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Cedar Creek provides superior educational experience_Staff ReportFounded in 1970, Cedar Creek School’s original mission was to provide a superior educational experience to north-central Louisiana’s students. That mission still guides this private, independent college-preparatory school.Principle Connie Bradford said, “Living up to our founders' vision is a challenge. However, this school’s history is one of challenges met and goals exceeded.’’Commitment to educational excellence has made Cedar Creek School a recognizable leader in Louisiana education. Its rigorous academic program is complemented by an ambitious program of co-curricu-lar and extra-cuiricular activities that encourages each student to develop his or her potential intellectually, socially and personally.Bradford notes Cedar Creek students are accustomed to success in challenging academic endeavors. This year 13 high school students placed in state literary rally, and five of them took first place honors. Sophomore Ryan Haynes took the Overall Award at the regional Science and Humanities Symposium in Orlando. Sophomore Brittany Futeh won the Walker Award for the best Louisiana Essay in the Southern Voices competition.Bradford acknowledged everyone associated with Cedar Creek School is proud of the wide array of academic honors Cedar Creek students have brought to their school. She notes, however, these honorsare the natural outgrowth of the strong curriculum and the positive, achievement-focused atmosphere that permeates the school.In our classes we encourage higher order thinking skills from the earliest grades. Part of our success is that our students are accustomed to approaching academics this way,” Bradford said.According to Bradford, the year's outstanding academic achievements include the creative arts.We believe an appreciation for the arts is a critical part of the human life and so we include daily fine arts instruction in our elementary school curriculum,” Bradford said.She also said a course in art appreciation, is required .for .graduation and Includes visits' to various museums, including major museums in Chicago.“The art department just mounted an impressive senior exhibit that included several award-winning works.”Bradford also noted 12 students received top honors at Louisiana Music Rally.The school is also home for Southern Voices, a student literary journal that publishes the creative writing of high schools from 10 southern states. This year the journal once again was among the eight high school magazines In the nation to receive a Gold or Silver Crown Award in the prestigious Columbia University Scholastic Press competition. One of our students, sophomore Brittany Futch,won the Walker Award Gold Award for Louisiana Essay, and the work of five others was selected by judges for inclusion in this year’s journal,” Bradford said.A school devoted to developing the whole person encourages participation in sports. At Cedar Creek, physical development is stressed from K-12. Student athletes strive to meet the same standards of excellence expected in their classrooms.Donnie Barmore, athletic director, said, While we are proud that our teams consistently participate in state playoffs, we are even prouder that nearly every one of our students participate in some athletic activity and that the interest and skill they develop in physical activities during their school years continues after graduation.”Bradford said the school’s commitment to excellence includes commitment to service.“We teach our students education is a privilege. With every privilege comes responsibility. The responsibility we try to instill in our students is twofold — to achieve individual potential and to give something back to the community,” Bradford said.This year the school focused on the theme Cedar Creek Cares and stressed student Involvement in local, national and international service projects. Students supported blood drives, peer tutorials, Toys for Tots, Christmas Boxes to Romania and raised over $1,000 for Camp Quality’s summer camp for cancer patients.A dedicated faculty and small classes support a strong academic program. Bradford said faculty members “go beyond the regular class day in their concern for education and students. Cedar Creek is a community where teachers know every youngster both as a learner and a person.”Curriculum review and upgrade is ongoing at the school. Curriculum Coordinator Marilyn Koepke notes Cedar Creek School chose to participate in the upgraded program for reaccreditation developed by the Southern Association of Secondary Schools and Colleges. Participating schools must develop a five-year plan for improving student achievement.“This new plan coincides with our objective tocontinually improve our academic program. We are not interested in merely maintaining static achievement levels. We always strive to improve achievement,” Koepke said. For instance, our students have scored well on national measures of reading and writing achievement. Yet, we know they could do better. Thus, we have worked for two years to improve instruction on these areas.”She pointed to the development of an intensive writing program for grades five -12, the implementation of writing across the curriculum, and the inclusion of writing elements in the summer reading program.Underpinning Cedar Creek’s success is strong parent support.When parents here see someLeader photcrby CHRISTIAN MOJSESStudents at Cedar Creek 5choo! enjoy the facility’s commitment to a superior education.thing that needs to be done, they do not hesitate to help,” Bradford said, noting the parent club recently donated a micro-video teaching camera to the biology laboratory. This technology has greatly improved instruction.”The emphasis on excellence in all things produces students like senior Hannah Reeg, class valedictorian. Reeg took a demanding Advanced Placement curriculum and also serves as president of National Honor Society, business manager of Southern Voices and captain of the girls' soccer and tennis teams. A published writer, she was named to the All-State soccer team. She worksin her church and is a peer tutor at her school, Reeg will enter West Point in the fall.Bradford, who is in her second year as principal, said, “What impresses me about Cedar Creek School is its remarkable vision. Its founders did not wish merely to maintain the status quo. They sought to go beyond it. I think there is a lesson in that for me as well as for all associated with this school. We must settle for nothing less than the best educational exper ie nee possible for our students and we must continue to extend our vision to guarantee that experience to a new generation of north Louisianians.
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