District

November 6, 2001    

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Houston Named to State Honor Roll

Selected as one of the best performing middle schools in the state, Houston Middle School has been named to the Texas Business & Education Coalition (TBEC)/Just For The Kids (JFTK) Honor Roll for 2001. A total of 13 middle schools and 26 elementary schools were recently informed of their selection.

The TBEC/JFTK Honor Roll is the most prestigious Texas award given for sustained, academic excellence. The Honor Roll recognizes consistent performance from  “Recognized” or “Exemplary” schools for three years. It is a step beyond the current Texas Education Agency accountability system, that focuses on one year of performance, and the Blue Ribbon School designation, where schools must apply for recognition.

The other 12 junior high/middle schools selected for the Honor Roll are: Labay Middle School, Cypress-Fairbank ISD; Hambrick Middle School, Aldine ISD; Parkhill Junior High School, Richardson ISD; Renner Middle School and Wilson Middle School, Plano ISD; Memorial Junior High School, Eagle Pass ISD; East Montana Middle School, Clint ISD; Kirby Junior High Math-Science-Technology Center of Wichita Falls ISD; Stell Middle School, Brownsville ISD; DeSoto East Junior High School, DeSoto ISD; Waxahachie Junior High School, Waxahachie ISD; and Freeport Intermediate School, Brazosport ISD.

TBEC is a non-profit organization of business executives and education leaders dedicated to improving the performance of the Texas public schools. TBEC makes information available on its web site at www.TBEC.org. JFTK is a non-profit data analysis and research organization founded to raise academic standards and increase student academic achievement in Texas. JFTK provides information on how schools perform on its web site at www.Just4Kids.org.

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MacArthur Hosts Homecoming

MacArthur High School will celebrate Homecoming this week to the theme "A Night Under the Stars." Homecoming activities include:

• Parade on Thursday, November 8 at 3 p.m.

• Pep Rally on Thursday, November 8 at 7:30 p.m. in the student parking lot

• Patriotic Pre-Game Show "Heroes At Home" on Friday, November 9 at 7 p.m. at Irving Schools Stadium

• Homecoming game on Friday, November 9 at 7:30 p.m. featuring MacArthur Cardinals vs. South Grand Prairie Warriors

• Performance by the MacArthur Cardinal Band, Cardette Drill Team, and Army JROTC Saber Guard during halftime

• Presentation of 2001 Homecoming Court and crowning of this year's queen during halftime

• Homecoming Dance and crowning of this year's king on Saturday, November 10 from 7-11:30 p.m. at Texas Stadium

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59 Selected for All-Region Orchestra

A total of 59 secondary students have been selected for three 2001 All-Region Orchestras. Nimitz High School will host the All-Region Concert on Saturday, November 17 at 4 p.m.

Students in grades 6-8 selected for Concert Orchestra are: Monica Hernandez, violin, Austin; April Fields, violin, Austin; Silvia Rocha, violin, Crockett; Jennifer Rohrs, violin, Lamar; Miso Ahn, violin, Houston; John Alomar, violin, Lamar; Dorothy Phan, violin, Crockett; Tiffany Pogue, violin, Lamar; Madison Jeter, violin, Crockett; Khanh-Doan Hoang, violin, Lamar; Caitlin Sweet, violin, Crockett; Estela Buenrostro, violin, Lamar; Ana Sancez-Hodges, violin, Austin; Kathy Avila, viola, Lamar; Samantha Barrentine, viola, Austin; Joe Giang, viola, Lamar; David Park, viola, Crockett; Katlin Johnson, cello, Lamar; Mariana Alvarado, cello, Austin; Tiffany Marshall, cello, Lamar; Robert Benton, bass, Austin; Chanel Brosset, bass, Crockett; Anna-Marie Elam, bass, Lamar; and Scott Marsalis, bass, Lamar.

Students in grades 6-9 selected for Symphonic Orchestra are: Juan Valente, violin, MacArthur; Justin Cadenhead, violin, Austin; Diep Vo, violin, MacArthur; Sabrina Blackner, violin, Austin; Frederick Szczepanki, violin, Nimitz; Ngan Kim, violin, Nimitz; Thanh Hoang, violin, Nimitz; Rebeka Purhukeril, violin, Nimitz; Lauren Nichols, violin, Nimitz; Stephen Grisham, violin, Nimitz: Tarun Krishnan, viola, Irving; Cameron Davis, viola, Lamar; Annelise Garner, viola, Nimitz; Katie Stiggleman, viola, Nimitz; Samantha Marsalis, viola, Nimitz; Min-ji Kang, cello, Nimitz; Yesenia Andrade, cello, Irving; Duke Anderson, bass, Irving; and Brian Senegal, bass, Irving.

Students in grades 9-12 selected for the High School Honors Orchestra are: Anu Mathai, violin, Nimitz; Mingming Ma, violin, MacArthur; Emily Maletic, violin, Nimitz; Amy Yu, violin, Irving; Kalena Davis, violin, Nimitz; Messay Derebe, violin, Irving; Jayson Small, violin, Irving; Natasha DeMarco, violin, MacArthur; James Janscha, violin, Nimitz; Ramon Amaya, viola, Nimitz; Amygrace Ventanilla, viola, Irving; Kelli Gibson, viola, Nimitz; Jung Lee, cello, MacArthur; Catherine Gibson, bass, MacArthur; Josh Seither, bass, Irving; and Andrea Canafax, bass, Nimitz.

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Shore Named First Class Teacher

Troy Shore, Lively Elementary fourth grade teacher, has been selected as "First Class Teacher of the Week." Sponsored by Minyard Food Stores, The Dallas Morning News, and KPLX-FM 99.5, he was selected because of an essay written by Jose Castro, one of his students. Castro said, "Mr. Shore has a cool classroom. He is also very nice and has lots of humor."

Radio station personality Chris Sommers and Minyard representative Sammie Matson surprised Shore with a visit to his classroom and presented him a check for $1,000.  His photograph and story appeared in the November 4 edition of the The Dallas Morning News. His class will get a pizza party, and Lively will also be awarded $1,000.

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Secondary Schools Participate in Teen Read Week

Irving secondary school students recently participated in a variety of Teen Read Week activities that included hosting J. R. Edmondson, author of The Alamo Story: From Early History To Current Conflicts.

Irving High School librarians hosted a buffet luncheon honoring Mr. Edmondson in the library’s Cyber Cafe on Thursday.  Members of the English and Reading Department faculties were invited to meet and greet the author.  Mr. Edmondson had just presentd a historical dramatization of the life of Jim Bowie to Mr. Hartley’s AP History class as well as students from Mrs. Cline’s AP Spanish For Native Speakers and Mrs. White’s Latin American Studies classes.  On Friday, faculty members and students were invited to have lunch in the library while sharing about their favorite books.

MacArthur High School displayed fantasy books featuring The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings, giving away bookmarks that featured “Make Reading a Hobbit.”  Classes came to the library for a scavenger hunt with paperbacks and McDonald coupons for prizes.  Students received treat bags and were able to enter a drawing for every book checked out.

Nimitz High School sponsored two groups of 10th grade students to read picture books to children at Kinkeade ECS.  A third group went to Townely Elementary.  In the library, teachers and students wrote short essays about their favorite book or reading activity.  A photo of the person and their essay was displayed in the hall outside the library.  Bookmarks were given away to students during the week.

The Academy of Irving ISD students showed a powerpoint presentation on the video wall, Art II students drew posters and parents were invited to relax and read in the library with a cip of coffee during parent conference day.  Students also enjoyed a coffee bar during the week.  The Early Childhood Program classes participated by reading to students at Clifton ECS.

Union Bower Center for Learning gave out bookmarks, stickers and buttons to remind students how important it is to read.  They filled out surveys about their reading habits, and the librarian made daily announcements from The Seven Habits For Highly Effective Teens.

Austin Middle School students wrote Bio poems of famous heroes of the Alamo.  The librarian did a book talk for each class that came to the library.  Information about well-known Hispanics was read over the announcements each day.

Bowie Middle School hosted a book fair during the week and a family reading night on Tuesday.  Students had great fun identifying the teachers in a reading contest “Look Who Got Caught With A Book In Their Face.”

Crockett Middle School began a “Caught You Reading” drawing.  All teachers go slips to give students when they saw them reading.  The slips were place in a drawing to he held in November.  Photos of teachers were taken and will be posted showing the teacher with their favorite children’s or YA book.

Houston Middle School highlighted their fantasy collections using book and dragon displays, Tolkien-related decorations and posters throughout the library.  Computers had screensavers featuring Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings.  Announcements during the week and bulletin boards kept students aware of activities.

Lamar Middle School teens, reading teachers and librarian participated in a “read in” at Barnes and Noble on Sunday.  Each selected a book, read and munched on cookies provided by Barnes and Noble.

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