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
: Patriotic Essay Winners; Juniors Receive School Rings; High School Drama Department To Stage
Tartuffe
; Local Feud Inspires History Lesson; Fourth-Grade Book Club; Rounding Up Awards at Math Tournament; Elementary Dramas; Thank Yous; Kudos; Friendly Reminders; Weekly Photo Album; and Athletic Corner.
Daylight Savings Time begins on Sunday, March 11 at 2:00 am.
Remember to set your clocks ahead by one hour.
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Eighth Grader Wins Patriotic Essay Contest
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Eighth grader Cooper Smither has won 1st place in the 2017-18 Bishop Stanley J. Ott Assembly Knights of Columbus Patriotism Essay Contest. As a district winner, he advances to the regional competition. Also recognized for his essay was 8th grader Reagan Kyle, who received an honorable mention.
Cooper will be presented with an award of $300 and a plaque at the Knights of Columbus Patriotic Banquet on March 24 at the St. Joseph Cathedral Parish Hall.
For this year's competition, students were asked to compose a 500-750 word essay responding to the question "What Are Some Freedoms We Enjoy Because of the Service and Sacrifice of our Military Veterans?" Eighth-grade English teacher Kylie Harbin submitted the essays to the contest.
(Photo: From left are Reagan Kyle, Kylie Harbin and Cooper Smither, who won 1st place in the essay contest.)
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Juniors Receive School Rings
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Members of the Runnels Class of 2019 gathered with family and friends in the Gladys Hague Theatre March 8 for the Junior Class Ring Ceremony. Officiating at the event were Assistant Head of School Conchetta Foshee, Jr./Sr. High Vice Principal Rita Haik and Jr./Sr. High Assistant Principal Dana Schlotterer.
As each junior stepped forward to receive a school ring or other keepsake from relatives, friends, or other special people in their lives, Mrs. Schlotterer offered highlights about their interests and accomplishments.
We sincerely thank Monique Howe for organizing the event, Sherry Roper for arranging the flowers, the Advanced String Orchestra and Director Jennifer Cassin for providing music, and Laura Roark, Neena McLain and the high school technical theatre classes, and Kenny Copsey and David Cummings for their assistance.
(Photo: Participating in the Junior Class Ring Ceremony on March 8 are, from left, Tri and Amanda Lam and their sons, Ryan, grade 11, who received a watch, and Alan, who presented it to him.)
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High School Drama Department To Present
Tartuffe
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The High School Drama Department will present Molière’s famous comedy
Tartuffe
for two performances,
April 20 at 7:00 pm and April 22 at 2:00 pm, in the Gladys Hague Runnels Theatre.
The play, which comes down to us from the 17th century, still tickles audiences with its witty dialogue and playful buffoonery. The title character, Tartuffe, is a master con artist posing as a "holy man." His mark is the gullible Orgon, a wealthy aristocrat who takes Tartuffe into his home and holds him up to his family as the ideal of a good and pious man. Orgon's family immediately sees right through Tartuffe and sets out to expose him as the scoundrel he is before Orgon is swindled out of house and home.
Tickets are $8 in advance or $10 at the door. Online tickets will be available at a later date.
(Photo: Leading the 'Tartuffe' cast are juniors, from left, Landon Simpson, Emma Tooraen, Natalia Tooraen, Peter Lukinovich.)
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Local Family Feud Inspires History Lesson
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Research about a Hatfield and McCoy type feud in Louisiana in the 1920s was the subject of a presentation in Steve Hayden's 7th-grade American History class. One of the parties involved in the feud was the great-great grandfather of 7th grader Eli Latiolais.
Local historian Dr. Matt Reonas, whose daughter, Maddy, is also in the class, learned about the feud from the Latiolais family. He decided to put his skills as a researcher to work and dig into the nearly 100 year old incident.
(
Read more about the feud ...
)
Dr. Reonas recently came to campus to present his findings and explain some of his research methods to the 7th graders. "He found newspaper articles and court testimony about the incident that revealed more information than current family members knew of it," said Mr. Hayden.
Dr. Reonas, who works for the Office of Conservation at the Department of Natural Resources, also gave the students some historical context for the incident by talking about the culture and politics in the 1920s in St. Landry Parish where the incident occurred.
"It was a valuable learning experience that exhibited the practical use of history for the seventh grade students," said Mr. Hayden. "Dr. Reonas taught the students about the important skill of determining what questions to ask while doing historical research."
(Photo: Dr. Matt Reonas, at rear, presents some of his historical research on the feud to 7th grade American History students.)
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Lunchtime Book Club Attracts 4th Grade Readers
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Some of our 4th graders have teamed up with their reading teacher, Amanda Albin, to form a book club. You'll find them excitedly discussing their latest page-turner at 12:10 pm on Wednesdays in Room 27.
"We just finished
Stone Fox
by John Reynolds Gardiner, our second novel of the school year," said Mrs. Albin. "Our first book was
Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing
by Judy Blume," she added. Their next book will be
Frindle
by Andrew Clements.
"We operate like a traditional book club," Mrs. Albin explained. "Students let me know what type of books they are interested in and I bring a few options. The group votes on which book they would like to read."
"We’ve designed the group to be flexible and welcoming so any 4th grader can join," Mrs. Albin added. "They just need to commit to reading the book and attending our weekly meetings. We welcome new members whenever we start a new book. I've really enjoyed this activity with the students."
(
Photo: Some members of the Fourth-Grade Book Club.
)
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Rounding Up Awards at Math Tournament
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The Runnels Mu Alpha Theta honor math society earned a trio of 1st-place awards and several additional honors at last weekend's math tournament at Baton Rouge Magnet High.
The Runnels crew took top honors in the team BC Calculus event, and the interschool test and Sweepstakes in Division 2. Reagan Kyle, grade 8, brought home second-place awards in the individual Geometry test and the Algebra I/Geometry team test. Congratulations to our competitors and Mu Alpha Theta sponsor Karen Matthews.
(Photo: Math tournament participants, from left, Marshall Pentes, Connor Porthouse, Carson Badinger, Sam Matthews, Alex Matthews, Evan Beoubay, Reagan Kyle and Austin Stansbury. Not pictured: Ryan Lam.)
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On Stage in Elementary Drama Room
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Elementary drama students delighted audiences with three plays in the Drama Room this week. The first- and third-hour upper elementary drama classes presented
Hansel and Gretel in the Creepy Woods
, a not-so-traditional mash-up of the two Grimm's fairy tales, "Hansel and Gretel" and "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs." The comedy was directed by Kendall Kresbach.
(Photo: Members of the first-hour elementary drama class in 'Hansel and Gretel in the Creepy Woods.')
The second-hour drama students presented another fairy tale classic from the Brothers Grimm,
The Musicians of Bremen Town
. In introducing the play, director Kendall Krebsbach said students have been learning the importance of working together as an ensemble, where each and every actor, no matter how large or small the part, is crucial to the success of the production.
In our lower elementary drama classes, it was all about the trials and tribulations of being little. The first graders and the members of section 2A sang and danced their way into our hearts with their presentation of a variety show entitled
The Trouble with Being Little
. All four performances were directed by lower elementary drama teacher Julie Horridge.
Click here
for a snippet from
The Trouble With Being Little
.
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...
Preschool RPO "Parent Stars" Amanda Francois and Haleigh Wingate
for hosting the first Wednesday of Preschool Teacher Appreciation this week. In keeping with the students' recent activities, the event had a Dr. Seuss theme. "We received a cute Dr. Seuss t-shirt," said Preschool Co-Director Karen Runnels, "that says 'Oh, the Places You'll Go at Runnels.' The t-shirts are a huge staff favorite."
The faculty also enjoyed a breakfast of muffins, bagels, yogurt and fruit plus a salad lunch topped off with brownies and cookies for dessert. The preschool staff will be pampered with two more Teacher Appreciation Wednesdays this month.
(Photo: Preschool RPO Teacher Appreciation organizers, from left, Amanda Francois and Haleigh Wingate.)
...The
Penniman Family
(Rebecca Penniman is a former Runnels Preschool teacher.) for donating "Bean" the hamster to the preschool as a new pet.
...
Derrie Perez
, grandmother of Stuart Roark, grade 6, for making a donation to the Elementary Library.
...The
Logos Quartet
(violinists
Espen Lilleslatten
and
Roxana Pavel Goldstein,
violist
Elias Goldstein
, and cellist
Dennis Parker
) for performing for string students in Dan and Jennifer Cassin's classes last week.
...
Janet and Bert Toms
, grandparents of Stuart Roark, grade 6, for donating 10 recycling bags to Julie Fink's 6th-grade recycling program on our main campus.
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... Dawson Latona, grade 8, finished in 1st place (along with attorney Hillar Moore) in last weekend's 2018 Susan B. Komen's Race for the Cure. The 5K race was held in downtown Baton Rouge. Competing as a member of the DEMCO team, Dawson completed the run in 18 minutes and 14 seconds. (
Photo: Dawson Latona, left, and Hillar Moore.
)
... Libby Judice-Smith (Runnels Class of '06) will appear in Theatre Baton Rouge's production of the Tony award-winning musical
Cabaret
March 9-25. For tickets:
theatrebr.org
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Mar. 9 & 10 /
Junior Classical League State Convention
Mar. 11 /
Daylight Savings Time Begins.
At 2:00 am, turn clocks ahead one hour.
Mar. 16 /
Raider Star Drawings
, Drama Room, Grades 4-6, 12:35 pm and Grades 1-3, 1:40 pm
Mar. 16 /
Raider Rally
, Elementary Playground, 5:30 pm
Mar. 19-23 /
Standardized Testing
, Elementary Grades
Mar. 20 /
Standardized Testing
, Grades 7 and 8
Mar. 21 /
Standardized Testing
, Grades 9 and 10
Mar. 22-29 /
Elementary Spring Scholastic Book Fair
(books only), Elementary Library, 8:00 am - 3:30 pm
Mar. 24 /
Jr. High Drama,
In the Village of the Brothers Grimm
,
Gladys Hague Runnels Theatre, 7:00 pm. The performance is free and open to the public.
Mar. 23 /
Kindergarten Spring Musical,
Gladys Hague Runnels Theatre, 9:00 am
Mar. 23-24 /
Mu Alpha Theta Convention
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Happy Birthday, Dr. Seuss:
Reading was in the spotlight at our preschool this week as students celebrated what would have been the 114th birthday of beloved children's author, Dr. Theodor Seuss Geisel, better known as Dr. Seuss. Members of the Senior Beta Club and sponsor Michele Stanfield traveled to the preschool today to join in the fun. Dressed up as colorful characters from Dr. Seuss favorites, the older students read, played games and even searched for frogs outside on the playground with the little ones. (Preschoolers Lucy Williams, left, and Charley Hill enjoy a Dr. Seuss themed activity.)
In this week's album:
Dissecting Mushrooms, Elementary Dramas, Dr. Seuss Day at Preschool, and Candids.
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SOFTBALL
The Lady Raiders softball team is 9-0 this season and is currently ranked #2 in the state! The team is batting a .573 average, with 13 doubles, 8 triples, and 2 home runs. Carlie Aucoin leads the team with 17 RBIs, and Sarah Soileau leads the team with 20 runs and 21 stolen bases.
Kayleigh Nicholson is at the front of the pack in the pitching circle where she is 7-0 with a 4.46 ERA. Kayleigh has 42 strikeouts with only 10 walks.
(Photo: Above, Lady Raiders huddled up. Right, Kayleigh Nicholson.)
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ALL-METRO SOCCER PLAYERS
Congratulations to seniors Ally Garrity and Kaylen Howe for being selected to play in the Louisiana High School Coaches Association All-Metro Soccer Team. Ally was also named All-Metro Offensive MVP.
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BASEBALL
The Raiders varsity baseball team is off to a hot start at 3-0, reports Head Coach Ben Young. In their first contest, they defeated St. James 15-9 with 12 hits. Grayson Gulley, Ricky Harrison, Collin Bueche, Colin Bonine, and Justin Taliaferro each had 2 hits. Blaine Nicholson earned the win on the mound.
In the second game of the year, Runnels took down Woodlawn, 18-0, in two and half innings. Colin Bonine got the win on the mound and Blaine Nicholson had two hits in the game.
Yesterday, in their first away game, the Raiders beat Donaldsonville, 11-1, in five innings. They jumped out to an early 10-0 lead after the second inning. Collin Bueche threw all five innings and did not give up a hit to get the win. Justin Taliaferro was 2 for 3 with a double and three RBIs. Today, the Raiders travel to Gonzales to take on Ascension Christian.
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BOWLING
Last week in a very close game against UHigh, the Raider bowling team lost 15.5 to 11.5. High scores went to Alex Matthews (139), Karli Hebert (132) and Rachel Hargrove (128), with high series to Karli Hebert (378). Rachel Haragrove and Seth Miller beat their opponents in all three games, and Karli had two wins and one tie, earning a 1/2 point. Rachel improved her average again this week. Karli remains number three on the leader board for both high game and high series among the girls.
The regional bowling tournament will be held March 19th.
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POWERLIFTING
Senior Natalie Justus has been chosen for the All-Academic Composite Girls Powerlifting Team. She will be recognized for this honor at the State Powerlifting Meet March 15 in Alexandria.
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BASKETBALL
Last Friday, the boys basketball team took on Crescent City in the Quarterfinal Playoffs. Unfortunately, the Raiders were defeated 40-64.
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TENNIS
On Tuesday, the Runnels Varsity Tennis Team could not be stopped, reports Head Coach Kathrin Sieberth. The team took on Ascension Catholic, Woodlawn and East Iberville, winning the match 8-2. In his debut Singles match, Evan Beoubay won a close one, 8-4. Veterans Eric Huygues and Kyle Sieberth also won their Singles matches against Ascension Catholic.
New team members Kalyee Freiberger and Amelia Jennings were paired together in Doubles and scored a decisive win over their Woodlawn opponents. Rachel Wehbe, back in competition after an ankle injury, was paired with Hannah Barback. "The ladies were brutal in their 8-0 destruction of their Ascension Catholic opponents," said Coach Kathrin. Daniel Mayeaux and Ryan Lam were paired against two Ascension Catholic players and won 8-0.
Wednesday, the varsity tennis team scored a big victory, 5-2, over Ascension Christian at Highland Road Park. At #1 boys Singles, junior Eric Huygues fought valiantly against 2016 State Champion Bryce Walker, but lost a close match 5-7, 1-6. Daniel Mayeaux was in complete control of his #2 Singles match and won 6-2, 6-0.
Runnels won both boys Doubles matches, with Evan Beoubay and Ryan Lam pairing up for the first time. Seniors Austin Stansbury and Harrison Bonaventure defeated their opponents 6-4, 6-1.
Seniors Natalie Justus and Elizabeth Daigle teamed up to play #1 Doubles and won 11-9 in the tiebreaker. Rachel Wehbe and Catherine Bonaventure dominated at #2 Doubles with no losses.
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THIS WEEKEND
On Friday
Track and Field
- St. Thomas Aquinas Meet at Christ Episcopal School - Depart at 12:30 pm
On Saturday
Baseball
at Ascension Christian - 11:00 am
Lady Raider Softball
at Ascension Episcopal High School - 12:00 pm and 2:00 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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