By ROBIN SHANNON

L’Observateur

RESERVE – First- and second-grade students at Fifth Ward Elementary in Reserve gathered in the school library Monday morning for a special lesson on math and science conducted by Louisiana first lady Supriya Jindal.

Jindal’s appearance comes on the heels of the school being awarded a donation from Marathon Petroleum for the purchase of six Promethean interactive whiteboards for the school’s first- and second-grade classes. The donation is part of a grant from Jindal’s Foundation for Louisiana’s Children. Fifth Ward is the fourth school in St. John the Baptist Parish to receive Promethean Boards through the help of the foundation, joining Emily C. Watkins Elementary, Garyville/Mt. Airy Math and Science Magnet and LaPlace Elementary.

“Interactive whiteboards are something we are beginning to see transform education across the country,” Jindal said. “A recent study indicates that students are showing a 17-29 percentile gain in academic achievement in classrooms with such systems versus classrooms without.”

Jindal explained the interactive boards aid teachers in administering lessons in math, science and technology by helping students to grasp the concepts at a young age. Jindal sat with students for several minutes discussing everyday applications of math and science before organizing a question and answer game to demonstrate how the interactive boards operate.

“Almost everything we do in a given day involves some element of math and science,” Jindal said to the students.

“It is important that you all pay very close attention in math and science class, and remember that learning can be fun,” she added.