PRESCHOOL THROUGH HIGH SCHOOL
Runnels has always been the school for all races, religions, and national origins.
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Outstanding concerts by our string, harp, and 6th-12th-grade band students added a festive flair to the first week in December. It’s truly a joy to see how much the students have accomplished so far this school year.
Next week, please join us for performances by our dance, general music, and 4th- and 5th-grade band students. The elementary drama classes have some great
shows lined up for us as well. (
Check out
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“Friendly Reminders” for specific dates and times.)
I continue to encourage you to complete the re-enrollment process as early as possible. It’s the very best way to support our school and ensure the continuation of the high school division. I also urge you to share what you love about our school with other parents you know and ask them to consider a Runnels education for their children, too.
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In this week's
Focus:
Two Cool Concerts; A Chance To Give Back; Angels Among Us; Stellar String and Harp Concerts; After-School Yoga and Mandarin; Shark Week in First Grade; Kudos and Notable Events; Thank Yous; Weekly Photo Album; Athletic Corner, and Friendly Reminders.
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Two Cool Concerts
...
The Gladys Hague Runnels Theatre was filled with the sound of music Dec. 5 when two concerts were presented by our band students. The 6th- and 7th-Grade Band performed for parents and elementary students in the morning, and the 8h-12th-Grade Band took the stage that night.
Directed by Jill Swetnam, the concerts featured a selection of traditional songs, holiday favorites, and jazz performed by soloists, ensembles, and the full bands. Congratulations to our student musicians and their conductor on outstanding shows.
(Photo: Top left - Freshman Zeena Shammout plays a flute solo.)
(Photo: Top right - Performing "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing" are trumpet players, from left, Damien Tinsley, Olivia Brunner, Luke Hillman, and Sammy Ismail.)
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(Photo: Lining up on stage for a "Drum Cadence" are 8th-12th-Grade Band members, from left, Mira Badawi, Nathan Hall, Dawson Latona, and Summer Guerin. Not pictured are Kaylee Caillouet and Alyssa Oubre.)
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A Chance to Give Back
...
This holiday season, Runnels Elementary is once again serving as a drop-off location for the U.S. Marine Corps' Toys for Tots program. The toys will go to disadvantaged children right here in the Baton Rouge area.
We are inviting students in grades 1-6 to share in the spirit of giving by bringing new, unwrapped toys to school for the program through Dec. 16. Students may place their donations in the Toys for Tots collection boxes in the Elementary Office or bring them to their first hour class.
All donated toys will be distributed by U.S. Marine Corps Reserve volunteers as holiday gifts to needy children in our community.
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(Photo: Sr. Beta Club officers, from left, Ramsey Rogers, Abby Robbins, Jacob Schmidt, and Rachel Hargrove get our Angel Tree donations ready for the Salvation Army this morning.)
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Angels Among Us
... Throughout our campus, students, teachers and their families are finding thoughtful and inspiring ways to share the joy and bounty of the season with those in need. Following a long-standing tradition, our Sr. Beta Club once again reached out to others by sponsoring an Angel Tree Giving Drive for the Salvation Army.
Our school community responded by filling 50 Angel Tree gift bags with new clothes and toys for disadvantaged children. Early this morning Sr. Beta "elves" were on duty in a dressing room in the Gladys Hague Runnels Theatre collecting and organizing the donations. The gift bags, which were bulging with presents, will be distributed by the Salvation Army to needy children throughout the community.
Later today, Sr. Beta members were on the move again, this time delivering homemade "Cookies for Heroes" to local first responders at fire stations and police headquarters in our area.
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Stellar String and Harp Concerts ...
Congratulations to the String Orchestra and Harp Choir on presenting exceptional concerts in our Theatre this week.
On Dec. 3, the String Orchestra, directed by Dan and Jennifer Cassin, and accompanied by guest pianist Missy Day, delighted an audience of parents and students with an extensive repertoire of holiday songs, classical pieces, and traditional music.
The Advanced Elementary Strings' portion of the concert included Beethoven's "Ode to Joy" conducted by senior Andrew Schacht.
This morning, harp students, under the direction of Dr. Gabriela Werries, presented a holiday concert with lovely performances by students in grades four through twelve.
They played many of our seasonal favorites such as "Frosty the Snowman," Jingle Bells," "Silent Night" and "Carol of the Bells." It all added up to an exceptional musical experience.
(Photo: Above left - Fourth-grade harpist Jimmy Carkuff on stage in the Gladys Hague Runnels Theatre for the Holiday Harp Concert Dec. 6.)
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(Photos: Top - Beginning String Orchestra cellists Mason Alfonso, left, and Jackson Phillips.)
(Photo: Bottom right - Seventh-grade violinist Krina Patel at the Dec. 3 String Orchestra Concert.)
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(Photo: Harp students and their instructor, Dr. Gabriela Werries, celebrate a successful concert in the Gladys Hague Runnels Theatre this morning.)
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Yoga instructor Kate Suchanek and her son Sawyer, 6A, at a Yoga Path demonstration for teachers on the main campus Wednesday.
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After-School Yoga & Mandarin Coming
... Yoga Path owner and operator Kate Suchanek was on our campus this week to present a free yoga class to teachers as a preview of things to come next semester. She is offering yoga lessons to students in grades K-6 from Jan. 6 through April 27. Classes will be held on Mondays from 3:30 to 4:00 p.m. at a cost of $40 per month. To learn about the benefits of yoga for kids, contact her at [email protected].
Also on campus recently was Maggie Yuan of Geaux Mandarin! to offer additional information to families interested in after-school Mandarin Chinese lessons for students in grades K-6 scheduled to begin in January. Thirty minute weekly lessons for kindergartners are $35 per month, and separate hour-long weekly sessions for students in grades 1-6 are $60 per month. Contact Maggie Yuan for more information at
[email protected]
.
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Shark Week!
...
Seasonal themes and activities were pushed aside in Kari Calhoun's first-grade class this week as the focus in language arts, reading, and vocabulary shifted to sharks. "I wanted to do something different," said Mrs. Calhoun, "so we're having Shark Week."
The youngsters took turns reading sentences about sharks and their characteristics. They also learned shark-related vocabulary words such as fin, jaws, predator, and cartilage. Lessons included practice in combining two simple sentences about sharks into one.
Students had fun reading fiction and non-fiction pieces about different kinds of sharks, journaling on "Clark the Shark Goes to School," and taking on a shark tooth puzzle challenge.
(Photos: Top - Mrs. Calhoun helps first grader Abi Betech construct a sentence about sharks. Bottom - Aiden Stewart works on his shark tooth puzzle.)
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First Tournament
... Members of the upper elementary and junior high robotics team gathered in the Elementary Computer Lab after school Thursday to put the finishing touches on group projects for a tournament at the Denham Springs STEM Center tomorrow. Best of luck to the Mighty Builder, Architectural Academy, and Epic Raider teams and coach Sheri Allen as they face their first meet of the school year!
(Photo: Working on their competition project are, from left, Christian Caillouet, Emily Khalil, and Gavin Oram.)
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Hair Raising Experiment
... Students in Katherine Phillippe's 2nd-grade science classes had great fun learning about different forms of energy by performing an experiment with balloons, wool fabric and uncooked grains of rice. "The static electricity from rubbing the balloon on the wool created a positive charge and attracted the negative charge of the hair and the rice," explained Mrs. Phillippe. "Students in 2Y said the negative charge "made the rice dance."
(Photo: Alaina Francois and Melanie Howard, at right.)
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Dear Santa
... The sixth-grade students in Mrs. Allen's classes met with their kindergarten buddies this week to help them write letters to Santa. In their notes, they told Santa about nice things they had done to help others, asked him to bring a few presents to their friends and relatives, and requested a couple of gifts for themselves. They also colored a Gingerbread Boy drawing according to a special code.
(Photo: Maeve Dolan helps kindergartner Bailey Mitchell with her letter to Santa. )
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All-American Cheerleader
... Varsity cheerleader Emma Felton, grade 8, joined hundreds of junior and senior high cheerleaders from across the nation in Orlando, Florida over Thanksgiving Break to cheer in a parade at the Varsity Spirit Thanksgiving Tour at Walt Disney World. Emma qualified for the honor through a tryout at Varsity Spirit cheerleading camp last summer.
(Photo: Enjoying her time in Orlando is All-American cheerleader Emma Felton.)
Amazon Smile
... Please consider helping our school by shopping on
Amazon Smile
. If you select Runnels as your charitable organization, 0.5% of the purchase price will be donated to our school.
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Academic All-State
... Junior Evan Beoubay participated in the All-State Concert Band performance Nov. 24 at the Crowne Plaza in Baton Rouge. Evan, who played 2nd chair, clarinet, was awarded the Academic All-State medal for earning a grade-point average of 3.5 or above. Conducting the concert was Dennis Llinas, a former director of the LSU Tiger Marching Band, and currently the Director of Bands at the University of Oregon.
(Photo: Evan Beoubay)
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Geaux Mandarin!
... We sincerely thank
Maggie Yuan
, mother of Arwen, Preschool 2s, and owner of Geaux Mandarin for visiting the main campus Wednesday night to share information with parents and students about the new Chinese after-school class coming to our elementary school and preschool in January.
(Photo: At the Geaux Mandarin informational talk in the Drama Room are, from left, Yajun Rong, Maggie Yuan, kindergartner Calliope Hanks and her mother, Michelle Hanks.)
The Gift of Reading
... Thank you to
Galia Betech
, mother of Mauricio, K, and Abi, 1A, for reading
Shmelf the Hanukkah Elf
to our kindergarten students Wednesday during their library time. She also gave each child a dreidel and some gelt.
Robotics Team T-Shirts
... Many thanks to
General Informatics
, our IT company, for helping to purchase team t-shirts for members of our elementary and junior high robotics team. They will wear them proudly at their very first tournament of the year in Denham Springs tomorrow.
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Sharing Expertise
... We sincerely thank industrial hygienist Dr. Mike Harris for visiting with students in Dave Marschall's Biology 2 and Environmental Science AP classes Dec. 6 to share insights about his profession and health and safety in the workplace.
(Photo: From left are Niki Barakhshan, Kade Damon, Grace Sandefur, guest speaker Dr. Mike Harris, Kissa Nicholas-Whitt, Grace Smith, Sarah Stanfield, and Mr. Marschall.)
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Photo above: Kindergarten students and teachers Stacey Smith and Lauren Downing all dressed up for a seasonal "Fun Friday."
In this week's album: Kindergarten Buddy Santa Letters, Second-Grade Static Electricity Experiment, Fifth-Graders Learn about Weather in Computer Lab., First-Grade Shark Week, Engineering Egg Drop Preparation, Robotics Team, and Candids.
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Get your winter spirit apparel at the Booster Club’s Spirit Store!
Click below to enter store.
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The Runnels varsity basketball team in action. From left: Ben Stafford takes flight. Wesley Stevenson does his best Cade Tate impression. And the Coates brothers, from left, Cooper and Collin, at the goal.
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BASKETBALL: VARSITY
The Raiders varsity basketball team defeated 5A Destrehan 75-55 over Thanksgiving break and followed it up with a win against St. John, 76-55. The Raiders hit 15 three pointers against Destrehan and 13 against St. John. Collin Coates had 25 points against Destrehan and Ben Holliday added 21 points. Against St. John Ben Holliday had 18 points, Wesley Stevenson added 17 points, and Collin Coates had 16 points.
Coming back from the break, the Raiders defeated St. John again Tuesday night 65-55. Ben Holliday led the way with 26 points and Phillip Lukinovich added 13 points and 9 rebounds. Last night, Runnels lost to St. Michael 66-50. Ben Holliday had 19 points and Collin Coates had 12 points. Tonight they take on Woodlawn and then Episcopal on Saturday. Runnels is now 6-5 on the year.
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BASKETBALL: JUNIOR HIGH
On Wednesday,
the Runnels junior high basketball team played
Denham Springs Junior High.
Runnels 7th grade boys lost to 36-24, with Harrison Whitmore scoring 10 points. The girls team scored a big win, 36-18. Lenya Huynh and Annie Garrison each scored 10 points. The 8th grade boys were also victorious with a 47-32 win. Cooper Coates, Rossie Harrison, and Tyler Thibeaux each scored 12 points.
On Dec. 2, the Runnels junior high basketball team played
Live Oak Middle School. The 7th grade boys lost in a close game, 28-24, with Yaseen Zaid scoring 10 points. The girls team was also defeated, 32-24. Annie Garrison and Gracie Coates each scored 8 points. The 8th grade boys scored a win, 46-34. Cooper Coates led the team with 18 points and Rossie Harrison scored 10.
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VARSITY LADIES SOCCER
The Lady Raiders are killing it! The team is 4-0 for the season with each game a shut- out, 7-0, 5-0, 3-0 and 5-0. On Tuesday, the team defeated Brusly 5-0. Leading the team was Ryan Roper with two goals. Bailey Hyatt and Sydney Mistretta each scored a goal while Chelsea Holden scored with a penalty kick.
Next week, the Ladies play three games: Tuesday, Central at Burbank at 6:00 p.m.; Thursday, at St. Michael at 3:30 p.m.; and Saturday at Zachary at 2:00 p.m.
If any 9th-12th grade athlete is interested in playing soccer, it’s not too late to join the team. Please contact Coach Estuardo Silva at
[email protected]
for more information.
(Photo: Senior Bailey Hyatt )
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TENNIS
Calling all junior and senior high students interested in joining the Boys and Girls Tennis Teams! A meeting will be held on Monday, Dec. 9 at lunch in the gym. Come meet Coach Keenan to get information for the spring season. Be sure to meet with Mrs. Babcock to get the proper paperwork completed by your parents/guardians.
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BOWLING
The Bowling team is looking for 7th-12th grade bowlers! Please see Mrs. Stanfield in Room 59 for details.
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THIS WEEKEND
FRIDAY
Boys Soccer
Lion Cup at Ascension Christian
Basketball
St. Michael Tournament
Jr High Basketball
– St. Theresa Tournament – 7th TBA, 8th TBA
SATURDAY
Boys Soccer
Lion Cup at Ascension Christian
Basketball
St. Michael Tournament
Jr High Basketball
– St. Theresa Tournament – 7th TBA, 8th TBA
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RAIDER PARENTS ARE THE BEST FANS!
SEND US YOUR PHOTOS FOR THE FOCUS
Email photos to
[email protected].
Please include the date and location of the event and the students pictured
.
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Dec. 9 /
Beginning and Intermediate Band Concert
/ Gladys Hague Runnels Theatre / 7:00 p.m.
Dec. 10 /
Parent Watch Day for General Music Class
/ During Class Times
Dec. 11 /
Jr./Sr. High Dance Performance
/ Gladys Hague Runnels Theatre / 9:00 a.m.
Dec. 13 /
Elementary Drama Performances
/ During Class Times / Elementary Drama Room
Dec. 16 /
Jr./Sr. High Annual Tacky Holiday Sweater Contest!
Dec. 16 /
Jr./Sr. High Snack Provided by PAR
/ 11:50 a.m.
Dec. 17 /
Elementary Dance Class Watch Day
/ During Class Times
Dec. 18 /
Last Day to Bring Your "Toys for Tots" donations to Runnels Elementary
!
Dec. 19 /
Elem. Snack Provided by PAR
/ Afternoon Recess
Dec. 23 - Jan. 3 /
Winter Break
Jan. 6 /
School Resumes
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