October 2024

SCHOOL SYSTEM AND SHERIFF’S OFFICE PARTNER ON SAFETY MESSAGE

Livingston Parish Public Schools and the Livingston Parish Sheriff’s Office have partnered together to address an important issue that has surfaced in recent weeks involving social media threats targeting schools. These threats, while often non-credible, can create significant disruptions to learning and impact the well-being of students and staff. These threats also obligate law enforcement to detract from other concerns across the parish.

Superintendent Jody Purvis and Sheriff Jason Ard have created a video that will be posted across various social media platforms informing the community of how to appropriately deal with threatening materials.

At the same time, the school system has mandated all middle school and high school campuses to teach a lesson on the severe consequences of making threats, as well as the appropriate way to handle and report threatening material to authorities.

“It is crucial for both students and parents to understand the vital role they play in maintaining a safe school environment. This is a very serious issue, but by working together and responding to these situations with care and caution, we can prevent unnecessary disruptions and keep our schools safe,” Purvis said.

The following safety tips are stressed:

  1. Do Not Share or Repost Threats

Sharing or reposting threats, even if done out of concern, can cause unnecessary alarm and interfere with investigations. The goal of those making these threats is often to create fear and chaos, and the continued circulation of such posts amplifies that impact.

  1. Report to Authorities or a Trusted Adult

If your child encounters a threatening post, the best course of action is to immediately report it to a trusted adult, such as a teacher or administrator, and to law enforcement. This ensures the appropriate authorities can quickly and effectively investigate the situation. Reports can also be made directly to district administrators through its Safe Schools platform at www.safeschoolsla.com.

  1. Stay Informed and Cautious

We encourage families to have open conversations with their children about the responsible use of social media and the consequences of sharing harmful content. Those found to be inappropriately sharing or posting threatening content will be subject to disciplinary action per the district’s Student/Parent Handbook.

 

ROBOTS CONVERGE ON DENHAM SPRINGS FOR HIGH-TECH COMPETITION

Pictured are robots that were built for competition in the annual Dow Red Stick Rumble Robotic Competition.  The robots are remotely controlled by students who maneuver the equipment to perform required tasks indicated by the competition.

The 11th Annual Dow Red Stick Rumble Robotics Competition recently took place at Denham Springs High School, bringing high-tech competition among high schoolers to the area for a game called “Crescendo.”

The Dow Red Stick Rumble brings together 20 FIRST® Robotics Competition teams from Louisiana, Texas and Mississippi, where students showcase their 120-pound robots in a thrilling bid for the coveted Red Stick Rumble Trophy.

“When you come to competitions like this, you aren’t watching amazing robots built by professionals but by high school students—many who have spent hundreds of hours learning skills that many won’t encounter until they graduate college and enter the workforce,” said Daniel Eiland, Dow Red Stick Rumble Coordinator. “We’re training the next engineer, machinist, programmer, CEO. The sky is the limit for these amazing students.”

 

VOTERS TO SELECT SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER FOR DISTRICT 2 SEAT

Voters in the Live Oak School District will vote on Nov. 5 to fill the Livingston Parish School Board Seat for District 2.

That seat became vacated late last year when board member Kellee Hennessey Dickerson resigned to assume a newly elected position of State Representative.  The board appointed Stacy Robinson to temporarily fill the seat until an election could be held to find a new board member for that district.

Two Republican candidates are seeking the position:

  • Taylor Hubert is a graduate of Live Oak High School. His wife is a teacher. He works in management at Satsuma Valve and Controls, a valve repair and manufacturing company.
  • Robert Seals is a retired banker who children and grandchildren graduated from Live Oak High School. His wife formerly taught at the high school and his daughter teaches at South Live Oak Elementary.

Taylor Hubert

Robert Seals