School & Community News

New L.B. Landry High School

Janice Summers Fields was so overcome with emotion she could barely speak.
The new L.B. Landry High School in Algiers was beautiful. But most important, it was back.
"When Hurricane Katrina came through, we said, 'Landry, that's the heart of Algiers,''' said Fields, a member of the class of 1972, recalling the devastation of both the school and the feelings of alumni who saw it in ruins. "Words cannot express how you feel inside. It's unbelievable. It brings chills to your body.''
More than 1,000 educators, elected officials, alumni, students and residents celebrated the school's reopening in a dedication ceremony Thursday. The crowd was standing-room-only in the auditorium, with some relegated to watching the festivities on a video screen in the gymnasium across the hall.
While alumni recognized the traditions of old, many in attendance said the $54 million behemoth represents a fresh start for the school that had been labeled as "academically unacceptable" by the state before the storm. They warned that the school will not be a success without strong parental involvement and community support.
"This big and beautiful building would be nothing without all of you, all of us, the community,'' said student Jia Rovaris.
The 210,000-square-foot facility is environmentally friendly with its solar panels and ability to recycle rainwater to irrigate the plants and lawn. It boasts two gyms, a 650-seat auditorium, a school clinic, six science labs as well as media and vocational-technology centers.
Darryl Williams, president of the Friends of Landry alumni association, thanked a bevy of politicians and supporters as he recalled the resistance to a movement to shutter the school permanently.
Williams said the sentiment after Katrina was "Let this school die on the grounds where it stood,'' but supporters refused to let that happen.
"We have risen from the dead,'' he said.
Several speakers also paid tribute to the late Rev. Arthur Wardsworth, a driving force behind its rebuilding. He died in December of colon cancer at age 44.
State Superintendent Paul Pastorek said that a group of ministers, led by Wardsworth, asked when the school would reopen. He said that after a series of visits, it became obvious that the building would need to be rebuilt from the ground up.
"They were afraid that if we tore it down, we would never build it again. Arthur made that clear,'' he said.
Calling it one of his proudest accomplishments in his 3 1/2-year tenure as the state's top education official, Pastorek said he was proud to make sure that the school would be part of the Quick Start rebuilding initiative funded with FEMA money.
"Rev. Wardsworth cried and cried and thanked me. Arthur took a leap of faith. He trusted,'' Pastorek said. "It was the right thing to do for this community. We need it for our kids. Our kids deserve this school. ... They deserve a big school. ... This community deserves this school.''
Pat Jackson Franklin, the class of 1967 president who now teaches in Hercules, Calif., said the real work begins now.
"The school must be aligned with the community and parents,'' Franklin said. "Kids will strive if you set high expectations.''
Mike Franklin, who graduated in 1969, said walking around the new campus felt like walking back in time. He said the new auditorium felt strangely familiar as well as the quad in the front of the school where he and fellow band members practiced. He challenged his classmates and other alumni "to do what we can to make sure programs are conducive to kids in the community.''
After paying homage to the principals before her, Principal Natalie Franklin said her mission is to make the school a high-performing one.
"On Aug. 12, we will welcome students with open arms, open minds and open hearts,'' she said.

Landry High School gets second new principal; open house scheduled June 12

June 01, 2010, 4:47PM
The Recovery School District has made a last-minute change in leadership at the new L.B. Landry High School in Algiers, just months before the $54 million facility opens its doors for the first time.
Last week, Recovery School District Superintendent Paul Vallas announced his decision to replace principal Eric Richard, who had been at the helm of the fledgling school since the fall, according to Bambi Hall, a spokeswoman with the Landry Steering Committee, which is helping the RSD oversee the school. Vallas told the group he was going in "different direction" and had already chosen an interim replacement for Richard, Hall said.
"The RSD is working with the steering committee and has stated they are committed to making sure the school opens and opens well in August with all elements in place -- that includes a leadership team they feel can move Landry further along at this time and in the future," Hall said.
Natalie Franklin, the former principal of L.E. Rabouin High School in New Orleans, has been tapped as Landry's interim principal. She did not return a call for comment.
RSD spokesman Ken Jones said the steering committee supported the decision to reassign Richard to another RSD school. He could not say where Richard would be working next year.
Darryl Williams, who leads the Friends of Landry alumni group, said he did not have any input in the leadership swap. But he is supporting the move nonetheless and feels that Franklin is qualified.
"At end of day, this was best for the kids: making sure the school opens without a hitch," Williams said. "Whether or not we support it, the decision has already been made."
The steering committee is still hoping to charter the school starting in the 2011-12 year and has already delivered a letter of intent to the RSD, officials said.
The sudden switch in leadership is the second major change to occur at Landry in the last couple of months. Initially, Landry was expected to serve ninth-graders only in its first year, with the school growing a grade each subsequent year. But in April, the RSD decided to add seventh-, eighth- and 10th-graders to the mix, essentially doubling the size of the school. Officials said it was necessary to expand Landry's scope to more fully utilize the 210,000-square-foot facility.
Hall said the school has 179 ninth graders enrolled thus far, since the initial enrollment drive focused only on freshmen. In addition to the freshmen, about 70 more students have received information about the new school, she said. Officials are shooting for an enrollment of about 550 in the school's first year.
Landry will hold an open house June 12, to attract and register students for the other, recently-added grades. The event, which will be held at the Behrman Center, 2529 Gen. Meyer Ave. in Algiers, will run from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

L.B. Landry to house 4 grades

L.B. Landry to house 4 grades
Principal: More pupils needed to justify costs
Friday, April 16, 2010
By Jenny Hurwitz
West Bank bureau

With summer break drawing near, the Recovery School District has decided to expand the scope of L.B. Landry High School in Algiers to include four grades instead of one, a move officials said was necessary to justify the massive size and costs associated with the new, $54 million campus.

In addition to ninth-graders, the school will accommodate seventh-, eighth- and 10th-graders, according to Principal Eric Richard, virtually doubling the size of the fledgling school and bringing its total anticipated student count up to about 550.

Richard said the decision to include additional grades came after community members raised concerns about using the facility for school programs unrelated to Landry. Recovery School District officials recently said it would be difficult to sustain the building with only freshmen and had referenced a need to find other uses for the 210,000-square-foot facility in its first year.

"We kind of sat back and heard the cry of the community," Richard said. "Rather than put other programs in the building because of the size and management cost, we put more students in it. We feel better about that."

Instead of opening the school with a freshmen class and growing it by one grade each year, officials intend to start with four grades and phase out the seventh and eighth grades in the first two years. Landry of

AlUMNI NEWS

To all Friends of L. B. Landry and the entire Buccaneer family. The Algiers Charter School Association have continued to sabatage our efforts in the opening of our great alma mater. Their latest mudslinging efforts consisted of Mr. Mario (School Site Manager) being seen at several middle schools in Algiers on Friday 2/19/10 taking our signs down for our open house scheduled for Thursday 2/25/10. Darryl Williams went to their office to report him and their response was "the signs were on their property." First off, what property, because their Association doesn't own any of those school sites. The signs were also placed on the neutral grounds by the schools and he was bold enough to take the ones down around McD #32, Fischer, Murray Henderson, Habans, Eisenhower, Behrman, and Alice Harte. We would like all of you to file a complaint before we go to media, by calling 504-302-7000(Algiers Charter Office) to express our displeasure with this person named Mario. He also had the nerve to let one of our signs be seen in the conference room at their headquarters. We need to let them know that we will press chargers on this individual if he does not come up with all of the signs by Monday. We really need your assistance on the phone calls to Dr. Reynolds of Algiers Charter Schools Association. Remember the phone number is 504-302-7000. Please call Monday during the day.


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Open House Registration will held
Thursday,

Mardi Gras Dance

FRIENDS OF LORD BEACONSFIELD
LANDRY ALUMNI
PRESENTS A
MARDI GRAS DANCE

Date: Saturday, February 13, 2010

Place: Behrman Gym
2529 General Meyer Ave
New Orleans, LA 70114

Time: 9:00 pm until 1:00 am
B. Y. O. B.
(Bring Your Own Bottle)


TICKETS - $10.00

NO ONE UNDER THE AGE OF 21 IS ALLOWED
Orleans Parish Sheriff Officers will be enforce on the Premises

Homecoming 2009

Friends of L B Landry
Presents
Homecoming 2009
Homecoming Parade/Picnic/Dance

Saturday, October 17, 2009
Behrman Stadium (Tennis Court)
2529 Gen Meyer Avenue
New Orleans, LA 70114

The Cost of Homecoming Fee for Each Alumni Member is $30.00 which includes:

1) Homecoming T-Shirts - $15.00
2) Homecoming Activities - $15.00
2a) Ticket for Homecoming Dance
2b) Permit
2c) Police
2d) Clean up fee for the park - Behrman
2e) Disc Jockey

Please see your contact person of your class

Each Class must provide their own CAR for the Parade

Homecoming Chairperson
William “Hungry” Jones
Class of 1969
504-391-0182 – Home
504-228-5756 – Cell

Parade Chairperson
Mary Ellen McDonald LaSalle
Class of 1970
504-367-3468 – Home
504-261-3449 – Cell

T- Shirt Chairperson
Alvin Boseman
Class of 1963
504-367-7598 – Home
504-442-7598 – Cell

T-Shirt Co-Chairperson
Stephanie Hogans
Class of 1995
504-704-9957 – Cell

Class of 1974 Alumni Meeting

Dear: Classmate
We are having our next class alumni meeting on September 19, 2009 @ 3:00 pm at Shoney’s 420 Westbank Expy. Gretna, LA (504) 362-3312 (Westbank Expy and Lafayette St.). The agenda will be as follows:
1) School Alumni Homecoming October 17, 2009
2) Class Party December 4, 2009
Hope to see you there, God Bless.
L.B.Landry Class of 1974 Alumni Committee

Bus Ride

Friends of L B Landry
Sponsors their
Bus Ride to the
Silver Slipper Casino
Bay St. Louis, Mississippi





Date: Saturday, September 26, 2009
Time: 9:00am
Ticket: $10.00


Bus Leaving from Murray Henderson School
1912 L. B. Landry Ave.
Bus Loading Time: 8:00 am

Amended Mission Statement - Our mission is to provide assistance and services, financially, spiritually, charitably, and socially to enhance the future endeavors of students, faculty, community and alumnus of L. B. Landry Senior High School. It is also to co-exist with the faculty and staff of L. B. Landry to assist them with community and after school programs that will enhance student achievement and help L. B. Landry to attain an elite status as a high school nationally.

1st Annual Bus Ride to Casino

Friends of L B Landry sponsors their 1st annual bus ride to the Silver Slipper Casino in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi

Date: Saturday, July 18, 2009
Time: 9 AM
Tickets: $10.00
Ticket Information: call 504-362-6314

Bus leaving from MURRY HENDERSON SCHOOL
1912 L. B. LANDRY AVE.
Bus Loading Time: 8 AM