2H n Thursday, March 19, 2015 n theadvocate.com n The Advocate
schools First-time players sweep state Stock Market Game Advocate staff report Leneeta Ewing’s financial math class at West Feliciana High School won top honors in the state recently in the fall Stock Market Game. “More impressive, it was their first time to participate in the competitive simulation,” Ewing said of her students. The Stock Market Game is an online program of the Louisiana Council for Economic Education used by educators to teach the principles of personal finance. Topics covered include basic stock market vocabulary, how to read a stock table and where to find tips to help students find and follow stocks. In the simulation, students are “given” $100,000 to invest in the stock market in real time and compete against other teams within their school as well as from around the state, Ewing said.
Photo provided by LAURA SMITH
West Feliciana High School students who finished as the first-place team in the state in the Stock Market Game, from left, are Destiny Mills, Nathaniel Fitzgerald, Kiersten Brouillette, Brandon Delaney, Annelise Medlin, Termal Allen, Tytianna Lee and Chase Honeycutt, seen with their financial math teacher, Leneeta Ewing. Teams placing first, second and third are presented certificates of achievement and awarded a cash prize from the LCEE. “We want to encourage the students to invest in their financial future and, ultimately, achieve a life of financial free-
dom. The Stock Market Game is an innovative and fun way for teachers to engage students and begin this most important conversation,” said Laura Smith, president of LCEE. “The curriculum meets state standards, has ready-made lesson plans for teachers wanting to employ
extension concepts, and has a companion piece, Investwrite, which allows for the merging of math and English language art skills.” Ewing said she taught the financial math class for the first time in the fall and she’s trying to build the curriculum from
the ground up. “I was looking for something fun that would benefit all of my students,” said Ewing, who admits to being completely surprised when her classes took first and third places. “I didn’t even know there was a cash prize.” Students taking the class range from those who have already earned some college credit but need to fulfill a final math requirement to those pursuing a career track who require a practical math course, Ewing said. “I know this is a tool where I’ll learn more every time I use it. I’ll definitely be using the Stock Market Game again,” Ewing said. LCEE offers workshops for kindergarten through 12thgrade educators around the state, helping teachers use the SMG and other curriculum pieces in their classroom, Smith said.
“All of our programs are designed to be dynamic in nature and we know that one size does not fit the need for every district, school, classroom or teacher,” says Smith, who encourages teachers to reach out to LCEE with their specific needs. Ewing’s students finished in first and third places, while David Faerber’s Investment Club team at Lee High School in Baton Rouge took second place. “Educators like Mr. Faerber and Mrs. Ewing deserve recognition for being the kind of teachers who provide unique learning experiences for their students. “They don’t just ‘download’ information into their students and expect it to take hold. They know that lasting learning comes from hands-on, memorable experiences,” Smith said. For information on the Stock Market Game or LCEE’s other programs, visit lcee.org.
Three West Feliciana students named parish’s best for year BY HOWARD ARCENEAUX Special to The Advocate
Advocate photo by HOWARD ARCENEAUX
Bains Elementary School fifth-graders listen to Louisiana Poet Laureate Ava Leavell Haymon Feb. 27 as she teaches a poetry writing workshop. Haymon was one of four writers who appeared at the Writers and Readers Symposium at Hemingbough in St. Francisville on Feb. 21.
Poet laureate visits Bains Elementary Advocate staff report Bains Elementary School fifth-graders were introduced to Louisiana Poet Laureate Ava Leavell Haymon during a poetry writing workshop Feb. 27 in St. Francisville. Haymon read aloud some of her poems to the class and discussed the evolution of poetry, emphasizing the importance of sound and images to the medium, according to Olivia Pass, chairwoman of A Celebration of Literature and Art. “The students were mesmerized by Haymon’s enthusiasm for poetry, and when she asked how
many of them were poets, all hands shot up,” Pass said. The students wrote their own poems, modeling them after one of Haymon’s that uses repetition for the first three words of each line. “It’s been a thrill to see one of our authors share her love of poetry with elementary students in our parish,” Pass said. Haymon was one of four writers who appeared at the Writers and Readers Symposium Feb. 21 at Hemingbough. The event along with the workshop was sponsored by CLA.
ST. FRANCISVILLE — Ngozi Nwabueze, Landry Higgins and Andrew Dantin have been selected as West Feliciana Parish students of the year and will advance to a regional competition. The three students each submitted portfolios for consideration and were selected by a committee at their respective schools. Every year, the Student of the Year Awards program recognizes outstanding elementary, middle/junior high and high school students. The program is patterned after the Teacher of the Year Awards program, and students are selected based on excellent academic achievement, leadership ability and citizenship. It is sponsored by the State Superintendent’s Office through the Department of Education and the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education. The three West Feliciana students advance to one of six regional competitions across the state. Once a regional finalist is selected for each category, they advance to the Student of the Year awards ceremony held in Baton Rouge where the 18 regional finalists and the three State Students of the Year are honored. Nwabueze, 18, is a senior and National Merit finalist and National Achievement finalist. She is the daughter of Dr. Nnamdi and Stacie Nwabueze and has one brother and two sisters. She hopes to follow her father’s footsteps into the medical field, perhaps neuroscience or psychology, she said. Nwabueze was elected Stu-
Advocate photo by HOWARD ARCENEAUX
West Feliciana Parish’s Students of the Year for 2015-16, from left, are Landry Higgins, Andrew Dantin and Ngozi Nwabueze. dent Government president and to the homecoming court and she likes sports. She was elected Best Lawyer in Louisiana’s 2014 Mock Trial competition. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her family and doing volunteer work, she said. Of the SOTY honor, “I will work hard to build the career I want to do,” said Nwabueze, who is considering attending Duke, Emory, Rice or Vanderbilt. “I want to work hard and make a difference in the world.” Higgins, 14, is an eighthgrader who is a member of the Beta Club, Little Sisters of the Women’s Service League and the cheer team. She is the daughter of Missy and Miles Higgins and has one sister. She said she hopes to attend an Ivy League university. She enjoys horse riding and competing in equestrian events and said she likes to read. Earlier this year, Higgins
won an award for short story writing from the Daughters of the American Revolution. “The school has helped me and the teachers are very supportive,” Higgins said. “We have a great academic system and it helps to know the teachers.” Dantin, 11, is a fifth-grader at Bains Elementary School and is the son of Chris and Christy Dantin. He has one brother, Duke. He said Duke, who is autistic, is his best friend. Dantin said he likes math because it comes easy to him and his hobbies are playing sports and being outside. He also likes art and video games. “I’d like to be a lawyer because I like to ask a lot of questions,” Dantin said. “Or a doctor, because I like to help people and save lives.” The regional winners will be announced late this month or the beginning of April.
Social Studies fair winners named
Students from St. Helena College and Career Academy participated in the Social Studies Fair in February at the school in Greensburg. These first- and secondplace finishers went on to compete in regionals at Southeastern Louisiana University in Hammond. Displaying their projects, first row from left, are Ronisha McCardell, Toriae Scott, Khristian Muse-Lovely, Katorius Knox, Teanna Lee and Annelisa Richards; second row, Christionna Brumfield, Jamal Poindexter, Shawn Morgan, Brittney Jackson, Lyne Burton, JaMya Watson and Samps Taylor; and third row, Jerome Myles, Mishone White, Travion Tanner, Timothy Chandler, Abigail Chandler, Corey Wyre, Bre’Aynna Jacque and Robyn Womack.
Advocate staff photo by STEPHANIE WARREN