a National Blue

Ribbon, A+ school

TIDINGS

from TAYLOR A monthly newsletter brought

to you by PFTSTA Publications.

May 2013

Upcoming Dates:

May 6—10

EOC Tests + AP Exams

May 7

HS Award Ceremony,

8—9am

May 8

MS Award Ceremony,

8—9 am

May 9

Junior Ring Ceremony,

9—11am

May 9

Graduation Practice,

1—2pm

May 9

Band Spring Concert,

6:30—7:30pm

May 11

GRADUATION,

9:30—10:30am

May 13—17

EOC Tests + AP Exams

May 21—23

FINALS: Early dismissal

From the Principal’s Pen…Mrs. Jaime Zapico:

I can’t believe the school year is almost over! Friday, May 3 was the seniors last

day! I’m going to miss them so much. They have given me so many memories

that I will always cherish. I can still remember the days when I was very fortunate

to teach many of them. I had a great time at the Senior Awards Night on May 2 and

had a blast dancing the night away with them on Saturday for PROM!

Congratulations Class of 2013! This has been a dynamic and a remarkable year! I

look forward to graduation this upcoming weekend.

I am also looking forward to the middle school and high school award

ceremonies this week. We will celebrate the high school student accomplishments

on Tuesday, May 7 and the middle school student accomplishments on Wednesday,

May 8. Both of the ceremonies will start at 8:00 am. They should be very exciting

and eventful!

Students – we just have three weeks left of school. Please be cognizant of the

fact that this is the fourth nine weeks and if you fail a course this nine week period,

you fail the course for the semester. Also, we have exams this nine weeks on May

22 and May 23. Remember, exams count for 25% of your final grade. End of

course tests (EOC) are also just around the corner. Your teachers have been

preparing you for these tests all year. I am confident you have all of the knowledge

you need to be successful on these assessments. Please be prepared and study for

these major assessments.

This week we will be celebrating Teacher Appreciation Week! Taylor would not

be the school that is without the dedication and determination of all of the teachers

here at Taylor. It amazes me how much they all give to improve our school each

and every year. I am asking that the students please take the time to thank each of

their teachers this week. They are what make Taylor so special! I hope they enjoy all of the gifts and events we have planned for them.

Speaking of dynamic teachers, as all of you know Ms. Christina Johnson was not

only named Patrick Taylor's teacher of the year but she has also been named the

JEFFERSON PARISH HIGH SCHOOL TEACHER OF THE YEAR! Congratulations

Ms. Johnson! She will be honored at the Excellence for Educators luncheon on Wednesday, May 8 by the Jefferson Chamber and Cox Communications

Last but not least, THANK YOU to all of the parents who helped with the Gala. It

was such a great night and we raised so much money for the school! As soon as the

final totals are in I will announce it. We couldn't have done it without you!!!

Contact Us:

2012 Jefferson Highway

Jefferson, LA 70121

504 838 2249 – phone

504 838 7029 – fax

Principal – Jaime Zapico

jzapico@pftsta.jppss.k12.la.us

Questions – Kathy Guzman

kguzman@pftsta.jppss.k12.la.us

------

PFTSTA Web-site

pftsta.com

PFTSTA is on Twitter

twitter.com/pftsta

Jefferson Parish Public

School System Web-site

www.jppss.k12.la.us

Graduation Reminders

Seniors: You must be at the Alario Center by 8:30am on May 11. The doors to

the Alario Center will close at 9:25am and no one will be allowed in the arena until

after the procession. Please make sure all of your family members are aware of this

policy. I do not want any of them to miss your entrance!! We will have practice at the Alario Center on Thursday, May9 at 1:00 pm. Please be prompt!

Taylor Tigers School-Wide Expectations:

Be Respectful

Be Responsible

Be Safe

Thoughtfulness of others

Independence

Global thinking

Engagement in learning

Responsibility

Seriousness in using technology

Lines from the Librarian…Mrs. Elizabeth Kahn: It is always a surprise to me when May finds its way back into the calendar. This year,

not only do I have to close out the library and put it to bed for the summer, but I have

to make sure every book is boxed up and ready for our move to Churchill Parkway in

Avondale. It may take a few weeks in the fall to get all the books situated, but I know

that the students and I are looking forward to having a library that is roomier and more

user-friendly than the one that we have now.

This is a reminder that all library materials were due on Tuesday, May 5th. Students were

made aware of this, and notices will be given out until all materials are returned. Late

fines are assessed at 10 cents a day, and any lost books must be paid for before

students leave for the summer break.

Bookmarked, the high school library book group, will continue to contribute to School

Library Journal’s online newsletter, SLJ Teen, throughout the summer and next school

year. This newsletter is published twice a month. You can find an archive of all the

students’ reviews here: http://sqworl.com/thwdxz.

In April, we received some very exciting news. Mrs. Valence and I were selected for the

2013 SIG MS Technology Innovation award in the secondary category from the

International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) Special Interest Group Media

Specialists (SIG MS) for planning the collaborative project, Traveling to the Ninth Ward.

This project involved technology, received support from Mrs. Zapico, and included

supportive data and evidence for others to replicate our project. We will be attending the

ISTE conference in San Antonio in June and will receive the honor during the opening

ceremony. Besides receiving $1,000 towards travel to the conference, the PFTSTA library

will be awarded a $1000 check and the school will receive $300 worth of books for our

professional library.

I know that students have required reading for the summer, but there are wonderful new

books out there that students might love to read. You can find the best of the best on

awards lists from the Young Adult Library Services Association, a division of the

American Library Association. The YALSA Quick Picks’ list has books with high appeal for

students ages 12-18. The list includes both fiction and non-fiction.

Check out the 2013 list here:

http://www.ala.org/yalsa/booklists/quickpicks/2013.

The YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults (BFYA) list includes works of fiction with both

literary merit and teen appeal. Again the books are geared for the 12-18 year old.

Check out the 2013 BFYA list here: http://www.ala.org/yalsa/bfya/2013list. These

book lists are created yearly, so you can find more books of quality on the previous

years’ lists. The high school book group at Patrick Taylor has helped to select the 28

nominated titles for Teen’s Top Ten. Voting opens to everyone on August 15th. To get

ready for this voting opportunity, you can find the list of nominated books here:

http://bit.ly/13fC9yi.

All of these books can be found at a public library, bookstore or for download on your

favorite reader.

Have a great summer and KEEP READING!

SCHOOL COLORS, HEAD TO TOES…SHIRTS TUCKED IN, SPIRIT SHOWS!

Purchase a PFTSTA sweater from Mrs. Kathy Hill, Account Clerk, for $35!

4H Fun at the Annual Senior Carnival:

4H had a great day at the Senior Carnival on April

23! The students hosted their first Cake Walk

and it was a smash! The Grandparents Club were

an awesome help, sending in a dozen cakes to

supplement the brownies and cookies that the 4H

members brought! Thanks to everyone for the

help!

7th graders Samantha Hermann and Ozzie Ross

work the table while preparing for the Cake Walk.

Dandridge Task Force Community Meetings:

Tuesday, May 14, 2013 –

6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.

L.W. Higgins High School library

7201 Lapalco Boulevard

Marrero, Louisiana 70072

Wednesday, May 15, 2013 –

6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.

G. T. Woods Elementary School library

1037 31st Street

Kenner, Louisiana 70065

Upcoming Events for the Incoming Senior Class of 2014:

Ring Ceremony

Date: Thursday, May 9, 2013

Time: 9:00 AM – 11:00 AM

Place: Kenner Pavilion, 3800 Loyola Drive

Spotlight on Science, from Dr. Janell Simpson:

Ms. Luz Hernandez spoke to the

AP Environmental Science class

about her job as a Project

Engineer at Phillips Petroleum

Alliance Refinery. The students

learned how petroleum is refined

and about the environmental

concerns of a large petrochemical

operation. Ms. Hernandez’s

daughter, Abrania Marrero, a

PFTSTA junior, helped her

mother with the presentation, and

explained the connection between

what Abrania has learned both in

APES class and from her mother’s work as an engineer.

Eighth graders celebrate their move to High School:

On a very cold and rainy May

3, the eighth graders

celebrated the end of their

middle school career at

Patrick Taylor with the annual

end of the year eighth grade

picnic. Celebrating Cinco de

Mayo style, they ate nachos

and tacos prepared by

members of the Grandparents

Club. Ignoring the cold

weather, the students enjoyed

a water slide on the backfield!

Now, as our seniors move on, the eighth graders will begin eating lunch with high

school students. Their first official move up! The Class of 2017 is pictured above.

Music Musings…John J. McCloskey, Band Director: Hello everyone,

I can’t believe that we are in the home stretch of the school year. Time flies when you’re

having fun! Before you know it we will be in our new building, and setting up shop.

I was very proud of the band at the annual Superintendent’s Band Festival on April 4th. The

band was awarded an overall second division trophy for their “excellent” performance. Our

student musicians did a fantastic job and were extremely professional. The represented the

school community with class. Great work band, you’re awesome.

We will be hosting our annual spring concert on Thursday May 9, 2013 at 6:30pm in the

cafeteria. Performing will be the concert band, beginner band, advanced band, chamber

ensemble, and soloists. I am looking forward to the concert and possess the highest respect

for our young musicians. They truly are a joy to teach and I know they are eager to share

their music with you. Hope to see you there.

Parents, by now you should have received a band schedule for May (if you would like me to

email you one, send me an email at jmccloskey@pftsta.jppss.k12.la.us). The schedule

contains rehearsal, concert, and graduation dates and details. The end is near. Here is a

breakdown:

May 6, 7, 8 After school practice until 4:30 pm mandatory

May 9 Spring Concert 6:30 PM in the cafeteria

May 11 Graduation at the Alairo Center report time 8:30am

May 13-17 Moving preparations after school with volunteers

As always, I sincerely appreciate all the help and support given to our student musicians by

the parents, faculty, staff, and the administration. Your encouragement and commitment to

our band truly means the world to all of us.

Sincerely,

John J. McCloskey, Director

Key Club Clippings…John J. McCloskey, Sponsor:

The spring semester has just flown by and our new club officers: Darla Nguyen –

president; Paris Evans – vice president; Alicia Tran – secretary; and Zachary Nelson

– Treasurer are in the thick of it. They have taken up the mantle of leadership and are

forging ahead.

They have already organized the senior carnival Key Club booth and fundraiser, and the “kiss

a senior goodbye” candy gram. The new officers have many ideas in the works, and I’m sure

next year will be a banner year for the Patrick F. Taylor Key Club.

With that being said, I would like to thank our past officers all of whom will graduate Saturday

May 9, 2013. These seniors have a bright future ahead of them. Our past officers are AJ

McGee, Krishna Allam, Kashif Mustshan, and Linda Tran. Thank you all very much for

your time and talents.

Each year, our sponsoring Kiwanis club asks me to pick a student I think possess, and

demonstrates, the qualities of the ultimate Key Club member. This award is known as the

Keyclubber of the Year Award.

This year, in consultation with club student leadership, I chose ninth grader Samuel Tejeda

as our Keyclubber of the Year. Samuel will honored Tuesday May 14 by the Kiwanis Club

of New Orleans’ at their May banquet and meeting. Congratulations Samuel on a well

deserved award.

Everyone is welcome to join us. Key Club is an international student-led organization that

provides its members with opportunities to provide service, build character and develop

leadership. We also have a great time doing it. If you want to join us, and are in High School,

see Darla Nguyen our new club president; you can also check us out at www.keyclub.org.

Come join us,

Mr. McCloskey

Faculty Advisor

Talented Art Tidbits:

Jefferson Parish Public Schools Talent Visual Art students will be having their annual

exhibit at Lakeside Mall on the weekend of May 17 – 19 this year. It is always an

impressive show. Taylor students will show their paper mache faces based on works

of art from various periods in art history. Please come see!

Another exciting exhibit will be at the House of Blues. Two of our students, junior

Jasmyn Hall and senior Crystal Suggs, will have artworks on exhibit there

beginning May 14 as local finalists in their national art contest!

Duke TIP Program:

The Duke Talent Identification Program is a gifted

education program based at Duke University. TIP

identifies academically advanced students and provides

resources to nurture the development of these

exceptionally bright youngsters. Candidates are invited

to take the ACT or the SAT college entrance exam as

seventh graders, which allows them greater insight into

their academic abilities. This year, two PFTSTA seventh

graders, Holly Wilkinson and Dominic Scheurer

(pictured above), received State recognition for their outstanding performance on the ACT.

Sports Shorts…from Vicki Foster and Coach Elmo Steinert:

Boys & Girls Track Information

Junior Stephen Torry placed 2nd in the 3200 meter run with a time of 10:44!

Junior Celia Zaeringer is the STATE CHAMPION in the 1600 meter run with a time

of 5:27 and also the 3200 meter run with a time of 11:51!

High School Athletes

Physicals – Every athlete must have a current physical on file to participate in

sports next year. The physical lasts 1 calendar year. All high school athletes

have the opportunity to take advantage of the FREE physical conducted by the

Ochsner doctors.

Date: Saturday, May 25

Time: 9:00am – 12 noon

PFTSTA does not have a designated time – you may show up at any time

between 9—12

Place: 1221 S. Clearview Parkway

Across from Best Buy – Elmwood Shopping Center in Metairie

Cost: FREE

You must bring the LHSAA medical form on Saturday– the top half of the form must be

completed and signed by your parent.

Please download the attached LHSAA medical form.

Middle School athletes will have the opportunity to take their physicals in August.

Teacher Talk with Dr. Simpson, Science teacher:

contributed by parent volunteer, Sandra Mesa (mom of 6th grader, Dominic Mesa)

We want to end our school year with our final newsletter of the 2012—2013 school year

by recognizing Dr. Janelle Simpson. She was nominated by her peers back in February. Dr.

Simpson joined Patrick Taylor in its second year of existence. She’s been teaching at Taylor

since 2005 and teaching a total of 19 years.

Her passion for the Sciences is evident from her M.S., Toxicology from Thomas Jefferson

University and her Ph. D in Biochemistry from LSU.

Dr. Simpson teaches 10th, 11th and 12th grade Chemistry, AP Environmental Science and

Senior Project. Mrs. Zapico recalled working with her as a teacher and admired her work

ethic along with her knowledge. Now that the roles switched she sees Dr. Simpson’s

unwavering dedication to her students and staff. So much that bringing her students outdoors

to observe and experience nature is one of her most frequent her classroom practices.

“Bringing students outdoors away from entertainment and media is important,” Dr.

Simpson said.

Her involvement goes beyond the classroom; she sponsors students for Greater New

Orleans Regional Science Fair, along with working with Environmental Science students

Coastal Roots Program and she serves on the Positive Behavior Support Committee.

According to Mrs. Zapico Patrick Taylor has received countless grants because of Dr. Simpson.

“She has provided amazing opportunities for Taylor Students,” Mrs. Zapico said.

Speaking of opportunities, when Dr. Simpson was asked to share something interesting

about herself, that no one knows, she stated she was a resident of France for two years. Just

as this experience changed her life, she exclaims how Patrick Taylor students change other

students by being different, by accepting and getting along with their peers.

Dr. Simpson stated the high school students work cooperatively in groups and work

together on understanding the material.

She said she sees student’s critical thinking skills improved along with their reasoning by

the time they begin Chemistry. She attributes this to preparation and believes the Math and

Science teachers at Patrick Taylor have done a great job in leading the students. “Thanks to

all the Math and Science teachers that have our students ready for high school,” Dr. Simpson

said.

One of Dr. Simpson’s goals is to learn more strategies to motivate students to persevere

through rather difficult topics.

Seven Great Virtual Fieldtrips for Students (and Adults!)

…submitted by Technology Coordinator, Kelly Maher:

Take a virtual field trip this summer and save time and money. Although virtual

travel is not exactly “the same,” it does eliminate some of the hassles and makes it

possible to experience what was previously out of reach.

1. Google Wonders Project:

http://www.google.com/culturalinstitute/worldwonders/

The Google Wonders Project allows students to explore a wide variety of places

and attractions. For example, you can tour the White House, visit research

stations in Antarctica, hike the Grand Canyon (virtually), or explore the Great

Barrier Reef. Browse by location or theme.

2. Google Art Project: http://www.googleartproject.com/

The Google Art Project makes it possible for students to visit dozens of

famous museums. Hangout Quest on Google+ is an extension of the Google

Art Project. It’s a virtual scavenger hunt that asks students to find artwork

and other objects in the palace. If you invite others to your Hangout you can

compete against them in a race to find the objects first. One of the coolest

additions to Hangout Quest is the addition of facial tracking technology. No

more mouse, facial tracking allows you to control your movement around the

Palace of Versailles by just moving your head.

3. National Museum of Natural History: http://www.mnh.si.edu/panoramas/

Ms. Valence and I will be taking a group of seventh, eighth and ninth grade

students to Washington D.C. next spring. If you are unable to join us, you

can still visit the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History from your

classroom or home. The museum virtual tours offer 3D panoramas of the

rooms of the museum. As you move through each room you can click get a

closer look at specific museum artifacts.

4. History Buff: http://historybuff.com/panos/colonial.html

History Buff includes a set of fifteen narrated panoramic tours of fascinating

and noteworthy historic sites, for example: Davy Crockett's childhood home,

the Appomattox Courthouse, Thomas Edison's birthplace, and Valley Forge.

5. Vatican Museums: http://mv.vatican.va/3_EN/pages/MV_Visite.html

The Vatican Museums website hosts a virtual tour of the Sistine Chapel as

well as the Gregorian Egyptian Museum, the Gregorian Etruscan Museum,

Raphael's Rooms, Pinacoteca, and the Ethnological Missionary Museum. The

virtual tour allows visitors to turn 360 degrees to view the interior from

different angles, and to zoom in order to examine details.

6. Virtual JFK Museum Tour: http://www.jfklibrary.org/Exhibits/Interactive-

Exhibits.aspx

In addition to viewing artifacts from the museum, the Virtual JFK Museum Tour is

narrated, in some cases by John F. Kennedy, himself. The online museum is

organized by the major themes and events of Kennedy's presidency including his

campaign, the Peace Corps, and the Space Race.

7. Darwin a Naturalist’s Voyage:

http://www.cnrs.fr/cw/dossiers/dosdarwinE/darwin.html

Darwin, A Naturalist's Voyage is a virtual tour that chronicles Charles

Darwin's nearly five year journey on the Beagle. In addition to information

about the journey, each of the 14 segments includes sketches form the

voyage as well as readings form Darwin’s journals and also explores social

issues of the time.

Works Cited

Byrne, Richard. "Free Technology for Teachers: 7 Good Virtual Tours for

Students." Free Technology for Teachers: 7 Good Virtual Tours for Students.

Free Technology for Teachers, 03 Apr. 2013. Web. 03 Apr. 2013.

<http://www.freetech4teachers.com/2013/04/7-good-virtual-tours-for-

students.html>.