Monday, October 30, 2017

Retired Teachers Association To Meet November 9 For Special Health Fair

     The St. Tammany Retired School Employees Association will meet at ten a.m. on Thursday, November 9, 2017, at the David C. Treen Instructional Technology Center in Mandeville. In observance of Veterans Day, members are encouraged to wear red, white and blue.

      Toys and gifts are being sought for donations to this year's "Project Christmas," so members are asked to bring those items for distribution to boys and girls throughout the parish. For more information on suggested gifts items, CLICK HERE.


      A special health fair will be set up early, from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m., with informational booths on vaccines, medication adherence (bring your medicine in a brown paper bag), screenings, benefit questions, blood pressure checks, etc. The "Silver Sneakers" organization will have a booth and give a demonstration before the meeting.  Members who wish to receive flu shots should bring their insurance/health cards.


            Vendors will  include Humana, St. Tammany Hospital, Mary Byrd Perkins, Tivity Health (Silver Sneakers), and Walgreens. There will also be a healthy cooking demonstration. Health fair booths will remain available for members until 1 p.m.


    Members arriving early at 9:30 a.m. will enjoy a social get-together time to catch up with each other since the last meeting, in addition to taking advantage of the health fair booths.


     “We feel it is important for our retirees to join both the state retired teachers organization, the LRTA, and our local group, the STRSEA, this year to build our St. Tammany associate and retiree memberships,” said President Roxanne Lagarde.  “Membership means a lot to our members as well as insures our voice will be heard when needed.  We encourage all public school system retirees to come and join in our association.  We hope to see you on November 9th.”


    The agenda for the upcoming meeting includes a report on the recent LRTA conference, which several members attended. The business meeting this week will feature the latest reports from the president, the vice president, secretary and treasurer, as well as updates on continuing legislative concerns and the status of educational scholarship applications. As always, there will be fun activities, refreshments, snacks, door prizes and other giveaways.


    The Treen Technology Center is located at 2024 Livingston Street in Mandeville.  The STRSEA meets regularly throughout the year to provide opportunities for retirees from the school system to hear about the important issues impacting local and state retirees and to enjoy fun and fellowship with new and former colleagues.  Meetings are generally on the second Thursday of September, November, December, March and May, including an annual Christmas party and spring luncheon. 


     At a board meeting last week, officers discussed the signing up of new members, the ongoing orders for association T-shirts and polo shirts, and the need for volunteers to teach in various community out-reach organizations. 

                For a once-only fee of $45, the STRSEA offers a life-time membership that entitles members to vote on association matters, furnishes an identification card that allows St. Tammany members free admission to all home games at school system athletic events and provides a St. Tammany Advantage Rewards (STAR) card for discounts at participating local businesses and restaurants.


               For more information, call President Roxanne Lagarde at 985-966-6166.  If present members have a new email address, please send the update to stpretirees@gmail.com.  Retirees may join the STRSEA at any regularly scheduled meeting or may send a check for $45 payable to STRSEA in care of STRSEA at Post Office Box 2992; Covington, Louisiana 70434.

Monday, October 16, 2017

Toy Drive Gift Ideas

At our November 9th meeting we will be participating in a "Toy and Gift Drive" for Project Christmas, as we have in the past. Here are some suggestions for the types of gifts they would be looking for. Thanks. 

Art Set/Art supplies
Bath Set
Bath Toy
Bike/Scooter/Ripstick
Board Games/Card Games
Books
Building Blocks
Camera
Candles
CD Player
Chemistry Set
Clothes
Comforter Set/Sheets – size & color
Craft Kits/Model Kits
Dolls/Accessories
Dress-up Clothes with size
DVD Player-Portable ($60+) or TV connected
Easy Bake Oven/Age Appropriate
Educational Toys
Hair Products – specify type
Head Phones (Generic)/Ear buds
Jewelry
Kitchen Play Set
Legos
Make-up – specify type and colors
MP3 Player w/Google play card
Musical Toys
Perfume/Cologne
Puzzles
Race Car Set
Radio
Remote Control Toys
Skates – specify size
Socks/Fuzzy Socks
Sports Balls/Equipment
Stuffed Animals
Ties – Teen boys
Trains
Trucks
Wallet 
Gift Cards – Barnes&Noble, Bath & Body Works, Books-A-Million, Game Stop, Google Play, Movies, I-Tunes, Ulta

Boys or Girls

Comforter Sets  (boys and girls , twin or Full) 
Fleece Throws
Throw pillows  
Bulletin boards / decorations for a room
Water bottles/cups
Sports Balls -  footballs, basketballs, volleyballs, soccer  
Board games for older kids like battleship, jenga, Monopoly

Girls

Gift box sets for :
  Nails 
  colognes
   Bath accessories

Wallets/purses/wristlets

Jewelry / jewelry boxes
Hair accessories  - bows, ribbons etc
Age appropriate makeup kits
Sweaters/zippered jackets (any size)    
Socks
Sleep wear
Candle sets


Boys 

Anything Saints -  hats, footballs, accessories   

Sweatshirts/zippered Jackets ( any size)  (boys)
Ties – young men’s
Gift Box Sets:
Young men’s Toiletries
Young men’s cologne 
Fun socks Belts
Hats- ball caps, knit
  
Gift Cards up to $15.00 - 
  Movie Theater 
  Game Stop 
  I-Tunes
  Barnes&Noble
  Bath & Body Works
  Books-A-Million
  Movie Theater
  I-Tunes
  Ulta
  (No big box stores like Walmart or Target) 







Tuesday, October 3, 2017

Spotlight on Sheila and Jack Loup

by Rhonda Chambers

     As a couple Sheila and Jack served 53 years in education!  As a Covington High graduate Sheila was pleased to be a paraprofessional at her alma mater.  She retired in 2010 with 20 years of service and enjoys attending conferences with Jack and participating in many school activities with their grandchildren.  They have 2 children, Candice and Stephen, who also graduated from Covington High and 3 grandchildren.  


     Sheila and Jack very happily celebrated their 50th Wedding Anniversary in June. 

     Jack retired in 2003 with 33 years in education.  He has a Masters+30 in Education.  He began his teaching career at Pine View Junior High and then was transferred to Covington Jr. and then to Covington High. While at Covington High he served as a teacher, coach, Assistant Principal, and then Principal.  He also served as Principal at both C.J. Schoen Middle and Madisonville Jr.  

     After retiring Jack has stayed very active within his community.  He was the Recreation Director for the City of Covington for 2 years, and then was elected to serve on the St Tammany School Board in 2006 and is currently in his 3rd term.  He was the Board President for four years.  

     Jack founded the Coalition for Louisiana Public Education and after two years over 30 organizations have joined.  He received the Louisiana Federation of Teachers’ Friend of Education Award in 2011.  He is currently on the Board of Directors for the Louisiana School Boards Association and has served on the STRSEA’s board for the past seven years as our Legislative Chair, as well as, serving as its President from 2007-2010.

     A typical day ranges from either sleeping late or getting up early to take a grandchild to school and then working in the yard.  They both enjoy having lunch with their friends and family in the Covington/Mandeville areas.  Tuesday mornings are reserved for golf and Thursday evenings for the School Board meetings.  Saturday afternoons are saved for picking up Jack’s mom, who is 90 years young, for church and then dinner together.

     Sheila lists making jewelry, tending to flowers in the yard, and baking as her hobbies.  Jack has been playing golf and bowling for over 60 years! If Jack were given the chance to compete in the Olympics it would definitely have to be in golf!

     A favorite website to kill some time for Sheila is Pinterest…she enjoys checking for ideas for birthdays and holidays.

     A fun fact about Sheila and Jack is that they take short vacations with their grandchildren every year.

     I asked them, “After celebrating your 50th wedding anniversary, what would you say is the secret to a successful marriage?”  Their answer: "it consists of expressing our opinions and then moving on."  They have grown together over the years and enjoy doing things as a couple.