While the 2025-2026 school year has wrapped up and most of our students are already enjoying some summer fun, many of our students and staff are still working hard and positively representing Lafourche Parish both in and out of their schools. For the next couple of months, our Sunday Spotlight will transition into a Summer Spotlight, showcasing the talent and efforts of some of the amazing people who are continuing to make LPSD shine all summer long.

For our very first #SummerSpotlight, we are proud to feature Kinley Crochet.

Kinley is the daughter of Amber and Ryan Crochet and attends Bayou Blue Upper Elementary, where she recently completed fourth grade. She was nominated for the spotlight by Jenna Graham, BBUES teacher and Beta Club sponsor, for representing her school and the district at the upcoming National Beta Convention.

“At the state-level competition in Lafayette, Kinley scored in the Top Five for 4th grade ELA standards,” Graham said. “In her pretest for the national competition, Kinley has tested as a Top 20 Finalist. She will be testing as a finalist at the National Convention in Nashville, Tennessee, this June. She will also be serving Bayou Blue as our club's new secretary.”

In addition to preparing for the ELA finals, Kinley is also spending her summer prepping for the “Create and Animate” and “Reimage, Recreate and Recycle” competitions at the National Convention. Outside of academics, she loves bowling in leagues and even took first place at a state competition earlier this year.

Kinley’s impressive academic success and bowling skills are matched only by the positive energy she brings to the classroom every single day.

“Kinley is always smiling and a joy to have on campus,” added Becky Plaisance, BBUES principal. “Her respectful attitude, kindness toward others, and outstanding academic achievement make her truly deserving of the spotlight. She always gives her best effort and approaches every challenge with determination and confidence. Her hard work, positive character and willingness to help others makes her a wonderful role model for her peers.”

That bright, hardworking spirit her teachers see at school comes as no surprise to Kinley’s parents, who say she brings that same joy to life at home.

"Kinley has a personality that draws people in and brings out the best in them,” shared Kinley’s mom, Amber. “She brings joy wherever she goes. Kinley has a strong work ethic and always gives 110 percent to anything she is working on. Her motto is ‘You work before you play.’ When it comes to learning, she seems to always dig deeper for information. As parents, we are incredibly proud of all her achievements, but we are mostly proud of the person she is becoming.”

We are also incredibly proud to have students like Kinley representing our district on the national stage. Please join us in congratulating her on her phenomenal achievements and wishing her the best of luck in Nashville. We’re all rooting for you, Kinley!

#lpsdproud #SchoolSuperstar