SLS 17RS-1015 ORIGINAL
2017 Regular Session
SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 139
BY SENATORS GATTI AND PEACOCK
COMMENDATIONS. Commends Greenacres Middle School for 58 years of educating
children.
1 A RESOLUTION
2 To commend and congratulate Greenacres Middle School on fifty-eight years of excellence
3 of educating children.
4 WHEREAS, Greenacres Middle School, as Greenacres Junior High School, opened
5 its doors for the 1959-1960 school year on land donated by a local graduate of Southern
6 Methodist University with the condition that SMU's colors and mascot, the mustang, be the
7 colors and mascot of the new school; and
8 WHEREAS, the school originally housed grades 7, 8, and 9 under Principal Robert
9 Hornernan and Assistant Principal Harold Ramsey who moved to Airline High School when
10 it opened in 1964; and
11 WHEREAS, when the school first opened, there was a wood shop class (now
12 computer lab) and a home economics sewing and cooking suite (at the north end of the
13 campus which is now the art room and severe-profound rooms); and
14 WHEREAS, when the school first opened, and all the way into the early 1990s, there
15 was a swimming pool north of the annex where students were able to learn to swim during
16 PE classes because of the close proximity to the school; however, the pool was torn down
17 in the mid-1990s because it closed and fell into disrepair; and
18 WHEREAS, in the 1990s, there was a painted horseshoe which was the "spirit stick"
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1 which would be awarded to the grade which showed the most spirit in each pep rally and it
2 hung in the respective hall for that grade the following week; and
3 WHEREAS, sports at Greenacres were initially male-only with football, basketball
4 and track; there were bleachers on both sides of the football field and home games were
5 played on campus, but in the mid 1990s home games were played at Airline Stadium and in
6 1997-98 the school's bleachers were repurposed for use at the new Benton High School
7 Stadium; and
8 WHEREAS, originally uniforms were not mandatory; however, that requirement
9 began in the late 1990s and there were lockers in every hall of the main building until the
10 mid-1990s when they were removed to decrease traffic, to speed up class changes, and
11 because the lockers were falling into disrepair; and
12 WHEREAS, Greenacres began with a six-period day which was changed in the late
13 1990s to a seven-period day; then around 2006-2007 it was changed to an eight-period day;
14 and in 2015 changed again to a modified five-period block; and
15 WHEREAS, the sixth grade was added in 1990 with students from Apollo and
16 Plantation Park; and
17 WHEREAS, until Airline High School opened in the fall of 1964, high school
18 students went from Greenacres to Bossier High School; and
19 WHEREAS, the school band used to march in parades and football games when the
20 school first opened and the patio, which is now covered, had dots marked on it for the band
21 members to check their spacing when practicing; and
22 WHEREAS, the fiftieth anniversary of the school was 2009-2010, when a huge
23 assembly and reception was held welcoming back any and all former teachers and
24 administrators to the campus; and
25 WHEREAS, Greenacres Middle School has experienced a consistent increase in
26 school performance scores; has extra curricular activities including student council, FCA,
27 pep squad, cheer, dance, 4-H, and Destination ImagiNation; offers of high school courses
28 such Algebra I, IBCA, and Journey to Careers; offers Robotics/Stem and AIM courses in 6th
29 through 8th grade; has sports such as boys/girls track, boys/girls basketball, boys football,
30 girls softball, boys/girls cross country and boys/girls archery; a nationally recognized
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1 yearbook; is the 3.51 place national winner in Math Counts Solve-A-Thon; had its band
2 director chosen as the Louisiana designee for "50 Directors Who Make a Difference"; and
3 of the forty-seven national board certified teachers in Bossier Parish, nine of them earned
4 national certification while teaching at Greenacres; and
5 WHEREAS, the Greenacres Middle School fight song, sung to the tune of the U.S.
6 Army song, consists of music selected by Mr. Douglas Peterson, the first Greenacres band
7 director, with lyrics by Mrs. Sandra Nix, the first Greenacres choir director, as follows:
8 Overall we oppose
9 We will always beat our foes
10 As the Mustangs go fighting along
11
12 We will fight to the end
13 And our team we will defend
14 As the Mustangs go fighting along
15
16 For it's GO, FIGHT, WIN;
17 Our spirit never ends
18 Shout out the Mustangs, loud and strong!
19 MUSTANGS!
20
21 For where e're we go,
22 You will always know
23 That the Mustangs will fight all day long,
24 That the Mustangs will fight all day long.
25 GO!; and
26
27 WHEREAS, with the motto of "Teaming together to ensure learning", a mission
28 statement of preparing "all students to be a community of learners", and a vision statement
29 of "providing students with a successful experience in academics, arts, and athletics",
30 Greenacres Middle School has and continues to successfully prepare its students to succeed
31 and excel in high school and beyond.
32 THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Senate of the Legislature of Louisiana
33 does hereby commend and congratulate Greenacres Middle School on fifty-eight years of
34 excellence in educating children.
35 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to Mr.
36 Arthur James, principal of Greenacres Middle School.
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The original instrument and the following digest, which constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument, were prepared by Jerry J. Guillot.
DIGEST
SR 139 Original 2017 Regular Session Gatti
Commends Greenacres Middle School on 58 years of excellence in educating children.
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