TEACHERS RECEIVE DEBORAH ROCHELLE GRANTS
Eight Livingston Parish teachers have been awarded the 2025 Deborah Rochelle Teacher Grants to fund instructional, research-based projects that provide direct instruction to local students.
The grant program, which was initiated in 1991, is managed by the Kelly Gene Cook, Sr. Charitable Foundation to benefit qualified teachers and professional staff in East Baton Rouge, Livingston, and St. Tammany parishes. The grant program is named for Rochelle, who is responsible for the grant’s origination and organization. The grants are valued at up to $5,000 each, and they are awarded directly to winning recipients.
The eight recipients and their projects include:
- Anthony Elliot, French Settlement Elementary, received $4,824 to fund Next-Level STEM curriculum.
- Crystal Gurley, Denham Springs High, received $4,955 to fund kits for kids.
- Alicia Jackson, Seventh Ward Elementary, received $4,835 to fund computers for intervention.
- Nikki Lavergne, Live Oak Junior High, received $3,204 to fund responsibility and agricultural literacy.
- Laura Litolff, Albany Lower Elementary, received $5,000 to fund “Let’s Play Together.”
- Heather Smith, Walker Elementary, received $4,284 to fund Tables that Teach.
- Carol Tate, Springfield High, received $1,131 to fund Food Science Books.
- Jaime Winter, Seventh Ward Elementary, $4,823 to fund “Let’s Get Techy with Kindergarten.”
“We are most appreciative of the Kelly Gene Cook, Sr., Foundation and those involved with the Deborah Rochelle Grants program for recognizing the outstanding work that is being done by our teachers,” Superintendent Jody Purvis said.
LIVINGSTON SCHOOL LEADER SELECTED FOR STATE FELLOWSHIP
LPPS Human Resources Director Bryan Wax
Supervisor of Human Resources Bryan Wax will be recognized at the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education meeting next month for receiving the Louisiana Department of Education’s (LDOE) Recruitment and Retention Fellowship for 2024-2025. He is one of 17 professionals selected statewide for the fellowship.
Louisiana, like other states across the nation, is facing serious challenges in maintaining a highly qualified, certified teaching corps. The LDOE launched the first cohort of recruitment and retention fellows in 2020 to address this issue.
The fellowship will allow the selected human resource professionals to collaborate with peers across the state to identify strategies and best practices to attract, support and retain effective educators in public education. They will also engage with national consultants from the Urban Schools Human Capital Academy to gain insights and strategies from the across the country.
“This is a tremendous honor for our human resources director to be selected for this cohort,” Superintendent Jody Purvis said. “Congratulations to Mr. Wax and our human resources staff for being recognized by the state for their professionalism and dedication to advancing the quality of learning in our classrooms.”
DENHAM VENOM AMONG RED STICK RUMBLE’S WINNING ALLIANCE
Members of the Denham Venom robotics team proudly display their winning banner following an undefeated playoff competition finish at the 12th Annual Dow Red Stick Rumble. Pictured from left to right are Drive Team Members Kerven Lindor, Jacob Duke, Evan Durbin and Adam Goslinga.
The Denham Springs High School robotics team, Denham Venom, recently went 11 and 1, including an undefeated playoff run at the 12th Annual Dow Red Stick Rumble to be among the competition’s 2025 winning alliance.
The 2025 winning alliance also included the SWLA Tech Pirates from Lake Charles and the KNOS Robotics Team from New Orleans.
The student-led robotics teams competed in a field of 21 FIRST® Robotics Competition teams and 29 robots from across Louisiana, Mississippi and Florida at the September 13 event, which is one of the largest offseason robotics competitions in the region. The competitions represent months of engineering preparation, innovation, and strategy by the student participants.