If you’re passing down Airline Highway on May 10 you might think something’s wrong.

Outside of New Wine Christian Fellowship you’ll see firetrucks with flashing lights and sirens, St. John the Baptist Parish Sheriff’s Office vehicles and lots of parish personnel. But, for once, this scene will mean something is very, very right.

On that day, St. John the Baptist Parish Public Schools will be celebrating its best and brightest students, and the whole community will come together to help.

We’ve got nearly 700 students in grades first  through 12th whose grades this year qualified them to take part in the annual Triple Honor Roll Celebration.

To qualify, students must make the all A or A and B honor roll for the first three grading periods of the school year.

When they step off their buses at New Wine that morning they will be awarded a medal that will be placed around their necks by parish officials, firemen, sheriff’s officers and other community members as they stroll the red carpet down the Walk of Pride and into their special event.

Inside, food, photos, face painting and enough games to fill the huge facility will let the scholars cut loose and have fun for the day.

It’s a huge undertaking to make a fun, safe place for nearly 700 students and it’s coming together this year thanks to a committee of St. John the Baptist Parish Public School District employees and parents.

It also couldn’t be accomplished without the help of our sponsors, Marathon Petroleum Corporation, RTC, New Wine Christian Fellowship, Louisiana Federal Credit Union, Denka, Cargill, Lions Club, St. John the Baptist Parish, St. John the Baptist District Attorney’s Office, St. John the Baptist Parish Sheriff’s Office and the St. John the Baptist Parish Fire Department.

Thank you for helping us put on this awesome event for our students! Also congratulations to St. John STEM Magnet Program student Victoria Upshaw for submitting the winning design for the T-shirts that will be worn by all students during the event.

Director of Early Childhood Patricia Triche, who heads up the Triple Honor Roll Celebration Committee, describes these students as the school district’s “silent heroes,” those students who study and make good grades who may fall under the radar at times because they do exactly what they’re supposed to do.

“We want to highlight the good kids and make it a big deal,” she said. “You hear so much negative sometimes and we want to spotlight the positive things being done by young people.”

It’s a great way to wrap up the school year!

Jennifer Boquet is the communications specialist for St. John the Baptist Parish Public Schools. Email her at jboquet@stjohn.k12.la.us.