LAPLACE — It’s really hard to keep up with Hartley Faucheux.

The 9-year-old who just completed the fourth grade at St. Joan of Arc Catholic School is one bundle of energy.

She likes to use it for good.

“She really likes to help people,” said principal Jeff Montz. “She is very active and she does this thing all the time, which is smile.”

When she’s not in class studying her favorite subject — math — Hartley might be getting her friends together to roam the school’s halls looking for something to do and someone to help.

“I really like to help the teachers,” Hartley said. “Sometimes at recess, me and some of my friends will go around to the classrooms to see if any of our teachers need help with anything.”

She also likes to help mom, Leslie, who is a teacher at LaPlace Elementary School.

“Whenever we have half days or something like that, I’ll get her to pick me up and take me over there so I can help her,” she said.

Of course, like most girls, Harley enjoys sleepovers with her friends, where they skate, play with makeup and polish their nails.

“Things, like, girls do,” she added.

Hartley even manages to turn those sessions into helping others.

It was during a sleepover with her best friend Faith Williams last year that the girls came up with an idea to help out the local Sheriff’s Office.

The duo made black and blue rubber bracelets and put together an organization called “Back the Blue” (with dad Steven’s help). Then they went door to door asking for donations in exchange for the bracelets.

Soon the girls had a “big fake check” for St. John Sheriff Mike Tregre, along with a real check for $1,200, to help the department buy bulletproof vests.

“We thought we’d only get about $10 or $20,” Hartley said.

“We were so surprised. We were really excited to do that because we love helping out.”

At a more recent sleepover, the girls began brainstorming other ideas.

“We are thinking about something to do for the poor or doing something for cancer,” Hartley said. “We’re thinking about doing bags with things for summer and winter, like sunscreen and water for summer and for winter we can do, like Kleenex, socks, different things like that. When I go to New Orleans and see the people under the bridges, I want to cry because I’m so sad for them and there’s so many things we can do for them.”

Hartley also likes to entertain.

A budding actress, she has appeared in several local and school productions, including The Wizard of Oz, Blackbeard, Little Red Riding Hood and Peter and Wendy.

Just recently she auditioned for River Parishes Community Theatre’s production of Annie, winning the part of “Olivia.”

“I like to sing,” she said. “I don’t know if it’s really singing or just playing at singing.”

In her spare time — when she has any — Hartley enjoys swimming and playing softball. She also enjoys following her brother Owen’s travel baseball team.

Although she does like baseball, she really likes getting to travel.

“I love staying in hotels,” she said.

But there’s one thing Hartley loves more than just about anything — horses.

A few years ago, her grandparents bought her riding lessons then, last summer, she went on a riding camp.

“We rode horses and we groomed horses and we feed them,” she said. “It’s like what you do with a rabbit or a dog, I guess. You just take care of them.”

So far, Hartley has to make do with “renting” a horse, but someday she would love to own one.

“I love horses,” she gushed. “If I could, I would buy a horse and just give it my bedroom.”