Plessy News

December 2019

November was an exciting month at Plessy with some great performances celebrating our amazing students!

The first semester of After School was jammed packed with some amazing programming. The showcase on Wednesday, November 20th was a big hit and everyone had so much fun in the process! Check out our YouTube channel for video of the performances and below check out this amazing animation made in our after school film class :)

Plessy's Tree @ Lousiana Children's Museum

Enjoy the museum's creative collection of holiday trees created by local schools, artists, and community partners as well as community performances by local choirs, dance groups, jazz ensembles, school bands, and more!

• November 30 - December 29
• Taking place during LCM's daily operating hours
• All ages welcome!

Plessy's tree was created in Mr. Good's 2nd Grade classes. The tree is inspired by the diversity of our school, and our hope is that each child will be represented by a colorful, unique leaf.

December is a short month but not without its specials moments up ahead!

We have just under 3 weeks in December before Winter Break starts on December 20th. In that time students from many grade levels have some exciting field trips and a big showcase at the start of the month. This first semester has been full of exciting learning and events we can't wait to see what students do next!

• December Menus

• Cheerleading Uniform Fundraiser! Our cheer team needs new uniforms for our growing team and are hosting a fundraiser to help support this cause. Click the link below to donate today: https://www.gofundme.com/f/20192020-cheerleading-uniforms?utm_source=customer&utm_medium=copy_link&utm_campaign=p_cf+share-flow-1

• December 2nd - 19th, Paid After School - Please speak with Ms. Kelsey if you should have any questions regarding or would like to enroll in Paid After School. Ms. Kelsey's can be contacted at, kelsey.coyle@plessyschool.org or click here to enroll online!

• December 9th - 13th, ANET Testing! Testing will take place in 2nd - 8th grades. Please make sure that students get rest each night and are to school on time.

• December Field Trips!
  • Tuesday, December 3rd - 6th Grade, National WWII Museum
  • Wednesday, December 11th - 7th & 8th Grade Visual Arts Students, New Orleans Art Museum
  • Friday, December 13th - 1st & 2nd Grades, Holiday Second Line!
  • Wednesday, December 17th - 7th & 8th Grades, NOCCA Studio Day
  • Wednesday, December 18th - 5th & 6th Grade Visual Arts Students, New Orleans Art Museum
  • Wednesday, December 18th - 3rd Grade, National WWII Museum

• No School December 20th - January 6th - Winter Break!

Our Arts Integration & Project Based Partnerships help make Plessy the special place it is and connects our students to their community! This month we are highlighting 3 partners and their work in the 1st semester with our students!

Goat in the Road Productions

Partnered with 5th Grade ELA

In September, the fifth grade ELA classes started working with local theatre company, Goat in the Road Productions, in their year long program, Play/Write.

Play/Write is a creative writing and theatre program where students will write seven short scripts and develop one into a 50 line play. At the end of the year, each student will receive a published copy of their play and the whole fifth grade will take a field trip to UNO to see two Plessy students' scripts produced and performed by local theatre companies, as part of the Play/Write Showcase.

So far, the students have written and performed their own scripts based on Little Red Riding Hood, and had a company of professional actors visit the school to perform plays written by former students in the program.

Mural Club with Artist in Residence, Ann Haley

Partnered with 6th - 8th Clubs ~ Social Studies

So far students have learned how detailed the process of creating a mural can be. Starting with collectively agreeing on a message, to quick sketches, to clean sketches, and choosing a color pallet- we've learned its more elaborate than just painting a wall. We talked a lot at first about social justice, and how public art can inspire a community, and narrowed it down to inspiring quotes from activists Toni Morrison and Audre Lorde. We took a vote, and chose to create an image that reflects Toni Morrison's words, "As you enter positions of trust and power, dream a little before you think."

Tulane Service Learning

Partnered with 1st & 2nd Grade Social Studies

I am a professor of Political Science at Tulane, and a proud Plessy parent. For the last three years my undergraduate International Relations class has created lesson plans for a number of Plessy classes that introduce international concepts to the younger students. The Tulane groups also get the chance to come into the classrooms and work with the Plessy kids directly. It has been so much fun for all involved!

We have created shoebox dioramas of important international events like the Space Race and the Industrial Revolution. We have played all kinds of map games to deepen the understanding of geography. We talked about the benefits of trade, the international aspects of climate change, and even organized a mini-conference on refugee issues where six-graders stepped into the shoes of world leaders and debated humanitarian crises.

It has been a pleasure for me to see Plessy pupils learn about the United Nations, and the need for all countries to work together. At the same time, my Tulane students deepen their understanding of international politics as they explain it to First and Second graders.