From the Principal’s Pen Jaime Zapico
Tidings from Taylor A U G U S T - S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 7
Upcoming Events
Sept. 8-9
Grace King/Haynes Volley-
ball Tournament
Grace King HS
Sept. 9
Mt. Carmel Cross-Country
Invitational
City Park
Sept. 15
Grandparents’ Bake Sale
Middle School Back-to-
School Dance
PFTSTA
7-10 pm
Sept. 15-16
Riverdale Volleyball Tourna-
ment
Riverdale HS
Sept. 16
Math Tournament
Saint Paul’s School
(Covington)
Rummel/Chapelle Cross-
Country Invitational
City Park
Sept. 21
PTO Meeting
6-7 pm
Sept. 22
Smoothie King Day
Interim Reports Issued
I would like to take this opportunity to welcome back all of our returning Taylor
students, parents, faculty, staff, and, further, all those new to the Taylor family! I know
the summer flew by for many of our students, but we are anxious to get to work and
hit the ground running! If there is anything the administration can do to assist you or if
you have any questions, please do not hesitate to call the front office. I look forward to
building relationships with all of you and having a productive and fulfilling school year!
Thank you to all of the parents and students who attended the Back to School Social
on Saturday, August 5 and Open House on Thursday, August 17. We had a huge turn-
out for both events. The Back to School Social was another great success, and I’d like
to extend special thanks to the PTO for hosting the event, the parents who helped us
make it so successful, PTO president Maria Thomas, and past PTO president Tamara
Fryer for all the time they put in to make the day so special. We couldn’t have done it
without all of you!
I hope to see you all on Thursday, September 21 for our first PTO meeting at 6 pm in
the common area outside of the library. We will discuss our upcoming Open House for
prospective students, scheduled for Thursday, October 12 from 4—6 pm. Please pick
up a yard sign if you are coming to the meeting to help us promote the event. If you
are new to Patrick Taylor, Open House is the night when we welcome all families to
campus who are considering becoming Taylor Tigers in the near future. Many of our
Taylor students and parents assist us on this night. We will be asking for your help
again! Also, since this is always such a late night, the wonderful Taylor teachers do not
assign homework.
Interim reports for the first nine week period will go home on Friday, September 22.
Please ask your child for this important document so you can review it together. You
can access grades and assignments any time of the day through ECHO.
Thank you again for your patience with us during carpool both in the morning and in
the afternoon. Just one last reminder that students can’t be dropped off earlier than the
6:50 am bell and must be picked up by 3 pm.
Our first grandparents’ bake sale is scheduled for Friday, September 15 during all three
lunches. Our grandparents’ club helps us out in many ways. We love the special treats
they make for us!! Don’t forget your money!
Upcoming Events
Sept. 27
Early Release for Students
12:10 dismissal
PFTSTA Spirit Shirt Day
Sept. 30
Math Tournament
Cabrini HS
Oct. 2-5
Library Book Fair
Oct. 3
Grandparents’ Breakfast
(8th-12th grades)
FAFSA Night
Oct. 4
Grandparents’ Breakfast
(6th-7th grades)
Oct. 9-13
Teen Read Week
Oct. 11
PSAT Testing
Oct. 13
End of 1st Marking Period
T I D I N G S F R O M T A Y L O R
Act No. 50 of the Louisiana Legislature House Bill No. 718 requires that within the
first 30 days of each school year, each school shall conduct a safety drill to rehearse
the components of the crisis management and response plan. Our first lock
down drill took place on Wednesday, September 6 during first period. First period
teachers reviewed all procedures with the students to prepare them. To ease any
fears or anxiety, we reminded the students before the drill took place that this was
a practice drill. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact school.
Patrick Taylor Text Messages
If you would like to receive text messages to remind you of big events or important
documentation coming home, please see the flyer below.
Subscribe to Our Email List
If you would like to receive email communications from school, including
newsletters, daily Paw Prints, messages from the administration, special announce-
ments, etc., please use this link to subscribe to our list. NOTE: Even if you received
emails last year, you will need to subscribe again to receive emails this year. Once you
submit the form, you will be emailed a confirmation, and you will be asked to verify
your subscription.
Ms. Zapico would like you to join Patrick F. Taylor
Science & Technology Academy
Lines from the Librarian
Ms. Elizabeth Kahn
The library is a happening place at PFTSTA. Students line up before school until the library
opens at 7am and fill it up during all three scheduled lunch periods. If you want to know
what goes on in the library, follow us on Facebook or Instagram. You will see students
caught reading in the library and making wonderful creations with all the makerspace
materials. You will also get to see
all three book groups in action,
along with all the authors who
visit school in person or virtually.
Students can access all library
resources 24/7 on the library
website: pftstalibrary.com. Links
to the databases can be found on
the website, but if you need user
names and passwords for access,
pick up a sheet in the library with
that information. For ease in
finding all links related to the
school and the library, Ms. Kahn
has created a Symbaloo for the
students to use: symbaloo.com/
mix/pftstastudents. Saving this link
as the homepage to your
computer’s browser makes
getting around the web very easy.
The first planned event of the year is a visit from author, Nancy Cavanaugh on Monday,
September 25th. She will be talking to all 6th and 7th grade students. Students can order a
book and have it signed. Please understand that Octavia Books and the publishers send
the authors to us for free. In return, we sell copies of the author’s books to the students.
Your support means that they will continue to send authors to our school.
Another scheduled event is the annual book fair that will open on Monday, October 2.
This is the only fundraiser for the library for the year. Volunteers for the fair are needed,
and you can sign up to help by opening this link.
PFTSTA
Library
All Readers
Welcome Remember you can
visit the library 24/7
on the library website
On Facebook:
&
On Instagram:
Jacob Morris, Paris Jackson, and Tyler Barrios, who are all
members of the high school book group, Bookmarked, can
be found in the library at lunch almost every day.
T I D I N G S F R O M T A Y L O R
We had a bit of a bumpy road with opening the library this
year. It took a couple of weeks for the district to figure out
how to add the new students to the library’s circulation
program, but all students may now check out books from the
library. Since May, I have added almost 400 new books to the
collection. Please note the following library policies:
The loan period for books from the general collection
(fiction and non-fiction) is 2 weeks and renewed if needed
Late fines are 10¢ a day not counting weekends and holi-
days
Students are responsible for paying for lost or damaged
books.
Reference materials and magazines may be checked out
overnight only and late fines are 50¢ a day.
Overdue notices are sent to students in their study hall
every other week.
Sophomore Logan Neese was the first student to
check out a book this year.
Strong Start for Mu Alpha Theta
Kay Butler
We are proud to announce our new slate of officers for the 2017-18 school year:
President - Bailey Andras
Vice President - Nia Evangeloulis
Secretary - Maddie Fryer
Treasurer - Logan Barrios
Reporter - Hanna Porta
Historian - August Steinkamp
Photographer - Alex Walker
We are also extremely proud of Jacob LeBlanc, who will be serving as this year’s National MAO Secretary as
well as his second term on the Louisiana MAO Executive Board as District II Governor.
This group of highly motivated students held their first meeting of the year on Tuesday, August 29th. Their
excitement was so contagious that Ms. Butler’s room had standing room only! It was filled with high school
students who are interested in mathematics and in making the 2017-18 school year the best year yet for MAO!
More than 50 students showed interest in our first MAO tournament this year! It will be hosted by St. Paul’s in
Mandeville on September 16th. Mu Alpha Theta will be meeting during HS lunch, every 2nd, 4th, and 5th Tuesday
of the month throughout the year. Any high school students who are interested in joining Mu Alpha Theta or
participating in mathematics tournaments this year should see Ms. Butler, Ms. Kelley, or Ms. Strong – or just
come to our next meeting!
T I D I N G S F R O M T A Y L O R
Counselor’s Corner Welcome Back Taylor Tigers!
It has been a great month so far getting everyone settled in! I am excited that many of our
Juniors and Seniors have taken advantage of the extra Dual Enrollment and AP courses
this year. Because Patrick Taylor is an Advanced Studies Academy, we encourage all
students to take courses that will challenge them. Taking advanced level courses in high
school can help students earn college credit early on, and it looks great during the college
admissions process. Many of our seniors have already begun their admissions and
scholarship applications, but preparing for this process can begin as early as middle school.
While some schools do not begin Carnegie credit courses until 9th grade, our students
begin in 8th grade. It is important for them to know those English and Math courses will be
on their high school transcript, and can affect college admissions later down the road.
Another way to boost your resume is to stay involved throughout high school. Joining
clubs and participating in extracurricular activities is a great way to show your school
spirit, take on leadership roles, and help the community.
I post events/opportunities in Paw Prints and send out information to students through
email often, so it is important that students are checking their emails, Paw Prints, and
Echo daily. My website is another helpful resource for students and parents. Please reach
out to me if you have questions or concerns at [email protected].
A few important events are coming up:
September 8th: Last day to register for the October 7th SAT. You can register for the
SAT at https://collegereadiness.collegeboard.org/
September 19th: New Orleans NACAC College Fair 6:00-8:00 PM @ the Pontchar-
train Center in Kenner. I highly encourage all students to attend. You can register for the
fair here.
September 22nd: Last day to register for the October 28th ACT. You can register for
the ACT at www.ACT.org
September 28th: Student/Parent Information Session with Duke, Georgetown, Har-
vard, Penn, and Stanford. RSVP at www.exploringcollegeoptions.org
The Westin New Orleans, Canal Place
100 Iberville Street
New Orleans, La 70130
October 3rd: FAFSA Night (Seniors only) 6:00-7:00 PM – Students and Parents please
register for this event on my website. As of this school year, completing the FAFSA is a
state graduation requirement. The FAFSA opens October 1st, however you can begin the
process by completing your FSA ID. Both the student and the parent must create a sepa-
rate FSA ID at fafsa.gov
October 11th: All 9th through 11th grade students will be taking the PSAT at school.
A U G U S T - S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 7
Student Spotlight
Congratulations to Alex Gelpi for winning the Kelly Gibson Foundation Cox Communications Scholarship!
We are very proud of you!
Good Luck to all of our POSSE Students in their upcoming interviews!
Community Service Hour Information
Community Service opportunities are available through school, community, and government agencies. Many
students will volunteer to help at school events and for community-organized events and organizations such as
Habitat for Humanity, Second Harvest Food Bank, animal shelters, local churches, local fairs/festivals, hospitals,
law offices, Open House, summer camp, etc. It is the student's responsibility to find these opportunities and
complete the hours before April of their graduation year.
Reminder: You need at least 50 service hours to graduate.
You need at least 80 service hours to receive the community service endorsement.
Required for High School Students Only (hours can be counted starting the summer after 8th grade year)
Community service hours completed in past school years cannot be submitted in later school years.
Make sure you turn in all service hours within the school year you completed them. Service Hours from
the summer count toward the upcoming school year.
The Community Service Hour form must be completed, even if you have a letter from the organization;
the form must accompany the letter.
The Community Service Hour Forms can be found in the front office, or outside of my office.
If the student is also involved in National Honor Society, the required 50 hours of service each year cannot be
used for both NHS and your graduation requirement.
Upcoming Community Service Opportunities
The following activities are put on by United Way of Southeast Louisiana. In order to attend, you must
register online first to make sure they have enough spots.
Saturday, September 9th
9 a.m. - Noon
Eisenhower Academy of Global Studies
3700 Tall Pines Drive, New Orleans, LA 70131
More Information/Register here.
Saturday, September 16th
9 a.m. - Noon
Greenville Park Leadership Academy
(former Hammond Jr. High)
111 J W Davis Dr., Hammond, LA 70403
More Information/Register here.
If you wish to know how many service hours you have, please email me at [email protected].
Thank you for always being so committed to helping the community!
Have a wonderful school year!
Cheri Rivera, PLPC, M.A., NCC
High School Counselor and Community Service Hour Coordinator
It’s all about reading! Amanda Ingargiola
In middle school Gifted ELA, we are kicking the year off with
READING! In the TIME magazine article, “Reading Literature Makes
us Smarter and Nicer,” author Annie Murphy Paul presents a convinc-
ing argument about the necessity - and benefit- of reading. She insists,
“If we allow our offspring to believe carnal reading is all there is — if
we don’t open the door to spiritual reading, through an early insistence
on discipline and practice — we will have cheated them of an enjoya-
ble, even ecstatic experience they would not otherwise encounter.
And we will have deprived them of an elevating and enlightening expe-
rience that will enlarge them as people.” Paul argues that the act of
“deep reading”, or connecting intimately with a text and its characters
and plot, teaches students empathy. I agree. In an effort to build a com-
munity of more empathetic kids and readers, I started the year by ask-
ing each of my students to set a personal reading goal for this school
year; the results were beautiful and inspiring. Collectively, the sixth and
seventh grade Gifted ELA students have promised to read hundreds of
pages across dozens of genres - including nonfiction! Our school librar-
ian, Ms. Kahn, has been instrumental in helping the students get started
on their goals; the Patrick Taylor library is the perfect place to find
both great books and a cozy place to read them. I hope you’ll join us
and set a personal reading goal yourself. See what adventures await in
the stories you choose. Happy Reading!
T I D I N G S F R O M T A Y L O R
6th and 7th Grade Science News Michelle Leonard
In 7th grade science students have been learning about cells and the functions of the organelles in a cell. The
class has made cell models, looked at paramecium under the microscope, and determined different types of
cells by observing slides under the microscope. They have also completed a cell analogy project. We will learn
about osmosis, photosynthesis, and cellular respiration next month.
The 6th graders have been busy learning about the sun, Earth,
and moon. The class made pinhole projectors for the solar
eclipse, designed their own procedure for demonstrating lunar
phases, and created a scale model of the distance of planets
from the sun.. We will learn about the cell and its organelles in
September.
Pictured above: Victoria Hanke, Srija Tamidela, and Delina Tewelde
Right: Zoe Samuel and Joseph Wells
Pictured above: Mason Mackie and Sajiv Patel
Right: Larry Cole, Luke Santopadre, and
Morgan Loup
7th Grade Math
Ms. Klusendorf
Ms. Klusendorf’s
Pre-Algebra classes are
off to a great start!
Right: Amairi Ashford,
Emily Do, and Abby Ev-
ans use a Sphero SPRK+
to explore geometric
translations.
Below: Logan Salas and
Miguel Wilches take a
break from program-
ming geometric transfor-
mations to pose with
their Sphero SPRK+
robot.
Strategies for Success Greetings,
As we have moved well into the start of a new school year and I’m finally getting some of the beach sand out of
my car after Labor Day, now would be a good time to make sure that all stakeholders are aware of the best
methods and expectations to support our students in their studies of World Geography or Civics. Below, I have
listed some suggestions to help support your scholar’s performance for the remainder of the semester.
1. Review notes daily. Each week, we will be going through a significant amount of information through class
lectures, projects, and/or readings in the textbook. This means that in order to stay with the course, your student
should take at least 20 minutes daily to review what was covered in the reading and/or lecture. A suggestion
would be to use our unit overview guides to review the vocabulary and essential questions covered from the lec-
ture or reading. Another suggestion is to have your student complete “quizlets,” “kahoots,” and other supporting
online materials made available through Echo.
2. Stay organized. I cannot emphasize enough the correlation between success and organizational habits. Most
important among these is using a 3-ring binder with dividers as well as a written agenda. Pedagogical science is
unequivocal in its consensus on the higher retention of writing down information instead of recording it electroni-
cally. Consequently, when students write down their upcoming assignments on a daily basis, they have a much
greater sense of buy-in to remember completing it since they have already invested some time and energy to
write it down. Even when students don’t have homework, they should reinforce this habit by writing down “no
homework” for that course.
3. Preview. It is extremely helpful for students to preview their lectures and consider the information using their
unit overviews before beginning these in class. By previewing the notes, students can devote more time and ener-
gy in class to critically thinking about the ideas they are hearing and filling in extra explanations, examples and/or
diagrams in the margins of their class notes. As such, they are able to consider how and why the term is significant
instead of simply listening for the term’s details concerning who, what, where, and/or when.
I am always available if families would like clarification on these suggestions or any further ones. As always, thank
you again for the opportunity to help develop your sons and daughters into educated young men and women of
character. I always feel very lucky that the goal of my job at the end of the day is to help people grow into think-
ing and reflective leaders of society. I am always available by email at [email protected].
Sincerely,
Greg Webster
Social Studies Teacher; Lady Tigers Soccer Coach
Tidings from TechBytes
Kelly Maher
Parenting digital natives can be a challenge, especially when you might not have grown up with all the technology
that is available today. Along with the many benefits of a connected, digital world come some very real concerns,
Internet safety and online privacy among them. The Center for Missing and Exploited Children’s NetSmartz in-
cludes wonderful age-appropriate resources for students, parents, and educators on topics such as Internet Safe-
ty, Social Media, Cyberbullying, and Online Privacy. Common Sense Media also offers a variety of resources about
online safety and digital citizenship. Awareness, communication, and supervision are key in raising safe, responsible
digital citizens.
Need Help with Echo?
Try the Echo Help Center for Parents and Observers.
T I D I N G S F R O M T A Y L O R
A Seuss-tacular School Year! Ayree Johnson, Student Government President
So far, SGA is off to a great start! The club hosted its first school pep rally on August 25.
Students went head to head to show off their creativity and spirit in the banner drop, and
new and veteran faculty members competed to see who was really the best. That night,
SGA also hosted the first high school dance in the common area. If the rest of the year is
anything like back to school week, everyone is in for a treat!
Coming Soon:
HASC: September 30
Homecoming Spirit Week: October 16-21
Homecoming Volleyball Game vs. Cohen: October 20 at the
Alario Center
Homecoming Dance: October 21, 7pm-10pm at PFTSTA
Middle school banners: Fox in Socks
(8th), Green Eggs and Ham (7th), and
Horton Hears a Who (6th)
High school banners:
Oh, the Places You’ll Go!
(12th), The Cat in the
Hat (11th), The Lorax
(10th), and One Fish,
Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue
Fish (9th)
Pictured left: PFTSGA’s first meeting of the school year.
The annual Back-to-School Week Club Fair
7th graders go head to head during lunchtime activities
8th graders Faith Kelley and Emily Kreller
won the Thing 1 and Thing 2 Best Friend
Challenge
Juniors Logan Barrios, Alyssa Barrios (foreground),
Nia Evangeloulis, August Steinkamp, and Jada
Woodard (rear) fully embrace their class theme at
the back-to-school dance.
Ms. Roberson and Mrs. Higgins join in the fun.
7th Grade News Ms. Klusendorf
Our class theme this year is Green Eggs and Ham, by Dr. Seuss. The 7th grade Banner & Pep
Rally Committee did a fantastic job creating our banner! The other grades are green with
envy!
NHS News Elizabeth Kahn, faculty advisor
The NHS executive board has met to plan many great service opportunities for its
members this year. Tutoring sessions offer benefits to those who tutor and those being
tutored. NHS members surrender their lunch to assist students in 8th grade and up. Tutor-
ing is going to be scheduled every Tuesday and Thursday from 12-12:30 and will begin on
September 12th. Students do not have to sign up ahead of time to be tutored. Watch Paw
Prints for tutoring location.
Top row: Olivia
Commagere, Iyana
Long, Arren Murphy,
Senora Rodgers,
Kwesi Blanchett,
Marcus Monistere, and
Christina Watson
Bottom row: Penelope
Blonidau, Lucy
Broussard, and
Madeline Monistere
Biology students make models of cells Dr. Worthylake
Honors Biology and AP Biology students both created models of special-
ized cells, including ciliated epithelial cells, pancreatic secretory cells and
neurons. Models were evaluated based on both accuracy and originality.
Biology students used
edible materials to
model different
specialized cells,
while AP Biology
students used arts
and crafts materials
to construct their cell
models.
Above: Honors Biology students Jennie
Longwell and Devin Johnson evaluate a
model of a goblet cell.
AP Biology student’s model of a macrophage. AP Biology student’s model of a plant mesophyll cell.
Right: Honors Biology
students Bella Crab-
tree, Lili Tran, Chris
Ngo, and Fernandos
Magee evaluated a
model of a neuron.
Chemistry’s on Fire! Amanda Godshaw
Honors Chemistry and Chemistry are off to a great start this year. We just completed our second unit in Honors
Chemistry and will be moving onto periodic trends in September, where we will experiment with lighting various
elemental solutions on fire to observe the colors they emit. AP Chemistry just wrapped up their first unit and will
be moving onto Gas Laws for the next few weeks. We have several experiments planned for that class as well!
Web Mastering
Kelly Maher
The Web Mastering course gives students a brief overview of the potential jobs related to
web site development, most of which can be roughly classified into either the design or
coding category. We began with a brief introduction to HTML and CSS, which was fol-
lowed by an overview of design, specifically a study of web appropriate graphics and how
to optimize graphics for the Internet.
Students have started to work in Adobe Dreamweaver and at the end of the semester will
have an opportunity to earn an Adobe Dreamweaver CC Adobe Certified Associate Cer-
tification. The Adobe Certified Associate program is an industry-recognized credential that
demonstrates proficiency in Adobe digital skills.
If you would like to learn to create web sites, there are a plethora of online tutorials.
Some of my favorites are listed below:
Codecademy HTML & CSS
Khan Academy: Intro to HTML/CSS: Making webpages
W3Schools HTML Tutorial and Reference
W3Schools CSS Tutorial and Reference
Shay Howe’s, Beginners Guide to HTML & CSS
In addition to the W3School’s references above, below are a few web master tools for
those of you who already know the basics:
HTML5 Cheat Sheet
CSS Cheat Sheet
HTML5 Please
W3C Markup Validator
T I D I N G S F R O M T A Y L O R
PowerSkills
Kelly Maher
The PowerSkills class is pleasure to teach. They
approach each task with a positive attitude and
endless enthusiasm. So far, students have collabo-
rated on several Google docs and presentations,
and are also learning about and practicing some
real-world skills such as using proper email eti-
quette and complying with copyright laws.
Students have also started coding using SCRATCH,
(a programming language created at MIT and
geared specifically toward 8-13 year olds). Instruc-
tions and journal prompts can be found in the SCRATCH Workshop document, while all deadlines, as well as links
to the Studios, are posted under "Deadlines, Tests, and Quizzes" on the Echo Agenda. Finally, the SCRATCH Nuts
& Bolts videos are always available on Google Drive. After this introduction to computer programming, students
will be learning Swift using Swift Playgrounds, an innovative app for iPads that makes coding interactive and engaging.
As we move through the first quarter, students can look
forward to 3D printing, learning Adobe Illustrator in
order to create designs for laser cutting, and an intro-
duction to electronics using MaKey MaKeys.
Please remember that your child’s assignments and
grades are always accessible on Echo.
Athletics News
Brad Womack
The new school year is upon us and athletics is in full
swing. Cross-country, varsity volleyball, swimming
and middle school track are in full swing.
Our latest addition to the program, wrestling will be
kicking off in September.
Additionally, parents can now complete all required
athletic paperwork online. Visit our web-
site, www.patricktaylorathletics.org, and use the
FamilyID link to access forms. Our site can be your
go-to resource for all athletic information.
We hope to see all parents out there supporting our
athletes.
Greetings from 6th and 8th Grade Science!
The school year is off to a wonderful start. The students are eager to learn and willing to
help each other out to collaborate in science. All students have finally settled into a great
routine.
The fantastic 8th graders have used their scientific inquiry skills to review their previous
science classes and recall all they know from last year in life science. We are going to be
working on Earth’s systems and other fascinating topics this year.
The 6th graders will be making a cell model to show what life is made up of. We are
going to be busy with many different topics and ideas. I hope everyone has a fantastic
year!
Mrs. Caulfield
T I D I N G S F R O M T A Y L O R
A Musical Note
Hi and welcome back.
Welcome to the beginning of the school year! We are off to a great start. Our first performance will
be on September 23 at Tulane Stadium as we will be performing at the Marching Band Day at Yulman
Stadium. This is always a very fun day.
The week after are All-State auditions. We have two students trying to get into that prestigious group:
Quint Adkins (drums) and Julia Hutto (baritone saxophone.) Wish them well on their auditions when
you see them.
District level honor band will be happening a little late. All those interested in auditioning please see
me. The deadline is late October with auditions in early December.
If you haven’t heard yet, I have instituted a new communication tool for band. It is called “Charms Of-
fice Assistant,” and I will be using it for many different reasons. It is web-based, so parents and students
will be able to access all information 24/7.
Charms will host our calendar, digitized sheet music, practice logs, announcements, and much more. I
will be able to send email and text blasts, as well as take attendance for practices and field trips with a
small scanner. I can keep track of a lot more than that, and I’m sure as I learn the software, I will use it
even more. Please be patient; we are still learning it!
Students will receive a code to access the account.
I am really looking forward to this school year, and as we embark on the journey, I would like to re-
mind you that the benefits of music study extend far beyond the performance.
Please join me in encouraging any interested student or any former music students to get involved with
band. As for all the young musicians already in our program, I am very appreciative of your steadfast
support and look forward to your continuing involvement.
Sincerely,
John J. McCloskey
Director
In the Art Room
Elizabeth Faucheux
In Fine Arts Survey students are learning about the
elements of art and different ways to incorporate
math into art making. Students discussed the work of
M. C. Escher and used math to create tessellations.
(Tessellations are shapes repeating on a page with no
overlaps and no gaps.) Students had to design a tessel-
lation, then creatively render it for artistic appeal.
Students created tessellations of frogs, ducks, butter-
flies, and a variety of creatures.
Students studied Op Art and the artist Bridget Riley
to create optical illusions and artwork using parabolic
curves. Students used rulers, protractors, and com-
passes to create intricate works of art.
Students recently visited the Fab Lab to use Pho-
toshop to edit photographs for a lesson about value.
Value refers to the lightness and darkness of a color.
Students transformed their photographs into paintings
using hues, tints, and shades. Students will continue to
explore art-making in creative ways and grow in their
understanding of math and technology.
Daniel Cressy with his Op Art
design
Trina Lewis with her butterfly
tessellation.
Tyler Tran with his posterized
value painting.
Jennifer Tran with her parabolic curve design.
T I D I N G S F R O M T A Y L O R
Theater Spotlight
Robert Cheramie, Monica Kiefer, and Scott Theriot
This semester, the theatre department will be performing The Election, by Don Zolidis:
After an embattled student body presi-
dent resigns in disgrace, Mark Davenport
figures he will cruise to victory in the spe-
cial election. After all, his only opponent is
nerdy Christy Martin, who wants to elimi-
nate football. But when a mysterious Su-
per PAC gives her an unlimited budget,
things start to get very ugly. Mark must
face total annihilation or accept the ser-
vices of a slick professional campaign
manager with questionable ethics and a
million-dollar Super PAC of his own. A
hilarious and timely satire on the contem-
porary political scene.
Auditions were held on August 19th and the cast includes students from both the middle and high schools:
Taylor Andras, Patrick Grindstaff, Claire Hudson, Catherine Wertz, Holly Wilkinson (Seniors)
Angel Thompson Askew (Junior)
Kaitlyn Esneault, Julie Ledet, Olivia Sonnier (Sophomores)
Jasmine Garrison, Aiden Morriss (Freshmen)
Jazzy Conforto (8th Grade)
Zoe Samuel (7th Grade)
Sasha Durta (6th Grade)
Ella Grindstaff (Sophomore) will serve as the production Stage Manager
Mr. Scott Theriot will Direct
In the Spring, Mrs. Monica Kiefer will be directing an adaptation of The Time Machine, by Kathryn Shultz Miller with
her middle school theatre resource groups. Mr. Robert Cheramie will serve as technical director for both shows.
Theatre resource groups this semester continue to study Stanislavsky method using various scripted monologues
and scenes.
In this photo from last week’s rehearsal,
Mark (Aiden Morriss; left) and Christy
(Jazzy Conforto; right) face off in one of
four debates moderated by Kyli (Taylor
Andras; center).
Contact Us:
701 Churchill Parkway
Avondale, LA 70094
Phone: 504-838-2249
Fax: 504-436-0257
Questions - Stephanie Roberson
or
Amy Poole
Jefferson Parish Public School System
jpschools.org
Patrick F. Taylor Science & Technology Academy
We’re on the web!
pftsta.com
twitter.com/pftsta
facebook.com/pftsta