January 11, 2019
PRESCHOOL THROUGH HIGH SCHOOL
Runnels has always been the school for all races, religions, and national origins.
FRIDAY FOCUS


In Focus this week: Head Coach Julie Fink Named All-Metro Girls Cross Country Coach of the Year; Re-enrollment Reminder; 2019 Homecoming Next Week; Beauty and the Beast Updates; "Raider Star" Game Day; Strings Students Attend Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra Rehearsal and Meet Royal Wedding Cellist; Flat Mac-Stanleys Arrive from Scotland; A Bungee Ride for Barbie; Voting for the Louisiana Young Readers' Choice Award Winning Books; Thank Yous; Weekly Photo Album; Athletic Corner; Friendly Reminders.

Julie Fink Named All-Metro Girls Cross Country Coach of the Year
Our Cross Country Head Coach, Julie Fink, has been selected as the 2018 All-Metro Girls Cross Country Coach of the Year! She led the Running Raiders to their first LHSAA girls cross country title in Class B at the state meet in Natchitoches last November.

"I was so surprised to learn I got it," said Coach Fink. "The cross country coaches pick the All-Metro athletes but the Advocate sports writers choose the All-Metro Coaches of the Year. It's a great honor."

Also earning All-Metro recognition were junior Annie Fink and freshman Dawson Latona. Annie, the 2018 girls cross country individual state champion, was named to the 2018 Girls All-Metro Cross Country Team, and Dawson made Honorable Mention on the 2018 Boys All-Metro Cross Country Team.

Congratulations to these outstanding athletes, Coach Fink, and the entire 2018 Runnels Cross Country Team! 

Going All-Metro! From left are junior Annie Fink, who made the 2018 All-Metro Girls Cross Country Team, 2018 Girls Cross Country All-Metro Coach of the Year Julie Fink (who is also Annie's mom), and freshman runner Dawson Latona, named an Honorable Mention on the 2018 Boys All-Metro Cross Country Team.
A Reminder for Those Who Have Not Yet Re-Enrolled at Runnels

Please remember to re-enroll your students for the 2019-2020 school year by Feb. 1, 2019. You should have already received your re-enrollment packet in the mail. If you have any questions or concerns or would like additional forms or copies, please call 225-215-5706 or visit the Business Office in McMath Hall on the main campus. Open enrollment for new families begins Feb. 1. Please share the good word about Runnels with any family, friends and neighbors searching for a new school. For more information, contact Admissions Director Sarah Haase at admissions@runnels.org.
2019 Homecoming Week Ahead!
Next week will be jam-packed with exciting activities and events to celebrate Homecoming 2019! This year's theme, "Midnight Masquerade," will add a Carnival season sparkle to the festivities, which will be reflected in Spirit Days, the Spirit Banner Contest, the Homecoming Court Presentation on Jan. 18 and the high school dance next Saturday night. A pep rally in the gym on Monday at 2:10 p.m. gets the party started.



Homecoming Maids, Escorts Announced
Elections for the 2019 Homecoming Court were held in the Andy Mack Memorial Library on Wednesday. In a departure from tradition, students also elected escorts to "walk with" the maids at this year's Homecoming Court Presentation.
(Photo: Juniors Grayson Gulley and Kissa Nicholson-Whitt vote for the Homecoming Court in the Jr./Sr. High Library. )

Congratulations to the following students:

Grade 12: Maids - Kayla Evans, Anna Claire Pousson, Emma Tooraen, and Sophia Torres; Escorts - Ian Lansing, Peter Lukinovich, Daniel Mayeaux, and Tyler Robbins.

G rade 11: Maids - Catherine Bonaventure and Annie Fink; Escorts - Brandon Hall and Ryan Ly.

Grade 10: Maids - Mia Alfonso and Sophie Edwards; Escorts - Barrett Couvillon and Wesley Stevenson.

Grade 9: Maids - Hailey Lester and Ryan Roper; Escorts - Collin Coates and Josh Freeman.
Updates: Beauty and the Beast
We've added a Saturday matinee performance to our Beauty and the Beast schedule.

Revised showtimes:

Friday, Feb. 14 at 7:00 p.m.,
Saturday, Feb. 16 at 2:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 17 at 2:00 p.m.

Ticket availability and prices also have been changed. Online tickets may be purchased at runnels.org starting Monday, Jan. 14.

Tickets purchased in advance are $10.00 for students and $12.00 for adults; at the door, all tickets are $15.00.
(Photo: "Beauty and the Beast" vocal director Aaron Turnipseed conducts singers in a chorus rehearsal this week in the Gladys Hague Runnels Theatre.)
Flat 'Mac'-Stanleys Arrive from Scotland
The arrival of letters and Flat Stanleys from Scotland this week created quite a stir in Mrs. Pizzalato's 4th-grade English classes. "Each of my students received a Flat Stanley and a personal handwritten letter from a student in Ms. Watret's class (students aged 9-10) at St. Michael's Primary School in Dumfries, Scotland," said Mrs. Pizzalato. She and Ms. Watret, whose students have been learning about America, set up the Flat Stanley project before the holidays.

The letters were chatty and friendly. The St. Michael's children wrote about their school, friends, customs, hobbies, and holiday traditions. They also included pictures of the Flat Stanleys and themselves at local landmarks in Scotland. One clothes conscious Flat Stanley had his picture taken in a kilt shop!

"My students loved getting the letters," said Mrs. Pizzalato. "They were excited to learn how similar their likes and interests are to those of the children in Scotland." There were a few differences between American and British English that Mrs. Pizzalato said she did have to explain, such as "mum" for mom, "maths" for math, and the addition of a "u" in the word "favourite."

This week, the Runnels students started working on writing return letters to their new pen pals overseas. They'll write about themselves and their interests and add a bit about our Mardi Gras traditions. Over the weekend, they'll bring Flat Stanleys they recently made for the project home and take pictures of themselves with the paper dolls at local points of interest in Baton Rouge.

( Photo: Alaina White, 4A, displays the Flat Stanley and letter she received from a student in Scotland.)
A Bungee Ride for Barbie
The "Barbie Bungee Challenge" has become a tradition in the math department at Runnels. With Barbie dolls and rubber band bungee cords in hand, the students in Mrs. Day's Algebra 1 classes made the trek to the second floor balcony of Novak Hall to continue the tradition this week.

After preparing for the project by viewing videos of extreme bungee rides, they move on to the challenge of creating a customized bungee ride for a Barbie doll.

In class, they work out the relationship between the distance the doll will fall and the number of rubber bands needed for the bungee cord. "Once the data is collected," explained Mrs. Day, "students calculate the slope and intercept of the relationship. They extrapolate to make a prediction on the number of rubber bands their bungee cord will need for Barbie to have a thrilling but safe ride."
(Photo: Estelle Abel, Mira Badawi and Zeena Shammout do the groundwork in Algebra 1 for designing their Barbie bungee ride.)
"Raider Star" Game Day
We celebrated all things football at our "Raider Star" assemblies in the Elementary Drama Room this morning, with a special nod to the seemingly unstoppable New Orleans Saints.

Black and gold was everywhere as the drawings got underway and students in grades 1-6 who had received "Raider Star" tickets in the second quarter of the school year were given the chance to compete in on-stage games and win prizes. At the end of the assemblies, every student received a snap bracelet with a Saints logo.

The "Raider Star" program recognizes and rewards elementary students for exhibiting the positive behaviors we encourage in our school community.

Super Bowl sized thank yous go to "Raider Star" organizer Elementary Assistant Principal Beth Golden, emcee John Baird, and stage assistants April WIlkinson and Nikki Roton.
( Photo: Elementary Library drawing winners, from left, Carter Parsons, 6A, and Will Reonas, 4C, received the much coveted privilege of being the first in their grades to check out the newest "Dog Man" books. The winner in grades 1-3 was Nicholas Power-Erickson, 3B. The drawings were held at the "Raider Star" assemblies this morning.)
Favorite Books and Voting
Casting a vote for their favorite books in this year's Louisiana Young Readers' Choice (LYRC) Program led to a bonus lesson on how to use a real voting machine for our 3rd-5th-grade students. On Thursday, representatives of the State Board of Elections set up voting machines in the Elementary Library and gave the students hands-on lessons on how to cast their votes.

After the briefing, the youngsters used the touch screen machines to vote for their favorite books. There were 15 titles to choose from on the ballot. Students were required to read at least three in order to qualify to vote. All of the books are available in our Elementary Library collection. We sincerely thank elementary librarians Amanda Albin and Leah Pizzalato for familiarizing students with the LYRC books and arranging for the vote to take place at Runnels.
(Photo: Some 4th and 5th grade students learn the nuts and bolts of operating a voting machine before casting their ballots for their favorite books in the Louisiana Young Readers' Choice Awards Program on Thursday in the Elementary Library.)
Teaming Up to Tour Paris ... Over the winter break, two Runnels families visiting Europe got together in Paris to tour some of its famous museums, cathedrals, and landmarks. High school biology teacher Ramona Eberly and freshman Michal Gawronski, who is in her class this year, and their families teamed up to visit Notre Dame Cathedral, Saint Chapelle, UNICEF headquarters, the Louvre, Les Invalides and one Europe's oldest universities, the Sorbonne. They also took a guided educa tional tour of Musée d’Orsay as a Runnels group. Along for the "tour" were Michal's parents, Kasia and Darek Gawronski, his brother James, 4C, and Mrs. Eberly's husband Charles and their son Alex.

( Photo: Michal Gawronski, grade 9, and his biology teacher, Ramona Eberly, on a tour of the Musée d’Orsay in Paris. )
String Students Attend Louisiana Philharmonic Rehearsal and Meet Royal Wedding Cellist
The students in Dan and Jennifer Cassin's strings classes and Founding Headmaster Dr. L.K. Runnels and Gladys Runnels attended a special dress rehearsal of the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra at the Orpheum Theater in New Orleans Thursday. The guest artist was Sheku Kanneh-Mason. He is the young British cellist who played for the Royal Wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle last April.

The students were able to meet and speak with Sheku Kanneh-Mason and the orchestra conductor, Carlos Miguel Prieto. "Mr. Prieto spent a lot of time talking with the students," said Mr. Cassin. "He was very impressed with them."

The orchestra played Rimsky-Korsakov's "Scheherazade," Elgar’s “Cello Concerto in E minor," and a new piece entitled "Water Sings Fire." We sincerely thank Mr. Prieto and Sheku Kanneh-Mason for their kindness and generosity toward our students and Dan and Jennifer Cassin for arranging the visit.

(Photo: Cellist Sheku Kanneh-Mason and Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra conductor Carlos Miguel Prieto in rehearsal at the Orpheum Theater in New Orleans. See more pictures in Weekly Photo Gallery.)
We Sincerely Thank
Good Samaritan ... Our grateful thanks goes to Albert Pellissier (Poppy, grade 7) for helping the preschool staff move a trailer that was blocking the carpool lane on Monday. “We discovered the trailer when we arrived on campus,” said Preschool Co-Director Karen Runnels. “It had two flat tires and was loaded with plants. There was no identifying information.” Mr. Pellisier was able to move the trailer out of the way so that afternoon carpool could proceed normally.

Guest Artists ... We sincerely thank cellist Molly Goforth and pianist Dr. William Plummer , both on the music faculty at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, for performing for string students in Jennifer and Dan Cassin's classes and Johnice Thoms' general music and keyboard classes during 3-5th hours on Monday. They previewed pieces they will perform at their "Neo-Romantic Works for Cello and Piano Concert" coming up Jan. 18 in Lafayette. ( Photo: From left are Molly Goforth, Dr. William Plummer, Dan Cassin, Jennifer Cassin, and cello student Brooke Parsons. )
In this week's photo album: Barbie Bungee, Flat Stanleys, Homecoming Voting, Basketball at the Smoothie King Center, 5th Grade Science, LYRC Voting, 1st Grade Makes Butter, Preschool Pajama Day, "Raider Star" Drawing, Strings Field Trip, and Candids. Special thanks to Dana Kahn, Michele Tate and Sam Coates, for providing basketball photos from the game in New Orleans and to Dan and Jennifer Cassin for providing pictures from the strings field trip to the Louisiana Philharmonic.

Coming up next week: Homecoming Events, D.A.R.E. Graduation Ceremony, and plenty more!
Athletic Corner
The Raiders basketball team hits the court at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans on Monday, Jan. 7 for an exhibition game against Pope John Paul.
VARSITY BASKETBALL

The Raiders varsity basketball team played several games over the holiday break. Some of the highlights were Runnels defeating 4A St. Michael by a score of 79-69. This was the first time in Runnels history that the Raiders defeated St. Michael. Cade Tate led the scoring with 32 points and Collin Coates added 20 points. Runnels also beat 3A St. Charles Catholic, 60-54, in the Catholic High Tournament. Cade Tate had 23 points, while Ben Holliday contributed 12 points. The Raiders went on the road and defeated Springfield and Highland Baptist. 

This past Monday, the Raiders seized an awesome opportunity to play in the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans. Runnels defeated Pope John Paul 65-35. Three players scored in double figures: Cade Tate with 23 points, Griffin Kennedy with 12 points, and Collin Coates with 12 points. Following the game, the Raiders were able to stay and watch the Pelicans game. 

On Tuesday, the Raiders hosted the defending state champions in Division V, Jehovah Jireh. After playing a close first half, the Raiders fell 80-51. Currently, the Raiders are 19-11 this season.

Tonight, the boys take on Bolton at home with JV starting at 5 p.m. and varsity at 6 pm.

Photo: Runnels cheerleaders get ready to roar on the Smoothie King Center court.
Photos provided by Sam Coates, Michele Tate and Dana Kahn.
JUNIOR HIGH BOYS BASKETBALL

This week, the junior high boys basketball teams took on St. Luke's. The 6th grade Raiders defeated the Sharks 21-19 in a thriller. Preston Treadaway led the team, scoring 10 points. The 7th grade also scored a win, 35-25, with Rossie Harrison and Cooper Coates each scoring 10 points.
JUNIOR HIGH SOCCER

The junior high girls soccer team has been tearing up the fields. In recent games, the Raiders defeated St. Thomas Moore 1-0, with Chloe Bueche scoring. The Ladies crushed Live Oak 4-1. Annie Garrison led the team with 2 goals, with Chelsea Holden and Karis Phillippe each scoring 1. In another victory against Parkview, the Ladies won 1-0, with Lilah Wartelle scoring.

The junior high boys team recently took on McKinley with a loss of 5-1, with Chris Cox scoring the point.
GET RUNNELS APPAREL AT THE BOOSTER CLUB SPIRIT STORE
SPORTS THIS WEEKEND
TONIGHT
Boys Basketball vs. Bolton at Home – JV at 5 pm & varsity at 6 pm
Varsity Boys Soccer at Live Oak – 6:00 p.m.

SATURDAY
Jr. High Girls Basketball at Home – Blue at 11 a.m. & White at 12 p.m.
Varsity Girls Soccer at Istrouma – 11:00 a.m.
Jr. High Boys Basketball at Iberville Charter – 8th at 9 a.m. & 7th at 10 a.m.
Jr. High Girls Soccer vs. Parkview at Burbank – 4:00 p.m.

SUNDAY
Jr. High Boys Soccer vs. Westdale at Burbank – 2:30 p.m.
Jr. High Girls Soccer vs. Sherwood at Burbank – 4:00 p.m.
SPECIAL THANKS TO ALL OUR PARENT SHUTTERBUGS. WE APPRECIATE YOUR PHOTOS!

Email game and fan photos to  n.latiolais@runnels.org . Please include the event and the name of the students pictured .  
Friendly Reminders
Jan. 14 - 18 / Spirit Week / Homecoming Week

Jan. 18 / Homecoming Court Presentation / Gladys Hague Runnels Theatre, 2:10 p.m.

Jan. 18 / Homecoming Basketball Game / Catalano Gym, Raiders vs. Mt. Hermon - JV at 5:00 p.m. and Varsity at 6:00 p.m. (Court presentation at halftime.)

Jan. 19 / Homecoming Dance / Catalano Gym, 7:00 p.m.

Jan. 21 / Martin Luther King Day / School Holiday

Jan. 23 / 6th Grade Field Trip / LIGO , 8:30 am - 2:45 pm