LRSD Spotlight

Dr. Dexter Booth, principal at Parkview Arts/Science Magnet High School, has been chosen as the recipient of the prestigious Thomas E. Patterson Education Award by the Arkansas Democratic Black Caucus. The award is presented to an individual who fights for equality of educational opportunity for students and education employees.

The Arkansas Democratic Black Caucus said, “This achievement is a result of the outstanding contribution to our community and our state. Through your hard work, you have strengthened the quality of life for others and expanded opportunities for our children.”

 Dr. Booth will be honored at a reception and dinner at the Metroplex in Little Rock on Feb. 21. The reception for this event will begin at 6 p.m., and dinner will begin promptly at 7 p.m. Tickets are available to the public for $75 by calling Kelly Summerville at 1-870-403-6187.

Congratulations to Mrs. Katherine Wright Knight, a Cloverdale Aerospace Technology Charter Middle School English teacher, who was recently re-certified as a National Board Certified Teacher. According to the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards, Mrs. Knight was one of the first 10 National Board Certified Teachers in the state of Arkansas and one of the first two in the Central Arkansas area. Mrs. Knight's certification will not expire until 2021.

    Two Parkview students and one student from Hall High took the top three spots and bragging rights for a year at the 11th annual Poets with Passion Poetry Slam sponsored by JA Fair High School. Parkview senior Kristen Smith took first place and a prize of $350, sophomore Kagan Fletcher-Piazza took second place and a prize of $200, and Morgan Scribner, of Hall High School, took third place and the prize of $100. For the competition, students had to write three original poems, memorize them, and perform their pieces in three separate elimination rounds before a live audience.

Kevin Parker, former JA Fair student and the winner of the 2007 district slam was the guest speaker and the sacrificial poet opening the show. Parker has finished college and is a rising star in the fashion industry. His fashion designs are currently receiving national attention in many major magazines. Parker talked to the audience about how the Poetry Slam gave him confidence to pursue his dreams. Judges for the slam were Amoja “Moman” Sumler a professional spoken word artists from “Poets in the Streets;” Beverly Thrasher, literacy coach at Metropolitan Career Technical Center and Accelerated Learning Center and Carol Carter, secondary literacy and lead teacher at the Instructional Resource Center for the district.

Competing students made it to the district rounds through smaller competitions at their respective schools. The top five students from each school were sent to the district wide competition at JA Fair High School. The eighteen students who participated were: Vonda Thornton, Carl Napolitano, Park Lanford, Roy Phillips, Donald Price, Wesley Williams, Courtney Green, Michael Terry, Tristan Bethea, Kagan Fletcher-Piazza, Jonathan Leath, Rhett Smith, Kristen Smith, Camisha Wicks, Morgan Scribner, Yasmine Cranford, Destiny Esaw, and Asia Suggs.

Students in round three were Kristen Smith, Carl Napolitano, Kagan Fletcher-Piazza, Morgan Scribner, and Wesley Williams. Each had to perform a final, original poem that they had written and memorized. Competition in the final round was extremely tough, and all three students who placed in the competiton gave rousing performances on complicated and meaningful pieces that brought members of the audience to their feet with a rousing round of applause.

Proceeds from the event will benefit the LaPara Nicole Washington Memorial Fund for Literacy, created in honor of LaPara Washington, co founder of the Poets with Passion Poetry Slam and Literacy Coach of JA Fair High School until her death in the summer of 2011. The Passion Poetry Slam’s monetary awards are funded entirely through donations from the community. If you would like to donate to this outstanding cause, please call sponsor Nicole Smith at 447-1700.
           

Congratulations to the following debate students who participated at the 2011 Student Congress on November 6, 7, and 8. Captain Andrew Bartels, Ronak Chokani, Deepa Manjantha, Chirag Lala, Sana Khan, Alex Zhang, and page Cashae Louden. Congratulations to their coach Mrs. Kathy Holladay. The following awards were given to these exceptional students:

Best Overall House Delegation

Best House I Delegation

Best House II Delegation

Best Bill House I - Sana Khan

Republican Party Secretary - Chirag Lala

House II Clerk - Alex Zhang and Andrew Bartels

2nd Best Bill House II and Law of Congress - Andrew Bartels and Deepa Manjanatha

Superior Committee Caucus - Alex Zhang

Superior Committee - Andrew Bartels, Sana Khan, Chirag Lala, Ronak Chokani, Deepa Manjanatha, and Chirag Lala

Superior Floor Debate - Andrew Bartels, Sana Khan, Chirag Lala

Superior Parliamentary Procedure - Ronak Chokani and Alex Zhang

Little Rock Central High Debate Team has started this school year doing great things. Congratulations to Alex Zhang and Sarthark Garg who was the Novice Debate 1st place team. Alex Zhang was the Novice Debate 1st plave speaker at the Bentonville, AR competition. Ian Wren and Daniel Schexnayder were the top 31st team out of 200 teams at the Glenbrooks High School Tournament in Deerfield, Illinois. Ian and Daniel also received one bid to the National Tournament of Champions at the University of Kentucky. Ian and Daniel were the 13th seed out of 120 teams at the Longhorn Classic at the University of Texas at Austin. Melinda Lui placed 1st as a Varsity Debate Speaker at the North Little Rock Tournament. Ian Wren and Daniel Schexnayder made it to the Quarter finals at the Wake Forest University Tournament and to the octafinals at St. Marks School in Dallas, Texas.