Teachers Prepare for New Science Requirement

Carlos de la Cruz, engineering teacher at Singley Academy, and Ryan Patton, science teacher at Austin Middle School, were among 100 Texas middle and high school teachers to participate in the Infinity Project at Southern Methodist University (SMU) in July and August.

Teachers learned how to bring math and science to life in their classrooms with high tech engineering curriculum that meets the new four-years of science requirement for Texas public high school students. According to SMU officials, the Infinity Project’s established engineering curricula helps high school students to choose engineering as a graduation credit to better prepare them for the rigors of college-level engineering.

Ryan Patton, science teacher at Austin Middle School, demonstrates a model of a weight-bearing bridge he and other middle school teachers built while participating in the Infinity Project at Southern Methodist University.

Participating teachers represented 30 Texas school districts and gathered at SMU’s main Dallas campus. High school teachers learned the engineering principles students need to design and build a robotic rover that could function on the surface one of Jupiter’s moons. Middle school teachers participated in a crash-course of biomedical engineering — specifically the process of designing and building a prosthetic leg.

Created by the SMU Lyle School of Engineering and Texas Instruments, the Infinity Project uses hands-on curricula. Approximately 450 middle schools, high schools and colleges in 38 states and seven countries utilize the Infinity Project to build the technology leaders of the future. For more information, access www.infinity-project.org.

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Brandenburg, Keyes Winners in Video Contest

Brandenburg Elementary School and Keyes Elementary School were each awarded $2,000 in the Big Lots LotstoGive video competition at the Big Lots store in Irving August 13.

Of the 113 schools competing, 46 schools across the country were winners in the video contest. The $10,000 grand prize was awarded to De Anza Elementary School in Baldwin Park, California.

Administrators, teachers and Parent-Teacher Association members from Brandenburg Elementary School accept a $2,090 award from Rick Kominski, district manager for Big Lots and staff at the store in Irving.

Participating schools submitted a short video and brief essay explaining why their school is in need of financial support. From June 7-July 5, the public voted for their favorite video online. More than 200,000 votes were cast to determine the 46 winners, which include one $10,000 grand prize and 45 $2,000 first-place prizes. Along with the video contest, Big Lots collected in-store donations to help the 192 schools participating in the Lots2Give program. Due to the generosity of the public, this initiative raised thousands of dollars to help participating schools and added to the awards from the contest.

Irma Vega-Zadeh, principal at Keyes Elementary School, along with administrators, teachers and Parent-Teacher Association members accept a $2,090 award from Rick Kominski, district manager for Big Lots and staff at the store in Irving.

In addition to Brandenburg and Keyes, Cardwell Career Preparatory Center and Singley Academy participated in the Lots2Give program.

View all of the Lots2Give entry videos online at www.lots2give.com.

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Food Service Features Online Payment Service, New Serving Lines

Now in the second year of use, Irving ISD Food Service Department is accepting payments online for student meal accounts.

Using the ParentOnline secure system, parents can keep their students’ meal accounts up-to-date using a Visa or MasterCard. The online system is designed to alleviate lost or stolen meal money, allows for prepayment for meals, provides highly secure transactions, allows parents to establish automatic payments, and is accessible 24 hours per day and seven days a week.

For more information or to set up an account, access www.irvingisd.net/ppage/OnlineMealPayments.htm.

When the new school year begins, 12 elementary schools will also have new serving lines in their kitchens. State-of-the-art design and features have been integrated into food service lines at Brandenburg Elementary School, Brown Elementary School, Davis Elementary School, Elliott Elementary School, Gilbert Elementary School, Good Elementary School, Johnston Elementary School, Lee Elementary School, Lively Elementary School, Schulze Elementary School, Thomas Haley Elementary School, and Townley Elementary School. 

According to Michael Rosenberger, director of food service, the new lines are more efficient than the previous lines at keeping food hot and cold, respectively.  This efficiency means not only safer food for customers, but also higher quality foods and beverages. The new heating and cooling equipment in the serving lines is also more energy efficient, translating into less energy consumption at the facilities.

IISD Food Service Department has installed new, state-of-the-art serving lines at 12 elementary schools.

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Foundation Schedules Benefit Fun Run

Irving Schools Foundation (ISF) has scheduled a 5K fun run/walk for September 11 at Trinity View Athletic Complex (Irving Riverbottoms) in Irving.  The event, which ISF officials hope will become an annual occurrence, will be held in memory of Lindsey Lear, a 2007 Irving High School graduate who died April 15 in a car accident. Proceeds will benefit scholarships and grants for IISD students and teachers.

Early registration is currently open and accessible online at http://isf5k.kintera.org/faf/home/default.asp?ievent=434643.  Early registration through August 31 is $20, registration from September 1-10 is $25, and registration the day of the event is $30.

On the day of the event registration begins at 7:30 a.m., the one-mile run/walk begins at 8:30 a.m., and the 5K run/walk begins at 9 a.m. An awards ceremony will be held after the 5K.

For more information about ISF, call 972-600-5018 or access www.irvingisd.net/foundation.

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