Cameron Parish School Board

SOUTH CAMERON
TARPONS
The 2015-16 school year is off and running for the Mighty Tarpons. Enrollment
numbers are up with 288 students this year, and our school is beaming with
enthusiasm!
Strong Education Program
Eighty-five percent of teachers at SCHS are trained in cooperative learning
techniques.
Dual enrollment and AP classes are offered and Carnegie unit acquisition
begins in middle school.
Our Pre-K program provides foundational educational growth opportunities that
support success in school.
Teachers utilize Professional Learning Communities to enhance student
learning and achievement.
Examples of Student Leadership at SCHS
JOHNSON BAYOU
REBELS
Johnson Bayou High School students, faculty,
and community were excited to start the year in a
brand new facility. It took a while to get adjusted to
the new school, but we are now sailing smoothly!
Families and community members were able to tour
the campus during open house at the beginning
of September. Open house was a time for parents
to meet teachers and discuss curriculum and
assessments for the 2015-2016 school year.
Soon after various stakeholders, honored guests, and local dignitaries were
invited to participate in a ribbon cutting ceremony. Our 12th grade students
provided tours, other students were involved in ushering, decorating, and
providing entertainment.
Student leadership is at the heart of the education experience at SCHS. One
such group of student leaders is the South Cameron Student Advisory Council.
The Advisory Council is responsible for planning and conducting various
school-wide activities; so keep an eye on the Cameron Pilot and Tarpon Times
Newsletter for upcoming events.
Grandparents and grandchildren joined together in singing and dancing
to one of our favorite elementary songs, “Ah Tootie Tah.” Elementary
students recited poems, performed skits, and catered refreshments to their
grandparents. We had over 40 grandparents in attendance.
Four students have achieved honors with Louisiana 4-H. Seniors Brooklyn
Frerks and Ty Little both serve on the Louisiana 4-H Citizenship Board.
Brooklyn also participated in the 4-H SRTLC Conference. Junior Briley Richard
serves on the 4-H Executive Board as Southwest Regional Representative.
Sophomore Maeleigh Beth Conner serves as Reporter for the Louisiana Food
& Fitness Board. Both Briley and Maeleigh won a First Place Agriculture Demo
Award at 4-H University.
The 4-H Club held their annual Senior Citizen Bingo and Luncheon Oct 5th.
The club provided prizes for bingo winners. The members enjoyed playing
bingo with the Senior citizens of our community. The event concluded with
homemade gumbo, potato salad, pound cake and conversation.
Three students were selected for the Cheniere LEADs Council for Cameron
Parish. Briley Richard, Brooklyn Frerks, and Ty Little will be helping identify
community service projects that the Council will fund and support.
Mrs. Peggy Griffith’s 4th Grade students are working
collaboratively with Mrs. Tina Savoie’s Environmental
Science Coastal Roots program. The project includes
cross-curricular participation in the design, planning and
construction of new planting areas.
Mission Statement
SCHS will enable and inspire our student body to achieve academic success
through a challenging curriculum and make positive contributions to our world in
a safe, supportive, and nurturing environment.
Nothing brings all of our stakeholders together quite like
JBHS basketball. Former coaches, players, and students
attended one of our school’s greatest traditions, “Meet
the Rebel” night. Basketball players showed their skills in
a White vs. Red game, Varsity Girls vs Basketball Moms
game, and an Old Timers game.
There are several upcoming events to be aware of: October 19-21 Book
Fair, October 26-29 Red Ribbon Week, November 3 Veterans’ Dinner, and
November 11 Family Math Night.
Cameron Parish
School Board
Quarterly Newsletter
Fall 2015
We plan to provide this newsletter each quarter during the
school year to keep you updated. Our school enrollment for
the current year is 1,341 students which is an increase of
46 students from the previous year! We are excited about
our increased enrollment. We are also excited that our high
school students’ average ACT score last year was a top score
in the five parish area! We have been able to add some CTE
classes, Dual Enrollment classes, and some online classes
on our campuses.
Please visit our system website at www.camsch.org for
more information about our schools. Please read our District
Strategic Plan for news about targets for our school system.
Greetings on behalf of the Cameron Parish
School System.
Our students have many wonderful opportunities for success now
and in the future. However, we need the help of the community to
ensure that our system can continue to be successful.
Below you will find a copy of our 2015-2016 Original Budget.
While we have made progress in reducing our expenses, we still
have much work to do. Looking back over time, it appears that
our re-occurring expenses have remained fairly constant but our
re-occurring revenue has continued to decline. I hope to share with
you in more detail about our operations and our plans for the future
in community meetings to be scheduled at each of our schools.
HACKBERRY
MUSTANGS
Hackberry High School is PROUD to be a Mustang: Positive, Respectful,
Outstanding, Understanding, Dedicated. Our student population has grown
from 204 last year to 225 this year. We have many new faces on campus:
Michelle Dunham, Principal; Jimmy Witherwax, Assistant Principal; Jordan
Gremillion, Special Education; Erica O’Quinn, 1st Grade Teacher; Ashley
Kaczynski, 3rd Grade Teacher; Stacey Chisholm, 5th Grade Teacher; Kimberly
Dronet, F&CS Teacher; and Jessica Poe, Janitor.
HHS is PROUD of the academic success our students have achieved. Our
School Performance Score is a solid “B” rating at a 93.8. This is an increase
from a 93.3 from the previous year. Seniors have the opportunity to take
college level courses and online courses. We offer English III AP in which
students may receive college credit. This year we hope that students take
advantage of CLEP testing to earn more college credit while still in high
school. Parents and students will receive more information about CLEP in
the spring. The meat processing facility at the school is becoming operational
again which the community and surrounding areas are eagerly awaiting.
We are PROUD of our student organizations on campus. HHS is listed as
a National Beta School of Distinction for the 2015-2016 school year. Beta
members will be competing at district convention in November. Our Student
Council members recently attended the Southern Association of Student
Councils Convention. FBLA members attended the National FBLA conference
during the summer. Cheerleaders attended UCA cheer camp this summer
and received a Superior rating with several girls named All-Americans. Rodeo
members attended the National Rodeo Finals this summer and will soon host
the annual HHS Rodeo. We have several state championships: Boys Cross
Country State winners in the Fall 2014, Softball State winners in Spring 2015,
and Girls State Track winners in Spring 2015.
The doors to HHS are opened to the community. We
are PROUD to say that we had a successful Meet and
Greet for Pre-K through 5th grade before the first day of
school. Grandparent’s Day was held in September and
was thoroughly enjoyed by all. We have had an Open
House for middle and high school parents. We hope
to continue to be the center of and supported by the
beautiful community of Hackberry, Louisiana.
Our system is blessed to have supportive
parents, hard-working students, and
dedicated staff!
You are more than welcome to email me at
[email protected]
if you have questions or comments.
GRAND LAKE
HORNETS
Grand Lake High School is shifting with the state’s educational
developments while continuing our mission as a first rate educational
institution. Currently, Grand Lake has 725 students in grades PK-12.
These numbers include 195 students in High School, 168 students in
Middle School, and 360 in Elementary School.
We are excited to welcome the new members of our administrative team.
Joining Dr. Holly Castile and Mrs. Lindsey Fontenot are Mrs. Karen Ray
and Mr. Mark Young. Many new teachers join our Hornet faculty, also.
Last year, Grand Lake received a School Performance Score of 98.7
earning us a “B” rating (1.3 points from an “A”). The school continues
to increase the academic options available to our students. This school
year, Grand Lake offers four Advanced Placement courses including
English Language and Composition, English Literature and Composition,
Biology, and U.S. History. These courses potentially provide our students
with the ability to earn credit for several of their core classes, as well as
at the university level. In the 2014-2015 school year, Grand Lake had
eight students earn a score of 3 and one student earn a score of 4. The
average composite ACT score for Grand Lake in 2015 is 20.1, which is an
increase from the past two years. In comparison, the state ACT average
composite is 19.4.
Grand Lake students also participate in Dual Enrollment/College Courses
including the following: Math 113, World History, and Process Technology.
Two students are enrolled at Sowela in the STEPS program. Other
students have taken the initiative to enroll in college courses at McNeese
and Sowela on their own.
On September 18, 2015 GLHS held its annual Grandparents’ Day for
grades Pre K through 5th grade. The presentation included each grade
singing to a full capacity gym with standing room only. We love to show
off to proud members of our Hornet family. Another huge community
function held in the fall is the Grand Lake School Fall Festival. This
includes fundraisers for all organizations, clubs, and grades.
Football season is in full swing participating
in a newly organized district 1A. Coach
Lavergne stated, “We are excited to be
competing at a higher level this year. With
a 3 and 3 record and competitive games in
each of the 4 weeks to come, we are focused
on finishing strong. The electric atmosphere
at our home games is a credit to our student
body, school staff, and community.”