Feb. 1, 2019

PRESCHOOL THROUGH HIGH SCHOOL

Runnels has always been the school for all races, religions, and national origins.

Senior Named 2019 U.S. Presidential Scholar Candidate    

Anna Kadi, a senior at Runnels High School, has been named a candidate in the 2019 U.S. Presidential Scholars Program. Only 4,500 students were chosen for the program from the pool of nearly 3.6 million seniors expected to graduate from U.S. high schools this year.

Inclusion in the U.S. Presidential Scholars Program, now in its 54th year, is one of the highest honors granted to high school seniors. Presidential Scholars are primarily selected on the basis of superior academic achievement, leadership ability, character, and involvement in service and school activities.

In May, approximately 161 U.S. Presidential Scholars will be chosen by the White House Commission on Presidential Scholars. All will be invited to Washington D.C. in June for the National Recognition Program and the presentation of the Presidential Scholars Medallion. 

The U.S. Presidential Scholars Program was established to recognize some of the nation’s most distinguished graduating seniors in the areas of scholarship; visual, creative and performing arts talent; and accomplishment in career and technical fields. 

Anna, who earned the maximum score of 36 on the ACT college entrance exam, is a 2019 National Merit Semifinalist and a 2018 AP (Advanced Placement) Scholar. A Runnels student since kindergarten, she is the daughter of Lisa and Joe Kadi. ( Photo: Anna Kadi)

Alumnus Named Executive Director of CPRA

Runnels alumnus (‘89) and Board of Trustees member Bren Haase was appointed Executive Director of the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority (CPRA) this week by Gov. John Bel Edwards.

“Bren is unquestionably an individual with a distinguished conservation record, in both his professional body of work and personal passion for coastal protection and conservation in Louisiana,” said Gov. Edwards in the Jan. 29 announcement naming Bren to the post. “Bren has my complete confidence, my utmost respect, and my full support.”

On the staff of CPRA since its creation in 2005 following Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, Bren most recently served as Deputy Executive Director. Prior to that, he was Chief of the Planning and Research Division, where he played a key role in developing and advocating Louisiana’s $50,000,000 Coastal Master Plan in 2017, which was unanimously adopted by the state legislature. 

In news closer to home, Bren is the newest member of our Board of Trustees. Following a close run-off election in January, he was named an Alternate Board Member. 

Bren is the father of Sam, grade 11, and Jake, grade 9, and the husband of Admissions Director Sarah Haase. Congratulations to him and his family. ( Photo: Bren Haase)

Runnels Junior Beta Club Welcomes New Members

The Jr. Beta Club inducted 33 new members at a formal ceremony held in the Gladys Hague Runnels Theatre on Jan. 31. Presenting the inductees with their club credentials and pins were 2019 officers Alan Lam, president; Selo Basso, vice president; Christian Caillouet, secretary; and Jenna Sheikha, treasurer.

The students inducted into the service and scholastic organization were ( Grade 6) Paige Ashley, Rowen Basso, Olivia Brunner, Christian Caillouet, Jake Carey, Lina Derzi, Sofia Dodd, Jack Ezell, Annie Garrison, Gibson Guay, Chloe Hall, Ashlynn Harper, Luke Hillman, Wyatt Horridge, Danyel Howell, Leyna Huynh, Alexa Laplace, Addison Latona, Morgan McCloud, Sadie Miller, Sarah Ortlieb, Jordynn Osborne, Mason Pizzalato, Carli Shay, Jenna Sheikha, John Tate, Lilah Wartelle, and Parker Wright; ( Grade 7) Grayson Bonfils, Aidan Dooley, and Harrison White; ( Grade 8) Madison Cummins and Michael Hillman.

A reception with cake and punch was held in the foyer of the theatre following the ceremony. The club's faculty sponsors are Christine Pousson, John Baird, and Caroline Hader. ( Photo: Newly installed Jr. Beta Club members at the induction ceremony on Jan. 31.)

MORE PHOTOS...

Be Part of "Pasta for Pennies" Hero Squad

Elementary students are once again joining the fight against blood cancers by sponsoring a "Pasta for Pennies" drive at Runnels in support of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS). This year's campaign starts Monday and runs through Feb. 22.

Students in grades 1-6 are invited to participate by collecting donations in coin boxes that will be sent home in backpacks Monday or asking for online contributions. Coin box donations will be collected in lunchroom classes. To make online donations, please visit the Runnels Fundraising Page on the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's website. Donations may be credited to a particular lunch class. Some students are also setting up personal online fundraising pages that roll up to their classroom donation page and sharing their link with family and friends on email and social media.

In a little friendly competition, the lunch class raising the highest amount for the charity will be treated to a pasta lunch by Olive Garden, a national sponsor of the campaign. In addition, any class that raises $150 in donations will receive an ice cream party.

Teaming Up to Support Our Troops on Valentine's Day

The 6th-graders and their kindergarten buddies got together this week to make Valentine's Day cards for our troops. Their handmade cards, which included drawings, decorated hearts, thank you notes and Happy Valentine's Day wishes, will be included in care packages sent to both overseas and stateside troops by Operation Gratitude. Many thanks to project coordinator Sherri Allen for organizing and leading this activity. ( Photo: Zeb Tate, 6C, and Nathan Pevey, K, confer on the writing of their thank you note to a soldier.)

A Game Plan for Studying Science

Students in John Baird’s fifth-grade science classes recently put their ingenuity and creativity to work inventing board games as part of their studies on astronomy.

For the project, they were asked to imagine they were executives working for an educational toy company. Their mission was to invent a new and exciting astronomy-themed board game for children aged 10-12. The game had to include a colorful board featuring astronomy-related images, at least 20 question cards (based on a study guide for an upcoming astronomy test), rules for playing, objectives for winning, and items necessary for game playing procedures such as spinners or tokens. In class on Wednesday, they rolled out their new games and had fun playing them with classmates. (Photo: Nico Morgan and Maeve Donlan try out Nico's game, Space Trap.)

Open Enrollment for New Families Begins Today

Kudos and Notable Events ...

Art from the Heart ... In honor of national "Inspire Your Heart with Art Day" on Jan. 31, original artwork by students in Sydney McGraw's classes went on display in the Jr./Sr. High Library. Junior high perspective landscape paintings, high school self-portrait drawings, and plaster sculptures by 7th and 8th graders will be on exhibit through next week. Congrats to artists Beau Blanchard, Ella Brigman, Katie Brigman, Aidan Dooley, Alex Frederic, Michael Hillman , and Phoebe Koontz and 9th-12th graders Ava Comeaux, Josh Freeman, Eric Ho, Minna Ismail, Kayleigh Nicholson, Blake Siewert, Sarah Stanfield , and Madison Sutton.  ( Photo: Drawing by Sarah Stanfield. )

DEMCO Essay Finalists ... Juniors Eric Ho and Ryan Ly are among the 12 finalists in this year's DEMCO Rural Electric Co-Op Youth Tour Essay Contest. For the competition, which is open to all 11th graders in DEMCO's service area, students wrote a letter to a public official about an issue of concern. At Runnels, all juniors in Colleen LeBlanc's AP English Language and Composition class were invited to write an essay for the contest. At a special DEMCO banquet on Feb. 26, finalists will read their essays and take a short test on rural electrification. Four winners will be named. Their prize is an all-expense paid, week-long trip to Washington, D.C. this summer. ( Photo: From left, Ryan Li and Eric Ho. )

Honor Orchestra Concerts ... Three Runnels students held first chairs in the Multi-Parish Middle School Honor Orchestra concert on Jan. 26 at Baton Rouge High. Congratulations to Sarah Ortlieb, 1st chair, 1st violin (concert master); Ali Guerin, 1st chair, 2nd violin; and Hannah Landry, 1st chair, viola. Congratulations to them, their string teachers, Dan and Jennifer Cassin, and the 14 other Runnels students (See Dec. 14 Friday Focus ) performing in the Multi-Parish Middle School and High School Honor Orchestra concerts that day. ( Photo: Rehearsing for the Multi-Parish Middle School Honor Orchestra concert are, from left, Madeleine Reonas, Sarah Ortlieb, and George Forgey. )

Publishing Movie Reviews ... Aides in the Jr./Sr. High Library recently exercised their writing talents by reviewing some of their favorite films. Librarian Wendy Herumin collected the reviews and published them as a large format, one-sheet "newspaper," available in the Jr./Sr. High Library. "I was looking for ways to engage the library aides and encourage them to make meaningful contributions to the learning community (like they would do in the public library)," said Mrs. Herumin. The films they reviewed ranged from old favorites like Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone to the 2019 Oscar nominated Incredibles 2 and A Star Is Born. Congratulations to newly published movie critics Seth Chiasson, Carlie Aucoin, Jackie Hinkle, Ryan Lam, Angele Lansing, Phillip Lukinovich, Daniel Mayeaux, Steven Spivak, Rachel Wehbe , and Mickey Kaiser.

We Sincerely Thank

Kilts and Kisses ... Dr. Leonard Ezell ( Jack, 6B, and Taylor, K) paid a visit to our kindergarten on Tuesday wearing traditional Scottish Highland dress, which included a tartan kilt, tuxedo tailcoat, a kilt pouch and hose (knee socks). It's the outfit he wears in the Baton Rouge St. Patrick’s Day Parade as a member of the Kilt and Kisses Almost Irish Marching Club. Dr. Ezell was in class to help the students learn about Scottish dress for their upcoming spring musical, The Travel Hour , which "takes" them to the Scottish Isles.

Before his visit, the students had seen a video showing how Scotsmen traditionally get into their kilts. It involves folding and pleating the tartan and laying down on top of it to put it on. Dr. Ezell explained that his approach to kilts is much simpler. He orders them pre-pleated and ready to wear from www.sportkilt.com. ( Photo: The kindergartners welcome Dr. Ezell in full Scottish dress to their classroom.)

DEADLINE APPROACHES FOR JUNIOR HIGH SPRING SPORTS SIGN-UPS!

Our spring sports season sign-up deadline is Feb. 8 for the following sports: Boys Baseball, Girls Volleyball and Boys/Girls Track and Field. Complete and submit a separate Sign-Up Form for each individual sport. Once your (required) physical form and/or Physician Order/Airway Action Plan (asthma) are complete, bring a copy to the Jr./Sr. High Office. Please address questions to Junior High Athletic Director Sam Coates, [email protected] .

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