The Willow High School

Ms. Sullivan's AP Environmental Science students dug sweet potatoes out of the garden and started preparing the soil for spring planting this week!

Members of the Willow High School band performed at the Lower School's "Balloons Over Willow" Parade. In a nod to the Thanksgiving Day Parade, 2nd grade students paraded around the Lower School campus with creatively designed and built balloons, to the delight of the Willow community. Just one of the many perks of a K-12 school!

Thanks, Willow National Honor Society, for cleaning up the neighborhood surrounding the school!

Our middle and high school singers represented The Willow School with pride at the LMEA District VI Honor Choir this weekend.

Students spent Friday, Nov. 14 and Saturday, Nov. 15 in focused rehearsals, culminating in a beautiful Saturday afternoon performance held in the community. Guided by experienced guest conductors, both the Youth and Senior High choirs brought energy, skill, and collaboration to every moment.

A total of 11 middle grade singers and 4 high school singers participated, showcasing dedication, teamwork, and a love of music. We are proud of their commitment and the artistry they shared.

Congratulations to all who took part in this inspiring experience.

Seventh-grade students from Willow High had an exciting opportunity to attend the Certificate of Artistry Foundations session at the Middle School campus this week. The event introduced students to the wide range of arts pathways available at the high school level—including visual arts, music, theater, dance, and creative writing. Through hands-on demonstrations, discussions, and teacher-led rotations, students gained a glimpse into the creative process behind each discipline. The session encouraged them to think about how their artistic interests could grow into focused study and performance opportunities in the future. This experience is part of Willow’s way of helping students discover their passions and prepare for future participation in the Certificate of Artistry program. The Certificate of Artistry program continues to connect young creatives across campuses, nurturing the next generation of Willow artists.

Armstrong Masterclass Inspires Willow Musicians Today, Willow High School music students participated in an extraordinary Armstrong Masterclass led by teacher Kent Jordan along with Jonathan Bloom and guest artists from the Louis “Satchmo” Armstrong Jazz Camp. The session brought New Orleans’ musical heritage directly into the classroom, transforming it into a living workshop on jazz artistry, cultural history, and creative discipline. More than a performance, this was an immersive educational experience. Students explored the foundations of jazz interpretation, ensemble communication, and improvisational technique—skills that form the heart of Louisiana’s musical legacy. Guest artists demonstrated the connections between historical jazz traditions and modern performance practice, offering students firsthand insight into how professional musicians approach collaboration and expression. The Armstrong Masterclass underscores Willow’s commitment to integrating authentic cultural experiences into arts education, ensuring that students not only study the arts but also learn directly from those shaping them today.

Congrats, Lions, on your record-breaking season!!

Armstrong Masterclass Inspires Willow Musicians

Today, Willow High School music students participated in an extraordinary Armstrong Masterclass led by teacher Kent Jordan along with Jonathan Bloom and guest artists from the Louis “Satchmo” Armstrong Jazz Camp. The session brought New Orleans’ musical heritage directly into the classroom, transforming it into a living workshop on jazz artistry, cultural history, and creative discipline.

More than a performance, this was an immersive educational experience. Students explored the foundations of jazz interpretation, ensemble communication, and improvisational technique—skills that form the heart of Louisiana’s musical legacy. Guest artists demonstrated the connections between historical jazz traditions and modern performance practice, offering students firsthand insight into how professional musicians approach collaboration and expression.

The Armstrong Masterclass underscores Willow’s commitment to integrating authentic cultural experiences into arts education, ensuring that students not only study the arts but also learn directly from those shaping them today.

Best of luck to Lions Volleyball, as they head to their Regional Playoff game Saturday at South Lafourche at 11:00 am!

2025 BLOCK PARTY SHIRT SALES END TOMORROW (FRIDAY)!
Get ready to glow at this year’s Willow School Block Party (Wednesday, Nov. 19, 5-8pm) with our limited-edition 2025 Block Party shirts designed by CAVA student D. Rodriguez!
These shirts are available by preorder only — and orders close this Friday, Nov. 7, at 8pm! Printed on a sleek black base with fluorescent inks, these shirts will make you and your child(ren) shine bright at our Glow Stations throughout the event.
Shirts will be delivered to student homerooms the week of the event. Staff shirts will be delivered to the office of the campus you work at the week of the event.
Order your shirts here: https://willowschoolptsa.membershiptoolkit.com/store/product/BLOCSHIRT25

Willow Honors Biology students are conducting an experiment on cellular respiration using Saccharomyces cerevisiae (yeast) and four different sugars to compare the rate of metabolism. The students achieved excellent results.

New Orleans-based artists and friends Anthony "BE3K" Badon and Tyla A. Maiden are exhibiting their powerful portraits and objects in The Willow High School Cave Gallery through December of this year. The Gallery is open to the public Monday through Friday, 8 am to 4 pm. Their joint statement: All the Colors We Are is a vibrant celebration of identity, friendship, and the beauty found within our stories. Created by artists Anthony “BE3K” Badon and Tyla Maiden, this exhibition explores the colorful nature of what it means to be full of joy, creativity, strength, and individuality. All the Colors We Are is a celebration of light, life, and the many shades that make us who we are.

Students in Ms. Wilkerson's Human Body Systems course worked on building chest muscles out of clay onto their skeletal manikins.

Willow High School's Key Club officers and their sponsor, Ms. Sullivan, travelled to Lafayette to attend the Fall Rally. They had a great time learning about new ways to keep Willow's Key Club active and running.

Save the date for the upcoming PTSA Coffees for Willow Parents/Guardians! Stop by for a cup of coffee and conversation with campus leadership. Hope to see you then!

Historic New Orleans Collection Curator of Education Collin Makamson recently visited the Brimmer library. Makamson is doing research on Louisianans who volunteered to fight against Franco's fascist forces in Spain during the Spanish Civil War (1936-39). One of the seven individuals from Louisiana who served and sadly was killed in action during the war was Jean Pierre Rouen, a Alcee Fortier High School student who grew up on Soniat Street and then Robert Street. Records indicate that Rouen attended Fortier in the 1930s, but unfortunately his photo and name don't appear in any of the yearbook archives currently stored in the Brimmer library.

During his visit, Makamson also shared photos of a famous Fortier alum-- John Kennedy Toole, author of the quintessential New Orleans novel (and 1981 Pulitzer Prize winner), Confederacy of Dunces. "Ken Toole" appears in the 1953-54 Fortier (Tarpon) yearbook and the school newspaper, Silver and Blue. Makamson also found a photo of the library in the 1953-54 yearbook-- and it looks very similar to our library today!

Photos: The Fortier library as it appeared in 1953-54; Makamson goes through Fortier school newspapers from the 1930s; John Kennedy Toole as he appears in the Fortier yearbook and school newspaper, 1953-54.