Belle Chasse High School, "Home of the Fighting Cardinals," was founded in 1928. The original school was a single brick building. As the community began to grow, a wooden building was placed adjacent to the school. In 1958, the present facility was opened and the old brick building remodeled. The old building was given the name the "Gray Building" because of the color it was painted. In 1998 a 2.5 million dollar refurbishment of the school was completed. Modern science labs and classrooms, a new music building, a renovated auditorium and gym are some of the improvements. Student uniforms became a requirement in the 1998-99 school year. Belle Chasse High School continues to rank as one of the best schools in the New Orleans metropolitan area.
April 14th Board Meeting News
Plaquemines Parish School Board honored Deanna Smith of Belle Chasse High School at Monday night's meeting as the High School Student of the Year in Plaquemines. Pictured are Superintendent Eva G. Jones, Ms. Smith, and Sandra Brechtel, Coordinator for Student of the Year.
Elizabeth Corso of Belle Chasse High School was honored by the Plaquemines Parish School Board on April 14th for winning Third Place in the Louisiana Association of Fairs and Festivals State Essay Contest. Pictured are Superintendent Eva G. Jones, Ms. Corso, and Sandra Brechtel, Curriculum Supervisor.
Jimmy Cappiello, Chairman of the Board of Directors for the Plaquemines Parish Medical Center, addressed the Plaquemines Parish School Board on April 14th. He announced the new Vision services offered at the Medical Center to all residents of Plaquemines, and gave an update on other services available. He encouraged all citizens of Plaquemines Parish to take advantage of the local services offered.
LAURIE CARLTON, OVERALL LOUISIANA TEACHER OF THE YEAR!
Mrs. Carlton won
the honor of Belle Chasse High School Teacher of the Year,
before claiming the Plaquemines Parish Teacher of the
Year.At the Region 8
Regionals Competition she competed against winners from Orleans Parish, Recovery
School District, Jefferson Parish, St. Bernard Parish, St. Charles Parish, and
St. Tammany Parish.At the State level, teachers from
the eight regions competed at the elementary, middle and high school
levels.Mrs. Carlton
won Overall Louisiana State Teacher of the Year. “It was a thrilling honor and I’m honored
to represent Plaquemines Parish as the overall state winner,” Mrs. Carlton
stated after being announced the winner. In Baton Rouge
to support Mrs. Carlton were Superintendent Eva
Jones, Assistant Superintendent Melvina Sias, and
Belle Chasse High School PrincipalMonica Wertz. Mrs. Carlton teaches English I, English I
Honors and English IV Honors at Belle Chasse High School. On to Washington to vie for the National
Title! Congratulations and Good Luck!
Mrs.Laurie's Carlton
Speech
Superintendent EvaJones honors LaurieCarlton
with a plaque as Louisiana State Teacher of Year at the October
1st School Board meeting.
DON COMEAUX, LOUISIANA'S STAR TEACHER OF THE YEAR
Don Comeaux pictured with his wife, Mary Kay
Congratulations to Don Comeaux, BCHS Forensic Science teacher, who has been recognized by the U. S. Department of Education as Louisiana's STAR Teacher of the Year. American Stars recognizes and honors superior teachers with a track record of improving student achievement, using innovative instructional strategies, and making a difference in the lives of their students. As a participant of the H.E.L.P. (Hurricane Education Leadership Program), the Intel Corporation funded a collaboration project with BCHS Forensic Science and four classrooms throughout the United States. Mr. Comeaux's class received Tandberg video conferencing equipment, SmartBoard with multimedia projector and a mobile laptop lab for student use. Mr. Comeaux's students will work with this state-of-the-art technology to collaborate in solving a national cold case.
REVISED DRESS CODE POLICY
IMPORTANT!!!
At the July 9, 2007 School Board meeting, the Student Dress Code Policy was revised. Parents and students, please read the policy and be aware of the changes.
REGIONAL TEACHERS OF THE YEAR
Laurie Carlton Belle Chasse High School
Natalie Lartigue Belle Chasse Middle School
Laurie Carlton of Belle Chasse High School and Natalie Lartigue of Belle Chasse Middle School have been selected Regional Teachers of the Year for the New Orleans Region. Congratulations for the prestige you bring to your schools, the Plaquemines Parish School System and yourselves!
New Teachers Cooking Up a Good Start
Twenty brand new teachers are joining the corps of professionals in Plaquemines Parish schools this year.The new teachers participate in a New Teacher Induction program that preps them for their work in the classroom.The program involves training in lesson planning and classroom management as well as tips for the first days with the students.New teachers are also paired with mentor teachers to provide support throughout the year.
Plaquemines Teachers Ready for New School Year
Plaquemines Parish teachers gathered for their first day Inservice at Belle Chasse High School on Monday, August 13th. Enthusiasm was obvious as administrative staff welcomed teachers to the new school year. "Learning Together Through Literacy" is the theme for this year, and the stage was set for professional learning teams at all levels and in every department.
Superintendent Jones Welcomes the New 2007-2008 Teaching Staff
Teachers and Administrators fill the Belle Chasse High School auditorium for the Opening Day of the new school year
Perfect Attendance
Ten employees were honored by Superintendent Eva G. Jones on August 13th for perfect attendance in the 2006-2007 school year. From left to right: StanleyGaudet, SPHS; Maria Prout, BVEL; Bob Becnel, BCHS; Cathy Ellzey, BCHS; Martha Long, BCMS; Monica Wertz, BCHS; Carlee Nevel, BCHS; Jan Martinez, BCMS; Paul Wolf, BCHS; Jean DuTreil, BCHS; and Supt. Eva G. Jones. Congratulations for a perfect record!
Plaquemines Parish Schools would like to thank Humanity First, who recently donated $10,000 to our system. Through this kind and generous donation, 300 students affected by the hurricane were able to receive warm winter jackets. Humanity First provides humanitarian services in the United States and around the world working on the premise Restoring Communities, Building a Future. For more information on this wonderful group and their gift, you can go to www.humanityfirst.org. Click on Photo Gallery on the left hand column. Then click on US Chapters.
Paul Solis Honored by Nicholls State University
PaulSolis, a teacher and coach at Boothville-Venice High for more than thirty years, was recently recognized by Nicholls State University for dedicating his life to helping shape and mold the lives of high school students. At a ceremony on the Nicholls's campus, officials lauded Coach Solis for his positive impact on students that he taught and coached. Solis was nomiated as a result of Nicholls's Office of Admissions contacting Freshman Scholarship recipients from schools across Louisiana to nominate a teacher for this special award.
WhitneyProut of Boothville, a 2006 graduate of Belle Chasse High School who was displaced by Katrina, received a Nicholls Freshman Scholarship and was contacted for a nomination. In recommending her teacher, she said of Solis, "He gave me direction in my life, and acted as a role model for me, as well as many others. He was the teacher who had the greatest impact on my life so far. He motivated me to pursue my dreams." Former Boothville-Venice principal LavernMaynor, and former Boothville-Venice counselor MarkeciaBarthelemy were on hand to see Coach Solis accept his well-deserved award. (posted January 30, 2007)
American Legion Oratorical Contest Held
Charlie Newberry
CharlieNewberry of Belle Chasse High placed first in the local American Legion Oratorical Contest, held January 9, 2007.CourtneyBarthelemy from South Plaquemines High placed second in the tough competition.
SPHS Receives $60,000 Grant from the Laura Bush Foundation
(Pictured Left to Right: SPHS Principal Stanley Gaudet, Librarian, Cindy O'Brien, President Bush, First Lady Laura Bush, SPHS Junior Lauren Voiron)
South Plaquemines High School librarian CindyO'Brien was invited to meet with First Lady Laura Bush after receiving the $60,000 Laura Bush Foundation Grant for SPHS. The presentation took place at Warren Easton High School. LaurenVoiron, a junior at South Plaquemines High was selected to sit at the round table to have a discussion with President Bush and the First Lady!
Parish President Addresses Board
Newly elected Parish President, Billy Nungesser, addressed the Board January 16th to express his intention of working cooperatively with the Board in his new position. He announced that there will be a new era of parish government in which he will work to bring all governing bodies together to serve the people of Plaquemines.
Comeaux Region I Educator of the Year
Congratulations to DonComeaux, Belle Chasse High School science teacher, for being recognized as the Region 1 Educator of the Year at the recent LaCue Conference held in Baton Rouge, Nov. 1-Dec.2nd. Among Don's many achievements include designing and implementing the forensic science curriculum at BCHS which is a rigorous, interdisciplinary program that develops analytical skills. Don participated in the 2006 PPSB Digital Arts Summer Camp, is the sponsor for the BCHS yearbookand is in the planning stages of a collaborative forensic science program with schools across the nation. Additionally, he is working on a summer forensic science program for at-risk middle school students. We applaud Don for his outstanding achievements.
Plaquemines Schools Receive First Installment of $2,000,000 Grant from Chevron
Energy for
Learning
(left to right) DebraLee (staff developer), MelvinaSias (assistant superintendent), EvaJones (superintendent), MikeBurnside (Americas Regional Manager, Chevron Oronite),
CarolRoberts (assistant superintendent),
SandyBrechtel (curriculum supervisor),
LavernMaynor (elementary director), and
JacquesWeaver (provided harp music at
luncheon). (Photo courtesy of Bevil Napp)
On June 21, 2006, Chevron launched
the Energy for Learning program. EFLis an $18 million program focused on providing academic resources that will impact student
learning and build the capacity of public schools. Chevron established
EFL to aid school districts across
Louisiana and Mississippi affected by hurricanes Katrina and
Rita. Based on assessments
conducted immediately following hurricanes Katrina and Rita and grant proposals
submitted by identified LA public school districts,
Plaquemines Parishreceived the first installment of $1,340,000
on January 11, 2007. The second installment will be awarded in January
2008.
Co-principals Appointed at Belle Chasse Primary
Plaquemines Parish School Board has named two current staff members as the new Co-Principals of Belle Chasse Primary School. PatriciaHaydel (left) and ShelleyRitz (right) were appointed Principals of the Blue Ribbon school at the January 16th board meeting. Congratulations to our new leaders in the Belle Chasse community.
New Board Members
Helen E.Barrois, elected Board Member for District 8, assumed her seat on the School Board at the Inauguration ceremony on January 9th, 2007. Joining her was the newly elected representative for District 9, WilliamMertz. Best wishes and congratulations!
A TRUE FEMA FRIEND
Superintendent Eva Jones presents a plaque of appreciation to Jim Dedes, Project Officer for FEMA, for his committed service to the School System's recovery. Also pictued is Joyce Green, Recovery Coordinator for the School Board, who worked tirelessly with Mr. Dedes and other FEMA representatives.
The Plaquemines Parish School Board honored Jim Dedes, a Project Officer for FEMA, at the School Board Meeting on August 7th. Mr. Dedes has worked for months preparing over a hundred worksheets for the School Board recovery projects. His commitment has facilitated the opening of the three schools in Belle Chasse as well as the three additional schools in the lower part of parish for this year. He is finally leaving Plaquemines to return to his own family after serving FEMA for nearly a year.
A Difficult Road to Victory
A year after Katrina, the towns in Plaquemines Parish are finding inspiration from a special group of teenagers: the South Plaquemines High School football team.
Kandace Crochet, a student at Belle Chasse Middle, was honored at the School Board Meeting on May 1st with a plaque for being the one student whose nominations were all selected for the new school in south Plaquemines for next year. She nominated the school name, "South Plaquemines High", with mascot name of "The Hurricanes" and with colors, light blue and silver. Pictured are Board members BettyDinette, BobbyBenefield, PaulLemaire, MissCrochet, Board member CarltonLaFrance, Contest Coordinator DebraLee, and Acting Superintendent EvaJones. Congratulations, Kandace!
Florida Donations
A friendly competition between two Florida school systems has ended up as a win-win situation for Plaquemines Parish Schools. (full story...)
$70,000 DONATION
Kenneth E. McGinn, Offshore District Production Manager for Apache Corporation, receives an appreciation plaque from CarolRoberts, Director of Secondary Education for the Plaquemines Parish School Board. At the School Board Meeting on March 6th, Apache Corporation donated a check for $70,000.00 to cover the cost of two teacher salaries in response to Katrina's impact on the School District. Also pictured are RonChrist and KennethNeveaux, both Area Production Foremen with Apache Corporation which operates in the Plaquemines area. The School Board honored the men and Apache Corporation with a standing ovation at the Meeting.
Board Honors Teachers of the Year
At the June School Board meeting, plaques were presented to the 2005-2006 teachers of the year. Pictured are Curriculum Supervisor, Sandy Brechtel; Board President, Byron Williams; Middle School Teacher of the Year, Tonika Peavy of Port Sulphur High School; and Superintendent Eva Jones. Primary Teacher of the Year, Deborah Quinn of Boothville-Venice High School, and High School Teacher of the Year, Traci Kaibel of Belle Chasse High School, were not able to attend the meeting.
Six Schools Receive Improvement Awards
Six of our parish schools have received monetary awards for School Improvement for the 2004-2005 school year from the State Department of Education. (more...)
2006 Students of the Year
Sharon Stanley High School
Natasha Cox 8th Grade
Ivy Perkins 5th Grade
On Thursday, January 26th, the 12th grade Student of the Year Selection was held at Belle Chasse High School.Competition was steep this year among the five contestants:Fabian Ancar, Alex Barthelemy, Edward Kirby, Whitney Blaine Nielsen, and Sharon Stanley.This year’s 12th Grade Student of the Year is Sharon Stanley.
The 8th grade and 5th grade Student of the Year selections took place on Friday, January 27, at Belle Chasse Middle School.The contestants in the 8th grade wereNatasha Cox, Kallen Ly, Ethan Oddo, Kayla Reed, and Jamie Zuvich.This year’s 8th Grade Student of the Year is Natasha Cox.
Contestants in the 5th grade included Nicholas Beall, Jacob Cheramie, Cullen LeJeune, Lindsey Lonadier, Ivy Perkins and Taylor Williamson.This year’s 5th Grade Student of the Year is Ivy Perkins.
Regional competition for Student of the Year will begin February 10, 2006.
For EZ It Was Easy to Win Regionals
On Thursday, January 26, EZ Kirby won the Regional American Legion Oratorical Contest at the St. Charles Parish School Board Office.
His winning oration, "Freedom of Religion or Freedom From Religion" gives him the right to advance to the State Oratorical Contest at the American Legion Hall in Rayne, Louisiana, on March 12, where he will be in the running for scholarship dollars and a chance to win a trip to Indiana as the state winner.
EZ Kirby and his parents
Kirby Winner of American Legion Oratorical Contest
Edward “EZ” Kirby placed first in the local American Legion Oratorical Contest, held January 10, 2006, at Belle Chasse High School.
His winning speech was entitled “The Freedom of or the Freedom from Religion.”This is EZ’s fourth time to place first in the Plaquemines Parish Oratorical Contest.
Charlie Newberry placed second in the extremely tough competitionThis was quite an unusual year for the Plaquemines version of the oratorical contest, having only one school in the competition after Katrina.
Contestants prepared for weeks and months ahead for the competition which included, in addition to the eight to ten minute prepared oration, a three to five minute impromptu speech on one of the articles or amendments to the constitution.The purpose of the prestigious American Legion Oratorical Contest is to instill in students a reverence and respect for our country’s foundational document, the Constitution. John Carlton, Commander of the American Legion Post 329 in Belle Chasse represented the American Legion at the contest.
Bonny Galloway, speech teacher, and Elaine Cox, gifted teacher, served as coaches for the two contestants.
EZ will compete at the regional competition next month.
Technology Partners Team Up With Plaquemines Public Schools
Pictured left to right:James C. Hoyle, Superintendent; Melvina Sias, Personnel Director; Carol Roberts, Instructional Technology Director; Terry Smithson, Marketing Director of Intel; Lucien Cusimano, Information Technology Director; SharonBranan, School Board President
Five Plaquemines educators were invited to Atlanta on December 13, 2005, to give a presentation to a group of educational technology organizations who intend to help our district recover from the devastation of Hurricane Katrina.Superintendent James Hoyle presented a State-of-Plaquemines PowerPoint and spoke to representatives of Intel, Apple, EdWeek Magazine, Ignite Learning, National Education Association, Software Information Industry Association, Funds for Learning, Smart Technology, vSKOOL, Scrantron, Trillion Partners, Future Kids, CCR Pyramid, eSchool News, IBM, Schools and Learning Magazine, Dell, Princeton Review, Riverdeep, Scholastic, State Educational Technology Directors, Georgia Department of Education, Nation and a sundry of other technology entities.School Board President Sharon Branan, Information Technology Director Lucien Cusimano, Instructional Technology Director Carol Roberts, and Personnel Director Melvina Sias answered questions from the educational partners and explained first-hand how life in Plaquemines schools has changed since August 29.“I am supercharged to think of the possibilities that will come from this meeting that will enhance our school system in the future.When these talented people say that they want to make Plaquemines technology the envy of the United States after Katrina, I can't wait to see what it will be like,” explained Hoyle.The meeting, held at the Georgia Public Broadcasting Center, was organized by Terry Smithson, Marketing Director of Intel.Donna Duhe’, tourism director for Plaquemines Parish Government, had previous contacts with Smithson, and suggested that he choose Plaquemines Schools as a target district, making this entire process possible.Smithson and other partner members want to have a consolidated, coordinated effort to help public entities after a disaster, both now and in the future.Terry and other ed tech partners from the meeting plan to visit south Louisiana in January to see the destruction with their own eyes and begin working with Plaquemines to create a vision for the future.
Pictured left to right:Sharon Branan, School Board President; James C. Hoyle, Superintendent; Neil Bush, the president's brother, CEO of Ignite Software; Lucien Cusimano, Information Technology Director; Melvina Sias, Personnel Director; Carol Roberts, Instructional Technology Director
Plaquemines Parish Schools Improve School Improvement Scores
Plaquemines Parish School Board now has half of its schools classified as three star schools, with baseline school performance scores of 100 or more. Belle Chasse Primary leads all schools with a baseline school performance score of 117.0. Right behind is Belle Chasse High with 113.5, Buras High with 106.1, and Belle Chasse Middle with 102.0. Almost all schools showed substantial growth and will receive monetary rewards next spring. Phoenix grew the most, advancing 12.1 points, Belle Chasse High, 10 points; Buras Middle, 9.4 points; Port Sulphur, 7.0 points; Boothville-Venice 3.5 points; and Belle Chasse Middle, 3.4 points. Proudly, no school in Plaquemines is in Academic Assistance. Go to www.louisianaschools.net for complete information.
Belle Chasse Primary Presents "Whimsical Wednesday"
Belle Chasse Primary fourth graders presented "Born To Be A Tiger" to the kindergarten class Wednesday morning as a part of "Whimsical Wednesday" (more...)
2006-2007 School Calendar Approved
The 2006-2007 school calendar was approved at the School Board meeting on March 6, 2006. Click here to see calendar.
ATD-AMERICAN Helps Plaquemines Schools
Plaquemines ParishSchool Board
Hard Hit by Katrina - This Louisiana school district, a valued customer, welcomed ATD's assistance... (more)
Medal of Honor Park Presentation
At the April 3rd School Board Meeting MurrayNaquin, Director of the National Medal of Honor Park, presented to Belle Chasse High School Principal MonicaWertz a photo album of the Louisiana Medal of Honor Awardees. The album will be on display for all students, parents, and staff to view in the Belle Chasse High School library.
Shell Pipeline Donation
Shell Pipeline has made a great contribution to the recovery of Mathematics in Plaquemines Schools. (more...)
Technology Partners Team Up With Plaquemines Public Schools
Five Plaquemines educators were invited to Atlanta on December 13, 2005, to give a presentation to a group of educational technology organizations who intend to help our district recover from the devastation of Hurricane Katrina. (more)
Superintendent Hoyle Receives National Recognition
On Friday, February 24, Superintendent James Hoyle was named one of ten "Tech-Savvy Superintendents" by eSchool News, a prestigious national technology in education publication. (more...)
Plaquemines Leadership Training a Success
Students from Belle Chasse Middle and O.L.P.H. gathered for an overnight experience that matched them in teams to compete in games and learning activities focused on the virtue of TOLERANCE. (more...)
Branan Honored As Outgoing Board President
Sharon Branan receives a plaque from the School Board presented
by James C. Hoyle, Superintendent for her outstanding leadership and untiring
efforts as Board President over the last two years. (more...)
Plaquemines Students Are State-Wide Contest Winners
At a recent School Board meeting, Danica Ansardi honored students with plaques for winning the top three slots at the Louisiana Association of Fairs and Festivals' state-wide Essay Contest. Pictured are Kayla Reed, First Place; Mark Matthews, Second Place; Matthew Slavic, Third Place; and Danica Ansardi. It was a great achievement for Plaquemines students to win the three top awards in the contest. Congratulations to all three students!
BCMS Sends Its Love to "Boo"
BCMS 8th Graders Kelsey May and Jessica Findley
The BCMS Beta Club raised over $6,000 to help a local educator's family. For the complete story, click here.
Board Honors Work on Louisiana School Improvement Grant
Pictured are Stewart Stanley, Director of Special Education; SharoineDavis; AnneTemplet; Superintendent EvaJones; and MelanieLemoine. The School Board recently honored three individuals for their outstanding work in obtaining and implementing the Plaquemines Parish grant for the Lousiana School Improvement Grant (LaSIG) program. The grant was $600,000.00, and it assisted all three schools in the parish this year. Plaques were presented to Sharoine Davis, Special Education Curriculum Specialist; Anne Templet, Plaquemines LaSIG Family Facilitator; and Melaine Lemoine, La. Dept. of Education LaSIG Site Liaison. Eva Jones, Superintendent, and Stanley Stewart, Director of Special Education, made the presentations. Congratulations for a job well done!
Tony Danos Wins $25,000 Grant From Lowe's
Pictured are JoeBanks and KelvinPope, Store Managers of local Lowe's stores, along with Mr. Danos, Shop Instructor; ByronWilliams, School Board President; and EvaJones, Superintendent.
Plaquemines Alternative School will be blessed with expanded shop equipment and supplies, thanks to Tony Danos, Shop Instructor for the Options III program. Mr. Danos submitted a grant proposal to Lowe's and won $25,000 to assist the shop classes with a Coastal restoration project. The project includes a greenhouse for the growing and planting of mangrove trees on barrier islands.
Ray Gallet Honored
Superintendent Eva G. Jones presented a plaque honoring Ray Gallet for his 31 years of dedicated service to Plaquemines Parish Schools at Port Sulphur High School and lately South Plaquemines Elementary and High Schools. He was also recognized as "The Voice of the Bronchos" for his many years as the announcer at Port Sulphur High School football games. Congratulations Mr. Gallet on your retirement!
PPSB-mail
Mrs. Carlton won
the honor of Belle Chasse High School Teacher of the Year,
before claiming the Plaquemines Parish Teacher of the
Year.
Paul Solis, a teacher and coach at Boothville-Venice High for more than thirty years, was recently recognized by Nicholls State University for dedicating his life to helping shape and mold the lives of high school students. At a ceremony on the Nicholls's campus, officials lauded Coach Solis for his positive impact on students that he taught and coached. Solis was nomiated as a result of Nicholls's Office of Admissions contacting Freshman Scholarship recipients from schools across Louisiana to nominate a teacher for this special award.
