According to the Louisiana Department of Education, “On November 7, 2017, the Louisiana Department of Education released the Louisiana School Finder, an interactive online tool designed to help families more easily locate and evaluate schools and child care centers across the state.”
This unique system is truly one of a kind as no other state in the nation on performance spanning from birth to 12th grade in this type of easily accessible online format that is so well organized.
“In the first week alone, more than 25,000 unique visitors explored the Louisiana School Finder.” This included visitors from out of state as well.
For more information on this new system and to see some of the amazing feedback it has received, click here.
For several years, The Louisiana Department of Education has recognized their talented and exceptional teachers – and now the application process is open for 2019. Each School district is encouraged to nominate up to three teachers and three principals, one per division (elementary, middle, and high), as their district-level honorees. Then each of these candidates are invited to submit a state-level application.
Congratulations to past winners and good luck to future nominees!
To meet the 2018 Teacher and Principle of the year along with other state-level winners, click here.
For more information on the nomination and application process, click here.
The Nobel Physics Prize 2017 has been awarded to three scientists for their discoveries in gravitational waves. The three men were key to the first observation of gravitational waves in September 2015.
The Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory (LIGO) Livingston observatory, where the discovery was made, is located on LSU property and is just 25 miles from the university’s main campus. LSU says faculty, staff and researchers are major contributors to the international LIGO Science Collaboration.
To read the full article on how this finding was made, click here.
According to the Louisiana Department of Education, “The U.S. Department of Education (USDOE) recognized six Louisiana public schools as 2017 National Blue Ribbon Schools. The Blue Ribbon Schools program honors schools that are either high-performing or have closed achievement gaps, especially among minority or disadvantaged students. These schools demonstrate that all students can achieve at high levels. Nominated schools submit applications to the USDOE for the award.”
The six recognized schools in Louisiana included Baton Rouge Foreign Language Immersion Magnet School in East Baton Rouge, Bayou Vista Elementary School in St. Mary Parish, Forest Heights Academy in East Baton Rouge Parish, Midland High School in Acadia Parish, Northwestern State University Middle Lab School in Natchitoches Parish, and Vincent Settlement Elementary School in Calcasieu Parish.
For more information on this award and these schools, click here.
Calcasieu School Board was nationally recognized this week when they received the 2017 Partnership District Award from the National Network of Partnership Schools at Johns Hopkins University.
This award is given to school districts who have made progress in leadership and goal-linked programs that engage family and local community- both of these being linked to student success. “The Calcasieu Parish School Board is applying research-based approaches to help schools become welcoming places that engage parents and the community in ways that improve student attendance, behavior, achievement, health, graduation rates, postsecondary plans, and other outcomes,” said Dr. Joyce L. Epstein, director of NNPS (National Network of Partnership Schools)
To learn more about this nationally credited award the School Board received along with other for this year and in the past, read here.
The 2017-2018 school year at Vandebilt Catholic Highwill be the first of many years for the Arlen Benny Cenac Jr. Sacred Heart Scholarship Fund. As stated by the Houma Times, the donation of $50,000 per year is directly provided from Arlen Benny Cenac Jr. and his foundation, The A.B. Cenac Jr. Foundation.
The Sacred Heart scholarship is inspired by Fr. Andre Coindre who established schools for the poor children in Lyon, France. He later founded the Brothers of the Sacred Heart to run the schools he began. Fr. Coindre showed concern for the dilemma of orphaned children by making available to them the education that theirs families could not give them as well as provide them with a trade. The goal of the Sacred Heart Scholarship is to offer quality Catholic education to children from families that might otherwise not be financially able to afford one.
Father Andre Coindre was born in Lyon, France, in 1787. Devoting his life to the restoration of the Church following the Reign of Terror at the end of the French Revolution, his chief mission became the moral, intellectual, and religious development of young orphan boys left in distress by the consequent disintegration of family life.
Father Coindre had envisioned a community of brothers trained to work with the poor through the establishment of schools; in 1821 that dream became a reality with the formation of the Brothers of the Sacred Heart. After Father Coindre’s death in 1826 and at the end of Father Francis Coindre’s administration, Brother Polycarp, the first Brother Superior General, assumed leadership of the struggling community. His tenure was marked by a period of tremendous growth. By the time of his death in 1859, the Institute had grown to over 400 Brothers in 70 schools. For obvious reasons, Vandebilt was inspired by Father Coidre and this scholarship has been a wonderful addition to the Vandebilt repertoire.
The amount of $50,000 will be dedicated towards tuition assistance of children from families in financial need. The awards will range from $1,000 to the total cost of tuition per year and may extend multiple years while a student is enrolled at Vandebilt Catholic High. The criteria for being eligible for this grant will be based on need, desire, recommendation and selection.
“Because of generous donors like Mr. Cenac, we are able to witness the true mission of the Brothers of the Sacred Heart lived out today within our school,” said Melanie Prentice, the advancement director at Vandebilt, in a recent interview with a Houma Times reporter. “The impact that this scholarship will have is immeasurable in assisting a student’s financial need to continue their Catholic education. We cannot thank Mr. Cenac and his foundation enough for this blessed gift.”
For one reason or another, these households are unable to afford to send their children to Vandebilt Catholic High but through Mr. Arlen Benny Cenac Jr’s gracious impact he has helped nine families change their lives forever, just this year. We look forward to seeing the impression this scholarship fund has in the years to come. “The influence of a great education is something that cannot be replaced. I want to make sure I am doing my part in helping these young adults achieve greatness along with building strong core values of integrity and excellence,” said Cenac.
For more information on the Brothers of the Sacred Heart, click here. For more information on Benny Cenac’s philanthropy work, click here.
