On Eagle’s Wings - Louisiana School for the Deaf · Page 3 On Eagle’s Wings money during their four years of high school to afford to fly Southwest Airlines to Or-lando instead

Dates to Remember

LEAP/GEE Remediation May 29—June 28 LEAP/GEE Retesting June 25—28 Summer School Session One June 4—28 4th of July Recess School Closed July 2—6 Summer School Session Two July 9—26 Registration Day Sunday, August 12 1st Day of School Monday, August 13

The LSD boys’ track team repeated their state championship in Class C for the third year in a row under the leadership of head coach Chip Stirling. The State Farm—Louisiana High School Athletic Association State Track Meet was held at LSU’s Bernie Moore Track Stadium on Thursday, May 3. Heavy thunderstorms rolling through the Baton Rouge area made coaches and runners wonder if the meet would be held at all. The Eagles compiled 104 points to easily beat their rival, Jehovah-Jireh with 84 points. Terrell Sumers set the pace for the LSD team by winning four individual events and be-ing recognized as the Outstanding Performer in the boys’ division. Terrell won the long jump, the triple jump (with a personal best), the 110 hurdles and the 100 meter race. Tuvia Hall placed first in the discus and shot put. Chris Anthony Frazier won first place in the pole vault. Teammates Kentrell Mason, Phillip Hayes and Michael Williams all placed in various events and helped the team accumulate the points they needed to surge past the competition. The Lady Eagles team led early on in the competition and saw a first place finish slip out of reach at the very last minutes of the meet. LSD placed second behind Singer High School. Miranda Picou won the discus competition and placed second in the shot put. Erin Phillips won the triple jump and was third place in the high jump. April Thomas, Vic-toria Ward and Brittney Stuckert placed in various events that helped accumulate points for the team. Congratulations to all coaches and team members for another outstanding year.

Threepeat for Boys’ Track Team

Louisiana School for the Deaf May 2007

On Eagle’s Wings

Harriet Smith Named WAFB Power of 9 Volunteer Harriet Smith has generously volunteered her time, talent and treasure at the Louisiana School for the Deaf

for twenty years, rarely missing a day. She spends five and a half hours each Wednesday and Thursday assisting in our Elementary School with whatever needs to be done. Her quiet and capable presence pro-vides extra, individualized care for our students, as well as invaluable help for the teachers. She does cut-ting, pasting, laminating, coloring, printing and copying materials to help our classrooms work smoothly. She also assists the speech therapists by preparing all of the arts and crafts projects used in therapy sessions. She often brings work home with her so she can cut out craft projects while watching TV (channel 9, of course).

Harriet was interviewed by Donna Britt, Channel 9 news anchor, and was featured as the volunteer of the

month for April on a 6:00 pm news broadcast. Harriet will be one of twelve Power of 9 volunteers honored at a banquet held every January to recognize the strength of volunteerism in the Baton Rouge community.

Harriet is the longest-term volunteer the school has had. She has been here long enough to see the first generation of students she worked with have children of their own who are now enrolled at our school. In our current culture of “instant” and “short term,” Harriet is an example of committed faithfulness. She has outlasted the tenure of four of our superintendents! Harriet, we are so grateful you are here with us!

Page 2 On Eagle’s Wings

Teacher Appreciation Week and State Employee Appreciation Week coincided this year and were the occasion on which LSD was able to recognize the outstanding em-ployees who work here. The LSD Foundation provided snack bags to all LSD staff on Monday, May 7 and delicious homemade cinnamon rolls were delivered to all staff on Thursday, May 10. The various divisions also had special recognition rewards for their staff during the week. Robby Porter, the 2006-2007 Teacher of the Year at LSD, was honored on Friday, May 11, by the Louisiana Department of Education as being an Outstanding Achiever at LSD. Congratulations, Robby.

Retirees Earthley Batiste Instructional, Vocational Para-educator 24 Years of LSD Service Theresa Delaune Business, Accounting Technician 26 Diane Flanagan Instructional, Librarian 35 Lynne Gomez ESS, Sign Language/Interpreting 25 Nancy Long Instructional, Teacher 30 Harrell Loup Instructional, Teacher 32 Charles Martin Instructional, Teacher 20 Ruth Nelson Business, Purchasing Technician 16 Jan Olivier Instructional, Speech Teacher 16 Lydia Riley Instructional, Teacher 27 Posthumous Retirement Sandra Trice Instructional, Teacher 16

Celestial Magic was the theme of this year’s Junior-Senior Prom which was held on Saturday, March 31 in the LSD Student Center. Tim and Charlene Kuyrkendall, class sponsors of the Class of 2008, helped the junior class transform the Main Room into an enchanting cosmos which included stars, comets, moons and planets. Susan Black-well and Evelyn Kuyrkendall assisted with all of the arrangements, as well. Gregory Smith and Jessica Johnson were crowned King and Queen of prom by class president, Kevin Williams. Congratulations to our LSD royalty.

Employee Appreciation Week, May 7—11, 2007

Senior Activities Prom

Baccalaureate The Catholic Deaf Center hosted the Baccalaureate Service for the Class of 2007 on Wednesday, May 2, 2007. Director Bill Dugas and Fr. Joseph Rousell welcomed stu-dents, staff, and family members and prayed a blessing on all of the seniors present. Middle School Teacher, Mike Owens, signed two lovely songs, You Raise Me Up and How to Say Goodbye, and was vocally accompanied by his talented wife, Bonnie. LSD alumnus, Kenny Davis, read Luke 24: 13-35, the story of two disciples of Jesus on the road to Emmaus. Bill Dugas exhorted the seniors to remember that on their life journey, they will never be alone. Refreshments were served as members of the Catholic Deaf Center congratulated seniors on their accomplishments.

Senior Trip/Class Night Eight members of the senior class and three adult sponsors left on the senior trip to Disney World in Orlando, Florida on Thursday, May 10. The class raised enough


money during their four years of high school to afford to fly Southwest Airlines to Or-lando instead of having to take a school bus. Darren Gremillion, Laurie Williams and Susan Blackwell accompanied the seniors. They stayed at one of the Disney resorts and went to all four parks; Magic Kingdom, MGM, EPCOT and Animal Kingdom. They visited Downtown Disney to shop and enjoy a meal at one of the many restaurants. In addition to the Disney attractions, seniors and sponsors also visited the Universal Stu-dios theme parks and the Universal Citywalk. Class night took place on Thursday, May 17 at 7:00 pm in the auditorium. This was an entertaining night in which the seniors shared memories of their trip, spoofed teachers and classmates, performed skits and presented gifts to each other and the school.

Graduation On Friday, May 18, LSD graduated 13 seniors: Brittany Beal Jeremy Benoit Joe Boudray Shawn Cooper Joseph DeCuir Jessica Johnson Brendan Mann Kentrel Mason Miranda Picou Byron Smith Gregory Smith Terrell Sumers April Thomas At 5:30 pm the school hosted a reception for the seniors and their families. The com-mencement speaker was District 66 State Representative Hunter Greene. Sign singers Frannie Crotty, Sadie Snyder and Kevin Williams performed two songs, Better Days, by the Goo Goo Dolls and the LSD Alma Mater. Following the ceremony in the audito-rium, graduates greeted visitors in a receiving line in the Student Center. Many thanks to Susan Blackwell who coordinates all of the senior events and graduation.

“And then a hero comes along, with the strength to carry on and you cast your fears aside and you know you can survive, so when you feel like hope is gone; look inside you and be strong, and you'll finally see the truth that a hero lies in you.” Phuong Pertina Thuy Vo is definitely a hero. Affectionately known as Pertina to us, she enrolled at LSD in the summer of 1994. She was a sweet and loving child. When Pertina came to us, there were challenges and obstacles to overcome, but she was ea-ger to learn. As time progressed, Pertina lost vision in both eyes. Despite her deafness and vision problems, she has prevailed. Tactile signing was introduced. Pertina picked up on the signs and was eager to communicate. Pertina could sign before she lost her vision, but she had to be trained to associate what she already knew with her new real-ity. Pertina was given objects and signs and had to learn to make her wants and needs known. She realized that a new world of possibilities was open to her and she could communicate . Pertina rarely had bad days. Most days she came to class smiling and laughing, and would remain that way all day. She would sometimes laugh so much that it became contagious. Pertina attempted every task that was put before her; most of which she mastered. Pertina was an extreme joy to work with, and as teachers and staff can tell you, she will be missed very much. A special graduation ceremony was held for Pertina on April 26, 2007. Friends, well wishers and family members attended the event. Kind words were spoken by many in attendance. Staff and students wore black, red and silver (LSD’s Class of 2007 colors). Carol Bell, High School Supervising Teacher welcomed everyone and thanked them for attending the special event. A poignant pictorial video of Pertina from her younger

Phuong Pertina Thuy Vo’s Special Graduation Pam Meno


Students of the Nine Weeks Congratulations to students chosen for the third and fourth nine weeks. Third: Brooke Bickford Elementary Fourth: Malaka Grimes Akeem Guidry Middle School Hope Plaisance Tuvia Hall High School Joy Fraychineaud

ASL/English Bilingual Professional Development Pro-gram Graduates Teachers Mona Alkadi

years to the present was shown. Mr. David and Mrs. Thomas presented Pertina her diploma. Thanks and special gifts were given by Pertina’s mother. Pertina’s classmates presented her with flowers and gifts. As a culminating event and a great send off, Per-tina’s classmates danced for the audience. Pertina’s graduation will be recalled as a memorable event here at LSD. Congratulations, Pertina, and thanks for being one of our unsung heroes and teaching us how to enjoy life and appreciate the simple things.

Uniform Closet As you do summertime closet cleaning, please remember that the school uniform closet accepts used uniforms, belts, jackets and coats year round. Send donations in care of Trish Mann in the ESS building.

Sign Language Class Schedule The summer session of sign language classes will be held July 9 through August 2, 2007. Registration dates are June 19, 20 and 21. Possible class times are 9-11am, 1-3 pm, 3:30-5:30 pm or 6:30-8:30pm. Classes are scheduled according to the number of registrants (minimum of 8, maximum of 12). The $50 fee is waived for the immediate family of LSD students and LSD faculty/staff. Contact the sign language department for further information at 225-757-3316.

Congratulations Tim and Charlene Kuyrkendall had a baby girl, Izabelia May 2, 2007. Izabelia is 8 lbs, 6 oz and 21 ½ inches long with thick black hair. Congratulations, Tim and Charlene and welcome to Izabelia!

On May 1st, eight participants of LSD’s ASL/English Bilingual Professional Development program took part in the final seminar after a two year, 96-hour course. The elemen-tary teachers, Julie Anderson and Joyce Pourciau, joined the middle school teachers, Lisa Cook, Ryan Gollner, Roxanne Moore, Kelly Rendleman and Dorothy Rodriguez in celebrating their commitment to bilingual education and hard work throughout the pro-gram. Additionally, JoLane Tricou, who taught kindergarten at LSD last year, inde-pendently continued her participation in Levels 3 and 4 this year. The members of the ASL/English bilingual team learned topics including theoretical foundations of bilingual education, linguistics, application of bilingual methodology, strategies for English liter-acy and ASL development, assessment and educator collaboration. All the members are motivated to continue to improve their skills and expand their knowledge base. Mona Alkadi and Robby Porter express their heartfelt congratulations to all the partici-pants and sincere gratitude to Linda Thomas and Kenny David for supporting AEBPD at LSD!


Howdy, Partners! A Preschool Round-Up sponsored by LSD’s Parent-Pupil Educa-tion Program was held May 1. Parent Advisor cowgirls Nancy Schoeffler from Lafay-ette and Hope Werner from Baton Rouge coordinated the round-up. Twenty seven families from around the state moseyed on over to LSD for the big event. Six families from the Monroe area arrived Monday evening and camped out in the weekend dorm. Our little cowpokes and their families met other children and families from LSD and each other. All of the wonderful opportunities available here at LSD were showcased and everyone had a great time! Families were entertained by our Sign Singers’ ver-sion of “She’ll Be Coming ‘Round the Mountain,” and Debra Kenny’s incredible story telling talent. The little cowpokes received hats, bandanas, cowboy ‘bags’ and stick-ers. Families took pictures for a frame they decorated in the Elementary Department. Everyone chowed down on bar-b-q grub before leaving for home. Thank you to eve-ryone who helped to make this day a success!

Red Stick Animation Festival Debbie Anderson

Last year, LSD was invited to participate in a very special workshop. An offshoot of the Red Stick International Animation Festival (www.redstickfestival.org), this workshop taught a group of LSD teachers and students a process that results in the creation of a 30-second animated movie. Last year's theme was centered around Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. The goal was for the students affected by the storms to express their feelings through the animated movies they created. This “Katrina Animation Collaboration” was such a success that several of its sponsors decided put together another animation collaboration this year. In fact, they plan to make this an annual project. We are fortunate to have “gotten in on the ground floor” of this wonderful experience! Funding for this year’s project was granted through the James Redford Institute for Trans-plant Awareness. James, whose father is actor Robert Redford, has been the recipient of two life-saving liver transplants. He established JRI as a non-profit foundation whose pur-pose is to educate people about organ and tissue donation. The Institute’s website, www.jrifilms.org, has more information on these efforts. On April 4 and 5, 2007, a group of LSD students and staff again completed the AnimAc-tion process of creating a 30-second animated film. Three other area schools also partici-pated. The films created by these school groups will be published on the Internet and screened in various venues all over the world. The first screening of these films was held on April 20th, during the Red Stick International Animation Festival in Baton Rouge. In a special category of Festival competition, LSD’s “The Road to Giving Life” took first place! Our group won first place in last year’s competition as well, for “There’s N.O. Place Like Home.” Two beautiful trophies are on display in the High School trophy case.

Pre-school Roundup

L to R: Margaret Berry, Donna Embree, Hope Werner, Mary Ann Johnson, and Linda Russo Seated: Nancy Schoeffler


Both of the LSD films can be found and viewed at the AnimAction website (www.animaction.com). Last year’s film is found in the Katrina Animation Collaboration section, while this year’s film will soon be posted in the JRI section. More information about these projects is also available at the Red Stick Festival site: www.redstickfestival.org. LSD students who participated were Jason Blair, Joy Fraychineaud, Brittney Lynch, Erin Phillips and Jordan Snyder. Staff members who assisted were Laurie Williams, Melodie Sparks, Julie Harrison and Debbie Anderson. We are very proud of these students; they were a wonderful team!

From the Desk of Kenny David, Interim Director This year has been a year of transition for our students, faculty and staff as we

all adjusted to new assignments and responsibilities. Though it was challenging, we all survived! Our LSD family has pulled together to move our school forward. We may not have done things “the way its always been,” but we were able to figure out what needed to be done and accomplish it.

During the week of May 7 - 11, we celebrated Employee Appreciation Week and Teacher Appreciation Week. Several departments and divisions organized apprecia-tion recognitions and the LSD Foundation provided every employee with a bag of good-ies with a button that said, “I Am Appreciated!” I extend my sincere gratitude to each and every one of our LSD team members for their contributions in educating, caring for, and supporting our students. You are an awesome group. Thank you for all you do!!!

On May 10th, the school received the results of our students’ participation in the iLEAP/LEAP/GEE high stakes testing this past spring. I am proud to say that this year; we had more students achieve at the “Basic” level than in prior years. Some of our stu-dents obtained “Approaching Basic.” Some did not pass. Regardless of the reported results, each and every one of our students is to be congratulated for putting forth their best effort. I encourage eligible students to attend summer LEAP/GEE Remediation to develop the knowledge and skills in preparation for the retaking the test at the end of June. Our summer school faculty and staff already has plans in place for the summer program.

I wish you a restful summer and look forward to seeing parents and students on Registration Day, Sunday, August 12th.

Generosity Our friends at Commercial Properties Development Corporation have done it again! Be-sides funding our Elementary School playground several years ago, they have now funded a fourth grant for us to install SmartBoards in classrooms. Their recent donation of $5,000 will allow us to purchase another four SmartBoards. We are approaching our goal of having a SmartBoard in every classroom! We are so grateful for their patronage.

Eagle Awards These awards recognize family members, volunteers and community members who have gone above and beyond to support the education of students at LSD. Eagle Feather: Ba and Thuy Dang Vo, Karen Williams, Sharon and Rod Thibodeaux Eagle’s Wings: Lena Magee, Ed and Melanie Snyder Eagle Partners: Vicki Kelly, Donna Parent, John Crieten, Brendan Mann, Shelly Hotard, Byron Duncan at the Honey Baked Ham Store, Mike Pizzolato at Tony’s Seafood, Brett Fairchild, Coca-Cola


Administrator’s Annotations Linda Thomas

As I look back on this school year, memories wash over me and give me a lump in my throat because I realize that this is the first Graduation I will experience in this position. I smile as I recall the highlights of this past year and think of all the possibilities that lie before our seniors, and I eagerly anticipate their future visits and the news they will bring back as alums. Graduation is bittersweet as the seniors say goodbye to us and LSD, and hello to college, work, new experiences, and new friends. Many of them have had one foot out the door all year, while others wish desperately to stay in the comfort of LSD and home. But, it is time for them to move on. I have truly enjoyed working with the seniors and watching them grow academically and personally. They have delighted me with their achievements, in and out of class. They have experienced disappointments as well as good times. They have impressed and wowed me with their insights. They are a special group to me because they are my “first” senior class. Working at LSD is one of the joys of my life, and there is much here for which to be thankful. Thanks to parents for giving us such wonderful students with whom to work. Thanks to the Supervisors for their leadership. Thanks to the teachers for providing a stimulating environment in which to work and learn, and for giving our students an ex-cellent education. Thanks to all students who came to school everyday, ready to learn. At various times during the school year, I have told the seniors: “Be fair, strive for excel-lence, manage your time well, be good to each other, show respect for others, and have good manners.” If I were to remain a part of their lives, I would continue to say the same things. In their futures, I will be only a memory – a good one, I hope – but I hope that they will remember and heed these words of advice! I would like to be able to guar-antee a good life for every senior, but that is beyond me. They will be in charge of their own lives, and I hope that they remember the lessons and guidance we have provided to all of them. Now, I would like to speak directly to the seniors. • DREAM BIG. Dreams help you do great things. They help you to make the impossi-ble possible, to set the direction of your lives and to make changes for the better. • CONTINUE TO LEARN. A school is not the only place where learning occurs. Be curious; be open to others whose interests differ from yours. Read and read more. Learn something new everyday. • FOSTER GOOD RELATIONSHIPS. Relationships will help you maintain perspec-tive in good and in difficult times. Be involved in your community because those rela-tionships will help also. • BE POSITIVE. In your attitude and thinking, be positive. This is a big factor in mak-ing your dreams come true. Find your passion in life. It could be your family, your job, or your hobby. Being positive about something gives you focus and delight, energy, and a zest for life. • LAUGH. Laughter is important. It shows that you enjoy life and others. It can make

a bad day better. Laughter helps heal, so laugh everyday. Life is a journey for us all. I hope the seniors love their journey and enjoy every stop along the way. There is a song that I have heard often on the radio and its lyrics are appropriate for Graduation. Our seniors signed this song one year and I think it is worth repeating. The song is “I Hope You Dance,” by Lee Ann Womack.


I hope you never lose your sense of wonder

You get your fill to eat but always keep that hunger May you never take one single breath for granted

God forbid love ever leave you empty-handed. I hope you still feel small when you stand beside the ocean

Whenever one door closes, I hope one more opens Promise me that you’ll give faith a fighting chance And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance

I hope you dance! I want each of the seniors to enjoy a good life. I wish them all good luck, good health, success, and happiness. May all of their dreams come true!

Business Division Employees of the Month

Self Reflections Laurie Self

The 2006 – 2007 school year is winding down but the Student Life Division still has many exciting trips and activities planned for our students. May is a busy month for both the staff and students of LSD. The Seniors 2007 recently participated in senior activities, the senior trip and, at last, graduation. The Student Life Student Development Specialists in each dorm made plans for the end of the year Good Behavior Trips that are funded by the LSD Founda-tion. The elementary dorm had a week filled with exciting events that included a cook-out and water activities. The middle school dorm spent a weekend around Baton Rouge that included a trip to an area water and amusement park. The High School dorm went on an air boat ride. The students worked very hard behaving in the dorm and their hard work has paid off! The Activity Coordinators in each dorm are finalizing plans and gearing up for the 3rd annual Student Life Fun Fest that will be held on May 23rd. Fun Fest is an end of the year fun day that allows the residential students in each dorm program to interact through games developed by our Activity Coordinators. As you can see although the school year is winding down there is still lots of fun in store for the students of LSD. We welcome two new Residential Advisors to the Student Life Division. Please join me in welcoming Arion Dodson to the High School Boys Dorm and La’Toshia Taylor to the Middle School Boys Dorm. If you see our new staff around please give them a warm LSD greeting. There were some challenging times during this school year but with the help of all the dedicated faculty, staff, students, and parents we were able to get through it. I would like to say a big “Thanks” to everyone for making this school year a GREAT one.

Larry Long was selected as the Employee of the Month for April 2007. He was nomi-nated and then selected for Excellent Work Product, Attitude and Adaptability, Good Communications Skills, Leadership, Extra Effort, and Safety and Service to Customers. Larry began working with LSD 08/16/05 as a Custodian 2 in the Maintenance Depart-ment. He was promoted to a Mobile Equipment Operator on 06/14/06. He has been with LSD for over one year and seven months. Larry is always willing to provide assis-tance whenever asked, and does so without hesitation. He maintains a positive attitude and accepts changes in job duties. Larry makes sure he understands the job by asking


questions. He demonstrates his great leadership skills by clearly communicating how a job should be handled. Larry gives extra effort by helping his co-workers perform their job duties. He always tries his best to make sure the work area is safe for students and visitors. Congratulations, Larry! Kelli Clausen was selected as the Employee of the Month for May 2007. She was nominated because of Excellent Work Product, Attitude and Adaptability, Good Com-munications Skills, Leadership, Extra Effort, and Safety and Service to Customers. Kelli began working for the State in April of 1985. She has 22 years of service with the State of Louisiana and was previously employed at LSD from June of 1988 through De-cember of 1992. She rejoined LSD on January 22, 2007, after coming to us from the Department of Social Services, Louisiana Rehabilitation Services. Although, Kelli has only worked for LSD (this time) for a short period, she has taken ownership of her office and performs her work accurately and efficiently. She has offered suggestions for im-proving efficiency that will be enormous assets to Purchasing as well as the Accounting Staff. Kelli has a great attitude and is willing to tackle any challenge. She ensures poli-cies and procedures are followed. Kelli provides excellent Customer Service and is will-ing to provide any assistance needed. Congratulations, Kelli!

Larry Long Kelli Clausen

Elementary News

1st and 2nd Grade Trip to the Zoo Amber Bradley

In our science classrooms, we studied animals and their habitats. Ms. Julie Anderson, Mrs. Laura Kliebert, and I, Ms. Amber Bradley, took a trip to see the animals in their habitats. Our first and second grade classes went to the Baton Rouge Zoo on March 28, 2007. Before we could leave for the zoo, we had to do some things. We divided the students into cooperative groups. The speech therapists and para-educators assisted in lead-ing groups while at the zoo. Each student was assigned a job in the group. The jobs were time and mileage keeper, navigator, reader, writer, and photographer. The time and mileage keeper had to read the time and mileage before we left for the zoo. Then we finally took off for the zoo. When we arrived at the zoo, we had several tasks to do. The time and mileage keeper had to report the mileage to the writer. The navigator was given a map to fol-low the path the group took to see the animals. The navigator placed stars on the map for animals seen. The reader read the checklist for the animals, and the writer checked off the animals we saw. The photographer took pictures of all the animals we visited.


Left to right: back row - Luke Gresham, Jacob Owens, Jordan Howard, Ari Latino middle row - Chelsey Scott, Troy Goss, Justin Shafer; sitting in front - Kyhrie Fontenot The Elementary Sign Singers rounded up some cowboy spirit with their performance of "She'll Be Coming Around the Mountain" for the Pre-school Roundup on May 1. These cowboys welcomed the visiting families with their signing, singing and big smiles. The Elementary Sign Singers are under the direction of speech teachers, Mary Ann Ses-sums and Kerri Mouch.

We all rode on the train, ate our lunch, and departed for school. After an exhausting day at the zoo, we arrived at school at 2:30. Students went straight to the dorm. That was the end of our 5 hours and 30 minutes zoo trip! Finally a long day ended! The next day each group recorded their information on a poster board. The time and mileage keeper had to give the time we arrived at school. The writer wrote how long our trip took and how many miles we traveled to the zoo and back to school. Students shared their zoo trip facts with other classes who did not go to the zoo. During com-puter lab, students also got a chance to complete “Zoo Journals”.

Elementary Sign Singers Kerri Mouch

On May 2, 2007, the first and second graders at Louisiana School for the Deaf had a fantastic experience! Ms. Julie Anderson’s and Mrs. Laura Kliebert’s first graders and Ms. Amber Bradley’s second graders got to ride the city bus, CATS, Capital Area Transit System. The students caught the bus at the corner of Alvin Dark and Bright-side Lane, near LSD. The Tigerland Route is free and takes people right to LSU. Once the group got to LSU, they caught the city bus on Highland Road, Route 47. The cost for a one way ticket for students was $00.35. The bus took students down-town. Everybody walked a short distance to the Louisiana State Capitol. There the first and second graders toured the capitol and rode the elevator to the observation tower. They enjoyed lunch in the basement cafeteria. When the group left the state capitol they headed to the Old State Capitol. They got to ride aboard the old time trolley. It was a cool and breezy ride because all of the win-dows were open. The trolley provides free downtown service Monday through Friday.

Downtown Baton Rouge Lorraine Loup


The Old State Capitol had a cool staircase and some beautiful stained glass windows. The students walked through some historical exhibits. Finally, everybody had to head back to school. They took the city bus back to LSU where they stopped at the LSU Dairy Store for ice cream. The students, teachers, and paraeducators took the free bus from LSU back to Tiger-land. Everybody was exhausted, but it was worth it! This social studies trip was a great success. Second graders got to see two historic landmarks in Baton Rouge. The first graders got to see different community jobs in action. They also were able to ride aboard a trolley – an historic means of transportation.

Fifth grader, Kendell Charles of Opelousas, was the LSD winner of the annual D.A.R.E. essay-writing contest sponsored by the Baton Rouge City Constable’s Department, un-der the direction of Major Reginald Brown. Kendell received a certificate, a medal and a gift bag of goodies at the D.A.R.E. graduation ceremony held on Thursday, May 3, at the F. G. Clark Activity Center on the campus of Southern University. Senator Sharon Wes-ton-Broome of Baton Rouge was the keynote speaker as fourteen LSD 5th graders graduated from the D.A.R.E. program. News reporter Jenny Heroman of the local news Channel 33 interviewed three of the students, including Kendell, Andre Trahan, and Paige Watson as part of their evening news program about the D.A.R.E. graduation. The other graduates are Kace Abbott, Nasya Mays, Skylar Major, Joseph Lockwood, Kyron Webb, Jonathan Camargo, Kendra Scott, Lil Ivory Carter, Tatiyanna Nelson, Ni-ge'l Stamps, and Sheniqua Ray.

The D.A.R.E. (Drug Awareness Resistance Education) program began in January and continued with weekly meetings until the end of April. Every Friday, Corporal Antonia Coleman-Crump, of the Constable’s office, met with the LSD fifth graders for classes that included information on drugs, tobacco, and alcohol, bullying, peer pressure, role-playing and the D.A.R.E. decision-making model.

Over 20 different schools were honored at the event, which was coordinated by Ser-geant Marc Tabor, Community Service Coordinator of the Baton Rouge City Constable’s Office. Sgt. Tabor was responsible for providing all the graduates with a D.A.R.E. tee shirt in addition to a special “fingerspelling” tee shirt for the LSD graduates.

“I really want to give special thanks to Melodie Sparks, our Middle School Supervisor for her great support this year,” stated sponsor Demetria Gaines. “She and Linda Thomas really encouraged our involvement in the D.A.R.E. program.”

“All of our teachers on the fifth/sixth grade wing of the Middle School – Larry Massey, Samantha Defeo, Roxanne Moore, Lovie Oyekenu, and Bunnie Perich – as well as Para-educator Keisha Landry, were also very supportive,” added Gaines.

Serving as interpreters for the graduation event as well as the weekly meetings were Peggy Gray and Missy Mills of the LSD Interpreting Department. Following the cere-mony at Southern University, the students had the opportunity to practice their etiquette skills at the Golden Corral Restaurant. Sponsors for the event were Demetria Gaines, Charlene Diaz, Mike Owens and Marcia Kirk.

Middle School News DARE Program Graduates 14 Fifth Graders Demetria Gaines Mike Owens


The Middle School hosted its third annual Earth Day festival on April 20th. Students enjoyed entertaining crowds of adults and students from all over campus. A variety of projects awaited our visitors, including a model of hurricane destruction, a demonstra-tion of helpful insects, and an edible representation of the layers of the Earth! Fifth graders enthusiastically explained the phases of the moon and checked their pizza box solar ovens, while the sixth graders excitedly described their dioramas of Earth’s bi-omes and energy sources. Nearby, a team of seventh graders measured and com-pared human heights to various animal heights while a pair of eighth graders painted children’s faces with colorful designs. Most people were brave enough to sample the tasty frog legs, while others were content with the homemade Earth-shaped sugar cookies. Our Earth Day festival allowed students to explore scientific concepts, de-velop interactive skills, and ponder how to creatively express their knowledge. It’s a fantastic time for youth and adults alike to appreciate and celebrate our planet Earth!

The Middle School Dorm students had their End-of-the-Year Reward Activities during the weekend of May 11-13. Students who earned the privilege of staying for the week-end went to the Rok Haus indoor rock climbing center in Lafayette on Friday night. On Saturday, students had breakfast at the Golden Corral restaurant and then went to Celebration Station. On Sunday, students spent the day at Blue Bayou Water Park. Jessica Williams, the Residential Team Leader for the Middle School Dorms thanks the LSD Foundation for their generosity in funding the good behavior rewards all year long, and especially the end-of-the-year activities.

Earth Day Mona Alkadi

Students Enjoy Interactive Displays Mary Barber and her class

End of the Year Dorm Activities Jessica Williams

High School News Environmental Science Trip to LUMCON Erica Kouzmanoff

On April 25th and 26th, eleven science students from LSD took a field trip to the Louisi-ana Universities Marine Consortium (LUMCON) as part of a unit in Environmental Sci-ence. There, accompanied by high school teachers Doug Clement and John Jumon-ville, middle school teacher Mona Alkadi, and Illinois State University student teachers Erica Kouzmanoff and Sarah Blackburn, students participated in a variety of activities to enhance their knowledge of Louisiana wetlands. Upon arrival at LUMCON, students deposited their overnight bags into dormitory rooms used by visiting students. After that, students took a tour of the facility. Once the tour had concluded, the group came to the cafeteria for what can only be described as “oodles” of crawfish. Immediately fol-lowing dinner, the students participated in a lab activity centered on plankton.


The next day, the real fun began. Students and staff boarded LUMCON’s 60-foot re-search vessel and set out into the bay. While riding on the boat, students saw brown pelicans, dolphins, and many other examples of marine life! The students participated in collecting plankton and trawling the water. Later in the afternoon, students again boarded a boat, but this time to venture into the marsh. Students were surprised to ex-perience how soft the ground was! They collected water samples and conducted experi-ments to measure the water clarity, pH, salinity, and the amount of dissolved oxygen within the water. When leaving LUMCON tired, wet, hungry and dirty, the eleven environmental science students and five chaperones were invited to Jordan Snyder’s home in Houma where a meal of fried fish, hush puppies, boiled shrimp and perfectly boiled HUGE blue-point crabs were served. The seafood feast was followed by strawberries and ice cream. Opening their home to 11 hungry, tired and dirty teenagers was an incredible act of hos-pitality and generosity. The trip and the feast were certainly a once-in-a-lifetime experi-ence, enjoyed by all. Thanks to Peggy Gray and Missy Mills for providing excellent in-terpreting services.

Louisiana Teen Summit on Internet Safety and Grass-roots Advocacy Brittney Lynch

On May 2nd, Tuvia Hall and I attended the Louisiana Teen Summit 2007 where we learned more about Internet Safety and how to protect ourselves online. Over 200 teen-agers from around the state attended the Summit. While we were there we had lots of fun and met lots of people. First, Clay Rives, director of High Tech Crimes Unit for the Attorney General’s Office, talked to us about Internet Safety. Later, we had student peer-to-peer discussions. During lunch, Lauren Nelson, Miss America 2007, shared stories about her past Internet experiences and gave advice to teens about how to be safe online. After lunch, we visited the State Capitol and talked to some of our legisla-tors about laws that could protect kids around the U.S. Now that I know more about Internet Safety, I will tell all my friends about what I have learned.

Miss America, Lauren Nelson with Brittney Lynch and Tuvia Hall

Internet Summit for Parents Melinda Partin

At the Teen Internet Summit there were lots of activities for the parents as well as for the teens. Online Safety Tips were presented to parents by Lt. Henry Reed and Sgt. Paul Edmonson from the Special Crime Division of the Louisiana State Police. They discussed the benefits of kids going online, but also the dangers. Kids can view sites containing pornographic images and demeaning, sexist, violent or false information. They can also meet predators who can pretend to be someone else while chatting


online. Some of the tips presented to parents included: • Make Internet use a family activity. • Consider rating, monitoring or filtering applications for your home computer. • Keep the computer in a high traffic area in your home. • Discourage your child from sharing personal information online. • Encourage your child to tell you when they encounter problems or feel uncomfort-

able while on the Internet.

For more information there are Online Resources for Parents: NetSmarttz Workshop www.Netsmartz.org Cyber Tip Line www.cybertipline.com Cox Communications Take Charge www.cox.com/takecharge/takecharge.asp Online Chat Quiz Your kids can probably fill in the blanks. Can you? LOL: BRB: MUSM: A/S/L: BF: TAW: SN: POS: WTGP: LMIRL: Answers: laugh out loud, be right back, miss you so much, age/sex/location, boy-friend, teachers are watching, screen name?, parent over shoulder, want to go private?, let’s meet in real life

High School Dorm News Walker Estes

4-H Club Leads Pledge Lovie Oyekenu

Members of the LSD 4-H Club led the Pledge of Allegiance on Wednesday, May 9th at the Baton Rouge Metro Council meeting. Students attending were Kevin Williams, Jamey Vedros, Peyton Scott, Ra’Kiya Wilkinson, Micheal Troetscher, and Devin Dehart.

As the dorm year winds down, there are few outstanding residents who made the top list of being on Level 1 for the entire year! HS Boys: Brandon Freed, Brendan Mann, and Ronald Alexander HS Girls: April Thomas, Heather Johnson, and Brittney Lynch They demonstrated lots of maturity to maintain Level 1 status for the whole year. Walker Estes and Evelyn Castleberry chaperoned them on a fun reward outing on April 10 to ride on an air boat through the swamps near Des Allemandes at sunset. The boat left around 7:00 p.m. and returned around 8:30 p.m. We were excited about our adventure in the dark!! On April 14, these Level One students went to the Mall of Louisi-


On The Job Training Wanda Bozeman

ana and saw a movie at the new Rave Theater. Congratulations to these six out-standing students who were such good role models for their fellow dorm mates.

This has been a good year for the On-the-Job Training Program. Seniors recently ended their employment, took finals, went on the senior trip and prepared for gradua-tion. All of our students were able to maintain their employment, with the exception of three. All others have gained valuable experience and have earned money this year. Students were able to open bank accounts and maintain them, making deposits and withdrawals, as well as saving money and planning for purchases. Students also at-tended workshops this year about banking services, telecommunication devices, sexu-ally-transmitted diseases, and the rights of disabled persons. We appreciate all the managers of the various businesses that employed our students. McDonalds was LSD’s biggest employer with 7 students: Brittany Beal, Gregory Smith, Kentrel Mason, Joe Boudray, Ashish Sandhu, Kelsey Smith, Shawn Coo-per. Four students worked with Mr. Houston Moss on various construction projects: Kerry Cloar, Jeremy Benoit, Brandon Freed, Alan Beteta. Two students maintained employment all year at Chick-Fil-A: Heather Johnson, Crystal Conner. Two other students worked at the State Capitol Grounds and should continue there next year: Antonio Nguyen, Curtis Ford. Brendan Mann worked at Our Lady of the Lake Col-lege and will continue there after graduation. Shamika Sers worked at the La Capitol Federal Credit Union. John Holmes worked at Calandro’s Grocery Store. Jessica Johnson worked at Cato’s Clothing Store. Homer Padilla, Tim Sylvain, Miranda Pi-cou, and April Thomas all had on-campus employment this year. Jessica, Brittany, Gregory, Kentrel, Joe, Shawn, Kerry, Jeremy, Heather, Crystal, Brendan, John, Miranda, and April will be graduating and leaving us to pursue their places in the world. As they graduate, we have encouraged them and their parents to contact resources in the State of Louisiana to provide support with transition into “real” life. Louisiana Rehabilitation Services is an agency that provides support to students to train for jobs, college, and/or secure employment in their hometown area. The Louisi-ana Commission for the Deaf is another important resource for the deaf. Mrs. Pam Ross is already busy looking for job placements for next year’s students. Hopefully, more opportunities will be available for on-campus employment for students, which will enable them to be better prepared for off-campus employment after that.

Brandon, Brittney, and Ronald (back row) Evelyn and Walker (front row) on the Air Boat


Summer Camps The Bill Rice Ranch has over 50 years of Christian camping experience. Deaf students aged 9 to 19 can attend one week of camp in Murfreesboro, Tennes-see for FREE! Sessions for deaf campers are held June 10 - 15, June 17 - 22, June 24 - 29, July 8 - 13, July 15 - 21 or July 29 - August 3. A group from Lou-isiana will be attending the June 17 - 22 session. For more information call 1-800-253-2767 or e-mail Nathan McConnell at [email protected] . Trish Mann at LSD has application forms. She can be reached at 888-769-8111, ext. 327. The 32nd Annual Louisiana Assembly of God Deaf Camp will be held July 30 to August 4. Deaf students ages 10 through 18 years are welcomed to attend the camp in Woodworth, Louisiana (12 miles south of Alexandria). Camp is free and transportation can be arranged. Register before July 4 by contacting Ron DeWitt, c/o Liberty Deaf Church, 1438 Harwich Dr., Baton Rouge, LA 70820 cell # (225)241-0773, email: [email protected] The Louisiana Lions Camp, in Leesville, Louisiana welcomes deaf campers. Campers from the northern half of Louisiana attend July 1—7 and campers from the southern half of the state attend July 8—14. More information can be ob-tained at www.lionscamp.org or by calling 1-800-348-6567.

OJT Students (left to right): Ashish Sandu, Joe Boudray, Kel-sey Smith and Brittany Beal.


During the week of July 1—7, Med-Camps of Louisiana, a non-profit organiza-tion in West Monroe, Louisiana offers a residential summer camping experi-ence to children living with chronic illnesses or disabilities. Camp Alabama, situated on 33 acres is located between Monroe and Ruston. Campers must be ages 6 to 16. The first week of July session serves campers who are Deaf, Speech Impaired or Visually Impaired. There is no tuition charged for the camp. More information can be found at the Med-Camp website, www. med-camps.com or by calling toll free at 877-282-0802, Caleb Seney, Executive Di-rector. Special Olympics hosts Camp Shriver for students with intellectual disabilities. More information on their summer camp program can be had at www.laso.org or by calling 1-800-345-6644 Cajun Day Camp, held at the Deaf Action Center in Lafayette, will be held July 16—20 and July 23—27 for campers ages 4 to 13 years old. Registration deadline is June 29 and the cost is $75 per week. More information can be ob-tained at the Deaf Action Center at 337-232-3463 Deaf Day Camp will be held June 18—22 at the Catholic Deaf Center (CDC) in Baton Rouge for deaf children and siblings, and the children of deaf parents, ages 5 to 12 years old. The CDC is located at 2585 Brightside Lane, Baton Rouge, La 70820. More information can be obtained by calling Bill Dugas at 225 766 9320. Arts and crafts, sports, Bible class, and field trips will be of-fered. The camp will be from 9am to 4pm , and campers bring their own lunch. Working parents drop campers off before 8 a.m. and pick them up after 5p.m. Cost of the camp is $30 for the week. Hours are 9 am until 4 pm. The dead-line to register is June 11. Older deaf students, ages 16 years or above are needed to volunteer as camp counselors.

Have a wonderful summer.

Louisiana School for the Deaf P. O. Box 3074 Baton Rouge, LA 70821-3074

On Eagle’s Wings

The next edition of On Eagle’s Wings will be published in September, 2007. Anyone wishing to provide feed-back or submit articles should contact Trish Mann.

Documents

On Eagle’s Wings - Louisiana School for the Deaf · Page 3 On Eagle’s Wings money during their four years of high school to afford to fly Southwest Airlines to Or-lando instead