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SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 97
BY SENATOR CLAITOR
A RESOLUTION
To commend and congratulate John L. Bennett for more than thirty years of outstanding
accomplishments in education, his inspiring leadership of the faculty and students
of St. Aloysius Catholic School and for his dedicated public service as a member of
the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education.
WHEREAS, John L. Bennett, a native and resident of Port Allen, Louisiana, has
announced his retirement as principal of St. Aloysius Catholic School in Baton Rouge at the
end of this school term, after serving as principal of the school for the last thirty years; and
WHEREAS, he attended Holy Family School in Port Allen in elementary school,
graduated from Redemptorist High School in Baton Rouge, achieved bachelor's and master's
degrees in education from Louisiana State University, earned an education specialist degree
from LSU, and attained a master's in pastoral studies from Loyola University; and
WHEREAS, John Bennett began his career in education as a teacher at Port Allen
High School in 1977, in 1980 was named the assistant principal of instruction at Port Allen
Middle School, and in 1985, became principal of St. Aloysius Catholic School; and
WHEREAS, he is a licensed marriage and family therapist and a licensed
professional counselor; and
WHEREAS, in 2014, he was selected as one of three principals of Catholic schools
nationwide to receive a Distinguished Principal Award from the National Association of
Elementary School Principals; and
WHEREAS, he was twice appointed to serve on the State Board of Elementary and
Secondary Education by Governor Bobby Jindal as the nonpublic school at-large member
from 2008 to 2013; and
WHEREAS, he is a member of the Association for Supervision and Curriculum
Development, the National Middle School Association, the American Association of School
Administrators, the National Association for the Education of Young Children, and the
National Catholic Education Association; and
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WHEREAS, as principal he carried out the stated mission of St. Aloysius Catholic
School - to educate the whole child in the Catholic tradition for a life of meaning and
purpose; and
WHEREAS, John Bennett has been the guiding force in the implementation of the
school philosophy:
"The primary purpose of St. Aloysius School is to prepare our children for life in a
contemporary society. We strive to help each child achieve his/her maximum potential in
spiritual, intellectual, social, artistic, and physical development. St. Aloysius focuses on
providing a Catholic Christian community atmosphere of faith and love. Students are
afforded opportunities to experience the presence of God in their lives, to strengthen their
personal faith through worship experiences, and to develop moral and social conscience
through service to others while growing in a sense of tolerance and understanding. To attain
these goals, major emphasis is placed on the fact that each child is an individual with
specific needs, interests, and abilities. In recognition of these individual differences, a wide
range of learning experiences is provided to develop the positive aspects of each child's
character."; and
WHEREAS, he fosters a sense of partnership among faculty, staff and the (church)
parish and calls the school, its 1,194 students and over 100 faculty and staff, 67 of them
teachers, a ministry of the St. Aloysius Catholic Church Parish; and
WHEREAS, he and the faculty bring fun and humor into their students' education,
ranging from dressing up at Halloween, to playing music in the cafeteria, to bringing parents
in for a major assembly on the first day of school complete with "song and dance and play
and humor" while also serving as models of Christian and family values in school; and
WHEREAS, John Bennett meets with student advisers on a regular basis to discuss
issues and the advisory board's students produced a school safety video that won a national
award; and
WHEREAS, he and his wife, Debra, who teaches kindergarten at St. Aloysius
Catholic School, married in 1976 and the family includes daughters Lindsey and husband
Derek Templet, Lauren and husband Patrick O'Brien, and Lee Anne Bennett, together with
seven grandchildren, and he plans to spend his retirement enjoying time with his
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grandchildren while doing volunteer work at St. Aloysius Catholic Church Parish and
School.
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that Senate of the Legislature of Louisiana does
hereby commend and congratulate John L. Bennett for more than thirty years of
distinguished and exemplary service to education in Louisiana, particularly as principal of
St. Aloysius Catholic School, and for his dedicated public service as a member of the State
Board of Elementary and Secondary Education and does recognize and record his notable
accomplishments and manifold contributions to his community and the state, as well as the
generous and admirable way in which he has devoted his energy and his talents to the full
development of students into informed, capable, and productive citizens of their
communities and the world.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to
John L. Bennett.
PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE
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