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August2021

LFF_Blog_August2021_Community_KeepLouisianaBeautiful

People of Louisiana – Community (August 2021)

 

LFF_Blog_August2021_Community_KeepLouisianaBeautiful

KEEP
LOUISIANA
BEAUTIFUL

 COMMUNITY

KEEP LOUISIANA BEAUTIFUL

Founded in 2000, Keep Louisiana Beautiful focuses on education, enforcement, awareness, litter removal, and beautification. Our 40 affiliates and 261,618 volunteers and participants improve communities and transform public spaces.

Everyone knows that litter is harmful to the environment. However, learning about the problem doesn’t solve it. If you want to create a litter-free Louisiana, you have to do your part. Keep Louisiana Beautiful gives you the tools and resources you need to improve your community’s appearance and preserve Louisiana’s natural beauty. Together, we can make a better place for the people who live here and those who come to visit.

Our Mission 

Keep Louisiana Beautiful brings people together to build and sustain vibrant, clean communities. Through our programs and a statewide network of affiliates, we provide the right tools and resources to prevent litter, reduce waste, increase recycling, and protect the natural resources of our communities. Our mission is to promote personal, corporate, and community responsibility for a clean and beautiful Louisiana.

Our four key initiatives include:

  • Improving policy and infrastructure to make it easier for people to do the right thing through our grants programs, advocacy, and data collection
  • Strengthening environmental law enforcement through enforcement legislation support, ordinance templates, and a litter court handbook
  • Influencing positive behavior through education with our K-5 litter education curriculum, teacher trainings, public awareness campaigns, and motorist education programs
  • Increasing community capacity through our litter cleanups and recycling collections, grant programs, trainings, and annual state conference

For more information, visit https://keeplouisianabeautiful.org or follow us on social media:

https://www.facebook.com/KeepLouisianaBeautiful

https://twitter.com/KeepLABeautiful 

https://www.instagram.com/keeplouisianabeautiful/ 

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People of Louisiana – Military (August 2021)

 

4th Annual

SUICIDE PREVENTION
SUMMIT

Louisiana Department
of Veteran Affairs

4th Annual
Suicide Prevention Summit

The Louisiana Department of Veterans Affairs will host its Fourth Annual Suicide Prevention Summit on Friday, Sept. 10, at 9 a.m. The summit addresses one purpose: ensuring all leave the event as better suicide prevention advocates than when they arrived.

The goal is to provide effective training and thoroughly deliver instruction that will increase understanding of suicidal ideology and assist those in danger. Attendees will look at what efforts are being utilized in Louisiana to prevent suicide. There will also be multiple community vendors set up, and each will provide information about their respective organizations and how they assist in the prevention of suicide.

Lunch will be served following the summit. This lunch break will also serve as an opportunity to network with other suicide prevention experts, advocates, doctors, and veterans from around the state of Louisiana.  

The event location is American Legion Post 38, located at 151 S. Wooddale Blvd. in Baton Rouge. If you cannot attend the summit in person, please feel free to join us via Zoom. Registration is required. Please note that you do not have to be a veteran to attend this event. It is open to veterans and organizations that serve veterans, but also to the general public. If you plan to attend, RSVP to Director of Outreach Larry Williams at larry.williams@la.gov or 225.276.8626.

In addition to the summit, LDVA will host its annual Gold Star Mothers and Families Recognition Ceremony this fall. Each year on the last Sunday in September, our nation pauses to remember the sacrifices made by its Gold Star mothers and families. On Friday, Sept. 24, at 9 a.m., LDVA will hold a recognition ceremony to honor not only the fallen but those they left behind. Please make plans to join us at the Gold Star Memorial Monument in the Louisiana Veterans Memorial Park in Baton Rouge.

If you cannot attend the ceremony in person, please feel free to join us via Zoom. Registration is required. If you plan to attend, please RSVP to Director of Outreach Larry Williams at larry.williams@la.gov or 225.276.8626.

For more information about LDVA, visit vetaffairs.la.gov, email veteran@la.gov, call 225.219.5000 or follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube.

 

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People of Louisiana – Schools (August 2021)

 

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MARCO D. FRENCH, M. Ed.

2022 Louisiana State Principal of the Year

Queensborough Leadership Academy,

Caddo Parish Schools

MARCO D. FRENCH, M. Ed.

2022 Louisiana State Principal of the Year
Queensborough Leadership Academy, Caddo Parish Schools

Educators Unite ~ It’s the Grand Rising

 

Can you believe it?  Another school year is upon us!  I cannot tell you enough how excited I am to start a new year with new possibilities and be a Louisiana Educator at a time such as this.  

Just like the grand rising of the Phoenix in all of her glory, the educators, students, and parents will make their majesty known this year. ~It’s the year of the Grand Rising. Coming from a year that many of us will never forget, I believe that Louisiana’s teachers and students will show the world that we persevered and we are still Louisiana strong. We have a duty to educate, and our students will learn.

During times such as this, a pandemic or crisis, there is one thing that can take place in our lives.  This point in time is a moment when our lives are refined. We have time to slow down and reflect on what has gotten us to this point in our careers, what worked in our school systems, school buildings, and classrooms before the waters that were once uncharted. What have I done during this time of uncertainty?  How will I use what I have experienced, and how will I know it was effective?  Most of all, how can we, collectively, take our practices to the next level?

Ponder those questions and make sure they align with your school plan and vision.

We often use a short phrase in our education journey as state, district, building, and classroom leaders. These two words have such power and can motivate anyone: “You matter.”

This phrase is a simple one that calls for students, parents, and teachers to reflect and recognize that their contributions and presence make a significant impact every day.  This simple phrase can be a game-changer for any school community. It can change the attitudes towards school, teaching, and learning while igniting confidence to share talents and gifts and becoming a part of the school community. Letting teachers, students, and parents know that they matter from the first day of school is key to building a supportive and empathetic community.  

Let’s make this year be the Grand Rising for Louisiana as we continue to create a culture of “mattering” in our districts, schools, and communities, as we meet staff, students, and parents for the first time this new school year.

This school year is truly going to be something special.  Why?  Because I know that Louisiana Schools will be atmospheres filled with laughter, passion, and learning.   

I challenge each of you to let it be known to every person that enters your building that they are valued and hold tremendous worth. This is our fresh start and a new beginning.  We believe in and nurture growth and potential.  This is the perfect recipe for everyone coming together to accomplish success.

To the students, please know that we genuinely care about you, and we have not even met you yet!  You are the reason we come to work every day.  You matter to every one of us.  When you step foot onto any school campus of a Louisiana school, please know that you are the most important thing in the world to us.  We hope that you leave our buildings every day knowing how special you are and just how much potential you hold.

To our fabulous parents and guardians, you are just as important.  Without you, we will not reach our full potential as a district or school.  We value you and your opinions.  We look to you as a partner in your child’s education, for you are the first teacher that they would ever encounter.  We are excited to work with you as we create memorable experiences and long-lasting memories.  

Louisiana Educators, this is a team effort.  We know it will take an entire community coming together to make our great state the beacon of light in the world of education.  

We have the BEST of the BEST EDUCATORS, leaders that are willing to go above and beyond the call of duty.  We are teachers that are fully equipped to conquer any task or obstacle. We are teachers that are knowledgeable, dedicated, and bought into the VISION that not only every child can LEARN…. But every child WILL LEARN.  

Let us “RISE”…

Reach for the sky for there are no limits

Intentional with our purpose and decisions

Seek solutions that catapult student success

Educate all of our students

Let this be Louisiana’s Grand Rising.   

Marco D. French’s social media accounts:

School Website: www.queensboroughtigers.com
Twitter:  @mdfrench01
Facebook: Marco French
Instagram: @8thwonderof_the_world
#theBowtiePrincipal
#gamechanger
#marcosjourney

 

LA. Dept. of Education’s social media accounts:
Twitter: @LA_Believes
Instagram: @la_believes

 

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Featured Recipe: Classic Southern Lemonade

 

LEROY’S
LIP SMACK’N
LEMONADE

 

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MAKE LEMONS OUT OF LEMONADE

Leroy’s Lip Smack’n Lemonade Stand was started in 2012 in Leroy Hayward, III’s front yard as a participant in Raising Cane’s National Lemonade Day. The young entrepreneur thought it was a great way to give back to the New Orleans Children’s Hospital since the doctors there had done so much for Leroy. In 2014, he entered his lemonade in the Lemonade Day tasting contest, and won 1st place! At just six years old, Leroy became one of Louisiana’s youngest entrepreneurs. Leroy expanded the business by selling his lemonade at Tiger Stadium, the PMAC and at Matherne’s. In more recent years, the business began bottling its product and now sells the famous lemonade in over twenty stores. See below for a list of the stores and how to keep up with Leroy on social media.

Find Leroy’s Lemonade Near You

  1. Calandro’s Supermarket – Mid City  |  4142 Government St, Baton Rouge, LA 70806
  2. Calandro’s Supermarket  |  12732 Perkins Rd, Baton Rouge, LA 70810
  3. Southside Produce Market  |  8240 Perkins Rd, Baton Rouge, LA 70810
  4. Calvin’s Bocage Market  |  7675 Jefferson Hwy, Baton Rouge, LA 70809
  5. Matherne’s Market at LSU (across from Tiger Stadium)  |  85 Center Ct, Baton Rouge, LA 70810 
  6. Matherne’s Supermarket (Downtown)  |  440 3rd St. Baton Rouge, LA 70802
  7. Capital Grocery  |  701 Spanish Town Road, Baton Rouge, LA 70802
  8. Reeves Market  |  10770 N. Harrells Ferry Rd, Baton Rouge, LA 70816
  9. Alexander’s Highland Market  |  18111 Highland Rd, Baton Rouge, LA 70809
  10. Leroy’s LipSmack’n Lemonade Mobile  |  Anywhere you ask us to be!  Just call 225.588.8502
  11. Bet-R |  2812 Kalurah Street, Baton Rouge, LA 70808
  12. Tony’s Seafood Market & Deli | 5215 Plank Rd, Baton Rouge, LA 70805
  13. Memphis Mac | 2785 Larkspur Ave, Baton Rouge, LA 70805
  14. Cafe Jeanpierre | 10500 Greenwell Springs Road, Ste. B, Baton Rouge, LA 70805
  15. Rouses Market | 7580 Bluebonnet Blvd, Baton Rouge, LA 70810
  16. Rouses Market | 3446 Drusilla Ln, Baton Rouge, LA 70809
  17. Rouses Market | 600 Creek Centre Dr., Baton Rouge, LA 70820
  18. Rouses Market | 14630 Village Market St, Baton Rouge, LA 70817
  19. Ty-Ty’s Italian Ice & Concessions | 10064 Florida Blvd, Baton Rouge, LA 70815
  20. Rite-Way | 23896 Highway 19, Slaughter, LA 70777
  21. Hi Nabor | 7201 Winbourne Avenue, Baton Rouge, LA 70805

For more information on Leroy’s LipSmack’n Lemonade, click here.

Click here to view Leroy’s LipSmack’n Lemonade’s Instagram page, Facebook, and Twitter.

 

CLASSIC SOUTHERN LEMONADE

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Leroy keeps his lemonade recipe a secret, but here’s a traditional southern lemonade recipe for you to enjoy!

Ingredients:

6 Lemons
6 Cups of water
1 Cup of white sugar

 

Method:

  • Step 1
    Juice the lemons to make 1 cup of juice. To make this easier, firmly roll the lemons between your hands and tabletop before cutting in half and juicing.
  • Step 2
    In a gallon pitcher combine 1 cup lemon juice, 1 cup sugar, and 6 cups cold water. Stir. Adjust water to taste. Chill and serve over ice.

 

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Women’s Health – August 2021

 

Women’s Health

WOMEN'S HEALTH BLOG August 2021

 

Groundhog Day

 

Written by
Dr. Lucio Miele
 

It feels like Groundhog Day: Rising hospitalizations and deaths, mask mandates, working from home. The burden of the pandemic is now concentrated in states with low vaccination rates, like Louisiana. In the coming months, our state and few others will bear the brunt of the suffering, death and disruption caused by COVID-19. Hospitalization rates are three times higher and death rates are two times higher in states where less than half the population is vaccinated compared to states where more than half the population is vaccinated. Patients who recover will also face the risk of “long-haul COVID”, with long-term damage to the lungs, heart or brain. Recent studies show that at least 1 in 4 COVID-19 patients develop “long-haul COVID”, irrespective of age or other conditions.

 

The enemy has changed. SARS-CoV2, the coronavirus that causes COVID-19, keeps mutating and adapting. The Delta variant and its sub-variants are as contagious as smallpox or measles, and they can affect younger patients, including children. The ICU at Children’s Hospital in New Orleans is filling with COVID-19 patients. Another concern is that the new variants are accumulating mutations that make the virus increasingly “stealthy” and resistant to neutralizing antibodies. It can now reproduce in vaccinated persons and jump from them to unvaccinated persons. That’s the reason for mask mandates. Antibodies from past COVID-19 exposures may not protect against the new variants. The more we let the virus spread, the more variants it will produce. At present rates, SARS-CoV2 can generate over 24 new major variants per year, and may eventually evade current vaccines. This makes it likely that boosters will be needed and that vaccines will have to be periodically updated.

 Widespread vaccination is the only way to bring an end to this pandemic. We have safe and effective vaccines that dramatically decrease the risk of severe COVID-19 and death. We must use this advantage before the virus finds a way around it. Unvaccinated patients account for 99.5% of new COVID-19 deaths, while among the over 163 million vaccinated Americans, 99.99% have not had a severe or fatal COVID-19 case.

COVID-19 vaccines deliver a copy of a short snippet of coronavirus RNA: a “messenger RNA” (mRNA) that instructs the body to make a partial version of the Spike protein, the “knob” the coronavirus uses to attach to human cells. The partial Spike made by vaccines trains our immune systems to recognize the “real” one. Anyone infected with the coronavirus will produce billions of copies of the entire viral RNA (~30,000 “letters” long), while vaccines only contain a much shorter fragment of RNA. The Pfizer and Moderna vaccines contain Spike mRNAs in droplets of fat-like substances. The Janssen vaccine is a “replication-incompetent” (unable to multiply) adenovirus that produces Spike mRNA. COVID-19 vaccines cannot change our genes. They simply instruct our cells to make a piece of the viral Spike before breaking down. Another myth is that COVID-19 vaccines affect fertility. The American Society for Reproductive Medicine and the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology point out that no such effects have been seen in over 100,000 women studied so far. On the other hand, pregnant women are at higher risk of severe COVID-19 and premature delivery.

These vaccine technologies are based on decades of research: mRNA vaccines were already in clinical development for cancer before their spectacular success against COVID-19. Adenovirus-based vaccines have been used in humans since the 1950s and are extremely well-studied. The development of COVID-19 vaccines was not rushed at the expense of safety. The phase 3 clinical trials rapidly enrolled as many or more participants as traditional trials (approximately 40,000 for Pfizer and Janssen and 30,000 for Moderna) in order to detect enough cases of COVID-19 to establish whether vaccines were protective. All participants were evaluated for safety. Thus, the COVID-19 vaccine trials produced at least as much safety data as traditional phase 3 trials. As usual, all trial data was presented in a public meeting to the Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee, consisting of independent experts who don’t work for the FDA or industry. The FDA also maintains a publicly accessible website for reports of adverse events (Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) (hhs.gov)). Over the past year and a half, huge amounts of real-world data have been gathered from the millions of people who have received one of the authorized vaccines. We now know how to recognize and treat even rare side effects. There is simply no doubt that the benefits of COVID-19 vaccines far outweigh the risk of adverse events. Unvaccinated people, including children, are at higher risk than ever from the new variants.

During the darkest days of the pandemic, the hope for a safe and effective vaccine kept us going. Science has delivered. It’s time for all of us to do our part.

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Dr. Lucio Miele

 

Dr. Miele is the Head of the Genetics Department at LSUHSC and serves as Assistant Dean of the School of Medicine for Translational Science. He also serves in the following capacities: LA CaTS Center: Director of Biomedical Informatics; LSUHSC Stanley Scott Cancer Center, Director for Inter-Institutional Programs; UAB CCTS Partner Network: Co-Director. He holds gratis appointments at Tulane University School of Medicine (Medicine/Oncology) and the University of Illinois at Chicago (Biopharmaceutical Sciences). Dr. Miele completed his medical training in his native Italy, followed by a Ph.D. in molecular genetics. Dr. Meile performed his Ph.D. work at the Max-Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics in Berlin. He then completed a fellowship in the Human Genetics Branch (NICHD, NIH, Bethesda, MD). Dr. Miele was a member of the Division of Clinical Trials Design and Analysis and the Division of Monoclonal Antibodies at CBER, FDA, and served as co-chair of the NCI CTEP task force on clinical trials targeting cancer stem cells. Dr. Miele’s research has been NIH funded since 1999, when he left the Federal Government for academia, first as a member of the Cancer Immunology Program at Loyola University Medical Center in Chicago, IL, then as a Program Director in the University of Illinois Chicago Cancer Center, and eventually as Director of Breast Cancer Research and Associate Cancer Center Director at Loyola University Medical Center. Subsequently, as UMMC Cancer Institute Director in Jackson, Mississippi, Dr. Miele oversaw 11 full member faculty and 30 associate members, organized into three basic and one clinical program. Al LSUHSC, Dr. Miele has taken the lead in precision medicine, creating the Precision Medicine Program and becoming the site PI for the Southern “All of Us” Precision Medicine Research Program, as well as receiving two NCI P20 grants on cancer precision medicine. Dr. Miele has authored over 240 peer-reviewed publications in biomedical journals

 

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The Governor’s Mansion: Virtual Tours

Governor’s Mansion
Virtual Tours

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 Governor’s Mansion
Virtual Tours

It’s officially August! Time for summer activities to start winding down and school activities to start gearing up. As school days are upon us, one particular activity everyone at the Governor’s Mansion loves is welcoming our school tours to this beautiful property. Since 2016, schools from all over the state of Louisiana have come to the Governor’s Mansion to learn about its unique history and taste one of the famous Mansion Cookies! Unfortunately, due to COVID-19, the Mansion is quiet, and we await the final call that the pandemic is behind us so we can have our school tours and visitors back again.

Until we are all able to meet again in person, please visit our website to view the incredible tour video created by and starring the First Lady of Louisiana, Donna H. Edwards. The video goes behind the scenes on the Governor’s Mansion and tells the story of its rich history. You can view the tour by visiting: https://governorsmansion.org/.

We are also offering special LIVE virtual tours for school classes (Grades 1-5) in the Fall and possibly into the Spring! If you are currently a teacher in Louisiana who would like to learn more about signing your class up, please contact Jennifer Gomez, Mansion Director, at Jgomez@la.gov. Live tours will be offered from September – December and will have limited availability.

Have a great Fall Semester, and we hope to see you all again soon! Stay safe!

 

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Louisiana Fosters – Foster Youth Bill of Rights Becomes Law

 

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Foster Youth
Bill of Rights
Becomes Law

 

Foster Youth Bill of Rights
Becomes Law

By Marketa Garner Walters, Secretary
Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services

When our children come into the foster care system, everything they know and love quickly changes through no fault of their own. Any dreams and aspirations may seem so out of reach when they don’t have to be. During its 2021 session, the Legislature passed Senate Bill 151, also known as “The Foster Youth’s Bill of Rights,” which spells out in clear language the fundamental rights every 14 to 18-year-old foster child deserves, no matter the situation.   

The law is the result of a two-year collective work effort of State Sen. Regina Barrow, D-Baton Rouge, who is a champion for our state’s children, their families, our department, and the efforts of the Louisiana Elite Advocacy Force (LEAF) board, including current and former members Tiffany Cruz, Antonica Frazier, Htet Htet Rodgers, Jarvis Spearman, and Aliyah Zeien. LEAF is a coalition of former foster youth who advise DCFS.  

Giving youth a voice has been the impetus behind the LEAF Board. The Bill of Rights was written by former foster youth, who worked over two years to get the bill to the Legislature. We’re thankful for all the youth who have continued to share their experiences and perspectives with us.  Their voices helped shape policy and practice, and we are inspired daily by their stories.  Our youth are clear: being in foster care is not all of their story.  Their lives before and after their experience in the foster care system also shape and form who they are.  But while they are in care, many youths feel “branded” and treated as “different” from their peers.  This bill addresses the issues most critical to lifting their voices and allowing them to participate in the everyday activities other youth take for granted.  

I am incredibly proud of our staff, who not only supported the youth through this process but have made a commitment to continue to put the children of Louisiana first in their daily work.

This bill will protect youth’s rights to:

  • Maintain the youth’s privacy
  • Attend court hearings
  • Be provided a safe, stable, and supportive placement
  • Participate in case planning as well as include the youth’s choice of supportive adults in planning
  • Receive adequate medical and mental health services
  • Receive contact information of involved parties in planning for the youth, i.e., CASA, attorney, caseworker
  • Have access to approved family and friends through telephone calls and/or visits
  • Have access to materials necessary for school and to further the youth’s education
  • Participate in extracurricular activities, driver’s education, and employment
  • Attend the youth’s school of origin
  • Refuse or participate in religious activities, according to the youth’s traditions and belief systems
  • Be free from discrimination of any kind
  • Be notified, attend and have transportation to events provided by the Independent Living Skills Program within the youth’s region
  • Be provided the entire amount of the monthly allowance as outlined in the policy
  • Express youth’s needs, concerns, and desires about foster care
  • Be notified, attend and have transportation to events provided by the Independent Living Skills Program within the youth’s region
  • Be provided the entire amount of the monthly allowance as outlined in the policy
  • Express youth’s needs, concerns, and desires about foster care

Self-advocacy is such an important life skill. It develops one’s decision-making capacity and helps build confidence and resilience. Through this Foster Youth’s Bill of Rights, our former foster youth have made their voices heard and have enshrined in our law the rights necessary for all our foster youth to become effective self-advocates.

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Visit the Louisiana Fosters Website

 

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Teach MAM – A Partnership Built for Physical Success

 

 

 

 

 

 

Teach MAM

 

Teach MAM: An Exciting Partnership to Strengthen Arts Education Across Louisiana

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TEACH MAM

A Partnership Built for Success

First Lady’s Teach MAM Initiative &
Governor’s Council on Physical Fitness

by Keyre’ Bradford

With great pleasure, the First Lady’s Teach MAM Initiative has partnered with D. Rudy Macklin, Executive Director with the Governor’s Council on Physical Fitness. As you know, the Teach MAM Initiative focuses on the importance of teaching movement, art, and music to students, encouraging them to learn in many ways. While focusing on the movement aspect of the three disciplines is the main focus of this partnership, this collaboration will increase the knowledge and understanding of the importance of quality physical education in schools lead by certified health and physical educators with allocated educational reserved daily minutes.

It only makes sense that these two entities would collaborate when the focus of the Governor’s Council on Physical Fitness is:

  • Develop, foster, and coordinate services and programs of physical fitness and sports for the people of Louisiana
  • Sponsor physical fitness and sports workshops, clinics, conferences, and other similar activities; give recognition to outstanding developments and achievements in, and contributions to, physical fitness and sports
  • Stimulate physical fitness research
  • Collect and disseminate physical fitness and sports information and initiate advertising campaigns promoting physical fitness and sports
  • Encourage local governments and communities to develop local physical fitness programs and amateur athletic competitions
  • Develop programs to promote personal health and physical fitness in cooperation with medical, dental, and other similar professional societies
  • Enlist the support of individuals, civic groups, amateur and professional sports associations, and other organizations to promote and improve physical fitness and sports programs

This partnership will foster support and encouragement in the area of physical education and exercise throughout the State. Given the potential for increased risk of obesity, diabetes, and other chronic diseases in children due to prolonged physical inactivity (https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-020-09429-3), this partnership is crucial in combating the adverse effects of the pandemic. With the surge of medical illnesses increasing from the recent global pandemic due to the lack of physical education, movement, physical activity, and exercise, it is dire to find ways to preserve physical education in our schools. The lasting effects of lost physical education and physical activity within the schools may permanently affect our children that we are not willing to sacrifice. We are promoting all the positive aspects that physical education will produce if given a chance to succeed.  

ShapeAmerica states that school physical education programs offer the best opportunity to provide physical activity to all children and teach them the skills and knowledge needed to establish and sustain an active lifestyle. Physical education teachers assess student knowledge, motor, and social skills and provide instruction in a safe, supportive environment. SHAPE America recommends that schools provide 150 minutes of instructional physical education for elementary school children and 225 minutes for middle and high school students per week for the entire school year. Based on the learning sequence, physical education should not be compared to or confused with other physical activity experiences such as recess, intramurals, or recreational endeavors. (https://www.shapeamerica.org/)

A quality physical education program provides learning opportunities, appropriate instruction, meaningful and challenging content for all children and should include these essential components (https://www.shapeamerica.org/).

The Positive Effects of Quality Physical Education in Schools according to PHITworld.org:

  • Improved physical fitness
  • Skill and motor skills development
  • Provides regular, healthful physical activity
  • Teaches self-discipline
  • Facilitates the development of student responsibility for health and fitness
  • Influence moral development, leadership, cooperate with others
  • Stress reduction – an outlet for releasing tension and anxiety
  • Strengthened peer relationships
  • Physical education can improve self-confidence and self-esteem
  • Respect – P.E. helps you respect your body, classmates, and teammates
  • Experience in setting goals
  • Improved academics – The significant bonus benefit!

With all the benefits of physical education, it is vital to promote the need for quality physical education programs throughout the school districts in Louisiana. We cannot afford to let our students down when it comes to their physical health. To avoid permanent changes in behavior extending beyond the duration of the COVID-19 closures, we must take measures (https://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/) to ensure our students are receiving the best possible chances of success. This success happens by providing students with the best quality physical education programs with certified health and physical educators with district-mandated P.E. minutes.

 You can follow the Governor’s Council on Physical Fitness on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

 

References:

Dunton, G.F., Do, B. & Wang, S.D. Early effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on physical activity and sedentary behavior in children living in the U.S. BMC Public Health 20, 1351 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-020-09429-3

Is it Physical Education or Physical Activity? https://www.shapeamerica.org/

The Tremendous Benefits of Physical Education in Schools:
https://www.phitworld.org/Benefits_of_P_E__in_School.htm

https://wwwcfprd.doa.louisiana.gov/ 

 

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Feature: Governor’s Fellow Experience

 

Governor’s Fellow
Experience

Written by Allison Hunt

 

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Governor’s Fellow Experience

Written by Allison Hunt

My experience in the Governor’s Fellows program has been full of knowledge, passion, and connections that will last a lifetime. It’s given me a new love and appreciation for Louisiana and its people. Traveling to different parts of the state and meeting so many passionate people about making Louisiana the best it can be has inspired me to continue to do the same.

Working in the First Lady’s Office this summer has taught me so many things, one being that we have the best First Lady in the country! Along with her office, she works tirelessly to make life better for children, teachers, and survivors through her Louisiana First Foundation. Getting to learn and help with that work has been an eye-opening experience. I have found a passion for fighting against human trafficking, and I plan to keep fighting after the fellowship ends. The Governor grants the opportunity to present a policy that we wrote with the help of our assigned offices. We present the policy proposal to him and his cabinet at the end of our time in Baton Rouge. I have seen firsthand how government works in Louisiana and even get to play a small part.

I have grown close with the other students in the program and can call some a best friend. I not only learned about the work my office does but almost every department in Louisiana because of the fellows sharing what they have learned. It’s given me a list of people I can count on if needed. I have immense respect for the First Lady, her team, and everyone I have had the pleasure of working with this summer because of the knowledge they hold, but also their compassion.

I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity of being a 2021 Governor’s Fellow in the First Lady’s office. I have learned so much, such as participating in grant writing, policy writing, anti-human traffic work, watching a rare veto session, and even creating the First Lady’s TikTok. Being a fellow is something I will remember forever and not take lightly; it has been an honor.

 

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Blog – August 2021

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The August 2021 Blog

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01.

Volume 3, Edition 10

A Word from the
First Lady of Louisiana

Do You Really Want To Hear The Truth?

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Do You Really Want to Hear the Truth?

As I write this month’s post, I can’t help but think about the crisis our state is facing during this fourth surge of COVID-19.  I’m grateful to all of you who have received a vaccine and are wearing a mask. You are doing your part to help make our state safer and stop the destruction the Delta variant is having on adults and children alike – something we have never seen during this pandemic.  My heart hurts for those affected and for the people who have yet to get vaccinated.

Do you really want to hear the truth? As I write out this question, a line from a famous movie, A Few Good Men, comes to mind, “You can’t handle the truth!” said actor Jack Nicholson. Is that where we are, is it that we can’t handle the truth, or do we no longer recognize the truth or facts? There is so much misinformation, TV reporting mistruths, social media conspiracies, and fake news. It doesn’t help that so many of our leaders don’t speak the truth. So, what are we to do? How in the world do we find the truth or recognize the truth when we see and hear it? There is so much misinformation preventing people from doing the right thing that it’s putting all of us in a perilous situation. So, what are we to do? Keep sharing the truth.

Honesty and integrity have always been the hallmarks of a strong character. We should expect these from all of our leaders. I’m very proud that John Bel, my husband, father of our children and governor of our great state, is a man of great integrity and honor. He has been for as long as I’ve known him. In high school, a civic organization gave him the Honesty and Integrity Award. His peers at West Point Military Academy selected him to serve as vice chairman of the Honor Committee. He has always been known as “Honest John.”

He is the same way today. As he makes difficult decisions about how to best protect Louisiana during this deadly virus, he consistently consults with medical experts across our state and nation.  No matter the emergency our state faces, he surrounds himself with those who know first-hand what’s going on.  He is always transparent and truthful about where we are. We are both grateful for the many letters, emails, and calls supporting his efforts.

Of course, we should always think for ourselves, but our decisions should be based on facts, not myths spread on social media or by people and sources that are not credible.  

What makes me sad about this latest surge is how the defiance and ugliness of others affect our own family and friends, some of whom are nurses treating COVID patients who continue to complain about the vaccines and masks.  Wow, I have no words.

We have family and friends who are teachers and have colleagues who are outright disrespectful to them, either by wearing masks on their chins or not at all.  But those same educators demand their students follow the classroom rules to maintain safety and order.  As teachers, we have always taught the Golden Rule. Did we forget what it means? 

The real truth is that there are three safe, effective, free and widely available vaccines at more than 1,400 locations in our state.  No one has died from the vaccines, but more than 11,000 Louisianans have died from the virus. The overwhelming majority of hospitalizations and deaths are among the unvaccinated.  As many doctors and nurses who are on the frontlines in our hospitals have said, our only way of combating this latest surge is with vaccines and masks.  Anyone in our state can call 211 to get their questions answered or find a vaccine location near them.

I also have loved ones who have chosen not to be vaccinated. I don’t agree with their decision, but I still love and am kind to them. Why? It is the right thing to do, and we are called to be good, honest, truthful, and kind.

John Bel works many late nights and weekends. I know he is tired both emotionally and physically. But I also know he is committed to doing what is right by our people and finds great joy serving our state.  That’s a gift from God.

One evening after a recent press conference, I said to John Bel, “Don’t you just want to give up on these people who are so completely defiant of the facts?” In a caring and calm voice, he said, “Donna, I can’t give up on them.”  Such compassion and patience. My husband genuinely cares. 

Each morning before John Bel leaves for the day, we pray together. He often leads. We thank God for our blessings and pray for those who are sick, health care workers, family and friends and that our people will come together in unity.  We offer it up and trust in the goodness of God to lead our day and bless our work.

As I close, I have one simple question: Can we just be nice to each other?    Because if there is anything this virus has shown us it’s at the end of the day, we are all truly connected in some way. We are all children of God.

Love to all,

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ProfTracy on TikTok has gone viral for combatting misinformation surrounding the coronavirus vaccine. She is a retired college professor and holds a PhD in microbiology and immunology. She creates videos which feature people who are spreading misinformation and de-bunks this misinformation in real time.

Watch her TikTok videos here.

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02. FEATURE

Governor’s Fellow Experience

Written by Allison Hunt

My experience in the Governor’s Fellows program has been full of knowledge, passion, and connections that will last a lifetime. It’s given me a new love and appreciation for Louisiana and its people. Traveling to different parts of the state and meeting so many passionate people about making Louisiana the best it can be has inspired me to continue to do the same.

Working in the First Lady’s Office this summer has taught me so many things, one being that we have the best First Lady in the country! Along with her office, she works tirelessly to make life better for children, teachers, and survivors through her Louisiana First Foundation. Getting to learn and help with that work has been an eye-opening experience. I have found a passion for fighting against human trafficking, and I plan to keep fighting after the fellowship ends. The Governor grants the opportunity to present a policy that we wrote with the help of our assigned offices. We present the policy proposal to him and his cabinet at the end of our time in Baton Rouge. I have seen firsthand how government works in Louisiana and even get to play a small part.

 

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LOUISIANA FIRST FOUNDATION

Yes Mam, No Mam, Thank you Mam = Teach MAM!

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Teach MAM
(Music, Arts, Movement)

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LOUISIANA
FOSTERS

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ANTI-HUMAN TRAFFICKING

Read More
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03. GOVERNOR'S MANSION

Governor’s Mansion
Virtual Tours

It’s officially August! Time for summer activities to start winding down and school activities to start gearing up. As school days are upon us, one particular activity everyone at the Governor’s Mansion loves is welcoming our school tours to this beautiful property. Since 2016, schools from all over the state of Louisiana have come to the Governor’s Mansion to learn about its unique history and taste one of the famous Mansion Cookies! Unfortunately, due to COVID-19, the Mansion is quiet, and we await the final call that the pandemic is behind us so we can have our school tours and visitors back again.

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VISIT GOVERNOR'S MANSION STORE
DOWNLOAD MEMBERSHIP FORM
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WOMEN’S HEALTH

“Groundhog Day”

 

by Dr. Lucio Miele
 
 

 

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PEOPLE OF LOUISIANA

Making A Difference

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Keep Louisiana
Beautiful

COMMUNITY

READ

Marco D. French, M. Ed.

SCHOOLS

READ

Suicide Prevention
Summit

MILITARY

READ

August Events

BUSINESS

READ
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04. FEATURED RECIPE

MAKE LEMONS OUT
OF LEMONADE:

LEROY’S STORY

Leroy’s Lip Smack’n Lemonade Stand was started in 2012 in Leroy Hayward, III’s front yard as a participant in Raising Cane’s National Lemonade Day. The young entrepreneur thought it was a great way to give back to the New Orleans Children’s Hospital since the doctors there had done so much for Leroy. In 2014, he entered his lemonade in the Lemonade Day tasting contest, and won 1st place! At just six years old, Leroy became one of Louisiana’s youngest entrepreneurs. Leroy expanded the business by selling his lemonade at Tiger Stadium, the PMAC and at Matherne’s. In more recent years, the business began bottling its product and now sells the famous lemonade in over twenty stores.

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SOMETHING TO DISCERN

05. PAST QUOTES

Gallery

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THE FIRST DOGS

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06. THE FIRST DOGS

The First Dogs enjoying books on
National Book Lovers’ Day

 

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07. OUR EDITOR

DELERY RICE

A native of New Orleans, Louisiana, Delery has lived there all of her life except during undergraduate school and a brief stint in Seattle, WA. She is a mother to four boys, ranging in ages from 21 to 16, and they are the heart and soul of her life.

After graduating from the University of Southern Mississippi where she earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Communications, she went on to receive a Masters in Non-Profit Management from Louisiana State University. Her volunteer work has mostly evolved from issues that have affected her personally. Actively engaged in disability rights advocacy, Delery has testified numerous times in the Louisiana Legislature regarding issues that affect persons with developmental disabilities. She served as the chair of the Louisiana Developmental Disabilities Council, worked for seven years directing regional advocacy efforts and is a graduate of Louisiana’s Partners In Policymaking.