august 1, 2013
St. george dragon tales Office 293-1298 Fax 293-4886
Absence Reporting
[email protected] E-mail
[email protected]
Cafeteria 293-1719 After Care 291-5084 Website: www.st-georgeschool.com
St. George Catholic School is a Christ-centered, family-oriented community, with a history and tradition of excellence. Gospel values are integrated with academics within a progressive curriculum, promoting faith development through liturgy, prayer, and service.
Dear St. George Families, I hope this summer has been both restful, productive and has given you many opportunities to spend time with your children and families. As we “gear up” for the beginning of another school year I want to share a few items of note as we prepare for an outstanding school year. This summer there has been a great deal of activity around our campus. There is a continued excitement from the momentum we are experiencing as a school community. SMART Boards were installed in all classrooms during the last week of June. Our technology upgrade continues and campus safety improvements to the campus are coming together. One thing that is very evident at St. George is that we have a community of parents, students and teachers who expect the very best of themselves and each other. Our Catholic roots continue to challenge us to see all situations and people through the eyes of faith, to seek innovative solutions to current day realities, and to love and appreciate the uniqueness of our students. As teachers and staff, we continue to follow in the footsteps of our founders – the Sisters of St. Joseph. A passion for education and a vision of a community of love, unity and collaboration was the heart of their mission. Each and every faculty and staff member at St. George Catholic School has that same ability. Our challenge, one that we look upon with great anticipation, as educators, is to be a difference maker in the lives of the children in our care. Teachers and staff are busy preparing for the new school year with the goal of making it the best ever! St. George Catholic School has 1,063 outstanding students that are truly gifts from God. We are going to have an outstanding school year. The “Back to School Bash” is tomorrow, Friday, August, 2nd! I look forward to seeing every one there. Enjoy these last few days of summer vacation. God bless, Jack Nelson Principal
SCHOOL SCHEDULE School begins on Friday, August 9 for grades 1 thru 8. No EBRP Bus Service on first day of school. Follow No Bus Service Carpool Map and Instructions Carpool Morning Assembly begins each school day at 7:45am. Morning carpool begins at 7:20am. Dismissal in the afternoon begins at 2:45pm. Afternoon carpool ends at 3:10pm. Bus Riders A few days before the start of school, bus riders will receive a postcard from EBR Transportation listing your child's stop location assignment and pick-up time. It usually takes about two weeks after buses/ school begins to resolve scheduling issues with buses and carpool; please be patient. Before and After Care will begin on August 9. Before Care program will run from 6:45am-7:20pm. After Care program will run from 2:45pm-6:00pm.
IMPORTANT dates to remember Back-To-School Bash - Friday, August 2, 5:00pm - 7:00pm, Kleinpeter Activity Center 6th Grade Orientation - Monday, August 5, 8:30am - 11:30am Student Medication Drop Off - Tuesday, August 6, 8:00am - 3:00pm, Nurse’s Office New Student Orientation - Thursday, August 8, 12:45pm, Library School Supply Drop Off (Optional) - Thursday, August 8, 1:00 - 2:00pm School supplies for grades 1-8 may be
brought to the classroom from 1:00pm - 2:00pm only. Due to the Faculty In-service the teachers will only be in their classrooms during this time. School supplies may also be brought by students on the first day of school. First Day of School - Friday, August 9, 7:45am - 2:45pm No EBRP Bus Service follow No Bus Service Carpool Map and Instructions Parent Orientations - Tuesday, August 13 Wednesday, August 14 Internet Safety Parent Meeting -
Gr. 1 - 2 Parent Orientation, 6:00pm, Classrooms DK / K - Gr. 5 Parent Meeting, 7:00pm, Church Gr. 3 - 5 Parent Orientation, 7:45pm, Classrooms Gr. 6 - 8 Parent Meeting & Orientation, 6:00pm, Church
Thursday, September 5, 6:00pm
*DK & Kindergarten Parents - See page two for detailed information regarding the first days of school.
Families new to St. George School should open a RenWeb ParentsWeb account. This account provides access to the latest school news and student grades and class information.
RenWeb ParentsWeb instructions for new parents are as follows: 1. Visit the RenWeb site - www.RenWeb.com 2. Click on Logins tab/ParentsWeb Login 3. Select Create New ParentsWeb Account 4. Enter School ID - SGCS-LA 5. Enter Email Address 6. Select Create Account
2013-14 PARENT STUDENT HANDBOOK Find The 2013-24 Parent Student Handbook here. BEFORE/AFTER CARE ENROLLMENT is currently closed. It will reopen on Friday, August 23 for available spaces. At this time there is still availability in Before Care for all grade levels. Kindergarten and first grade After Care are FULL. Please check future Dragontales for updated information. If you have any questions, please contact Susan Giles (
[email protected]). PARENTS OF 5TH GRADE STUDENTS Fifth grade students must dress out for PE. Uniforms for PE class may be purchased at the local uniform stores.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR VOLUNTEERS The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops and the Diocese of Baton Rouge require all persons interested in volunteering or participating in school-related functions (including field trips and class activities) to successfully complete the four part Child Protection process. Please visit here for detailed information and for volunteer opportunities. A packet listing all requirements along with the relevant forms may be obtained at the school office. If you are not certain that you have met all requirements, please contact Charlene Lauman in the school office.
NOTICE TO KINDERGARTEN PARENTS Welcome to St. George Kindergarten! As the new school year approaches, many exciting plans are being made for our kindergarten program. Parent meetings will be held on Friday, August 9 and Monday, August 12 followed by an Open House on Tuesday, August 13 from 11:00am until 1:00 pm. A parent orientation will also be held this night at 7:00 in the St. George Church where you will be provided with additional school news and events. To ensure a smooth and successful start for our eager, but perhaps a little anxious students, the kindergarten staff will be working with small groups of children on Wednesday, August 14 and Thursday, August 15 to familiarize them with the school campus as well as the kindergarten classrooms and routines. Both August 14 and August 15 are full days of school, 7:45am to 2:45pm. On Friday, August 16 ALL kindergarten children will attend a full day of school. Please refer to the letter mailed earlier for your scheduled conference time and your child’s first day of school assignment. If you have any questions, feel free to call the school office. We are looking forward to a wonderful school year. Sincerely, The Kindergarten Staff
Nurse’s notes STUDENT MEDICATION DROP-OFF Medication must be signed in at the school office on Tuesday, August 6th from 8:00am until 3:00pm. Medications will not be accepted on the first day of school. UPDATED IMMUNIZATION RECORDS NOTE TO PARENTS OF KINDERGARTNERS, 6th GRADERS, AND NEW STUDENTS Please have your child's required vaccinations completed and return the updated immunization record to the school office by Thursday, August 8, 2013.. Please view the attached Nurse’s Notes page including the First Aid Room Policy.
EMERGENCY CONTACT & HEALTH INFORMATION Parents, please be sure to review and update your student(s) emergency contact and health information in RenWeb regularly. Additionally, parents names and contact information must be included in the Emergency Contact section of RenWeb.
CAFETERIA INFORMATION St. George School participates in the Diocesan Child Nutrition Program. Breakfast and lunch are available to students for a nominal fee. Detailed information regarding policies and monthly fees will be communicated at the beginning of school and published in the next edition of Dragon Tales. Parents are invited to visit the cafeteria and have lunch with their children. Simply call the cafeteria at 293-1719 the morning of your planned visit to inform the cafeteria manager. Parent lunch visitation will begin after Labor Day. Please note that according to Bulletin # 1196 of the LA Department of Education, outside restaurant food, soft drinks, and candy are not allowed in the school cafeteria. Your compliance with the policy is appreciated. Students not participating in the Diocesan Child Nutrition Program must bring a bag lunch from home.
HIGHLIGHT OF IMPORTANT POLICIES Carpool Procedures First Aid Room Policy School Uniform Guidelines
C OAC H ’S C O R N E R
By Coach Shelly Melancon
Welcome back to school! I look forward to working with everyone again this school year to make the St. George athletic program a fun, positive experience for our students. Student athletes in 5th through 8th grades, remember that athletic physicals are required to begin any sport at St. George. Don’t wait until the last minute to schedule yours with your child’s doctor. Physicals are good for one calendar year and must be signed off on by the doctor and parent. You may access the athletic physical form here and print out a copy to take with you. Students may not begin any sport until the athletic physical has been returned to Coach Shelly Melancon. August is a busy month for the start of fall sports here at St. George as we offer something for everyone. Football begins August 15th for boys in 5th through 8th grade. While the cross-country team has begun training, they will still accept more runners. Any boy or girl interested in distance running in 5th through 8th is welcome to join. Swimming is offered for boys and girls in 5th grade through 8th grade with the basic ability to swim the length of a pool. Girls basketball begins the week of August 19th and is offered to any 5th grade girl in the CYO league. Girls in 6th through 8th grade will participate in basketball tryouts (if needed) for the CSAL league team. There will be a mandatory parent’s meeting on Monday, August 12th in the gym to discuss the upcoming sport seasons for all of the above mentioned sports programs. The football parents’ meeting is at 5:45pm and the girls basketball, cross-country and swim teams will have a meeting beginning at 7:15pm. The head coaches will also speak to the parents of that team to answer any questions. All of the necessary athletic forms, permission slips, athletic calendars, etc. are on the school website under the athletics tab. Print and fill out for the sport your child is playing. You may bring the forms to the parent meeting or send to school by August 14th. Intramural Soccer is offered to all students in DK through 4th grade. Intramural registration forms will go home at the end of August. We always need parent volunteer coaches to help monitor and guide the younger students. Those games are held on Saturday mornings Mid-September through Mid-November on the back part of campus. If you have any questions regarding the St. George athletic program please email me at
[email protected]. Have fun and represent your school, team and Church to the best of your ability, show good sportsmanship and we will all have another fantastic season.
MEN’S CLUB INVITES ALL INTERESTED ST. GEORGE MEN TO JOIN US For nearly three decades, the St. George Men's Club Mission has been to generate funds for maintenance of both the School and Church Parish. This is accomplished through Lenten Fish Dinners, Fall Chicken and Jambalaya Dinners, and the annual Spring Dragon Classic Golf Tournament. In addition to the funds collected, the Men's Club also hosts several work days where many members donate a few hours of their time to help with necessary maintenance items around campus. Just this past year, the St. George Men's Club contributed $15,000 towards the purchase of 2 way radios for every teacher and staff member on campus. If you are interested in helping us continuing this tradition by joining this great organization that meets monthly, please join us at the Kickoff Meeting on Tuesday, August 20 (tentative) at 6pm in the cafeteria or by emailing Josh Schexnayder at
[email protected]. We look forward to seeing you there!
SEE YOU ON FRIDAY, AUGUST 9TH!
2013-2014 New Additions to St. George Faculty and Staff Caroline Armour – DK Teacher: Caroline grew up in Mandeville, Louisiana, the middle of three children and graduated from The University of Southern Mississippi in 2009 with a degree in Elementary Education. After graduating, she went on to earn a Master’s degree from Mississippi State University. While in Mississippi she met and married her husband, Joe. Her future plan is to go back to school and earn a degree in Library Science. This will be her third year teaching, and she is so excited to be at St George. Mary Honore’ – K5 Teacher: Mary is a St. George parishioner who graduated from St. Joseph’s Academy and received her Bachelor’s degree from LSU. Mary has classroom experience with both second grade and kindergarten. She and her husband, Aaron (a lifelong parishioner and alum of SGS) have two children, a daughter Olivia (3) and a son Hayes (1). She looks forward to working at St. George. Candice Phipps – 1C Teacher Assistant: Candice has spent the last 4 years at Trinity Episcopal Day School and is looking forward to beginning her career at St. George, working in 1st grade with Mrs. Ventola. She was raised in Houma and has lived in Baton Rouge for more than 20 years. She is married to BR Police Sgt. Glenn Phipps and has three children, Logan, 21, EmmaLee, 17, and Hayden, 4 1/2. In the past 16 years, she has worked at various church PreK's, summer camps, development centers , and in the public school Pre-K system. Courtney Villa – 3C Teacher: Courtney is thrilled to be joining St. George Catholic School. She graduated from LSU and this will be her second year teaching. Besides teaching, she enjoys spending time with her family and friends. Emily Dirks – 4B Teacher: Emily has taught 2nd, 3rd, and 4th grades in the public school system for the last 10 years. She graduated from LSU in 2002, received her teaching certification from Nicholls State University in 2004, and earned her National Board Certification in 2011. She and her husband, Jack, have three sons; Jack and Lee, who are St. George students, and Jude. Jessica Pray – 4C Teacher: Jessica grew up in Amite, LA where she married her high school sweetheart, Zach, four years ago. She is the daughter of a principal, so teaching was always in her blood. In 2012, she was selected as her school’s teacher of the year and then was selected as Acadia Parish’s Teacher of the Year. She looks forward to starting the new school year at St. George! Cherami Bass – 6B Homeroom and 6th Grade Scienc Teachere: Cherami is excited to join the SGS staff as the 6th grade Physical Science teacher. After obtaining an education degree from LSU, she taught middle school science and math for 8 years. She and her husband, Aaron, are St. George parishioners and have four children: Lauryn, Claire, Tyler and Lily. Courtney DiVincenti – 7A Homeroom, 7th grade English and Literature Teacher: Courtney is from Metairie, LA, and recently graduated from LSU with a Master’s of Teaching /English Language Arts. She is very excited to begin her career at St. George, and she looks forward to sharing her love of literature and writing with young minds. Jennifer Parker – 7C Homeroom and 7th grade Science Teacher : Jennifer has taught high school science for eight years. She is a graduate of St. Thomas More Catholic School, St. Joseph’s Academy and LSU. She and her husband Todd are members of St. George Catholic Church have two children, Thomas and Anna Kathryn who attend St. George Catholic School. Marianne Faucheaux – 7D Homeroom, 7th and 8th grade Science Teacher: Marianne is from Lake Charles where she went to catholic school for 13 years. She attended LSU and graduated in 2007 with a Masters degree in education with a minor in philosophy and religious studies. She taught 6-8th grade science for 6 years at Sherwood Middle Magnet School in Baton Rouge and coached the swim team and girls track team. She and her husband, Richard, have been married for 3 years. She enjoys running and being physically active as well as crafting and cooking. Callie Romero – 8B Homeroom, 8h grade English and Literature: Callie is a native of Lafayette and has received both her Bachelors of Arts in English and Masters of Arts in Teaching degrees from LSU. Before receiving her graduate degree, she volunteered for City Year Baton Rouge, where she was a mentor, tutor, and role model for third grade students at Merrydale Elementary. Shelby Thomas – 8D Homeroom and 8th Grade English and Literature Teacher: Shelby Thomas is a native Texan who attended Louisiana State University and majored in English with a concentration in Secondary Education. While in college, Shelby worked for a wedding planner and was a member of Pi Beta Phi sorority. Each summer Shelby was a camp counselor at Laity Lodge Youth Camp in Kerrville, Texas where she shared the gospel and love of Christ with children ages 7-16. Jessica LeBlanc – Spanish Teacher: Jessica received a B.A. in Spanish and French, and a M.Ed. from LSU. She taught Spanish and French for 10 years at Dutchtown High School. She is married to John and they have four children, Peyton, Evie (SGS students), Riley and newborn, Caden. While Mrs. LeBlanc is on maternity leave Miss Jaime Guillaume will serve as her sub. Colleen Dupeire – 7th Grade Math and 2nd & 3rd Grade Math Enrichment Teacher: Colleen and her husband, Stephen, have been parishioners of St. George Parish for 13 years. They have a daughter (Morgan) who attended St. George and graduated from St. Joseph’s Academy and a son (Brennan) who attended St. George and will be starting CHS this fall. Colleen taught at SGS for many years and is returning this year. She has 18 years teaching experience in middle school reading and math, grades 3-7.
Happy Birthday!
St. George School wishes the following students and faculty/staff members who celebrate birthdays between May 24 and August 8, 2013 a very Happy Birthday.
May Kaiser Stentiford, 24 Kenzie Stentiford, 24 Charlie Means. 25 Will Ashby, 25 Christopher Cronin, 25 Victoria Fontenot, 25 Julia Dwelle, 25 Katelyn Schroeder, 25 Molly Perry, 25 Ryan Cedel, 26 Tyler Bass, 27 McCall Emonet, 27 Carsyn Capdevielle, 27 Rylie Cunningham, 28 Addison Ainsworth, 29 Sarah Branstetter, 29 Meghan Drago, 30 Dylan Kurtz, 30 Logan Kleinpeter, 30 Jackson Bourgeois, 30 Ginny Branstetter, 30 Addison Bruce, 31 Camille Avery, 31 Ashton Pellerin, 31 Grant Breaux,31
June Emily Tran, 1 D.J. Hudson, 1 Amber LeDoux, 5 Ethan Cupit, 5 Chima Mbagwu, 6 Emma Allen, 6 Victoria Gonzales, 6 Christian Marrero, 6 Claire Soileau, 7 Parker LeBlanc, 7 Brian Miller, 7 Mason Pastorek, 7 Jaylen Johnson, 7 Sion Cavana, 8 Joseph Feet, 8 Jyllian Feet, 8 Joseph Thrower, 8 Baylie Imler, 9 Tommy Berthon, 9 Alivia Simmons,10 Flora DeMoss, 10 Benton Rome, 10 Emily Evans, 10 Nathan Ogra, 10 Zachary Dupre, 10 Christian Lejeune, 11 John Waggenspack, 11 Camden Hull, 11 Jackson LeBlanc, 11 Andrew Grissom, 11 Karleigh Bourgoyne, 12 Megan Marcello, 12 Angele McCleery, 12 Gifford Greer, 12 Garrett Accardo, 13 Avery Aucoin ,13 Jonathan Crump, 13 Jacob Hamilton, 14 Caroline Powell, 14 Thomas McDowell, 14 Angelina Rispone, 14 Leah Bourg, 15 Elizabeth Fruge, 15 Cole Patterson, 15 Scout Mounger, 15 Taylor Marcello, 16 Val Dykes, 16 Sophie Dawson, 16 Ashley Hanaki, 16 Collin Boudreaux, 16 Nathan Bell, 17 Grace Oneill, 17 Brayden Ford, 17 Audrey Levins, 17 Maloree Gibson, 17
Catelynn Cardenas, 17 Caryse Cardenas, 17 Lauren Duncan, 18 Matthew Beall, 18 Jack Carter, 18 Samuel Levy,18 Luke Corsten, 19 Carter Alonzo, 19 Kaden Saxon, 20 Beau Gautreau, 20 Kadyn Massett, 20 Emory Mayeaux, 21 Emily Murray, 21 Jon Aaron Jackson, 22 Anna Kate Terrell, 23 Paige Smith, 24 Bryce Gautreau, 24 Luca Pastore, 25 Andrew Cedel, 26 Sophie Domangue, 26 Matthew Ortego, 27 Madeline Ortego, 27 Sadie Duncan, 27 Kristen Rudge, 27 Skylar Mancuso, 28 Julia Barrack, 28 Maggie Edwards, 28 Jaime Delahoussaye, 29 Analiese Dufrene, 29 Audrey Vidrine, 29 Katherine Lossett, 30 Anna Guidroz, 30 Hanley Hidalgo, 30
Morgan Perry, 21 Annabelle Plauche, 22 Julia Welsh, 23 Clara Couvillion, 23 Connor Brady, 24 Maya Mindrut, 24 Madeline Thomas, 25 Julianna Guilbeau, 25 Addison Bernhard, 25 John Stafford, 25 Amanda Pirello, 26 Christopher Branstetter, 26 Laura Merlina, 26 Brock Smothers, 26 Brock Sutton, 26 Madeline Lefeaux, 27 Hayden Shaheen, 27 Beau Michael Legnon, 27 Lilly Legnon, 27 Claire Lynch, 28 LeAnn Pham, 28 Grant Fisher, 28 Claire Simmons, 28 Alexa Gutowski, 29 Lila Beck, 29 Jeremy Worley, 30 Ian MacMorran, 30 Raz McRae, 30 Kaylie Hollis, 30 Anna Kate Carter, 31 David Marsh, 31 Addison Wampold, 31
July
Erin Beene, 1 Caroline Chauvin, 1 Cara Delacruz, 1 Peyton Berthelot, 1 Claire Branch, 2 Austin Ainsworth, 2 Cameron Hart, 2 Cade Giambrone, 3 Erin Johnson, 3 Abigail Kirkpatrick, 3 Cole Hidalgo, 3 Nathan Gibson, 3 Addison Macha, 3 Morgan Gallegos, 5 C.C. Cook, 5 Emma Abadie, 5 Avery Scott, 5 Katherine Sclafani, 6 Marissa LaCour, 6 Catherine Contini, 7 Chandler Ducote, 7 Carter Rome, 8 Alex Ash, 8 Anna Kathryn Parker, 8 Josh Stefan, 8 Davis Aucoin, 8
Dylan Wampold,1 Hannah Peneguy, 1 Jackson Scrantz, 2 Madison Rowan, 2 CoCo Moggio, 3 Quinn Luu, 5 Matthew Arceneaux, 6 Caleb Barber, 6 Claire Lucas, 7 Faith Atol, 7 Ben Brumfield, 8 Abigail McCurry, 8 Jack Thomas, 8 Cameron LeBlanc, 9 Taylor Saia, 9 Parker St. Romain, 9 Clifton Kurzweg, 10 Brant Harrell, 10 Kailyn Carnaggio, 11 Camryn Wax, 11 Evan Luu, 11 Archer Pounders, 11 Cooper Smith, 12 Ashley Rotolo, 13 Gavin Blanton, 13 Jennifer Cifreo, 13 Alex Tilley, 14 Jacob Clement, 14 Alex Louque, 14 Caitlin Colby, 15 Anna Cole, 17 Anna Neupert, 17 Michael Long, 17 Trevor Windham, 17 Bryant Windham, 17 Hayden Bessonet, 17 Synclare Hosch, 17 Britt Vaughan, 17 Emily Nelson, 18 Brooklynn Baker, 18 Avery Gamble, 18 Alayna Parson, 18 Wesley Charlton, 19 Amy Brouillette, 20 Alex Mayeux, 20 Carter Ferachi, 21 Camille Ferachi, 21
August
FACULTY / STAFF Mrs. Wendi Noel, May 26 Mrs. Val McGibboney, May 29 Mrs. Boudreaux, May 29 Mrs. Cheri Gioe, May 29 Mrs. Ashley Cooper, May 30 Mrs. Jeanie Robert. May 31 Mr. Kevin Malady, June 2 Mrs. Shelley Olsen, June 5 Mrs. Leticia Vasquez, June 10 Mrs. Rogers, June 10 Mrs. Giles, June 10 Mrs. Valarie Miller, June 10 Mrs. Heather Wegmann, June 14 Mrs. Sharyn Lithgoe, June 19 Mrs. Wendy Bridevaux, June 20 Mrs. Beth Loewe, June 25 Mrs. Lori Tucker-Day, June 30 Mrs. Candice Phipps, July 15 Mrs. Cathie May, July 21 Mrs. Kay Covington, July 23 Mrs. Sissy Duncan, July 30 Mrs. Cherie Masterson, August 3