Feb 5, 2021
It has been almost a year since the singing arts have been shut down due to Covid-19. Recently, Lost N’ Sound, Woodlawn High School’s pop a cappella group, had the opportunity to participate virtually in the DeBose Foundation High School Competition. Excited at the opportunity to participate in the competition, the group chose a Christmas piece that they felt could give everyone a little hope and encouragment during the pandemic.
For this year’s competition, members of Lost N’ Sound submitted their song, Silent Night, which was recorded in December 2020. The group’s submission placed first in the High School category. The performance of Silent Night, along with other performances, will be streamed live via DeBose social media outlets during the month of February.
As an ancillary resource, the DeBose Fine Arts Series – Competition is characterized by partnerships and multidiscipline collaboration designed to salute and showcase teacher and student achievement based on curriculum and studio criterion in literary, visual, and performing arts. This annual program is motivated by advocacy, supporting existing Louisiana education standards and national education initiatives. Community outreach, as a signature component of the DeBose program, encompasses qualitative enrichment to fine arts education areas. Fulfillment of school needs and curriculum objectives, coupled with the opportunity to uphold and service corporate initiatives, will afford stellar programs serving to promote the integrity and developmental needs of youth. Addressing these educational challenges fosters new and renewed aspiration benefiting under-served and under-developed talent, implemented through “hands-on/participant oriented” project initiatives.
Members of Lost N’ Sound are Jada Braxton, Eleanore Carter, Adrienne East, Jennifer Fuenmayor-Reyes, Sarah Kring, Isabella Schamber, and Devin Trim. The group is led by Ms. Klein.
Feb 1, 2021
There is a new club available to students seeking to mix athletics with leadership opportunities.
The Community Sports Leadership Club is a new school club that provides opportunities for Woodlawn High School, Woodlawn Middle School, and Woodlawn Elementary School students to collaborate in community and sports leadership activities and career exploration.
The club plans to host special guest speakers who can share positive information from their athletic, educational, career, and community leadership experiences.
Members of the club will be invited to participate in Coed Intramural Sports and Community Outreach Events. These events will be an opportunity to engage students in fun, collaborative activities while touching on important teen related issues, information, and resources.
The Community Sports Leadership Club held its first even on Sunday, January 31st. Members of the club were able to participate in the Coed Basketball Battle. Shannon Clavelle, who played with the Green Bay Packers in Super Bowl XXXI, was the special guest speaker.
Club members also have the opportunity to be awarded a $200 scholarship through the Mitchell Basketball Lab. Members can find information on the scholarship on the Club Google Classroom.
For more information on the Community Sports Leadership Club, students are encouraged to contact Ms. Mitchell at [email protected].
Jan 27, 2021
The Panther Tennis team is looking to make up for lost time on the court. The 2020 season was shut down prematurely due to COVID-19; the Panthers were only able to complete four matches before the season was cancelled.
“Our student-athletes, coaching staff, and parents were all disappointed when the season was cancelled last year,” commented Coach Broussard. “The program is excited that we are back on the courts.”
The Woodlawn Tennis program began practicing for the 2021 season in early January. For the third consecutive year, practices are being held at Southern Oaks Athletic Club. SOAC’s Director of Tennis, Luke Richardson, returns for his third year as Assistant Coach.
The Panthers will once again lean on Leah Medine to lead the program. Leah, now a senior, has been a part of the program since its rebirth in 2018. Leah advanced to the Regional Finals as a freshman, and was the Regional Champion as a sophomore. She was a State Quarterfinalist each of those years.
For the first time in her high school career, Leah is expected to play doubles with her twin sister, Halle. Halle has experience playing doubles; she and her partner, Elsa Pearce, were ranked second in the 2019 Regionals.
Senior Christian Jones also brings experience and enthusiasm to the program as she enters her third year of tennis.
Cameron Lindsay prepares for a point at the 2019 Regional Tournament.
Junior Cameron Lindsay will be the most experienced player on the boys’ side. Cameron qualified for the 2019 State Tournament as a freshman with his partner, Jacob Barnes.
Juniors Mason Watson, Jamarion Johnson, and Devin Trim all enter their third season with the Panthers. These three Panthers look to continue to improve their tennis abilities each match.
Woodlawn will also look for contributions from several newcomers. Sophomores Katelyn Fontenot and Julie Russell each participated in last year’s shortened season and look to continue to improve their game. Freshman Miriam Lindsay comes from a tennis family and brings experience to the team. Sophomore Maxwell Bayles has also shown flashes of promise at practice.
Matches for the Panthers will begin on February 8th versus Central High School. Matches will continue through April, with Regionals the week of April 19th and the State Tournament the week of April 25th. Since 2018, the Panthers have improved on the number of State Qualifiers each year. This year looks to be no different, as expectations continue to increase.
While matches are a big part of the tennis season, the Woodlawn Tennis Program has always focused on providing a fun atmosphere where the student-athletes have positive experiences while playing tennis.
The program also stresses academics. The program boasts a Fall Semester GPA of 3.85, and 100% of the student-athletes who participate in tennis also take Advanced Level courses at Woodlawn High. Students interested in participating in tennis are encouraged to see Coach Broussard or contact him via email.
Jan 6, 2021
Senior Harrison Breland-Triche has been named the 2020-2021 Student of the Year at Woodlawn High School. Harrison, who is a part of the Academically Gifted program and a School Ambassador, has distinguished himself as an academic scholar and leader at Woodlawn High. His high aptitude and intrinsic motivation helped him to achieve academically, and his innate leadership abilities and selflessness shaped his involvement in school and community activities.
His academic achievements include being named an AP Scholar for the 2019 and 2020 school years and achieving the rank of first in his cohort. Harrison was on the Principal’s List for honor roll every semester of high school and was named a district finalist for Student of the Year this year. He has scored at the highest level on all standardized assessments and maintained nearly perfect attendance, only missing a single day in his high school career. Harrison has continually challenged himself academically by taking Advanced Placement, Dual Enrollment, and Academically Gifted coursework, and he has achieved a current GPA of 4.57 from successfully earning straight As in these courses.
Harrison has exhibited academic strength in all core areas. He has served as Captain of the Woodlawn High Quiz Bowl team for the past three school years. However, Harrison has a passion for STEM with plans to possibly pursue a career in a science or math-related field. Early in his high school career, he played an integral role in the STEM program at Woodlawn High, serving as Build Captain for the FIRST Robotics Team as a sophomore and helping facilitate the Red Stick Rumble, one of the largest robotics competitions in the state.
His talents extend well-beyond the academic classroom to his involvement in athletics and the arts as well. As the Varsity Swim Team Captain, he has led his team to qualify for the state swim meet multiple seasons, where he has set personal and school records. His swim coach praises his natural ability, both in the water and with helping his teammates improve their techniques. This peer leadership can also be noted in his participation in the school’s marching and concert bands, where he serves as Trombone Section Leader and First Chair. In a normal year, Harrison would spend his Friday nights leading his peers in the football stands and on the field at half-time. Similar to the swim team, the marching band has received many accolades at festival, regional and state competitions.
Harrison has a more reserved demeanor, but his desire to openly serve his school and community is clear through his involvement as a Gifted School Ambassador, member of National Honor Society, and organizer of an American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life team. As a Gifted School Ambassador, he represents the school at recruitment events, gives school tours, and advocates for the Academically Gifted Program. Through NHS, he has played a major role in the school’s recycling campaign project, volunteered at pet adoption events, and assisted with the Louisiana Special Olympics competition. By organizing his own Relay for Life Team, year after year, Harrison has been able to organize and facilitate events that have raised thousands of dollars to support cancer research for the American Cancer Society. Harrison believes giving back to others has played an important role in shaping him into the person he is today.
Dec 18, 2020
The Woodlawn High Boys Swim Team placed higher than it has every placed at the LHSAA Division II State Swim Meet.
The Panthers swam in the 4×50 Free Relay, the 4×100 Free Relay, and the 4×50 Medley Relay. All three finishes were records for Woodlawn High swimmers. Head Coach Ashley Heyer commented on the season.
“We are proud to have done so well with such a small team that includes only two year round swimmers and a two sport athlete.”
Senior Harrison Breland-Triche led the Panthers in and out of the pool.
The Panthers were led both in the pool and in the classroom by Senior Captain Harrison Breland-Triche.
“Harrison capped off 4 successful years being named to the LSHAA Division II All-Academic team and the CCSL All-Academic team,” noted Heyer. “Harrison was also a finalist for East Baton Rouge Parish Student of the Year. The team’s first semester GPA was 4.45, with every student taking at least one AP class.”
Harrison, along with Juniors Mason Watson and Isaiah John and Freshman Zack Lemoine, posted a time of 1:48.14 in the 4×50 Free Relay. The time was good enough for a fifth place finish at the State Swim Meet.
The Panthers placed 9th in the 4×100 Free Relay with a time of 4:12.47. Harrison, Isaiah, and Zack teamed up with Sophomore Peyton Rodgers for the race. Finally, Woodlawn placed 15th in the 4×50 Medley Relay. Isaiah, Mason, Peyton, and Zack finished the race in 2:16.96, despite Zack learning the breast stroke one week before the State Meet!
Harrison also qualified for state in the 200 Free and the 100 Backstroke, placing in the top 15 in each event at the Capital City Swim League Championship.
Woodlawn’s boys team placed 11th at both the CCSL Championships and the District II State Swim Meet.
Heyer wanted to say thanks to our Panther parents, who she said made all of the difference in making this season a success.
“We would like to thank all of our parents, especially Cathleen and Leonard Breland-Triche, for all of their support for the team over the past four. We also want to thank Bobby Watson and K-Watt Electric for donating the awesome towels for the state meet. These kept the boys warm enough to stay safe outside during the meet.”
Coach Heyer is already looking forward to the 2021 season.
“Next season, we will be practicing again at Crawfish Aquatics and are working on an evening practice time for students who want to be two sport athletes. We welcome any new swimmers as we rebuild the girls’ team with returning junior Kelis Kent and grow our boys’ team with all but one athlete returning. You do not have to know competitive swimming to join the WHS team! As long as you can swim, we will teach you the strokes and push you to success.”
