Lusher Charter School, located in Uptown New Orleans, will host open houses for prospective students and their parents to highlight its K-12 arts-integration, inquiry-based approach to education. 

The Middle and High School Open House for students in grades 6-12 will be held Thursday, November 14, 6pm at Lusher’s Fortier Campus, 5624 Freret St. in the Atlantic Bridge Gymnasium (between the school and the football field). Call (504) 304-3961 for more information about Middle/High School.

Lower School Open Houses for incoming Kindergarten students will be held on Friday, November 8 at 8:20am at the Lower School Campus at 7315 Willow St.  Open House for grades 1-5 will be held on Thursday, November 7, 8:20am at the Lower School Campus at 7315 Willow St.  Contact Becky Bell at 593-8275 for information about the Lower School.

If you look up the word ambitious in the dictionary, you may find a photo of Brian Egana, President and Founder of Circular Consulting, LLC.  In addition to this robust role at the helm of a consulting firm, Brian is also the Vice Chair of FirstLine Schools. A board member since 2010, Mr. Egana has chaired both the Advocacy and Facilities Committees. 

Brian’s experiences in the public and private sectors extend over decades from serving as Legislative Assistant to Councilmember Oliver Thomas, working at Job1 Business and Career Solutions to enhance workforce development, and as Project Manager at the Louisiana Land Trust, Inc. 

November is National Caregivers Awareness Month and the Louisiana Lifespan Respite Coalition wants to help educate caregivers about the services and supports available to them.

One out of every three Louisiana adults is a caregiver, according to the Coalition.

A caregiver is more than just a parent or guardian.

“A caregiver is someone who provides the primary means of care and support for children with special needs, adults with disabilities or older adults in Louisiana who otherwise could not care for themselves,” said Coalition member Kelly Viator, Executive Director of  Louisiana ALS.

Louisiana caregivers provide more than 600 million hours of care in a year, and the majority care for someone under the age of 75. In the U.S., 10,000 individuals turn 65 every day.

Ninety percent of Louisiana’s caregivers will not get a break, and for the few who do, they will get too little too late, said Ms. Viator.

In short, the typical person providing care in this state…a middle-aged working-woman caring for her aged mother in her home…is in a very stressed predicament.

How can one help?

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT: Patricia Lambrinos 504.503.0062 plambrinos@bfhsla.org  


Benjamin Franklin High School Receives $7,200 Grant from the Keep Louisiana Beautiful (KLB) Healthy Communities Grant
Grant to support cleanup and recycle programs  

New Orleans, LA-- October 28, 2013  – Benjamin Franklin High School (BFHS) recently received a $7,200 grant from Keep Louisiana Beautiful (KLB) to support its healthy communities program. Specifically, the grant will support cleanup and recycle programs on campus and in the community. With the funds, we have purchased trash cans, recycle bins, and clean-up grabbers for the student body to use when they participate in school and community-wide cleanup events.

(Wilson Charter students Amyriel Thibodeaux and Jala Anderson enjoy breakfast in the classroom where the school is using the time to improve academic results and school improvement.)

When Andrew Wilson Charter Principal Logan Crowe got a “D” from the Louisiana Department of Education on the school’s “report card” last year, he figured he had to do something different. So he started a breakfast club.

“Nearly all our students qualify for free breakfast anyway, so our school leadership team decided to move that time into the classroom and make breakfast an integral part of the school day,” said Principal Crowe.

The idea came from faculty training with The Center for Restorative Approaches, where the concept of “community circles” was discussed as a way for students to build cooperation, communication and interaction skills.

The school’s teachers wanted to grab every moment to help students better understand their subjects and provide a unique way to better reach Wilson’s young minds, said Principal Wilson So, beginning in the 2013-2014 school year, every morning students began being served and eating breakfast in their classroom to reach a goal of bell-to-bell instruction, said Principal Crowe.

“Our goal was to seek academic improvements, but we found we’re actually building a more positive school community. Eating in the classroom has created a family-style environment for our students, allowing them to get to know each other and their teachers better,” said Principal Crowe.

On Tuesday, November 12, the Louisiana Association of Public Charter Schools and Cowen Institute for Public Education Initiatives will co-host a presentation and community forum entitled Fostering Student and School Success Through Effective School Community Partnerships from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the Bowers Auditorium, 1555 Poydras.  

Featuring Lila Leff – education and strategy consultant and founder of Umoja Student Development Corporation in Chicago (UmojaCorporation.org)  – as presenter and moderator, the event will engage the audience using interactive technology, allowing attendees to provide input as topics are discussed. The data will be processed “live” to show the group how perceptions vary based on subject and stakeholder affiliation. All participants will receive a session summary with tools and templates included. Additionally, two participating organizations will receive 5 hours of ongoing coaching and support related to their own community partnership efforts.  

Light refreshments will be served. The cost to attend is $20 before November 1, $25 thereafter.

Register for the event at http://thetopshelf111213.eventbrite.com/. To learn more, visit www.lacharterschools.org or call Makiyah Moody at 504.274.3649.

WHAT: Ahoy! Set sail with Hynes Charter School as they host their “Hynes Takes a Sea Cruise” gala. The event includes food from Dooky Chase, Drago’s, Creole Creamery, and several other local establishments. The evening will include special performances from The Essentials, Matt Johnson Trio, and the New Orleans Saxophone Quartet. Funds raised from the gala will help benefit Hynes Charter School’s outdoor enhancements.  

WHEN: Saturday, November 16, 2013                        
7:00 p.m. – 11:00 p.m.  

WHERE: Hynes Charter School 990 Harrison Avenue New Orleans, LA 70124

Tickets are $60 in Advance, $75 Day of Event. Sponsorship opportunities available. For more information, visit http://www.hynesschool.org or call (504) 324-7160.

WHAT: Open House for Parents and Prospective Students
To learn more about Hynes School, parents and guardians of prospective students are invited to attend an open house.  Edward Hynes Charter Elementary School is accepting applications for the 2014-2015 school year for children in grades Pre-K gifted and Kindergarten-8th grade beginning now. 

WHEN:       Thursday, November 7, 8:30-10am Thursday, November 14, 8:30-10am

WHERE:   Hynes Charter School, 990 Harrison Ave., New Orleans, LA 70124

Meet in the gym on Orleans St. @ French St.          

(504) 324-7160   www.hynesschool.org

For more information, please call 504-324-7160, or visit the school website at www.hynesschool.org