Congratulations to the Hammond High School Relay for Life participants. "Team Tornado" won the Golden Shoe for running the most laps at the 2009 Relay for Life event. Hammond High School's Team Tornado Chairperson and Key Club faculty sponsor, Wes Jacocks is the 80s MC Hammer/Vanilla Ice look a like with the HHS cheerleaders. The students with the background "Team Tornado Crushes Cancer" are all part of the HHS Key Club. Wes Jacocks, donated left over food items to the House of Serenity Shelter in Ponchatoula.

On Friday, November 6, 2009, students at Independence Elementary received their awards for participating in the Louisiana PTA Safety Contest. The theme was "Be Cool, Follow the Rule."  Students created posters following the theme and submitted them to their local PTA.

Pre-K classes as Midway Elementary School participated in a Veteran's Day Ceremony on Wednesday, November 11, 2009. Midway Parent, Louisiana Army National Guard SSG Mark Triolo, raised the flag and placed it at half mast to honor those who have fallen for our country, while Music Enrichment teacher and veteran, Mr. Darryl Barnes, played A Call to Salute and Tapps in honor of our servicemen. The Pre-K students said the pledge, sang patriotic songs and waved flags for the occasion. Pre-K teachers are Kathy Averett, Kristina Corneille, Cheryl Criswell, Susan Douglas, Therese Duval, Susan Gatlin, and Daphne Griffin. Mrs. Griffin planned the program for the students.

Aubrey Montgomery and Zachary Ratcliff, from Janet Haydel's class at D.C. Reeves, served breakfast during National School Lunch Week in the cafeteria. Cereal, cheese, juice, and milk were on the menu for the morning.

Mrs. Lisa Redmond's class from Hammond High School attended the Louisiana Scholastic Press Association Conference at LSU in September.  The Tornado Trail Yearbook won second place overall in Louisiana.  Part of the conference included a tour of the Journalism building.

"R. E. S. (staff and students) are TALKING TRASH AND THINKING GREEN TO HELP THE ENVIRONMENT & MAKE TANGIPAHOA PARISH SHINE IN 2009" and SOARS to 1st PLACE @ the 2009 Tangipahoa Parish Fair Booth - Upper Elementary Division again this year.
Roseland's Fair Committee members are Sharon Walker and Demetria Jackson (2nd Grade), Sherry Douzart (3rd Grade) Gail Nichols and Traci Giannobile (SPED), Mary Ramsey and Saundra Chandler, Paraprofessionals.

On Monday, October 19, author Robert Little spoke with the students at Hammond Westside Primary. He talked to the students about reading as the first step to achieving dreams. Mr. Little engaged the students and reiterated his three lessons about life, all of which are found in his books. 1. Don’t disobey your parents. 2. Be a true friend. and 3. Don’t let anyone tell you that “You can’t do it.” Mr. Little repeated his own belief, “The way you think will determine the success you are going to be.” Mr. Little challenged the students to get their favorite book from the school library, the public library, or their own collection, find their favorite place to relax and clear their minds, and to open up their minds to what they are reading, using voices for the characters in their story, pausing rather than rushing through the story, and even re-reading sentences or passages when they did not understand. He suggested reading to siblings or parents as another method to practice this very important step.
Mr. Little told the children that the chores he had to do when he was young were not what he wanted to do but what he had to do to help his family. He said these chores taught him two things: discipline and hard work - both ingredients, combined with reading are what make dreams come true. He repeatedly told the children that if they dreamed of being a teacher, policeman, doctor, or anything else, dreaming would not make it come true; hard work and discipline were what made that dream happen. Mr. Little ended by having the children pledge to “do my very best because I’m responsible for my own success.” Hammond Westside Primary thanked Mr. Little, and the school, through Title 1 funds, was able to purchase one of Mr. Little’s books for each child as well as a set for the school library. Mr. Little signed each copy and handed each out to the children as they went back to class.

The Ponchatoula Junior High School Band recently participated in Junior High Band Night at Ponchatoula High School. The band also performed at a PJHS football game and pep rally. The band is under the direction of Mrs. Claudea Landry..

Independence Elementary Students, Faculty, and Staff Celebrate Principal Cathy LeBlanc's Birthday 
We won’t disclose the number!! Faculty and staff were dressed in all black and Mrs. LeBlanc was serenaded by a song written by Mrs. Cheryl McCorkle that was a remake of Elvis’ “I’m all Shook Up!” She was presented with flowers, a pedicure, an “Over the Hill” hat, letters and drawings from students, hugs, and lots of well wishes. It was a very special day at Independence Elementary!

The 2009 Teaching American History Summer Institute teachers traveled to Little Rock, Arkansas, to conduct research at the William Clinton Presidential Library. The teachers also visited Little Rock Central High School. This photo was taken in front of the high school. Little Rock Central High School was the scene of the civil rights struggle in 1957. Tangipahoa teachers attending the institute and pictured in the photo are: Wes Jacocks (Hammond High), Helen Bahm (Martha Vinyard Elementary), Ann Trappey (Kentwood High), Lynette Reno (Martha Vinyard Elementary), Carol Fornea (Martha Vinyard Elementary), Yvonne Chapman (O.W. Dillon Elementary), Sheryl DeGruy (Ponchatoula Jr. High), Germaine Spencer (Loranger High), Tonja Thompson (O.W. Dillon), Cory Delatte (Loranger High), Dustin Easley (Ponchatoula High).

Ten TPSS educators recently made a trip to the NECC conference (National Education Computing Conference) that was held in Washington D.C. this summer.  In between sessions, Dorothy Sledge, Kathy Prine, Lyndy Pier and Charli Spears (Dina Spears' daughter) toured our nation's capitol on Segways.

Forty-five TPSS Teachers are participating in TangiTech professional development this week at two different locations. TangiTech 1 and TangiTech 2 classes help teachers understand the process of true technology integration and how to correlate technology resources with the Comprehensive Curriculum.

School Officials Sign Plan for World Class Education

After the Tangipahoa Parish School Board voted 7-2 to send the desegregation plan to federal court, Tangipahoa Parish School Superintendent Mark Kolwe (center) and attorneys Charles Patin, Jr., (left) and Alton Lewis (right) sign the final version of the system’s desegregation plan.

Click here to find the new State Group Benefits Insurance Rates schedule for employees for 2009.

Click here for some great science resources for LA DOE - December

Click here for some great science resources from  LA DOE - November
 

Reimbursement for Professional Development for Initial Certification and/or Highly Qualified in Content Area of Current Teaching Position

These funds are only for reimbursement for professional development for initial certification and/or highly qualified in content area of current teaching position. The reimbursement process includes the following documents. All documents must be sent together in a packet at one time or the packet will be sent back to the applicant. Deadlines should be adhered to. Please direct any inquiries to Shelisa Perry at shelisa.perry@tangischools.org

• Reimbursement Letter to Principals and Teachers

• Reimbursement Procedures

• Reimbursement Process for Professional Development Important Information

• Deadlines for Teacher Reimbursements

• PRAXIS Exams Reimbursement Form

• Teacher Certification / Highly Qualified Tuition Reimbursement Form
   

Click here to find specific information on upcoming local, state, and federally funded grant opportunities.

Thinking Maps are being implemented in all schools in Tangipahoa Parish School System. Teachers are very excited about this strategy to improve teaching and learning. Click here for pictures and ideas for using Thinking Maps in the classroom.

This page was last updated on Monday, November 16, 2009.