reporter congratulations to our nationally recognized scholars october nl.pdf · students featured...

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Runnels Preschool 6455 Jefferson Highway Baton Rouge, LA 70809 225-927-5803 October 2013 Grades K through 12 17255 S. Harrell’s Ferry Road Baton Rouge, LA 70816 225-751-5712 www.runnels.org Reporter Congratulations to Our Nationally Recognized Scholars The catalog of academic ac- complishments made by Runnels students continues to grow at an inspiring pace. We are pleased to announce that this year Runnels has two National Merit Semifinal- ists, one Commended Student, three National AP (Advanced Placement) Scholars, nine AP Scholars with Distinction, two AP Scholars with Honor, and seven AP Scholars. Our National Merit honorees include Semifinalists Amelie Kharey and Matt Mitchell, and Commended Student Caroline Bonaventure. All are seniors. These students ranked among the 50,000 high scorers on the 2012 Preliminary PSAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test, which was given to more than 1.5 million high school juniors across the nation. Of these, only 34,000 earned Commended Student recognition, and 16,000 qualified as Semifinalists. The National Merit Scholarship Pro- gram, which began in 1955, recognizes high school students who show excep- tional academic ability and the poten- tial for success in demanding college programs. As Semifinalists, Amelie and Matt will stay in the running for advancement to the rank of National Merit Finalist and the chance to qualify for nearly 8,000 National Merit Scholarships worth more than $35 million, to be awarded next spring. (From left) National Merit Semifinalist Matt Mitchell, National Merit Commended Student Caroline Bonaventure, AP Schol- ars Erin Dean and Sarah Garrett, National Merit Semifinalist, National AP Scholar, and AP Scholar with Distinction Amelie Kharey, and AP Scholar Connor Matthews. Running shoes are required but beards are strictly optional for the cross-country team’s fifth annual “Raider Fun Run,” coming up Oct. 13 at 4 pm on our Harrell’s Ferry Rd. campus. In a playful nod to a popular reality show set in our own back- yard, the theme of this year’s race is “Runnels Dynasty.” The two-mile walking/running race across the campus and Trail of Dreams is in support of the Foundation Fighting Blindness and the cross country team. The Foundation Fighting Blindness is an international organization that helps fund research in the United States and around the world on degenerative eye diseases. Registration for the race starts on campus at 3 pm the day of the event, with a required fee of $10.00 per runner. For advance registration, pick up forms at either the Elementary or High School office or download them from www.runnels.org. RaiderFunRunSetforOctober13 (See Scholars Honored, page 2) As a Commended Student, Caroline, though ineligible to remain in the competition, will receive a Letter of Commendation in recognition of her outstand- ing academic achievement and promise. Advanced Placement or AP Scholar Awards are granted by the College Board each year to recognize exceptional academic achievement on AP Exams taken in May. The AP Program offers students the opportunity to take college-level courses while still in high school, and to earn college credit, Advanced Placement, or both for successful performance on AP Exams. This year, Runnels students earned a total of 21 AP Scholar Awards, with three of them -- senior Amelie Kharey and 2013 graduates Joshua Manning (now at the University of Texas at Dal- las) and Isaac Phillips (currently at Rice University) -- qualifying as National AP Scholars. To receive this prestigious honor, these students had to earn an (See Fun Run, page 7) Getting To Know You ... Smiles and hugs were on the menu Aug. 30 when the kindergartners joined their “6th Grade Buddies” for their first picnic lunch of the school year on the elementary playground Above: kindergartner Sadie Edwards (center) with her new “buddies,” Sara Johnson (left) and Paris Vercher.

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Page 1: Reporter Congratulations to Our Nationally Recognized Scholars october NL.pdf · Students Featured in LASM Publications... You may have noticed some familiar faces in the recently

1www.runnels.org October 2013

Runnels Preschool6455 Jefferson HighwayBaton Rouge, LA 70809

225-927-5803

October 2013

Grades K through 1217255 S. Harrell’s Ferry RoadBaton Rouge, LA 70816225-751-5712

www.runnels.org Reporter

Congratulations to Our Nationally Recognized Scholars The catalog of academic ac-complishments made by Runnels students continues to grow at an inspiring pace. We are pleased to announce that this year Runnels has two National Merit Semifinal-ists, one Commended Student, three National AP (Advanced Placement) Scholars, nine AP Scholars with Distinction, two AP Scholars with Honor, and seven AP Scholars. Our National Merit honorees include Semifinalists Amelie Kharey and Matt Mitchell, and Commended Student Caroline Bonaventure. All are seniors. These students ranked among the 50,000 high scorers on the 2012 Preliminary PSAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test, which was given to more than 1.5 million high school juniors across the nation. Of these, only 34,000 earned Commended Student recognition, and 16,000 qualified as Semifinalists. The National Merit Scholarship Pro-gram, which began in 1955, recognizes high school students who show excep-

tional academic ability and the poten-tial for success in demanding college programs. As Semifinalists, Amelie and Matt will stay in the running for advancement to the rank of National Merit Finalist and the chance to qualify for nearly 8,000 National Merit Scholarships worth more than $35 million, to be awarded next spring.

(From left) National Merit Semifinalist Matt Mitchell, National Merit Commended Student Caroline Bonaventure, AP Schol-ars Erin Dean and Sarah Garrett, National Merit Semifinalist, National AP Scholar, and AP Scholar with Distinction Amelie Kharey, and AP Scholar Connor Matthews.

Running shoes are required but beards are strictly optional for the cross-country team’s fifth annual “Raider Fun Run,” coming up Oct. 13 at 4 pm on our Harrell’s Ferry Rd. campus. In a playful nod to a popular reality show set in our own back-yard, the theme of this year’s race is “Runnels Dynasty.” The two-mile walking/running race across the campus and Trail of Dreams is in support of the Foundation Fighting Blindness and the cross country team. The

Foundation Fighting Blindness is an international organization that helps fund research in the United States and around the world on degenerative eye diseases. Registration for the race starts on campus at3 pm the day of the event, with a required fee of $10.00 per runner. For advance registration, pick up forms at either the Elementary or High School office or download them from www.runnels.org.

Raider Fun Run Set for October 13

(See Scholars Honored, page 2)

As a Commended Student, Caroline, though ineligible to remain in the competition, will receive a Letter of Commendation in recognition of her outstand-ing academic achievement and promise. Advanced Placement or AP Scholar Awards are granted by the College Board each year to recognize exceptional academic achievement on AP Exams taken in May. The AP Program offers students the opportunity to take college-level courses while still in high school, and to earn college credit, Advanced Placement, or both for successful performance on AP Exams.

This year, Runnels students earned a total of 21 AP Scholar Awards, with three of them -- senior Amelie Kharey and 2013 graduates Joshua Manning (now at the University of Texas at Dal-las) and Isaac Phillips (currently at Rice University) -- qualifying as National AP Scholars. To receive this prestigious honor, these students had to earn an

(See Fun Run, page 7)

Getting To Know You ... Smiles and hugs were on the menu Aug. 30 when the kindergartners joined their “6th Grade Buddies” for their first picnic lunch of the school year on the elementary playground Above: kindergartner Sadie Edwards (center) with her new “buddies,” Sara Johnson (left) and Paris Vercher.

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2 www.runnels.org October 2013

Runnels Class of 2013 AP Scholars: Top row: National AP Scholars Joshua Manning and Isaac Phillips; AP Scholars with Distinction: Nicholas deCastro, Elizabeth Forgey, Evan-gelos “Vaki” Nikitopoulos, and (2nd row, from left) Kartik Raj; AP Scholars with Honor Madison Davis and Avery Enete; and AP Scholars Burl E. “Quint” Forgey, V, Bryce Fromen-thal, and (at far left) Isabel Rountree. Left: AP Scholar Remy McConnell (not currently at Runnels).

Please give the gift of life by donating blood when the Our Lady of the Lake

Blood Mobile makes a stop at our Harrell’s Ferry Road campus for the Fall Blood Drive on Oct. 25 from 8 am until 2 pm. All donors

will receive T-shirts and refreshments. To contribute blood, donors must be 17 years old or older. For a complete list of donor requirements, please visit our Nurses’ Microsite at www.runnels.org. If you need more information, please contact our elementary school nurses at 225-756-5837.

average score of at least 4, on a 5-point scale, on all AP Exams taken, and make scores of 4 or higher on 8 or more of these tests. Our nine AP Scholars with Distinc-tion are seniors Caroline Bonaventure, Amelie Kharey, and Matthew Mitchell, and 2013 graduates Nicholas deCastro (Birmingham Southern College), Eliza-beth Forgey (LSU Honors College), Joshua Manning, Evangelos “Vaki” Nikitopoulos (Brown University), Isaac Phillips, and Kartik Raj (UCLA). To qualify, students must earn an average score of at least 3.5 on all AP Exams taken, and scores of 3 or higher on 5 or more of these tests. Earning AP Scholar with Honor Awards are 2013 alumni Madison Davis (LSU) and Avery Enete (Louisiana Tech). To qualify, students must earn an average of at least 3.25 on all AP Exams taken, and attain scores of three or higher on four or more tests. Our seven AP Scholar Award win-ners are seniors Erin Dean and Sarah Garrett, juniors Connor Matthews and Remy McConnell, who is currently at Baton Rouge Magnet High, and 2013 graduates Burl E. “Quint” Forgey, V, (LSU Honors College), Bryce Fromen-thal (LSU), and Isabel Rountree (LSU Honors College). For this award, stu-dents must receive scores of 3 or higher on three or more AP Exams. Congratulations to these students, their parents, and their teachers.

Students in the Runnels Class of 2013 headed off to college this fall with an academ-ic edge over many other entering freshmen. Their average ACT scores, which measure academic readiness for university-level classes, topped state and national averages in every category. At Runnels, the average composite score for students in all grades taking the test was 24.4, with the Class of 2013 coming in slightly higher, at 25.1. In comparison, the average composite score for Louisiana fell to 19.5 (from last year’s 20.3), and the national average was 20.9. In the subject area tests, Runnels students also competed well. In English, our stu-dents posted an average score of 25.3, as opposed to 19.4 for the state, and 20.2 for the nation. In Math, Runnels students earned an average score of 23.7, with the state com-ing in at 19.2, and the nation at 20.9. Runnels also was ahead in Reading. The average at Runnels was 24.9, with Louisiana coming in at 19.7, and the nation at 21.1. In Sci-ence Runnels also led the pack, with an average score of 23.3. The Louisiana average in Science was 19.2 and the national average was 20.7.

Runnels ACT Scores Top State and Nation

OLOL Fall Blood DriveComing Up October 25

The Lady Raider volleyball team and the 5th grade class at Runnels co-sponsored a “Canned Food Drive” Sept. 1-7 in affiliation with the Trevor Sims’ Wish: City Wide Food Drive. Ten-year-old Trevor, who has been battling cancer since he was five, visited Runnels in October of 2011 as an honored guest at our volleyball team’s “Green Game for St. Jude’s.” His selfless wish to feed the homeless, which appeared in a feature article in The Advocate on Aug. 28, inspired food drives through-out our community. Runnels helped by collecting 350 pounds of food for the Greater Baton Rouge Food Bank. In a recent email to our school, Amy Sellers, vice president of food procurement for the Greater Baton Rouge Food Bank, thanked the volleyball team and the 5th grade for “hosting” the food drive at Runnels

Helping Trevor’s Wish Come True

Scholars Honored, continued from page 1

Trevor Sims speaks to the crowd at our volleyball team’s “Green Game for St. Jude’s” in October of 2011.

(See Trevor’s Wish, page 5)

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3www.runnels.org October 2013

Students Featured in LASM Publications ... You may have noticed some familiar faces in the recently pub-lished Louisiana Art and Science Museum’s 2013-14 Adventure Planner. Emma Schlotterer, 5b, appears in a photograph on page 2 and once again on page 6, along with Eli Latiolais, 3b, and Madeline Golden, 2a. The children were recruited as models by graphic artist and publication designer Nicole Duet Latiolais, who also serves as our RPO president. Mrs. Latiolais designed the Ad-venture Planner, which is a catalog of educational programs and classes available at the museum, and a companion ad (at right), featuring Emma (in profile) and Runnels students Cole Latiolais, 6b, Ryan Roper’, 4b, and Micah Roper’, grade 7.

1 0 0 R I V E R R O A D S . • D O W N T O W N B A T O N R O U G E • 2 2 5 . 3 4 4 . 5 2 7 2

www.lasm.org

Discover...Create...Connect...

Runnels sophomore Hampton Hudson was in Atlanta on Sept. 7 to present a special gift to U.S. Con-gressman John Lewis, who is the last surviving speaker from the 1963 civil rights March on Washington, the occasion of Dr. Martin Lu-ther King’s historic “I Have a Dream” speech. On behalf of “Brothers Also Read” (BAR), a book club whose aim is to pro-mote reading among young black men, Hampton presented a dona-tion check of $1,000 to the John Lewis Scholarship Fund. Donovan Hudson, Hampton’s dad, who accompanied him to Atlanta, is one of the BAR’s 18 members. Mr. Hudson said that club wanted to make the dona-tion after choosing Mr. Lewis’ autobiog-raphy, Walking with the Wind: A Memoir of the Civil Rights Movement, for its July

discussion. “We decided to inform the Congressman of our book choice,” Mr. Hudson said, “as a way of thank-ing him for his service and work, not only as a politi-cian, but for all mankind.” Congressman Lewis responded by asking if he could join the book club (which holds meetings in Detroit or virtually, via Skype or Go To Meeting) and host a discussion of his

book as his initiation into the group. “We, of course, were delighted to ac-cept,” said Mr. Hudson. Later, the BAR chose Hampton to present the check to Mr. Lewis. “It was an amazing opportunity for Hampton,” said his dad. “Talk about ‘living his-tory!’” For his part, Hampton said it was an honor to meet Congressman Lewis

-- a figure that his dad “has known as a living hero, as part of his cultural up-bringing.” Mr. Hudson said that “Brothers Also Read” hopes to recruit more members. “We are hoping we can encourage BARs all over the country (and, yes, throughout the world); but most particu-larly here in the United States, where reading seems to be a challenge and is considered less than ‘cool’ in the eyes of so many young men.” He added that “as a result of meet-ing Congressman Lewis, the BAR is formally incorporating and contemplat-ing joint authorship of a book about our experience.” He also noted that “a chapter of the BAR has formed, informally, in Baton Rouge.” For information about “Brothers Also Read,” please visit [email protected]. To read more about Congressman Lewis, please see his website at john-lewis.house.gov.

Book Club Brings Sophomore and Civil Rights Icon Together

Hampton Hudson with Congressman John Lewis in his Atlanta office.

The Andy Mack Library (Jr./Sr. High Library) can raise up to $12,000 in extra

school funds this year by participating in the Tyson Project A+ Program, sponsored by Tyson Foods. Students, parents,

teachers, and other members of our school community are invited to collect Tyson Project A+ labels from Tyson product boxes and bags. Tyson will send Runnels a check in the amount of 24 cents per label submitted to the program. Funds raised through Tyson can

be used on anything the school needs, including supplies, equipment, building repairs, and school programs. According to Jr./Sr. High Librarians Charlotte Lockhart and Kristen Man-ning, money raised through the Tyson program will help fund an upgrade of the Elementary and Andy Mack Librar-ies’ operating systems. The High School Nature Club, sponsored by biology teacher Meagan Morris, will be helping our libraries with this project and several others by provid-ing label collection bags for classrooms, along with signs promoting the program.

In addition to collecting labels for the Tyson Program, the Nature Club will assist the Andy Mack Library in col-lecting Coke points through the “Coke Rewards Program.” Funds from this program will go toward the purchase of new 32-inch flat screen TVs to be used in classrooms. The Elementary Library continues to collect “Labels for Education,” “Box Tops for Education,” and “Community Cash for Schools.” Labels for these pro-grams also may be placed in the Nature Club’s label collection bags in junior high and high school classrooms.

Save Tyson Project A+ Labels for Andy Mack Library

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Many Runnels faculty members took advantage of the summer break to bolster their credentials and learn the latest on instructional approaches and strategies by attending professional development conferences, classes, and workshops. In July, Jr./Sr. High drama teacher Ann Dalrymple and 9th grade English teacher Michele Stanfield flew to London for their “Teaching Shakespeare Through Performance” fellowship, which was funded by grants they were awarded by Fund for Teachers and the English Speaking Union. “We took classes for three weeks, learning how to enrich our practice of teaching Shakespeare,” said Ms. Dalrymple, who particularly enjoyed the opportunities workshop participants were given to perform. “We got to act on the Globe stage!” she said. “I played Macduff in one scene, she (Ms. Stanfield) was a witch, and we also got to do a scene together. Mrs. Stanfield was Lady Macbeth to my Macbeth.” To share what they learned, Ms. Stan-field and Ms. Dalrymple said they plan on giving in-service classes to teachers at Runnels and possibly East Baton Rouge Parish.

Brooks Coaches Camp ... Also add-ing miles to her Frequent Flyer tally this summer in the interests of extending her instructional skills was Cross Country Head Coach Julie Fink, who was invited to the “Brooks Coaches Camp” at the company’s headquarters in Seattle. “I met cross country coaches from around the country,” Mrs. Fink said, “and worked with them for two days of workshops, team building activities, and classroom seminars on elite coaching techniques, race directing, and nutrition.” She said that they also went on group runs in Seattle and enjoyed a Puget Sound dinner cruise. In addition, Mrs. Fink spent two weeks at the University of North Caro-lina in Asheville as a staff coach for the

Continuing EducationTeachers Learn the Latest Over Summer Break

Ann Dalrymple in London dressed as Perdita from Shake-speare’s “The Winter’s Tale,” with fellow workshop attendee and teacher, James Venhaus.

Smoky Mountain Running Camp. She worked with college and high school coaches from across the nation training junior high and high school run-ners. “Every morning we ran on trails in the Smoky Mountains,” she explained, “and the afternoons were filled with seminars on running topics, followed by more running on the track, with focused workouts on various training paces.” Runnels students attending the camp

included Annie Fink, Grant Fink, Jake Johnson, George Penniman, and Lee Parker.

The Classics ... High school classical language teachers Ann Ostrom and Maggie Wrenn spent several days in Tennes-see this June attending the American Classical League (ACL) Teachers’ Institute at the University of Memphis, where they took part in workshops and lectures on Latin- and Greek-related topics. Ms. Wrenn said that they

discovered fresh and creative projects students can do to help reinforce lessons and expand their knowledge of Latin and Greek. “I learned about a won-derful new online project that will shortly be available for Latin students all over the world,” said Ms. Wrenn on her blog about the confer-ence (laclassical.wordpress.com). “It is called the Latin Primary Source Project ....The goal is for advanced Latin students to be pre-sented with primary source material that does not have a published translation which they translate, annotate, and send in. The translation is then submitted to scholarly review and, potentially, pub-lished as part of a broader volume. What an amazing thing for high schoolers to be involved in!” Child Development ... Janice Leger and Karen Runnels were in Grapevine,

TX, in June for a three-day professional development conference sponsored by the Gesell Institute. Ms. Karen said they learned “valuable insights and informa-tion about new research regarding the development of children aged 2 to 5” and enjoyed meeting colleagues from other schools in the south. Many of our AP (Advanced Place-ment) teachers also participated in workshops. Rebecca Penniman attended the Summer Institute for Psychology at Rice University in Houston, and David Marschall went to a workshop, also at Rice, introducing Environmental Science AP teachers to the College Board’s labs and online activities. Marsha Curry took an AP English Language and Composition workshop at the Episcopal Summer Institute in Baton Rouge. High school teacher Norma Marsh was also there for an update on a course she regularly teaches: “The AP US History and all of the AP social stud-ies courses have been redesigned (for the 2014-15 school year) to emphasize more critical thinking,” she said. The workshop, she said, covered the changes being implemented, including best prac-tices for teaching the redesigned course. Also attending AP workshops were Mark Landry (Calculus), Jennifer

Carpenter (English), and Colleen LeBlanc (pre-AP English). In July, Mrs. Curry and Mrs. LeBlanc, along with junior high teacher Alison Nikitopoulos, and elementary teacher Shara Luman attended a one-day workshop at L.R.C.E. in Baton Rouge that focused on classroom management. Many of the teachers participating in these sum-mer professional develop-ment opportunities said they have been enriched by

their experiences. Ms. Wrenn said her trip was wonder-ful. “I have gotten resources, planning materials and, best of all, new ideas that I can’t wait to integrate into my own classroom.” She also has a keepsake picture taken at Graceland!

High School teachers Maggie Wrenn and Ann Ostrom at the American Classical League Teachers’ Institute at the University of Memphis this summer.

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Five distinguished speakers joined us in the Runnels Theater the after-noon of Sept. 3 for a panel discus-sion about this summer’s required reading by our 7th-12th graders -- the gritty and realistic young adult novel, Red Kayak, by Priscilla Cum-mings. The book concerns a seemingly accidental drowning of a child in a red kayak and the unexpected and devastating consequences of the moral choices made by young teen-aged boys involved in the incident. The panel discussion concerned the book’s moral underpinnings -- the often unforeseen and long reaching consequenc-es of choices teenagers make every day. High school English teacher Jennifer Carpenter, who organized the assembly, said the English faculty decided to hold the event because “the message of the book is applicable and relevant to the lives of our students.” On the Red Kayak panel were Ba-ton Rouge city prosecutor Lisa Free-man, local attorney and former Runnels teacher Yvette Wiltgen, Tulane University admissions officer Leila Laben, Visibility Software human resources specialist Laura Hernandez, and Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) representative April Huggins. Each offered professional and personal advice on how young people’s actions and

moral choices can have unintended, and sometimes dire, consequences for their futures. As a city prosecutor, Ms. Freeman ad-dressed the harsh legal penalties that can accrue from underage drinking and drug use. She also discussed “sexting” and said that it can result in felony charges, adding that poor decision-making by minors can lead to family stress and financial woes. Ms. Wiltgen discussed the physiologi-cal side of decision-making by teens. She explained that in the “decision-making department” teens are at a disadvantage. Their brains, she explained, are not fully developed. They’re still growing, so decision-making skills can be deficient. She urged students to seek the advice of trustworthy adults when making critical decisions, and not to completely rely on the experiences and suggestions of peers.

Red Kayak panelists (from left) Lisa Freeman, Leila Laben, Yvette Wiltgen, Laura Hernandez, and April Higgins with mod-erator and event organizer Jennifer Carpenter.

As a college admissions coun-selor, Ms. Laben warned students about making smart decisions concerning what they put on the Internet. She said that something a youngster puts on the Internet can keep them from getting into the col-lege of their choice. She explained that some universities require that admission counselors check the Internet and social media sites for public information about applicants and that negative or unsavory posts can influence who is admitted and

who is not. Ms. Hernandez, a personnel specialist for a software company, cast an eye to-ward the more distant future and said that poor choices youngsters make can affect their careers when they are adults. She also emphasized the importance of maintaining a positive public persona on social media. As a representative of MADD, Ms. Huggins brought home the terrible truth that choices teens make behind the wheel can have permanent and devastating ef-fects on their lives and the lives of others. She showed a video from MADD about the dangers of underage drinking and driv-ing and the tragic consequences that can follow. We thank the panelists for sharing their insights with our students and Mrs. Car-penter for arranging the presentation.

Red Kayak Helps Teens Understand Choices and Consequences

-- By Christine Pousson

and said they did a “great job help-ing to fulfill Trevor’s wish.” She also explained that the 350 pounds of food collected is “equivalent to 295 meals.” In addition, Ms. Sellers thanked the “families of Runnels School for provid-ing support and meals to the hungry of our community.” The food drive was the first service project done in the 5th grade for the Elementary School’s new “Raider Stars Are Classy” program. The 5th graders visited 3rd-6th grade classes to pass out flyers about “Trevor’s Wish” and to encourage donations to the volleyball team’s “Canned Food Drive” in his honor.

Trevor’s WishContinued from page 2

Skittles Get LSU Walk-On ... The members of the Runnels Skittles, a 1st and 2nd grade soccer team, had a chance to participate in an LSU women’s soccer match on Labor Day. According to Skittles head coach Jeff Shay, at the match, “the LSU girls walked out to the center of the (LSU Soccer Stadium) field, each one holding hands with one of our girls. Then each LSU player was introduced and the national anthem was sung.” During half-time, the Skittles played a mini-scrimmage on the LSU soccer field. “Our team was introduced by the PA announcer,” said Coach Shay, and “the girls scored a couple of goals.” The Skittles compete in the Baton Rouge Soccer Association’s recre-ational league at the U8 level. Team members include: 1st grader Carli Shay and 2nd graders Katherine Campbell, Talisa Ellsworth, Madeline Golden, Kate Kelfstrom, Alyssa Oubre, Hope Oubre, Caroline Pous-son, Mikalyn Shay, Addison Watson, Reilly Wilks, and Olivia Williams. David Ellsworth co-coaches the team.

Runnels Theater Season ... Nov. 1 & 3, Seussical, Jr. (1st-6th grade musical) ... Nov. 15 & 17, Arsenic and Old Lace (Jr. High Drama) ... Feb. 14 - 16, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (7th- 12th Grade Musical) ... April 4, Alice in Won-derland (Jr. High Drama) ... April 11, All American, All the Way (Kindergarten Musical)

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... The RPO, for donating a new set of international flags for our Peace Garden on the Harrell’s Ferry Rd. campus, and for donating T-shirts for the Raider Star drawing. ... The anonymous donor who very generously provided funds for the purchase and de-livery of a new set of two polished copper timpani for our Band Room. ... Dave Marschall, for donating more than 20 current Louisiana maps to our school. ... The members of the 6th Grade Class for taking on the task of emptying the recycle bins located in classrooms and in strategic loca-tions on the Harrell’s Ferry Rd. campus, with special thanks to the project organizers, 6th grade science teachers Rhonda Tucker, mother of Trent, grade 10, Callie, ‘13, and Caitlin, ‘10, and Julie Fink, mother of Annie, 6a, Grant, grade 10, and Madelinn, ‘13. ... Runnels Medical Directors Vincent Shaw, Jr., MD, CAQ, and Brian Harrell, MD, CAQ, for giving free pre-participation athletic physicals to our junior and senior high athletes this summer. We also thank volunteer physicians Dr. Stephen Etheridge and Dr. Anthony Li, athletic trainers Marcella Babcock, Ray Castle, and Scott Pavur, and nurses Jodi LeBlanc, mother of Grace, grade 10, and Sophie, grade 7, Debra Khalid-Abasi, mother of Kourtney, grade 12, and Kristina, grade 9, and Greg Taliaferro, father of Aaron and Justin, grade 7,

and Meredith, 3b. ... Jill Bourque, mother of Briley, K, and Braeden, 5b, for donating prizes for the Raider Star drawing. ... Shannon Guidry, mother of Alex, Pre-K, and Zack, PS2, for bringing a live alligator from the Blue-bonnet Swamp, where she works, to the preschool for “Life in the Swamp” week.

Members of our Advanced Band drum section with the recently donated set of polished copper timpani (kettle drums). The drums measure 26 inches and 29 inches in diameter and have a beautiful copper finish.

Pre-kindergartners (from left) Harper Guay, Kate Stelly, and Mikey Katzman enjoy a hands-on lesson with a baby alligator from the Bluebonnet Swamp during “Life in the Swamp” week.

We Sincerely Thank ...

No Book Left Behind ... Elementary Librarian Joni Orgeron tells us that the recent Used Book Sale was a tremendous success. “This year we made approximately $800,” she said,” and we will be donating 10 percent of the proceeds to the Companion Animal Alliance (CAA) of Baton Rouge.” The remainder will be used for the purchase of new books for our libraries. Books not purchased at either of our Used Book Sales, which were held in the Elementary and Andy Mack librar-ies in September, have been transferred to the Baton Rouge chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) for further donations. Kinder-

garten teacher Laura Roark, whose mom, Janet Toms, is a DAR member, explained that the organization has “adopted a Volunteers of America children’s shelter that houses abused and/or neglected children between the ages of 10-12.” The unsold children’s books from our Used Book Sale will be donated to this shelter and several others around town. The adult books will be used for a gift package the DAR is preparing for military person-nel and their families at Fort Polk in Leesville, LA. Our thanks to Mrs. Roark, Mrs. Toms, and DAR project coordinator Lea Evans and

her husband (who picked up the boxes of books from our library) for arranging the donation. We also thank everyone who donated books for the Used Book Sale and the volunteers who helped with the event, including Meredith Wartelle, mother of Cassidy, 3b, and Lilah, 1a, Wendy Worsham, mother of Stephen, grade 8, Thomas, grade 7, and Sydney, 4c, Dana Kahn, mother of Lauren, grade 11, and Jack, 6a, and Runnels almna Emily Durham (‘12).

With some of the boxes of used books going to the DAR for further donation to area children’s shelters are, from left, Elementary Librarian Joni Orgeron, DAR project coordinator Lea Evans, DAR member Janet Toms, and kindergarten teacher Laura Roark.

Library “Wish List” ... If you would like to donate a new book to the Andy Mack (Jr./Sr. High School) Library, you can now do it on Amazon, where a “Wish List” of books requested by students has been created. To purchase a book, go to www.ama-zon.com and look at the upper right-hand side of the screen to find “Wish List.” Click on it and when a menu appears, click again on “Find Wish Lists or Registries.” Type in “Runnels High School.” Everything you need to make your tax deductible purchase for our students is on the screen. White Paper Oct. 9 ... Our AP U.S. Government and AP Human Geogra-phy students are teaming up on Oct. 9 in the auditorium to present their positions and recommendations on U.S. foreign policy for American involvement in the affairs of Egypt. Col. James Mcquire of the U.S. Marines, an expert in foreign affairs with ex-perience in Islamic countries, will be on the panel of judges for the White Paper debate.

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Raider Fun Run, continued from page 1

Participation Legal Waiver: I know that running in the Raiders Fun Run event is potentially a hazardous activity. I should not enter and or run in this event unless I am medically able and properly prepared and/or trained. I agree to abide by any decision of race officials relative to my ability to safely compete in this race. I assume all risks associated with participating in this event including -- but not limited to -- falls, contact with other participants, the effects of the weather, including high heat and/or humidity, the conditions of the road and traffic on the course, all such risks being known and appreciated by me. Having read this Runnels waiver and knowing these facts and in consideration of your acceptance of my entry for racing, I, for myself and for anyone entitled to act on my behalf waive and release Runnels and its representatives and successors from all claims or liabilities of any kind arising out of my participation in this Runnels Running activity, even though the liability may arise out of negligence or carelessness on the part of the persons named in this waiver. I grant permission to all of the foregoing to use any photographs, motion pictures, recording, or any other record of my participation in the Raiders Fun Run for any legitimate purpose.

Signature: _______________________________ Date: __________ (Parent or legal guardian if under 18)

2013 “Raiders Fun Run” Entry Form

Name:___________________________________________________

Address:_________________________________________________

City/State/Zip:_____________________________________________

Age: _________ Circle one: Boy Girl

Phone Number: _____________________________________

Running 26 Miles for St. Jude Kids ... Elementary English teacher Mary Winnett will be running in the “St. Jude Memphis Marathon Weekend” in Decem-ber to help the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Mrs. Winnett, who is run-ning the full 26-mile marathon in the hills of Tennessee on Dec. 7, has registered with the “St. Jude Heroes Run for a Reason” program. It costs $1.8 million a day to operate St. Jude, and 70 percent of those funds come from donations. If you would like to help support this worthwhile mission, please visit the “St. Jude Memphis Marathon Weekend” website. Click on “Donate to a Hero,” type in “Mary Win-nett,” then click on “Mary Winnett” when it appears toward the bottom of the page, then scroll over to “Click Here to Donate.”

Fishy Science ... The 5th grade students in John Baird’s science room snapped on surgical gloves for class on Sept. 11 and prepared to examine the inner workings of the sea creature we know as the squid. Gathered together in small groups and guided by Mr. Baird, the young scientists gently dissected the squid to learn about the anatomy of this fascinating life form.

Elementary science teacher John Baird and 5th graders (from left) Preston Kyle, Kay-lee Caillouet, and James Power explore the insides of a squid.

Tracking Weather...WAFB’s chief meteorologist, Jay Grymes, made a stop in Holly Wilder’s 8th grade earth sci-ence class on Aug. 27 to offer insights on the importance of keeping weather records and some information on climatology. He explained what it takes to come up with a forecast and presented informa-tion about how critical it is to maintain weather records over the years. Mr. Grymes showed a chart of temperatures ranging from 1895 - 2010 showing that, overall, the planet is getting warmer. Prior to his visit, the students had been studying weather and had participated in laboratory activities involving tornados. Many thanks to Mr. Grymes and to Mrs. Wilder for ar-ranging his visit.

Weatherman Jay Grymes and 8th grade earth science students (from left) Sara Brandenburg, Kaitlyn Roy and Natalie Justus.

Turn in your completed forms with the registration fee at school offices or mail them to Runnels School, 17522 S. Harrell’s Ferry Rd., Baton Rouge, LA 70816, in care of Cross Country Head Coach Julie Fink (who is pictured below, right, with elementary teacher and running enthusiast, Mary Winnett (left). The race will be held on Oct. 13 at 4 pm, rain or shine, and no refunds will be made. All runners are welcome. According to Mrs. Fink, the course (two one-mile loops) will be marked and monitored by race day officials. The race begins and ends at the Run-nels Gym. A half-mile run will be held for children in fifth grade and below. Overall and age group winners will receive special recognition. Contact Julie Fink at [email protected] for more information.

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Non-Profit Org.U.S. Postage

PAIDPermit No. 270

Baton Rouge, LA

Hello, Dolly! ... Runnels Theater, Sept. 20-21