Dear parents and guardians, I am so excited to welcome you to our Parent Power Newsletter. We're thrilled that you’re interested in learning more from our dedicated team at EBR Schools and can’t wait to start sharing with you.
Inside this Issue
While it can be tempting to simply count down the days until summer break, the spring semester is a prime time for high school underclassmen to prepare for the college admissions process, and for college-bound seniors to close out the year on a high note.
Here are some tips for high school students to ensure a productive and successful spring semester.
Keep your grades up.
All students: Admissions officers like to see an upward grade trend, so freshmen, sophomores and juniors need to work hard to maintain good grades and improve upon not-so-stellar grades. Seniors, it is especially important to maintain spring semester grades because colleges will see your final transcript, and a dramatic dip in academic performance can result in a school rescinding an offer of admission. Just because you’ve been accepted doesn’t mean the work stops. Work hard to finish out the year strong.
Meet with your counselor.
All students: One of the biggest mistakes students make is not meeting with their counselor on a regular basis. Be proactive and set up meetings for the beginning, middle and end of the semester, so you can check in regularly with your counselor and they can evaluate your progress and determine what you need to do to prepare for the admissions process. It’s also important to build and maintain a relationship with your counselor, as they will write a recommendation for you come college application time.
Begin building your college list.
Juniors: If you haven’t already, start heavily researching schools and determining where you want to apply next fall. Look into admissions requirements, academic offerings, courses, professors, campus life, student organizations and anything else that will help you make an informed decision about where you want to go to college. A balanced college list should have a range of target, reach and likely schools, so be sure to look into a wide variety of institutions.
Reassess your extracurricular involvement.
Freshmen and sophomores: Sustained involvement in just a handful of activities over an extended period of time is much more impressive than many one-off participations in several different clubs or activities. Take a look at your résumé and all your activities and determine which ones mean the most to you and align with your core interests. Cut out any activities you’re not completely invested in, stick with the ones you like best and deepen your involvement by taking on a leadership position.
Also, seek out new activities that you think better match your interests. If your school doesn’t already offer a club or activity that really interests you, then start your own student club or extracurricular project.
Start test prep.
Sophomores: Now is the time to start seriously thinking about the SAT and ACT and begin preparing for one or both. In one of the meetings with your counselor, discuss both tests and come up with a timeline for when you should prepare and sit for these high-stakes exams. I recommend taking multiple, timed practice tests in order to identify content weaknesses, evaluate test-taking strategies and accurately simulate actual test day. Practice makes perfect, or at least improves scores!
Visit schools.
Sophomores and juniors: Spring is the best time to visit college campuses. School is in session, the weather is usually favorable and you can visit during your spring semester breaks. Begin making plans to visit a few college campuses by sitting down with your family and discussing a trip and dates. Then do your research and register for information sessions, sign up for guided tours and see if you can stay overnight in one of the dorms.
Plan for the summer and next fall.
All students: During your check-in meetings with your counselor, discuss options for summer activities or programs and talk about what classes you need to take next fall in order to stay on track academically. Summer is a great time to deepen your interests with an internship or academic program, so do your research to determine what summer activity is the best fit for your personal and academic goals.
HAVE A GREAT SPRING SEMESTER!
On Jan. 17, 2022, the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. holiday will mark the 27th anniversary of the national day of service. This day was established to honor the life and legacy of Dr. King and to encourage all Americans to volunteer to improve their communities.
Americans celebrated the first official Martin Luther King Day, which is the only federal holiday commemorating an African American, on Monday, Jan. 20, 1986. In 1994, Congress designated the holiday as a national day of service and marked the third Monday in January every year as the Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service — "A Day On, Not a Day Off."
Dr. King advocated for nonviolent resistance to overcome injustice as a means of lifting racial oppression. He created change with organized sit-ins, marches and peaceful demonstrations that highlighted issues of inequality. Dr. King received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964; he was the youngest person to ever receive this high honor. He followed in the footsteps of his grandfather and father by entering the ministry to become a Baptist minister. On April 4, 1968, at the age of 39, he was assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee, as he stood on the balcony of a hotel. Dr. King traveled to Memphis to lead a march in support of striking sanitation workers.
We remember Dr. King as a husband, father, friend and fierce advocate for the betterment of all people. Honor his memory by organizing, volunteering and spreading the word. Remember to make it “A DAY ON, NOT A DAY OFF” for you and those around you.
Respectful behavior is just as important at school as it is at home. When students have respect for teachers and classmates, they help create the positive academic environment all children need to be successful.
Encourage your child to:
Address the teacher by name. Simply saying “Good morning, Mrs. Jones” is an easy way to show respect.
Be courteous. Students should say please and thank you to teachers and classmates.
Raise hand. When a student waits to be called on, they demonstrate self-control and respect for others.
Do what’s expected. Everyone in school has a job to do. If the teacher doesn’t plan any lessons, no one can learn anything. If students don’t do their jobs — completing homework, listening to the teacher — it makes it more difficult to learn.
Listen to the teacher’s comments. Teachers want students to learn and to succeed. That means they have to point out mistakes. Your child will do much better in school if they can recognize and accept constructive feedback.
Louisiana Association of School Administrators of Federally Assisted Programs (LASAFAP)
Scholarship Application
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PURPOSE The purpose of this scholarship program is to provide a one-time award of $1,000 to eight high school seniors who will be attending their first year of college. Recipients will be selected from public high schools throughout Louisiana.
SELECTION PROCESS Recipients of the LASAFAP scholarship award will be selected by the LASAFAP Scholarship Committee.
SELECTION CRITERIA Winners of the LASAFAP scholarship will be selected based upon the following criteria: • Official high school transcript from fall semester 2021 (20 points). • Extracurricular activities/leadership roles within the community and/or church (20 points). • Three letters of recommendation: one each from the candidate’s principal (or assistant principal); a previous or current teacher; and one from a community representative (30 points). • Financial need as described in a one-page double-spaced narrative (20 points). • A one-page essay outlining the candidate’s future goals and ambitions (10 points).
SCHOLARSHIP PAYMENT The scholarship will be made in full payable to the student. It is the responsibility of each scholarship recipient to submit an official college/university schedule and a tuition invoice/fee bill with a $0 balance from the institution to the scholarship chairperson. The scholarship chairperson will submit the required documents to the organization's treasurer and president for review and approval. The scholarship will be disbursed when the president and treasurer approve the required documentation.
APPLICATION DEADLINE The student’s application and companion forms must be submitted online by Tuesday, March 1, 2022.
MAIL-IN APPLICATION FORM If you prefer to fill out a hard copy of the application and mail it in, please click on one of the links below to download and print the scholarship application.
The East Baton Rouge Parish School System's Child Nutrition Program (CNP) provides nutritious, appetizing and affordable meals to students and staff. CNP administrators believe that good nutrition is the key to learning and that every student has the right to be served a nutritious breakfast and lunch at a low price. These meals should be served in a clean, safe and pleasant environment.
CNP employees serve 55,000 meals daily. Schools with an after-school program that includes a tutorial component may also apply for the Supper Program that provides students with a light meal right after the school day ends. Fifteen schools participate in the USDA’s Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program. Each student is offered one lunch and one breakfast for free under a USDA program called Community Eligibility Provision. Students may purchase additional food items at a minimal cost or an extra meal at the adult price.
Students who eat school meals will receive meals that emphasize the importance of healthy eating habits and portion control to help maintain a healthy body weight. Studies show that students should eat breakfast daily to help boost concentration levels.
MEAL PRICES
Student breakfast: one free meal each day
Student lunch: one free meal each day
Extra milk: $1
Adult prices: $3 for breakfast and $4.50 for lunch
“You can make all A’s and still flunk life.” ~Walter Percy
Let’s go back to an old definition of education. The 1944 edition of Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary states that education is “the process or manner of training youth for their station in life; the impartation or acquisition of knowledge, skill, and discipline of character.” Using this definition, we would define an educator as anyone who imparts “knowledge, skill and discipline” to a child.
Parenting to only build a child’s self-esteem can result in a selfish child. Parenting to help a child gain self-respect will result in a selfless child. As parents, we can assist the educational system by imparting the “discipline of character” to our children. Teachers and parents each have roles to play in the education of our children. These roles often overlap, especially in the area of training children to be good-hearted. If we are helping our children at home to have hearts that will lead them in the right direction, they will be better students in school.
Children learn twice as much from what we do than from what we say. Children will imitate our actions and reflect our attitudes, but will often forget our words, unless we model manners of the heart ourselves. The most effective teaching method is by example. Your life must be true to your words. With a little extra effort, we can help our children make an “A” in life.
5 Healthy-Eating Solutions You Can Actually Stick to for the New Year
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Try these healthy-eating resolutions for a healthier you in the new year.
Why not attack the age-old "lose weight" and "eat healthier" resolutions from a different perspective and cut them into more manageable pieces? It could actually work! Here are five doable New Year's resolutions for a healthier you this year.
Resolution 1. Eat More Omega-3s Solution: Seek out seafood.
Getting more foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids might just help you keep your blood pressure down. In a recent study, researchers found that among 4,680 healthy adults, those who consumed the highest amounts of omega-3 fatty acids in their diets had the lowest rates of hypertension. Research also suggests that omega-3s can help improve your mood, which we all need a little help with in the short, dark days of winter. Aim to get two servings of fish a week, particularly fatty fish, such as salmon, sardines and some types of tuna, which are rich in omega-3s. Not a fish lover? Opt for walnuts and flax, which are good nonfish sources of omega-3s.
Resolution 2. Pile On The Veggies Solution: Get out the roasting pan.
The majority of Americans don't eat the daily recommended three or more servings of vegetables, according to a recent report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. If you're of the mindset that "vegetables don't taste good" but know you should eat more of them since they're teeming with healthy nutrients and fiber, get out your roasting pan. Roasting vegetable caramelizes their natural sugars so they taste fantastic. It's an easy way to cook veggies for dinner; pop a pan of them in the oven and make the rest of dinner while they roast.
Resolution 3. Up Your Fiber Intake Solution: Experiment with whole grains.
Getting enough fiber may help prevent cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and a number of cancers. And eating more fiber may help you slim down. But the average American eats about 14 grams a day; the recommended daily intake is 21 to 38 grams. One of the easiest ways to up your fiber intake is to eat more whole grains. Quinoa, whole-wheat couscous, bulgur and polenta are all quick-cooking options to add to your weeknight repertoire.
Resolution 4. Eat Less Meat Solution: Learn to like tofu more.
A popular reason to cut back on meat is for environmental reasons, but you'll be helping your heart too. When you replace meat with soy, you'll naturally eat less saturated fat, and research shows that saturated fat increases LDL. While tofu might not have a real "flavor," that's what makes it so versatile. It soaks up the flavors of a stir-fry sauce or marinade like a sponge, making it taste terrific!
Resolution 5. Rein in Your Sugar Addiction Solution: Make low-sugar treats to satisfy your sweet tooth.
Americans eat too much sugar. We consume 355 calories — or 22 teaspoons — of added sugar a day. The American Heart Association advises that we eat much less than that. Luckily, you can still make treats that satisfy your sweet tooth and cut back on your sugar intake at the same time.
Five Ways to Build Skills and Promote Learning at Home
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Studies show the more parents engage with and nurture their children at home, the better those youngsters do when they start school. Here are five simple ways to build important skills and promote learning:
1. Play together. Don’t ignore the value of having fun! Spend time playing games and solving jigsaw puzzles. Dress up in old clothes and put on a silly show together. Stack a tower of blocks. Crank up the radio and sing.
2. Be creative. Activities like squishing clay, coloring and finger painting aren’t just fun —they’re educational! So let your child get messy sometimes. It could boost her school smarts.
3. Cuddle. Hugs and snuggles are more than a cozy way to bond. They’re also a way to make your child feel loved and safe. The more secure they feel at home, the more confident they may be when they head to school.
4. Get active. Healthy bodies nourish healthy minds! Go on walks with your child. Play catch outside. Go down the slide at the park. Skip rope. And when you’re finished, share a healthy snack and chat about how much fun you had.
5. Connect. Introduce yourself to your child’s preschool teacher or day care provider. Ask your child questions about what she is learning and doing every day. The more they know learning matters to you, the more it will matter to them!
SOURCE: K.L. Bierman and others, “Parent Engagement Practices Improve Outcomes for Preschool Children,” Social and Emotional Learning, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
UREC'S Pre-Law Institute for High SChool Students
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The Urban Restoration, Enhancement Corporation is accepting applications for the 2022 College & Career Ready Initiative’s Pre-Law Institute, which is being offered in partnership with Southern University Law Center. The institute will take place 4 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Mondays through Wednesdays from Jan. 18 through April 2. The pre-law institute is open to high school students from the Baton Rouge area with a GPA of 2.5 or higher. Parents/guardians of interested students can apply for the program here. There is no cost to participate. Previous attendees are eligible to reapply.
During the institute, participants will:
Network with law professionals.
Participate in a mock trial.
Gain experience with preparing an opening statement, writing a closing argument, introducing evidence and examining witnesses.
Develop an understanding of the civil and criminal justice systems.
Urban Restoration Enhancement Corporation is a nonprofit community development organization that has served Baton Rouge families since 1992. UREC’s College & Career Ready initiative is a 21st Century Community Learning Center that provides after-school and summer learning opportunities through the Pre-Law, IGNITE Entrepreneurship, CompTIA, Certified Nursing Assistant and Ignite ACT Prep institutes.
Community partners for the 2022 pre-law institute includes: Southern University Law Center, Louisiana Department of Education, Huey & Angelina Wilson Foundation, the city of Baton Rouge, Capital One and ReCAST of Greater Baton Rouge.
This Month's EBR Energy Wise Tip
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After the Holidays, Put Your Electronic Devices on a Diet!
Many of us will start off the new year with a diet to trim those extra pounds gained over the holidays. At the same time, consider putting your computers, monitors, printers, home office equipment, classroom Smart Boards and other electronics on an energy diet. Take steps to trim energy use and keep more money in your pocket. ENERGY STAR (*) estimates that using these features will save up to $30 a year on a typical household’s electricity bills. So, start off the new year with simple steps that will actually save you money!
1. Unplug electronics or turn off the power switch when not in use. Better yet, use a power strip and use the switch on the power strip to cut all power to the device to avoid “vampire” loads.
Vampire loads can be devices and appliances that continue to draw a small amount of power even when they are switched off.
2. Use sleep mode and power management features whenever available.
Spending a portion of time in low-power mode not only saves energy but helps equipment run cooler and last longer.
3. Unplug battery, laptop, tablet and cellphone chargers when the batteries or devices are fully charged, or the chargers are not in use. These chargers continue to draw a small amount of power when plugged into an electrical outlet, even when the battery-operated device is not connected.
(*) ENERGY STAR is a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency voluntary program that helps businesses and individuals save money and protect our climate through superior energy efficiency. Learn more about ENERGY STAR.
This energy conservation tip is provided by the East Baton Rouge Parish School System’s Aramark energy management team. For more information, please contact us at (225) 226-3723 or savoie-don@aramark.com.
January calendar
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The East Baton Rouge Parish School System and all of its entities (including Career and Technical Education Programs) do not discriminate on the basis of age, race, religion, national origin, disability or gender in its educational programs and activities (including employment and application for employment); and it is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of gender by Title IX (20 USC 168) and on the basis of disability by Section 504 (42 USC 794). The Title IX coordinator is Andrew Davis, director of Risk Management (ADavis6@ebrschools.org) phone (225) 929-8705. The Section 504 coordinator is Elizabeth Taylor Chapman, director of Exceptional Student Services (ETaylor@ebrschools.org) phone (225) 929-8600. The Title II coordinator is Dr. Sandra Bethley, administrative director of Federal Programs (SBHorton@ebrschools.org) phone (225) 922-5538.
All students have an opportunity to participate in Career and Technical Programs of Study, including, but not limited to, areas of health care; construction crafts and trades; automotive technology; IT computer technology; culinary programs; criminal justice; and agriculture. Admission requirements for each course can be found in the student course guide/schedule packet of the individual campus where the course is being offered. Please contact the guidance counselor at the specific school site for additional information, program requirements and/or any questions you may have.
Parent Power is a publication of the East Baton Rouge Parish School System
Dr. Sito Narcisse, Superintendent of Schools
sitonarcisse@ebrschools.org
Alexandra Deiro Stubbs, Chief of Communications & Public Relations
