Rita Hutchinson
July 31, 2008
Helen Ann Hebert Martin
August 4, 2008
With the start of the 2008-09 school year days away, the Lafourche Parish school system has two lofty goals in mind for this year: Increasing students’ focus on academia and improving student/teacher relationships.
“Ultimately, we are ready for the beginning of school. We have a lot of construction projects working in the parish and we plan to reestablish many of our programs to keep the students on pace with state Department of Education standards,” Superintendent Jo Ann Matthews said.
Matthews met with school administrators Monday to review the biggest challenges facing the school system in the upcoming year. Chief among them, she said, is readdressing students’ priorities and elevating student/teacher relationships in the classroom.
“When there are well-developed programs already in place to address students’ needs, the main focus is on how well your students relate to your teachers and how focused the students are in their learning setting,” she said.
Educators are responsible for helping students’ prioritize and achieve their goals in order to increase their career opportunities, especially in the upper grade levels, Matthews said.
“With all the added distractions in the world, it is making it harder and harder to keep students focused on school. This year, our goal is to reinforce academia in the school system,” the superintendent said.
To entice high school juniors and seniors to stay focused, Lafourche Parish has teamed with Nicholls State University to offer a dual enrollment program. Through the program, students are able to take college credit courses before graduating from high school.
“The students enjoy taking courses at Nicholls, so that is a plus for them and our school system. But if they don’t take the classroom seriously, then they are not afforded the opportunity to experience things like dual enrollment,” she said.
Overcrowding is another issue that has been facing the Lafourche Parish school system for years.
Last year, Lafourche Parish enrolled 14,400 students in its 28 public schools. Matthews expects those numbers to increase slightly with the addition of two pre-kindergarten classes.
To address space issues, the parish formulated a three-phase construction plan in 1995. The plan is in its final stage.
This school year, Bayou Blue Elementary School will have the first modular classrooms erected to replace the temporary building in the backyard of the school.
“This is our first priority right now. We needed to replace some of those temporary buildings and get the students in something secure,” she said. “Throughout the year, other schools with high numbers of temporary buildings are scheduled to get modular buildings.”
The first day of school for students is Aug. 8. The first day of school for pre-kindergarten and kindergartners are split. Girls will report to school on Aug. 15, and the boys will start on Aug. 18.
To enroll pre-K and kindergarten students, parents must supply the child’s birth certificate, Social Security card, immunization record and proof of residence.
With the start of a new year for Lafourche Parish public schools, South Lafourche High School Principal Mary Curole and Assistant Principal Jennifer Plaisance compile students’ schedules. * Photo courtesy of the LAFOURCHE PARISH SCHOOL DISTRICT
