February 2008

 

• We welcome back Reverend Jiles after an illness.
• Congratulations to the state South Plaquemines championship team – a real pride for the south end of the parish.
• Title I building will be open as soon as fire marshal ok’s the building.
• In the future, an attorney will look over all contracts before signing.  Recommended Shields tonight, a Loyola professor.
• Sprung is coming along – we will be into them in April.
• Demolition will begin to take place soon at destroyed schools.
• Parents of students in LEAP grades should prepare their students.  Tutoring is available.
• Architectural firms will be chosen tonight for our rebuilding.
• Anyone who places a high bid on the trailer will get the trailer with cash, cashier’s check or money order.  All bids will come before the board.
• We have sent a second warning letter to our trailer residents who have not maintained their trailers.
• We have received an update on FEMA dollars received, additional 5.8M.
• Chad Soileau came to the construction meeting to talk about environmental issues at the Belle Chasse Primary School. No answer for 120 days.

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January 2008

 

·         To our students, it is time to buckle down and hit the books!  LEAP and GEE are right around the corner.

·         Congratulations to our special education personnel for obtaining national board certifications.

·         Kudos to our student oratorical contest winners, digital arts winners, and student athletes.

·         We have re-advertised for a finance director with the modified state requirements.

·         Our Lexington property insurance carrier came to meet with us last week.  They want to inform the board of good news.  We will receive reduced rates because of having no hurricanes for the last two years.  There are very, very few carriers who will even look at Plaquemines.

·         The trailers are ready to put out to bid. 20 ppsb-purchased and 18 FEMA-purchased will be removed.  If anyone wants to bid, there will be a time coming soon.  Some needed repair.  Trailers are parked on Jarrrell.  Purchasers must come with cash or cashiers check. There are exclusions on bidding; for example, school board can’t bid, supervisory or maintenance people cannot bid.  We have a June 30 date for everyone to move out of the trailers.

·         Be aware that litigation coming up as a result of an accident involving a student in one of our schools.

·         On December 18, the board held superintendent interviews.  On January 2 chose Denis Rousselle.  I wish him well.  I will be here until July 1.

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November 2007

Lots of great things have happened since our last school board meeting:

• Mona Boutwell and Deidra Davis from SOUTH PLAQUEMINES HIGH were winners in United Way
• Football SOUTH PLAQUEMINES HIGH in state playoffs, which is a tribute to team members and coach.  Coach Crutchfield is in the running for coach of the year. 
• Big recognitions:  Title I schools use a program, FastForward, which is a brain activator program.  Two teachers attended conference in Orlando, FL, where SOUTH PLAQUEMINES HIGH and SOUTH PLAQUEMINES ELEMENTARY were recognized:  Denise Friedman and Bonnie Borne were recognized internationally for the growth that students made at their schools. 
• Two teachers were recognized at LACUE (Louisiana Association for Computer Using Educators) last Thursday -- Jan Rice, BELLE CHASSE PRIMARY, and Paul Wolf, BELLE CHASSE HIGH.
• Two students from BELLE CHASSE MIDDLE were invited to Baton Rouge for the Governor’s ornament program: 
• Three educational diagnosticians received National Board Certification as diagnosticians and will receive $5000 per year starting next year.
• Veterans day at BELLE CHASSE HIGH, organized by Doug Schilling, was the best ever. Many compliments have come in.
• Our Title I program had a Parent Expo last week, Dr. Michael Cane spoke to parents with rave reviews.
• Teachers and administrators who participated in Professional Learning Communities on Thursdays will receive $560 in December.
• PHOENIX had breakfast for honor roll students. It was an excellent program.
• We received copy of the resolution for the right of way for our school board to build a road to the BELLE CHASSE PRIMARY Multipurpose Building.  The ribbon cutting was outstanding.
• School-Based Health Care Center for SOUTH PLAQUEMINES ELEMENTARY and HIGH. Interested in setting up a center in south Plaq.
• The Lees are taking a leave.  Good workers.
• We wish the best to PHOENIX’S Mrs. Joyclyn Griffin, who had surgery.

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October 2007

Superintendent’s Message to the Plaquemines Parish School Board and the Citizens of Plaquemines on October 1, 2007.

 

Congratulations to Laurie Carlton, overall teacher of the year in Louisiana.  She will compete at the national level later this year.  People all over the state know us.  Just think if we had a Laurie Carlton in each classroom.  Laurie is supposed to get the use of Mercedes Benz for a whole year.  We had another outstanding award go to Don Comeaux, National Star Teacher from the USDOE.  A representative flew in from Washington, DC,

 

 

Stephanie Barthelemy was named SPH Academic all star. 

 

Unofficial 3635 student count today October 1, 2007.

 

Point of interest:  The PW’s are written for all our damaged buildings.  All the versions were written.  All are replacements:  Phoenix, Port Sulphur, Buras, Buras Middle, Alternative School and our teacher housing,  No PW’s have been obligated; money is not in the bank.  To raise our buildings for the base flood elevation recommendations, it might cost ¼ more.

 

The Corps and FEMA have proposed ABFE’s – elevation ranges 9-18 feet.  Parish government has not adopted elevations yet.  Today I have received confirmation the Buras High will go through a Congressional review through Mary Landrieu’s office.

 

Canopy lights are finally being installed at PX.

 

Twelve school buses could be fully air-conditioned by November 1.

 

A change order for $8,500 will come to board for BCP multipurpose room for more sprinklers.

 

All campuses are looking spectacular.  We see much improvement to our grounds.  We are looking to get a maintenance contract for teacher trailers.

 

Warm wishes and a speedy recovery to Kevin Horner and Joyce Kiff, and well wishes to Josh Bolio, a student at BCH.

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September 2007

Plaquemines Parish opened schools this fall fully staffed with personnel and with textbooks for all students.  Registration went smoothly.  Our teachers in the southern end of the parish are taking advantage of riding the teacher buses to school.  New this year, our teachers are attending the Professional Learning Communities on Thursday afternoons.

 

We are continuing our forward progress in Plaquemines.  We are going to embark on a project to air condition our school buses.  This will be done in phases by seniority.  Teacher trailers will be set up at Boothville-Venice Elementary in the beginning of September.  South Plaquemines teacher trailers should be set up by the end of September.  FEMA trailers have been moved from the Belle Chasse School Board Office and Belle Chasse Primary School sites, and we are in the process of consolidating the remaining trailers into one park.

 

Groundskeepers on the northern end of Plaquemines have been reorganized, three cutting in team for greater efficiency and output.

 

In regards to recovery, one point of interest is the report of Ken Jones on Channel 6 that we were rebuilding a new high school in the Buras campus.  This is an error.  The resolution was to build on the Buras Middle School site if Buras High School would be a replacement.  The old boiler room and its equipment at Port Sulphur High School have been declared a total loss.  The cost to rebuild the boiler room is $3 million.  Possibly all buildings at Port Sulphur and Phoenix will be declared a total loss.  The elevator at Boothville-Venice Elementary is installed and working.  This completes the $10 million Boothville-Venice project.  Temporary classrooms at Belle Chasse Primary and Belle Chasse Middle Schools should arrive in October or November.  The Sprung building for Phoenix High School should be completed by mid-November and by mid-December for South Plaquemines.  Something new from FEMA is that demolition of the slabs are now allowable after getting permission from the state.  We are conducting extensive research on a firm for construction projects.  Consideration is being given to hiring an energy management specialist to work with Johnson Controls and to developing an energy policy.

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August 2007

Looking back over the two years since Katrina, we reflect over the miraculous recovery in Plaquemines Parish Public Schools.  The school board, the principals, the teachers, the support staff, the students, my staff and I have a lot to be proud of.  You may not read our names in the paper, but I want to remind you of just a few accomplishments we have been able to address together as a team:

 

• Opened schools smoothly after missing 37 school days with all teachers and employees keeping their jobs when they came back
• Repaired Boothville School and placed 92 beautiful, temporary buildings on Phoenix and South Plaquemines campuses, which opened less than 12 months after Katrina, completely outfitted with equipment and supplies
• Obtained two local pay raises for employees
• Increased coaches’ pay and placed the increases on a pay scale
• Installed security cameras in all schools for safety
• Purchased Petrotech building and adjacent properties for instructional technology, Special Ed, Title I and Support Services office
• Restored South Plaquemines Consolidated High School football field in time for Homecoming, just a few months after the field was a FEMA village
• Replaced all lost textbooks, supplies, and equipment, after Katrina
• Secured grant money to purchase student uniforms for South Plaquemines High and Elementary Schools, Boothville-Venice Elementary, and Phoenix High School
• Offered LVS courses to fulfill the state-required curriculum
• Principals and other key employees received cell phones for communication
• Cleaned and secured hurricane-ravaged schools, teacher apartments and other properties
• Upgraded fields and put new fencing at BCM, BCH, SPH, PX, BV and BHS
• Landscaped and replanted trees at all sites
• Added parking at BCM, BCH, and Woodland Central Office
• Reduced class sizes at BCM from 30-35 to 20-25
• Kept a focus on instruction through principal and teacher professional development using the coaching model
• Provided transportation to the southern end and eastbank of the parish and will continue to provide
• Purchased bush hog and landscaping equipment for maintenance department
• Continue to pay stipends for teacher professional development
• Implemented pay for teachers to attend Learning Communities on Thursdays
• Implemented summer feeding program for 2007
• Equipped recovery schools with state-of-the-art technology and learning materials
• Set up temporary location for maintenance south
• Received and administered millions of dollars in grants
• Secured Sprung “multipurpose” buildings for athletics, band and assemblies.  In addition FEMA will fund additional classrooms at BCP, BCM, libraries at SPE and Phoenix, and an office at SPH
• Implemented pay increase for assistant principals
• Resurfaced BCHS gymnasium floors
• Installed new bleachers at SPH, BCM, and BCH
• Replaced all athletic equipment and uniforms for South Plaquemines High School
• Replaced basketball equipment and uniforms for Phoenix High School
• Held first retreat for administrators, funded by Chevron
• Added a Director of Facilities
• Added a centralized shipping and receiving agent
• Added a Central Office Accountability PowerSchool Data Implementation Specialist
• Added Intervention Strategists to Title I schools
• Installed the Follett Destiny software for textbooks and fixed assets tracking
• Installed Rebus Forms Imaging System for digital-imaging
• Proposed canopy lights for temporary sites to be completed within 3-6 weeks
• Implemented PowerTeacher, a web-based gradebook for teachers
• Implemented PowerSchool, a web-based student information system
• Issued laptops donated from Chevron to all certificated employees and some non-certificated employees
• Provided PowerSchool and laptop training to employees
• Installed new playground equipment at BE, SPE, and PX
• Increased teacher supplement pay to $1,200.00
• Placed bus aides on a pay scale
• Working with FEMA on an ongoing basis to rebuild schools
• In the process of placing temporary teacher housing at BVE, SP and PX, to be completed in early September
• In the process of replacing the Title I Resource Building in the Port Sulphur area
• Working with an educational planner to begin the process of rebuilding schools on the southern end of the parish and the eastbank
• In the process of hiring a management firm to oversee all future projects
• Will oversee the completion of the BCP multipurpose building
• Received verification from FEMA that 16.7 million has been obligated to build a school in Port Sulphur
• Honored with a visit from the U.S. Educational Secretary of State, Margaret Spellings, at the Belle Chasse Primary School
• Honor bestowed on the Belle Chasse Primary School as a Blue Ribbon School, one of the five in the nation
• Honored with a visit from Louisiana Governor, Kathleen Blanco, at South Plaquemines Elementary

On a personal note, as Superintendent:

• Have been appointed as Spokesperson for United Way in Plaquemines Parish
• Appeared before the Louisiana Senate Finance Committee on behalf of Plaquemines Parish School System MFP (funding program); the MFP funding source was increased from 13% to a minimum of 25%
• Had lunch and a private session with the new state Superintendent of Education, Paul Pastorek
•  Received numerous awards since becoming Superintendent

 

With your support, and my leadership, it is with sincere hope we can reach our goals and accomplish much more in 2007-2008.

 

With expectations for a great school year,

 

Eva G. Jones

Superintendent