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Feliciana Explorer • Tuesday, July 8, 2014 • Vol. 4, No. 27 • Published Weekly • Circulation 17,000 • felicianaexplorer.com • © 2014

EXPLOREREXPLORERFeliciana

Proud to be the Felicianas' only locally owned, managed, and staffed newspaper.

See LEWIS on page 5

Superintendents Seek First Class Education for the Felicianas

PacTec Recognized for Its Role in Environmental Cleanup EffortsDepartment of Energy Contractor UCOR Names PacTec Small Business of the Year

PacTec received the Small Busi-ness of the Year Award by URS-CH2M Oak Ridge LLC (UCOR) at its annual awards ceremony on June 23, 2014.

As the Department of Energy’s cleanup contractor for the Oak Ridge Reservation in Tennessee, UCOR developed its business awards to rec-ognize subcontractors who best dem-onstrate their commitment to safety, service and corporate citizenship.

Crediting PacTec for expediting the production and delivery of 500 dump

truck liners within one week in order to continuously transport waste from its K-25 project, UCOR noted that PacTec’s customer service is just one of the many reasons it was selected for the award.

According to PacTec’s President and CEO Mike Schilling, “As the manufacturer of disposal products for both the hazardous waste and nuclear waste industries, we understand that remediation needs to be administered safely and quickly in order to be effec-tive. Our R&D department makes sure

that our disposal products are of the highest quality, while our sales team makes sure that these products are delivered to our customers when they need them the most.”

UCOR, whose parent companies are URS and CH2M HILL, is respon-sible for cleaning up East Tennessee Technology Park (the former Oak Ridge Gaseous Diffusion Plant) as well as other sites on the DOE Oak Ridge Reservation.

Founded in 1989 by Mike Schilling and Morris Mintz, PacTec™ is the in-

dustry leader in design and manufac-turing of packaging for the hazardous waste, low level radioactive waste and transportation industries. Headquar-tered in Clinton, LA, PacTec manu-factures products including IP-1 and IP-2 Lift bags, LSA/SCO Wraps, Rail Car Liners and Tarps, Alternate Daily Landfill Covers, Disposable Polyeth-ylene liners for roll offs, dump trucks and rail cars, dewatering filters and liners. The company has offices in the United States, United Kingdom and Philippines.

Milton, Lewis share passion for students, community and educational opportunities for allEducation a Way of Life for EFP School Superintendent Dr. Lewis

Dr. Henderson Lewis

By Patricia Stallman

Dr. Henderson Lewis, Jr., 39, says of his own educational experience, “I went from kindergarten through the Ph.D. I did not stop. I went straight through.”

Academic and professional his-tory in brief - In 2004, Lewis earned his Doctor of Philosophy in Educa-tional Leadership and Administration from the College of Education, Mis-sissippi State University in Starkville.

Along the way, in 1999 he com-pleted his Master of Education in Educational Leadership and Admin-istration at The University of New Orleans, and, in 1996, his Bachelor of Science in Mathematics Education at Southern University at New Orleans.

And he hasn’t stopped: Since earn-ing the doctorate, Lewis has taught mathematics, headed a mathematics department, served as a curriculum coordinator and then as an assistant principal, has served as a school board member, a principal, a Director of Academics, and, now, as Superin-tendent of Schools for East Feliciana Parish.

Role models - Aunt - As a young child, he says, “I would go to school, come home, and then spend hours every evening doing my homework and reading…and that was a con-sistent behavior.” When he played school with his cousins, he says, “I

Hollis Milton

See MILTON on page 6

Hammond to St. Francisville in 20 Years Via an Educational OdysseyBy Patricia Stallman

Hollis Milton, Superintendent of Schools for West Feliciana Parish, is proud of the students, teachers and par-ents of his district. While acknowledging “tough times” financially, he continues his quest for grants and partnerships, as well as his leadership roles in the parish and at the state and national levels. Milton, who arrived in St. Francisville the summer of 2010, earned his Master of Education in Educational Leadership from Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, with a 4.0 grade point average, and an alter-nate teacher certification from Southern University at New Orleans. He is a De-cember 1994 graduate of Southeastern Louisiana University, Hammond, with a Bachelor of Arts in history.

Achievements the past four years - During his four years with the West Fe-liciana schools, Milton notes, district per-formance scores have improved for three consecutive years, and West Feliciana, whose letter grade has risen from “B” to “A,” is one of only nine districts in the State of Louisiana to receive the “A” in 2014. Further, LEAP and ILEAP scores have increased three points, from 79 in

2010 to 82 in 2013 and 2014.West Feliciana has earned: a top score

in AdvancEd district reaccreditation in 2013, recognition as first in the State in kindergarten readiness (in a Louisiana State University and Tulane Early Child-hood Study in 2012), and first in college

2 Tuesday, July 8, 2014

Business

West Feliciana Parish Schools Partners with Capital Area United Way

Numerous research studies have touted a phenomenon called “summer slide,” which relates to the loss of school skills when stu-dents leave school in mid-May and do not return until mid-August. Teachers often have to reteach skills from the previous grade in order that the students can “catch up” as they begin the new school year. What can educators and parents do to mitigate this “sum-mer slide?” West Feliciana Parish Schools, the Family Service Cen-ter, and Capital Area United Way have formed a partnership to study ways to address the problem of summer slide.

The Bridge Institute is an inno-vative answer to this question, as it will serve as a bridge between preschool and formal PreK class-es. The summer enrichment event will be a four-week program in July, four days each week, with

breakfast, lunch and bus transpor-tation provided. Focus areas will be literacy, science and math with interactive, hands-on activities each day. Children who are four years of age are eligible to attend; capacity is set at 60 participants.

Registration is now open and more information can be obtained through the Family Service Center at 225-635-5299 or 225-635-5449.

Bridget Plauché, Supervisor of the Family Service Center, stated, “Capital Area United Way, as part of their educational initiatives pro-gram, will fully fund the Bridge In-stitute. The partnership of CAUW and West Feliciana Parish Schools will translate into many opportuni-ties for children and families. We are very grateful for the partner-ship and look forward to working closely with United Way.”

The New Orleans-based Alpha Theta Chapter of the National Sorority of Phi Delta Kappa, Inc. recently declared what the people of this com-munity have known for years: East Feliciana’s own Edna Lusk Thomas is an excellent educator.

Thomas, who has offered 34 years of continuous dedi-cation to the East Feliciana Parish Public Schools, was one of several educators highlighted at the education sorority’s annual recognition luncheon held on Saturday, May 24 in New Orleans. The ceremony is part of the orga-nization’s mission to foster a spirit of sisterhood among teachers and to promote the highest ideals of the teaching profession.

East Feliciana Superintendent Henderson Lewis, Jr., who nominated Thomas for the award, notes that Thomas upholds these ideals every day.

“Mrs. Thomas has been a most conscientious, understanding, and thoughtful leader in the East Feliciana community,” explained Dr. Lewis. “While many educators get the job done, very few do so with the grace and professionalism of Edna Lusk Thomas.”

Thomas is a product of the East Feliciana Parish Public Schools. She is a graduate of Clinton High School. She also holds a Bachelor of Arts, a Mas-ter of Education, 30 additional graduate hours, and a reading specialist cer-tificate from Southern University and Agricultural and Mechanical College.

“Keeping children first and everything else second is how I prioritize my role as an educator,” Thomas said. “In today’s society, educators must be compassionate, understanding, enthusiastic, and dedicated.”

In honoring Edna Lusk Thomas for excellence in education, the Alpha Theta chapter joins a growing list of educators and leaders from across the state of Louisiana who have recognized the renaissance in public education occurring in East Feliciana Parish. Over the past two years, East Feliciana Parish Schools have outpaced all other districts in the state in increasing stu-dent proficiency. To learn more about how you can contribute to East Feli-ciana Parish Schools’ continued efforts to put education first in our commu-nity, visit www.efpsb.k12.la.us or email Superintendent Lewis at hlewis@efpsb.k12.la.us.

East Feliciana Educator Honored

Edna Thomas

Audubon Regional Libraries will be hosting Caroline Harrell for painting classes over the next three weeks for children over 9, teens and adults.

From July 9-11 the classes will be from 10-12 in Jackson at the Jack-son Branch Library. The following week, the classes will be in Clinton from 10-12 in Clinton held at the United Methodist Church Hall. The last week the classes will be held from the July 23-25 at the St. Helena Branch Library in Greensburg from 10-12. The classes are free and an overview of acrylic painting for beginners.

A special show in Greensburg at the St. Helena Branch Library will be Tim and Laura Allured from Lafayette. They do a show “Harvey Rabbit” for children with stories and puppets. It will be held at 2 p.m. on Tuesday, July 15, 2014.

Children from all parishes are welcome.

Activities at the Audubon Regional Library

Tuesday, July 8, 2014 3

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Phone (225) 654-0122Fax (225) 208-1165

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Publisher & EditorDaniel Duggan

Graphic DesignerTina Adams

Account ExecutivesGeorgiana Walls

Ashley Evans

Contributing WriterJames Ronald Skains

Patricia Stallman

Summer Parties CooordinatorCalla Duggan

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The Crab GrabberColton Duggan

RKM in Clinton Hostsing BE FIT Summer Day Camp

RKM in Clinton is currently host-ing “Be Fit,” a program for children at risk for poor health habits.

“Working with the Be Fit Pro-gram this year has been both chal-lenging and rewarding. The children are more involved and excited to come every day. I think this year has foremost been the best, and I look forward to the years to come,” Brod-erick D. Brooks, Sr., Education and Community Outreach Coordinator, said.

The program is a multi-disciplin-ary approach; we are going to teach fun ways to be health-wise through exercise, diet, weight and self-im-age.

The program started with an open house orientation for the parents and their children in June and then con-tinues six weeks until a graduation ceremony on July 17. The staff of nurses, nurse practitioners, social workers, dietician and fitness staff

have been monitoring the kids’ health through-out the event.

The Graduation cer-emony will be July 17, at 6:00 p.m., at the Early Learning Center in Clin-ton. All parents, family members and friends are urged to Attend, Brooks said.

4 Tuesday, July 8, 2014

Freedom is Worth the Price You are Willing to Pay for ItPart 3 of Rafael Nowicki’s Odyssey to FreedomBy JameS ronald SkainS

Author’s Note: The following is part three of a four-part arti-cle as told in the words of Rafael Nowicki, who vividly describes his journey to freedom in the US. What a vivid reminder of what we as Americans have to be thankful for as we celebrate our country’s independence.

After a harrowing visit to the Polish Embassy in London where he secured a renewed Visa, No-wicki departed the UK, destination Vienna, Austria, to see the USA Polish Relief Commission in his quest to immigrate to the USA.

“As the train traveled into cen-tral Europe, we went back behind the Iron Curtain,” Nowicki re-called the events of 1979 to the Fe-liciana Explorer. “Communist se-curity agents were everywhere on the train. I knew that things could turn dangerous for me in a heart-beat.”

“I had decided the best plan of action was to go into the dining car and use the last of my money to buy a meal. By the time the waiter delivered my meal, the Security Agents had come into the dining car checking everyone’s papers. I was hoping that the agents would give me a break because I was eat-ing, but they did not. I told them that I had left my papers in my bunk on the train. I was ordered to go get them and be prompt about it or I would be arrested.” When I returned with my papers, my food was gone,” Nowicki said. “My food being gone was not my big-gest problem. I realized that if the agents were very knowledgeable, they would realize that I was a wanted man in Poland and on the

run in central Europe.”“After a few minutes of look-

ing at my papers, they gave them back to me and moved on to some-one else. No one in the dining car knew what happened to my food. Not only was I almost totally out of money, I was very hungry that night. It was a long night until we got into Vienna the next morning.”

“I didn’t really know anyone in Vienna, but I did have contact in-formation for the USA Polish Re-lief Commission,’’ he explained. “I went immediately to the Com-mission’s office where I put in my application to go to America.”

“Since I did not have any mon-ey, friends or family, the Com-mission suggested that I go to the authorities in Vienna, surrender to them and ask for political asylum as a refuge from Poland. By do-ing that, the plan was that I would at least have a place to live and food to eat until proper paperwork could be worked through for me to legally immigrate to America.”

“After I was ushered in to a Captain’s office, the first question he asked me was where I had come from. I told him that I had come from England. When I said that, he jumped up from his desk and went out into the hallways. Imme-diately, three huge security guards came into the room with their guns pointed at me. They thought I was a crazy trying to defect from England, which was unheard of. I wasn’t defecting from England but Poland; but when he asked where I come from I said, England, which was where I had been before Vi-enna.”

“The guards literally picked me up by the arms and dragged me out of the office, down several flights

of stairs, then out to the street in front of the building which had an iron fence and gate around it,” Nowicki said in remembering that day in 1979 in Vienna. “I found myself sitting on a curb all bruised up in a daze. I kept hearing some-one yelling angrily at me. I finally saw a security guard at the gate yelling and pointing a gun at me. He was saying that if I didn’t leave immediately that he would shoot to kill me.”

“I got away from that spot as fast as I could go. Fortunately, when the guards grabbed me in the office, I had been able to grab my little travel bag with what few earthly possessions I had. I re-member my feet hitting each step as I was drug down the steps of the big monastery castle place and out to the street by those huge security guards.”

“I was back at ground zero; broke, hungry, out on the streets not knowing anyone in town and just barely being able to speak their language.” he said. “I was able to pick up a few odds and end jobs for a little money before I landed a really good job on a construction site.”

“A huge new UN complex was being built in Vienna at the time. Getting a job there was a huge blessing for me. I had a job, a little money, and could concentrate on taking the next step in my journey to the America. The tradecrafts my dad had taught me back in Poland served me well on this job. I was promoted to foreman’s job in a few weeks. It was while I was working on the UN complex that my dad was able to visit me from Poland.”

“Dad had told the Polish Com-munist Authorities that he had a lead on my whereabouts and he was going to get me and bring me back to Poland,’’ he said. “My dad

and I had a wonderful two weeks together in Vienna, sightseeing, eating at good restaurants and drinking plenty of wine.”

“Looking back at my escape from Poland and immigration to America, the key turning point may have been my meeting a young American student from California traveling in Europe that summer. I met Daniel Myers at a youth hostel in Vienna. He was traveling throughout Europe see-ing the sights and leading a life of leisure.”

“The day I met Daniel, I was very envious of him,” Nowicki ac-knowledged. “He was all I wanted to be. He was wearing great look-ing American clothes, obvious-ly had plenty of money (which I could not imagine anyone my age having) and when I first saw him, he was casually drinking a bottle of Coke.”

“This particular youth hostel was located in a building with a bell tower. There were beds on the landings on the staircase in the bell tower. The bells would ring automatically at different times and if you were trying to sleep in one of those beds in the staircase, you got an earful of bells ringing. The couple of nights that Daniel stayed there, he just thought the bells ringing above where we were sleeping were just quaint.”

Writer’s note: I had hoped to finish up Rafael’s incredible sto-ry in this third installment but I haven’t been able to. I wanted to share with you Rafael’s amazing journey after he made it to Amer-ica, which is in many ways, is as incredible as his escape from Po-land. The next article will wrap up Rafael’s journey in life here in the USA.

Tuesday, July 8, 2014 5

was always the teacher.” He loved education so much that on “off days,” when his school was not in session, he went to school with his aunt, Jo-sephine Johnson, a teacher, if her school was holding classes that day.

The superintendent was born in New Orleans, lived in Violet his en-tire life, and attended St. Bernard Parish Public Schools from kinder-garten through high school, where he was an honor student and the Class of 1992 Salutatorian. Throughout his school years, his favorite sub-ject was “always mathematics.” That math ability “just came naturally,” he says. Another fact of life: he lived in “an impoverished neighborhood” and qualified all 13 years for the free lunch program.

Mother, father, grandmother, and grandfather

His wealth lay in his family role models, Lewis says, who instilled in him his love of education and his strong work ethic, a winning combi-nation. Lewis cites his mother, Di-anne Smith, and her parents, Marion and Oscar Smith, as those who influ-enced his success. His father, too, the late Henderson Lewis, Sr., who was a former lieutenant with the New Or-leans Sheriff’s Department Criminal Division, was a positive influence. His aunt, Josephine Johnson, was, with his parents and grandparents, equally an inspiration; she served as an educator in New Orleans for 28 years.

When Dr. Lewis’s mother first began working in St. Bernard Par-ish, “she was a para-educator in the same building where I was a teach-

LEWIS continued from page 1

er,” Lewis notes. “She cared for our intensive-need students.” Dianne Smith was then and is now, he says, “a motivator for me.”

High school mathematics teach-er

Other role models include Susan Ferencz, his high school mathemat-ics teacher. “I always loved math-ematics,” Lewis says, “but she was the one to tap me on the shoulder and pull me aside and tell me she recog-nized that I had not only the love of math but also a clear understanding.” Still, because math “came to me natu-rally, I made careless mistakes on my assessments.” That disappointed Ms. Ferencz, “so I worked hard to get not only100 percent on my assessments but the 10 bonus points. I worked ex-tremely hard to achieve that 100 to 110 score!

“From that moment, Ms. Ferencz really inspired me, and I knew then that I would be a mathematics teach-er.”

St. Bernard Parish principalWhile teaching in St. Bernard

Parish Public Schools from 1997 to 2006, Lewis worked for Principal Kathy Boyd (from 1997 to 2004), who was “truly my inspiration as a classroom teacher.”

“She saw my potential from my first day, and when the math depart-ment chair retired in 1999, she pro-moted me to that position.” Lewis notes that of all the math teachers, he had the least experience, only three years; however, Boyd “entrust-ed me to take the department for-ward.” Even though the school itself was throughout a high-performing school, Lewis says, the math depart-ment, while scoring high on LEAP, had not scored as high as the other

departments in the school. “We improved our scores so that

math was one of the top departments,” he says. “If you were enrolled in my class, I was going to do whatever it would take to make you proficient. I taught tenth grade geometry, and 100 percent of my students passed.”

In 2000, while still at Andrew Jackson Fundamental Magnet High School, Lewis was named Teacher of the Year.

From 2004 to 2006, he served as District Middle School Curriculum Coordinator for Mathematics and Science.

In 2005, Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans, and “the schools were 100 percent devastated.” After the storm, he says, “We opened as St. Bernard Unified Schools that No-vember” with administrators and for-mer teachers providing instruction. He taught ninth grade mathematics—algebra—to help rebuild the school system.

Lewis left the school system the following May to run for a position on the St. Bernard School Board. “I thought I could better serve if I were a school board member,” he says. He ran unopposed. The election was in the fall of 2006, and he was seated in January of 2007. He is completing his eighth year on the board now; his second term will end this December.

For the next six years, Lewis served the Algiers Charter Schools Association at Alice Harte Charter Elementary School, including one year, from 2006 to 2007, as assis-tant principal. The following year he was the founding principal of Algiers Technology Academy and remained its principal for four years. In 2011, he was promoted to Director of Aca-demics for the eight schools in the network.

St. Bernard Parish Superinten-dent of Schools

In 2004, Lewis worked for Doris Voitier, Superintendent of Schools for St. Bernard Parish, “the superin-tendent who was in place after Ka-trina.” Describing Voitier as “a dy-namic leader,” Lewis says that she “rebuilt the school system better than ever before.

“In her decision making, in what-ever she did, it was always, ‘What is in the best interest of the students?’

“To see her in action,” Lewis says, “reinforced my focus. I had that in me already, but she was a superin-tendent, and that was my goal. I saw great leadership up close, which re-ally prepared me for where I am to-day:” East Feliciana Parish Superin-tendent of Schools since 2012.

The Superintendent’s GoalsLewis’s goals include: academics,

finance, and community. To address the community goals, he says, to re-build the community’s confidence in the public schools, the school system must first address the academic and financial goals. To accomplish that, his administration is working suc-cessfully to restore academic and financial integrity in the school dis-trict. He notes he has also instituted a Superintendent’s Advisory Council comprised of community members and has celebrated East Feliciana’s first Commitment to Community Banquet.

The goal for academics is “to re-design teaching, learning, and assess-ment to ensure student achievement for all students.” The accomplish-ments so far include: a more rigorous academic program, student academic performance that improved from a letter grade of “D” to “C,” a score of second in the State in 2013 and fifth in 2014 for academic growth in grades three through eight, and the alignment of elementary programs at all three district elementary schools.

The financial goal is “to restore a financially sound public school sys-tem.” Those achievements include: the reorganization of school and cen-tral office services, a balanced bud-get the past two school years, a fund balance increase of approximately $700,000 since June 30, 2012, a revenue increase of approximately $300,000 in 2012, and a district op-erating expenditures decrease of $1.6 million since 2012.

MembershipsDr. Lewis’s professional mem-

berships include: the Louisiana As-sociation of School Executives, the American Association of School Ad-ministrators, the Association of Su-pervision and Curriculum Develop-ment, the Louisiana School Boards Association, and the East Feliciana Parish Chamber of Commerce.

Map for successColleagues agree that Dr. Hender-

son Lewis, Jr., has loved learning all of his life, continues to benefit from a home that focused on the impor-tance of education, has listened to and learned from teachers (includ-ing family members, pastors, friends, school teachers, supervisors, and, of course, his own students), has achieved at every step and at every step has adjusted his goal upward, and today presents a role model for every student in East Feliciana Par-ish.

KudosDr. Lewis’s counterpart in West

Feliciana Parish, Superintendent Hollis Milton, says of Lewis: He is “a star educator” who excels in all areas…instruction, curriculum, and assessment.

6 Tuesday, July 8, 2014

MILTON continued from page 1readiness (by the State Board of Regents in 2013).

The Graduation Cohort Rate (the per-centage of first-time ninth graders who graduate in four years or fewer with a regular diploma), having increased 15 percent, “exceeds the 80 percent mark for the first time in history.”

West Feliciana has also received rec-ognition for the smallest percentage of students needing remediation in college in 2013, and recognition as an Apple Dis-tinguished School for three consecutive years.

In addition, the West Feliciana public school system has achieved a graduation rate of over 85 percent.

Further, Milton says, “We have also increased the number of students reach-ing grade-level expectations. We have added a Talented Arts Program and have expanded the one-to-one computer program in the Ninth Grade Academy at West Feliciana High School.” Also growing, Milton says, is the number of Advanced Placement ourses, Dual En-rollment Courses for college credit, and on-line course offerings.

“I am also proud of the school mar-quee on Highway 61, because I felt that we needed to honor former Superinten-dent Lloyd Lindsey for his many con-tributions. The marquee made so much sense for so many reasons; it promotes the accomplishments of the children of this district, which Mr. Lindsey was all about.”

Anticipating the 2014—2015 school year - Milton says that he is look-ing forward to “our grant with LSU, which will help us bring more opportuni-ties to our students through new courses for college credit, Advanced Placement courses, and Science, Technology, En-gineering, and Mathematics enrichment activities at both the West Feliciana Middle School and High School. This grant, the LSU Believe and Prepare Grant, builds collaboration between LSU and West Feliciana, not only to promote STEM instruction for our students, but also to offer professional development resources to our teachers and to recruit high-quality science and math teachers. We are the only grantee connected with LSU, and our relationship with LSU is now flourishing. The LSU Believe and Prepare Grant will allow us to align our star with LSU’s star.

“I am also excited about the funding we received from Mr. Lane Grigsby, a philanthropist out of Baton Rouge, al-lowing us to offer one of the best char-acter education programs in the nation to our students at Bains Lower Elementary, Bains Elementary, and West Feliciana Middle School. The Leader in Me pro-gram will help our students build strong character and leadership skills.”

The superintendent cites also the Lit-eracy Grant (The Striving Readers Com-prehensive Literacy Grant Program), which he says is “the largest federal grant in West Feliciana history, offering exten-sive reading programs for Pre-Kindergar-ten through 12th grade.” In addition, the Louisiana Department of Education Ear-ly Childhood Cohort Grant will expand opportunities for the youngest children in the parish. Further, the Capital Area United Way Summer Bridge Program “has provided funding for three years to extend school an additional month for three-year-olds in Head Start.”

Challenges in the school system - The district, Milton says, will continue to work on “a long-term plan to arrive at financial stability.” In 2008, AdvancED made two recommendations: 1) Increase the number of minority teachers, and 2) create a plan to build leadership. “In 2013, AdvancED recognized our suc-

cessful work toward increasing the num-ber of minority teachers as well as our ef-forts to create a Leadership Academy and removed both recommendations from 2008 with the reaccreditation in 2013.

“My hope is that our parish is going to grow, that the retirement systems will sta-bilize, and that the State will back public education once again by providing much- needed funding. Until then, we will have to keep reallocating funds to meet our students’ needs. We have redesigned and repurposed many of our higher-paid po-sitions to save money. Times are tough. Our plan is to continue to explore new ways to operate more efficiently, but our goal is to avoid deeper cuts that would impact our students and employees.”

In addition, West Feliciana has a long-term goal of continuing to increase the number of minority teachers. “First,” the superintendent explains, “we have in-creased the percentage of minority teach-ers from 23 percent in 2010 to 29 percent last year. That is an amazing feat when you consider that during the same period, we lost 17 teaching positions due to cuts.

“Our plan is quite simple: Increase the pool of minority candidates and, through time, our district will become more di-verse. I am confident that we can achieve success in this area. Our belief is that by recruiting and retaining high-quality minority teachers, we can improve our school system. We are committed to this belief, and it will play out in our actions. Just look at what we have already accom-plished in four years.”

“We will become more assertive in recruiting minority teachers, and we’ll continue to become more diverse over time,” Milton says, adding that he hopes some of his students will return to West Feliciana to teach.

As for developing leadership, the grants, in particular the LSU grant, will help build leadership qualities in teachers and students.

And as for improving communica-tion between the schools and the com-munity, Milton notes that he brought “an automated call out system to the district four years ago, and we now depend on this system extensively. I believe that the marquee helps with communication, as does other technology, such as texting, tweeting, and emailing, and we also have a West Feliciana App. We will continue to work on new ways to reach the com-munity, including community meetings this fall.”

Family, role models - “My dad’s great grandparents moved to the Florida Parishes as lumberjacks to harvest the vast numbers of trees in the region. My mom’s grandpa was a Choctaw Indian; because of my ancestry, I have a deep in-terest in Native American culture.

“My parents, Catherine and Hollis, Sr., who still live in Hammond, influ-enced me more than anyone to make my career in education. They have both worked very hard and have always been humble. And they have always been self-sufficient, as they are very disciplined. My father worked in the chemical plants and farmed commercially. He would come home from the plant and then work his land until dark, and I helped him.

“I enjoyed helping my grandfather sell his oranges out the back of his car on the side of the road. My mother went back to earn her GED at night after leav-ing school in the 11th grade. I hope to live up to what they taught me.”

“As for my career, my dad told me that he thought I would like to teach be-cause of my love for history. My mom thought I would be good with kids. The rest, as they say, is history.”

Another “tremendous influence,” Milton says, was his neighbor, Mervin Avants, a World War II veteran. “Mr. Avants completed four tours of duty in Europe. He told me, ‘As a teacher, you

have a battle in the trenches to make a difference, to strengthen our country’s future.”

“I was teaching in New Orleans on 911, when the towers were hit. When I left New Orleans, there was no traffic on the interstate, there were no planes near the airport. I stopped at my parents’ in Hammond. At this point, Mr. Avants was 80 years old. He was out in his yard put-ting up an American flag. I asked him, ‘How should we handle this?’ He an-swered, ‘We have to come together as a nation, and we’ll get through it.’ He is buried now in Port Hudson, so, in a way, we’re neighbors again.”

In addition to his family and Mr. Avants, Milton cites another influence: “I went into leadership after my former principal and mentor at Sherwood Mid-dle Academic Magnet School in Baton Rouge, Phyllis Crawford, prepared me for the role.”

Crawford, he says, has worked in edu-cation for over 40 years, and Sherwood Middle is “one of the highest-performing schools in the State.

“She really worked me!” Milton says. “She had high expectations, and she as-signed extra jobs, extra work to me. Luckily, I was never brave enough to tell her no. But of course, all of the work was good for the kids and helped me grow.” He moved into administration at South-east Middle and was named Principal of the Year in 2006.

“I am humble to lead, and I am thank-ful to have worked with so many dedicat-ed people. The dedication and commit-ment that our teachers give to our students and our community is an inspiration. I am very thankful for their hard work.”

Career Path - While in New Orleans, Milton taught one year at McDonogh 28 and one semester at John Mack Senior High School, where his students were from the 7th and 9th Wards. “I started teaching in New Orleans in 1999 and was voted second place as Teacher of the Year in 1999 (my first year of teaching!). I enjoyed teaching in New Orleans, and I love the city, but I was not going to live in New Orleans. Baton Rouge was a place where I felt I could live, work, and raise a family.

“Of course, there’s no place like St. Francisville to raise a family!”

From 2000 to 2003, Milton taught eighth grade social studies and seventh grade life science at Sherwood Middle School in Baton Rouge. During his ten-ure, he received the Kelly Gene Cook Grant and the Louisiana Resource Cen-ter for Educators Colonial Williamsburg Grant. He served also as the Social Stud-ies Chairperson and was a member of the Sherwood Middle Magnet Committee.

From 2003 to 2006, he was assis-tant principal and Dean of Students for Prescott, Sherwood, and Glasgow Mid-dle Schools. He served as an instructional leader, a School Improvement Plan Coor-dinator, a School-wide Data Coordinator, the Technology Coordinator, and princi-

pal of the 2005 Parish Summer School Program. In addition, he was named Teacher of the Year for 2003—2004 and for 2001—2002.

His last stop before arriving in St. Fran-cisville was Southeast Middle School in Baton Rouge, where, from 2006 to 2010, he supervised over 90 employees and 900 sixth, seventh, and eighth grade students. During his time as principal, proficiency levels increased in all grades and content areas from 2008 to 2009, the number of students achieving honor roll increased 33 percent since 2006, and the number of suspensions fell by 15 percent throughout the four years. He was also named Princi-pal of the Year for 2006—2007.

Memberships and Leadership Ex-perience - The superintendent’s member-ships include: Proposed board member for the School Leadership Council of New Orleans; the Louisiana Association of School Superintendents, vice presi-dent, 2014, and secretary and treasurer, 2013; Parish Superintendents Advisory Council, 2011—present; National Teach-er Evaluation Program Committee, cur-rent; Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Nation-al Leadership Council Member, 2013; Leadership North (Baton Rouge) 2013 graduate; Leadership Louisiana Partici-pant, 2014; West Feliciana Economic De-velopment Board, 2011—present; West Feliciana Concerned Citizens Commit-tee, current; St. Francisville Rotary.

Superintendent’s vision and goals for the school system - “Our vision is to prepare students for college, career, and life in the 21st Century. To reach this vision, we must continue to expand op-portunities for our students to take college credit courses (dual enrollment), more Advanced Placement courses, technical courses such as welding that can lead to an industry-based certificate, and STEM electives. As a district, we must increase project-based learning opportunities, student use of technology, and character education. These opportunities will help our students succeed in a more competi-tive world. We have to keep our focus on what is best for them.”

Final message for students, par-ents, and the community - “I heard Pastor John Thompson speak last week at the Annual Minister’s Conference, and I was inspired by his powerful message, which was: We must reinvest in our families so that they are strong units, and we have to move forward so that our parish can make progress.

“I would like to share his message, with two additional points: We must continue to work together as one com-munity with one goal of building a bet-ter future for our children. We control our destiny, and I believe our future is bright. I see it in the smiles of our chil-dren.”

Kudos - Dr. Henderson Lewis, Jr., Hollis Milton’s counterpart in East Fe-liciana Parish, says of West’s superin-tendent: “He is a dynamic leader with a heart for children.”

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West Feliciana Parish High School Proficiency Levels at All-Time High

Jim Carroll, principal of West Feliciana High School, reports that the Spring 2014 End-of-Course testing of West Feliciana High School stu-dents shows a consolidated proficiency level of 74.80 per-cent, an increase of 5.6 percent over last year’s 69.16 per-cent and of 7.79 percent over 2012’s 66.99.

The breakdown reveals what Mr. Carroll calls “an amazing 14 percent” improve-ment in geometry, an 8 percent improvement in history, 6 per-cent in English II, 5 percent in Algebra I, and 4 percent in English III.

Scores are based on “the new definition of proficiency,” which changed in 2013: A stu-dent must now earn one of the top two levels (good or excel-lent) to be considered profi-cient on the EOC tests.

Mrs. Margaret Anton, Counselor at WFHS, passes out End-of-Course results to Adam Broussard, Jolee Beauchamp, and Presley Johnson. Adam received a perfect score on his English II EOC test and one point from a perfect score on his biology EOC test. Jolee and Presley both received a score of excellent on their geometry EOC tests.

Patrick’s Fine Jewelry Breaks Ground on New St. Francisville Store

Pictured above: Melvin Harvey, Jamey Patrick, John Patrick, Phyllis Patrick, Johnny Pat-rick, Mike Haydel, and Ken Jones

On July 1 Patrick’s Fine Jewelry & Gifts celebrated their upcoming new location with an official groundbreaking ceremony. The new location at 5451 Live Oak Centre Drive on the corner of Highway 61 is scheduled for completion in January 2015. Patrick’s Fine Jewelry has been serving St. Francisville and the surrounding areas for the past 30 years. The new 5,500 square foot building will feature a private diamond showroom and exclu-sive bridal area. The expanded gift area will also allow for a Bridal and Gift Registry.

“We are so thankful for the support from the community for our success for all these years. We don’t take credit for what we have become without thanking the people who have put us here. I am lucky to have found a job that I love and have fun doing. I also give credit to my two sons and my wonderful wife,” said John Patrick, owner.