PRESCHOOL THROUGH HIGH SCHOOL
Runnels has always been the school for all races, religions, and national origins.
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In this week's
Friday Focus
, our weekly e-newsletter from Head of School Marcia Mackay: Reserve Your Place at Runnels...Re-enroll by Feb. 1; Teacher's Design Selected for Martin Luther King Festival of Service; 2018 Homecoming Court Announced; Rice Babies; Elementary Students Invited to Join in Homecoming Spirit Week; Spring Poetry Contest; Exploring the Life of Martin Luther King, Jr.; Kudos and Thank Yous; Friendly Reminders; Weekly Photo Album and Athletic Corner.
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Reserve Your Place at Runnels for the 2018-2019 School Year
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Re-enrollment for the 2018-2019 school year at Runnels is in full swing! Thursday, February 1, 2018 is the "deadline" for re-enrolling with no enrollment fee. If you have any questions about re-enrollment, please call the school office at 225-215-5706. Open enrollment for new students begins February 1. If you know of any families looking for a new school home, please invite them to check out our website at www.runnels.org, call for a tour, or contact Admissions Director Sarah Haase at admissions@runnels.org or 225-215-5706.
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Teacher's Design Selected for Annual MLK Festival of Service
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A mural designed by painting and art teacher Sydney McGraw was chosen by The Walls Project for this weekend's Martin Luther King Festival of Service, a four-day community initiative to spruce up neglected buildings along a two-mile stretch of Scenic Hwy. in Scotlandville, LA.
Ms. McGraw, who is a Runnels alumna, will work with volunteers to install her mural on an outer wall of the Tire Store at 6505 Scenic Hwy. "I am excited they chose a design I submitted and that I'll be in charge of a whole building," she said.
This year’s MLK Festival of Service brings together more than 70 artists, businesses and community organizations in a volunteer effort to paint blighted buildings and murals, plant community gardens and trees, paint house addresses on curbs (for the benefit of first responders), repair fences, and pick up and haul away trash from properties, according to The Walls Project's website.
If you would like to volunteer to help Ms. McGraw with this project, please contact her at s.mcgraw@runnels.org.
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2018 Homecoming Court Announced
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Elections for members of the 2018 Runnels Homecoming court were held in the Andy Mack Memorial Library on Jan. 10. Congratulations to the winners: freshmen Mia Alfonso and Caroline Collins, sophomores Ally Sutton and Talia Tooraen, juniors Sydney Markham and Rachel Wehbe, and seniors Lainee Alfonso, Kaylen Howe, Natalie Justus and Jade Tew.
(Photo: Sophomores Grayson Gulley, left, and Ben Holliday cast their votes for the homecoming court as an official from the State Board of Elections observes.)
Junior and senior high students will cast their ballots for the homecoming queen during math classes on Jan. 24 in the Andy Mack Memorial Library. The queen will be announced at the presentation of the homecoming court on Jan. 26 at 2:10 pm in the Gladys Hague Runnels Theatre. The court will be presented once more during halftime at the varsity boys basketball game against the Holden Rockets in the gym that night. The Homecoming Dance is on Saturday, Jan. 27, from 7:00 to 10:00 pm in the gym. This year's theme is "A Night on the Town."
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Congratulations! It's a Rice Baby
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Our 3rd graders became "parents" today, with the special delivery of their "rice babies," carefully constructed dolls weighing exactly what they did on the day they were born. The project is part of a lesson on measurement in Cyndy Krul's science class. It was designed to help the children understand what a particular weight actually feels like.
It "took a village" to make the rice-filled dolls for all 42 third graders, but with plenty of help from teachers and parents, each student had a babe in arms by 10 am. To create the dolls, students moved along "assembly lines" manned by parents in the 3rd-grade science classroom, measuring out and weighing the rice, pouring it into cut off pantyhose legs, binding "body" and "head" sections of the "rice babies" with rubber bands, and then hot gluing googly eyes and Ring Pops (pacifiers) to the little round "faces" for eyes and mouths. Each "rice baby" was issued a special "birth certificate" recording its unique weight.
The children brought baby blankets, hair bows and even a bow tie to school to dress up their "rice babies" and make them special. The dolls went everywhere with the children for the rest of the school day. A huge thank you goes to Mrs. Krul for organizing the project and the parent volunteers who helped make it a success. They included Heather Jones, Lucas Banquer, Genie Traylor, Kristin Kennedy, Ally Guay, Dustin Felton, Erin Kennedy, Dawn Pittman, Stacy Corder, Michelle Hart, Jodi Golden, Alecia Tate, Ruba Abbelhaq, and Randa Elkurdi. (
Photo: Third-grade mom Jodi Golden helps glue googly eyes on Olive Pittman's "rice baby.")
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Spirit Week Activities Galore for Elementary Grades
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The elementary school will join in the fun of Homecoming Spirit Week once again this year. On Monday, Jan. 22, the 6th graders will kick off the festivities by attending the Homecoming Pep Rally in the gym during 6th hour. Each day of the week, elementary students are encouraged to dress according to special Spirit Week themes. Here's the rundown for grades K-6.
Monday, Jan. 22: "Out of This World" - Dress like a space alien, something futuristic or from out of this world.
Tuesday, Jan. 23: "PJ Tuesday" - Come to school in your favorite pajamas.
Wednesday, Jan. 24: "Dress Up Wednesday" - Dress up for a night on the town. Wear your party clothes. (This theme is an adaptation of the high school theme of the day.)
The RPO will provide a treat to elementary students on Wednesday to celebrate Homecoming Spirit Week.
Thursday, Jan. 25: "Open Season Thursday" - Elementary students can dress up as their favorite animals.
Friday, Jan. 26: "Freaky Friday" - Switch it up! Dress like a teacher, coach or classmate.
For the homecoming game on Jan. 26, the junior varsity boys, varsity girls, and varsity boys basketball teams will take on the Holden Rockets in our gym at 5, 6, and 7:30 pm, respectively.
Elementary students will be given free admission to the game if accompanied by a paying adult.
(Photo: Elementary students Chloe Bueche, at left, and Kate Kelfstrom dress up for Twin Day during last year's Homecoming Spirit Week.)
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Writing Contest In Praise of the Ode
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The Runnels Writing Center is sponsoring a Spring Writing Contest this month for students in grades 7-12. In keeping with the Olympic spirit, writers are asked to compose an ode for the competition. History records that the ancient Greeks recited Victory Odes at their Olympic Games to honor champion athletes. Student odes submitted to the contest may celebrate any subject, from sports to their favorite pair of socks.
Prizes will be awarded in two categories: Classic (rhymed, 10-line stanzas) and Free Form. The due date for submitting odes is February 2.
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Exploring the Life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
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Students have been learning about the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King through a variety of activities this week. First graders in Vicki LeBleu's social studies classes watched a video about him, read
Martin’s Big Words, The Life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.,
written by Doreen Rappaport and illustrated by Bryan Collier (available in our Elementary Library), and made a booklet about him. In Caroline Hader's social studies classes, 2nd graders listened to Dr. King's famous "I Have a Dream" speech and read a short biography about him.
(Photo: Mrs. LeBleu reads 'Martin's Big Words' to a class of 1st grade students.)
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Studying the Science of Sound
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Students in Ashley Stevens' 4th-grade science classes have been exploring the science of sound. "The students have learned about sound waves, vibrations, and how sound travels through different types of matter," explained Ms. Stevens. As a grand finale to their lessons, each student built a musical instrument made from materials found at home to present to the class.
Tuesday was the big reveal. Students took turns playing their instruments and explaining what they were, how they were made, and what materials were used to build them.
"The students enjoyed this project and came up with some unique and fresh designs," said Ms. Stevens. "They also enjoyed the silly sounds the instruments made."
(Photo: Ms. Stevens' 5th hour science students display their assortment of homemade musical instruments.)
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To learn more about the largest organ in the human body, our skin, students in Sheila Foster's life science classes recently conducted a lab on skin sensitivity. Using "skin sensitivity cards," (index cards with eight small toothpick ends jutting out along the edges) they tested each other for the degree of sensitivity on the fingertips, back of the hand, and back of the neck. For the experiment, students made predictions about what part of the skin would turn out to be most sensitive.
With the subject's eyes closed, the testers gently touched the designated areas of skin using a "skin sensitivity card" and recorded how many toothpick points he or she felt. The results of the experiment varied widely since everybody responds differently to stimuli and everybody's skin is different.
(Photo: In junior high life science, Samantha Marino tests Nathan Hall's fingertips for the degree of skin sensitivity.)
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A Chance To See Dance
... Congratulations to the students in the Runnels Dance Program for presenting a virtuoso performance in the Gladys Hague Runnels Theatre on Jan. 8. The dancers demonstrated steps they learned in ballet, modern, and jazz-contemporary-lyrical classes as teacher Rachel Harper Hart, a Runnels alumna, provided technical details about the movements. The students performed four dances choreographed by Ms. Hart, showcasing the depth and breadth of the dance program. It was a great chance to introduce the various forms of dance offered at Runnels to the students in grades 3-6 attending the performance.
(Photo: Dance students line up for a keepsake photo from their January performance.)
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We Sincerely Thank
... Susan and Keith Mayeaux, parents of junior Daniel Mayeaux, for donating two beautiful banners commemorating the runner-up titles won by both the girls and boys cross country teams at the 2017 LHSAA Cross Country Class B Championship Meet. The twin banners are now on display in the Catalano Gym.
(Photo: Varsity Cross Country Team - Front row: Peyton Collett, Sydney Worsham, Ryan Roper, Dawson Latona; Middle row: AnnaClaire Courville, Micah Roper, Kaylen Howe, Annie Fink, Head Coach Julie Fink; Back row: Alex Matthews, Danniel Mayeaux, Eric Ho, and Sam Matthews.)
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Jan. 15 /
Martin Luther King, Jr., Day - School Holiday
Jan. 17 /
Senior Beta Induction Ceremony
, 11:50 am, Gladys Hague Runnels Theatre
Jan. 19-21 /
Disney and Cameron MacIntosh's
Mary Poppins, The Broadway Musical,
at the
Gladys Hague Runnels Theatre; Ticket Information:
seatyourself.biz
Jan. 22-27 /
Homecoming Week
Jan. 24 /
D.A.R.E. Graduation Ceremony for 5th Graders
, 1:30 pm, Gladys Hague Runnels Theatre
Jan. 25 /
Jr. Beta Induction Ceremony
, 11:00 am, Gladys Hague Runnels Theatre
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(Above: In rehearsal for Disney and Cameron MacIntosh's 'Mary Poppins, The Broadway Musical' at Runnels are Alex Morgan as Bert and Kayla Evans as Mary Poppins. Tickets are still available for all three shows -- Friday, Jan. 19 and Saturday, Jan. 20 at 7:00 pm and Sunday, Jan. 21 at 2:00 pm -- at
seatyourself.biz
.)
In this week's album: Elementary Computer Class, Tech Theater Builds the
Mary Poppins
Set, Homecoming Voting, 4th Grade Instruments, 5th Grade Science Orbits and Ellipses, Jr. High Science Skin Sensitivity Experiment, AP Government Class Playing Telephone, 3rd Grade Rice Babies, 5th Grade Froot Loop Math, Preschool 2's S'mores and Pajamas for Night and Day Week, Martin Luther King Activities, and Candids.
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BOWLING
Wednesday, the bowling team competed in its pre-season Jamboree at All Star Lanes. The Raiders beat Tara 11-5 but lost to Lee High in the winners bracket. Bowlers with High Games were Seth Miller, scoring 155, Alex Matthews with 149, and Karli Hebert with 143.
Seth Miller and Karli Hebert each scored two points, and Janie Schlotterer, Sarah Stanfield, and Rachel Hargrove each scored one.
INDOOR TRACK & FIELD
The Indoor Track and Field Raiders opened up the 2018 season at the LSU High School Classic. All 5 of our competing athletes left LSU with top 10 marks in their respective events in the LHSAA Division 2 rankings. Seth Chiasson was 2nd in the shot put; Sam Matthews was 1st in the 3200m and 3rd in 1600m; Kaylen Howe was 3rd in the 800m; Micah Roper was 4th in the 3200m, and Annie Fink was 3rd in 1600m and 6th in the 3200m. The next meet will be at LSU on January 20th.
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VARSITY BOYS SOCCER
Coach Chris Stewart reports that the varsity boys soccer team had a great showing at the CENLA tournament in Alexandria this past weekend. The Raiders started the weekend off with a tough loss to Tioga, 2-3, on Friday afternoon. Goals were scored by Max Sager and Grayson Gulley. In game two against the Buckeyes, the Raiders had a dominating performance with the first shut-out of the year, winning 2-0, with goals by Grayson Gulley and Parker Rhinehart.
In the last game of the tournament, the boys were matched against Covenant Christian. The Lions scored two minutes into the game, but the Raiders did an excellent job of getting back into the game and scored twice to go into half time, with a 2-1 lead. Grayson Gulley and Max Sager each scored a goal. During an extremely competitive 2nd half, the Raiders played inspired soccer and worked extremely hard, ultimately giving up the equalizing goal in the last minute of game. It was a very productive weekend, going 1-1-1. The Raiders start district play today in a game against The Church Academy.
VARSITY GIRLS SOCCER
Tuesday, the varsity girls soccer team played a tough game at Baton Rouge High. The Lady Raiders played very hard but ultimately lost, 0-1. Angele Lansing made numerous saves, keeping the Ladies in the game. The Defenders were Ava Kadi, Hannah Barback, Bailey Hyatt and Blaiklee Guillot. It was a joint effort for all players!
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CALLING ALL JR. HIGH ATHLETES—IT’S SIGN UP TIME!
Junior high winter sports sign-ups are now open for Boys Baseball, Girls Volleyball, and Boys and Girls Track and Field.
Contact Junior High Athletic Director Sam Coates at
s.coates@runnels.org
with any additional questions.
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JUNIOR HIGH BOYS BASKETBALL
On Saturday, the junior high 6th and 7th grade boys basketball teams defeated Dunham, 34-26 and 43-40, respectively. On Monday, the 8th graders also defeated Dunham, 43-19. The 7th-grade team dominated Charter 55-24, and the 6th-grade team beat Amite 39-24.
The 8th-grade team took on Southside Wednesday, winning 38-28; while the 7th grade suffered a loss, 46-38.
(8th grader Robbie Harrison takes flight.
Photo courtesy of Rich Harrison.)
JUNIOR HIGH GIRLS SOCCER
Saturday, in an frigid morning match-up, the Girls Blue Soccer team tied Zachary 1-1. The game was a defensive struggle led by Sydney Worsham, Ava Kadi, Caroline Pousson and Blaiklee Guillot. Chelsea Holden provided a beautiful assist to Chloe Bueche, resulting in the only goal.
On Sunday, the Girls White team played a double header with one loss and a tie. The Lady Raiders were defeated by Episcopal, 1-0. Alyssa Oubre held tight as goalie with multiple saves, but then we gave up one goal and were unable to score.
The Ladies tied Parkview, 1-1. Olivia Chaisson controlled her side of the field and Chloe Bueche scored the only goal.
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THIS WEEKEND
On Friday
Jr. High Boys Basketball
– St. George Tournament
Varsity Boys Basketball
vs. Ridgewood, Away Game – 6:00 pm
Varsity Boys Soccer
vs. The Church Academy – 6:00 pm at The Church Academy
On Saturday
Jr. High Boys Basketball
– St. George Tournament
Varsity Girls & Boys Powerlifting
– Panther Invitational at Woodlawn High School – 9:00 am
On Monday
School Holiday – Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Day
Jr. High Boys Basketball
at Home: 7th grade at 6:00 pm & 8th grade at 7:00 pm
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RAIDER PARENTS MAKE THE BEST FANS —SEND US YOUR PHOTOS FOR THE WEEKLY NEWS
Please include the date and location of the event and the students pictured
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