DECA Students Advance to State
Students from Irving High School and
MacArthur High School competed in District 7 Distributive Education
Clubs of America (DECA) Career Conference in Dallas January 30-31.
Students participated in a variety
of competitions designed to demonstrate the direct relationship between
marketing education and the real needs of business and industry.
Commonly referred to as an association of marketing
students,
DECA merges classroom instruction with hands-on development activities.
State DECA competition is scheduled
for February 26-March 1 in Galveston. For a complete list of Irving High
and MacArthur students advancing to state, and the events in which they
will compete, access
www.irvingisd.net/articles/deca2009.htm.
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Criminal Justice Students Capture
Wins
Criminal Justice students from The
Academy of Irving ISD competed at regional Texas Public Safety
Association (TPSA) competition January 31 in Arlington.
Students participated in 24 events
designed to test students’ skills related to criminal justice and law
enforcement duties. TPSA is an organization designed to serve
instructors in Texas who are teaching in the occupational fields of law,
public safety, corrections and security. This is the first year for
Academy criminal justice students to attend the TPSA regional
competition, and participation helped prepare students for regional
SkillsUSA competition February 20-21 at Texas State Technical College in
Waco.
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Criminal Justice students from The Academy of Irving ISD
display the awards they won during Texas Public Safety
Association regional competition January 31. |
Academy students earned a total of
seven first place awards, four second place awards and four third place
awards. For more information about TPSA regional competition, access
texaspublicsafetyeducators.org.
TPSA state competition is April
16-18 at Texas State University in San Marcos. For a complete list of
Academy students advancing to state TPSA competition, access
www.irvingisd.net/ppage/TPSACompetition.htm.
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Brandenburg Offering Saturday
Chinese Classes
Beginning January 24, Brandenburg
Elementary School began hosting Saturday classes focused toward learning
the Mandarin Chinese language and Chinese culture.
Working in partnership with the DFW
Asian American Citizens Council, administrators at Brandenburg hope to
expose students to conversational Chinese. Initially proposed as a pilot
program for 20 students and one teacher, more than 100 students signed
up to attend the first Saturday. After the interest generated from the
first three classes, a total of three teachers from the DFW Asian
American Citizens Council have volunteered to lead classes.
According to Pam Meredith, principal
at Brandenburg, classes will be offered through May 9. Meredith said
that returning the program next year will depend upon the success of the
classes throughout the spring semester and the willingness of partners
Irving Chamber of Commerce and DFW Asian American Citizens Council.
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Counselors Plan College Goal Weekend
In conjunction with National College
Goal Sunday, Irving ISD high school counselors, in partnership with
local college financial aid offices, are offering workshops to assist
parents of high school seniors in completing the Free Application for
Federal Student Aid Feburary 21 and 22.
Nimitz High School will host a
session from 9–11 a.m. February 21. On February 22, both Irving High
School and MacArthur High School will host workshops from 2-4 p.m. All
Irving ISD seniors and their families are invited to attend the most
convenient session, regardless of which high school the student attends.
Attendees should bring all 2008 tax
information for both students and parents. For more information,
students and parents are encouraged to contact the student’s high school
counseling office.
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Athletes of the Month
Margie Aguinaga, senior at Irving
High School, was named Female Athlete of the Month for February. She is
a captain on the varsity girls’ soccer team and has also participated in
cross country and track & field. Aguinaga qualified for regional
competition in cross country in 2006 and 2008, and in track & field in
2005 and 2006. In addition to athletics, Aguinaga is vice president of
Irving High Bio Society, is a member of National Honor Society, and
maintains an “A” grade point average.
James Thomas, senior at Irving High,
was named Male Athlete of the Month for February. In Class 5A basketball
for the Dallas metropolitan area, Thomas is ranked 14th in
scoring and third in rebounding. He was recently named Dallas Morning
News Honorable Mention Player of the Week for scoring 31
points and 24 points in back-to-back basketball games. Thomas is a
member of the “B” honor roll at Irving High and is an active member of
The Potter’s House church.
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Margie Aguinaga |
James Thomas |
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Collegiate Signing Day Includes IISD
Athletes
Twenty Irving ISD student athletes
signed letters of intent to attend and play sports for various colleges
and universities during national signing day February 4. National
signing day is traditionally the first day a high school senior can sign
a binding National Letter of Intent for college football, field hockey,
soccer, track & field, cross country, and men's water polo.
IISD high school seniors signed
letters to attend schools such as University of Texas at Austin,
Southeastern Oklahoma State University and Grayson Community College.
Sports included football, softball and soccer.
For the complete list of students
who participated in national signing day and the schools they committed
to, access
www.irvingisd.net/articles/nsd2009.htm.
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Vaughn Howard (front left) and Albert Sparks, seniors at
MacArthur High School, celebrate their college plans with
Midwestern State University and University at Buffalo,
respectively, during National Signing Day February 4 with
their parents (back row from left) Helen and Vaughn Howard
and Lisa Sparks in attendance. |
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