APSBulletin - August 2023

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

Assumption Parish teachers, staff and administrators returned to their respective campuses with a special message to be Rockstars for their students.

Superintendent Dr. John Barthelemy said the “Educational Rockstar” theme is to remind district employees that excellence at every level takes 100-percent every day from every employee.

“We have true Rock Stars in our district. We want them to know their energy, effort and endless passion for our children can make a positive difference,” Dr. Barthelemy said.

He encouraged teachers, staff, parents and students to post stories and images of “Rockstar” status performances this year on their social media platforms, and include the hashtag #AssumptionTeachersRock!

Assumption Parish Schools Rank in State’s Top 10 for Growth in LEAP Scores

Assumption Parish Public Schools is among the Top 10 school districts statewide for growth in the percentage of students in grades 3-8 and high school who scored Mastery or Advanced on the LEAP 2025 Assessment, based on results from the 2022-2023 school year, which were released this week by the Louisiana Department of Education.

According to the report, a greater number of Assumption Parish students across all testing grade levels scored Mastery or Advanced in English/Language Arts (6% more), in math (2% more) and in science (3% more). The percentage of students earning Mastery or Advanced in social studies remained the same as last year.

At the same time, students at Bayou L’Ourse Primary improved their percentage of Mastery and Advanced scores by 16% to earn the state’s #2 ranking for growth.

These improvements collectively gave Assumption Parish Schools an overall 3% growth rate, earning the district the #6 ranking for most-improved in the state.

“A very important take away from this year’s results is that we saw improvements in proficiency rates which is directly correlated to teacher effectiveness and student achievement” Superintendent Dr. John Barthelemy said.

“We are especially pleased with the advancements made in ELA. Our district made a concerted effort last school year to strengthen our ELA curriculum and instruction. The jump in our ELA test scores is a result of the hard work that our students, teachers, staff, and parents put into the mastery of grade level standards,” he said.

A breakdown of the 2022-2023 results by subject area shows that 40% of students in grades 3-12 scored Mastery or Advanced in ELA, 34% of students scored Mastery of Advanced in math; 24% scored Mastery or Advanced in science, and 21% scored at those levels in social studies.

Other notable improvements in the district are that Assumption High School students increased their percentage of Mastery and Advanced scores by 5%, Pierre Part Elementary students grew their percentage of Mastery and Advanced scores by 4%, and Belle Rose Middle School students upped their percentage of Mastery and Advanced scores by 3%.

Certified Teachers and Staff Receive Stipend on August 25

Certified teachers and support staff employees in Assumption Parish Schools are receiving a one-time pay bonus for the new school year, thanks to recent action by the school board.

The Assumption Parish School Board unanimously approved a $1,110 stipend for certified educators and a $550 payment for support staff employees who have maintained their employment with the district through Aug. 25, 2023.

“In the Assumption Parish School System, we firmly believe that investing in our teachers and staff members is an investment in the future of our students and our community. Our dedicated educators and staff members are the heart and soul of our schools while shaping young minds, igniting curiosity, and fostering a love for learning,” Superintendent Dr. John Barthelemy said.

“I want to thank every member of the Assumption Parish School Board for being committed to recognizing the invaluable contributions of our employees, and providing them with the support they deserve,” he said.

Dr. Barthelemy said those employees who qualify for the stipend must be actively employed on the stipend pay day of Aug. 25, 2023, and they cannot be on Leave Without Pay and/or Worker’s Compensation on that date. He said those employees using Sabbatical Leave and/or Extended Medical Leave will be given 65% of the supplement amount.

Micky Smith Jr. Encourages Educators

*Pictured are Guest Speaker Micky Smith, Jr., and Superintendent Dr. John Barthelemy*

Assumption Parish educators received a special message of encouragement at their Aug. 7 back-to-school orientation event from special guest speaker, Grammy Award Winner Micky Smith, Jr.

Smith is the recipient of the Grammy Music Educator Award for 2020. He is a high school music instructor in West Palm Beach, Florida.

“I don’t just instruct, but I inspire both children and teachers through my motivation mixture of music and message,” according to Smith’s promotional webpage. “I am dedicated to helping educators discover their sound. No matter what the classroom challenge I help others keep on going through motivation & professional development.”

“I believe a classroom must be built on trust. From trust comes relationship; from relationship comes influence; and then from influence comes instruction,” he told the Assumption Parish School employees.

For information about Smith’s story, visit https://mickeysmithjr.com.

Venessa LewisAugust 22, 2023