Louisiana School for the Deaf

It's almost time to celebrate! 🎓 Graduation Day for the Louisiana School for the Deaf is happening on Friday, May 16, 2025! Join us at 9:30 AM in the LSD Auditorium to celebrate our wonderful graduates. 🎉 Who are you cheering for? Let us know in the comments! 👇

Yesterday was a day filled with nostalgia and gratitude as several administrators, team members, and alumni visited our former campus downtown. A special thank you to Deputy Secretary Derek Ellis and his incredibly hospitable team at the Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections, which is now housed in our former buildings, for making this visit possible and welcoming us with open arms. This visit is just the beginning of our journey to reconnect with our history! We’re excited to share that our next stop is to visit the old grounds of the Southern School for the Deaf with SSD alumni and former students in June! 🎉 Our goal is to walk through the past and create forever memories of our history by developing 3D printed replicas of our former buildings. Here’s to honoring our past, celebrating our present, and preserving our legacy for the future! Stay tuned for more updates! 👀

Did you know that LSD has run a pageant since 1978? Since 1978, LSD has held a Miss LSD Pageant, and in 2009, they incorporated the "Mister" so it became the Mr. and Miss LSD Pageant! We just had our first pageant since 2020, and we are excited to show off our competitors and winners. Please congratulate Mr. and Miss LSD 2025! 👑 🦅

It's been a BUSY week for us at LSD! Earlier this week, our PreK students got to visit the Baton Rouge Zoo! They've been engaging in a signs study unit, and got to explore all of the signs the zoo had to offer. Can you sense the excitement they had as they visited all of the sights?! 🦒 🦓 🪧

🎉✨ We are proud to share that Special School Superintendent Dr. David Martin and LSD Executive Director Dr. Natalie Delgado attended the national CEASD conference last week held at the West Pennsylvania School for the Deaf. This event provided them with invaluable networking opportunities with other Deaf education administrators and exposure to innovative best practices in the field, as well as insight that will be key to the process of LSD working to obtain CEASD accreditation. They are excited to implement new strategies that will enhance our educational programs at LSD! Stay tuned for updates on our initiatives! 🤝✨ P.S. If you look closely, you can see us congratulating one of our juniors who won a $96,000 scholarship if accepted to RIT! 🐅

🎉 NOW ENROLLING for Fall 2025! 🎉 Join us at the Louisiana School for the Deaf where we’re proud to be the #2 Most Improved School in LA! 🙌 ✨ Program Features: ✓ Ranked Excellent PreK ✓ Top Tier Curriculum ✓ Athletics, Clubs, & Extracurriculars ✓ ASL/English Bilingualism 📲 Apply now: tinyurl.com/LSDadmissions 📞 225-757-3202 What are you looking forward to this fall? 🍂

🌟 What an inspiring Career Day we had yesterday! Our 8th-12th graders learned from an amazing panel of Deaf professionals, including a welder (who graduated from LSD!), business owner (lawn care), esthetician, and medical technologist!🌟 Our students left filled with questions and motivation. A huge thank you to Zach, Abby, Megan, and Charles for sharing your incredible career journeys with us! 🙌 Who would you like to see at our next Deaf professional career panel? Let us know! 👇

This Assistant Principal’s Week, we couldn’t let the moment pass without celebrating our incredible Assistant Director, Ryan Gollner, in true Ryan fashion — literally! Staff secretly planned a surprise “Dress Like Ryan” Day, complete with polos, slacks, and belts galore. Even our Executive Director and District Superintendent got in on the fun! Thank you, Ryan, for your unwavering support, sharp style, and heart for our students and staff. You make every day better for our staff and students! 💚

Announcement: Raptor Visitor Management System to Be Used to Screen Visitors Coming Onto SSD’s Baton Rouge Campus The Louisiana Special School District is pleased to announce that we will begin using the Raptor Visitor Management System at our campus at 2888 Brightside Drive in Baton Rouge, to strengthen our program of campus safety for students and faculty. Part of keeping students and faculty safe is knowing who is in our buildings at all times, and the Raptor system will allow us to do that. The Raptor system will better allow us to screen visitors, contractors, and volunteers in our schools and provide us with a safer environment for our students and staff. Upon entering campus via our security guard station, visitors will be asked to present an ID such as a Driver’s License, which can either be scanned or manually entered into the system. If a parent or guardian for any reason does not have a US government-issued ID, the school staff member can use any form of identification and manually enter the person’s name into the Raptor system. The Raptor system will check to ensure that registered sexual offenders are not entering our school campuses without our knowledge. The Raptor system checks the visitor's name and date of birth for comparison with a national database of registered sex offenders. The registered sex offender database is the only official database checked by the Raptor system. No other data from the ID is gathered or recorded and the information is not shared with any outside agency. Once entry is approved, SSD security will issue a badge sticker that identifies the visitor, the date, and the purpose of his/her visit. Users whose identification returns a positive match against the offender registry will be denied entry onto the campus. This badge is to be worn by the visitor at all times while on campus. The safety of our students is our highest priority and the Raptor visitor management system allows us to quickly identify those that may present a danger to our students. Thank you in advance for your understanding and your support in enhancing the school safety protocols in our district. A link to this announcement as a PDF can be found on our website at this link: https://core-docs.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/documents/asset/uploaded_file/4654/LSS/5511342/SSD_Raptor_Notice_04.07.2025.docx__1_.pdf

Hey Families! We need YOUR input to make our school even better! 💖✨Help us shape our school improvement plan by filling out the SSD parent survey. Just scan the QR code or use this link: http://bit.ly/3QOsfl9 Non-LSD family stakeholders - hang tight, a survey will be sent out for you soon too!

We had an amazing experience last week as Dutchtown High School's ASL classes visited our campus! 🎉 In honor of Deaf History Month coming up in April, they toured our school, engaged our students in a fun Deaf History trivia battle, and read stories with our elementary kids. 📚 It was a great way to celebrate and learn together! 🤟🏽

We are proud to announce the winners of our St. Patrick's Day 3D Design Challenge! 🍀 Our high school students demonstrated remarkable creativity by using Tinkercad to design keychains. This project not only enhanced their understanding of 3D design but also taught them valuable troubleshooting techniques in designing and 3D printing. The progress showcased across different prints is a testament to their hard work and dedication. Congratulations to all participants!

🌟 Now Hiring! 🌟 We're expanding our team at Louisiana School for the Deaf, and we want YOU to be a part of our incredible team! 🙌🎓 With exciting opportunities available across various positions, this is your chance to make a real impact and grow alongside passionate educators. 🌱 But hurry—our recent openings are filling fast! Don’t miss out—apply today and start your journey with us! 👉 tinyurl.com/LSDcareers

REMINDER: Board of Directors Meeting Today Date: 03/18/2025 Time 9:00 a.m. Location: 2888 Brightside Dr. Baton Rouge, LA 70820 SSD Board Room - Student Center If you are unable to attend in person the meeting with be available via Livestream on SSD's YouTube Page. A link for the stream is here: https://youtube.com/live/f2pWYiYzqg4?feature=share You can find this agenda here: https://core-docs.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/documents/asset/uploaded_file/4654/LSS/5403543/Agenda_3.18.25_Final.pdf

🎉 NOW ENROLLING for Fall 2025! 🎉 Join us at the Louisiana School for the Deaf where we’re proud to be the #2 Most Improved School in LA! 🙌 ✨ Program Features: ✓ Ranked Excellent PreK ✓ Top Tier Curriculum ✓ Athletics, Clubs, & Extracurriculars ✓ ASL/English Bilingualism 📲 Apply now: tinyurl.com/LSDadmissions 📞 225-757-3202 What are you looking forward to this fall? 🍂

🌸 Community ASL Classes are back for Spring 2025! 🌸 Join us at the Louisiana School for the Deaf for to practice your American Sign Language! 🗓 Level I: Mondays 6:00 pm - 7:30 pm (March 24 - May 19) 🗓 Level II: Tuesdays 6:00 pm - 7:30 pm (March 25 - May 20) 💰 Cost: $60.00 (cash or check ONLY; FREE of cost for LSD families and GOLD families) 📧 Register here: https://tinyurl.com/y684ec8n 📝 Limited spots available—first come, first served! Have questions? Contact us at atarasyuk@lsdvi.org. Who's excited to learn ASL? 🙋‍♂️🙋‍♀️

It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of Mr. Larry Massey, a beloved teacher and member of the Louisiana School for the Deaf family. For over 20 years, Mr. Massey dedicated his life to educating our deaf and hard of hearing students. He poured his heart into his work, teaching with passion and commitment right up until he was no longer able. Mr. Massey was more than just a teacher; he was a mentor, a friend, and a pillar of our community. He will be remembered for his unwavering dedication to his students and his kind, giving spirit. Beyond the classroom, he enjoyed woodworking, baking, and travel. Our thoughts and deepest condolences are with Mr. Massey's family and loved ones during this difficult time. We remember him fondly for the wonderful years he shared with us and the lasting impact he made on so many lives. Information regarding services will be shared in the comments as soon as they are confirmed. Please join us in remembering and celebrating the life of Mr. Larry Massey.

NEW OPPORTUNITY - we're looking for a second instructional coach, specializing in math and science! Our nest is growing bigger and bigger, and we’re looking for passionate staff to join us for the Fall 2025 school year. We are already interviewing and hiring, so don't lose your spot! 🦅✨ Check out our job opportunities and apply now at tinyurl.com/LSDCareers