Jeannine Lejeune/Crowley Post-Signal
As is seemingly always the case, the Acadia Parish School Board’s routine items were quickly ran through Monday.
From affirming bids for the Child Nutrition Program and budget calendars to planning to reuse its audit firm this year, the short list of item agendas was approved unanimously.
In business from the committee meetings, four items were approved, all from the Budget and Finance Committee meeting.
First, the board opted to re-retain the services of Broussard Poché, LLP, as its audit firm for the ending June 30. Then the board granted the central office the permission to advertise for the Official Journal for 2017-18. It also approved the budget calendars for revisions of the 2016-17 budget and the adoption of the 2017-18 budget. The school board also finalized the large equipment requests up for bid by the Child Nutrition Program.
“Wasn’t there one item (Adrianne Vidrine, supervisor of Child Nutrition) had a problem with?” asked Milton Simar about one of the items.
“The freezer at Armstrong (Middle),” explained Lead Business Administrator Justin Carrier. “It was a little over budget, but she has funds in place to cover the extra cost.”
Rayne High also saw its field trip request approved Monday night. Members of the health sciences classes are set to travel to Houston to visit the Health Museum next Friday. According to the request form and letter, the group will leave RHS by bus at 6 a.m. and return at about 7 p.m. that same day. The museum visit will allow students in the 10th through 12th grades to visit The Body Worlds exhibit at a cost of about $50 per student. Cassie Ancelet explained in her request that “the students at Rayne High School will experience the human body like never before. Body Worlds is a world-wide exhibit that takes real bodies that have been plasticized and displays them for the educational understanding of issues such as: smoking, obesity, cancer, and etc.
“Approving this field trip is saying ‘yes’ to hands on learning, real-life science, and a life changing field trip experience for our students,” she wrote.
In the meeting’s opening items, following comments from both candidates for Louisiana House of Representatives, District 42, John Stefanski and Jay Suire, the board recognized its Support Persons of the Year.
“The old proverb or adage ‘It takes a village to raise a child’ is very true,” said Executive Director of Personnel/Operations Ellan Kay Baggett. “The child has the best opportunity becoming a happy, healthy, functioning adult if everyone in that child’s life takes a part in that child.”
She then introduced the parish’s Support Persons of the Year at each level. First, was the secondary level, which was awarded to Rayne High’s Donna Gildersleeve. Next, Baggett welcomed Crowley Middle School Principal Chad Lemelle who recognized Theresa Henny, the middle school level honoree.
“It is often said that the best way to find yourself is to service others,” said Lemelle. “When I think about that quote, I think of Mrs. Henny. She constantly avails herself to anyone and anywhere around the school.”
Finally, Crowley Kindergarten Principal Ida Yeager eagerly applauded the elementary level honoree, Kate Crews.
“Before Ms. Kate was hired at our school, she had volunteered to help with early drop off in the morning,” said Yeager. “And then a position became available at the school.
“The kids really love Ms. Kate. They love seeing her beautiful smile in the morning when they get out of the car; they especially love her around the holidays, for Thanksgiving, she wears a turkey hat, for Christmas she wears the Santa hat that [moves from side to side] and for Easter it’s the bunny ears.”
The meeting also saw a packed room when various members of the Acadia Association of Educators attending. The AAE members invited the board to visit schools and especially classrooms and get a better look at what is happening in classrooms today. The members met with the board after the meeting, as well as before to make the invitations in person and stress the importance of knowing what is going on in Acadia classrooms as they make policies that effect all.