PRESCHOOL THROUGH HIGH SCHOOL
Runnels has always been the school for all races, religion, and national origins.
FRIDAY FOCUS
Welcome to  Friday Focus , our weekly e-newsletter from Head of School Marcia Mackay.



In focus this week are Raider Stars of the Year; Grade 2-6 Honor Roll Announced; 6th Graders Move Up To Jr. High; Presidential Scholars; Kindergarten Recognition Ceremony; First-Grade Finale; Music Awards; Fifth-Grade Elections; and Kudos and Thank Yous. 

We are so grateful to faculty, staff, alumni, parents, friends of our school and the Baton Rouge community for the support and kindness you've shown us throughout this challenging year. It has been an amazing journey! Because of your support, we are coming back better and stronger. 

Have a safe and happy summer!

Raider Stars of the Year
Throughout the school year, students in grades 1-6 are awarded "Raider Pride" tickets for acts of courtesy, kindness, good citizenship, service to others, cooperation, and many other positive behaviors we encourage. For consistently exhibiting these admirable traits, one student from each section is selected by teachers to become a "Raider Star of the Year." (See more photos in the Weekly Album.)
On the Honor Roll (grades 2-6)
Students in grades 2-6 earning top grades were recognized by having their names placed on the Honor Roll. These students earned all "A's" and "B's" in all subjects, including conduct, this school year with no more than one "B" each quarter. Congratulations to our Honor Roll students! (See more photos in the Weekly Album.)

Moving up to Junior High
The sixth-grade class celebrated the jump to junior high school with a lovely graduation ceremony in the Gladys Hague Runnels Theatre the evening of May 24. Guiding the students through the graduation exercises was Head of School Marcia Mackay, Assistant Head of School Conchetta Foshee and Elementary Assistant Principal Beth Golden.


President's Award Winners 
A grand total of 26 members of the sixth-grade class qualified to receive the President's Education Award this year. Their award certificates were presented to them at the Sixth-Grade Graduation Ceremony held May 24 in the Gladys Hague Runnels Theatre. The award, which is available in "exit grades" (6th, 8th and 12th at Runnels), salutes outstanding academic achievement and effort. (See more photos in the Weekly Album.)     continue reading...
Kindergarten Recognition
Our youngest elementary students capped off the school year with a Kindergarten Recognition Ceremony in the Gladys Hague Runnels Theatre on May 22. The youngsters played the hand bells, sang about friendship and rainbows, and received their kindergarten portfolios. The audience was also treated to a "Memories" slide show with pictures of the children in action at Runnels all throughout the school year. 

First-Grade "All-Stars" Shine
On May 23, the first graders celebrated the completion of the school year by holding their own unique award assembly -- the "First Grade Finale." At the event, this year's "Raider Stars of the Year" for first grade were recognized (in photo from left: Peyton Troxler, Camille Legendre and Kalleigh Brown), and the entire class sang "God Bless America" and "The Things You Can Think." Each student also received his or her "Special Envelope" and an "All-Star" medal.    more photos...

Music Awards Presented
Students in grades 4-6 received awards for outstanding contributions to the Band, Strings and Harp programs from Band Directors Jill Swetnam and Shanna Drescher, String Orchestra Director Jennifer Cassin, Strings Instructor Dan Cassin, and Harp Choir Director Dr. Gabriela Werries. Awards were presented this week at the Sixth-Grade Graduation Ceremony and the Grade 2-5 Awards Assembly. Both events were held in the Gladys Hague Runnels Theatre.
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5th-Grade Election Results
The fifth-graders recently took part in a series of lessons and activities designed to teach them about the American political system.  Earlier this month, they hit the campaign trail to elect a sixth-grade president, vice president and treasurer for next year.  The students formed political parties, nominated candidates, developed platforms, designed and put up campaign posters, presented political speeches and organized an election. When it came time to vote, the Powerful Pandas party carried the day. Congratulations to new officers (pictured from left) treasurer Malek Badawi, president Ben Hader, and vice president Madeline Golden. 


Kudos and Thank Yous
Winning at Jeopardy!
The third graders astonished us with the accuracy of their "answers in the form of a question" when they competed in a game of p"Academic Jeopardy!"  in the Drama Room this week. The "questions" were designed to review some of the material students had covered in class this year. Congratulations to 1st-place winner Maeve Dolan and runners-up: Gracie Coates (2nd place), Conner Joubert (3rd place) and Jacob Lurker (4th place). (See more photos in the Weekly Album.)

Kahoot! Champions
Students in second grade had loads of fun this week playing Kahoot! to review what they had learned during the school year. With Kahoot, the teacher uses a Smartboard to pace the game while students connect to it from individual devices. Each game, called a "kahoot" is created from a series of multiple choice questions. Congratulations to Kahoot winners, Andrew Hart, Jackson Taylor, Ethan Ly, Tyler Felton, Dax Jones and Arthur Ullo. (See more photos in the Weekly Album.
We Sincerely Thank...
... School nurses Annalee Campbell, mother of Katherine, grade 5, and Margaret, grade 8; and Beth Williams, mother of Olivia, grade 5 and Lucy, preschool 3s, for assisting with lessons and activities on the circulatory system in Mr. Baird's 5th-grade classes recently. 
... The 6th-grade "Recycling Bandits" for collecting the recycling in classrooms and offices across the main campus from Nov. - May. Their science teacher, Julie Fink, reports they recycled nearly 48 cubit meters of paper, which is 6,000 times the size of a bowling ball! 


In this week's album:  Third-Grade Jeopardy, Second-Grade Kahoot, Fifth-Grade Wax Museum, Sixth-Grade Toothpick Bridges, "Exam Dogs," Kindergarten Campfires, Grade 2-5 Awards, Sixth-Grade Field Trip to Honey Island, and Candids.






School resumes on Monday, August 14. See you then!
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 17255 South Harrell's Ferry Road
Baton Rouge, LA 70816
225-751-2192