2010-08-13

用A到Z寫作文2【USE "A TO Z" TO WRITE AN ARTICLE 2】

 

開學ABC

▲The Daily Advertiser(Lafayette, LA USA)

 

IT'S BACK TO SCHOOL TODAY
LEARNING THE ABC'S OF LAFAYETTE PARISH

Tina Marie Macias • tmacias@theadvertiser.com • August 12, 2010

Alternative programs being revamped
Two of the school system's alternative programs — Continuing Academic Program for Students, or CAPS, and Lafayette Alternative Program for Students, or LAPS — are shedding its boot camps methods. Most of the drill sergeants will be gone and more of an emphasis will be placed on positive reinforcement and academic success.

Bears at Carencro High School
Nearly 1,500 students attend Carencro High School in north Lafayette Parish. It is home to the Academy of Information Technology, which collaborates with the Louisiana Immersive Technologies Enterprise center to provide internships to students and researches best uses of LUS Fiber.

Chinese Immersion
First-graders and kindergarteners will be speaking Mandarin Chinese in the halls of Alice Boucher Elementary School this year. The school is home to a World Language Academy that teaches students French, Spanish and — for the second year — Chinese.

Diversity in schools
Five schools offer English as a Second Language programs for hundreds of Lafayette Parish students. Schools have continued to become more diverse in the last 20 years. In 1990, the ESL program started with 64 mostly Vietnamese students. Now, 875 students who speak 25 different languages attend Lafayette Parish schools.

Environmental Science Academies for kids in grades K-12
Environmentally conscious kids can spend 12 years learning about the Louisiana ecosystem and green sciences. Elementary students can learn about nature, have gardens and an outdoor learning center at L. Leo Judice Elementary School. When they move on to Lafayette Middle School, they'll take trips to Grand Isle and learn in the school's greenhouse, gardens and pond. Finally, at Northside High, they can collaborate with UL and learn about environmental careers.

French Immersion
Lafayette Parish is home to the second oldest French Immersion program in Louisiana. The program began in 1992, and is now offered at five elementary schools and one middle school — Paul Breaux Middle School. About 1,000 students are enrolled in French Immersion from prekindergarten to eighth grade.

Great teachers
Lafayette High School teacher Julia Williams is the state teacher of the year, making Lafayette Parish home to the state Teacher of the Year two years in a row. Paul Breaux Middle School teacher Holly Boffy was the Teacher of the Year last year. Additionally, Debbie Reed of Broussard Middle School as named Middle School State Teacher of the Year.

High school football
The 59th annual Kiwanis Football Jamboree kicks off the football season Aug. 26 and 27 at Cajun Field. The jamboree is an Acadiana preseason tradition, and is host to 12 area public and private high school teams. Many of the teams will never play each other in the regular season. The regular football season starts the week after the jamboree.

International Baccalaureate Candidate schools
J.W. Faulk Elementary and N.P. Moss Middle schools will be International Baccalaureate Candidate schools this year. IB schools provide a stronger emphasis on student involvement in lessons, focuses on hands-on projects and relates academics to the real world.

Jumping ballerinas in arts academies from grades K-12
Spots at arts academies at J. Wallace James Elementary, L.J. Alleman, Comeaux High and Lafayette High schools are some of the most coveted in the parish. Students as young as 5 and 6 can being toying with music, dance and visual arts.

Kindergarten
Lafayette Parish prides itself in early childhood education, and more students are prepared for kindergarten because of prekindergarten program. The Cecil J. Picard LA-4 pre-K program will serve 824 4-year-olds this year, while 80 3-year-olds will be enrolled in 3-year-old programs. Early childhood classes begin next week.

Lafayette High School Lions
Nearly 2,300 students attend Lafayette High, the largest school in the parish. It is home to the high school gifted program, and two Schools of Choice — the Academy of Health Careers and Performing Arts Academy. This year, three new lions will guard the school, including a large bronze one.

Moss Middle School STEM Academy
The new Science, Technology Engineering and Math Academy at N.P. Moss Middle School premieres this year. Students from any school district were encouraged to apply. Upon completion of the STEM Academy, students will be ready for success at a high school academy.

New accelerated program for over-age kids
A new program for middle school students that have repeated a grade two, three or more times will open at the W.D. Smith Career Center this year. Ninety 15-, 16- and 17-year-old middle school students will be able to enroll in the accelerated program that will have a reading specialist, math teacher, English teacher, and an art program and chorus.

Only ECA in the state
The Early College Academy enters its third year at South Louisiana Community College, and its first year with a waiting list. The first class will be juniors and one step closer to graduating with both an associate's degree and high school diploma.

Positive Behavior Programs
Good behavior is emphasized at Lafayette Parish through positive reinforcement. Its aim is to reduce suspensions and expulsions. Students get points and rewards for positive behavior instead of constant discipline.

Quality technology in every school
More computer labs, electronic white boards and other technology continue to be implemented in Lafayette Parish schools. School with a large low-income population used stimulus funds to beef up technology, while others have applied for grants. Milton Elementary/Middle School won such a large grant that every core classroom has an electronic white board.

Rams at Acadiana
Acadiana High School is known for its football, but is also home to about 1,700 students and the Academy of Business of and Finance. Juniors and seniors have the chance to become student tellers in the school's branch of the Lafayette Schools' Federal Credit Union.

Spartans at Comeaux
Comeaux High School is the second largest high school in the parish with about 1,900 students. It is home to the Academy of Applied and Visual Arts. Students in that academy can study several forms of design — interior, architectural, advertising, fashion, as well as animation, illustration, photography, sculpture and art history.

Thibodaux Career and Technical High School
The first comprehensive career and technical high school in Louisiana opened at Acadiana Technical College on Wednesday with about 50 freshmen. Upon graduation students could enter the workforce or go on to some sort of postsecondary education.

University credits in high school
More than 300 high school junior and seniors take dual enrollment classes through UL, South Louisiana Community College and Acadiana Technical College every year. The courses, which can result in college credit, are free, as are textbooks and tools at ATC.

Vikings at Northside
Northside High School is the smallest high school in the parish. About 800 students attend the school, which is home to the Engineering and Environmental Sciences academies. Northside is also a Signature Law School and students in law classes learn debate and criminal justice in a mock courtroom.

Watch for new volunteer programs
This year, the school system will implement "100+ Ways to Help," a booklet that streamlines volunteering. Specific volunteer opportunities will be outlined, and security for volunteers will be beefed up some. Volunteers are given a level and those who spend time extended with students would need to pass a background check.

Xylophones in bands
Every middle school and high school has a music program and band. Some of the bands, including Lafayette High and Carencro Middle schools' bands, are known nationwide. Carencro Middle performed in a Walt Disney World parade — rare for a middle school — and Lafayette High is a consistent contender in Bands of America.

Yummy school lunches paid for online
After a successful yearlong trial, the school system is launching www.schoolpaymentsolutions.com. Parents who sign up with the system receive account balance alerts via e-mail. They can also deposit money into their child's meal account with a credit card in the morning and students can use those funds by lunch.

Zippy school buses
More than 400 school buses will be up and running today, picking up students and taking them to their home-zoned schools or Schools of Choice. Bus routes can be found online at www.lpssonline.com or by calling 521-RIDE (521-7433).

 

 

文章引自:
http://www.theadvertiser.com/article/20100812/NEWS01/8120334/Back-to-school

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