Failing schools remains concern for board
MICHELLE BATES, Editor
The adoption of the annual Pupil
Progression Plan raised discussion of how to elevate schools in Claiborne
Parish that are failing and are near failing, but it could be a bumpy road
ahead with all the upcoming changes this year.
Currently, according to records,
Homer High School and Homer Elementary have been declared failing schools.
Homer Junior High and Haynesville Junior High were graded as “D” schools, while
Haynesville Elementary and Summerfield School are “C” schools.
“It’s going to be imperative
that we meet the needs of the students from here going forth,” said
Superintendent of Schools Dr. Janice Williams. “They (teachers) have been working
diligently on that in years prior, but as you can see, we’re not making the
gains that we need to. So we’re going to dig deeper in the data to make sure
the students’ needs are being met.”
That statement came about after
Stewart Griffin, District 10, questioned the remediation portion of the Pupil
Progression Plan and what is “prescribed” for students.
Williams explained, in a
nutshell, it all comes down to preparing for the state testing.
“The principals and teachers
will begin to work with those students who are weaker to ensure they are
prepared once test week begins in March,” she said.
Students are placed into tiers
which identify those who will need the extra help for test preparation. For
example, students placed into Tier 1 will remain in the classroom. Students in
Tiers 2 and 3 are pulled for additional instruction throughout the course of
the school day.
However, it’s not just the
testing that has everyone up in arms. It’s also the material the teachers are
being asked to teach.
“Everything with Common Core,
the materials are being pushed farther back,” Williams explained. “Some of the
novels that were customarily read in twelfth grade are now being passed along
to the tenth grade. Tenth grade material is being passed back to the eighth grade,
so forth and so on. The students are now being asked to know more much sooner.”
Another point raised involved
textbooks and how they relate to Common Core Standards. During the public
hearing for the 2013-14 budget -- adopted during the regular meeting --
$150,000 was appropriated for the purchase of textbooks. The same was allocated
for the 2012-13 school year; however, only $25,000 of that was actually spent.
Williams said $79,000 was just
spent to purchase “consumable math books” for the next six years. This means
the books used this year will not be next year. The $79,000 is a one-time
purchase where new books will be sent to the school system every year for this
year and the next five years.
Even with the $25,000 spent on
textbooks last year, schools still didn’t have enough for each student to take
home for study. Sadie Flucas, a retired teacher, said students have to share
textbooks.
Even so, with the implementation
of Common Core Standards in English Language Arts (ELA) and Mathematics,
textbooks will no longer be the centerpiece of a teacher’s instruction plan. It
will now be a resource for teachers to use while teaching the materials set
forth through Common Core.
Vera Meadors, vice president of
the school board and a teacher, said they will have to do more research to find
the materials needed to teach the skills students need and match Common Core
Standards.
“I have to research a lot of
information to just focus on that skill,” she said. “If the student can master
that skill and apply it, then they will be able to master that test.
“A textbook is a resource,” she continued. “You
cannot directly teach from that textbook. With what teachers have to do now,
they need to be knowledgeable about technology. They need that in order to
bring whatever’s not in that textbook to the classroom.”
Standards for Science and Social
Studies are currently under development, so the textbooks for those courses are
still “relevant.”
However, still at issue is the
fact that textbooks must be approved by the state and many of those have not
been approved by Common Core Standards.
Principals will meet for a
workshop on September 10 in which they will take 2012-13 data results, analyze
it, and to see how instruction can be tailored to meet the needs of the
students.
They also offer tutoring after
school to work with students who are deficient in areas. Progress monitoring is
also in place, Williams said, where principals are working with teachers. And
taking it a step farther, teachers will have professional development days where
they can meet with each other either by grade level or by subject matter.
Principals will also meet with teachers to review the data.
In other news, the school board
adopted the 2013-14 budget as well as the pay schedule for faculty and staff.
The pay schedule will remain as it has.
A business manager has also been
hired to replace Fred Evans, who will be stepping down at the end of the year.
Terri Fedrick will take his place. She has already begun working with Evans to
make the transition easier, and Evans has said he would also be available in a
consultant capacity if the need arises.
The next school board meeting
will be at 6 p.m., September 5, in the board meeting room at Central Office.
For more information, or for questions, please call their office at
318-927-3502.
Frank Foster visits Homer
The Guardian-Journal photos/Michelle Bates
Rising country star Frank Foster was in Homer Friday at
Delta Interiors taking pictures with fans young and older. He autographed
flyers, photographs and other memorabilia. Frank Foster ice chest tags are on
sale now at Delta for $10 and will be for sale until his upcoming concert at
Cypress Bottom on Saturday, August 31. Tickets to the concert are $20. Stop by
Delta for more information. Pictured right are two Summerfield alumni --
Claiborne Parish Sheriff Ken Bailey and Foster, who graduated in 2000.
Claiborne Fair a little different this year
The Guardian-Journal
The Claiborne Parish Fair will
be a little different this year due to scheduling conflicts.
According to Lee Faulk, with
Claiborne Parish 4-H, the carnival portion, or the general fair, will be the
week of September 16, with the livestock sale and show on October 15-17.
“Hopefully, this is a one-year
deal,” Faulk said. “We hope go back to a one-week fair next year.”
He explained the week of
September 16 will also include the food exhibits, art contests and all the
events that come with the fair.
“We had some problems with time
for some of the producers,” he said. “A lot of the producers didn’t have enough
time to change some of their practices to get their animals ready for the fair
in time. With that said, we’re going to have the same events; it’s just going
to be separated. The fair board has worked with us very diligently to make this
happen.”
According to Claiborne Parish
Police Jury President Scott Davidson, an election was scheduled which means the
fair dates had to be moved.
“It created a problem with the
livestock breeders,” Davidson
said. “They already had their animals bred to deliver at certain times.”
He further explained these
animals have to be a certain weight in order to be entered into the livestock
shows, and time did not allow for that.
“I want to encourage everyone to
attend both events at the fair this year,” Faulk said. “They’ve put a lot of
work into the fair this year, and we hope this is a one-year deal.”
Davidson praised Faulk and
everyone who worked on it for working together to make it come out for the best
for everyone.
More information will become
available as the week of the carnival and general fair approaches.
If anyone has any questions
regarding the Fair, please contact the LSU AgCenter Claiborne Parish Extension
Office at 927-3110.
Disc golf course tentatively set to open in January
MICHELLE BATES, Editor
Beginning on or around January
1, flying saucers may be seen soaring around Lake Claiborne State Park.
According to Chris Caswell, park
manager, the area will be the site of a new state-of-the-art 27 hole disc (or
Frisbee) golf course for professionals and beginners alike.
At first it was set to be an 18
“hole” course, but they changed it to 27 “holes.” People can also play regular
golf on it as well, he said.
“The reason for going through
the change of 18 to 27 is it’s almost impossible for people to play 27 holes in
one day,” he said. “So it almost forces people to stay overnight and make a
play-and-stay out of it.”
He said this golf course is in a
prime location.
“This sets us up for the scenery
as well as the sport,” Caswell said. “The course is going to have the biggest
elevation change in the state because we have the piney hills as well as the
ravine. We’re also going to have the longest hole in the state, which is about
1,500 feet. That’s a long way to throw a frisbee.”
The course will be set up so
that gravity plays a big part in that it all goes downhill.
Clearing for the course will
begin in September. Designs and plans are currently being drawn, and thanks to
a grant from Claiborne Electric’s Operation Round Up, the park now has the
funds to purchase all the materials needed for the course.
Booking for tournaments have
already begun as well.
“We’ve got a master’s tournament
scheduled for April,” Caswell said. “So, we have a little bit of pressure built
up with scheduling a tournament and we don’t even have the course built yet.
It’s one of the good problems we have with something new.”
According to wikipedia.com,
“disc golf is a flying disc game, as well as a precision and accuracy sport, in
which individual players throw a flying disc at a target. According to the
Professional Disc Golf Association, ‘The object of the game is to traverse a
course from beginning to end in the fewest number of throws of the disc.’”
“It’s a sport that everybody can
play,” Caswell said. “This is going to be the biggest and best in the state,
and it’s going to be a big draw for us.”
The course is also what’s called
a “low footprint,” which means no trees bigger than eight inches will be taken
out of the park.
Many of the heavy equipment to
move the dirt for the course has been donated, he said, and there are many
volunteer hours that have already gone into the project. Mike Brown is the
designer of the course, and workers from Manpower will construct the course.
For more information about the
park, check them out on Facebook at
https://www.facebook.com/LakeClaiborne.StatePark, or call them at 318-927-2976
or toll free at 888-677-2524.
Burham cleared to return to work
MICHELLE BATES, Editor
A Claiborne Parish Police Jury
employee is standing tall and will be returning to work full-time later this
month after a lengthy recovery from a motorcycle accident that ultimately led
to the loss of part of his leg.
Bryon Burham, a mechanic for the
Highway Department, has been cleared to return to work on Thursday, August 29,
and the police jury approved.
“He has received his full
release from his physician,” Secretary Treasurer Dwayne Woodard said.
Burham was in a motorcycle
accident on Thursday, May 3, 2012, which left him with severe injuries to his
back and leg. After several surgeries, months of therapy and the ultimate
removal of a portion of his leg, Burham has bounced back.
The police jury and his fellow
co-workers stood behind him and his family in many ways. Employees made a
one-time donation of some of their vacation days and sick days to allow Burham
to continue to receive some income. Fundraisers were held to help the family
offset some of the medical expenses incurred as well.
In other personnel news, Dennis
Cheatham was hired full time by the police jury from Manpower. He will serve as
a Class A truck driver for the parish.
In other news, the police jury’s
exploratory committee to discuss the Claiborne Parish Sheriff’s Office
administration building will meet at 1 p.m., August 19 in the conference room
at the police jury complex.
While renovations are currently
underway at the current site just off the Square in Homer, discussions will
begin for the construction of a new administration building. The current
building is outdated, landlocked and in dire need of repair in some areas.
While the police jury has done what it can to ensure the building remains in
good condition, in the long run, a new facility will better serve the needs of
the sheriff’s office.
Renovations to the “hub” of the
sheriff’s office are underway to expand the room which houses all of the
electronics allow the sheriff’s office to operate. All the E-911 equipment,
network servers and other equipment were housed essentially in a broom closet,
but they are now more room is being constructed to allow deputies to move
around easily.
According to Buildings and
Grounds Chairman Bob McDaniel, District 3, the electrical materials ordered
should be in at any time, and once that’s complete, plywood and drywall will be
installed. Also, a plumber has already come in to install the drain for the air
conditioner in that room.
One of the first in the state of
Louisiana, the sheriff’s office building is a modular building and was built in
the 1970s under the leadership of then-Sheriff “Snap” Oakes.
In other buildings and grounds
news, a face-lift and repairs to the Claiborne Parish Courthouse are complete.
Exterior painting, removal of a tree and repair work have been ongoing for the
last month or so. However, the buildings and grounds committee will also
consider repairing the brick fence as well as installing a ramp on the east
side. The east side of the courthouse is where the Clerk of Court and Tax
Assessor’s offices are located.
Sketches have been submitted and
it will cost up to $2,100. The police jury approved the expenditure of that
money.
“We submitted the sketches to
Garcia (Construction), who did the ramp on the west side (of the courthouse),
and the bill came in at $2,100,” McDaniel said. “That’s considerably lower than
what we were getting quotes on several years ago.”
Also, the Office of Community
Services building will soon be getting some much needed repairs as well. A new
sign for the building has already been installed, and now the police jury will
begin advertising for bids for painting the interior of the building. The cost
of the painting will be up to $7,000, which was also approved by jurors.
In other news, board members of
the Claiborne Parish Economic Development Board is changing hands, with the
exception of two members -- Joey White and Cynthia Steele. White and Steele
were reappointed to the board. The new appointments approved for the board for
this term include Sherman Brown, Steve Koskie, John Watson, Dwayne Woodard and
J.T. Taylor.
The item was tabled from the
July meeting.
In garage committee news,
Chairman Lavelle Penix, District 5, made a recommendation to get in on state
bid contracts to purchase another truck following an accident that tore up one
of the current trucks owned by the CPPJ. The truck they want to purchase is a
2013 Dodge half-ton, four-wheel drive crew cab. That motion was approved. This
purchase is pending the outcome of whether the current truck is totaled.
Also, the board of review to set
the 2013 millage rates will convene on September 11 at the regular police jury
meeting. The police jury will act as the board of review. Public notices were
published on June 5 and August 7, and the adoption of the millage rates will
take place at the September 11 meeting.
For this reason, the regular meeting
of the police jury was previously moved from September 4 to September 11.
The police jury also received a
letter of thanks from the Men’s Christian Action Team (MCAT) for the money to
construct a handicap ramp at the Harris Community center which serves as a
polling place.
“Your generosity helped
guarantee that no worthy individuals in our parish area will go without a
needed wheelchair ramp, porch/steps repair, or other household improvements
because of a lack of immediate funds to purchase materials,” according to the
letter.
Some good news for the police
jury came in by way of the PERS (Parochial Retirement System) newsletter, which
indicates the 2014 employer contribution rates were approved at 16 percent of
payroll. This is a decrease from 16.75 percent for 2013.
The next police jury meeting
will be at 9 a.m., Wednesday, September 11, in the police jury meeting room.
For more information, or for questions, please call their office at
318-927-2222.
Mark Your Calendar!
Back
to School Bash this Monday and Tuesday
A Back to School Bash will be at
Homer City Hall on Monday, August 19 and Tuesday, August 20 to help students
prepare for the beginning of the new school year. On Monday, students may come
to Homer City Hall from 8 a.m. until 3 p.m. to get their hair cut. The bash
will be on Tuesday, from 5 until 7 p.m., where students can enjoy face painting
and attend the supply giveaway. Students must be present! Guest speakers will
include Homer Mayor Alecia Smith, State Rep. Patrick Jefferson and others. The
bash is brought to you by Rep. Jefferson, Mayor Smith, Homer High School’s
Future Business Leaders of America, Curry’s Cuts, Monroe’s Barber and Beauty
and Smitty’s Barber Shop. For more information, please call Homer City Hall at
318-927-3555.
School
dismisses at noon August 23
The first day of School begins
Friday, August 23, but all schools will dismiss at noon for teacher
professional development. The first full day of classes will begin Monday,
August 26. For more information, or for questions, please call the Claiborne
Parish School board Central Office at 318-927-3502.
Senior
Expo set for September 7
The SALT Council of the
Claiborne Parish TRIAD invites all senior citizens to the annual Senior Expo
set for Saturday, September 7 at Homer City Hall. Registration begins at 8:30
a.m. and the expo starts at 9 a.m. All festivities will end at noon with a free
hamburger lunch served at 11:30 a.m. Local health and government agencies will
provide booths with helpful information, along with blood pressure checks. This
year, Sheriff Ken Bailey and Scott Freeling, of Willis Knighton, will be our
featured speakers. Door prizes will be given away and we will be featuring
BINGO! (Charitable gaming license E5821). All seniors are encouraged to come
out and enjoy!
Meet the Pels this Friday!!!
The Guardian-Journal photo and information/Lacy Camp
The Homer Pelicans not only begin the new season with a
few new players and a new district, but also with a new head coach. Homer will
be led by Coach Josh Willeford and assisted by Keith Morgan. The Pelicans will
kick off the new season with Meet the Pels at 6 p.m. and a public practice on
August 16th for the fans to meet the 2013 team, a scrimmage against Arcadia at
6 p.m. on August 23rd, and a jamboree at Lake Providence at 6 p.m. on August
30th. Homer will travel to play the Farmerville Farmers Sept. 6th for the first
regular non-district game of the season. Come out and support your hometown
team!
Homer High School to host freshmen orientation August
22
Homer High would like to invite
students and parents to Freshmen Orientation on Thursday, August 22 from 5 to 6
p.m. Our intent is to make the transition for incoming freshmen be as pleasant
as possible. Students will be introduced to the faculty and shown around
campus. Students will be given schedules and assigned lockers. Changes in
parish and school policies regarding electronic devices, school uniforms,
after-school detention, alternative school, common core state standards,
vocational agricultural, athletics, and more will be discussed with parents.
Refreshments will be provided for students, parents, and faculty. Parents of
incoming freshmen, please make plans to join us for an important, informative
night in your child’s education.
State Park offers array of fun activities
The Guardian-Journal
Lake Claiborne State Park offers
an array of fun activities for everyone.
Chris Caswell, park manager, was
recently the featured speaker for the Homer Lions Club and updated Lions Club
members on the good things happening at the park including its monthly Dutch
Oven cooking classes, which take place the last Saturday of every month. They
also have local musicians coming out to play while patrons enjoy the dishes
they’ve created.
Also, the park has begun outdoor
movie night, and more than 100 people came out for the first movie they
featured.
“We have a 14-foot screen with a
movie projector and sound system out there on the beach,” he said. “We have
everybody come and sit out on the beach and watch a movie after dark. We’ve got
so many people asking us to do it, but it’s a little bit hot right now. So
we’re going to move it inside. We’re going to wait until it cools off before we
move it outside again.”
One of the things they will
begin showcasing is when football season begins -- show a few La. Tech games,
LSU games, maybe the BCS Bowl.
They are also gearing up for
their Halloween program, and they are seeking volunteers to help with the
haunted trail walk/ride. They will also show an outdoor family friendly scary movie.
“We will be looking for actors
and donations for the Halloween program,” he said. “We will also be planning a
hayride and festival in the nature center for the kids with all sorts of
games.”
In other news, Caswell also
discussed the financial state as it currently stands. While they are hurting a
little, the finances are stable. They are working to get grants and donations
in to start new projects, he said.
“We’re actually looking up a
little bit,” he said. “The problem is we’ll have no new money for new programs.
One good thing that’s coming is the legislature has just informed us that we
are honoring the senior citizen discounts from Arkansas for passes.
Being this close to the state
line, we have several parks that would benefit from Arkansas residents coming
down,” he said. “And when you offer a 50 percent discount, they would drive
past their own parks to come down here to stay. And with them, they brought
their money. That helped the local economy out quite a bit. That’s going to be
a big plus for us.”
Louisiana will reciprocate any
discounts that other states offer to our senior citizens. Currently, it’s just
Arkansas, Delaware and Maryland. This will “drum up” a lot of off-season
visitation.
For more information and to see
what’s happening at Lake Claiborne State Park, visit their website at
http://www.stateparks.com/lake_claiborne.html, or check it out on Facebook at
https://www.facebook.com/LakeClaiborne.StatePark. Or call 318-927-2976 or toll
free at 888-677-2524. The park is located just outside of Homer off La. 146 in
Claiborne Parish.
