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State Affiliate of the National Science Teachers Association

Whats New
  • The May #2 E-Blast is now available in the E-Blast section
  • Check out four outstanding outdoor educator trainings in the Workshop section
  • The February LASER is now available in the Newsletter section
  • Explore the rest of the site for exciting new adventures, resources, workshops, and challenges.

NSTA New Science Teacher Academy

LSTA congratulates the 11 Louisiana middle and secondary science teachers who will take part as NSTA Fellows in the 2012-2013 NSTA New Science Teacher Academy. The Fellows will participate in a year-long professional development program designed to help promote quality science teaching, enhance teacher confidence and classroom excellence, and improve teacher content knowledge.

This year's Louisiana Fellows, support by funding from DOW, join 13 Louisiana Fellows announced in 2011-12..

  • Ritchie Adlaon, Glasgow Middle School
  • Shelia Banks, John Ehret High School
  • Madison Chomsky, Warren Easton Charter High School
  • Rodalind Dalberg, Live Oak High School
  • Megan Dessauer, Hahnville High School
  • Courtney Ducote, Westgate High School
  • Mary Elizabeth Kent, Homer High School
  • Nichole Nuccio, Louisiana Tech Plain Dealing
  • Farrah Piazza, Port Allen Middle School
  • Thomas Riggs, Claiborne Christian School
  • Leslie St. Julien, Higins High School


LSTA Needs You!

Call for Nominations for LSTA Board Positions

Do you want to become more involved in LSTA? Do you enjoy sharing your expertise with others? Are you ready to take a step into a leadership role? LSTA needs you!

Nominations are open for the next two-year term of office, November 2013-December 2015, for the following positions:

President Region 4 Representative
Vice-President Region 5 Representative
Secretary Region 6 Representative
Region 1 Representative Region 7 Representative
Region 2 Representative Region 8 Representative
Region 3 Representative

The LSTA Board typically meets four times each year either face-to-face or electronically. Duties of officers and regional representatives include attending board meetings, participating in various board projects, nominating colleagues for awards and working at the annual conference. Regional representatives have the opportunity to serve their regions by informing members about opportunities in science education and submitting local science news for publication in each issue of the LASER and facilitating regional workshops. Persons applying for the office of LSTA President are required to have previous Board experience.

Nomination packets should include the following:

  • * a letter with a statement from the nominee accepting the nomination, the reason the nominee is interested in serving as a LSTA officer, what experiences and knowledge the nominee would bring to the office, and how the nominee envisions the role of LSTA in science education;
  • * a resume which includes but is not limited to teaching experience and current position; and
  • * a maximum of three letters of support (not to exceed one page each)

Nomination packets should be sent to:

Lafourche Parish School Board
Dr. Shannon Lafont
P.O. Box 879
Thibodaux, LA 70302

Electronic copies should be sent to: shannonlafont@yahoo.com

All nomination packets must be postmarked on or before July 30, 2013. Nominees will receive acknowledgment of receipt of their nomination. The nominating committee, chaired by Dr. Shannon Lafont, will select two nominees per office for the final ballot. Ballots will be distributed to active LSTA members in the fall. Election results will be announced at the 2013 LSTA Awards Event in Baton Rouge and officers will immediately assume their positions.

LSTA is an organization of Louisiana science educators dedicated to the advancement of scientific literacy at all levels.

Encouraging lifelong learning is central to its mission.


Assemble the rest of your away team and mark your calendars.

LSTA 2013 Logo

"Beam me up Scotty."

"Resistance is futile"

From the President..

Tera LaPrarie

Hopefully, everyone took advantage of the opportunity to review the final draft of the Next Generation Science Standards. LSTA is in the process of putting together a two-part workshops series that will be delivered regionally, to help with implementation and understanding of the new standards. Check with your Regional Representative and watch the LSTA website www.lsta.info and future issues of the LASER for information on dates and locations of these workshops. Also, continue to check the Next Generation Science Standards website (www.nextgenscience.org ) for additional information as we move toward the end of March release of the NGSS.

Your LSTA board has begun work on our 2013 LSTA Science Institute, The New Frontier: Next Generation Science Standards Our event will be held October 31 - November 2, 2013 LSTA in Baton Rouge at the Crowne Plaza. We are very excited to announce some of the guests we already have lined up for the fall conference. Former LSTA Board member and Louisiana Teacher of the Year, Debbie Silver- author, motivator, and speaker will be with us during the conference. Dr. Silver-Debbie to all her Louisiana friends has been an education professional for over 30 years, through her experiences she brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to her audiences. Debbie is also known for her best- selling publication, Drumming to the Beat of Different Marchers: Finding the Rhythm for Differentiated Learning, and her newest release Fall Down 7 Times, Get Up 8: Teaching Kids to Succeed. Bill Badders, NSTA's 2013-14 President will also be attending the conference. Mr. Badders, the former Director of the Cleveland Math Science Partnership includes "a goal to continue and support NSTA's ability to prepare teachers for the challenges of providing quality science experiences for all children" in the themes of his presidential cycle.
With teachers' efforts to implement CCSS and NGSS, Badders career work with district and school administrators will showcase an awareness of how science supports literacy and how literacy supports science to assist with implementation of the new standards.Continue to check the LSTA website (www.lsta.info) for updates regarding registration, lodging and other aspects of the institute.

Spring events I hope you are following:

  • February 22-23,2013 Environmental Education Symposium
  • o Come visit LSTA at the Environmental Education Symposium!We will be hosting a booth in the exhibit hall during the symposium. The Environmental Education Symposium will be held at the Marriott in Baton Rouge. Stop by to see us for your LSTA goodies!
  • March 1, 2013 eCYBERMISSION
  • o LSTA needs your help. The NSTA program, eCybermission is in need of Virtual Judges. Virtual Judges will be responsible for judging 6 completed mission folders during March. LSTA gets credit for each person who volunteers to judge mission folders. If you are interested in judging please visit http://www.ecybermission.com.
  • April 1, 2013 The Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching
  • o The 2013 Awards will honor mathematics and science (including computer science) teachers working in grades 7-12. Nominations close on April 1, 2013. Completed packets are due May 1 2013.
  • April 11-14, 2013 National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) National Conference
  • o For those of you attending the National Science Teachers Conference in San Antonio, Texas, we would like to hear about your experiences. Contact your Regional Representative to share those experiences with the rest of us in the next LASER

Get your Science Matters Shirts here !!

Recently we offered Science Matters T-shirts as e-Blast reader prizes.

There was such a strong interest in those we are sharing the link to order either the Louisiana Science Matters t-shirt or polo from the NSTA Science Store.


Blue Short Sleeve Polo

Get your Blue Short Sleeve Polo Here!




White T-shirt

Get your White Short Sleeve Tee Shirt Here!