By Jen Gennaro

Porch & Parish Editor

If you go outside at night and are very, very quiet, you may just be able to hear the collective sigh of relief across Zachary as school gets back into session. No more shuttling around to summer camps, paying a sitter, patching together child care, and sprinkling in just enough activities to ensure your kids have the BEST SUMMER EVER!

It certainly takes a village to raise a child, and this issue of Porch & Parish we focused on all there is in our little corner of the world that makes growing up in Zachary excellent.

Like many in town, our older kids started out with “Miss Myrtle” in the BREC Tiny Steps program. It’s where they met their first set of friends and where we, as newcomers back in 2011, made our first parent friends. Funny how the kids keep growing every year and us parents never seem to age, right? It’s amazing, really. Anyway—check out page 24 for a tribute to Miss Myrtle, who also never seems to age.

Ahead of publication, we hosted a couple of contests calling on the community to submit their nominations for Best Dressed Teachers. While the sheer number of nominations for the Best Dressed Teachers feature was astounding (86!), what made the contest special was why these educators stood out to their peers and students. This contest is not just about who’s always dressed for a photo shoot, although there’s no shortage of Zachary teachers dressed to the nines. We sought to feature local teachers who lead by example in dressing for success and show our kids how to express themselves while presenting both modestly and professionally. Their unwavering smiles never indicate if they’re having a bad day; their clothing shows their joy for life and bubbly personalities. Your words, not mine.

Beyond that, students and parents described one of our winners as a second mother. Isn’t that what we all hope and pray for when leaving our children in someone else’s care for 40 hours a week?

We also called on local high schoolers to submit an essay on what makes growing up here excellent. After all, they are the future of our city, and no one can tell us better than them what makes a childhood here a collection of beautiful memories. Check out page 4 to hear from our winner, Samantha Deshotels.

From our award-winning schools and top-tier athletic programs, to our friendly neighborhoods, unwavering support for small businesses and the way Zachary folks drop everything to help one of our own in times of need, it’s been shown over and over again that this is a place and these are the people that will take care of you in every stage of life.

We are blessed and fortunate to have found a deep sense of community in 70791 and hope Porch & Parish continues to foster connection for newcomers and old-timers alike.

Here’s to the new school year!

Jen Gennaro, Editor