New Paraeducators learn lifting and moving techniques from Physical Therapist, Mary Johnston, at the Special Education Paraeducator Inservice. Paraeducators participated in numerous activities during the two day inservice.

Reverend Jackson  assists  Nate Wallace and Tyler Woods at Amite High School by binding their My Favorite Things books. 

Mary McMillan's students at Loranger Elementary, Loranger Middle and Loranger High created a banner to be displayed at the 2009 Global Youth Unity Rally which will be held at the Special Olympics World Winter Games in Boise, Idaho.

Sharon Sledge's Talented Art students create "Rose Windows" using tissue and black papers at Nesom Middle, Spring Creek, Westside Middle and Chesbrough.

The first ever float to promote Autism awareness rolled in the  2008 Ponchatoula Christmas parade.

Tucker Elementary's  2nd grade inclusive classroom was the place for a Thanksgiving feast for Julie Neidhamer's and Melody Steib's students.

As part of their community-based instruction program at Loranger High School, Misty Holton's Vocational Life Skills students have started their own business the "Wolf Pride Cafe." Once a week the students prepare and sell lunches to faculty and staff. The students prepare menus, develop shopping lists, shop for items during CBI training, and prepare and sell the lunches on campus. Students are learning essential and meaningful life skills as well as developing and demonstrating positive social skills within their school and community.

“A Wedding Celebration” took place at Ponchatoula High School on November 6, 2008 at 7 PM in the auditorium. The participating schools included Independence High, Loranger High, Loranger Middle, Nesom Middle, and Ponchatoula High. The wedding was a marriage of Talented Music and Talented Theatre. The music students sang and performed traditional wedding and reception music while the theatre students portrayed the parts of the bridal party and guests. The bride, Amelia LaPrairie, (Nesom Middle) represented Talented Theatre, and the groom, Mark Traylor, (Ponchatoula High School) represented Talented Music.

Ms. Kim Reggio, speech therapist at Amite High School made "spooooky" spider cookies with Ms. Ruth Lee's class. The students practiced sequencing, following directions and listing materials. Ms. Lee's students enjoyed this Halloween treat!

Carey Travis' students at West Side Middle in Amite are completing an experiment to determine how long it takes water, a liquid, to become a solid, ice. The Benchmark was PS-M-A5 and the Extended Standard was identify how changes in temperature can effect the state of water (i.e. solid, liquid, gas). The boys enjoyed this experiment a lot and gained a better understanding of conducting experiments and how temperature effects the state of water.

Tangi's Occupational Therapists, Physical Therapists, Assistive Technology Speech Therapists, and APE Teachers assist with the Louisiana Special Olympics, recently held at SLU.
 

Laura Kuhn, a School Psychologist employed with Tangipahoa Parish School System’s Special Education Department, recently published an article titled “Using Pivotal Response Training with Peers in Special Education Settings to Facilitate Play in Two Children with Autism” in the March issue of Education and Training in Developmental Disabilities.

Visually Impaired Teacher, Tracie Howes, assists her second grade student from Tucker Elementary, Emily Miller.
Emily led the Pledge of Allegiance and read a patriotic passage in Braille at the opening of the school board meeting.

At Amite Elementary School, Ms. Conley's inclusion class completed math activities using turkey manipulatives. After completing these hands-on lessons, Ms. Conley assisted her students in creating a turkey from leaves and pinecones.

The Life Skills classes at Ponchatoula High School guided by Mr. Ledbetter, Ms. Walker, and Mrs. Weymouth, work with their Agri-Science buddies.  The students and their Ag-Buddies have started dog training and making all-natural homemade dog biscuits to sell. 

An Amite High School student admires a giant spooky spider made by the class in preparation for the holidays.

West Side Middle students in Mr. Miller's and Mrs. Travis' classes studied bus safety by completing art activities, reading a book on bus safety, and practicing bus safety procedures on Bill Ford's bus.  The students had a great time participating in and learning about bus safety.

Gary Rogers at AHS is popping a balloon for an Easter basket project.

Sherry Verneuil's class and Shannon Willey's class completed a circle map with Mrs. Prevost during a recent speech lesson.

Mrs. Natalee Barbier's class at D.C. Reeves practiced following directions and created personal King Cakes to celebrate the season.

Shandrika, in Ruth Lee's class at AHS, is  practicing sorting and putting the pennies in the TARC Penny Power jug.

Jo Tricou, Hearing Impaired Teacher, is engaged in interpreting to her students  using American Sign Language during an assembly at Independence Elementary.

The Vinyard Elementary cafeteria staff worked with Mrs. Roberta Emmons and Mrs. Fredricks' students to make cookies.

Ruth Lee's class at Amite High School recently visited with Mary Pirosko, Development Director at Options. The students then met Gaye Guzzardo, Curriculum Coordinator at Tangipahoa Parish Special Services Center, followed by lunch in the community. Bryan and his mom enjoyed the noontime meal together.

LifeSkills students at PHS are engaged in vocational training at Options in Hammond. Jacque is learning paper shredding and Eboneigh and Chris are sorting beads for re-sale. Seven students in Donna Giffin's and Amanda Walker's class are participating in the program.

Five students from Ms. Stratton's Art class paired with Ruth Lee's students at Amite High Schooo to help them decorate pumpkins that were donated to the kids by Keith Townsend at Trabona's. Click on the Pumpkin Time picture to see more pictures of the students decorating their pumpkins.

Mr. Sam Carraway's class at Hammond Eastside Upper made a replica of the "Betsy Ross" First Freedom Flag as a part of their  "Constitution Day" lesson, September 18, 2006. Displaying the flag are Kennith, Coby, Del, Arthur, and Jamison.

Ruth Lee's class at Amite High School enjoyed a visit with the animals at  Global Wildlife.

Tangipahoa Parish's  Speech Language Diagnosticians recently accepted the Distinguished Partnership Award from  the Southeastern Louisiana University Speech-Language-Hearing Department. The award recognizes the newly established initiative that provides SLU students opportunities to gain experience with specially trained speech-language pathologists  to learn about assessment procedures for students with communication disorders.

Ruth Lee's class at Amite High School had a special Easter celebration before the holidays.

Independence Elementary Speech Therapist, Erin Dunnington, worked with her Kindergarteners on a language lesson for Mardi Gras.  The students learned how to follow directions, sequence events, make great Mardi Gras masks, and have fun all at the same time.

Jinni Foy's students at Tucker Elementary raised and harvested strawberries in their very own personal strawberry patch.

Annette Nichols' Science class at Loranger Middle is currently studying volcanoes and igneous rocks.  Students created a volcano from play dough, then using vinegar, baking soda, dishwashing liquid and food coloring made them erupt.  Students also observed a sample of pumice rock and watched it float.  They discussed lava, magma, inner core, ash, gases and watched videos of actual eruptions.

Ms. Lanier's and Ms. Deroche's students from Amite Elementary visited Santa in Hammond Square Mall and rode the train during a unit on The Polar Express.  The field trip also included a visit to the Hammond Train Depot where the students received Conductor's hats and strolled around the station.

Sumner High School's Industrial Arts class taught by David Drude has created the great projects shown above.

Natalie Barbier and Paige Turpin, teachers at D.C. Reeves Elementary, help students learn to follow directions and practice measurement as they make a no-bake pie and pudding.

Charlie Vance's Talented Theater Class films a movie at Amite High School.

Lori Bennet's students at Independence Middle School are learning all about plants and how they grow. They planted beans in bags with wet paper towels and cups... they compared the sprouts and learned what living things need to grow well. Observations were made daily, growth was measured and information charted.

 
Annette Nichols' Science class at Loranger Middle School is studying the gestational period of animals. The students placed chicken eggs in an incubator. At the beginning of each week, the students open an egg to view the developmental stage in the cycle. The remaining eggs are allowed to hatch.