THE LEADER July 20, 2017
La Porte Independent School District Every Student’s Success Is Our #1 Priority
Carlin Grammer named new principal of La Porte High School Carlin Grammer has been named as La Porte High School’s new principal, coming here from Midland High School, where he served in the same position since 2014. Grammer’s first day in La Porte ISD was July 17. Grammer has 12 years of experience as a high school principal. Prior to becoming principal at Midland, he was principal of Crane High School in Crane, Texas, for nine years. He also has experience as an elementary principal and high school teacher in Crane ISD. He also served as a high school teacher in Crane ISD, Carlin Grammer teaching mathematics to special education students and
accounting. In addition, he was the Student Council sponsor, National Honor Society sponsor, and extemporaneous speaking coach. “My wife, Penni, and I are excited about becoming members of the La Porte community,” Grammer said. “The impressive facilities exemplify this community’s dedication to its children. La Porte High School has an outstanding reputation and I am proud to become part of the team of educators working to ensure that all students in La Porte are prepared for college or career.” He earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Sul Ross State University in Alpine, Texas, and is currently working on his doctorate in educational leadership at Lamar University. In 2012, he was named the Region 18 High School Principal of the Year by the Texas Association of Secondary School Principals.
Former LPHS Chato among 36 selected for world-famous Kilgore Rangerettes Surrounded by hopes, dreams and years of tradition, Blaine Miller was among 36 young women who became the newest members of the world-famous Kilgore College Rangerettes dance and drill team this past week. The announcement, made in a closed ceremony in Dodson Auditorium on the Kilgore campus, culminated a week-long process of 89 “hopefuls” vying for a coveted position on the 2017-18 Rangerette line. The new Rangerettes will join 36 sophomores to make a team of 72. Blaine, the daughter of Sherri and John Miller, is a 2017 graduate of La Porte High School, where she was the captain of the Chatos dance team and was among the top 100 academically ranked students. She was also selected as one of 25 All-State dancers by the Texas Dance Educators Association and performed at the Black Tie and Boots Inaugural Gala in Washington, D.C., in January. The Rangerettes were the first of their kind when they began in 1940 as a vision of the late Gussie Nell Davis. The organization created a unique combination of dance moves and precision drills that quickly earned them the reputation not only as the originators of dance/drill teams, but as the best in the world. Known for their high kicks and the jump splits, the organization has traveled around the world, entertained millions and spurred a multi-billion-dollar dance/drill team industry worldwide. For more information, visit www.rangerette.com.
Right, La Porte High School 2017 graduate Blaine Miller, left, gets a hug from 2016 graduate Lindsey Witt after the announcement that Blaine will be a member of the 78th line of the worldfamous Kilgore Rangerettes. Lindsey is a sophomore Rangerette at Kilgore College. Both are former captains of the LPHS Chatos dance team.
Junior Achievement honors La Porte Junior High educator Kay Blanchard La Porte Junior High School teacher Kay Blanchard has been selected by Junior Achievement as a STAR Educator for the 2016-17 school year. And it should come as no surprise, considering her successful business background. “My background is in sales and marketing, and I decided to switch careers and began teaching students about careers 10 years ago,” Blanchard said. “The class (I teach) has changed names many times over the years – Investigating Careers, Career Connections, Exploring Careers and starting this fall it will be called College & Career Readiness. The goal is the same though – to introduce our 8th grade students to all the different career and education options available to them and how their interests and skills can match with a career that they will someday Kay Blanchard enjoy and be successful in.” Junior Achievement is the nation’s largest organization dedicated to giving young people the knowledge and skills they need to own their economic success,
plan for their futures, and make smart academic and economic choices, according to the group’s website. Its work readiness, entrepreneurship and financial literacy programs are conducted by volunteers, like Blanchard. In addition to taking her eighth-grade students to Junior Achievement Inspire (job awareness) fairs over the past few years, Blanchard this past year lined up guest speakers to come to her classroom on a regular basis to talk about careers. It grew from there into a program called Your Career, Your Future. “It was so well received by the students that in the spring semester we partnered with INEOS and IBM to present a program called It’s My Future with guest speakers once a week for five weeks,” Blanchard said. In notifying Blanchard that she had been chosen for Junior Achievement’s high honor, officials also told her that she was selected among numerous nominations from across the Greater Houston area. But Blanchard is taking it all in stride. “I am very grateful and surprised to receive this honor because I was just doing what I could to help our kids see the potential they have for their future,” Blanchard said. “Junior Achievement helped me give them the tools and vision they needed.” Blanchard will be officially honored on July 25 at Junior Achievement’s annual board of directors meeting.
Back-to-school information for La Porte ISD students and parents La Porte ISD will welcome students on Wednesday, Aug. 23, while La Porte High School freshmen will start back a day earlier on Tuesday, Aug. 22. Detailed back-to-school information is available on the La Porte ISD website at www.lpisd.org. Look for the “Back to School” graphic under “News and Announcements.” School supply lists are included in this issue of The Leader. Registration for New to District Students La Porte ISD will hold registration for new-to-the-district students at all campuses. To register their child, parents should pick up a registration packet from the campus, complete all the documents and return them to the school. When submitting the documents, parents should bring with them their child’s birth certificate or certified photocopy; the child’s Social Security card; proof of residency (such as a utilities statement); and the child’s immunization record. Parents who would like to register their child at the child’s school are asked to contact the campus for registration hours. La Porte ISD campuses and their phone numbers are Bayshore Elementary, 281-604-4600; College Park Elementary, 281604-4400; Heritage Elementary, 281-604-2600; La Porte Elementary, 281-604-4700; Lomax Elementary, 281-604-4300; Jennie Reid Elementary, 281-604-4500; Leo A. Rizzuto Elementary, 281-604-6500; James H. Baker Sixth Grade Campus, 281-6046800; La Porte Junior High, 281-604-6605; Lomax Junior High, 281-604-6700; and La Porte High School, 281-604-7500. Meal Prices La Porte ISD offers both breakfast and lunch for students. The student breakfast is $1.25, while breakfast for adults or visitors is $2. Lunch for students in pre-
kindergarten through eighth grade is $2.25, while lunch for students in grades nine through 12 is $2.50. Lunch for adults or visitors is $3.25, with special lunches for adults and visitors $4. Parents who would like to submit an application to qualify for free or reduced price meals may do so on the La Porte ISD website at www.lpisd.org. Students will also bring home applications the first week of school. Households that are currently on the free and reduced-price meal program must submit a new application each year in order to continue to qualify for free or reduced-price meals. For more information on meals for students, visit the Nutrition Department page on the LPISD website (www.lpisd.org) or call the office at 281-604-6950. Bus Routes Bus route information will be available on the Transportation Department page of the La Porte ISD website in mid-August. Transportation representatives also will be available at all campus orientation nights. To log in, you will need to have a Family ID number, which is the phone number you provided to your child’s campus; this number is used for both the user name and password. Please contact the Transportation Department at 281-604-7177 if you have additional questions. If your family has moved to a different location over the summer, please make sure to notify your child’s school so that his or her file may be updated. If your child rides the bus to and from school, please allow at least three days to process the address change. Watch for more back-to-school information at lpisd.org.