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College Board Announces Honored Students

The National Merit Scholarship Corporation has announced students named as National Merit Scholarship semifinalist, as well as National Merit Commended, National Achievement Semifinalist, and National Hispanic Scholars for the 2012 program.

Irving ISD seniors Natalie Bradford, MacArthur High School, and Allison Roderick, Joel Sam and Carly Taylor, Nimitz High School, have been named semifinalists in the 2012 National Merit Scholarship Program. These four seniors join approximately 16,000 semifinalists nationwide in the 57th year of the program. Semifinalists will compete for 8,300 National Merit Scholarships worth more than $34 million to be awarded during spring 2012. Ninety percent of semifinalists are expected to attain finalist standing, with half of the finalists winning the title of National Merit Scholar.

The National Merit Scholarship Corporation has also announced eight Irving ISD students as Commended in the 2012 National Merit Scholarship program. Students are Alvaro Aleman, Irving High School; Alvin Nguyen, Irving High; Amanda Huerta, MacArthur; Caleb Vinson, MacArthur; Tambra Bonds, Nimitz; India Burton, Nimitz; Lauren Edgar, Nimitz; Luz Vega, Nimitz; and Gi Ju Lim, Singley Academy. Approximately 34,000 Commended students throughout the nation are being recognized for their exceptional academic promise. They placed among the top five percent of more than 1.4 million students who entered this year’s competition. Students were qualified according to their scores on the Preliminary Scholastic Assessment Test/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test taken during the junior year of high school.

India Burton from Nimitz was named Semifinalist in the National Achievement Scholarship Program. For 47 years the National Achievement Scholarship Program has recognized the academic achievement of African-American high school students. The Burton joins approximately 1,600 semifinalists regionally-selected from more than 160,000 high school juniors who took the Preliminary Scholastic Assessment Test/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT). To advance to finalist level, semifinalists must present a record of high academic performance during high school, write an essay and submit an application, be endorsed and recommended by their high school principal, and earn SAT scores that confirm the PSAT/NMSQT performance. Approximately 1,300 semifinalists are expected to advance to finalist level to compete for approximately 800 national scholarships offered in spring 2011. MacArthur Senior Deaven R. Bean and Nimitz Senior Trey Masters were named Outstanding Participants in the program.

Eleven Irving ISD seniors have been named National Hispanic Scholar for their outstanding performance on the Preliminary Scholastic Assessment Test (PSAT) among minority students. Seniors named National Hispanic Scholar are Alvaro Aleman, Irving High; Saul Membrano, Irving High; Beatriz Ramos, Irving High; Amanda Huerta, MacArthur; Alyssa LaPuma, MacArthur; Louis Quinones, MacArthur; Mayra Rojas, MacArthur; Marcus Alvarez, Nimitz; Jesse Atkinson, Nimitz; Luz Vega, Nimitz; and Yarelhdi Jaimes, Singley Academy. The National Hispanic Recognition Program identifies nearly 5,000 outstanding Hispanic/Latino students each year.

CTE Invited to National Teleconference

Shawn Blessing, Director of Career and Technical Education (CTE), was invited by Vangie Stice-Israel, State Director Career and Technical Education for Texas Education Agency (TEA), to represent the only school district in Texas to participate in a teleconference with the U.S. Department of Education and the Office Vocational and Adult Education September 27.

The Purpose of the teleconference was to allow the nine largest state recipients of Carl Perkins federal funds to share information and highlight successful models for Career and Technical Education programs from each of the nine states. The primary focus was on successful implementation of Programs of Study.

Irving ISD was identified by CTE specialists at TEA as a model district. Blessing presented information regarding organization and implementation of Programs of Study within the district, partnerships, and postsecondary pipelines.

Winners of the 2011 Art Poster Contest

Winners of the 2011 Art Poster Contest, sponsored by the Irving Advisory Committee on Disabilities, were recognized at the City Council meeting October 6 in the Council Chamber at City Hall.

The following first place students were awarded blue ribbons at the meeting: Marjorie Aquino, Hanes Elementary School; Erick Gamez, Brown Elementary School; Tasfia Maahi, Lee Elementary School; Bracee Clifton, Stipes Elementary School; Lupe Paniagua, Thomas Haley Elementary School; and Zoe Herrera, Stipes.

Students receiving an honorable mention were also recognized for their work, including Bailey Tilerson, Brandenburg Elementary School; Chrishell Jacobs, Thomas Haley; Ryan Jo, Thomas Haley; Noelle Stanley-Claar, Barton Elementary School, and Kaylee Nichols, Lee.

All-Region Jazz Band

Five MacArthur High School Band members were named to the Region 20 All-Region Jazz Band after their audition in Waxahachie on September 17.

Three of these students qualified for Area, including Raul Ruz, trumpet; Austin James, trombone; and Jimmy Pitcher, bass trombone. The students will return to Waxhachie in three weeks to record their audition for All-State.

Darrin Duff, director of bands at MacArthur, noted the Texas All-State Jazz Band as one of the most prestigious and exclusive all-state ensembles in the country. Trenton Whitehead and Edward Cosio, both on tenor sax, were also named to the All-Region Jazz Band.

IISD Recognized for Energy Efficiency

Irving Independent School District received a check from Oncor, Inc. October 3 in the amount of $761,798 for installing more energy efficient systems.

Oncor recognized Irving ISD with an incentive check for $761,798 for energy efficiency practices as part of the company’s “Take a Load Off, Texas” program. Pictured are Brendan O’Leary, representative from The Tagos Group ; Dr. Dana T. Bedden, IISD Superintendent; Shana Graves, Oncor; Kelly Horn, director of facilities; and Jim Scrivner, IISD energy manager.

The incentive check was in recognition of seven schools – Johnson Middle School, Lamar Middle School, Nimitz High School, Cardwell Career Preparatory Center, Brandenburg Elementary School, Good Elementary School, and Schultz Elementary School. IISD recently installed energy efficient Solar PV, geothermal cooling and heating, and lighting equipment at Johnson and cooling and lighting equipment at the other six campuses. By installing the more efficient systems, the district received a cash incentive as part of its participation in Oncor’s Educational Facilities Energy Efficiency Program, and it reduced the energy costs for the seven campuses by a total of 1,329,561 kWh annually.

Oncor sponsors the Educational Facilities Energy Efficiency Program to help educate colleges and schools about energy efficiency and to fund energy reduction measures as part of its objective to lower energy use. The program provides educational material, technical assistance and monetary incentives to schools based on energy conservation measures. In 2010, educational facilities in the Oncor service area saved 16,097,668 kWh (enough energy to power 36,000 ENERGY STAR homes for a month, according to the Environmental Protection Agency) and were awarded a total of $3,484,195 for their energy savings.

Oncor offers more than 30 energy efficiency programs that help homeowners, businesses, school districts and governments save energy. For more information on Oncor’s energy efficiency initiatives, visit www.takealoadofftexas.com.

Our House is Your House

(Click on thumbnails below for full sized images.)

	IISD Parent Involvement Coordinator Ernesto Mendizabal conducted a volunteer orientation October 12 at Stipes Elementary School in the newly remodeled Parent Resource Center.
	Good Elementary School kicked off the Hispanic Heritage Month celebration September 16 with a Bingo/Loteria Night for students, families, and faculty. Pictured is Diana Shaw, fifth grade math teacher, serving as emcee for the night.
	More than 100 families visited Lively Elementary School September 15 for Family Literacy Night which included families various literacy activities such as bingo, rhyming, bean bag throws, and shopped at the Book Fair.
	Watch D.O.G.S. (Dads of Great Kids organization) fathers Dave Heftman and Will Cartright greet students with high fives on Fridays at Stipes Elementary School.
	Bring your Dad to School Day was September 26 at Hanes Elementary School, where more than 100 dads participated in the one-day event designed to encourage fathers to stay involved with their kids' school all year.
	Parents, staff, and students were invited to the Grand Opening of the John Haley Elementary School Parent Center September 16, including refreshments, tours and resources to take home or use in the center.

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