APSBulletin - July 2023
Dr. John Barthelemy, Superintendent
SCHOOL BOARD
Honoray Lewis, Ward 1
Lee Meyer Jr, Ward 2
Andrea Barras, Ward 3
Electa Fletcher-Mickens, Ward 4
Joshua Hebert, Ward 5
Daniel Washington, Ward 6
Bambi Hood, Ward 7
Jessica Ourso, Ward 8
Doris Dugas, Ward 9
CALENDAR
May 3 – School Board Meeting, 6 pm
May 17 – School Board Meeting, 6 pm
May 25 – Students’ Last Day of School
May 26 – Teacher Professional Development Day
June 7 – School Board Meeting, 6 pm
June 19-23 – GIS: Girls in STEM Summer Camp
June 26-30 – Energy Venture Camp
July 10-14 – NASA Astro-camp
Pictured from left to right are Assumption Parish School Board Members Daniel Washington, Joshua Hebert, Lee Meyer, Jr.; 2023 Very Special Miss Louisiana Queen Joleigh Martin; Assumption Parish School Board Member Bambi Hood; Superintendent Dr. John Barthelemy; and Assumption Parish School Board Member Jessica Ourso.
Joleigh Martin, 2023 Very Special Miss Louisiana Queen
Congratulations to our own Very Special Miss Louisiana winner, Miss Joleigh Martin.
Joleigh is a 19-year student at Assumption High School.
She recently competed in the Very Special Miss Louisiana Pageant, which was held hosted last month by the TARC (Teach, Assist, Reach, Connect) program.
Superintendent Dr. John Barthelemy and members of the Assumption Parish School Board recognized Joleigh at the July board meeting.
As the reigning queen, Joleigh has also participated in other special needs events, like the Tri-Parish Fiesta Dance Party sponsored by the Louisiana Lions Camp Alumni.
Technology Initiative to Provide Chromebooks for Students
As part of a district-wide technology initiative, Assumption Parish Schools is instituting a 1:1 device program that will provide students with a district-owned Chromebook for school and home use. The program aims to help students develop the necessary skills to successfully live and work in an increasingly technology-advanced world by providing engaging and powerful learning experiences for all students across all curricular areas.
This initiative will facilitate student learning through student research, differentiated learning to accommodate student needs, increased communication and problem-solving skills, greater student engagement and enthusiasm for learning, responsible behavior through digital citizenship, and motivation to become lifelong learners.
Students will receive a Chromebook to be transported daily between home and school, and an AC adapter, which should remain at home and be used to charge the Chromebook nightly. Each student and parent/guardian must sign and return the district agreement and the Acceptable Use of Technology Resources agreement, as well as pay any applicable fees before the equipment is issued.
For a full description of the district’s Chromebook agreement and guidelines, visit https://ow.ly/690B50P7QC2.
Assumption Parish Schools Receives Safety Grant from LDOE
Assumption Parish Public Schools will receive a $518,355 grant this school year to improve campus safety, thanks to the Louisiana Department of Education’s Strong Connection Grant Program.
The Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE) recently announced that the Department of Education (LDOE) is investing more than $20 million to harden the perimeters of schools across the state. The funds will be used to keep students and teachers safe by reinforcing single points of entry.
“We are very appreciative of the state’s investment in the safety of our students and our employees. These funds will be used to tighten and better monitor access points on our campuses,” Superintendent Dr. John Barthelemy said.
Access control, such as a single point of entry or locked entry points, is a school safety best practice broadly supported among experts. Projects may include surveillance cameras, metal detectors, or other physical security equipment or minor remodeling to enhance security at a single point of entry.
Teachers Train to Become Certified Evaluators for the District
Twenty-five teachers from across Assumption Parish recently participated in a three-day NIET Evaluator Training as part of the district’s “Grow Our Own” initiative to gain the knowledge and skills needed to become certified evaluators on their campuses. Those teachers who worked together on a group project, include (pictured from front right to left, then to the back) Dawn LeBlanc of Napoleonville Middle School; Jessica Clause of Labadieville Primary; Sloan Pierce of Labadieville Primary; Taylor Gauthreaux of Bayou L'Ourse Primary; Sandi Falcon of Bayou L’Ourse Primary; and Jennifer Aysen of Napoleonville Primary.
Twenty-five Assumption Parish teachers recently participated in a three-day NIET Evaluator Training to gain the knowledge and skills needed to qualify to become certified evaluators for the school district.
These teachers, upon passing the certification exam, will have the mentor endorsement added to their teaching certificates. They will be eligible to serve as mentor teachers who can assist their colleagues in better utilizing evaluation tools, evaluation practices and data analyses to gain greater academic results throughout the school year.
“This training is part of our ‘Grow Our Own’ initiative that we have begun in our district,” Superintendent Dr. John Barthelemy said. “We have encouraged some of our district’s top teachers to take-on this leadership role to strengthen and improve learning at their respective campuses and across their respective grade levels.”
The district’s newly certified evaluator teachers will work with fellow educators to improve classroom management, dig deeper into the curriculum, and more effectively use assessment data to impact student learning.