Louisiana Connections Academy student to be in Guinness Book of World Records

Louisiana Connections Academy is making headlines thanks to the creative work of one of its elementary school students, Natchitoches resident Veronica Sturman, 10.

Miss Sturman is one of six volunteers named in the Guinness Book of World Records for her participation in the Bead Town project with artist Stephan Wagner. Miss Sturman helped Wagner complete the world’s largest bead mosaic, which will be certified by Guinness in December when officials view the project.

Due to her hard work and incredible commitment to the project, young Sturman’s name will appear in the 48 x 8-foot bead mosaic to be unveiled Dec. 4, in conjunction with the Natchitoches premiere of a documentary about Wagner and his Bead Town projects. Miss Sturman helped Artist Wagner recruit, teach and manage groups of students for the project and also put her personal touch on the mosaic: she donated some fossils that she found to the mural.

 Along with working on the bead project, Miss Sturman is a full-time student at Louisiana Connections Academy, a free, public virtual charter school, and she competes in state and regional gymnastic and cheerleading competitions. 

The 7th Grader credits Louisiana Connections Academy, which serves students statewide in grades K-12, with allowing her the flexibility to participate in projects and competitions while still receiving a high quality education.

"Louisiana Connections Academy gives me flexible hours so that I can pursue other interests during the school day, such as gymnastics, cheerleading and the bead project,” she said. “If I were to go to a brick-and-mortar school, I'd have to give up these things."

As Miss Sturman excitedly preps herself to watch her hard work be listed in the Guinness Book of World Records, she is already exploring new ground. “I am really enjoying learning foreign language,” she said. “Louisiana Connections Academy is making it possible for me to do all the things I love and still learn.”

INFO ON PREMIERE:
Bead Town, 4 p.m., Wed and Thurs., Dec 4-5; Magale Recital Hall, Northwestern State University campus; Tickets $10 per person; info at www.beadtownfilm.com or call (318) 332-4503.

ABOUT LOUISIANA CONNECTIONS ACADEMY
(www.LouisianaConnectionsAcademy.com)
Louisiana Connections Academy is the state’s leading provider of high-quality, free public virtual charter schooling for grades K through 12. Louisiana Connections Academy offers a superior, personalized education for students, offered by Louisiana certified teachers, with the freedom and flexibility of an online education that meets the state’s standards. As an online charter school, students access their lessons anytime, anywhere as long as they have the technology, tools and support of their family. Accountability for meeting high academic student performance is monitored by the non-profit charter board, Friends of Louisiana Connections Academy, Wade Henderson, President. The charter school is authorized by the Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education to accept students from any parish in the state. All parishes are represented by the 1,200 students attending for the 2013-14 school year. Principal Caroline Wood has expanded the school curriculum to include tutoring, summer school, dual enrollment programs and high quality electives, such as e-learning courses at Juilliard. The school is headquartered in Baton Rouge at 8281 Goodwood Blvd., Ste J, (225) 372-8389. Student field trips, graduation ceremonies, parent-to-parent events and school information sessions are regularly scheduled and promoted at the school website.