Dear parents and guardians, we are 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
Prom safety for students in Louisiana centers on responsible driving, peer-led awareness and structured planning to ensure celebrations remain safe milestones. Local organizations and schools frequently host events to educate students on the consequences of impaired and distracted driving.
Key Safety Campaigns and Initiatives
Arrive Alive Prom Safety Campaign: An annual initiative where students create public safety videos to educate peers on safe driving, seat belt use and avoiding phone distractions.
"One Bad Decision" Campaign: Launched by Ascension Parish Schools in collaboration with local law enforcement, this program uses visual cues, such as wrecked cars, to remind students of the lifelong impact of reckless choices.
Safe Schools Louisiana App: Developed by Crimestoppers of Greater New Orleans, this statewide app allows students to anonymously report safety concerns.
Essential Safety Tips for Students and Parents
Transportation Planning: Families are encouraged to verify the licensing and insurance of professional transportation providers. Professional drivers can help navigate high-traffic areas.
Safe-driving Rules:
Zero Alcohol/Drugs: Never drive while impaired or ride with someone who has been drinking.
Seat Belts: Always wear a seat belt, regardless of the vehicle type.
No Distractions: Avoid using cellphones or texting while driving.
Parental Involvement:
Set Curfews: Establish a clear time for students to be home or at a supervised location.
Open Communication: Discuss how to handle peer pressure and provide a "no-questions-asked" ride home if needed.
Know the Itinerary: Parents should have contact information for everyone in their teen's group and a schedule for the night.
Effective standardized test-taking strategies include practicing with realistic tests to improve speed, identifying keywords in questions and using the process of elimination to remove incorrect answers. Key techniques include answering easier questions first, managing time strictly and avoiding changing answers unless clearly wrong.
Key Strategies Before and During the Test
Practice Frequently: Familiarize yourself with the format, timing, and question types, which reduces stress.
Active Reading & Annotation: Read with a purpose, highlighting key terms (e.g., always, never, except) in the questions.
Predict Answers: Attempt to answer the question before looking at the options to avoid being swayed by distractors.
Elimination Strategy: Cross out definitely wrong answers to increase odds, and consider the "longest/most detailed" answer if you are guessing.
Time Management: Skip hard questions, mark them and return later to ensure all easy questions are answered first.
"Plug It In": For math or grammar, test the given answers to see which fits best.
Review: Do not second-guess, but check for careless errors in the final minutes.
Common Pitfalls to Avoid
Overthinking: Fear of tricks can lead to changing correct answers to wrong ones.
Ignoring Directions: Skimming instructions can lead to missing crucial details about the scoring or format.
Sticking on Difficult Questions: Getting stuck on one question wastes valuable time.
Leaving Blanks: Generally, you should answer every question unless there is a penalty for wrong answers.
Mental and Physical Prep
Sleep and Nutrition: Ensure a full night's sleep and eat a nutritious breakfast to maintain focus.
Mental Prep: Take a moment to relax and stay confident before the test begins.
Baton Rouge Magnet High School senior Aayan Iqbal was presented with a car during a pep rally at the school on March 25.
The Academic Honors Network, founded by Judge Wilson E. Fields, and Gerry Lane Enterprises, presented the car to Iqbal in front of the school's entire student body.
Iqbal won the car during the “Raise the Bar, Win a Car” Academic Honors Day Celebration for East Baton Rouge Parish School System students on March 11 at the Raising Cane’s River Center. The event recognized juniors and seniors with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher.
Any Baton Rouge Magnet High junior or senior who received a scholarship or Chromebook at the March 11 event was also recognized during the pep rally.
Students don’t always know how to make the most of their study time. Discuss these common study traps — and ways to avoid them — with your teen:
• Not knowing where to begin. At the start of each study session, your teen should make a list of the tasks that need to be completed that day. Then it’s time to prioritize. Which are the most important? Your teen should do those things first.
• Reading without remembering. Help your teen learn how to read actively. This involves making a list of questions about the topic before beginning to read. While reading, your teen can look for answers. After reading, your student should try to restate the answers.
• Assuming understanding. Instead of moving on after doing an assignment, your teen should pause for a short self-quiz. Suggest making up questions a teacher might ask about the topic then trying to answer them.
• Reading lying down. For many teens, it doesn’t take long at all for reading lying down to turn into sleeping.
• Studying all night. Cramming doesn’t work. Learning things in shorter sessions spaced out over time is the best way to remember them
Listening skills will be just as important to your child’s success in school as language, reading and math skills. Be a role model of attentive listening for your preschooler. Give your full attention when your child speaks to you. Make eye contact. Smile and nod. Restate what you hear to confirm that you understand. To further strengthen your child’s listening skills:
• Speak in a voice that helps your child listen. Don’t speak too fast or too loud.
• Combine sight and sound. Talk about what you are doing as your preschooler watches you do it.
• Give your child multistep directions. “Please go to the closet, get your mittens and put them on.”
• Play listening games. Stand behind your child and make familiar noises, like jingling keys. Can your child tell what you are doing without looking?
• Talk about respectful listening. Explain that your child shouldn’t make sounds or jump around when listening. Also, explain why it’s not acceptable to talk when others are talking
PLEASE CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW TO ACCESS THE BOARD-APPROVED CALENDAR FOR THE 2026-27 SCHOOL YEAR:
Middle schoolers can be easily influenced by their peers, and that's not always a bad thing. Get to know the types of peer pressure and learn how to respond to each.
Peer pressure can be:
Positive. Your child’s friends volunteer for a good cause. They want good grades on the next history project. They enjoy participating in fitness challenges. Your response: Encourage these activities. Compliment your child for hanging out with great people.
Neutral. Your child copies a friend’s hairstyle or way of dressing. Your response: Do nothing. Imitating friends’ styles is an innocent and harmless behavior.
Negative. Your child got caught helping a friend cheat. You find a vape hidden in a dresser drawer. Your response: Steer your child toward positive activities and keep your eyes open. Don’t allow unsupervised hangouts with friends who spell trouble. Encourage friendships with more responsible peers. When your child earns back your trust, allow more freedom.
Parent Power is a publication of the East Baton Rouge Parish School System
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, 225-929-8705). The Section 504 coordinator is Danielle Staten-Ojo, (dstaten@ebrschools.org., 225-326-5668). The Title II coordinator is Dr. Sandra Bethley, administrative director of Federal Programs (SBHorton@ebrschools.org, 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 for additional information, program requirements and/or any questions you may have.
LaMont Cole, Superintendent of Schools
lcole@ebrschools.org
Marlon Cousin, Administrative Director of Family and Community Engagement
mcousin@ebrschools.org
Twahna Harris, Community Liaison
tharris5@ebrschools.org
1050 South Foster Drive Baton Rouge, LA 70806, USA
