The LSU AgCenter is pleased to

announce that we have teamed

up with the New Orleans Hor-

nets again this year to bring our

youth an evening that is bigger

and better than ever. The 4-H

Night with the Hornets basket-

ball game will be Friday, Feb.

10, 2012, versus the Portland

Trail Blazers. The tickets are

$17.00. and located in the up-

per level.

Have you ever wanted to sit on

the bench with an NBA team,

be an honorary captain, or have

your picture with the Honey

Bees? Do you have talent and

want to sing the National An-

them or be part of the half-time

Calling all Orleans Parish 4-

H'ers. We need your creativi-

ty! Enter our contest and devel-

op a new name and a new logo

for our newsletter. The

logo should represent both 4-H

and our unique parish, plus be

printable in black and

white. The winner, first runner-

up, and second runner-up will

receive gift cards, $20, $15, and

$10, respectively, as well as a

certificate of recognition. All

entries should be sent to Orle-

ans Parish 4-H office by Friday,

February 10th, 2012.

4-H Night with the Hornets

I N S I D E T H I S

I S S U E :

Parent’s Corner 2

Farewell from

Hendrix Broussard

2

4-H Needs Mentors 2

The Face of 4-H 3

Is a School Garden for

You?

3

Good Health = Good

Hygiene at St. Anna’s

4

Holidays with

Broadmoor 4-H

4

St. Anna Planting 4

SPA’s 4-H Clubs Elect

New Officers

5

Win & Order Tickets

to the Hornets

5

Contest: Name This Newsletter

Orleans Parish 4-H J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 2 1

CONTACT US

Orleans Parish 4-H

Hendrix Broussard

Veronica Del Bianco

Elizabeth Gambel

Cristina Santi

Casey Versailles

1300 Perdido Street

Suite BW15

New Orleans, LA 70112

Office: (504) 658-2900

Fax: (504) 658-2923

www.lsuagcenter.com

www.suagcenter.com

Mark Your Calendar Feb 10, 2012 4-H Night with the Hornets

Feb 12-20, 2012 LSU Livestock Show

Week of Feb 27th 4-H Cookery Contest

March 1-3, 2012 SU Livestock Show

March 9-11, 2012 Jr. Leadership Conference

April 14-15, 2012 Garden Show

presentation? There are also

several contests for 4-H’ers to

win opportunities to be on the

court with the players and re-

ceive two free tickets to the

game. See all the contest de-

tails on page 5 of this newslet-

ter.

To purchase tickets or for

more information contact the

Orleans Parish 4-H office at 504

-658-2900.

We’ll see you at the game!

P A G E 2

Farewell from Hendrix Broussard

4-H Program Looking for Mentors

Parent’s Corner by Beth Gambel, Orleans Parish 4-H Coordinator

Are healthy snacks a challenge

for you? We know the im-

portance of providing healthy

snacks but often it is just easier

to open a bag of cookies or

chips.

The following are a few ideas

for healthy snacks that you and

your child can make together.

1. Peel a banana and dip it in

low fat yogurt. Roll it in

crushed cereal and freeze.

2. Stuff a whole-grain pita

pocket with ricotta cheese and

Granny Smith apple slices.

Add a dash of cinnamon.

3. Mix together low sugar,

ready-to-eat cereal, dried fruit

(raisins, dried cranberries,

banana chips) and nuts in a

snacks bag for a ready-to-go

snack.

4. Using low-fat cheese, grapes,

and pretzel sticks make snack

kabobs.

5. Spread peanut butter on

apple or banana slices.

6. Blend low-fat milk, frozen

strawberries and a banana for

a quick delicious smoothie.

7. Sprinkle grated Monterey

Jack cheese over a corn tortil-

la; fold in half and microwave

for twenty seconds. Top with

salsa.

After you have enjoyed your

snack together, consider taking

a walk around the block.

What a wonderful time to

learn about your child’s day.

Active listening will allow you

to know what your child may

be experiencing. Enjoy all of

these moments!

our next generation. Research

has shown that when a mentor

is involved in a youth’s life,

school performance increases

and risks such as drug abuse

and dropping out decrease. To

be a good mentor, all you need

to do be is a good listener with

a sense of humor and empathy.

Orleans Parish 4-H is

starting a mentoring

program designed to

support youth ages 10-

14. We are looking for

positive adult role mod-

els that would like the

opportunity to be part

of changing the lives of

Remember someone that has

made an impact in your life and

try and think of how that

changed you. That someone

special can be you. If you have

any questions on being a men-

tor, please contact Cristina

Santi at (504) 658-2900 or

CSanti@agcenter.lsu.

and volunteers I believe in any

cooperative extension youth

program in the nation. Orleans

Parish will be the model for

urban 4-H and enrichment

programs and continue to have

great collaborations between

Southern and LSU as they

provide measurable and im-

pactful educational programs

to the citizens of New Orle-

ans.

Just like in sports all champions

have to come through New

Orleans, we are a champion-

ship city and 4-H will be no

exception. Orleans 4-H’ers

keep your standards high,

make no

excuses

and

achieve

your dreams.

May God continue to bless

you!

Sincerely, Hendrix Broussard

Please join Orleans Parish

4-H is wishing Hendrix all

the best in his new endeav-

ors, especially fatherhood.

He will be greatly missed

in our office and by the 4-H

clubs he as worked with

over the years.

Hello Orleans Parish 4-H’ers,

volunteers, and staff,

My time with the LSU/SU Ag

Center has been filled with

many experiences that have

impacted the lives of youth in

the state of Louisiana. From

the wetlands of Marsh Maneu-

vers the campuses of Southern

and LSU to Washington DC

the youth that I have had the

opportunity to work with have

represented Orleans Parish

very well. During my service I

was fortunate to get the

chance to work with some of

the most committed agents

O R L E A N S P A R I S H 4 - H

P A G E 3

we were done we all headed back to our

community club leader's house for cookies

and hot chocolate and games. It was such

a joy to share that experience with our

Broadmoor 4-Hers. We even invited one

of the families who we sponsored for our

holiday gift baskets, to the party. It was

such a learning experience for the kids

when the family of 5 arrived--so hungry that

they ate nearly all the food! To this day

one of the children from that needy family

stops by my house and says he remembers

our party--and all the delicious food and

how much fun it was. I shared that story

with our kids this year--so that they could

reminded of the impact they have on other

people's lives.

As I got older my favorite activity was

camp, because we got to travel several

hours from home and stay overnight. I

loved swimming, hiking, the nightly skits,

singing and meeting 4-Hers from all over

the region. When I was selected as a camp

counselor, I knew that I would always vol-

unteer for 4-H. I loved mentoring and

teaching other kids about new things and

helping them through tough times at home

or at school.

3. As an adult, how and why do you

choose to continue to be involved

with 4-H?

RW: I knew as a young person that 4-H

would be a lifelong commitment. I learned

so much from my 4-H leaders, who were

also neighbors and friends, and I wanted to

give back to others the way they had given

back to me. Even though my job as taken

me to different states, I have chosen to

volunteer. The 4-H program is VERY dif-

ferent nationwide--but the goal is the same

--enriching the lives of youth. New Orle-

ans needed the 4-H program to return

post-Katrina. Neighborhoods have

changed and so giving back took on an

even more significant role. While balanc-

ing my career and my duties as a wife and

mother have been challenging, I take great

pride in the achievements of our young 4-

Hers. Our group is small, but we have

seen huge growth with each 4-Her in

terms of confidence, public speaking abili-

ties and emotional maturity. I only hope

that some of them take what they have

learned through our club activities and

citizenship projects and 'pay it forward' in

the future.

4. What do you want people to know

about 4-H?

RW: With so many different youth pro-

grams out there--I want people to know

that 4-H is a youth group that focuses on

'learning by doing'. When kids learn how

to do something--whether it is baking a

cake, building a chair or putting together a

public speaking project--and then help

others learn how to do the same --it's

what it's all about. Building positive role

models is SO important, especially for the

future of the Crescent City.

1. How did you become

involved in 4-H?

RW: I became involved in

4-H because my father was

involved in 4-H. I found

one of his old All-Star

sweaters in the closet

when I was young and

started asking questions

about the program. It

seemed like a natural fit, because I was living

on a farm at the time and wanted to learn

more about raising sheep and showing hors-

es. I was a little bit shy and it helped me

become more outgoing. As I got older, I

loved teaching the younger kids what I had

learned--especially when it came to the food

and nutrition program. Seeing that 'lightbulb'

go on--was so rewarding. As a teenager I

achieved the Yolo County All-Star award

which is based on leadership, public speaking

and citizenship projects. A few years later I

went on to earn the California State Dia-

mond Start Award--serving as a spokesper-

son for the 4-H program on a 7 person team.

2. What is your favorite 4-H memory?

RW: As a young 4-Her, my favorite 4-H

memory was the yearly Christmas party that

my club sponsored. We used to pile into the

back of a pickup truck and drive from house

to house singing carols to some of the elder-

ly residents in our community. It was so fun

to see their eyes light up when they opened

the door and we were there singing. When

The Face of 4-H: WDSU Anchor-Reporter Rachel Wulff

Is a School Garden For You? School gardens provide great opportu-

nities for moving the classroom out-

doors and providing children with

hands-on learning experiences. In the

garden children can learn math, sci-

ence, environmental stewardship, so-

cial sciences, health, nutrition, and

where fresh fruits and vegetable come

from. Research shows that children

are more likely to eat fresh fruits and

vegetable that they grow and gardening

is a healthy outdoor activity that can lead

to a lifelong hobby or even a career in

agriculture. For more information on

starting a school garden contact your

local LSU AgCenter office or download

“Steps to Growing a Successful School

Garden” (Pub. 3145) online at

www.lsuagcenter.com.

-Russell Harris, Associate

Extension Agent

(Horticulture)

Right: Junior Master Garden-

ers at Langston Hughes City

Park Academy installing

native wetland plants in a

rain garden.

P A G E 4

dents were

able to take

home. To

harvest later.

Children left

the meeting

singing, “The

roots find the

water.”

–Veronica Del Bianco, 4-H Assistant Agent

On Tuesday, December 13, 2011, St.

Anna’s Episcopal Church in New Orleans

held their monthly 4-H enrichment club

meeting on the topic of plants.

The students had the opportunity to learn

about the different parts of a plant and their

function. The lesson was reinforced

through song, a coloring activity that asked

them to label the parts of a flower, and by

planting real vegetable seeds that the stu-

St. Anna Planting

vember 29, 2011. The topic of this month’s

meeting was good hygiene. Students

learned, through word and picture associa-

tion activities, some ways to practice good

health and hygiene. American Cleaning Insti-

tute (ACI) materials such as the “Be a Good

Hand Washer” handout and the “Hooray

for Hand Washing” coloring pages, helped

familiarize the students with the best ways

to keep their hands clean.

Students learned the appropriate time to

wash hands, and when to wash their hands

to avoid the spread of disease. They took

turns and read aloud from the ACI Hand

Washing Handout and took time out to

complete and

read the “Hooray

for Hand Wash-

ing” coloring

pages. After the

lesson, there was

a trivia session, in

which students received prizes for answer-

ing questions about hand washing and good

hygiene. The students had a blast and were

excited to take pictures with ACI materials

and the prizes that they won.

-Casey Versailles, 4-H Assistant Agent

Students at St. Anna’s Episcopal Church in

New Orleans convened for their monthly 4-

H enrichment club meeting on Tuesday, No-

Good Health = Good Hygiene

Holiday Service-Learning with Broadmoor 4-H

velopment center to request the names of 3

families who would benefit from holiday

food baskets. Youth planned the menus

and grocery list; shopped paying attention

to unit pricing and sales, selected fresh pro-

duce as well as canned and frozen vegeta-

bles, arranged three gift boxes and deliv-

ered the gifts to each of the families. Youth

learned the importance of nutrition and

money management while becoming aware

that there are

many families

much less

fortunate that

themselves.

Special thanks to Mr. Donald Rouse and

Mr. James the manager of the Rouses lo-

cated on Tchoupitoulas Street.

Broadmoor 4-H members placed emphasis

on Nutrition and Health during this half of

the club year learning about the new My

Plate initiative; the importance of limiting salt,

fat and sugar in the diet; and reading la-

bels. With the assistance of their club lead-

ers, Rachel Wulff and Wendy Warren,

members participated in writing letters to

request donations from Rouses, a local gro-

cery chain, and contacting a local youth de-

SPA’s 4-H Clubs Elect New Officers

P A G E 5

In December, the students at Success Pre-

paratory Academy (SPA) embarked on 4-H’s

Public Adventures. Their first step was

electing their officers and then voting to

decide their 4-H clubs’ names. Both pro-

cesses were excellent opportunities for the

students to learn about democracy, the

value of secret ballots, and different meth-

ods of group decision making including ma-

jority, compromise and consensus. The

only consensus the clubs reached was that

consensus was the hardest way for a group

to make a decision.

Congratulations to these new clubs and

their enthusiastic leaders!

-Veronica Del Bianco, 4-H Assistant Agent

Irish Dream Team Stars 4-H Club From

left to right: Secretary Antoinette Love ,

Vice President Jeremiah Jones, Report-

er Kevione Bissant, President Jamia

Brown, Treasurer Shereese Verret,

Writer Noah Ackerman

Wild Fighting Tigers 4-H Club Presi-

dent Tay’ Jah, Vice President Jarvis,

Secretary Royelle, Treasurer Jamaa

Bulldog Swag 4-H Club From left to

right: President Charlie Baker, Vice

President Ysabella Wilson, Secretary

Britteny Johnson, Treasurer Sherod

Champ, Reporter Dwyneisha Varnado

DMX Saints 4-H Club From left to right:

President Yasmine H.P., Vice President

Kendall L., Treasurer Acesha Lewis,

Reporter James Hall, Secretary Tomaja

Bowie

Adventurous Lynx 4-H Club From left

to right: President Roneshia, Vice Pres-

ident Keyirrah, Secretary Sade, Report-

er Nadir, Treasurer Derneca

The Lucky Texas-Bama 4-H Club Ala-

bama Officers from left to right: Presi-

dent Stacy, Vice President Deian, Treas-

urer Lawrence, Secretary Joshi, Report-

er Keyon

The Lucky Texas-Bama 4-H Club Texas

Officers from left to right: President

Don Harvey, Vice President Larionte

Gayles, Secretary Joyisha Nickerson,

Treasurer Jovanni Braud, Reporter

Did you know…? Louisiana is home to over

28,000 military youth.

Louisiana Operation: Mili-

tary Kids (LOMK) connects military

youth with each other and support

networks in their community.

LOMK empowers the community to

support military families through

strategic local, state and national

partnerships.

Visit www.lsuagcenter.com/omk

Win Tickets to 4-H Night with the Hornets

P A G E 6

Ball Boy/Girl

Have you ever wanted to sit on the bench

with an NBA team? You can have that op-

portunity if you submit an essay on the top-

ic: “Being a Good Citizen through Commu-

nity Service”. Essays must consist of 150

words or less.

Age requirement: 13 years of age by

January 1, 2012. Must be 8 – 12th grade 4-

H member.

Prize: 2 free tickets for 4-H members se-

lected.

Captain’s Program

One 4-H member will have the opportunity to participate in the refer-

ee meeting on-court, act as an honorary captain and present the game

ball for the evening. Submit your essay of 150 words or less on the

topic: “4-H: Why Do I Belong”.

Age requirement: None.

Prize: 2 free tickets for 4-H members selected.

National Anthem

Send video or audio tape by mail or

email with attachment. There will

be an opportunity for an individual

to sing the National Anthem at the

Hornets game on February 10th , 4

-H Night with the Hornets!

Age requirement: None.

Prize: 2 free tickets for 4-H mem-

bers selected.

Basketball Buddies

Basketball Buddies allows 10 4-H members

to stand in front of the Hornets basketball

team during the performance of the Na-

tional Anthem. 4-H members must be ele-

mentary students not over 5 feet 9 inches.

The 10 4-H members will be selected by a

random drawing.

Age requirement: None.

Prize: 2 free tickets for 4-H members

selected.

4-H Night with the New Orleans Hornets New Orleans Hornets vs. Portland Trail Blazers Who May Attend: 4-H Club Members, families & friends

When: Friday, February 10, 2012

Time: Game begins at 7:00 P.M.

Transportation: 4-H Club Members will provide their own transportation. Parents are responsible for

supervising 4-H Club Members and other ticket holders at the game.

Cost: $17.00 per ticket.

How to order tickets: Bring cash or check made payable to Orleans Parish 4-H along with the attached order form to your 4-H Club Leader or mail or bring it to our office at 1300 Perdido Street, City Hall Room BW 15, New Orleans, LA 70112. If you have any questions you may contact any Orleans Parish 4-H agent at 504-658-2900.

New Orleans Hornets Ticket Order Form Name of Student ____________________________ School Attending______________ Name of Parent_________________________________________________________ Phone Number ________________________Cell Phone Number_________________ Number of Tickets Ordered________________________________________________ Amount of money enclosed at $17.00 per ticket ________________________________ (Make checks payable to St. Bernard 4-H)

Deadline for ordering tickets is January 25, 2012