back_to_school_2012

L ‘Observateur SATURDAY, JULY 28, 2012 3BACK TO SCHOOL

School systems cope with coming changesBY DAVID VITRANO

L’OBSERVATEUR

LAPLACE – Like many dis-tricts across the state, theschool systems of the RiverParishes are struggling to domore with less while keepingup with the slew of reformsrecently passed by theLouisiana Legislature.

St. John the Baptist Parish,which was hit hardest of thedistricts in the River Par-ishes by funding cuts overthe past few years, seems tobe seeing the light at the endof the tunnel, with the stateseemingly ready to reinstatesome of the MFP funding itstripped from the district inrecent years. That made bal-ancing this year’s budget alittle easier, although it took

hard work from the district’semployees to continue mak-ing gains, according to for-mer Superintendent Court-ney Millet.

“It’s all in the people,” shesaid.

While Millet may haveretired from the school sys-tem, her successor, interimSuperintendent HerbertSmith, has vowed to keepmoving forward with thestrategy she had establishedduring her tenure.

The district has increasedthe amount of money it dedi-cates to instruction for thepast five years. It now spendsmore than three-quarters ofits funds on instruction, sur-passing the state recommen-dation of 70 percent andcompensating for an overall

decrease in available dollars.For the past few years, thedistrict, like many in thestate, has faced budget prob-lems, yet according to Millet,it has made “real, measura-ble improvement” in theform of higher test scoresand increased graduationrates.

“St. John the BaptistParish continues to be chal-lenged by increased educa-tion needs, increased fund-ing mandates and decreasedresources,” she said. “Wewill continue to make toughdecisions about how to moveforward efficiently and effec-tively.”

In the coming year theadministration will have theadded challenge of adjustingpolicies and practices to

accommodate the newlypassed education reformsand at the same time create afair and welcoming work-place for employees.

The teachers and princi-pals have engaged in numer-ous professional develop-ment exercises. Recently,there have been grade-levelmeetings to provide educa-tors the opportunity to be-come familiarized with theCommon Core State Stan-dards — part of the reformpackage — which are inmany instances much morestringent than previous re-quirements. Additional ses-sions have continued theMotion Leadership programbegun in recent years, butagain with a focus on theCommon Core Standards.

Of course, all this is ulti-mately for the benefit of thestudent, and the district’sstudents have responded tothe efforts. The DistrictPerformance Score — basedin part on student test scoresand graduation rates — grewthree points from 2009-10 to2010-11. St. John is in the top20 districts for growth. Thedistrict’s LEAP testers sur-passed the state’s percentageof students who meet promo-tional standards by 5 per-cent, according to Millet.

In addition to higher grad-uation rates, the district’shigh school students havebeen getting more out oftheir schooling by takingdual enrollment classes in

SEE CHANGES, PAGE 4

increasing numbers.The number of dual en-rollment students lastyear rose to 825 from350 during the 2010-11school year.

Although the St. JohnParish School Boardhas yet to begin lookingfor a permanent re-placement for Millet inearnest, the search willlikely take severalmonths, so in the fu-ture, the focus of thedistrict may shift withnew leadership, and the2013-14 school year maybe one of transition forthe district.

While St. John Parishis facing transition inthe future, in St. JamesParish the transitiontime is now.

The 2011-12 schoolyear began with thepre-K and kindergartenstudents at RomevilleElementary instead at-tending class at PaulinaElementary. The yearended with the com-plete closure of Rome-ville ElementarySchool and the mergingof the entire studentbody of Romeville into

that of Paulina Ele-mentary.

On the west bank, theSchool Board is movingforward with plans tomove at least the stadi-um of St. James HighSchool to a locationnear the intersection ofLouisiana Highways 20and 3127 with an eyetoward eventually mov-ing the entire schoolthere. District adminis-tration recently closedon the land deal, andconstruction is current-ly in the planningphase.

These moves havebeen necessitated by apopulation shift in theparish away from thewestern portions of theparish as industry con-tinues to grow in thoseareas.

Other additions to thedistrict’s academic ar-senal will start up inthe upcoming schoolyear.

Gramercy Element-ary School will be thesite of a magnet pro-gram next year, and byall account, St. Jamesresidents have given itthe stamp of approval.

“In our first year we

had a waiting list foralmost every grade lev-el,” said Superintend-ent Alonzo Luce.“We’re excited aboutthe program because itjust met many needs.”

The School Board isready to begin a secondround of additions atGES to house an addi-tional class at eachgrade level for the 2013-14 school year.

Another option forstudents during the2012-13 school year willbe to receive their edu-cation through St.James’ new virtualacademy, which wascreated in response tostatewide virtual acad-emies that started dur-ing the 2011-12 schoolyear.

“We believe we cancompete and win,” saidLuce.

Additionally, the ad-ministration has cho-sen to see the educationreforms as an opportu-nity for growth ratherthan a hindrance.

“I think some of theteachers are going tofeel beaten down, but ifthey’re good teachers,they’re going to have a

job,” said Luce. “We’regoing to use this as atime to grow.”

Further downriver inSt. Charles Parish, theschool system is alsousing the reforms as anopportunity to growand improve.

“It is exciting times,whenever you changeas much as this statehas changed,” Superin-tendent Rodney Lafonsaid.

“It’s about preparingeverybody for change,”he said. “Lots of whatthe state has done isgood.”

Starting in August,schools in St. CharlesParish will be alignedaccording to CommonCore Standards, mean-ing grades K-second,third through fifth,

sixth through eighth,and ninth through 12thwill be housed together.Lafon said it is big job,much more than justshuffling students.Aside from reconfigur-ing and sometimes add-ing to the availableclassroom space atschools, other logisticssuch as bus routes mustbe worked out. Andthen there is the biggesthurdle.

“We spent a lot oftime to make surewe’ve prepared the pub-lic for what’s coming,”said Lafon.

“This isn’t just aboutmoving kids. It’s goingto take parents a coupleof years to catch on,”he added.

And it isn’t just theparents who have to

adjust.“I would love to tell

you the headaches areover,” said Lafon.“Everybody’s in learn-ing mode.”

All the headaches,however, will be worthit as Lafon said hebelieves the resultinguniformity will ulti-mately benefit the stu-dent.

The district is alsolooking forward to host-ing the National Fed-eration of Urban-Sub-urban School Districtsconference in October,during which the sup-erintendent and theSchool Board will beable to pool ideas withtheir colleagues fromacross the nation.

“It’s kind of a power-ful thing,” said Lafon.

4 L ‘Observateur SATURDAY, JULY 28, 2012 BACK TO SCHOOL

FROM PAGE 3

CHANGES: Magnet program starting at Gramercy Elementary School

PUBLIC SCHOOLS

SStt.. JJoohhnn CChhiilldd DDeevveellooppmmeenntt CCeenntteerr117 Stebbins St., Garyville985-535-3917

EEaasstt SStt.. JJoohhnn EElleemmeennttaarryy400 Ory Dr., LaPlace985-536-8450

EEaasstt SStt.. JJoohhnn HHiigghh SScchhooooll#1 Wildcat Dr., Reserve985-536-4226

EEmmiillyy CC.. WWaattkkiinnss EElleemmeennttaarryy938 La. Highway 628, LaPlace985-652-1593

FFiifftthh WWaarrdd EElleemmeennttaarryy158 Panther Dr., Reserve985-536-4221

GGaarryyvviillllee//MMtt.. AAiirryy MMaatthh aanndd SScciieennccee MMaaggnneett240 Highway 54, Garyville985-535-5400

LLaakkee PPoonnttcchhaarrttrraaiinnEElleemmeennttaarryy

3328 Highway 51, LaPlace985-652-2003

JJoohhnn LL.. OOrryy MMaaggnneett182 West Fifth St., LaPlace985-651-3700

LLaaPPllaaccee EElleemmeennttaarryy393 Greenwood Dr., LaPlace985-652-5552

SStt.. JJoohhnn RReeddiirreeccttiioonn CCeenntteerr1880 Highway 44, Reserve985-536-4283

MMiilleessvviillllee SScchhooooll538 West Second St., LaPlace985-652-7233

SStt.. JJoohhnn AAdduulltt EEdduuccaattiioonn CCeenntteerr152 Anthony F. Monica, Garyville985-535-2717WWeesstt SStt.. JJoohhnn EElleemmeennttaarryy2555 Highway 18, Edgard985-497-3347

WWeesstt SStt.. JJoohhnn HHiigghh SScchhooooll480 Highway 3127, Edgard985-497-3271

PRIVATE SCHOOLS

JJooaann’’ss DDaayy CCaarree && PPrree--sscchhooooll1708 Carrollwood Dr., LaPlace985-652-2221

SStt.. TTiimmootthhyy’’ss EEppiissccooppaall PPrree--sscchhooooll1101 Belle Alliance corner

Madewood, LaPlace985-652-7001

SStt.. PPeetteerr CCaatthhoolliicc SScchhooooll166 West Seventh St., Reserve985-536-4296

AAsscceennssiioonn OOff OOuurr LLoorrdd 1813 Greenwood Dr., LaPlace985-652-4532

LLiibbeerrttyy CChhrriissttiiaann AAccaaddeemmyy407 E. Airline Highway, LaPlace985-652-5072

LifeHouse Daniel Academy3556 W. Airline Highway, Reserve985-536-2418

OOuurr LLaaddyy ooff GGrraaccee780 Highway 44, Reserve985-536-4291

SStt.. CChhaarrlleess CCaatthhoolliicc HHiigghh SScchhooooll100 Dominican Dr., LaPlace985-652-3809

SStt.. JJooaann ooff AArrcc CCaatthhoolliicc SScchhooooll412 Fir St., LaPlace985-652-6310

RRiivveerrssiiddee AAccaaddeemmyy332 Railroad Ave., Reserve

L ‘Observateur SATURDAY, JULY 28, 2012 5 BACK TO SCHOOL

Schools in St. John the Baptist Parish


St. John School Calendar2011-2012 School Year

AAuugguusstt 99 First Day of School

1166 First Day of School forKindergarten, Pre-K

2277 First Day of School for HeadStart

SSeepptteemmbbeerr33 Labor Day Holiday

OOccttoobbeerr1111 End of First Nine Weeks

NNoovveemmbbeerr66 Election Day Holiday

1166--2233 Thanksgiving Holidays

DDeecceemmbbeerr2200 End of Second Nine Weeks

2211 –– 3311 Christmas/New Years’ Holidays

JJaannuuaarryy11--77 New Years’ Holidays

2211 Martin Luther King Holiday

2222 100th Day of School

FFeebbrruuaarryy1111--1155 Mardi Gras Holidays

MMaarrcchh1155 End of Third Nine Weeks

1199--2211 LEAP Phase I Testing

2255--3311 Easter Holidays

AApprriill11 Easter Holiday

1199--2211 LEAP Phase 2 Testing

2233 EOC Testing Begins

MMaayy 2244 Last Day for Students

Back-to-school tipsThe start of a new

school year is like afresh box of crayons –full of possibilities.

Ginny Bean, motherof three and publisherof Ginny's catalog, sug-gests families take ad-vantage of this cleanslate by establishingsome new organizingroutines.

Think ahead. Morn-ings are chaotic in mosthouseholds withschool-aged children.Consider handling asmany daytime prepara-tions as possible thenight before. Lay outclothes. Pack lunches.Set out the breakfastdishes and cereal. Packbackpacks.

Bean suggests mak-ing systems kid-friend-ly, so young helpers canfeel involved, and savemom some time in theprocess.

Tackle school pap-erwork. Make a habitof sorting through chil-dren's backpacks withthem the same day theycome home. Allot timeafter school, when youarrive home from work,or after dinner, depend-ing on your family's

schedule. Use a tieredletter sorter or filingsystem with designatedslots for each child'spapers, and an"A.S.A.P." space forteachers' notes, permis-sion slips and anythingelse that requires im-mediate attention.

For schoolwork andartwork you want tokeep, try a two-step ap-proach. First, purge un-wanted items as soon asthey come in the door.Collect the possiblekeepers in a storage binor wheeled cart withcolor-coded drawersthat allow for easy sepa-ration by child or proj-ect type. Go throughstored items at regularintervals, perhaps oncea month or once a quar-ter.

Designate a home-work spot. Decide onthe best spot in yourhome to set up home-work central. Take intoconsideration how in-volved you need to bewith homework andyour child's style. Doeshe focus better withpeople around or in aprivate setting? Is hebetter suited to sit at a

desk or curled up in afavorite chair with alaptop cart?

Once you have a placepicked out, gather to-gether handy home-work tools and suppliesinto a nearby bin, draw-er or cabinet. Stock upon age-appropriate sup-plies such as pens, pen-cils, erasers, paper,crayons, markers, aruler, dictionary, calcu-lator and a pencilsharpener.

Create a communi-cation hub. Includethe family calendar, achalk or bulletin boardfor posting messagesand reminders, a bind-er for key documents,colored markers, pensand pencils. If you're avisual person, considercolor coding your cal-endar by assigningeach family member adifferent color.

Remember not toforget. Use wall hooksand baskets or binsnear the front door tocorral the items youneed to remember eachday: backpacks, books,lunches, gym shoes,sports equipment andmusical instruments.

BY ROBIN SHANNONL’OBSERVATEUR

LAPLACE – As newstate education reformsbegin to go into effectthis upcoming schoolyear, public school sup-erintendents in theRiver Parishes say theschool systems will beready for the changes.

Chief among thosechanges is the imple-mentation of the Com-mon Core Standards, aset of educationalbenchmarks developedby leaders in educationand members of theNational Governors As-sociation. Louisiana isthe most recent of 45states to adopt the sys-tem.

Rather than impose

curriculum on schools,the Common Core setsstudent performancestandards that slowlybuild upon themselvesyear after year. As earlyas kindergarten, stu-dents will begin devel-oping the basic skills inreading, writing, math,speaking and listeningthat will make themcollege and careerready.

Each state has leewayto redraft the Standardsas it sees fit, but as awhole, national Com-mon Core implementa-tion will establish a rel-atively uniform set ofstandards across thecountry, making it easi-er for families to movetheir children betweenschools and creating

new opportunities forcollaboration betweeneducators all over thecountry.

In St. James Parish,Superintendant AlonzoLuce said teachers andprincipals across thedistrict have engagedin a series of profes-sional development ex-ercises designed to getthem more acquaintedwith the Common CoreState Standards in aneffort to make it clearwhat is to be expectedfrom the teachers, theparents and the stu-dents.

“It is more rigorous,but it enhances theaccountability in theclassroom,” Luce said.

“I think it should beseen as a positive. We

have good teachers inthe district, and thiswill be a chance toshow it,” the superin-tendent added.

In St. John the BaptistParish, teachers havealso gone through meet-ings and other exercis-es in an effort to em-brace the new stan-dards.

Former Superintend-ent Courtney Milletsaid one of the keygoals of exercises wasto ensure that theschool system main-tains a fair workplacewhere teachers cancontinue to embracetheir creativity.

“It will be a challenge,but it isn’t a problemthe system cannot han-dle,” Millet said. “Dedi-

cated and effective edu-cators are in this schooldistrict, and it will notaffect their practices.”

Meanwhile in St.Charles, Superintend-ent Rodney Lafon saidhis district is also mak-ing the necessary ad-justments in accor-dance with the Com-mon Core Standards.He said schools willnow have grades K-sec-ond, third throughfifth, sixth througheighth and ninththrough 12th housedtogether.

“We have had toreconfigure someschools and add toavailable classroomspace at others,” Lafonsaid. “We have donequite a lot to make sure

the public knows whatis to come next schoolyear. We know it isgoing to take parentssome time to get used toit too.”

As for the teacherevaluation aspect ofthe new reforms, Lafonsaid educators in thedistrict will be readyfor the stiffer standardsbecause the currentevaluation system inthe district is alreadyvery strong.

“There is alwaysgoing to be some con-cern, but if the teacheris effective in our sys-tem, there will be noproblem,” Lafon said.

For a more in-depthlook at the new stan-dards, visit www.core-standards.org.


Common Core brings change to classrooms


St. James School Calendar2011-2012 School Year

AAuugguusstt 77 First Day of School


OOccttoobbeerr1155--1166 Fall Break



DDeecceemmbbeerr 2244--3311 Christmas/New Years’ Holidays

JJaannuuaarryy11--77 New Year’s Holidays

2211 Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday


MMaarrcchh1199 LEAP Phase 1 Testing



88--1111 LEAP Phase 2 Testing

MMaayy2244 Last Day of School

St. James ParishSchools

PUBLIC SCHOOLS

LLuuttcchheerr HHeeaaddssttaarrtt CCeenntteerr2469 North King Ave.,Lutcher225-869-3421

AAlltteerrnnaattiivvee CCeenntteerr1410 Buddy Whitney St.,Lutcher225-258-4571

FFiifftthh WWaarrdd EElleemmeennttaarryy8184 Villavaso St.,St. James225-473-9537

GGrraammeerrccyy EElleemmeennttaarryy601 East Second St.,Gramercy225-869-3001

LLuuttcchheerr EElleemmeennttaarryy2461 North King Ave., Lutcher225-869-3661

LLuuttcchheerr HHiigghh SScchhooooll1910 West Main St.,Lutcher225-869-5741

SStt.. JJaammeess HHiigghh SScchhooooll5181 Wildcat St., St. James225-265-3911PPaauulliinnaa EElleemmeennttaarryy2756 Highway 44, Paulina225-869-3639

SSiixxtthh WWaarrdd EElleemmeennttaarryy3245 Valcour Aimee Rd., Vacherie225-265-3942

VVaacchheerriiee EElleemmeennttaarryy13440 Highway 644,Vacherie225-265-3674

PRIVATE SCHOOLS

SStt.. PPeetteerr CChhaanneell SScchhooooll2590 Highway 44, Paulina225-869-5778


More than musicAs students head

back to school, ensur-ing they have the toolsto succeed is top ofmind. One class in par-ticular has proven toprovide an arsenal ofsupport, including im-provements in learn-ing, stronger socialskills and overall high-er self-esteem.

Music education,both in schools and inprivate lessons, helpsstudents strengthenskills in a variety ofacademic subjects andother aspects of day-to-day life. Learning aboutmusic is an experiencethat goes beyond arecital or the classroom- it strengthens charac-ter, builds confidenceand teaches criticalskills. Additionally,music has been shownto help reduce stressand enhance a child'sself-esteem.

Research shows thatstudying music helpswith math, science andlanguage learning andresponse times – espe-cially in younger chil-dren. One study report-ed by Forbes magazineshowed 90 percent of agroup of 4 to 6 year oldsimproved vocabularyskills, accuracy andreaction timing afterstudying the fundamen-tals of music for only 20days. And anotherstudy done by the Uni-versity of California inIrvine showed a 46 per-cent increase in spatialreasoning IQ in a groupof preschoolers aftereight months of key-board lessons.

Even though the re-search gives good sup-port for music educa-

tion, it's becomingmore and more difficultfor school districts toafford music programs,resulting in band, chor-al and orchestral pro-grams to be removedfrom curriculums.

Schools districts arealso under pressure toimprove STEM – other-wise known as science,technology, engineer-ing and mathematics –education programs.The U.S. continues tolag behind a dozenother countries inSTEM academicachievement, even afterattempts to reverse thistrend, according to theOrganization for Eco-nomic Cooperation andDevelopment.

Dr. Milton Allen, aneducational consultantfor Music & Arts, thelargest band and or-chestra instrument re-tailer and lesson pro-vider in the country,finds irony in the factthat schools are creat-ing a competition be-tween STEM classesand the arts. In fact,music education is justas important to the corecurriculum as any-thing else. It is proventhat music and artsimproves a child's abili-ties to learn and prob-lem solve.

"The value of the artsis being placed underincreased scrutiny," Al-len said. "Given that theimpact of music les-sons and appreciationon development andacademic performanceis well documented,why not equip your stu-dents to compete byinvolving them in anarts or music program?

From preschool-agedthrough high schoolstudents, it has beenestablished that musi-cal training forms asolid foundation forlearning in otherareas."

Allen encourageschildren to participatein school music pro-grams where available,and for parents and ed-ucators to take addi-tional steps to nurturean appreciation formusic and develop tal-ent in children. Privatemusic lessons can sup-plement school pro-grams (or provide anintroduction whenschool options aren'tavailable), and costsaren't necessarily pro-hibitive. Additionally,parents can take anactive role in introduc-ing music to childrenby taking them to freeconcerts, encouragingthem to learn a newinstrument and expos-ing them to a wide vari-ety of music genres,among other things.

Community centersoften offer small grouplessons at affordablerates. And music storesare a helpful resourcein finding local teach-ers, offering lessonsand procuring new orgently used instru-ments.

Music education is agreat tool in helpingchildren perform wellin other school sub-jects, and musical per-formances are wonder-ful for encouraging self-knowledge and confi-dence. A tapping foot toa great rhythm is justone sign of the power ofmusic.

BY RYAN ARENAL’OBSERVATEUR

LAPLACE — Onehundred percent standsas a pretty solid successrate.

For 15 young studentsat Emily C. WatkinsElementary School lastyear, an afterschoolmentoring and tutoringprogram helped eachmove on to their nextrespective grade levelsafter previously beingidentified as at risk aca-demically.

The program was cre-ated as a collaborativeeffort between the St.John the Baptist ParishSchool Board, the Sher-iff ’s Office, the DistrictAttorney’s Office and alocal non-profit calledBlessed to be Blessing.

It was implementedin the second half ofthe last school year.

It focuses primarilyon students at Watkins,specifically those wholive in the LaPlaceOaks public housingunits.

Eliza Eugene, thefounder of Blessed tobe Blessing, said theprogram seeks to aidstudents on three lev-els: through youth in-

tervention, truancy in-tervention and after-school homework assis-tance.

“I think it did verywell,” said Eugene. “All15 students were pro-moted to the nextgrade. Because thesestudents are receiving alot of one-on-one time,the communication isvery open. When theyneed help with a specif-ic problem, the teachercan spend more timewith them.”

Each weekday eve-ning, teachers fromWatkins assisted stu-dents at a “HomeworkHut” at the Housing Of-fice’s community cen-ter.

Eugene said the stu-dents’ gains were meas-ured via progress re-ports both ways: thetutor would send a pro-gress report to the stu-dent’s homeroom teach-er at Watkins, and thehomeroom teacherwould report back onthe student’s progressin kind.

“We were able to seehow the child respond-ed once back in theclassroom and if theprocess helped themgain the confidence to

begin to excel in thatsetting,” said Eugene.”

The program was in-spired by a similar onein Terrebonne Parish.

The involvement ofthe Sheriff and the Dis-trict Attorney’s officewas inspired by theratio of those in theparish’s prison facilitywho had failed to attainany kind of second-level education degree.

“When I see thingslike a young man orwoman on the otherside of those walls, itmakes me wonder thatif anyone could havedone anything to help

them early on, thingsmay have turned outdifferently,” said Eu-gene. “The earlier youcan help someone backonto the correct path,the better it will be forthem.”

The program alsosponsors students whoelect to participate inthe St. John RecreationDepartment’s sportsleagues.

“It’s something thatdevelops confidenceand character. Some ofthem went to play ballfor the first time ever,”said Eugene. “To playin a league like that, itmight cost money (thefamily) doesn’t have. Sowe’ve funded it.”

Eugene said the goalis for the program tobranch out in the fu-ture to Reserve, Gary-ville and Edgard.

For the upcomingschool year music andarts and crafts will beadded to the program’sactivities.

A proactive approachhas also been utilizedin neighboring St.

Charles Parish, where areading recovery pro-gram has been offeredto students identified asat risk to develop read-ing difficulties.

“The idea is to catchit before a student getstoo far behind,” saidRachel Allemand, assis-tant superintendent forcurriculum, instruc-tion and assessment forthe St. Charles ParishSchool System.

Each school in theparish has received abond for afterschoolteaching.

There is also a per-formance-based pro-gram for students at thehigh school level whoare over age for his orher grade level but lackthe credits to advance.

“Many times, whathappens with studentswhen they get older,they realize the value ofthese credits, and theybecome more motivat-ed,” said Allemand.“Most don’t want tostay much past the ageof 18. This programallows them a quickerpath to graduation ifthey improve their per-formance.”

Allemand said thatwhile keeping highschool students on theright path is extremelyimportant, the best wayto make sure studentssucceed and “catch up”is to not allow them tofall too far behind inthe first place.

“We prefer preven-tion rather than reme-diation, and that beginsin the lower grades.”

Meanwhile, inPaulina and Gramercyelementary schools inSt. James Parish, the

21st Century Commun-ity Learning Grant hashelped fund education-al needs in the parishfor five years, supply-ing money for teachersto tutor children afterschool hours. The grantalso pays for the trans-portation of the stu-dents.

It’s the only federalfunding source dedicat-ed exclusively to after-school programs. Itspurpose is to help stu-dents meet state andlocal academic stan-dards while offeringadditional services de-signed to complimentthe regular academicprogram such as drugand violence preven-tion, art, music andrecreation programs.

That program will beoffered in the fall.

“It’s important to beable to reaffirm whatgoes in the classroom tothese students,” saidGaynell Albert, admin-istrative director of theSt. James Parish PublicSchool System.

“It gives them achance to absorb theinformation independ-ently, for a second time,and clarify anythingthey might have troublewith,” she added.

In the regular class-room setting, Albertadded that the St.James Parish PublicSchool System has beenable to keep its ratio ofstudents to each teach-er down and do so effi-ciently, and that hashelped keep studentsfrom falling too farbehind.

“We’ve been one ofthe few (parishes) ableto do that,” she said.


Afterschool programs go beyond homework help


5 ways to help children boost brain power1. Select a rainbow –It's no secret that the

benefits of fresh fruitsand vegetables arenumerous, but thanksto the results of ongo-ing research, you canconfidently add brainhealth to that list. En-courage your childrento eat a colorful array ofproduce (organic whenpossible) each day sothey get the antioxi-dants, vitamins andminerals needed tonourish and protecttheir growing brains. Ifyour child is resistantto eating produce, en-courage them to comeshopping with you andselect something new totry. Kids are more likelyto eat what they have

selected themselves.2. Relax the right

way – While it's truethat exercise boostsbrain power, it's alsoimportant to teach chil-dren how to relax. Bal-ancing activity withrelaxation is importantso that kids don't gettoo stressed, which canimpact the brain's dev-elopment and lead tolearning and behaviorproblems. Teachingchildren early on thebenefit of setting goals,working towards thosegoals, and giving theirbrain and body time torelax are important lifeskills. When it's time torelax, skip the TV andteach your child thattaking a walk in nature,

reading a book or draw-ing are great ways tounwind. Deep breath-ing is also an excellentpractice to teach chil-dren of all ages.

3. Eat omega-3brain food – Omega-3essential fatty acids arecritical to a child'sbrain development.They are called "essen-tial" because we needthem for optimalhealth. The problem isthat our bodies cannotmanufacture them andwe can only get themfrom the food we eat orsupplements we take.While fish, nuts andseaweed are good ome-ga-3 sources, kids typi-cally don't gobble downthese foods. That leaves

many parents worriedthat their kids aren'tgetting enough, andwith omega-3 deficitslinked to ADHD, dyslex-ia and other behavioraland psychological dis-orders, many are turn-ing to supplements fortheir children. Expertsagree that the safest,most reliable source ofthe most importantessential fatty acids(EPA and DHA) is ahigh quality fish oilsupplement. Fortunate-ly, there are purified,molecularly distilledfish oil supplementsthat are manufacturedwith kids in mind. Par-ents should be sure tochoose one of thesechewable, tasty options

like those by NordicNaturals to ensure suc-cess in getting theirchildren to take thesupplements.

4. Happy brains arehydrated brains –Staying hydrated isimportant for growingbrains and bodies. Wat-er can improve energy,increase mental andphysical performance,remove toxins andwaste from the body,and keep skin healthyand glowing. Based onthe trillions of cells inthe body that needwater to function, mostnutritionists agree thatchildren need more, notless H20. To estimatehow many ounces ofwater your child should

drink daily, divide hisor her weight in halfand aim for that num-ber of ounces per day.

5. Be a positive sup-port system early on– Learning is a complexprocess, but childrenwill be more open totrying new things whenthey know their par-ents believe in them.Acknowledging effort,instead of the outcome,strengthens a child's be-lief in himself or her-self. Teaching goal set-ting, prioritizing activi-ties and working off ofcheck lists exercisesthe prefrontal cortex inthe brain. Experiment-ation through trial anderror is the way thebrain learns best.

PUBLIC SCHOOLS

AAAA SSoonnggyy KKiinnddeerrggaarrtteenn CCeenntteerr523 East Heather Dr., Luling985-785-0299

AAllbbeerrtt CCaammmmoonn MMiiddddllee SScchhooooll234 Pirate Dr., St. Rose504-468-3405

AAlllleemmaannddss EElleemmeennttaarryy SScchhooooll1471 WPA Rd., Des Allemands985-758-7427

DDeessttrreehhaann HHiigghh SScchhooooll1 Wildcat Lane, Destrehan985-764-9946

EEaasstt BBaannkk HHeeaaddssttaarrtt CCeenntteerr13292 Louisiana Highway 48,

Destrehan985-764-7535

EE..JJ.. LLaannddrryy AAlltteerrnnaattiivveePPrrooggrraammss CCeenntteerr

108 Tiger Circle, Hahnville985-783-6636

EEtthheell SScchhooeeffffnneerr EElleemmeennttaarryy140 Plantation Rd., Destrehan985-725-0123

HHaahhnnvviillllee HHiigghh SScchhooooll200 Tiger Dr., Highway 90, Boutte985-758-7537

HHaarrrryy HHuurrsstt MMiiddddllee SScchhooooll170 Road Runner Lane, Destrehan985-764-6367

LLaakkeewwoooodd EElleemmeennttaarryy501 E. Heather Dr., Luling985785-1161

LLuulliinngg EEllmmeennttaarryy904 Sugarhouse Rd., Luling985-785-6086

JJ..BB.. MMaarrttiinn MMiiddddllee SScchhooooll434 South St., Paradis985-758-7579

MMiimmoossaa PPaarrkk EElleemmeennttaarryy222 Birch St., Luling985-785-8266

NNeeww SSaarrppyy EElleemmeennttaarryy130 Plantation Rd., Destrehan985-764-1275

NNoorrccoo EElleemmeennttaarryy SScchhooooll102 Fifth St., NorcoK-3rd 985-764-27874th – 6th 985-764-7079

RR.. KK.. SSmmiitthh MMiiddddllee SScchhooooll281 Sugarland Parkway, Luling985-331-1018

SStt.. RRoossee EElleemmeennttaarryy11082 River Rd., Highway 48, St.

Rose504-464-9254

RR..JJ.. VViiaall EElleemmeennttaarryy510 Louisiana, Paradis985-758-2771

PRIVATE SCHOOLS

BBoouuttttee CChhrriissttiiaann AAccaaddeemmyy13271 Highway 90, Boutte985-785-2456

SSaaccrreedd HHeeaarrtt SScchhooooll453 Spruce St., Norco985-764-9958

SStt.. CChhaarrlleess BBoorrrroommeeooEElleemmeennttaarryy

13396 River Rd., Destrehan985-764-9232


St. Charles Parish Schools

St. Charles Parish Public School Calendar2011-2012 School YearAAuugguusstt

1133 First Day of School

2277 First Day for Kindergarteners


OOccttoobbeerr1122 End of First Nine Weeks



DDeecceemmbbeerr2211 End of Second Nine Weeks

2244--3311 Christmas Holidays

JJaannuuaarryy11--22 New Year’s Holidays

2211 Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday


MMaarrcchh1144 End of Third Nine Weeks



MMaayy2233 Last Day For Students

Academic perform-ance expectations, at-tendance at schoolfunctions, and balanc-ing extra-curricularactivities with time forhomework – parentsand children have a lotto talk about at thebeginning of the schoolyear. Few conversa-tions, however, will beas important – or asfraught with tension –as discussing how chil-dren should, andshould not, behaveonline.

While many kids lookforward to reunitingwith school friendsfrom last year, they'll bemeeting new people,too. Many of thoseinteractions will takeplace, in part, in thedigital world, bringingonline child safetyfront-of-mind for par-ents as back-to-schoolseason arrives. To helpprotect your childwhile he or she isonline, start the schoolyear with three impor-tant conversations:

How to behavewhen connecting

online

The anonymity of theInternet makes meet-ing strangers seem ap-pealing and safe. Butkids should use at leastthe same level of cau-tion when meetingsomeone new online asthey would in the realworld. Explain to kidswhy they should neverinitiate or accept onlinecontact from someonethey haven't first met inperson; given all theinformation we tend togive away in our online

profiles, it's like walk-ing up to a stranger onthe street and invitinghim or her into yourhome.

Employ tools likeSafetyWeb to help keepkids safe online. Thetool helps parents mon-itor online activity, andincludes an active blog/forum that allows par-ents and pros to discussthe latest child-rearingchallenges of the digi-tal age. Review the pri-vacy settings on yourchild's social mediaaccounts so that yourson or daughter under-stands what's visible tofriends, and what is vis-ible to everyone else(preferably, nothing).Create the social mediaaccounts with yourchild so that you knowwhat sites she uses andwho her online friendsare.

Establish designatedtimes when childrenare allowed online forsocial media use andtimes when they canuse the Internet forschoolwork. Never al-low children to use theInternet behind closeddoors. Yes, they'll prob-ably say everyone elsedoes it and that you'reruining their lives, butkeeping Internet-en-abled devices in a com-mon area can helpmake it easier for youto protect your child.

How to behavewhen interacting

online

As a parent, you havetwo concerns for yourchild's online life: first,that he or she experi-ences no harm from

online interactions.Second, that he or shecauses no harm to oth-ers.

The digital worldmakes communicationfast and easy, yet itsdrawbacks are many:it's highly conducive toimpulsive behavior, it'sdifficult to accuratelyconvey tone and inten-tion, and it's nearly im-possible to erase some-thing once it's postedonline. Children needto understand the limi-tations of this form ofcommunication, andthat missteps onlinecan have a long-termimpact in the realworld.

The anonymity of theInternet has made iteasier for people to bemean to each other, andgiven rise to a wholenew type of bullying:cyberbullying. A studyby isafe.org found that58 percent of fourth-through eighth-gradershave had mean or hurt-ful things said to themonline, and (even moredisturbingly) 53 per-cent admitted to havingsaid something meanor hurtful to anotherperson online.

Help your child un-derstand the type ofbehavior that consti-tutes cyberbullying sothat she can both avoidcyberbullies and avoidengaging in acts of cy-berbullying. In addi-tion to monitoring yourchild's online behavior,encourage him to havea robust social life inthe real world – theenvironment in whichwe really learn how tobehave with others.

How to behavewhen interacting

in person

While you're teachingabout appropriate on-line behavior, it's im-portant to reinforce les-sons about being a goodperson in face-to-face

interactions. Bullyinghas been around aslong as people have;teach children how torecognize instances ofin-person bullying, andhelp them learn tech-niques for coping withbullies.

Being a good citizen

of the digital worldstarts with being a goodperson in the realworld. Reinforce withkids the importance of good behavior both online and in per-son, and – most impor-tantly – lead by exam-ple.

14 L ‘Observateur SATURDAY, JULY 28, 2012BACK TO SCHOOL

3 must-have conversations about online safety


School lunch vs.bag lunch: What’s best?Bag it or buy it?

What's healthier andwhat will they eat? It's aquestion faced by par-ents each school year.Often, there's an as-sumption that baggingis better, but there'salso the convenienceand choices of schoollunch to consider. Goodnews: both the tray andthe tote can be winningmeals. A few importantfacts can help makethis year's lunchtimedecisions a breeze.

New school lunchinitiatives

Much attention hasbeen paid to children'shealth and there's anincreased awarenessthat lunch at school is acritical source of nutri-tion for students. Newfederal guidelines havebeen introduced toensure that menus pro-vide more wholegrains, more fruits andvegetables and less fatand sodium. Thanks todedicated efforts drivenby schools, parents andthe federal govern-ment, many positivechanges are occurring.

"There's a lot happen-ing in the lunch line,"said Dr. Brian Wansink,researcher and profes-sor at Cornell Uni-versity. Wansink andDr. David Just, re-searcher and associateprofessor at CornellUniversity, createdSmarter Lunchrooms, amulti-faceted programthat provides schoolswith tools that canimprove children's eat-ing behaviors in thecafeteria.

"It's a common mis-conception that kidswon't eat healthy foods,but our work showsthat not to be the case.We can encouragehealthy choices in theway we present foods tokids," said Wansink. Heand his team have care-fully studied the cafete-ria line and how kidschoose foods. The place-ment of foods on thelunch line, how foodsare named on the menuand offering choicessignificantly affectwhich foods kids select.

For example, movingfruit from a commer-cial bin to an attractivefruit bowl near the endof the line is proven toincrease selection."Banning favorite foodssuch as tacos and pizzafrom a cafeteria canbackfire," added Wan-sink. "When kids feelrestricted or forced intoa decision, they rebeland may choose not toeat. Nobody wins inthat scenario. We knowa healthy lunch is nec-essary for good schoolperformance."

Companies havestepped up to improvenutrition by creatingnew versions of kid-favorite foods that meetthe new USDA schoolmeal rules. Stir-fry,tacos, pastas and pizzashave become healthyfare as lower fat, lowersodium, whole grainversions have beenintroduced. For exam-ple, Schwan's FoodService created BigDaddy's Cheese Pizzawith a 51 percentwhole-grain crust. Itcontains 25 percent

daily value of calcium,as well as healthyamounts of potassiumand protein, for lessthan 320 calories. Spic-ier sauces and moreethnic food choices aremeeting students' ex-panded flavor palates,too.

As of this fall, schoollunches will also offermore produce, includ-ing dark green, red andorange vegetables, drybeans and legumes, allof which are nutrient-rich. More farm-to-school programs addthe option of locally

grown produce for por-tions of the school year.

Bag lunch betterments

Much like the cafete-ria, the quality of a baglunch hinges on what'sbeen chosen and eaten.To paraphrase Wan-sink, it's not nutritionuntil it's eaten.

One easy step toimprove the quality ofa bag lunch and thechance it will be en-joyed is to increaseyour kids' involvementin the process. Have

them help shop forfoods and talk to themabout which food cate-gories make a lunchthat makes a difference.Then have them helpbag it up.

Remember thatdrinks matter at lunch-time. Soda, fruit drinks,and popular energydrinks and sportsdrinks lack calciumand often contain addedsugars. That's a prob-lem. Up to 90 percent ofa person's bone densityis formed by age 18 andthose school years arecrucial for building

bone strength to last alifetime. Be sure topack a calcium-richdrink.

New grains and newways of making breadmean better wholegrain bread choices areavailable for sandwich-es. Breads can be softand moist yet still deliv-er whole grain good-ness plus, in somecases, enough nutrientsto rival fruits and veg-etables.

Food safety is a bigconcern for bag lunch-es. Perishable foodsneed to be eaten withintwo hours if they're leftat room temperatureand most brown baglunches sit in a desk orlocker for longer thanthat, turning them intobacteria havens andmaking them risky toeat. Home-packedmeals need to be put ininsulated, chilled bagsthat will keep foods in asafe temperature zone,sometimes for four orfive hours. If your childisn't keen on carryingan insulated bag (manyolder kids aren't), or toreduce overall foodsafety risks, schoollunches are an easy,nutritious fix.

Lunchtime is a high-light of many schooldays and an essentialpart of a productiveone. Talk with yourkids about what theyeat and how lunch canhelp or hold them backfrom learning, runningfaster at recess or per-forming their best inafter school activities.A healthful lunch willkeep them fully fueledfor the rest of their day.

16 LL ‘‘OObbsseerrvvaatteeuurr SATURDAY, JULY 28, 2012BACK TO SCHOOL

back_to_school_2012

Documents

district inrecent years

years budget alittle

school year

thecommon core standards

increased education

increased funding mandates

states percentageof

coming year theadministration