Mar 6, 2017
Cheering has been a passion for Brysten Jacob for much of her life. She began cheering as a seven year old for her cousin’s little league team in her home town of New Iberia, Louisiana. Ever since then, the nineteen year old freshman has relished the opportunity to cheer on her school’s athletic programs. She cheered as a seventh and eighth grader at Woodlawn Middle, and all four years at Woodlawn High. Jacob served as the team’s captain her junior and senior years.
Ashley Montgomery poses for a picture before a Southern University basketball game.
Ashley Montgomery took a different route to cheer. She grew up taking dance classes, beginning at the age of seven. As a sophomore at Woodlawn High, Montgomery knew that she wanted to get involved with extracurricular activities. She decided to give cheerleading a try. Her dance background made her a natural, and she fell in love with the sport immediately.
Jacob and Montgomery enrolled at Southern University in August after graduating from Woodlawn in May of 2016. Once the girls entered college, they made the decision to try out for the Small Co-Ed Cheerleading team together. With over fifty participants at tryouts in October, the girls were both selected to the team of fourteen cheerleaders. The Small Co-Ed team cheers on the Southern University women’s basketball team at all home games.
Both girls plan to continue cheering with the Small Co-Ed team through their sophomore years. At the end of their sophomore years, the girls plan to try out for the Large Co-Ed Cheerleading team. This team cheers at football games and men’s basketball games. The girls plan to take tumbling classes in order to better prepare them for the Large Co-Ed team.
Both girls gushed when asked about the affect that the cheer program at Southern has had on their lives.
“The experience we have had so far at Southern has been great. We have met lots of people that we wouldn’t have the opportunity to meet,” explained Montgomery.
“Being on the cheer team has pushed me to continue to do my work and keep on top of my work because I like cheer, and I’ve been cheering for my school since middle school,” said Jacob. “I don’t want to stop doing it because I’m getting off track with my academics. So it keeps me focused.”
Brysten Jacob has continued her career as a cheerleader at Southern University this year.
Both girls maintained the necessary GPA to remain on the cheer team. Jacob is majoring in Biology. She plans to pursue a career as a physical therapist. Montgomery is majoring in Elementary Education, and plans on teaching once her time at Southern is over.
Jacob and Montgomery recently joined Cheer Phi Leader, a sorority-type group of cheerleaders. Cheer Phi is made up of cheerleaders from many of the HBCUs.
“Cheer Phi Leader has helped us become better cheerleaders because of the process you go through to join,” explained Jacob. “We worked together as a team, and the team has become closer because of this.”
The girls both agreed that cheering at Woodlawn High helped prepare them for this portion of their cheering lives.
“Cheering at football games and basketball games helped me to be more confidant in myself, and I am comfortable with doing it now,” said Jacob. “I learned how to perform.”
Mar 6, 2017
The house was packed as families, friends and district representatives attended the arts showcase hosted by Woodlawn High School’s Fine Arts Department on Tuesday, February 21, 2017 in the WHS Auditorium. The showcase, entitled “All the World’s a Stage” after Shakespeare’s play by the same name, featured visual art displays, musical numbers, theatrical scenes and performance art pieces.
While browsing a visual arts exhibit before the show, guests were invited to enjoy jambalaya prepared by parent, Samantha Jett. The visual arts exhibit featured displays from students enrolled in Art I, Art III, AP Studio Art: 2D Design, and Talented Visual Art courses. Favorite pieces were a 3D portrait created by Art III student Abdulkhaleq Hussain and Cubism-inspired self-portrait by Talented Art student, Elijah Sykes.
The talent exhibited in the visual arts displays was echoed by an orchestra trio featuring Advanced Orchestra student, Christopher Breaud; Talented Music student, Joshua “Drew” Garon Jr.; and orchestra teacher, Ms. Falco. Drew Garon performed a solo composed by Vivaldi on the violin later in the showcase.
Talented theatre student Trinh Nguyen introduces Lost N’ Sound at All the World’s a Stage.
After a brief welcome and introduction by Talented theatre student, Trinh Nguyen, Lost N’ Sound, the WHS Pop A Cappello Choir took the floor, performing popular pieces such as Stitches by Shaun Mendez and Somebody I Used to Know by Goyte. With standout vocalists Jaylyn James and Shaun McCray singing, it was not long before the cameras were flashing and the crowd was singing along.
The Suave King Panthers, led by Jeroderick Allen Jr. and the Alluring Queens, under the direction of Nakavia Chapman, were next up on stage. The WHS Step Team really “stepped it up” for this performance with both whole group and separate team routines that captivated the audience with their in-sync movements and hand-foot coordination.
The WHS Jazz Ensemble, The Smooth Purple Groove, played equally engaging rhythms with songs such as I Feel Good by James Brown and Night and Day, arranged by EBR Talented Music teacher, Mike Esneault. Performers such as Kyle Monic, Mason Stubbs, and Brennan Burleigh took turns showing off their talent as they played jazz solos throughout the pieces. Evan Earl, Joshua Hayden, Christopher Jones, Javin Leggett, Blaine van Stock, and Invie Williams played multiple selections that showcased their talent as part of the Talented Music Ensemble, under the direction of EBR Talented Music teacher, BJ McGibney.
The showcase would not be complete without the dramatic performances of our theatre students and drama club. Members of the Theatre IV class and drama club performed in multiple scenes from classic television shows including Pet Shop, a Monty Python sketch performed by McKenzie Martin and Kennedy Sorrell and Who’s on First by Abbott and Costello, performed by Dominic Messina and Mitchell Maclean. The drama club did not forget the literary classics when Madisyn McAlister portrayed a lead role in a scene from Lord Byron’s Love Letter by Tennessee Williams.
Students who participated in All the World’s a Stage receive cheers from the crowd and pose for pictures after the performance.
In the last performance of the night, The Bully Pulpit by Dwayne Hartford, the Talented Theatre students used their skills to highlight a common concern among school age students, bullying. With comedic relief throughout the performance, they were able to portray what bullying is and how it affects those involved. The showcase concluded with a curtain call featuring the entire company with a special recognition to the key players behind the scenes, Javier Allen, John Grayson Barrett, Laila Fisher, Keveyon Franklin, Matthew Jobborn, and Caleb Massarek.
The company would like you remember that “All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players,” and without the support of some key players, this would not be possible. The company would like to thank Mr. Sorenson for directing the arts showcase, Ms. Samantha Jett for preparing the jambalaya, Ms. Washington for capturing the performances on camera, all program sponsors for their guidance, and family and friends that attended for their support. Also, they would like to extend a special thanks to the district representatives that attended, including School Board Representative, Jill Dyason; Executive Director of High Schools, Benjamin Necaise; Director of Fine Arts, Wayne Talbot; and Supervisor of Gifted and Talented Programs, Babs Stapleton.
Feb 20, 2017
Steven Oubre, Woodlawn High’s ProStart teacher, was named the 2017 Louisiana Educator of Excellence by the Louisiana Restaurant Association Education Foundation earlier this month. Oubre was chosen by the board of directors of the LRAEF based on his community outreach programs for his students along with the numerous students who leave his program with additional industry certifications.
Oubre, a native of Patterson, Louisiana, is in his seventh year at Woodlawn High. After graduating from Patterson High School, he attended Nicholls State University. Oubre received his degree in Culinary Arts & Sciences. He began working as a Sous Chef at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans before branching out on his own, starting a private chef company. From there, Oubre moved on to Woodlawn High School.
Students competing at the ProStart Invitational in March of 2016.
Oubre took over the ProStart program during his first year at Woodlawn. The program consisted of three students. Since that time, Oubre has grown the program to over 120 students. Each year, Oubre has brought students from Woodlawn to the LRAEF Louisiana Seafood ProStart Invitational in New Orleans at the Convention Center in which he once worked. The Invitational, which is held in March of each year, awards scholarship money to the top three teams in both the Culinary and Management categories. Students compete for scholarships up to $40,000 each. Twice Oubre’s teams have placed fourth in the Culinary category, just missing out on top three finishes.
Along with the March competition, Oubre brings ProStart students to the State Capital each year to cook for the House and Senate. His students are also looked to by athletic programs on campus, catering pregame meals for the football, boys and girls basketball, and softball teams. Oubre’s students have catered Honors Breakfasts, Senior Breakfasts, JROTC Military Balls, East Baton Rouge Parish School Board events, numerous parent nights, and even catered a wedding for a former teacher.
“Receiving this award was extremely special to me. It is nice to be appreciated and recognized for the hard work that you do. It was a great honor to be recognized, even considered, for this award. There are over seventy ProStart teachers in the state, many of them great teachers, so it meant a lot to be chosen for the award,” said Oubre.
In May, Oubre will travel to Chicago to the National Food and Restaurant Association Show. Oubre will compete against teachers from around the nation to be named the National Educator of Excellence. He will also be given the opportunity to discuss ProStart curriculum, strategies to improve the program, and upcoming changes in the program.
ProStart is the premier culinary arts program for high school students. ProStart gives students the opportunity to learn about the art of cooking and managing restaurants by training with professional chefs and receiving valuable classroom instruction. ProStart students are also given the opportunity to earn college credit and make money while still in high school.
The LRAEF is a non-profit organization that was founded in 1995 and is governed by a board of directors made up of restaurants, industry experts and educators in the hospitality industry. It exists to enhance the industry’s service to the public through education, community engagement and promotion of career opportunities. Visit the LRAEF website at www.lraef.org.
Feb 20, 2017
Woodlawn High’s Youth Legislature went to the Louisiana Youth and Government Youth Legislature Conference for the second year in a row. The conference was attended by over 400 Louisiana students. Woodlawn was represented by Brennan Burleigh, William Casey, Luca Gambelli, and Lauren Stevens.
William Casey waits to be acknowledged at the 2017 State Youth Leg Conference.
Each Woodlawn student had a bill introduced in committee, but each of the four bills did not make it past committee. Of the nearly 200 bills introduced to committee, only forty bills made it to the house floor..
Despite their bills being defeated early on in the process, each student joined in the conversations about other bills during the remainder of the conference. Students debated for well over thirteen hours over the next day and a half, made coalitions with students from other schools across Louisiana to help their bills along, lobbied for causes they believed in, and made friends across the state that they can keep in touch with beyond this conference.
Woodlawn’s Brennan Burleigh was voted as the Louisiana Youth and Government House of Representatives Floor Leader for the 2017-2018 Louisiana Youth and Government State Board and will be attending multiple meetings and gatherings leading up to next year’s Youth Legislature Conference. Brennan will also be applying to attend CONA, The Conference on National Affairs, held each summer for Youth Legislature participants.
Feb 20, 2017
The Panthrobotics team has been working diligently to complete their competition robot for the past month and have one last week to complete the robot build process before going to their first competition March 9th through the 11th in Little Rock, Arkansas.
Panthrobotics work on building their competition robot for the 2017 season.
Panthrobotics will then complete in New Orleans at the Bayou Regional Competition at the end of March. If the robotics team place at either regional competition, they will travel to Houston, Texas to play for the First Robotics World Championship in April.
The competition robot must shoot whiffle balls into two goals of differing heights, deliver a gear to a gear drive train, and climb a 6 foot rope from the floor to score points. The robot must be designed and built from scratch by student team members. The team has been busy fabricating a robot that can outscore teams from not only the country, but also the world. Mr. Eiland and Mr. Frazier and the Panthrobotics team are preparing for an incredibly exciting competition season.
Panthrobotics team members will continue to meet every evening from 4 pm until 7 pm to complete the Robot build process.
