By Brad Dison

For months, Andrew Jackson, the seventh president of the United States, had been on the cusp of death.  Several times his skillful doctor had “snatched [him] from the very jaws of death by the timely and skillful application of medicinal remedies.”  But on that Sunday evening, the doctor’s skill was exhausted.  “The suffering old hero” knew his time had come.  “Death had no terrors for him,” one newspaper reported, “he met [death] with composure, and with a full confidence that he was prepared for a better world.”  “His dying hour was cheered with the bright assurance within him that in a few short moments he would be united in Heaven with his beloved wife, [Rachel], who had gone before him.”  At 6:00 p.m. on Sunday, June 8, 1845, Andrew Jackson took his last breath.  When news of his death was reported, newspapers referred to Jackson, not as former president, but General Andrew Jackson.      

Early on Tuesday morning, June 10, the day of his funeral, throngs of people who had procured every available vehicle in Nashville and surrounding towns gathered at the Hermitage, Andrew Jackson’s home.  Friend and foe alike gathered to take one last look at “Old Hickory.”  Some came out of respect and admiration, while others came to be sure he was mortal and was truly gone forever.  Businesses throughout Nashville closed and “the city had all the appearance of a Sabbath.”  From 11:00 a.m., the time his funeral began, until 1:00 p.m., people fired “minute guns,” guns fired at the top of each minute, and the bells of all the churches in the city tolled.  Reverend Dr. Edgar presided over the funeral at the Hermitage and preached a sermon which, by all accounts, was most impressive and eloquent.  Following the funeral, Andrew Jackson’s body was interred in the vault next to his beloved wife, Rachel.

The former president’s visitation, funeral, and burial was completed according to his wishes, quietly and peacefully…well, sort of.  While the crowd was gathering at the visitation before the funeral, one who had been a constant companion of “Old Hickory” for nearly 20 years, an African named Poll, “got excited and commenced swearing so loud and long” that he upset the others in attendance and had to be physically removed from the house.  Some people were shocked that the dead man’s companion showed no reverence for the solemn occasion, while others were shocked to hear such language spoken aloud in mixed company.  Some asked where the companion had learned such language in the first place.  Many suspected the companion learned the expletives from Old Hickory himself.  You see, the companion who swore at Andrew Jackson’s visitation, the African named Poll, was an African gray… Parrot.

Sources:

1.     Tri-Weekly Nashville Union, June 10, 1845, p.2.

2.     Tri-Weekly Nashville Union, June 12, 1845, p.2.

3.     “History from Home – Presidential Pets.” The Hermitage, April 30, 2020, https://thehermitage.com/history-from-home-presidential-pets/.Accessed April 2, 2023.

Keep Natchitoches Beautiful recently received the 2023 Trash Receptacle Grant from Keep Louisiana Beautiful to help keep litter at a minimum at the new Dog Park that is under construction at Parc Natchitoches.

Keep Louisiana Beautiful awarded Keep Natchitoches Beautiful with eight trash receptacles to help reduce litter. The receptacles will also help reduce the amount of cigarette butts at the Dog Park to make the area cleaner for the public.

“We are excited and thankful that we received this grant! This grant will help us keep litter at a minimum at our new Dog Park that we are constructing at Parc Natchitoches,” said Keep Natchitoches Beautiful Director Alicia Christophe. “If we offer ways for citizens to properly dispose of their trash and cigarette butts, we have a better chance at keeping our environment and our new Dog Park clean and beautiful.”

To schedule a cleanup, please go online to http://www.natchitochesla.gov and click “Plan a Cleanup” at the top of the page. To learn more about Keep Louisiana Beautiful visit http://www.keeplouisianabeautiful.org.

About Keep Louisiana Beautiful

Keep Louisiana Beautiful, Inc. is the state’s anti-litter and community improvement organization focused on education, enforcement, awareness and cleanups. Keep Louisiana Beautiful’s mission is to promote personal, corporate, and community responsibility for a clean and beautiful Louisiana. Through our programs, and statewide network of affiliates and partners, we provide tools and resources to prevent litter, reduce waste, increase recycling and beautify spaces. Keep Louisiana Beautiful is a non-profit organization dedicated to achieving a cleaner, greener Louisiana through litter reduction and beautification initiatives. To get involved, please visit keeplouisianabeautiful.org.

Kevin’s Gallery

Cannons roared and gunfire reverberated through the quiet village of Pleasant Hill March 31 through April 2 as the Union and Confederate armies clashed in one of the battles of Union General Nathan P. Banks’ Red River Campaign. Unlike the actual battle in 1864, the cannon and rifle fire did not result in a storm of lead and iron and the casualties “resurrected” after the battle was over.

Sunday, April 9, will mark the 159th anniversary of the Battle of Pleasant Hill. The first re-enactment was held in 1964 on the 100th anniversary of the battle. After a hiatus of several years, the re-enactment went on to become a beloved tradition presented on, or as close as possible to, the anniversary of the battle. This year’s re-enactment is the 43rd one. The Battle of Pleasant Hill re-enactment is a rarity in that it commemorates a specific battle and takes place on the actual battlefield. The site is about 3 miles from the modern site of the Village of Pleasant Hill. This year’s re-enactment featured over 350 participants from Louisiana and surrounding states.

Friday featured an open camp held for local educators so school groups could come and learn about life in the Civil War era. Saturday and Sunday each featured battles fought before a large crowd of several hundred spectators as well as the Battle of Pleasant Hill Queen, court and a contingent of festival and pageant queens from across Louisiana. Young men from a Texas Trail Life Troop raised the flag in the opening ceremony.

There was also a period church service Sunday as well as a memorial luminaria ceremony commemorating the soldiers who fell in the Battle of Pleasant Hill.

The Battle of Pleasant Hill re-enactment is an educational and family friendly event that offers something to history aficionados of every age. There is no charge to attend the reenactment. The Battle of Pleasant Hill re-enactment is one of the myriad of festivals, concerts and other events that make life in Louisiana anything but boring. The Parish Journals of Louisiana congratulates the re-enactors and volunteers whose hard work is evidenced throughout the well organized and fun event. The Battle of Pleasant Hill re-enactment is a superb example of what a small town can accomplish working together.

The Louisiana School for Math, Science and the Arts hosted a presentation about a little known, but important, piece of military history Friday, March 31 from one of the men who took part in it. On the morning of January 16th, 1991, seven B-52G bombers took off from Barksdale Air Force Base for a 35.4 hour mission that took them halfway around the world in the first use of the B-52 in combat since the Vietnam War. It was also a record for longest conventional combat sortie that was to stand until 2003. When they returned to Barksdale, they had fired the opening shots of Desert Storm, a fact that was to remain secret for a year, and remains little known today, over thirty years after the flight. The bombers unleashed 35 of the then new and untested Conventional Air Launched Cruise Missile on Iraqi command and control and communications facilities, leaving enemy commanders unable to respond effectively to coalition attacks.

The students got to hear the story of the “Secret Squirrel”, so informally named as the actual name of the operation “Senior Surprise” was in itself classified, mission from one of the people who was part of it. Warren Ward, a retired USAF Colonel now serving as the Chief of Staff & Director of Operations for the Louisiana Tech Research Institute in Ruston, gave a talk on the historic mission and his role in it as the pilot of Doom-33, one of the seven bombers in the mission.

Col. Ward showed the route the bombers flew from Louisiana to the skies over the battlefield. He told about some of the challenges the aircrews faced such as a Libyan fighter coming up to investigate as they flew past and an Egyptian air defense system noticing them. There were also challenges presented by the massive amounts of fuel needed from refueling tankers, especially as the bombers faced headwinds coming home. The Secret Squirrel bombing mission destroyed the ability of Iraqi commanders to effectively react to the upcoming liberation of Kuwait. Doom-33 and their fellow pilots and aircrew saved the lives of an unknowable number of soldiers and marines in the invasion.

The evening’s presentation was the result of some remarkable happenstance. Jennifer Fountain, a 1995 LSMSA Alumna and Vice President of the LSMSA Alumni Association, is a major in the US Air Force who served under Col. Ward while they were both assigned to the Pentagon. She is currently in her final year on active duty and is serving as a math tutor at the LSMSA as part of a transition program. She invited her old boss down to Natchitoches to speak to the students about his participation in the top-secret mission undertaken years before any of them were born.

4-H members, families, community leaders and supporters attended the 4-H Banquet and Auction on March 31. The event started with a dinner followed by a silent and live auction of everything from fishing trips to guns and crafts. Proceeds will stay in the parish and be used for supplies, programming, and camp scholarships.

In addition to the traditional livestock and agricultural activities one usually associates with 4-H, the program features science, engineering, and technology. 4-H also teaches leadership and exposes its young men and women to new experiences and opportunities to learn and grow. There is something in 4-H for every child’s interest.

4-H was founded in 1908 and may be found in every state in our nation as well as 50 countries around the world. Natchitoches 4-H members have a tradition of achieving statewide prominence. 

The Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (DOTD), advises the public that beginning on Monday, April 10 construction will begin on LA 485’s Site 4 Bridge in Natchitoches Parish and it will be closed to through traffic. This work will take place on LA 485: 1.9 miles east of the intersection of LA 485 and I-49.

The intent of this project is to remove and replace seven bridges in four sites along LA 485. Three of the sites are located west of I-49 and one site is east of I-49. Each of the sites will be closed to through traffic with no onsite diversions.

Beginning April 10th, the Site 4 Bridge will be closed to traffic. Related work will includes removing the existing timber trestle bridge, installing bedding material, setting reinforced concrete box culverts, pouring headwalls, placing riprap, back filling the roadway, class II base course, hot mixed asphalt pavement, permanent striping and other related work.

The public is advised to remain alert to construction signs and changing roadway conditions along LA 485.

The project was awarded to the low bidder, Merrick, LLC, of Cottonport, LA in the amount of $13,727,495.43 and will take approximately 700 calendar days to complete all four sites. Site Four (4) is expected to be completed by the end of September 2023.

Permit/Detour section
Northbound traffic will be detoured south on I-49 to LA 6 East to LA 1 North to LA 485.
Southbound traffic will be detoured south on LA 1 to LA 6 West to I-49 North to LA 485.

Safety Reminder
DOTD appreciates your patience and reminds you to please drive with caution through the construction site and be on the lookout for work crews and their equipment.

Additional Information
Motorists can access the latest updates on real time traffic and road conditions using the 511 Traveler Information System and saying the route or region on which they are seeking information. Out of state travelers can also access this information by visiting the 511 Traveler Information Website at http://www.511la.org/. Additionally, you can follow the Traffic Management Center on Twitter: (@Alex Traffic). Motorists may also monitor the La DOTD website @ http://www.dotd.la.gov/ and the DOTD Facebook page.

The Annual Cemetery Memorial Meeting will be Saturday, April 22 beginning at 10:30 am. Committee Members will meet at 9:30 am. The Annual Letter will be mailed out soon. If you are unable to attend, donations to help with the maintenance of the beautiful cemetery are appreciated. Just mail your donation to Bellwood Cemetery Association, P.O. Box 258, Provencal, LA, 71468. Dinner will be held on the grounds so bring your favorite dish!

Northwestern State guards Candice Parramore and Jiselle Woodson have been named to the Southland Conference All-Academic Team, the league office announced on Friday. 

Parramore earned a spot on the first team, to go along with her first-team all-conference selection this season, while Woodson found a spot on the second team, he first postseason award in her time at NSU. 

Parramore paired her team-leading 13.5 points per game and 16.4 per game clip in conference games with a 3.21 GPA in NSU’s criminal justice program. Woodson carried a 3.38 GPA in education while leading the team in assists at 2.4 per game for the season with the fifth best assist-to-turnover rating in conference games this year. 

Parramore finished her final year with the Lady Demons with 12 straight double-digit scoring efforts that included five 20-point outings. She set and then matched her career high of 26 on consecutive Saturdays during league play.  

The Dallas, Texas native led NSU in scoring 13 times on the season and reached double figures in 19 of the 26 games she played this year. She became the first NSU player in nearly 30 years to make 100 free throws in consecutive seasons and ended her career as NSU’s leader in free throw percentage at .850 (243-for-286). 

Woodson saved one of her best performances for the biggest stage of the season by tying the SLC Tournament record with seven made 3-pointers in a game. She also set the tournament record for 3-point percentage at .875 (7-for-8) and scored a career high 32 points in NSU’s conference tournament game against Texas A&M-Commerce. Her 30-point performance for an NSU woman since the 2019-20 season.  

Woodson also scored the game-winning layup with 6.5 seconds remaining to give NSU its first home win against Lamar since 2008. 

NSU is one of three teams with multiple selections on this year’s team, which are chosen by the league’s head coaches, sports information directors and academic coordinators. 

The duos selection to the all-academic teams are the first for NSU women’s basketball since the 2018-19 season, and it is the first time since Janelle Perez and Beatrice Attura in 2015-16 that the Lady Demons had two honorees on the academic teams. 

In late March, students with the Louisiana School for Math, Science, and the Arts (LSMSA)’s Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) club attended the State Leadership Conference in Lafayette, where Esha Patel (‘25) of Alexandria was elected 2023-2024 District III Vice President.

All LSMSA participants competed individually and in teams against students from throughout the state in competitions focused on practical business skills involving communication practices, written tests and oral presentations, and those placing fourth or higher qualified to compete in the national competition in Atlanta in June:

• Aiden Allgire (‘24) of Port Barre – Business Law, fourth place
• Aroma Chanda (‘23) of Hammond – Computer Game & Simulation Programming, first place; and Human Resource Management, third place
• Joshua Gillett (‘23) of Lake Charles – Computer Game & Simulation Programming, first place
• Marlie Harris (‘25) of Berwick – International Business, first place
• Audie Hauptman (‘25) of Denham Springs – Sports & Entertainment Management, ninth place
• Jude Kannankeril (‘25) of Marrero –  Computer Game & Simulation Programming, first place
• Alivelu Morampudi (‘25) of Monroe – Business Management, first place
• Esha Patel (‘25) of Alexandria – Marketing, fourth place
• Maddie Riles (‘25) of Carencro – Business Calculations, fourth place; and Introduction to Business Communication, fourth place
• Evan Shelton (‘23) of Leesville – Cyber Security, sixth place
• Ava Toms (‘24) of Castor – Health Care Administration, first place; and Business Communication, third place
• Kyler Toms (‘25) of Castor – Introduction to Business Procedures  , first place
• Isaac Young (‘25) of Natchitoches – Computer Applications, first place

FBLA is one of more than 50 student clubs and organizations offered at LSMSA, a tuition-free, residential, public high school for high-achieving rising sophomores, juniors, and seniors with a nominal room and board fee to cover housing, meals, and campus activities. The LSMSA Foundation offers assistance for families in need. For more information about the Louisiana School or to apply for the 2023-24 school year, visit www.LSMSA.edu.

Dr. Hardy, Professor in the NSU Business Department along with a great group of Business Management students toured the soon to be revitalized Sabine High campus in Many with Many Mayor Robert Hable on March 1.

These students have been tasked to formulate a marketing plan to assist the Sabine High Revitalization Project in growing.

“I can’t thank these guys and girls enough for their interest and efforts,” said Hable. “Big thanks to Shantreece Hooker, Anita Grace, Reverands Donny Edmonson and Jacob Maxie, Georgia Craven, Erskin Curry and Suzanne Williams for assisting on the tour!”

While the Northwestern State baseball team waited for an offensive payoff Sunday afternoon, a pair of Demon right-handers took matters into their own hands. 

Drayton Brown and Chase Prestwich each struck out seven New Orleans hitters and made an early lead stand up before Northwestern State tacked on a couple of insurance runs late for a Southland Conference series-clinching 4-1 win at Maestri Field. 

“The game wasn’t good to us early,” seventh-year head coach Bobby Barbier said. “We had a stretch of six really good at-bats in a row and got one run, but when you have good pitching and they can keep shoving it in there, it helps. The last couple of games, an inning where they have the bases loaded has been a crooked number for them, but Chase comes in and did a really good job of shutting it down.” 

Brown (2-4) cruised through five scoreless innings, making Jacob Farrell’s second-inning, bases-loaded hit by pitch stand up, before the Privateers (15-13, 2-4) loaded the bases with nobody out in the sixth inning. 

Prestwich entered and struck out Tyler Bischke before getting Tristan Moore to hit into an RBI fielder’s choice. With the tying run on third, Prestwich struck out Miguel Useche to maintain NSU’s 2-1 lead. 

“I had a lot of adrenaline going into the game,” said Prestwich, who allowed two hits and struck out seven in four innings of relief to earn his first career save. “It was a close game, and Drayton had really pitched well, so I wanted to keep pitching like we have as a team.” 

Brown allowed one run in five innings, striking out seven and scattering three hits. 

Because of its pitching, Northwestern State (15-12, 2-1) had a larger margin for error offensively. Leading 1-0 in the fifth, Gray Rowlett and Broch Holmes delivered back-to-back, two-out doubles to extend the Demon lead to 2-0 and knock Privateer starter Colton Mercer (2-2) from the game. 

Rowlett and Holmes again played a key role in giving Prestwich room to breathe in the ninth inning as the Demons closed out their third straight series win and second in as many seasons at Maestri Field. 

New Orleans reliever Beau Blanchard had shut the Demons out for 3 2-3 innings and retired the first two NSU hitters in the ninth before Rowlett drilled his second home run of the season out to left field. One batter later, Holmes did the same, launching his second home run in as many days to left field. 

“The home run was a moment you don’t really remember,” said Rowlett, who homered for the first time since Feb. 25. “I wish I could tell you what pitch I hit, but I have no clue what it was. Same thing with that double. I’ve been pretty late on the ball recently, and (Barbier) said, ‘Once you get that front foot down, fire.’ That’s what I did the last couple of at-bats, and it really helped the team.” 

Rowlett and Holmes combined for four of the Demons’ eight hits while Brown and Prestwich struck out 14 New Orleans hitters while issuing one walk that came on a borderline 3-2 pitch to Myles Austin to start the sixth inning. 

The Demons return to action Tuesday when they host Louisiana Tech in NSU’s final home mid-week game of the season. First pitch is set for 6 p.m.  

Keeping the doubles lineup that was debuted against Lamar, the Lady Demons couldn’t keep the positive momentum going, as they ultimately dropped the doubles point in the tiebreaker on No. 2, which was the deciding point in a 4-3 loss to McNeese on Sunday afternoon at the Jack Fisher Tennis Complex. 

“Tough loss to a really well-fighting McNeese Team,” said head Coach Jonas Brobeck. “They wanted it and played to important points to win.”

Doubles pair Paige Wise and Mariella Minetti were neck and neck on No. 2, but Natalia Ballo and Luna Jokanovic were too much to earn the doubles point for the Cowgirls. 

Dorota Szczygielska and Sofi Garcia have proven to be a dominant pair in doubles. The pair only allowed the Cowgirls two points, 6-2. 

Tjasa Klevisar and Ayu Ishibashi fell 6-4 on court No.1 to tie for the doubles point. 

In singles, the match came down to spot No. 5, as Maria Wang Martines won in a tiebreaker in set three against Szczygielska to finish off the McNeese victory. 

NSU (9-8 overall, 1-3 SLC) came out strong on singles by winning the first set in five of the six matches. 

Ishibashi used her defeat against Lamar to drive her in her singles play on Sunday. She defeated Heta Nuutinen 6-4 in the first set and did not allow one game in the second to knot the match at 1-1. 

Ishibashi is 8-6 in singles with six of those wins occurring on No. 2. 

Wise has continued to show the Lady Demons that she is a force to be reckoned with on No. 3. She defeated Tiana Fox in straight sets 6-4, 6-1 to put the Lady Demons in front 2-1. 

Garcia did not allow one game in the first set on No. 4, but Natalia Ballo forced a third with a 6-3 second set win and tied the match at 2-2. It was the first of three singles matches that went the distance. McNeese (13-3, 3-1) came away with two of the three. 

Minetti fell in the first set 6-3 at No. 6, but put on a dominant performance in the second to push it to a third. However, she couldn’t maintain it into the third set and she fell to Ariane Monello 6-4 and the Cowgirls led 3-2. 

Klevisar forced a winner-take-all match at No. 5 with a victory at the top singles spot. She was forced into a third set by Emma-Lou Pommiers. Klevisar topped Pommiers 6-3 in the first set but fell in a close 7-6 second set. Klevisar fought hard and came out on top with a 6-4 win in the third set to tie the match at 3-3 before McNeese won at No. 5 to clinch the victory. 

“I want to play my game and not worry about my opponent too much,” said Klevisar, “It’s my style, my game. It’s me.”

She is 12-4 in singles playing predominantly in the top slot. 

Szczygielska had topped Maria Martines 7-5 in the first set but fell 7-5 in the second. She fought hard and pushed the third set into a tiebreaker but fell 7-6. 

The Lady Demons are back in action Thursday against New Orleans at 1 p.m. to continue the five-match homestand. 

Lakeview Head Boys Basketball Coach Brian Williams, Head Girls Basketball Coach Dewaskie Fuller, and Athletic Director Devodrick Ridley hosted an unsigned senior showcase for boys’ and girls’ basketball on March 29.

“The purpose of the event is to get student-athletes a venue to present their basketball skills to college coaches that would not regularly see them,” said Fuller.

“The student-athletes in this area often get overlooked due to lack of media coverage. We are too far north for Alexandria, too far south for Shreveport, and too far southwest for Monroe. This makes this area hard to receive consistent media coverage to showcase student-athletes,” said Williams.

“I have led showcases in the past when I was a coach and saw the need to reintroduce showcase to Coach Williams and Coach Fuller,” said Ridley.  

Collectively all three of the coaches contacted several colleges ranging from Louisiana, Arkansas, and Kansas to come and see the untapped skills in the under-covered region. Visitors included Southern Arkansas Tech’s Coach Levinson MBB, Pratt Community College’s Coach Eddy MBB & Coach Rodewald WBB, Neosho Community College’s Coach Davis MBB/WBB, Louisiana State University of Alexandria’s Coach Perkins, and Southern University of Shreveport’s Coach Hines WBB. Coach Williams and Coach Fuller were able to reach out and get attendance from boys and girls from the following schools: Winnfield, Natchitoches Central, Arcadia, Mansfield, Menard, Homer, St. Mary’s, Airline, MacArthur High School of Oklahoma.  

The event was a success and the coaches were able to present the expectations of a college athlete to the students. The coaches that attended were able to put a few underclassmen on their watch list for the future. All coaches involved stated that they just want to give back to student-athletes and provide them with an opportunity to bounce that ball for as long as possible and to attain the ultimate goal of free education out of the deal.

In the words of Coach Williams, “it’s bigger than basketball.”  

Burt and Shelley Poche presented proceeds from the 7^th annual Dylan Kyle Poche Memorial Bass Fishing Tournament to the NSU Foundation, a $40,000 donation that will support the Dylan Kyle Poche Memorial Scholarship and the NSU Fishing Team.  The tournament drew 260 boats from throughout Louisiana and Texas to Toledo Bend and included a silent auction and boat raffle.   

Shelley Poche said this year’s event tournament was the largest yet with the most funds raised. 

“We raised more so we can give more,” she said. “Hopefully it will continue to grow.  It’s not only about the scholarship.  It’s also about the team.”  Proceeds assist the team with travel, fuel and other expenses.  

Several volunteers helped make the event a success, including Poche family members and friends, the NSU Fishing Team and NSU Foundation staff. Assistant Director of Donor Relations Cristy Bernard commented on the large crowd at the weigh-in and the support of the community and all who participated.   

“I thought, as a parent, that there was the biggest smile in heaven that day,” she said.  

The Dylan Kyle Poche Memorial Fishing Scholarship was established by Burt and Shelley Poche and Misty Ott, Dylan’s parents.  Poche was a 2015 graduate of Natchitoches Central High School and an avid outdoorsman.  He excelled at tournament fishing and was a member of the NCHS Fishing Team and the NSU Fishing Team as a freshman.  He passed away in January 2016.  

Brent Broussard and Troy Kuhn of Texas were first place tournament winners.  The team’s catch of five fish weighed a total 29.10 pounds, including one seven-pounder and one 10.28-pounder.   Next year’s event will take place March 23, 2024, at Cypress Bend on Toledo Bend Lake.  

Information on the annual tournament is available at Facebook.com/DylanKylePoche.   Information on the NSU Fishing Team is available at facebook.com/NSULABassFishing.   

Pictured: From left are Cristy Bernard, NSU’s assistant director of Donor Relations; NSU angler Andrew Straughan, Burt and Shelley Poche and fishermen Austin Speer and Clayton Page.   

POSITION: EARLY CHILDHOOD COORDINATOR

QUALIFICATIONS:

1. Valid Louisiana Teaching Certificate (Early Childhood preferred)
2. A Master’s Degree (preferred)
3. 5 years of successful teaching experience
4. Experience in a preschool setting (preferred)
5. Knowledge of childcare licensing (preferred)

SALARY: According to NPSB Salary Schedule

TERMS OF EMPLOYMENT: Ten Months

WHERE TO APPLY:
Linda Page, Director of Personnel
Natchitoches Parish School Board
310 Royal Street
Natchitoches, LA 71457
Phone: (318) 352-2358
Fax: (318) 352-8138
Website: npsb.la

DEADLINE: Friday, April 28, 2023, 4:00 p.m.

APPLICATIONS: Application packet must consist of a letter of application, resume’, original transcripts from institutions  warding degrees, a copy of Louisiana Teacher’s Certificate and three letters of reference.

EOE

The NSU Middle Lab Orchestra orchestra was awarded Superior Rating, Best in Class, First Overall, and the Golden Mickey at Festival Disney on April 1.

Festival Disney is a positive and educationally meaningful music festival for talented middle and high school concert choirs, orchestras and concert bands.

NSU Middle Lab Orchestra students won over the High Schools around the country with the leadership of Katrice Lacour and Milo Paz.

Natchitoches Parish School Board member Russ Danzy presented the Provencal Elementary/Jr High students that were chosen as February’s Terrific Kids with certificates on behalf of the Kiwanis Club of Natchitoches.

Pictured front: Chassala Evans, Cayson Flynn, Harmony Anthony, Mallory Shirley, Randy Collins, Cory Carter, Viggo Arieux, Ryker Anders, McKenzie Jackson.

Standing: Principal Diana Curtis, Thorin Stewart, Olivia Forrest, Elizabeth Ellerbe, Lawson Brown, Maddox Collins, Sailah Vidrone, Lia Williams, Nevaeh Smith, Isaiah McComic, Leigha Busby, Andrea Davis, Kiwanian Russ Danzy, Coordinator Dwayne Poe.

Lakeview High School is providing students with the exciting opportunity to travel the world through EF Tours. EF tour guides take students to places like New York, Washington DC, Paris, Rome, and more.  This group was created to allow students to see different cultures and gain different perspectives of the world.  However, this can only happen with the support of the community and donations.  

Any funds received will be used to help students pay for the cost of their trip.  In 2024, students, teachers and other chaperones will travel to New York and Washington DC, and the cost for each student is a little over $2,500 per student for a five day trip. The cost includes airfare, hotel accommodations, ground transportation, 3 meals per day, and entrance to all attractions.  All of these tours are directly related to education and development of youth.  Just one day of this trip will cover a multitude of educational experiences.  Day One stops include the White House, Washington Monument, WWII Memorial, Smithsonian Museum, Lincoln Memorial and much more, and this is all just Day one.  These in-person, hands-on experiences can create meaningful learning experiences.  

EF Tours has been bringing these possibilities to life for over 55 years.  Students and staff will be working on fundraising efforts for the next several months.  Please consider donating to this cause online at www.gofundme.com/f/help-lakeview-students-go-to-washington-dc-ny?utm_source=customer&utm_medium=copy_link&utm_campaign=p_cf+share-flow-1.