Primary students from the Rosary at Grand Coteau:

The Rosary Middle school is "Rocking" at Grand Coteau. Our building is a small parish center that is used for CCD classes on the weekends, and we have transformed it into what we‚re calling the Duchesne Campus at Grand Coteau. Mrs. Kuylen, Mrs. Pendleton, Mr. James, Mrs. O‚Keefe, Mr. Althage, Ms. Gauteaux and I joined forces with fifty outstanding students to begin anew. The seventh and eighth graders met on September 12th, unloaded supplies from my car, walked into our building, and literally started a school. There is a vast amount of ownership floating around as each child and each teacher has had a say in the entire process. We have since welcomed (with glorious enthusiasm) Mrs. Deffes, Mrs. Ramsey, and Mrs. Graf, and Sr. Landry.

Our fifth and sixth graders are located on the main campus. All sixth grade students are woven into Grand Coteau classes, and Mrs. Thomas teaches a class made up of Rosary 5th graders and students from other schools from New Orleans. We are separated by space, but our ties are tight!

Since we arrived, we have joined the Grand Coteau student council, attended mass three times with the entire community, planned a merit assembly, set up a computer lab with lap tops from the Rosary, taken a tour of the old stables and cemetery, conducted morning assemblies with prayers and discussions, attended classes, AND evacuated for Hurricane Rita! Currently, and most importantly, we are maintaining academic and spiritual integrity by studying hard, questioning, writing, singing, and enjoying just being together. None of this could have happened without the determined leadership of Sr. Lieux and the tenacity of faculty members who worked tirelessly to journey into New Orleans to retrieve supplies, and under challenging circumstances, arrange and rearrange their living accommodations and their teaching styles to "make this a school." Grand Coteau welcomed us with open arms and provided space and support within which we were allowed to create. This is REAL WORLD Odyssey of the Mind, and as closely as I can see, it is working.