Rotary Program: 12/17/03

Program Chairperson: Jerry Kanney

Speaker: Lavonne Taylor, Prinicpal of the St. Francis School

Lavonne Taylor is a graduate of Johns Creek High School who received her B.A., M.A., and Rank I Degrees in Education from Morehead State University. She taught for 23 years and served one year as Asst. Principal at Pikeville High School before retiring and assuming her present position at St. Francis for the past three years. She is married to Frank Taylor and has a daughter Emily Mellencamp Reed, who teaches Kindergarten at Johns Creek, and one grandson, Coleman Thomas Reed.

Lavonne gave an overview of the St. Francis school, which is a misson of the St. Francis Catholic Church in Pikeville. The school has an enrollment of 70 students in grades K - 6 from 61 families of every socieo-economic, cultural, and religious group found in the Pikeville area. The school employs 4 full-time teachers, 2 part-time teachers and one who volunteers her time as the Art teacher. The curriculum includes Art, Music, Computer Science, P.E. and Library as well as all the other academic classes. The school takes a holistic approach to education which includes the spiritual, academic, emotional, and social needs of the child in order to prepare the student for the future. They leave St, Francis as critical thinkers, self disciplined and well-rounded individuals who contribute to the community. Parental involvement is a cornerstone of the school as they are in the classroom volunteering in tutoring the children, assisting the teachers, helping with field trips, and fulfilling their responsibility of making sure their children gets the best education possible. The school stresses independence, responsibility, manners, academics and doing what is right as Jesus would have them to do. Every student is required to do some type of service project outside of school and family. Some examples include purchasing supplies for the Animal Shelter, shoeboxes for Project Christmas Child, Jump Rope for Heart, supplies for the Homeless Shelter, Family Abuse Center, and Helping Hand. This year they are also saving their pennies for the Make-A-Wish Foundation. They also operate the St. Francis Christmas Store which provided for over 300 families this year. Mrs. Taylor thanked all the community who had supported the school this year in their Development Fund and their annual Golf Tournament which has enabled the school to update their programs and facilities. At present they have one computer for every 2.5 children and new computer textbooks and software has been purchased. New textbooks have been adopted and purchased at every grade level as well as an Accelerated Reading Program and a new Language Arts Program. Last year, the Science curriculum was aligned with State and National Standards and this year the same will be done for the Math program. This past summer the Library was renovated with funds from the Golf Tournament and new books as well as much-needed audio-visual supplemental materials were purchased. The entrance to the school has been remodeled to make the school much more secure during the school day. Mrs. Taylor says she is proud of the school, the parents and the teachers, but she is most proud of the students. To prove the point, she then turned the program over to Teresa Dawahare, the Music teacher and the students from the 3rd and 4th grades, who provided songs from the Christmas Play that will be presented to the public tomorrow night called, “Twas The Light Before Christmas.” Thanks, Mrs. Taylor and students for a truly enjoyable program. Submitted by J. Morgan Chapman