Tidings from Taylor M A Y Upcoming Events May 7 EOY PARCC Testing (6th8th grades) 7:30—9:30 am AP Computer Science Exam 8—11:30 am Spring Band Concert 6—7 pm May 8 EOY PARCC Make-up Testing (6th—8th grades) 7:30—9:30 am AP US History Exam 8—11:30 am AP European History Exam 12—3 pm May 9 Graduation Class of 2015 Alario Center 6:30—8 pm May 11 Laptop Pickup for 6th Grade 7—8 am Biology EOC Pds. 1 & 2 7:30 am AP Biology Exam 8 am 2 0 1 5 From the Principal’s Pen Jaime Zapico I can’t believe the school year is almost over! It has been a great year and we have made some great memories in our second year on Churchill Parkway. Even though we have only three weeks left of school, please be cognizant of the fact that this is the fourth nine weeks and if you fail a course, you fail the course for the semester. Also, we have exams this nine week period. Remember, exams count for 25% of your final grade. Congratulations to the Class of 2015! Senior award night was held on Wednesday, April 29, and the seniors were recognized for all of their accomplishments. Please see the group picture with the seniors wearing all of their cords and medals. They are going to look great coming down the aisle on graduation night. Mrs. Taylor also celebrated their accomplishments at the World War II Museum at the annual senior brunch that she hosts every year. Congratulations to Quentin Andrus who won the $100,000 scholarship and to Edward Johnson and Kayla Tarr who were surprised with a $32,000 scholarship from Mrs. Taylor as well. What a day for my Taylor Tigers! Final Exam Schedule May 19: no exams/early release day – students will be dismissed at 12:40 May 20: exams for periods 1 and 2/ early release day – students will be dismissed at 12:40 May 21: exams for periods 3 and 4/ early release day – students will be dismissed at 12:40 A big thank you goes to all of the moms who attended our second annual Muffins with Mom event. We are looking forward to celebrating our Taylor dads in the fall of 2015 at the second annual Donuts with Dad. The end of the year award ceremonies will take place on May 14 and May 15. Please look for invitations that are coming home this week. I’m looking forward to two great celebrations all about my Taylor Tigers! Upcoming Events May 12-14 Senior Exams May 12 Laptop Pickup for 7th Grade 7—8 am Algebra I EOC (pd. 3) 7:30 am Biology EOC (pd. 3) 7:30 am Valedictorian/Salutatorian Luncheon 10 am May 13 Laptop Pickup for Sophomores and Juniors 7 am Algebra I EOC (pds. 1&2) 7:30—9 am AP English Language & Composition Exam 8—11:30 am Graduation for the Class of 2015 is scheduled for Saturday, May 19 at 6:30 pm at the Alario Center. Graduates must be at the Alario Center at 5:30. Parents, please make sure all family members are seated in the arena prior to 6:25. The doors will be closing at that time and will not reopen until the National Anthem. Please see the list of do’s and don’ts for that night from the Alario Center (right). Seniors recognized at awards night Elizabeth Kahn Senior awards night was held on Wednesday, April 30th. This is the first time in the history of Taylor that every member of the graduating class will graduate with honors, and each member of the class was recognized for this accomplishment. Colin Bardwell was selected by his classmates to give an address to the class. Kayla Tarr was named valedictorian of the class, and Edward Johnson was named salutatorian. May 14 Laptop Pickup for 8th Grade 7 am Geometry EOC (pd. 4) 7:30—9:30 am Ring Ceremony Kenner Pavilion 9—10 am TIDINGS FROM 1. PROHIBITED ITEMS: Noise makers, HELIUM BALLOONS, non-helper type animals, outside food and drink. 2. GIFTS: Flowers and gifts may be brought into the graduation (reminder: no helium balloons). Please make your guests aware that we will NOT have a florist on site for them as we have had in some previous years. Ring Ceremony for the Class of 2016 is scheduled for Thursday, May 14 at 9:00 am at the Kenner Pavillion. Invitations were mailed last week. Please call the office if you didn’t receive one. The juniors must be there by 8:30 am. After the ceremony, the juniors will have the day off to celebrate. I’m looking forward to another beautiful ceremony! Congratulations Class of 2016! AP Statistics Exam 12—3:30 pm Middle School Award Ceremony 1:30—2:30 pm Graduation Do’s and Don’ts Senior class with honor stoles. MAY Upcoming Events 2015 Tidings from Tech Bytes Kelly Maher May 14 (cont.) Co-op Meeting 6:30—&:30 pm May 15 Laptop pickup for freshmen 7 am AP Human Geography Exam 8—11:30 am 8th Grade Picnic 12 pm High School Award Ceremony 1:30—2:30 pm May 18 Elmwood Fitness Center Field Trip (6th & 7th grades) 9:30 am—12:30 pm May 19 Early Release Day (12:40 dismissal) May 20 Final Exams (1st & 2nd periods) Early Release (12:40 dismissal) May 21 Final Exams (3rd & 4thperiods) Early Release (12:40 dismissal) Last day of school for students As many of you know, TED is a global online community devoted to ideas worth spreading. Summer is coming, and I thought this would be a great opportunity to share some of my favorite TED Talks. Although TED covers a broad range of subjects, from science, to business, to global issues, I chose to limit this list to those that are related to technology and education. So, if you have a little time and need some inspiration, check out some of these links: TED Technology Pranav Mistry: The thrilling potential of SixthSense technology Danny Hillis: The Internet could crash. We need a Plan B Regina Dugan: From mach-20 glider to humming bird drone Abha Dawesar: Life in the "digital now" Eli Pariser: Beware online "filter bubbles Chris Domas: The 1s and 0s behind cyber warfare Keren Elazari: Hackers: the Internet's immune system Gary Kovacs: Tracking our online trackers Avi Rubin: All your devices can be hacked Yves Rossy: Fly with the Jetman Bruno Maisonnier: Dance, tiny robots! Kevin Allocca: Why videos go viral Jay Silver: Hack a banana, make a keyboard! David Pogue: 10 top time-saving tech tips Juan Enriquez: Your online life, permanent as a tattoo Juan Enriquez: Will our kids be a different species? Playlist: Tech breakthrough (14 talks) Playlist: What does the future look like? (11 talks) Playlist: Who are the hackers? (9 talks) TED Education Ben Dunlap: The life-long learner John McWhorter: Txtng is killing language. JK!!! Sugata Mitra: Build a School in the Cloud Joi Ito: Want to innovate? Become a "now-ist" Sugata Mitra's 5 favorite education talks Re-imagining school (12 talks): Ken Robinson: 10 talks on education MAY Upcoming Events High School 4H News April 30 English II EOC Part 1 Julia Avila (period 4) 7:30—9:30 am The 4H high school students are working directly with LSU Coastal Roots™ Program. The program involves only 45 schools in Louisiana and one in Chile. The goal is for students to develop an attitude of stewardship toward our natural resources and to provide for them a constructive active learning situation in which they can explore strategies for sustaining our coastal ecosystems. Three teachers attended the training at the LSU Ag Center in mid March: Dr. Simpson, Mrs. Lartigue, and Ms. Avila. The Diviners (Play) 7—9 pm May 1 English II EOC Part 2 (period 4) 7:30—9:30 am The Diviners (Play) 7—9 pm May 2 Junior/Senior Prom La Maison Creole 8—11 pm May 4 AP Env. Science Exam 8—11:30 am Co-op Staff Appreciation 11:30 am—1 pm AP Psychology Exam 12—3:30 pm May 4—8 EOY PARCC Testing (6th—8th Grades) 7:30—9:30 am May 5 AP Calculus Exam 8—11:30 am May 6 AP Physics Exam 12—3:30 pm May 7 AP Comp. Science Exam 8—11:30 am Spring Band Concert 6—7 pm 2015 Middle School 4H News Lisa Valence The middle school 4-H club ended its year as a First Place 4-H Club because of its many service projects and activities! Their final project was to purchase Target gift cards for their teachers. The club raised money from their annual Cake Walk at the Senior Carnival. Thank you to all of the wonderful grandparents who donated cakes and brownies to our booth!! Lines from the Librarian Elizabeth Kahn With the popularity of the basketball March Madness, the students participated in a library battle of the books in midMarch. The 16 books were selected by a team at School Library Journal. We followed along online with that battle, but the author judges did not always agree with our students. I made sure that we had at least two copies of each book, and I encouraged the students to read. In Rounds 1 through 3, all members of the PFTSTA community could help select their favorite books in those rounds by voting online. For the fourth and final round, the students really wanted to go to battle and have a live presentation with real time voting with quick results. We had a great turn out of mostly middle school students, and all three books had fans. It was the very quirky Grasshopper Jungle, by Andrew Smith, that won the hearts of most of the students. Book champions from left to right are Ella Grindstaff, Hannah Withrow, and Kaitlyn Esneault, who are all members of BRiMS,and Kayla Tarr, who is a member of Bookmarked. On April 20th, the high school and middle school book groups merged for a meeting to Skype with author Andrea Cremer. She had visited Taylor in January of 2012, but none of the students currently in either group heard her speak at that time. She was very gracious and answered all the students’ questions without skipping a beat. She began her professional career as a history professor at a small college in Minnesota, so the students were fascinated with how she made the leap to writing young adult fiction. In her newest series, her main character will be visitRachel Wallace approaches the ing New Orleans in the second volume, and the stumicrophone to ask Andrea a question. dents were interested to find out how that will play out. In preparation for summer and to avoid the “summer slide,” all students need a stack of books to keep their minds working while on break. The public library is a great source of books, and you can download apps that will allow you to download eBooks and audio books for free from the Jefferson Public Library. Follow this link to find out how: http://bit.ly/JPLdigital. PFTSTA Library --- All Readers Welcome TIDINGS FROM TAYLOR Key Club News John McCloskey Key Club has been busy with community events and the crown jewel of our activities was our Family Fun Night. The purpose for this event was to raise money for Project Eliminate, a global effort to eliminate neonatal tetanus. Family Fun Night was the brainchild of our club vice president, Rachelle Bold. Rachelle also secured guest speakers Dr. and Mr. McDonald from the West Jefferson Kiwanis Club. In addition to the guest speakers, there were plenty of games, and there was music and food for all. When all was said and done, the Pat Taylor Key Club raised nearly $500 for Project Eliminate. Other activities in which the Key Club participated included a Rock and Roll Marathon, “penny wars” fundraiser, and giving the sixth graders a nachos party. This time of year is also the time we elect our new officers for the 2015-2016 school year. The results of the election were as follows: President – Brandon Bui; Vice President – Jake LeBlanc; Secretary – Kiara Horton; Treasurer – Cathrine Wertz; and Historian – Jason Hall. Congratulations to our new officers (Brandon was re-elected), and we look forward to next year. Our annual Key Clubber of the Year award was given to Catherine Wertz. She was honored at the Kiwanis Club of New Orleans annual honor banquet meeting in April. We had a wonderful annual district convention (D-CON). D-CON was held at the Crowne Plaza in Baton Rouge. We are fortunate to have the convention so close to home. Our Key Club District consists of all of Louisiana, Mississippi, and the western part of Tennessee. We met other Key Clubbers from our district and attended leadership and community service workshops. We also competed and participated in various fun activities. Our next convention is the Key Club International convention in July. Any member interested in attending should talk to Brandon Bui. I am very proud of the students who devote so much time to others. The Patrick F. Taylor Key Club takes great pride in staying active in our school and community, and truly tries to live up to our vision statement: We are caring and competent servant leaders transforming communities worldwide. TIDINGS FROM TAYLOR Junior Achievement News Lisa Valence Junior Achievement invited Patrick Taylor high school students to critique their Biz Town program for fifth and sixth graders. JA was looking for student suggestions to increase the STEM activities as part of the visit to Biz Town. A group of freshmen, sophomores, and juniors visited the site on the day that Metairie Academy fifth graders were visiting. Our students then met with JA education specialist, Michelle Molina, to share their suggestions. There were many creative ideas offered and the Junior Achievement team was very happy to receive our ideas. It was a great partnership allowing Taylor students to give back to their community! Chemistry News Janell Simpson Chemistry students performed acid-base titrations during PARCC testing for middle school. Students compared the titration curve of strong acid and base to that of soft drinks and antacids. Who knew that the pH of a soft drink was so acidic? Students learned to write neutralization equations and calculate the molarity of phosphoric acid. From left to right: Rachel Indest, Gabrielle Young, Hillary Keyes, and Raeven Mataya What’s happening in talent art Linda Patrick Talent Art students are completing the box assemblage sculpture they have been working hard on for much of this semester. It will represent an overall view of where we live, with each box’s subject being chosen by a student as something special about our area. The two Talent Visual Arts II students below, Valerie Ruiz and Marissa Nguyen, are assembling the final piece into an appropriate crescent shape, which will be on display in the fall. TIDINGS FROM TAYLOR Chi Alpha Mu and Mu Alpha Theta—Spring 2015 Highlights Kay Butler Once again, Mu Alpha Theta members kicked it up a notch! Our CAM and MAO members were very busy this year participating in numerous competitions and tournaments: Rocket City Math League, Ben Franklin High, Lafayette High, Brother Martin High, Baton Rouge Magnet High, LSU Math Department High School Competition, and Bolton High, followed up by the Louisiana Mu Alpha Theta State Convention in Baton Rouge. Chi Alpha Mu students were very impressive this year as they earned numerous individual and team awards in competitions at the Algebra 1 and Geometry levels. In particular, Jacob LeBlanc and Chau Nguyen each competed in five different tournaments this year, tying for the most competitions and frequently taking top spots in geometry. Dylan Vasquez competed in five tournaments, the most of any Mu Alpha Theta members this year, also earning top awards in precalculus. We are especially proud of our winners at the LSU High School Competition: Jasmine McGowan, who placed 3rd in the Algebra 1 / Geometry test, and Dylan Vasquez, who placed 4th in Precalculus. They competed against students from around the state! Attending La MAO State Convention this year were Madison Berard, Destiny Burnett, Jonathan Griffith, Alexandra Miserendino (placed in the Precalculus Functions Test), Abdullah Syed, and Kayla Tarr (LaMAO State Executive Board member). As Kayla ends her year as Chapter President and District II Governor, Tyler Libert takes his place as our chapter’s president (he ran unopposed), and Alexandra Miserendino begins her year as District II Governor. Elections for other MAO officers will be soon, so check Paw Prints to find out who our other 2015-16 officers will be. Chi Alpha Mu will be electing their representatives to the MAO Executive Board at that time also. MAY 2015 This year’s Mu Alpha Theta Induction was the largest ever, adding twenty-seven students to our chapter’s membership. By earning a 3.25 or higher in mathematics (and physics for seniors) and a recommendation from their most recent mathematics teachers, the following students earned the honor of joining Mu Alpha Theta: Seniors – Destiny Burnett, Ali Kirkland, Kirsten LeCompte, Dillon Duy Nguyen, and Jazmine Wells; Juniors – Justin Z. Brown, Baylor M. Evans, Cameron Lane Granger, Jason Hall, Suliman Hamed, Kiara Horton, Marissa Nguyen, Valerie Ruiz, and Ariel Walker; Sophomores – Michaela Brown and Maryann Yacoub; and Freshmen – Caudle J. Adkins V “Quint,” Elizabeth A. Bundick, Patrick Grindstaff, Jacob LeBlanc, Jake M. LeBlanc, Corianna C. McDonald, Chau Nguyen, Eduardo Paternostro, Harrison Jacob Reiner, Laura Smith, and Taylor Tran. Students who qualify for Mu Alpha Theta when school starts will be added to the national registry and become members in August. They will be formally inducted during our spring ceremony next year. Washington D.C. for Next Year’s Seventh & Eighth Graders Lisa Valence This fall will be the fourth and final time that I lead a group of students to Washington DC. I feel sure that another teacher will carry on this fun tradition. Every group has been terrific and had an awesome time! If you are interested in sending your child or coming with your child in November, please sign up soon. This gives you the opportunity to create a payment plan that works for you. I will be sending flyers home, and I have more information I can share with you. This year we will be attending Spy 101 and laying a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, as well as visiting many museums, monuments, and much, much more! Contact Worldstrides @ 1-800-688-8584. Our trip ID # is 114781. You can email me with questions (lvalence@pftsta.jppss.k12.la.us ). Thanks, Lisa Valence TIDINGS FROM TAYLOR MAY 2015 A Musical Note: Band News Greetings Taylor Tigers: It feels like just yesterday we were beginning the school year, and already May is here. Before we know it, we will be on summer break. With the conclusion of another school year comes a new beginning for our graduating senior band member, Warren Abadie. Warren has been a joy to have in the band. He is hard working and intelligent. The band and I will miss Warren tremendously, and we wish him the very best in his future endeavors. I am grateful for his service to the band and the school. The band does many things throughout the school year. Many of these events require adult chaperones so we can keep our students safe while they are learning and having fun off campus. A sincere thank you goes out to all of the many volunteers who have helped the band this past school year. All of you are truly amazing. The band has two more performances remaining. Below is what we have on our schedule for the rest of the year: Band Rehearsal Schedule : May: After school practices are Monday 5/4, Tuesday 5/5, and Wednesday 5/6 Performances: May 7 6:30 pm (Thursday) May 10 6:30 pm(Saturday) Spring Concert at PFTSTA (beginning students will perform) Graduation at the Alario Center All performances are in concert dress black and white: dress black pants or skirt, dress white shirt or blouse, black shoes, and black socks (no socks with a skirt). Please do not wear jeans or tennis shoes. Everyone have a wonderful spring, and I’ll see you at the concert! Sincerely, John J. McCloskey Band Director Junior/Senior Prom Brings Midnight Masquerade to La Maison Creole Katie Higgins Thank you to the junior class, led by president Michael Pham and vice-president Sam Tejeda, for planning and hosting a wonderful junior/senior prom on Saturday, May 2! This year’s theme was Midnight Masquerade with black, white, and gold accents. The dance was held at La Maison Creole in Harvey and music was provided by our very own DJ Marky Mark. Congratulations to seniors Colin Bardwell and Ali Kirkland, who were voted as this year’s prom king and queen! A fun time was had by everyone, and we look forward to planning next year’s prom. TIDINGS FROM TAYLOR MAY News from the Athletics Department Danielle White In PE, students are finishing their semester with Elmwood Fitness and their “On the Move Program.” Their class trip will be held on Monday, May 18 when students will visi the Elmwood facility in Harahan. Students have also been re-testing for the fitness gram to show their fitness improvements. In athletics, the boy’s track team placed 1st in Districts, and the girl’s placed 3rd. Four athletes qualified for the state meet at LSU this Thursday: Gorium Bush, Morgan Brown, Dareana Roy, and Aaliyah Edinburgh. The middle school track team also ran well, finishing their season at the St. Martin’s invitational. The athletic awards ceremony will be held for all athletes, on Monday, May 11. 2015 Taylor Tiger places in chess competition Lisa Valence Congratulations to sixth grader Darcy Schneider who placed second in the K-8 U800 in the Louisiana State Scholastic Chess Championships on May 2nd in Baton Rouge. She will be competing again this weekend in the 2015 National Elementary K-6 Championships the K-6 Under 1000 Division in Nashville. UNO-STARS Hackathon/Competition Kelly Maher Patrick Grindstaff, Marco Flores, Henry Hazlett, and Harry Reiner competed in the University of New Orleans-STARS Hackathon/ Competition on Saturday, May 2, 2015 at UNO. Congratulations to Marco and Henry (pictured), who won second place in the Python Programming Competition. A great time was had by all. TIDINGS FROM TAYLOR Patrick Taylor students tackle grief, love in thrilling stage play Kenetha Harrington Led by a blended cast of upperclassmen and middle school students, theater-goers at Patrick Taylor enjoyed a powerful set of performances on April 30 and May 1. "The Diviners," written by Jim Leonard Jr., was directed by theater teacher and actress Kenetha Harrington. Casting took place in February with rehearsals soon following, leading up to back-to-back night shows of the 1920's-set production. The play covers the challenges facing a young boy and his family in a small town in Indiana after the drowning death of his mother. The cast included Domenic Mesa, Brandon Bui, Dareana Roy, Jason Hall, Dante Herbert, Amaiya Williams, Michaela Brown, Angel Askew Thompson, T.J. King, Harris Dorado, and Janee Kovacs. TIDINGS FROM TAYLOR Class of 2015 celebrates with Mrs. Taylor Elizabeth Kahn Mrs. Phyllis Taylor began a tradition with the first graduating class in 2009 in which she treats the members of the class and their parents to a celebratory brunch in the weeks prior to graduation. This year the students were invited to eat at the Stage Door Canteen in the World War II museum. Before brunch everyone had a chance to view the movie Beyond All Boundaries, and during brunch the group was serenaded by the group from On the Air: A Live Mrs. Taylor presents the Patrick Taylor Foundation Radio Broadcast Musical. Scholarships to Edward Johnson, Kayla Tarr, and Quentin Andrus. The members of the senior class pose with Mrs. Taylor TIDINGS FROM TAYLOR NJHS inducts new members Lisa Valence The National Junior Honor Society held its Induction Ceremony in April. Students were selected based on their GPA and their leadership qualities. The organization holds several community oriented activities throughout the school year. Congratulations to all! The Leadership Team: Madison Bertucci, Erin Wallace, Hannah Porta, Madeline Fryer, Ava Arabie, and Janee Kovacs TIDINGS FROM TAYLOR Environmental Science Club raises awareness about conservation Janell Simpson In the picture to the right, club president Madison Berard plays STREAM Bingo with Joneya Williams and Emily Schmidt. As the students played Bingo, they learned about Water Quality as part of the servicelearning grant sponsored by the Brown Foundation. Club members also sold bracelets reminding wearers to Reduce/ Reuse/Recycle. 3R bracelets are available for purchase from any Environmental Science Club member or Dr. Simpson (room 205). TIDINGS FROM TAYLOR Website Update Kelly Maher The Web Mastering class has been hard at work on the school’s new web site: pftsa.com. The updated site will be launched later this month. We welcome your input. Please contact Kelly Maher at: kmaher@pftsta.jppss.k12.la.us with your ideas and suggestions. New tradition celebrates Taylor’s moms Elizabeth Kahn The second annual Muffins with Mom event was scheduled for April 21st. It was well attended, and the smiles tell us that it was enjoyed by all. TIDINGS FROM TAYLOR Tigers win Saints-Progressive recycling contest Lisa Valence Congratulations to Patrick F. Taylor Science & Technology Academy for accomplishing the highest diversion rate of the competing schools! Taylor students and staff recycle over 61% of the school's trash on a regular basis. Here is a link to the Saints page with the final results of the competition: http://www.neworleanssaints.com/fan-zone/progressive.html. As a reward for the Tigers’ efforts in reducing waste, the Saints brought the Saints Junior Training Camp to Taylor for all middle school students to participate in on May 7, 2015. Way to go, Tigers! A Message from the Co-op As the 2014-15 school year comes to a close, I would like to express a big “THANK YOU” to all of the Taylor Families who participated in the events hosted by the Co-Op this year. Many memories were made full of fun and laughter. The Co-Op exists to support our school and students through fundraising events and activities. Each year the CoOp is able to fulfill many items on teacher’s “wish lists” and supply the different departments with equipment to enhance the learning environment for our students. I have had the pleasure of working with an excellent Co-Op Board, serving as President-elect this year. I would like to give a big shout out and thanks to Jodi Witliff, Co-Op President, for her outstanding leadership and the dedication she exhibits continuously. I have a big pair of shoes to fill this upcoming year. We welcome our newly elected Co-Op Board and hope that many more Taylor Families will join our Co-Op in the upcoming school year because we have a great TEAM at Taylor. With a great TEAM, Together Everyone Achieves More. I look forward to an exciting 2015-16 school year, and I am confident that the Co-Op will continue to have successful events with positive outcomes. Have a great summer!!! Tina Scheurer Co-Op President Elect 2014-15 Co-Op President 2015-16 TIDINGS FROM TAYLOR Patrick F. Taylor Science & Technology Academy Contact Us: 701 Churchill Parkway Avondale, LA 70094 Phone: 555-555-5555 Fax: 555-555-5555 E-mail: someone@example.comQuestions - Kathy Guzman kguzman@pftsta.jppss.k12.la.us Jefferson Parish Public School System jpschools.org We’re on the web! pftsta.com twitter.com/pftsta facebook.com/pftsta
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