-Gasaway-Bankston, and the construction budget is estimated at $19.5 million.

An educational television segment that showcases healthy cooking for children filmed a "best practices" video at Cypress Cove Elementary School in Slidell November 7. The segment focuses on local school cafeteria preparation of a regional favorite, gumbo made with a greaseless brown roux.Videos were shot of food preparation, students in lunch lines and the dining room, and interviews with students, Principal Lisa Dial, Food Service Manager Robin Blakeman, and Food Service Supervisor Sylvia Dunn. A nutrition education class, physical education class, and general campus shots were also video-taped for the project.The purpose of the program "Cooks for Kids: Healthful Cooking Across America" is to address the problem of childhood obesity by offering ideas for healthier food preparation through school food service departments. Food service employees are the primary audience for the videos being produced. The end result of videos such as this is to inspire foodservice staff to prepare and serve nutritious and appealing foods in child nutrition programs. Teaching healthy food habits that will carry the wellness message into the home is a goal of the thirty-minute showcase of recipes, techniques, and practical solutions that schools can adopt to prepare healthier and tastier meals.

The new program is being put together by the National Food Service Management Institute (USDA).

Little Oak Middle School, Bonne Ecole Elementary School, and Slidell High School were among the seven winners in this year’s “Making The Grade” Recognition Program sponsored by Omni Bank with New Orleans Saints player Drew Brees serving as its spokesman.

Superintendent Gayle Sloan and representatives from each school recently met with Brees and bank officials at a special ceremony to award each $2000 in prizes recognizing their innovative efforts to help students learn and achieve.

Schools were invited to send in nomination forms sharing their ideas. Bonne Ecole Elementary told about its “Robostars” project; Little Oak Middle School described its “Firecrackers” motivational effort; and Slidell High School nominated its “Freshman Transition” program. Principals Dr. April Owens from Bonne Ecole Elementary, Amy V.Dicarlo from Little Oak Middle School, and William Percy of Slidell High all took part in the event.

The “Making The Grade” program showcases success stories from schools throughout the New Orleans area, publicizing their projects throughout the year through local broadcast media.

“Making the Grade” began in the late 1980’s as a way to focus attention on the positive strides schools were making. It helped publicize the exceptional and progressive projects and curricula in the school systems in the metropolitan New Orleans area. Omni Bank has re-launched the concept and with its spokesman Drew Brees plans to continue sharing ideas and inspiring public awareness of the good things happening in area schools.

Following three and a half hours of discussion, the St. Tammany Parish School Board voted Tuesday night to adopt attendance boundaries for the new high school on Hwy. 1088 based on Map 3, an area proposed by Board Member Don Villere October 16.

After hearing from dozens of parents attending the meeting, the Board turned down maps that included residential subdivisions west of La. 59 (Map 1) or areas north of Hwy. 36 outside the Abita Springs town limits (Map 2) .

CLICK HERE to view the map chosen by the Board, which is similar to the current attendance boundaries of Monteleone Junior High School.

While the map outlines a district which initially will not populate the high school with as many students as the other maps, the Board felt that future growth in the area would increase the enrollment numbers over the next few years. Members agreed to an amendment that will prompt a review of the school's enrollment in two years, when adjustments could be made in response to the opening of an interchange off Interstate 12 and anticipated residential growth.

New information packets on the three proposed attendance boundary maps were evaluated by board members, along with hundreds of emails, phone calls, and personal visits. Statistics portraying the demographic make-up of the new school under all three map scenarios were updated and projected enrollments provided.

At the start of the meeting, Deputy Superintendent Trey Folse and Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction Cheryl Arabie gave reports on what the new facility would be like and what academic offerings were being developed. Superintendent Gayle Sloan noted that a full time administrator would be hired soon to begin the work of getting the school ready to receive its ninth and tenth grade students next fall.

Concerns expressed by the parents included traffic safety issues, the number of students left at Fontainebleau High after the new school opens, and proximity of the school for students coming in from existing feeder schools.

For an informational page about the new high school, click here.

A special meeting to consider adoption of an attendance district for the new high school being built on Hwy. 1088 will be held by the School Board October 28 at 7:00 p.m. at the C. J. Schoen Administrative Complex.

New information packets on the three proposed attendance boundary maps are currently being evaluated by board members. The proposed attendance map scenarios include Map 1 recommended by the boundary study committee from the September 29 meeting,  Map 2 from the committee’s September 29 meeting, and Map 3,  an alternate map proposed by Board Member Don Villere at the Board’s October 16 meeting

In preparation for tonight's meeting, Supervisor Regina Stanford has worked with school principals from all schools with sixth through ninth grades that are part of the Fontainebleau High School feeder system to compile the most accurate information for the three map scenarios being considered. 

Sixth grade students from Abita Springs Middle School, Bayou Lacombe Middle School, Lake Harbor Middle School, and Mandeville Middle School, seventh and eighth graders from Fontainebleau Junior High School and Monteleone Junior High School, and ninth graders at Fontainebleau High School were identified for the designated high school attendance under the three proposed maps.

Previous data came from student numbers rolled forward from the previous year and a survey of students during the opening week of school and was not as up to date as the data collected earlier this week.  Staff members are working to project the best view of what the new high school will look like in its first year with freshmen and sophomore classes and in its third year when it serves ninth through 12th grades.

The maps and associated data may be viewed by clicking here.

You may click here if you would like to make a public comment by way of e-mail. Board Members will receive copies of the e-mails received through the public comments link.

The special Tuesday meeting will take place at the C.J. Schoen Administrative Complex at 321 North Theard Street in Covington. Persons wishing to address the Board about this matter may contact Board Secretary Karrel Weathers at 985-898-3216 to be put on the list of speakers or sign up at the podium at least fifteen minutes before the start of tonight's meeting.

The St. Tammany Parish Public School System will close schools and school support offices on Tuesday, November 4, the day of the national Presidential Election.  Offices will re-open and classes will resume on Wednesday, November 5.

Many public school buildings are used as polling places, and the school holiday on Presidential Election Tuesdays aims to give voters better access to cast their ballots and avoid any distractions that may arise with students on campus.

The newly built Little Pearl Elementary School will open its doors to students on Tuesday, November 11, 2008. The school will serve as an early childhood center for the Pearl River community.

Little Pearl features sixteen classrooms, including two dedicated to Special Education, a Multi-Purpose room, Cafeteria, and Kitchen. It will house 153 pre-kindergarten and kindergarten students. There are several features built into the school in order to allow educators to focus on the young ages of the students and create developmentally appropriate programs. One new feature of this school is that every three classrooms share a covered porch so teachers can incorporate sand tables and other active outdoor activities.

Teachers and staff will be busy this weekend as they work to move into the new school and set up their classrooms. The students started the school year at Riverside Elementary School but operated as a separate school under Principal April Whitfield. On November 11, 2008, the students will move into the new facilities on U.S. 11. Administrators and teachers are working on a smooth transition that will include tours of the new school for the children during their first day on campus.

Discussion is continuing concerning the new elementary school planned for the Madisonville area, and a grade configuration for the school will be considered by the School Board next week following a period of public input on the matter.

The school, approved in the March 2008 Bond Issue referendum, was the subject of a community meeting held in September at Madisonville Elementary School.  The discussion included a suggestion that students should be kept together until high school. This could be accomplished by having more schools with shorter grade spans or dividing students into attendance boundary areas to attend two Pre-Kindergarten through fifth grade schools before transferring into Madisonville Junior High School for grades six through eight.

Superintendent Gayle Sloan and Deputy Superintendent Trey Folse met recently with a committee of parents, administrators, and teachers from Madisonville Elementary and Madisonville Junior High School to present the input received through emails and letters from parents as well as opinions gathered by the school principals from staff members.

The committee reached a consensus that the recommendation to the School Board will be to have students in Pre-Kindergarten through first grade remain on the campus at Madisonville Elementary School, grades two through five on the new elementary school campus, and grades six through eight at Madisonville Junior High School.  The configuration of grades for each site was based on the projected students in the grade spans and the capacity of each school. 

The proposed grade levels recommendation will go the Committee as a Whole for Administration and Business Affairs on Thursday, November 6, 2008, at the C. J. Schoen Administrative Complex.  If approved at the Committee level, the recommendation could go before the full Board for consideration at its November 13, 2008, School Board Meeting.  To provide input to the Board for consideration of this matter, click here.

The School Board has identified a potential location for the proposed school on Highway 22.  Click here to see proposed site.   The opening of the new school is anticipated for the 2011-2012 School Year.

School Board action on adopting an attendance district for the new high school on La. Hwy. 1088 was postponed until Tuesday, October 28, after the School Board listened to and considered opinions voiced by parents at a special October 16 meeting.

The three and a half hour meeting began with a presentation by Donna Addison, chairman of the boundary study committee, which included the reasons behind her group’s recommended attendance map. After her report, School Board Member Don Villere proposed a new map, and the rest of the meeting involved the pros and cons associated with each map.

Debate ended when a motion passed to call a special October 28 meeting, at which time the newly proposed map will be evaluated along with the Committee’s recommended map as well as Map 2 from the committee's September 29 meeting. Several members in the audience asked that Map 2 also be considered by the Board.

Click here to view the three maps being considered by Board members, who are also looking at public comments from the School System website, written comments provided by parents, as well as a variety of statistics presented. School Board staff members are working to update statistical information and demographic data to project the best view of what the new high school will look like in its first year with freshmen and sophomore classes and in its third year when it serves ninth through 12 th grades. This information will be posted on the Web site around the middle of this week.

You may click here if you would like to make a public comment by way of e-mail in advance of the October 28 meeting. Board Members will receive copies of the e-mails received through the public comments link.

The School Board will meet tonight to consider adopting an attendance district for the new high school now being built on Hwy. 1088. Board members will be looking at all of the considered maps, public comments from the School System website, written comments provided by parents,  as well as a variety of statistics before its special meeting beginning at 7 p.m.

The chairperson of the committee evaluating proposed attendance boundary lines for the new school provided School Board members last week with a packet of documents collected during the committee deliberations.  The committee selected its choice of an attendance zone for the new high school on Monday, September 29, after hearing comments from over 250 parents at the final public input meeting and reviewing public comments received through the School System website.

While the committee has made its decision on a recommended plan, the School Board may revise or change the plan to take out or add other areas for consideration. The Committee Chairperson gave informational packets to Board Members so they can study all of the information in advance of the Special Meeting. To see the packet provided to School Board Members, Click here.

The committee recommended an area to attend the new high school that incorporates all of the Monteleone Junior High School attendance boundaries and some areas assigned to Fontainebleau Junior High School. Click here to view the suggested map. You may have to click on the map image again to view it at full size.

You can click here if you would like to make a public comment by way of e-mail in advance of tonight's meeting.  Board Members will receive copies of the e-mails received through the public comments link.

Board President Neal Hennegan has announced that individuals will be allowed three minutes at the podium to address the issue at the special meeting. Each person will be allowed to come forward to speak  one time in order to give everyone a chance to share his or her comments. Those planning to attend are encouraged to allow a spokesperson for a subdivision or other groups to represent their views in order to facilitate an orderly and time efficient process. 

If you would like to speak at the meeting, you may sign up at the podium in advance of the meeting or you can call Karrel Weathers at 985-898-3216 to be placed on the list of persons requesting three minutes to address the Board. The meeting will begin at 7:00 p.m. at the C.J. Schoen Administrative Complex located at 321 N. Theard Street in Covington.

More than fifty St. Tammany students teamed up with Parish engineers to test the water and study the wildlife in Lake Pontchartrain as part of World Water Monitoring Day. The project gives students the opportunity to learn about our local natural resources in a larger, global setting.

The science students from Mandeville Junior High worked together with the engineers to test four basic indicators of water quality in Lake Pontchartrain. Engineers also showed the basic types of fish that live in the lake water and how to use a casting net.

Students around the world from Argentina to Zimbabwe have visited local waterways as part of World Water Monitoring Day. Following the field trip, the students returned to the classroom to post their local results on the internet and compare them to other student’s findings in foreign countries.

Students from across St. Tammany Parish used songs and music to get the message across at this year’s Teen Focus on Safe Driving. The theme, American Idol: St. Tammany, gave students the opportunity to incorporate singing and dancing in the program to teach students to make good choices when getting behind the wheel.

Teams of students from every St. Tammany Parish Public High School as well as private high schools participated in the event. Teenagers heard from inspirational speaker Indelethio “Indy” Nebeker who guided the students through the seminar, “Meet Your Future Self, Your Life Depends on It!” Channel 13’s Melody Swang also took to the stage for the Teen Focus Spotlight, “What Will It Take to Achieve Your Dreams?” During breakout sessions, students talked to members of law enforcement and emergency medical technicians about what they see on the roads on a daily basis.

One of the most effective workshops of the day was the Jaws of Life demonstration. Firefighters showed students just how long it could take to cut victims out of a car. The teenagers watched every move as paramedics described what would be happening if they were looking at a real accident.

The fourth Teen Focus on Safe Driving was part of the School System’s commitment to find ways to help prevent automobile deaths and injuries among our teens. In recent years, the St. Tammany Parish Public School System and our community have been saddened by the loss of life and injuries to our young people in automobile accidents. The safety of our teenagers is a top priority not only in our schools but also throughout the entire community.
 
During the forum, the student teams worked on plans to take safety messages back to their schools so that all students will understand the necessity of driving carefully. The program concluded with a finale featuring the hit song, The Time of Your Life, performed by St. Tammany students.

Parent's Focus on Safe Teen Driving Photograph

Channel 13 Video of Teen Focus on Safe Driving Song Presentation

Food service staffs throughout the School System are being recognized for their excellent efforts this week, October 13 through October 17, as part of the national observance of School Lunch Week.

The theme for the celebration is  “Vote for School Lunch,” and parents, grandparents, and other special guests are visiting schools this week to take part in special lunchtime events. Menus for the week were planned jointly by the food service staffs and the Student Nutrition Advisory Councils (SNAC).

The School Board last week passed a resolution proclaiming local participation in National School Lunch Week, thanking the students on the SNAC committees, Food Service Supervisor Sylvia Dunn, and the food service lunchroom technicians and cafeteria managers for their excellent work in providing 8,923 breakfasts and 25,429 lunches daily in the St. Tammany Parish Public School System.

Click here for more information on the School System’s Food Service Department.

The St. Tammany Parish Public School System will host an informational forum, the Parent Focus on Safe Teen Driving, on Tuesday, October 14, from 5:30 until 8:00 p.m. at the Pelican Park Castine Center in Mandeville.

This meeting will include important presentations on issues such as laws related to teen driving, insurance facts regarding teen drivers, risk factors involved in teen driving accidents, and community programs available. An exhibit area will be open from 5:30 to 6:00 p.m. before the actual forum.

Parents are invited to attend this Tuesday’s event, the second annual parents forum to accompany the Teen Focus on Safe Driving to be held on Wednesday. No pre-registration is required. This event is for parents and teens in grades 8-12. Click here for flyer.

Members of the scientific community from across the South took part in a Childhood Obesity conference at the Pennington Biomedical Center in Baton Rouge recently. 

School Food Service Supervisor Sylvia Dunn was invited to participate in a panel discussion to share information on the USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) “Gold Award” Menus which are served to thousands of students each day in St. Tammany Parish.

Additionally, the conference dealt with Louisiana’s Report Card on Physical Activity and Health for Children and Youth and the epidemic of childhood obesity currently plaguing the nation.

Mrs. Dunn’s overview of the Gold Standard menus available in St. Tammany Parish schools included a description of the variety of fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grain products, low-fat milk, and leaner meat choices which are offered. As one of only two school districts in the nation to have adopted these higher nutritional menu standards, the success of the St. Tammany program was presented as a model for other districts. USDA’s “Gold Award” menus provide one positive approach in combating childhood obesity.

The conference subtitle “A Lifespan Approach to Prevention” featured presentations on childhood obesity by scientists and medical doctors from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Pennington Biomedical Research Center, Louisiana State University, Tulane University, the University of Texas, and the University of Southampton in the United Kingdom.

The chairperson of the committee evaluating proposed attendance boundary lines for the new high school located on Highway 1088 provided School Board members with a packet of documents collected during the committee deliberations.  

The committee selected its choice of an attendance zone for the new high school on Monday, September 29, 2008 and will recommend it to the School Board for its evaluation. The committee members voted after hearing comments from over 250 parents at the final public input meeting and reviewing public comments received through the School System website.

While the committee has made its decision on a recommended plan, the School Board may revise or change the plan to take out or add other areas for consideration. The School Board will be looking at all of the considered maps, public comments from the School System website, written comments provided by parents,  as well as a variety of statistics before meeting on October 16, 2008. The Committee Chairperson gave informational packets to Board Members on Tuesday so they can study all of the information in advance of the Special Meeting. To see the packet provided to School Board Members, Click here.

The committee recommended an area to attend the new high school that incorporates all of the Monteleone Junior High School attendance boundaries and some areas assigned to Fontainebleau Junior High School. Click here to view the suggested map. You may have to click on the map image again to view it at full size.

You can click here if you would like to make a public comment by way of e-mail in advance of the meeting.  Board Members will receive copies of the e-mails received through the public comments link.

The full School Board is set to consider attendance boundary lines for the new high school located on Highway 1088 at a special meeting on Thursday, October 16, 2008. The Board will receive the committee’s recommendation and listen to public comments made in person at the special meeting. Board President Neal Hennegan has announced that individuals will be allowed three minutes at the podium to address the issue. Each person will be allowed to come forward to speak  one time in order to give everyone a chance to share his or her comments. Those planning to attend are encouraged to allow a spokesperson for a subdivision or other groups to represent their views in order to facilitate an orderly and time efficient process. 

If you would like to speak at the meeting, you may sign up at the podium in advance of the meeting or you can call Karrel Weathers at 985-898-3216 to be placed on the list of persons requesting three minutes to address the Board. The meeting will begin at 7:00 p.m. at the C.J. Schoen Administrative Complex located at 321 N. Theard Street in Covington.

The St. Tammany Parish Public School System will close all schools and school support offices this Friday, October 3, in observance of the annual parish fair holiday. The fair begins Thursday and runs through Sunday, offering a variety of educational exhibits and community activities.

On the Friday schedule of events for the fair are a parade through downtown Covington, livestock showings, horticulture exhibits, arts and crafts displays, and informational booths decorated with student work from more than 45 schools throughout the parish. This year's theme for the educational exhibits is "Democracy In Action: America Votes."

Letting schools out for the Friday of the fair is a tradition which goes back many years and helps encourage student and family participation in the community event.

Repairs to CLECO electrical equipment that caused a reduction of electrical power at Covington High School Wednesday have been completed, and all parts of the school are fully functioning at this time.  All students are expected to attend school on Thursday.The problem caused air conditioning to be limited to modular classrooms, lighting in some parts of the buildings was lower than normal, and phone service was also affected. Water and sewerage services were not affected and functioned throughout the day.

Students who were picked up early by their parents Wednesday because of the problem will be provided excused absences.

Consideration of attendance boundary lines for the new high school located on Highway 1088 will move from the committee phase to the next step in the process. On Monday, September 29, 2008, the committee selected an attendance zone for the new high school to recommend to the School Board for its evaluation. 

The vote was taken after the committee heard comments from over 250 parents and others in attendance who voiced their opinions on the matter.  The area recommended to attend the new high school takes in all of the Monteleone Junior High School attendance boundaries and some areas assigned to Fontainebleau Junior High School, including those located along the northern side of Highway 1088 beginning at Highway 59 and moving east along Highway 1088, and an area west of Highway 59 that includes Hunter’s Glen, all subdivisions north and south of Lonesome Road that empty onto Lonesome Road and the entire subdivision of Greenleaves, including The Lakes.

Click here to view the suggested map.  You may have to click on the map image again to view it full size. Large scale copies of the map will be available for viewing at the C. J. Schoen Administrative Complex, Fontainebleau High School, Fontainebleau Junior High School, and Monteleone Junior High School beginning later this week. 

If you have questions about the map, please call 892-2276 and ask to be connected to a supervisor assigned to the new high school boundary lines project.The recommendation of the committee will now be considered by the full School Board at a Special Board Meeting on Thursday, October 16, 2008, beginning at 7:00 p.m. at the C.J. Schoen Administrative Complex, located at 321 N. Theard Street in Covington. While the committee has made its decision on a recommended plan, the Board may revise or change the plan to take out or add other areas for consideration. 

Click here to email a public comment on this matter.While decisions about the attendance boundary lines for the new school move forward, much progress continues to be made on the construction of the new facility.  The Board will advertise for a principal for the new school this week and is expected to make a selection at its November 13, 2008, School Board Meeting. 

For an informational page about the new high school, click here.

The committee working on attendance boundary recommendations for the new high school on Hwy. 1088 will meet again tonight, Monday, September 29, at 7:00 p.m. in the cafeteria at Fontainebleau High School.

Proposed boundary maps from the last meeting, suggestions made by those in attendance, phone calls to committee members, and emails from the School System Web site are being consolidated in anticipation of a final recommendation to present to the School Board for consideration next month.

Public comments may be emailed by clicking here.

Committee work groups are expected to suggest some changes, which could result in completely different maps, to the meeting Monday for further review. Each of the three committee work groups is comprised of teachers, parents and a principal.

Officials plan to advertise for a new principal in October, and currently construction on the new school is ahead of schedule. The facility is expected to be ready for the start of the 2009-2010 School Session in September of next year.

Students across St. Tammany Parish continue to benefit from the partnership between the Public School System and area Louisiana Technical Colleges, according to a report presented recently to the St. Tammany Parish School Board.

This year the School To Work programs in several high schools are providing almost two thousand students advanced skills and certifications in a variety of fields. There is also an extra effort going into providing students with job offers directly after graduation.

Courses range from diesel mechanics and automotive technology to carpentry and electrical installation, as well as culinary arts and horticulture. Program directors say training in welding is very popular. They are working to expand that training through a portable unit being brought soon to the Slidell area. Cosmotology training also may be offered next year, officials said, in response to student interest. Other areas of training include computer technology, networking, drafting, First Responder, Certified Nursing Assistant, Emergency Medical Technician, and office systems.

To personalize the successes and opportunities made possible by the program, two students were introduced to the Board.

Sean Gansarsik, a Covington High senior, spoke to the Board about his three years in the automotive technology program, saying it was enjoyable, productive, and promises to be an excellent resource on his resume when he graduates and enters the job market. The program offers him ASE certification, which will assure prospective employers of his skill level and professionalism in the field.

Natalie Giamundo, a 2008 graduate from Fontainebleau High School, told the Board of her employment following her EMT Basic training at Fontainebleau. Motivated by a desire to make a difference and save lives, she credited the School To Work program with her getting her current position as an Emergency Room Technician at Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center in Baton Rouge.

Shortly after graduation, she received five different national EMT certifications and earned nine college credits as a result of the training she received, plus she was awarded six additional college credits this past summer along with a scholarship from LSU. This means that beginning with the Spring semester, she will be a college sophomore at LSU, she reported.

“This program has done amazing things for me, and I am so pleased the School Board has offered this,” Giamundo told the Board. “I believe it will change the futures of many students.”

She also has led an effort to have portable heart defibrillators available at athletic events and other public places, since the devices have been shown to help save people who are having sudden heart attacks. Her senior project in high school was to promote the placement of the defibrillators, and she has continued that effort on the state level.

In July, she was named First Responder of the Year by the Louisiana State National Registered Emergency Medical Technician Association, and she is now being considered for the national award.

Regional technical college representatives said that a 26 percent increase in the number of students enrolled in work force training took place between this year and last School Session. Parents especially have expressed appreciation for the well-paid job opportunities made available to their children as a result of this program.

Officials noted that 18 separate legislative measures touching upon work force training programs passed this past state legislative session, an indication of the growing interest in offering more training opportunities. School Board members were told how stringent accreditation processes help assure that School to Work programs continue to be effective and meaningful in the current labor market. Each student who graduates from the program is tracked for at least a year to assure that success in the job market is achieved.

School To Work coordinators from four of the high schools were on hand for the meeting, as were regional officials from the Louisiana Technical College. Sandy James was also recognized as the District School To Work program coordinator.

A group of science teachers from the St. Tammany Parish Public School System took part in a two-week NASA/LaSPACE Michoud Education Fellows Program this summer, during which they videotaped interviews with a variety of Michoud engineers and scientists at the New Orleans East facility.

Five of the teachers are working with Educational Broadcast Channel 13 to produce five minute video segments of the interviews. The videos will illustrate for students how science, mathematics and communication skills are used by the scientists, engineers and other professionals at the Michoud Assembly Facility.

Participating in the video production workshop at Channel 13 are Paul Chandler, Slidell High School; Ruth Hill, Monteleone Junior High School; Crystal Drake, St. Tammany Junior High School; and Deborah Nunez, Covington High School.

Click Here for the Web site article on the original tour of NASA facilities and the first-of-its-kind professional development program St. Tammany educators were able to be a part of this summer.

School System officials spoke to parents, teachers, and other interested parties about the new elementary school planned for the Madisonville area on Tuesday, September 15, 2008, at a gathering held at Madisonville Elementary School. 

An update on land acquisition, architect selection, and the construction timeline was provided, and input was solicited on the grade levels that would be housed in the new school.  While School System officials recommend that PreKindergarten through Fifth Grade be included in the school plan, the community was invited to provide their own opinions to be considered by the School Board.

Under the proposal, the current Madisonville Elementary School would also house PreKindergarten through Grade Five, and attendance boundaries would be designated for each of the elementary schools. As recommended, the new school and the current Madisonville Elementary School would have PreK through Fourth Grade in the first year after the new elementary opens and then add Fifth Grade in the second year.  All students would attend Madisonville Junior High School for Grades Six through Eight.

The discussion included consideration of keeping students together through junior high school by having more schools with shorter grade spans.  A grade configuration that would include Madisonville Elementary as a PreKindergarten through First Grade school, the new school for Grades 2 through 5, and students in Grades 6 through 8 attending  Madisonville Junior High School was another option that was discussed.

Those with input into the grade span decision are invited to write the Superintendent at the C. J. Schoen Administrative Complex, 321 N. Theard Street, Covington, LA 70434, fax to 985-898-3281, or email.  Click here  to email public comments concerning the new school to school officials.

To view the proposed site plan, click here.
To view an aerial photograph of the new school’s location, click here.

The second public meeting to discuss attendance boundaries for the new high school being constructed on Highway 1088 took place Monday night, September 15 at Fontainebleau High School with School System leaders and parents in attendance. The committee members evaluating the proposed boundary lines presented three new map scenarios.

All of the scenarios would have between 500 and 600 students starting in the 9th and 10th grades of the new high school in the fall of 2009.The three new maps will be available for viewing and public comment for two weeks. On Monday, September 29 a third public meeting will take place in order for committee members to report on progress and hear further public comment.The committee is reviewing population information, area maps and public comments to come up with suggested boundary line scenarios.

Each of the three committee work groups is comprised of teachers, parents and a principal. Once the full committee has completed its research and received input from the public, a recommendation will be made to School Board for its consideration.

School Leaders plan to advertise for a new principal in October and currently construction on the new school is ahead of schedule.

Those wishing to make comments may send an email by clicking here.

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The second public meeting to discuss attendance boundaries for the new high school being constructed on Highway 1088 will be held September 15 at 7:00 p.m. in the cafeteria at Fontainebleau High School.

The committee evaluating proposed attendance boundary lines met August 25 at Fontainebleau High School, heard public comment, and examined three proposed map scenarios. At its September 15th meeting, the committee will report on progress and continue working on suggested changes.

The committee is reviewing population information, area maps, and public comments before developing one or more suggested boundary line scenarios. Once the committee has completed its research and received input from the public, a recommendation will be made to the School Board for its consideration.

Those wishing to make comments may send an email by clicking here.

A new visitor identification system will begin in all St. Tammany Parish Public schools on October, 1, 2008. The system will allow school officials to scan a visitor’s driver’s license or enter information from other forms of identification. The program was piloted at eight of St. Tammany’s schools to determine its effectiveness before installing equipment at all schools.

It will allow employees to track visitor entry and exit, prepare visitor badges, and verify identity for authorized release of students and cross check identities with the National Registry of Sex Offenders. “We believe the initiative is a worthwhile, proactive means of helping schools manage visitors on our campuses,” said Schools Superintendent Gayle Sloan.

School leaders are mindful of how important it is to protect personal information, especially Social Security Numbers. For that reason, this identification system blocks out those numbers. The only information shown on the school’s computer screen when a license is scanned will be the name, address, sex and date of birth.

Parents and any other visitors to school campuses should now be prepared to show proper identification. Sloan said, “This is another means of helping safeguard our students.”

A meeting to discuss the design of a new elementary school in the Madisonville area has been rescheduled for Tuesday, September 16, at 7:00 p.m. at Madisonville Elementary School. The meeting, originally scheduled for September 2, was postponed due to Hurricane Gustav.

The purpose of the meeting is to give parents and staff  an opportunity to give input on plans for the new facility. Interested parents and staff members from both Madisonville Elementary School and Madisonville Junior High School, as well as other interested community members, are invited to attend.

The construction of the new elementary school is part of the March, 2008, bond reauthorization package. Land was purchased on Hwy. 22 for the new school earlier this year. Initial planning was based on constructing a school with pre-kindergarten through fifth grades.

The School System’s Energy Management Program continues to earn recognition from national and state agencies for reducing energy usage.

Dr. John Swang, director of the program, appeared before the School Board at its September meeting to report that the School System had reduced its energy usage by 15.6 percent, leading to an energy cost avoidance of $1,596,590.

“We’ve had a very successful year,” Dr. Swang said, adding that the System received three national awards as a result, the “Energy Milestone Award” from SEE (Schools for Energy Efficiency), an Energy Star-Leader Certificate from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and, the latest being an Energy Star Label for the Instructional Technology Center in Mandeville.

The Environmental Protection Agency’s distinguished ENERGY STAR Label went to the Tech Center for the School System’s efforts to protect the environment through superior energy performance. The Tech Center is the first and only school district facility in the State of Louisiana to receive the designation, Dr. Swang stated.

The ENERGY STAR Label identifies the Tech Center as one of 5,402 energy efficient buildings in the nation, and one of only 30 in the state to be so designated. The Tech Center is using about 35 percent less energy than average buildings. By implementing innovative controls and energy-monitoring procedures, the center lowered its energy costs by 38.4 percent and avoided energy costs totaling more than $30,000. 

“St. Tammany Parish Public School System is pleased to accept the EPA’s ENERGY STAR Label designation for the Technology Center,” said Gayle Sloan, Schools Superintendent. “We are committed to creating an energy efficient environment. Through this project we have lowered our overall energy costs and this benefits our entire School System.”

In August, the EPA awarded the School System the Energy Star-Leader Award for its leadership in improving its average energy performance rating and reducing greenhouse gas emissions through superior energy management. “We are the first and only School District in the State of Louisiana to receive this honor, and one of only 42 school districts in the entire nation so designated,” Dr. Swang reported. “The EPA tells us that by getting both these awards, our School District is showing superior management and environmental leadership.”

In addition, the Louisiana Department of Natural Resources awarded the School Board its Environmental Stewardship Award, in recognition of outstanding leadership in adopting and implementing energy efficiency measures. The award certificate states that students and faculty will enjoy the benefits of the School Board’s fiscally-prudent and environmentally beneficial energy management practices in protecting the environment, managing natural resources and benefitting the community.

The SEE program’s award banner was presented to the School Board for saving over $1 million in energy costs.

Dr. Swang commended the students, teachers and staff throughout the parish for changing behavior patterns and taking part in the effort to turn off unneeded lights, switching off computers and monitors when not in use, and overall thermostat monitoring to save energy.

His staff was also on hand for his presentation to the Board. They are Pat Flanagan, who implemented data tracking and results monitoring efforts; Barry Pichon, who served as liaison to the school staffs (administrative, maintenance, and custodial); and Cathy Serpas, who helped organize the program and will take over data tracking records keeping.

The St. Tammany Parish School Board implemented its Energy Management Program in December 2005, emphasizing energy-saving strategies that sought to raise awareness through employee training. In addition to asking staff and students to turn off electrical equipment when not in use, the School System also optimized the maintenance of all electrical equipment to ensure efficient performance.

Click on link below for related photograph.

Schools had near normal routines throughout the parish public schools Friday despite weather conditions.  Power outages that occurred at some schools were quickly dealt with through the efforts of local utility companies.

School System officials worked with schools that have students living in areas where road closures may have caused bus service to be affected for school dismissal.  Parents who were concerned about students being able to be delivered by bus to homes in low lying areas could pick up their children at school anytime during the school day.  School personnel remained on school sites Friday until all students were delivered to their homes or parents made arrangements for picking up children where buses cannot get to homes. 

All students who are absent today will be excused and allowed to make up schoolwork. 

A short video produced by Channel 13 Educational Television will give students a clear understanding of the serious legal consequences resulting from making threatening messages, whether deliberate or in jest.The video premiered at the School Board’s September 9 committee meeting, with Deputy Superintendent Trey Folse introducing it as an effort aimed at communicating to students the very real possibility of their arrest, indictment, and imprisonment after making a bomb threat either by voice, written note or by electronic means.

The segment features several law enforcement officials citing what happens when young people make such threats. Persons interviewed included Sheriff Jack Strain, First Assistant District Attorney Houston C. Gascon III, United States District Attorney Jim Letten, and School System Administrative Supervisor Mike Cosse'. Cosse' notes that the law says if a person is convicted of communicating a bomb threat on a school campus, then that person shall be imprisoned not more than 20 years, with or without hard labor.

Folse commented that “something the students may see as a joke is what we treat as a very serious matter.”  The School System has pledged to work with local law enforcement agencies to vigorously investigate and prosecute, to the fullest extent of the law, any students found to be guilty of making such threats. “The price the students may pay is high,” said Folse, “Expulsion, criminal charges, and a record that will follow them for life.”

Folse said threatening messages result in the loss of classroom instructional time and cause fear among students, parents and employees. This is what prompted Channel 13 to produce a straightforward video presentation of what actually happens when a bomb threat suspect is caught.

To view the video, Click Here. You will need to have Quicktime player software on your computer to view the movie.

More than 100 students from the St. Tammany Parish Public School System went to court Wednesday to observe first hand a session conducted by the Louisiana First Circuit Court of Appeals.

Three judges from the First Circuit Court heard appeals in a courtroom at the St. Tammany Parish Justice Center in Covington during one of their annual visits outside of Baton Rouge to courthouses in the district. Junior and senior students from Covington High School, Fontainebleau High School, and Slidell High School were in the audience as part of their class activities in Law Studies, Gifted Civics, Honors Psychology, or American Government courses.

Judge James E. Kuhn welcomed the students and explained to them the procedures by which the court addresses the appeals from district courts. The judges said they hoped the students would be able to learn something during the day they could apply in their own lives and encouraged them to consider attending law school if they thought they might decide to become attorneys.

The attorneys representing the cases were asked to explain their cases to the students prior to the court session, so the young people would clearly understand the nature of the appeals they would be hearing.

Last year, the First Circuit held its appeals court session in the School Board meeting room when courtrooms at the parish justice center were unavailable.

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St. Tammany Parish School employees began evaluating campuses and cleaning up debris as soon as Hurricane Gustav moved out of the area. “We were very lucky with Hurricane Gustav as it was not as powerful as predicted,” said Schools Superintendent Gayle Sloan.

The majority of schools lost power at some point during the storm. The School System is working closely with Cleco and Washington - St. Tammany Electric Cooperative to ensure that all power is restored to schools before classes resume on Monday, September 8, 2008.

Seventeen St. Tammany Parish Public Schools were used as shelters during Hurricane Gustav. In all, our schools safely cared for about 1400 residents and emergency workers during the storm. Abita Middle School was one of the buildings used as to shelter people from the St. Tammany Area. On Friday, maintenance employees were busy clearing trees and limbs from the property. Sloan said, “We are grateful our schools were spared from major damage and that our students and employees will be able to return to school after just a few days.”

Transportation and meals will be provided at all schools on Monday however other services such as before and after care will be on a school by school basis. Parents should check with principals about those services.

Hurricane Gustav damaged a lot of the area’s power lines. Because of this situation, the School System is making exceptions to the uniform policy until all power is restored to St. Tammany Parish. Parents, however, do need to notify the schools.
 
Many people are concerned about whether the days missed because of Hurricane Gustav will affect the school calendar. St. Tammany has more than three days of extra time in the school calendar so it’s expected Gustav will create very little disruption to the calendar. However, School leaders say any additional lost time due to emergency situations during the school year will affect the calendar.

“Once again, our community worked together to get through a hurricane and to recover quickly. Our school system is pleased to have played an important role in helping to shelter our citizens and speed up recovery efforts,” said Sloan

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St. Tammany Parish Public Schools reopened on Monday, September 8, 2008.

St. Tammany Parish School employees began evaluating campuses and cleaning up debris as soon as Hurricane Gustav moved out of the area. “We were very lucky with Hurricane Gustav as it was not as powerful as predicted,” said Schools Superintendent Gayle Sloan.

Seventeen St. Tammany Parish Public Schools were used as shelters during Hurricane Gustav. In all, our schools safely cared for about 1400 residents and emergency workers during the storm. Abita Middle School was one of the buildings used as to shelter people from the St. Tammany Area. On Friday, maintenance employees were busy clearing trees and limbs from the property.

St. Tammany Parish Public School System officials have announced that schools and school support offices will be closed on both Tuesday and Wednesday, September 2 and 3, to provide our community with the time needed to deal with the threat of Hurricane Gustav. (Update: Schools will reopen on Monday, September 8)

In a previous announcement, schools were to be closed only on Tuesday, but due to the possible difficulty of returning to the area after evacuation, the closing has been extended to include Wednesday.

We know that many of our employees’ and students’ families are leaving town this holiday week-end, with plans to remain away from home until the uncertainties about Hurricane Gustav become clear.  The anticipated arrival of the storm in the Gulf Coast region on Monday will present problems regardless of where it comes in. Passage near us would produce a more direct impact, and landfall to the east or west likely would cause delays in travel home. 

Parents and employees are advised to consult our School System Web site, Channel 13 on Charter Cable Communications, our emergency message center ( inside the parish, 985-635-0801, Press 1, outside the parish, 1-800-580-1874),  and local media for updated information about any further days of school closing and information about when we will reopen.

A new television program produced by Educational Channel 13 will feature in-depth interviews with persons retired from the St. Tammany Parish Public School System. Marian Arrowsmith, a former Supervisor of Curriculum and Instruction and principal of Woodlake Elementary School, serves as host for the 30-minute talk show.

Entitled “Reflections,” the program focuses on how the challenges of the past lead to the opportunities of the future. “We are interviewing people who played an important role in the School System, people who had an impact on where we are and where we are going,” Mrs. Arrowsmith said.

Guests have shared what it was like to grow up and go to school in St. Tammany Parish in the early twentieth century, detailing the life challenges they faced at the time. One of her interview subjects  remembered that, in those early days, some students attended class barefoot and air conditioning was unheard of.  

“The program is a chance to honor the past by visiting with the people who helped shaped the present,” said Superintendent Gayle Sloan.

Mrs. Arrowsmith is enjoying her new role as talk show host. She retired from the School System in 2006 as a supervisor of curriculum and instruction, and last year she was brought back on board as an administrative coach, helping train prospective principals and assistant principals.

She hopes her “Reflections” interviews will help viewers understand that, as we look back at history, we can gain foundational insights to make us stronger in the future.

Click Here to go to the Channel 13 Programming Schedule.

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A newly-appointed committee to evaluate proposed attendance boundary lines for the new high school off Highway 1088 southeast of Abita Springs met August 25 at Fontainebleau High School. More than 200 people attended, taking the opportunity to examine three proposed map scenarios that served as starting points for discussion of possible boundary lines.

None of the three maps is intended necessarily to be a final attendance district, but served as conversation starters among those attending the meeting. A final decision may reflect one of the three or a totally different scenario.

The committee will continue to review population information, area maps, and public comments before developing one or more suggested boundary line scenarios. The next committee meeting is scheduled tentatively for September 15, 2008, at Fontainebleau High School, starting at 7:00 p. m. Continue to check this Web site for future committee meeting notices.

Once the committee has completed its research, received input from the public, and analyzed the information, a recommendation will be made to the School Board for its consideration.

Those wishing to make comments may send an email by clicking here.

Linda E. Roan, Director of Public Information/ Communications for the St. Tammany Parish Public School System for the past 17 years, will mark her last day with the School System on August 29. Her retirement was announced by Superintendent Gayle Sloan at the August School Board meeting.

Superintendent Sloan commended Mrs. Roan for her communication expertise, work as media liaison, creativity, and dedication to anything benefitting students.  “Linda is leaving us with a strong template of public information programs, procedures and presentations that will help us to continue our communication efforts,” Mrs. Sloan said.

A native of Jackson, Mississippi, Mrs. Roan moved to Louisiana in 1981. She came to work for the School System in 1991 with a background in business and industry communication and public relations. Over the years, she has assisted schools in getting the word out about hundreds of special events and accomplishments.  As primary contact with the news media, she has served as the spokesperson of the School System, but her work with the System has been broad and varied.

Mrs. Roan says that the decision to retire was difficult. “The work I do here has always been very meaningful to me. The variety of projects and tasks has been challenging and fulfilling, and the people I’ve worked with in the System are the best. I’ve appreciated their professionalism as well as their support and friendship,” she said.

She has served with three Superintendents, through eight tax and millage elections, three strategic plans, design and launch of the School System Web site, and many other projects.

School System communication efforts immediately following Hurricane Katrina were nationally recognized as a key contributor to the successful recovery of the School System. Within days of the storm, she joined others in working out of a makeshift office with few resources and facing considerable difficulties. Still, through dozens of news releases, broadcast interviews, Web site postings, informative posters, and the like, she helped reach thousands of evacuated St. Tammany Parish residents with information on the progress of getting the School System up and running again.

“Throughout my years with the System, I’ve had the pleasure of sharing volumes of good news about our schools and School System, including St. Tammany’s inclusion in a Money Magazine article on the Top 100 school systems in the country, Systemwide SACS/CASI accreditation, numerous awards and citations, and outstanding performance and accountability results,” she commented.

“I came to this School System with a strong conviction about the importance of public education. I leave after 17 years with an even stronger conviction,” she said.

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This past summer several School System educators took part in the inaugural session of the Michoud Education Fellow Program, an intensive two-week internship held at the NASA Michoud Assembly Facility in eastern New Orleans.

Those participating were Dr. Paulette Perrin, Secondary Science Curriculum Specialist, and teachers Ruth Hill, Monteleone Junior High School; Crystal Drake, St. Tammany Junior High School; Joanne Hobson, Slidell Junior High School; Paul Chandler, Slidell High School, and Deborah Nunez, Covington High School.

Dr. Perrin gave a report on the new program to the School Board recently, saying that the experience far surpassed the group's expectations.

In addition to touring the facility and getting a first-hand look at how important science, math, and literacy are in the daily work of Michoud employees, the teachers met with several NASA space shuttle astronauts: Karen Nyberg, mission specialist; Ken Ham, pilot; Ron Garan, mission specialist; Mark Kelly, commander; and Mike Fossum, mission specialist. 

The internship program is the result of collaboration among St. Tammany Parish Schools, Louisiana State University/Louisiana Space Consortium, and NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center/Michoud Assembly Facility. The program encourages educators to communicate the information, experiences, and lessons learned to their students during the school year. 

The St. Tammany Parish Public School System was invited to help develop the education program for teachers that could be duplicated with other parishes in southeast Louisiana. Other NASA facilities have similar opportunities for involving educators in facility tours and fellowship programs. 

During the event, educators were welcomed into the Michoud family and even designed their own “mission patch,” which featured a bright orange edge imprinted with their last names and a picture of a rocket, the space shuttle and the “lamp of learning” symbol in the inner blue circle. At the bottom of the inaugural patch was the St. Tammany Parish Public Schools logo and the names of the other participating institutions, NASA, LSU, and the Louisiana Space Consortium.

Commenting about their experience, Ms. Drake said, "The two weeks touring the Michoud facility and speaking with actual engineers and scientists was an eye-opening experience.” While at Michoud, she received numerous posters, books, pins, and other resources to bring back to her classroom to help engage her students in related lesson work.

“I am grateful to NASA, LSU, LaSpace, and the School Board for giving me the opportunity to expand my knowledge of the space program,” she said.

Dr. Perrin said the program offers a working model of what educators want their students to be able to do in a real world setting. “Teachers seldom have the opportunity to study the final product of education, the workplace,“ she said. “We saw in action the skills we want our graduates to take with them when they leave our School System.”

Program participants observed the assembly process for building Shuttle external fuel tanks, met with the engineering groups working for Lockheed who design and analyze the fuel tanks, and toured the materials labs where components are tested, evaluated and adjusted.

Michoud is managed by the NASA Marshall Space Flight Center and manufactures and assembles large aerospace systems and structures, including launch vehicles and space shuttle external fuel tanks in its 43-acre building in New Orleans East. Overall, the facility encompasses 832 acres with 900,000 square feet of office space, 400,000 square feet of warehouse space, and 2.2 million square feet of manufacturing space.

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Public schools throughout St. Tammany Parish have scheduled their Open House events for 2008-2009, inviting parents and guardians to visit their children’s classrooms and talk to their teachers. The Open House gives parents a chance to meet their children’s teachers and helps familiarize them with school and classroom procedures, activities and events.

Revisions were made to the original schedule due to cancellations caused by Hurricane Gustav.

“Parental involvement is such an important determiner of student success, and we encourage parents to take advantage of this opportunity to learn more about their children’s schools and to get acquainted with teachers and school administrators,” commented Schools Superintendent Gayle Sloan.  Often, school open houses are the first occasion a parent has to actually visit his or her child’s school, she said, and this event opens the door to future dialogue between the parent and the teacher.

School officials are looking forward to meeting parents and sharing information about schools. For the dates of Open House programs at specific schools, click here. 

The day August 8, 2008, was a good day for the St. Tammany Parish Public School System as teachers and school administrators welcomed students back to school from their summer break. Students spent the day getting acquainted with new schools, reuniting with friends, and meeting new teachers.

Months of preparations paid off, according to School officials who say that school operations went very smoothly. Parents expressed particular satisfaction with efforts made this year to expand communication about school bus transportation routes and driver contact information.“We appreciate the way everyone worked together to make this first day of school a great success,” said Superintendent Gayle Sloan. “We look forward to a great year.”

Pre-kindergarten and kindergarten students will be screened between August 8 and August 14, and those classes will start full-time on August 19.

The St. Tammany Parish Public School System and the Northshore School of the Arts (NSA) of Southeastern Louisiana University are continuing to work together to provide additional opportunities for high school students who want to take part in university-level advanced arts studies.

Students participating in the program are able to receive advanced instruction in the performing and visual arts while still attending public high school in St. Tammany Parish.  Students earn college credits in the program, and, if desired, they can advance in their pursuit of a degree in the arts when they graduate high school.

The Northshore School of the Arts aims to help high school juniors and seniors who are committed to the arts make a smoother transition to college as well as earn credit for courses in basic drawing, theatre, music theory, and applied music. Participants attend evening classes at Southeastern Louisiana University, either at the Hammond campus or St. Tammany area SLU Center for hands-on instruction in college-level courses.

The NSA seeks to bring to life the talents of our “artists of the future,” whose creative abilities in music, visual arts, and theatre are nurtured, inspired, and guided by experienced Southeastern faculty and staff, according to Charlotte Collins, the program’s first permanent director. The NSA has portfolio, interview, or audition entrance requirements and is offered to high school juniors and seniors only.

Classes are designed to reinforce instruction available in the public schools.

Application deadline for the Fall Semester is August 15, 2008.

CLICK HERE for course and contact information and for an application to enroll in the Northshore School of the Arts. Please click on the Subscribe button to get updates on the growing list of opportunities available through the NSA.

For current course offerings and tuition/fee information, please visit the NSA Web site at http://www.selu.edu/nsa or contact:

Charlotte Collins, Director
SLU Box 10388
Magee Hall, Room 206
Hammond, LA 70402
 985-549-2568 and 985-549-5014 (fax)

The proposed Fiscal Year 2008-2009 Budget for the St. Tammany Parish Public School System has been presented by Superintendent Gayle Sloan to the St. Tammany Parish School Board for its consideration for adoption in September.

The Superintendent presented her recommended budget at the August 7, 2008, Committee As A Whole meeting. A public hearing on the budget was held August 21. Consideration of adoption is expected to be at the Thursday, September 11, board meeting. Click here to view the proposed budget in an Adobe Acrobat PDF file.

Fifteen high school students from the St. Tammany Parish Public School System took part in an intensive one-week Summer Video Institute recently, learning video production techniques from shooting raw footage and standup commentary in the field to final editing procedures in the studio.

The seventh annual summer video program brought outstanding broadcast journalism students together with the experienced staff members of Channel 13, the School Board’s educational cable television channel. Each staff member led a class of four students as they created a video documentary from beginning to end. The institute included instruction on how to best tell a story employing camera handling techniques, lighting and music overlays.

A video festival held on the final day of the institute premiered the finished videos. One showcased the Abita Springs Opry; another the thoroughbred horse training industry; another the Bayou Lacombe Rural Museum; and, the fourth, a video overview of safe boating tips for teenagers. A fifth video  produced by Channel 13 intern Chris Hewitt featured behind-the-scenes clips from all four.

The student-produced videos will be broadcast on Channel 13.

Melody Swang, Director of Broadcasting for the School System, said, “We had a wonderful week; and, I must say, this has been the best institute we’ve had yet. The students came to us with some valuable experience from their school broadcasting programs and worked really hard for us.”

Instructors agreed that the “kids were awesome” and they were proud of what they had accomplished. The institute is a learning experience also for some the instructors, who came from television news production and were new to the idea of educating teenagers about their craft.

Learning the basics of camera work, editing, and post production, the students came with a wide range of experience. Most of them are interested in professional broadcast journalism careers, so the institute is a extra boost to their education.

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Mandeville High School teacher Deborah Tonguis was named the 2009 Louisiana State Teacher of the Year recently at the Second Annual Cecil J. Picard Educator Excellence Symposium and Celebration in Baton Rouge. 

“When I began the Teacher-of-the-Year process, I really just wanted to be the best ambassador for all of the teachers on my campus at Mandeville High School, and I really wanted to make St. Tammany Parish shine brightly,” said Ms. Tonguis. “Winning this award was a culmination of 27 years of teaching and I feel so respected and honored.”

At the end of last school year, Ms. Tonguis was named Mandeville High School Teacher of the Year. She later was selected the School System Teacher of the Year for the high school division and advanced to the regional and state competitions, where she took the top honors.The Louisiana Teacher of the Year Program, co-sponsored by the Louisiana Department of Education and the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, is an annual event designed to recognize and honor outstanding elementary, middle and high school teachers from school systems throughout the state. The state level competition includes 24 candidates from across the state.

A State Selection Committee selects a winner at the elementary, middle/junior high and high school levels, in addition to the Louisiana Teacher of the Year.  The applicant with the highest overall score among 24 candidates from across the state is selected Teacher of the Year. “We are pleased to share in the excitement with Ms. Tonguis,” said Superintendent Gayle Sloan. “We are proud that one of the many outstanding teachers in the St. Tammany Parish Public School System has received such a prestigious award. We congratulate her for receiving this honor.”

Candidates for the award are required to hold at least a bachelor’s degree, have demonstrated competency in the subjects that he or she teaches and be a fully certified, exceptionally dedicated, knowledgeable and skilled classroom teacher in any state-approved or accredited public school. Selection is based on how well teachers meet program criteria of: inspiring students of diverse backgrounds and abilities to learn; having respect and admiration of students, parents and colleagues; playing an active and useful role in the community and school; being articulate and enthusiastic; exhibiting knowledge of education policy; writing knowledgeably about education; and affiliation with professional education organizations.

Mandeville High School Principal Bruce Bundy said, “She is a fantastic teacher. She prepares kids to be successful in the education arena, not just in her classroom.”Tonguis has 27 years teaching experience, including 16 years in higher education and 11 years in St. Tammany Parish. According to Mr. Bundy, in addition to teaching World Geography and Psychology, she serves as the Social Studies Department Chairman, Freshman Coordinator, Tri Theta Sponsor and a LaTAAP Mentor. “She is involved in mentoring students and helping them along,” said Mr. Bundy. “She really cares about kids and likes to help mold their character.”

In addition to the title of  2009 State Teacher of the Year, Ms. Tonguis received a new Mercedes Benz to drive for a year, two complimentary airline tickets to fly anywhere in the continental United States, a free rental car for four days and jewelry. In addition to these prizes, she also won supplies for her classroom, including a laptop computer; ACTIVboard from Promethean, Inc; a $500 gift certificate from Dream Teachers, L.L.C., and a $100 gift certificate from Apple Education for Apple products.

“I love teaching because it’s who I am. I have discovered that teaching is my purpose,” said Ms. Tonguis. “Every interaction I have with my students gives me an opportunity to become a better person. They give back more than I ever give to them.”

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The St. Tammany Parish School Board announced intentions to forgo advertising a public meeting to consider rolling forward millage rates, signaling the Board will accept the rolled-back millage rate for ad valorem tax revenue for the coming year.

The millage rollback means taxpayers will not have an increase in taxes dedicated to the School Board this year, despite an anticipated increase in property valuations from the 2008 reassessment of property by the parish tax assessor. According to School System Superintendent Gayle Sloan, the decision is to hold revenue collections stable and review the impact of the millage reduction during the next fiscal year.

“We find ourselves in a better financial situation following this reassessment period than after the 2004 reassessment, largely as a result of controls on employee health care expenses, energy consumption, and other belt-tightening measures,” Superintendent Sloan said.   
            
Speaking on behalf of the School Board, Board President Neal Hennegan said, “The School Board works hard to keep the School System fiscally sound and responsible, and we want to weigh revenue matters carefully. Board members understand that all of us are facing rapid increases in the cost of living right now, and the entire Board agrees that we would like to take more time to look at the financial impact of the rollback, review School System needs, and allow time for public input before considering any future discussion of millage rates.”
              
The measure was unanimously approved at the School Board meeting on July 17.  
              
State law requires that millages be adjusted to a revenue-neutral level after every reassessment. The rollback following the 2008 reassessment of property is intended to maintain the same level of revenue collections regardless of the expected increase in property values. Local taxing entities have the option to either accept the rolled-back millage rate for the coming year or advertise plans to consider an upward adjustment in millages based upon needs. 

Two first place New Orleans Press Club awards were presented July 19 to the director and staff of Channel 13, the St. Tammany Parish Public School System educational television station.

Melody Swang, Director of Broadcasting for the School System, said her group was honored to win the nominations several weeks ago. “We were in competition with all the New Orleans broadcast stations, so it was quite a moment when we won top honors,” Mrs. Swang said.

Channel 13 won first place in the Public Affairs category for its documentary “Teen Focus on Safe Driving: Survivor” produced by Mrs. Swang, John Harrison and Trevor Cassidy and a first place award in the Sports Action Photo Category for a video produced by staff member David Williams featuring Slidell High School football star Matt Forte’. The group also won an “honorable mention” for its video on Dr. Margo Guilott’s retirement.

Mrs. Swang said she was especially pleased that Trevor Cassidy, a student intern at Channel 13 before he graduated, was able to join the group at the awards presentation for his contribution to the graphics on the “Teen Focus” documentary. “The recognition will present future Channel 13 student interns a real challenge,” Mrs. Swang said. “But they will see that hard work can earn them New Orleans Press Club honors, just as it did Trevor.”

Superintendent Gayle Sloan said, “Channel 13 has always been a great communications tool for our School System, and receiving first place awards from the New Orleans Press Club proves its professionalism and effectiveness. We congratulate the whole team -- staff, student interns and Director Melody Swang -- on their wonderful accomplishment.”

All the videos competing in the awards program were judged by other Press Clubs from throughout the nation.

The crew at Channel 13 were competing in the Press Club’s regular television media categories, not in a special educational channel category, so the awards meant even more to Mrs. Swang and her personnel. “This was a wonderful highlight in our careers,” she said. “I am so proud of my staff.”

St. Tammany Parish School System officials recently unveiled plans for a Preservation Plaza, part of a Systemwide project to preserve the history of the schools and System.  The project is designed to serve as a lasting memorial to retired employees from the School System.

“This is a memorial through which we can pay homage to our employees who established a strong foundation for our School System and who helped to make our System what it is today,” said Superintendent Gayle Sloan.

The Preservation Plaza is planned for the Jefferson Avenue side of the C.  J. Schoen Administrative Complex.  Architectural concepts of the Plaza, provided by Fauntleroy and Latham Architects, A.P.C., include sculptures, benches and walkways made of inscribed bricks honoring the service of employees who retired from the System.  “This would be a complementary outdoor feature that we think would be a tremendous asset to the Jefferson side of the building” said Kieran Weldon, Executive Vice President of Fauntleroy and Latham Architects, A.P.C. 

The Plaza will incorporate the existing flagpole, walkways, and landscaping into the design.  The first in a series of phases includes the construction of a 32’ diameter circular plaza made of inscribed pavers. 
              
With the basic concept in place, the System is now accepting donations from individuals, organizations and private businesses for sculptures, benches and other Plaza features and for personalized bricks.  The bricks are available now for $75.  Proceeds from brick sales will fund the majority of the project.
            
 “The bricks offer an opportunity for former employees to preserve the memory of their service or for others to honor a former teacher, friend, colleague or loved one,” said Superintendent Sloan.  Bricks may be purchased in the name of any individual who retired from the St. Tammany Parish Public School System or who passed away while in service. Bricks will be inscribed with the employee’s name, position, and starting and ending dates of service. 
               
Businesses and individuals also may contribute to the Plaza either through donations for sculptures and other special features to be placed throughout the Plaza or through general donations to the Preservation Plaza Fund.  Local professionals who have committed to volunteering their services to the project include Fauntleroy and Latham Architects, A.P.C.; Creative Engineering Group; Kyle Associates, L.L.C.; Schrenk and Peterson Consulting Engineers, Inc. and J. V. Burkes Associates, Inc.

 “We want to focus on preserving the history of our schools and School System,” said Mrs. Sloan.   “We think this is something that could be a lasting memorial and would be an important part of the ongoing preservation project for our School System.”
    
All donors and retirees who have a brick dedicated to them will be listed on the System Web site.  Those interested in donating to the Preservation Plaza or requesting more information are asked to call (985) 898-3254.

St. Tammany Parish Public School officials have announced the schedule and requirements for registering students entering Public Schools for the first time next month. Registration will be held at the schools the students will attend.

A list of schools and the dates each will register new students is available by clicking here.  The free software program Adobe Acrobat Reader is required for reading the document linked above. To obtain the software, click here.

The Advanced Placement program at Mandeville High School recently won a Siemens Foundation award for providing enhanced learning opportunities in science, technology, and mathematics. Richard Burvant, General Manager of Siemens Building Technologies, New Orleans branch, presented the award to Principal Bruce Bundy at a recent School Board meeting.

Mr. Burvant said that recognizing educational excellence has always been a priority at Siemens. “If we are going to continue to create cutting-edge innovations and high-paying jobs, then it is important to honor teachers instrumental in student achievement and schools such as Mandeville High School for educating the next generation of scientists who will advance tomorrow’s technology.” He singled out Advance Placement courses as a major contributor to that goal.

Mr. Bundy expressed his appreciation for the recognition. “The Advanced Placement program is a great opportunity for many of our college-bound students,” he said.

St. Tammany Parish high school students seeking to earn college credit prior to graduating from high school may do so by taking Advanced Placement (AP) courses available in a variety of subject areas.

Senior Supervisor of Instruction Denise Parker Barnes said the AP program, a part of the St. Tammany Parish School System for many years, helps students get a head start on college by offering a wide selection of courses, both in the core curriculum and electives, including foreign languages.

By taking the AP courses and passing the College Board exams with a three point or higher grade in the class, students earn college credits, giving them a jump start on college work and saving some tuition costs.

“It’s an opportunity for students to do college level work while in high school,” Mrs. Barnes said. 

The Siemens Foundation awards program, now in its tenth year, is conducted in partnership with the College Board. The honor was accompanied by a $1,000 grant to Mandeville High School. Only one school per state receives the award each year. 

A new in-house program to conserve energy and save the School System money through energy management has achieved a 15 percent reduction in energy usage over the past 29 months, resulting in a cost avoidance of $2.2 million.

Administrative Supervisor Dr. John Swang, director of the energy management program, told the School Board at its recent meeting that employees are now routinely doing the things necessary to reduce energy usage. “It isn’t easy going green,” he said. “It requires all of us to think and behave differently at home and at work.”

He found School System employees willing and ready to do what they could to better manage the energy their schools use. The initial goal of 10 percent savings has been met, and the total energy cost savings now reaches 14.7 percent over the baseline School Year of 2004-2005.

The program involves administrators, staff, teachers, and students, motivating them to take actions such as adjusting thermostats to efficient levels and turning lights and computers off whenever possible. Dr. Swang said that maintenance mechanics who work on the air conditioning and heating systems have been key players in the savings, and building custodians have been especially helpful.

The installation of automated systems that give administrators greater insight and control over electrical use in their schools has resulted in considerable energy savings, from 6.4 percent to 30 percent at one school alone. Thirty-one schools are now being monitored using the multi-site Energy Optimization NOVAR control system, and administrators can control thermostats and oversee air conditioning and lighting usage via an internet connection. In the coming year, NOVAR systems are being scheduled for installation at additional schools.

Changing from incandescent light bulbs to compact fluorescent also is part of the conservation program, and curriculum instruction programs are being implemented from Kindergarten through 12th grade to begin introducing students to the importance of saving energy.

“As an incentive to save energy, we told the principals that we would take a look at using part of the savings to increase their operational budgets,” said Gayle Sloan, Superintendent. “Last year we were able to do that, giving the schools an additional $10 per child for such items as copy machines, supplies, and equipment for the classroom.”

Dr. Swang said the School System is also monitoring energy bills for errors and tax charges which can save additional thousands of dollars.

The St. Tammany Parish Public School System was the first school district in the state to enter into the Energy Star Partnership, an Environmental Protection Agency Program.  The EPA recognizes some partnership participants with Energy Star Leaders Awards, and Dr. Swang is waiting to hear if the School System won an award for saving over 10 percent in energy costs over the past three years.

According to Dr. Swang, the EPA program considers anything more than10 percent drop in energy costs an indication of “superior management and environmental leadership.”

The bond rating for the St. Tammany Parish School System recently was upgraded by Standard and Poor’s from an AA- rating to an AA rating, the highest rating given any School Board in the state.
 
According to Standard and Poor’s primary credit analyst, the rating was upgraded based on a number of factors, including the School System’s strong financial performance, large and diverse property tax base, very strong financial operations and general fund position, and low overall net debt burden.
 
St. Tammany Parish taxpayers have saved millions of dollars in interest costs on bonds because of the high credit rating of the School Board, said Bond Attorney Grant Schlueter of Foley & Judell at a recent School Board meeting. “The high bond ratings means the St. Tammany Parish School Board can attract lenders offering lower interest rates when the School System issues general obligation bonds,” he explained. “The lower rates of interest result in substantial savings on property taxes in retiring debt.”
 
“The latest upgrade in our bond rating is a strong endorsement of the fiscal responsibility exercised by the School Board and System administration,” said Superintendent Gayle Sloan. “We are gratified by this show of confidence by Standard & Poor’s and by the support our community consistently provides. Local support is a major contributor to a strong bond rating.”

 The St. Tammany Parish School Board opened bids June 12 for the purchase of $67 million worth of general obligation bonds to construct new schools and install new technology in schools throughout the Parish. Sale of these bonds will be the first series of bonds to be issued from the $150 million bond issue authorized by voters in March.

Four bids were received, and BB&T Capital Markets submitted the low bid at an interest rate of 4.401 percent. The School Board adopted a resolution accepting the low bid and voted to authorize the incurring of the debt and issuance of the $67 million in bonds. 

School Board bond attorney Grant Schlueter of Foley & Judell firm told the Board the bid prices were in line with what they were expecting. “We have been watching rates increase over the past few months as inflationary rates are fueled by gas price increases, and I am comfortable with these bids,” he said.

 Schlueter told the Board that holding a special board meeting at 11 a.m. to open bids was an incentive for the bond markets to submit bids electronically, resulting in more bids than usual being submitted.

 “Your high bond rating is reflective in the bids submitted,” he said, noting that the School System rating had just been upgraded by Standard and Poor’s from an AA- rating to an AA rating

Nine  assistant principals were appointed by the St. Tammany Parish School Board at its regular June meeting, and five of those were assigned to the Parishwide Assistant Principal pool to serve where needed during the upcoming school year.
 
Diane Combs was appointed assistant principal at Abney Elementary School. She taught pre-school classes and kindergarten in Jefferson Parish from 1985 to 1993 and transitional first grade and first grade at Whispering Forest Elementary from 1993 to 2006. For the past two years, she has been a part of the Parishwide Assistant Principal group.

Daphne Yolanda Lowe will serve as assistant principal at Chahta-Ima Elementary School and Bayou Lacombe Middle School. She began her teaching career at Poindexter Elementary School in Jackson, Mississippi, in 1995, taught second grade at Gaston Point Elementary in Gulfport, Mississippi, from 1997 to 2000, and most recently taught eighth grade reading at Biloxi Junior High School. She was an Adjunct Development Reading Instructor at Delgado Community College in Covington in the fall semesters of 2004 and 2005.

Lelia Parker was appointed assistant principal at Folsom Elementary School, coming from the Parishwide Assistant Principals group. Her educational career started at Covington Special Education School in 1979, and between 1979 and 1981, she taught fourth grade at Sixth Ward Junior High School. She worked in the Bogalusa School System between 1981 and 2005, and moved to Lyon Elementary School to teach second grade 2005 to 2007.

Sarah Revere, another Parishwide Assistant Principal, was named assistant principal at Folsom Junior High School. She joined the School System in 1998, teaching fifth grade at Mandeville Middle School until 2001, when she began teaching sixth grade at Lake Harbor Middle School. From 2002 to 2007, she taught computer education and fifth grade at Pine View Middle School, after which she joined the Parishwide Assistant Principals program.

Superintendent Gayle Sloan commented that, with so many of the new appointments being made from the Parishwide Assistant Principal pool, “the cupboard is bare.” So five new appointments were made to that group to replenish it.

Robert DeRoche, Linda Fussell, Chantelle O’Meallie, Edward Strohmeyer, and Kelley Welch were named to the Parishwide Assistant Principals group.

Robert DeRoche, an administrative assistant at Fontainebleau High School, began teaching in 1992, and joined the Fontainebleau High School faculty in 2005.

Linda Fussell, who has served as the Professional Development Coordinator at Covington High School since 2006, began teaching mathematics at Pitcher Junior High in 1987 and in 1991 moved to the Covington High mathematics department.

Chantelle O’Meallie began teaching first grade in Hammond, and joined the faculty at Woodlake Elementary School in 2002 as a first and second grade teacher.

Edward Strohmeyer has served as Resource Helping Teacher at Abita Springs Middle School since 2006. He began teaching at Abita Springs Elementary in 1995, moved to Abita Springs Junior High the following year, and taught sixth grade at Abita Springs Middle School from 1996 through 2006.

Kelley Welch began teaching at C. J. Schoen Middle School in 1999, joined the Brock Elementary School faculty in 1999, and became an Early Intervention Facilitator for the School System in 2006.

A large group of community, parent, and faculty volunteers, including members of the National Guard and AmeriCorps, recently came together to build a custom-designed  play structure on the playground at Bayou Lacombe Middle School.

The program was coordinated by KaBoom!, a national non-profit organization that has a goal of building a playground within walking distance of every child in America. Fannie Mae, a publicly-owned secondary mortgage company, also played a substantial role in making the playground additions a reality.

Patrick Woods, Bayou Lacombe Middle School Principal, said the new play structure will stand as a shining example of what people can do when they all come together. “I thank all of the parents and community partners who volunteered and donated to the project,” he said.

The design of the playground is based on drawings provided by students who attended a “design day” activity in the school library in March. The design features “rock” climbing walls, ladders, bridges, tunnels, and slides.

Playground construction started at 11:00 a. m. and ended at 1:30 p. m. A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held at 2:00 p. m., with School Board Member Sorola “Jody” Palmer and St. Tammany Parish Council Member Al Hamauei on hand for the event.

The playground additions include wood planters, an outdoor classroom with benches and chalkboard, and a raised wooden platform for performances. Work crews stayed busy spreading mulch, tightening the bolts, mixing cement in wheelbarrows, and painting the states different colors on a map of the United States, which was painted on the sidewalk outside the gymnasium.

Mr. Woods specifically thanked Beth Bergere of Fannie Mae, Nate Rosenthall of KaBoom, faculty members Ann James, Sara Hughes and Ellie Schroder, and Cafeteria Manager Nona Navarre, in addition to all other staff members and parents who took part in the effort. “This is a great day for the Lacombe community,” Woods stated, “So let the play begin!”

The playground is the 95th built as a part of Operation Playground, the KaBOOM! initiative to build 100 playgrounds in areas affected by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

Photo of workers spreading mulch around playground.

At its recent meeting, the School Board approved the appointments of two principals and eight assistant principals to fill vacancies arising at the end of the school year.

Robert M. Alford was appointed Principal at Abney Elementary School, replacing Supervisor of Technology Julie Matte, who was serving in the post temporarily.
Mr. Alford has been an IEP Facilitator in the Special Education Department for the past five years.  He began his career in education as a paraprofessional for special education students at Fontainebleau High School in 1997.

Named Principal at Folsom Elementary School was Lesa H. Bodnar, who has served as Assistant Principal on the campus for the past year. She began teaching at Lyon Elementary School in Covington in 1996. She replaces Aimee Woessner, who recently was appointed a Supervisor of Curriculum and Instruction.

Harry Dixon, III, will be a new Assistant Principal at Northshore High School. Mr. Dixon formerly was Assistant Principal at Frederick Douglass High School in New Orleans. He will fill the position left vacant by the retirement of Thelma Torregano.

Appointed temporary Assistant Principal at Mandeville Elementary School was Judith Hankel, who will be serving in the post while Assistant Principal Casey Gleason is on leave next year. Ms. Hankel has taught second grade at the school since 1994.