Keller Elementary honors teachers of year

Congratulations to the 2009 Harold Keller Elementary School teachers of the year: Adele Engelbracht and Michel Cristina.

Engelbracht, who teaches first grade, has been at Keller since 2007. She teaches reading, English, spelling, mathematics, science and social studies.

She was recognized along with all other Jefferson Parish public school system teachers of the year at a School Board supper last week at Bonnabel Magnet Academy High School. Keller will recognize her achievement at its annual spring faculty banquet.

Cristina teaches social studies, math and science to fifth graders and has been a teacher at Harold Keller since 1981. He was honored by the Louisiana Council for Social Studies in Baton Rouge as elementary social studies teacher of the year" for Louisiana.

--- Special day for student ---

Metairie resident Cameron Maas joined many local residents who recently participated in the Northrop Grumman's family ship tour of the USS New York, the ship built with almost eight tons of steel salvaged from the World Trade Center twin towers in New York.

Maas and his family were invited guests of his father's employer, Raytheon Inc., a integrated defense contractor that supports the Landing Platform Dock program in the New Orleans and Pascagoula, Miss., area shipyards.

"The whole tour was great," said Cameron, a fourth grader at St. Ann Catholic School in Metairie. "Using the heat sensor goggles reminded me of a 'Star Wars' episode."

The participants received a briefing on how to operate heavy equipment in the ship's storage areas, walked on the flight deck and put on a combat uniform to perform a mock firing of a .50-caliber gun.

Cameron's parents are Cherie and Bill Maas.

"The .50-caliber gun was quite a challenge to lock, load and fire, but it was an excellent opportunity for kids to understand the demands of military combat," Bill Maas said....