Eight Livingston Parish Teachers Awarded Grants

Eight Livingston Parish Teachers Awarded Grants
Posted on 09/09/2022
French Settlement Elementary Teacher Anthony Elliott (left) received a $4,933 grant to further his “Coding for the Future” project. Deborah Rochelle (right) presented the check for the grant, which is named after her. Eight Livingston Parish Teachers Awarded Grants
Cash Awards to Enhance Instructional Projects

LIVINGSTON, La. – Eight Livingston Parish teachers have been awarded Deborah Rochelle Teacher Grants to fund instructional, research-based projects that provide direct instruction to local students.

The grant program, which was initiated in 1991, is managed by the Kelly Gene Cook, Sr. Charitable Foundation to benefit qualified teachers and professional staff in East Baton Rouge, Livingston, and St. Tammany parishes. The grant program is named for Rochelle, who is responsible for the grant’s origination and organization. The grants are valued up to $5,000 each, and they are awarded directly to winning recipients.

The eight recipients and their projects include:

•French Settlement Elementary Teacher Anthony Elliott (left) received a $4,933 grant to further his “Coding for the Future” project. Deborah Rochelle (right) presented the check for the grant, which is named after her. Anthony Elliott, French Settlement Elementary, received $4,933 to support his “Coding for the
  Future” project;







Juban Parc Elementary Teacher Sydney Brignac (left) received a $4,987 grant to support her “Integrating Technology in a Special Needs Classroom Through the Use of iPads” project. Deborah Rochelle (right) presented the award, which is named after her. • Sydney Brignac, Juban Parc Elementary, received $4,987 to further her “Integrating Technology in a Special Needs Classroom Through the Use of iPads;”








Walker Elementary Teacher Kay Simmons (left) is pictured with her principal, Kerma Luzier (right). Simmons is the recipient of a $4,933 Deborah Rochelle Teacher Grant.• Kay Simmons, Walker Elementary, received $4,933 for her project “Literacy Skills for English Language Learners;”










Denham Springs High School STEM & Robotics Center instructors Daniel Eiland (left) and Danny Thomasson (right) receive grants to support instructional projects they are integrating into their classroom activities. Deborah Rochelle (center), the person for whom the award is named, presented Eiland with a check for $4,864 and Thomasson with a check for $4,990.
• Daniel Eiland, Denham Springs STEM & Robotics Center, received $4,864 to advance his “Design to Reality – Creating Precise Products from 3D Design” project;

• Danny Thomasson, Denham Springs STEM & Robotics Center, received $4,990 for his “Production Level 3D Printing” project;



Live Oak High School Teacher Autumn Bolin recently received a $4,700 Deborah Rochelle Teacher Grant to advance her “Erasable Mistakes” project. Pictured from left to right are Livingston Parish School Superintendent Joe Murphy, Bolin, Deborah Rochelle, the originator of the teacher grant program; Katy Pacelli, executive director of the Kelly Gene Cook, Sr. Charitable Foundation; and Gary Jones.• Autumn Bolin, Live Oak High School, receive
d $4,700 for her “Erasable Mistakes” project;










Literacy & Technology Center Instructor Bethany Arnold received a $5,000 grant for her “Inchy the Bookworm Vending Machine” project. Pictured from left to right are Katy Pacelli, executive director of the Kelly Gene Cook, Sr. Charitable Foundation; Arnold, Deborah Rochelle, the originator of the teacher grant program; Livingston Parish Schools Superintendent Joe Murphy, and Literacy & Technology Center Principal Kim Albin.
• Bethany Arnold, Livingston Parish Literary & Technology Center, received $5,000 for “Inchy the Bookworm Vending Machine;” and









Springfield High School Teacher Yvette Hill recently received a $5,000 grant for her “SHS Robotic Launch” project. Pictured left to right are Katy Pacelli, executive director of the Kelly Gene Cook, Sr. Charitable Foundation; SHS Principal Jill Dupuy, Hill, Deborah Rochelle, the originator of the teacher grant program; and Livingston Parish Schools Superintendent Joe Murphy.• Yvette Hill, Springfield High School, received $5,000 for her “SHS Robotic Launch” project.









“We are most appreciative of the Kelly Gene Cook, Sr. Foundation and those judging the Deborah Rochelle grant nominations to recognize the outstanding work that is being done by these outstanding Livingston Parish teachers,” Superintendent Joe Murphy said.

“These monetary incentives certainly provide a motivation to our people to try new things and be creative in their instructional methods; but more importantly, these incentives ultimately benefit our students who advance in their knowledge and skills through these projects,” he added.

Deborah Rochelle, the person for whom the grants are named, visited Livingston Parish Schools and presented checks to the individual teachers. She was joined in her visits by Katy Pacelli, executive director of the Kelly Gene Cook, Sr. Charitable Foundation.