By: Evie Yeaney

The La Porte High School Agriculture Department has changed in a new direction for the 2024-2025 school year. 

In June, former Agriculture Department head Jessi Davenport resigned left her position at LPHS; however, Davenport didn't settle far from her passion, as she now works for the Purdue Extension Office. Amber Ernsperger, formally Paquette, has taken over Davenport's formal responsibilities and classroom. Ernsperger is now responsible for the Ag Mechanic and Animal Science classes. 

“I am so excited to be teaching the Ag Mech pathway. Although I never saw myself teaching anything like this, I am so excited for the new adventure. I am also super excited to continue with the animal science pathway as that is the one I really worked with in college,” Ernsperger said. 

With this change, there are new faces and a few questions. Despite common belief, the welding pathway taught by new teacher Raymond Goss is not part of the agriculture department. Although they both fall under the CTE umbrella, welding is a different Department. They are currently working on building a shop at the ESC which will bring new opportunities for students. Goss teaches all of the welding technology classes.

“So far it has been a great start to the year from working with the staff to interacting with the students,” Goss said. 

Kaitlyn Parsons has moved into Ernsperger’s old classroom and now teaches Natural Resources, Forestry, and Principles of Agriculture. Switching rooms has brought new opportunities for her students. 

“I was able to move into a bigger room that doesn't have carpet. This means we will be able to do labs and activities that we couldn’t before due to the mess factor, which I am very much looking forward to,” Parson said. 

Former dance teacher Jessica Tenbusch is now teaching a few of the Principles of Agriculture classes. This new change has been a challenge for Tenbusch, but she is persevering. 

Ernsperger is the sole advisor for FFA. According to the National FFA Organization website, FFA is a national organization that provides leadership opportunities, strengthens skills, builds confidence, and overall changes lives. LPHS FFA’s first meeting was August 28th. This year they are hosting a soil competition, attending contests, participating in district events, and so much more.

“The Ag department is happy to be working together on growing and moving in the right directions,” Ernsperger said.

By: Micheal St Arnaud

Standardized testing is one of the most stressful aspects of the high school experience. From NWEA to the SAT, each test brings a new and mentally taxing challenge for the students who take it. 

Although each test deserves time and attention, the upcoming National Merit Scholarship Qualification Test, also known as the PSAT, is especially important. Despite this, most students have no idea about this consequential exam, and it is paramount that the test prep resources, available opportunities, and schedule for this test are known and fully utilized. 

The PSAT will be administered on October 23. All students from freshmen to juniors will take this exam, but only juniors will have their scores considered for the National Merit Scholarship. Details about the exact bell schedule will be released as the test date approaches.

As far as preparation, help is easy to find. LPHS counselor Rachel Herald states that students can get help from Khan Academy for PSAT/SAT preparations. She also recommends CollegeBoard and Kaplan as excellent sources of study material. Local libraries may also have study guides designed for these tests, with those written by the Princeton Review or Barron’s being popular choices. 

In recent years, the test has been shortened and converted to an all-digital exam. According to CollegeBoard, the PSAT will be in two parts: Math and Reading. These two sections total 134 minutes of testing. The math portion is 70 minutes and 44 questions, while reading is slightly shorter at 64 minutes but contains 54 questions. The math portion also allows use of calculators and includes a built in calculator tool powered by Desmos for those who do not have access to one. 

Once test day passes, CollegeBoard will release scores four to six weeks after the test administration. They will be found online on the CollegeBoard website. 

As mentioned before, test takers in their junior year will be automatically entered into the National Merit Scholarship Program. This program highlights high-achieving students, and, according to its website, uses PSAT/NMSQT Selection Index scores (calculated from the Reading and Writing and Math section scores) to determine 50,000 high-scoring participants who qualify for program recognition. These 50,000 students will then compete for over 33 million dollars of scholarships to prestigious institutions. Results of this competition will begin to roll out in the fall following the year the exam was taken. 

Beyond scholarships, the scores give an excellent indication of potential performance on the SAT. 1“The PSAT helps prepare you for taking the SAT since it follows a similar structure. The SAT can check off box 3 for graduation requirements,” Herald said. 

As the days get shorter and shorter, remember that the PSAT is looming on the horizon. Time is still available to improve scores, practice, and to seek help. If additional resources are needed or further questions need answering, contact any LPHS counselor. They will be happy to provide further information to help any student succeed.

For those who have already taken the test, LaPorte National Merit Scholarship Semifinalists and Commended Students will be announced this month.

By: William Tallackson

Dr. Sandra Wood is making a positive impact in her new role as superintendent of La Porte Community School Corporation (LPCSC). 

Wood prioritized building a community presence over the summer, engaging with families and students to understand the interests and needs of La Porte.

Wood quickly found LPCSC to be a special place.

“La Porte is a community,” Wood said. “When I first got here and started meeting with people, I immediately recognized the sense of pride and love for this school, along with the feeling that everyone who is part of our community is truly a family. That is what a ‘Slicer’ represents to me.”

Wood continued her mission and visited each building before the start of the school year. She received a tour from each principal and established a positive relationship with staff members.

 “It was great visiting each school,” she said. “It was a fulfilling experience because it gave me a chance to visit the buildings before students were back.” 

Wood revisited each building on the first day, warmly welcoming all the students back to school. She engaged with numerous students, encouraging them to appreciate learning and providing a positive start.

“The kids are my favorite part of my job,” she said. “Being able to witness the great things kids are doing as a result of some of the planning and development that I’ve been a part of leading is very rewarding.”

Wood is responsible for overseeing daily operations, collaborating with community members, visiting different schools to witness growth, and planning for the future to navigate the challenges in the community.

“I enjoy problem-solving and look at every experience as a chance for us to grow and make changes for the better,” she said. “Also, I am still a teacher at heart, so I like to focus some of my time on helping staff within the school to learn and grow as professionals.”

Wood graduated from Saint Joseph’s College in Rensselaer, Indiana, and she obtained a double major in Spanish and English and a minor in secondary education. She worked as a Spanish teacher at South Central High School for seven years. Her passion for teaching and interacting with students inspired her to apply for the principal position at South Central in 2012, and she was offered the job.

Wood was chosen to take part in the Indiana Principal Leadership Institute at Indiana State University (ISU) in 2014. The program supported her in pursuing her doctorate. She would drive to Warsaw on Saturdays to work on her dissertation and eventually earned her Ph.D. in 2019.

“When I started taking classes to obtain my Ph.D., I enjoyed the perspective of looking at things from the district-level and how continuity in education practices is so important from preschool to graduation,” she said. “Once I had taken enough classes to qualify for my superintendent’s license, the position for superintendent of Westville opened up, and I applied for it and was selected.” 

Wood's experience at Westville helped her understand the extent of responsibilities that come with the superintendent position. She was content in her current position, but an amazing opportunity opened up in La Porte, allowing her to apply for the superintendent position.

“I wasn’t looking to leave my job at Westville, but when the position at La Porte opened up, it pulled at my heart because my two sons attend school in La Porte,” she said. “I have always heard so many great things about this district, and with my kids attending here, I thought this was an opportunity I couldn’t pass up.”

Wood is quickly making a positive impact at LPCSC, contributing to the improvement of students' lives every day. Her efforts will affect numerous lives and shape the landscape of local education. 

“I think we have a lot of opportunity to refine and develop some of the great things already taking place here,” she said. “Overall, I just want to help build a culture where La Porte Community School Corporation is a place that our community is proud of and that everyone genuinely wants to be here.”

The community can see her leadership in play at the next school board meeting at the LaPorte Educational Services Center at 1000 Harrison Street on Monday, September 9 at 6 p.m.