Apr 18, 2024
Woodlawn High School’s Talented Theatre students have once again left their mark on the cinematic landscape with their latest creation, The Never Ending Duel. This captivating short film, written and directed by Woodlawn High School Senior Ava Jones, has garnered accolades at the esteemed Film Prize Jr. Film Festival and Competition in Shreveport, Louisiana.
Ava Jones, a senior in Woodlawn High School’s Gifted and Talented Theatre program, showcased her exceptional creativity and directorial expertise in bringing The Never Ending Duel to life. With her vision and dedication, Ava crafted every aspect of the film, from its inception to the final storyboard. Her previous involvement as the lead character in Woodlawn High School’s 2023 Audience Choice Award-winning film, Reap What You Sow, underscores her remarkable talent and commitment to the craft.
Beyond her achievements in filmmaking, Ava’s academic excellence and passion for creative writing have earned her acceptance into 15 colleges nationwide. With plans to pursue a degree in Creative Writing, Ava has already been awarded over $1.16 million in four-year merit scholarships, a testament to her outstanding achievements and bright future ahead.
Ava Jones proudly shows off her award at the film festival.
“The students worked incredibly hard on their film; everything that you see on screen was completed by a student. Creating a film of any length is a difficult process, just completing a film is a major accomplishment. Seeing the culmination of all of their work, the final realized piece, was incredible,” stated Ms. Mullins, Woodlawn’s Talented Theatre teacher. “Being able to sit in the audience and watch film after incredible film and knowing that they were all created by the students sitting around me from all over the state was an amazing experience and one that I hope we can bring to more students next year!”
The success of The Never Ending Duel wouldn’t have been possible without the collaborative efforts of the Louisiana Shakespeare Company, particularly the invaluable contributions of Liz Odom, the head of fight choreography. Their expertise elevated the film’s fight sequences, adding depth and authenticity to the storytelling.
As the virtual Film Prize Jr. Festival unfolds, viewers have the opportunity to immerse themselves in the diverse array of student-created films, including The Never Ending Duel. Woodlawn High School encourages the community to watch the films and cast their votes for their favorites, supporting their quest for the Audience Choice Award.
Join the excitement of the virtual film festival by visiting https://filmprizejr.com/festival/ and exploring the 96 submissions before Monday, April 22nd, 2024. Let’s rally behind Woodlawn High School and celebrate the talent and creativity of Ava Jones and her fellow students.
Apr 11, 2024
Jiri Falowo and Devin Bailey get ready for their presentation.
The East Baton Rouge Parish School System’s ELA Curriculum Team, in collaboration with the Division of Schools, recently hosted the 3rd annual EBRPSS High School District-wide Poetry Competition. Among the participants were three exceptionally talented student poets, writers, and performers from Woodlawn High School: Devin Bailey, Jiri Falowo, and Sydni Smith. This competition, which welcomed entries from all EBRPSS high school students, served as a culmination of the individual school-wide Poetry Slam competitions held across local schools.
Woodlawn High School hosted its Poetry Preview on March 6th, showcasing the remarkable talents of its students. Despite having only three contestants, the quality of their performances stood out, earning them spots in the District Poetry Slam held on March 28th. These three winners from Woodlawn’s Poetry Slam advanced to compete in the district-wide event, representing their school with pride and passion.
“Although Woodlawn students did not bring home the win, I am beyond elated to see these students represent our school in such a professional manner,” said Ms. Durbin, Woodlawn High School’s Literacy Coach.
Devin Bailey and Sydni Smith are all smiles at the district poetry competition.
While Woodlawn High School students may not have secured the top prize in the district-wide competition, the participation of Devin Bailey, Jiri Falowo, and Sydni Smith exemplified the school’s commitment to fostering creativity and artistic expression among its students. Beyond the accolades, the experience of sharing their poetry on such a platform undoubtedly left a lasting impression on these young talents. The event not only showcased their skills but also provided an enriching opportunity for personal growth and self-expression. Woodlawn High School celebrates its students’ achievements and looks forward to continuing to support their artistic endeavors in the future.
Apr 9, 2024
Woodlawn High School’s Talented Visual Art students, Cameron Rice, Noor Akram, and Lacie Sierra, recently showcased their exceptional artwork at the prestigious Real Life Experience Art Show hosted by the Baton Rouge Gallery. Their participation in this esteemed event not only highlights their artistic aptitude but also underscores the school’s commitment to nurturing creative talent.
At the reception held last Wednesday evening, the talent and dedication of these three students were duly recognized. Noor Akram’s captivating painting (pictured above) caught the eye of the jurors, earning her a well-deserved Honorable Mention. Her artwork resonated with viewers, showcasing her unique perspective and artistic sensibility.
Lacie Sierra proudly displays her “Best in Show” award.
Furthermore, Lacie Sierra’s mixed media drawing stood out among the impressive array of artworks, earning her the coveted title of “Best in Show.” Lacie’s ability to seamlessly blend various mediums speaks volumes about her skill and innovation as an artist.
“I am very proud of the creativity and hard work Cameron, Noor, and Lacie have put into their artwork this year,” stated Mr. Roper, Woodlawn High Talented Visual Art teacher.
As these talented individuals continue to pursue their passion for art, their achievements serve as an inspiration to their peers and a testament to the transformative power of artistic expression. Woodlawn High School takes great pride in celebrating the success of Cameron, Noor, and Lacie, and looks forward to witnessing their future accomplishments in the world of art.
Apr 8, 2024
Each week the Panther Play by Play will review the athletic contests from the previous week and look forward to the coming week’s action.
Want to come out and cheer on the Panthers? Tickets for all home events can be purchased online.
Bowling
Four Panther bowlers competed in the 2024 LHSAA State Singles Tournament at All-Star Lanes on Friday, April 5th.
Three Woodlawn student-athletes, Henry Bratkowski, John Cador, and Keylen Sonnier, represented the Panthers in the boys’ competition.
Bratkowski led the Panthers with a three game average of 191.3. Cador followed closely with a 190.3 average over three games. Sonnier finished with a three game average of 150.7.
Aubrey Bratkowski was the lone female bowler to represent Woodlawn, and she had the highest finish of the day for the Panthers. She completed her three games with a 171.7 average, which was good enough to finish in 18th place in the state.
Tennis
Our Panther tennis team traveled to Lutcher High School on Monday, March 25th for a dual match versus the Bulldogs. Our boys’ and girls’ teams both came away from the match undefeated.
On the boys’ side, Jacob Aime and Sam Marino defeated their first court opponents after splitting sets. Woodlawn came away with the win, 6-3, 3-6, 1-0. Ryan Russell and Devin Sutor-Benfield secured the Panther win for the boys with their win on the second court, 7-5, 0-6, 1-0.
Unlike the boys, our girls team came away with three relatively easy wins. The first court doubles team of Lily Ingalls and Amelie Lemaire defeated their opponents 6-0, 6-2. Our second court, which consisted of Krystel Amo and Miriam Lindsay, defeated their opponents 6-0, 6-0. And finally, our third court of Wesley Porter and Kate Russell came away with a 7-6, 6-0 win.
On Wednesday, our Panthers were back at Highland Road Park to face East Ascension. Our Lady Panthers defeated the Spartans three courts to two, while the boys were only able to win one of four matches.
While our Lady Panthers dropped both singles matches, all three doubles courts came away with the wins for the second straight playing date. Ingalls and Lemaire (6-1, 6-0), Amo and Lindsay (6-0, 6-0), and Russell and Malaiya Johnson (7-6, 6-4) all were victorious.
Levi Lindsay was the only Panther to come away with a win for the boys, defeating EA’s first court singles player 6-0, 6-0.
Next up for Tennis: The Panther tennis teams will play St. Michael on the 8th and Denham Springs on the 9th. Both matches will start at 3 pm at Highland Road Tennis Center.
Track
Our track team competed in the Red and Gold Relays at Brusly on the 27th, with our boys’ team coming in second overall. Sophomore Liam Dowdy placed first in the 3200 meter race, our boys’ 4×400 relay team (Couren Norman, D’Kobe Chesterfield, Jay’Cob Jolla, Darius Chesterfield) placed second, and our 4×800 relay team (Brennen Lamotte, Liam Dowdy, Ashton Spears, Harlom Turner) came in first.
Additionally, our sprint medley 800 (Jay’Cob Jolla, Couren Norman, Darius Chesterfield, D’Kobe Chesterfield) and 1600 (Couren Norman, Jay’Cob Jolla, Darius Chesterfield, Kydell Miner) meter relay teams both came in first place.
In the throws, senior Alex Collins placed second in the shot put, senior Khamory Gipson placed first in the discus, senior D’Kobe Chesterfield placed first in the javelin, and junior Brennen Lamotte placed third in the javelin.
On the 4th, the team competed in the Easter Relays at Live Oak, and the boys’ team came in second overall. Juniors Jay’Cob Jolla and Caleb Cooper placed first and second in the boys’ 100 meter dash, respectively and sophomore Cayden Randall placed first in the 200 meter. For the girls, sophomore Mellody St. Luce placed second in the 800 meter race.
Our 4×200 and 4×400 boys’ teams placed first, while our 4×800 team placed second.
In the shot put, Alex Collins and Raheem Gray placed first and second, respectively. Khamory Gipson came first in the discus, and Jay’cob Jolla came first in the long jump.
All times and distances can be found at https://www.athletic.net/team/18332/track-and-field-outdoor/2024.
Next up for Track: Our track team will host a JV meet on the 9th and will compete in the Grizzly Relays at Catholic High on the 11th.
Baseball
On the 26th, the Panthers began district play against Zachary, resulting in a 14-1 loss. The following day, they rallied for a 9-6 win against Madison Prep.
Unfortunately, spring break saw a string of losses for the Panthers. The team played Zachary again on the 28th and lost 15-1. They also fell to Liberty in 2 nail-biter games on the 1st (12-10) and the 3rd (5-4). Lastly, in a double-header against Catholic on Saturday, the Panthers lost 15-2 and 10-0.
Next up for Baseball: Our baseball team will play a double-header at Central on the 8th at 4 and 6 pm. On the 11th, the team will play Scotlandville at home at 3:30 pm. They will then travel to Scotlandville on the 12th to play them again at 3:30. In their last regular season game, the team will travel to Catholic Pointe Coupee on the 13th for a game starting at 2 pm.
Softball
The Lady Panther softball team played Central on the 25th and faced an unfortunate 19-0 shut out. On the 26th, the team fell 20-1 to Zachary.
Spring break saw the Lady Panthers on an incredible winning streak against Liberty (16-0), White Castle (8-7), Northeast (17-5, 15-3), and East St. John (18-8).
Next up for Softball: The Lady Panther softball team will play their last regular season game against Tara at home on the 9th at 4 pm.
