JEFFERSON PARISH, La. — For five decades, Cynthnia Thompson has been a fixture at Bonnabel High School. Students know her as “Mama T,” and this school year, they’ve been finding new ways to show her just how much she means to them.

To mark her 50 years in the classroom, Mama T’s colleagues and students started a tradition: every Friday, she gets a new surprise. The gifts have ranged from 50 roses, to balloons, to basketballs covered in hand-written messages from students.

“It’s good to be thought of while you’re living and you can experience it,” Mama T said. “Each basketball to me was like a rose, but an orange rose.”

But one Friday surprise went far beyond the school’s hallways.

Earlier this month, Mama T was handed a bag by administrators while cheerleaders chanted “Saints, Saints,

See Full Page