L S V I TROJAN TALK VOLUME V ISSUE 7 THE WALL PROJECT Hearing the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival Foundation offered grants to teachers involved with the fine arts and literacy for in-school and after-school activities, Anna Gayle, LSVI s art and Braille teacher decided to submit a proposal. The submission described the creation of fourteen concrete dots embedded with colored glass and beads. The glass represents the confetti thrown at celebrations and the beads, a popular throw during Mardi Gras and other Louisiana parades. The fourteen dots, when mounted on an outside brick wall, would spell the acronym LSVI including the two dots needed to capitalize the letters. The dots design mixed culture with art. The tactile sign represents the student body the school serves. A portion of the grant was used to hire Sheryl Southwick, an artist who works in concrete media. Several students were involved in sifting concrete, mixing it, pouring the mold, cutting the beads, breaking the glass, embedding the beads and glass, and masking the brick wall. The weather forecast for March 9th, the day the dots were to be mounted to the wall, was heavy rain. Despite the prediction, Ms. Gayle and Ms. Southwick worked together in the misty, windy morning with help from Art I students, Chloe Ashford and Kelsin Franklin, to secure the dots on the brick exterior wall leading to the office entryway. To a sighted person, the sign can be seen from a distance; for the visually impaired person, it can be read by touch. Anna Gayle, Sheryl Southwick, & Art I student, Kelsin Franklin, touch up the dots. The finished product Continued on page 2...
Page 2 TROJAN TALK Continued from page 1... Top Row, Left to Right: sifting concrete, pouring the molds, smashing colored glass, snipping beads. Second Row, Left to Right: snipping beads, embedding the mold, sample dot Third Row, Left to Right: Ms. Gayle duct-tapes the outline, Art I student helps to block out the dot pattern, removing tape from around the dots. MARCH STUDENTS OF THE MONTH <Akira Lasyone Elementary <Michael Sam Alternate Track >Tianna Blandin Middle School >Chris Holliday High School
VOLUME V ISSUE 7 Page 3 LSVI TROJANS ATTEND REGIONAL POWERLIFTING: Dainethia Brock, Andrea Moore, Kloe Andrews, Mary Hilton, Allie Turner, Chris Holliday, Dontay Penn, Ryan Barnes, Nicholas Ricard, Josiah Singleton, Austin Dugas, Gianni Toce, Joseph Brock, and Matthew Hymel. * State competitors. STATE CHAMPION: AUSTIN DUGAS Star Qualified For State A LITTLE MAGIC Randall Eller let the students feel a newspaper that became shredded, then whole again. Ed Magic roasted the shoe of student, Evan Hack. Magician Eller looks at Evan Hack s burned and shrunken shoe as Evan reacted. For the second year in a row, Magicians Randall Eller and Ed Magic returned to LSVI to create a little magic with the students. Many of the students who experienced the show in 2015, were eager to volunteer. Before a year ago, I had never presented the show with a visually impaired audience, said Randall Eller. But, it was a great experience for me and I was looking forward to returning. He also said that he had received many questions and comments from his colleagues about making the show work with the school s population. His sidekick, Ed Magic, created a comedic atmosphere with his antics on and off-stage during acts. Newspaper that returned intact after being shredded, card tricks, mirrors that look solid but change to expelling scarves, and a disappearing shoe were some of the many tricks performed. Many students volunteered and Eller always let the audience as a whole participate by touching the objects he was using for his tricks as well explaining the acts. LSVI teachers and students had a great time and thanked the school s own, David Eller (Magician Randall s brother) for inviting him.
LSVI MARCH MADNESS NATIONAL DR. SEUSS DAY FACULTY DRESS-UP (above) Blue Fish and Cat: B. Dupont, grant writer & M. Furlow, paraprofessional Green Eggs and Ham: C. Munson, middle school ELA; Sneech, C. Evans, paraprofessional; Coaches 1 & 2: J. Gaudet and J. Norris; Grinch: S. Manuel, high school history; Cat-n-the-Hat, M. VanAntwerp, O & M. Sailing Box, J. Trahan; Blue Fish, B. Dupont; Zebra, D. Bennett, IEP facilitator; a Seuss Fan, P. Boudreaux, school secretary; & the lazy librarian, L. Alba A sentiment shared by all on a Monday morning. EGG-HUNTING FUN Dulce finds a furry friend Joelle is so excited about her egg! Trinity gets help from Coach Gaudet Evan Hack and Evan Hoffmann prepare to use their ears and hands only. Ides of March Skit by : English II. Back row, left to right: Chloe Ashford, Devon Ryder, Mary Hilton, Mackenzie Montgomery. Front: Freddie Brown 1ST POETRY SLAM EVENT. Dr. Leilya Pitre with participants. elementary winner: Trinity Schley, middle school winner: Kloe Andrews, high school winner: Gianni Toce
2016 STATE TALENT AND ART COMPETITION WINNERS 1st Place: $75> Mackenzie Montgomery 8-minute monologue 2nd Place: $50>Chris Holliday Lovin The USA rap 3rd Place: $25> Christy Grant Saxophone 1st Place: $75> Miracle Robertson, Bowl, Model magic 2nd Place: $50>Damontae Pounds, 18-Wheeler; mixed media 3rd Place: $25>Kelsin Franklin, Sunrise Acrylic on canvas Debbie WAYNE Bennett, IEP Facilitator Devon WAYNE Ryder, 10th grade student