By MOLLY DRYMAN

Staff Reporter

LAPLACE — St. John the Baptist Parish Health and Human Services sponsored a workshop called Project Learning Tree on Nov. 5 at East St. John Elementary school in LaPlace, to give teachers a new way for kids to learn about science.

Only 15 teachers were allowed to attend on a first come, first serve basis. One was absent, so 14 were given the opportunity to learn fun, new skills to teach their students.

The workshop is sponsored in preparation of Arbor Day, an annual observance that celebrates the role of trees in our lives and promotes tree planting and care. Arbor Day is usually celebrated on the third Friday in January. St. John will celebrate on Friday, Jan. 20, 2006, a time most appropriate for tree planting in this region.

The workshop is an award-winning environmental education program designed for teachers working with students in pre-K through grade 12. The workshop is a six-hour session where teachers received handouts, workbooks, material and supplies to be used in their classrooms.

During the workshop teachers participated in hands-on activities, learned how to make learning about the different parts of a tree interesting by each teachers being a part of the tree and learned fun ways of learning with Energy Jeopardy. The teachers seem to like the jeopardy game as they yelled out the questions to the answers.

PLT’s mission is to increase student understanding of our environment, stimulate student’s critical and creative thinking, develop student’s ability to make informed decisions on environmental issues and to instill in students the confidence and commitment to take responsible action on behalf of the environment.

The workshop was conducted by Wade DuBea of the LA Department of Agriculture and Forestry of Baton Rouge, and teachers in attendance were Celeste Montz (Ascension of Our Lord), Ashley Weber and Stacy Delatte (East St. John Elementary), Georgia Clesi (East St. John High), Connie Gros (LaPlace Elementary), Irene Burl and Carol Ann Adams (Leon Godchaux Accelerated), Lynette James (Our Lady of Grace Catholic), Huey Louque (Reserve Christian School), Michelle Laurent (St. Joan of Arc Catholic), Jean Wallis and Eric Hancock (St. Peter Catholic), Leslie Arceneaux (West St. John High) and Taharga Hart (LSU Ag. Center).

For more information on Project Learning Tree visit www.plt.org.