District in Pictures
April 18, 2019
WFISD Announces 2019 Elementary, Secondary Teachers of the Year
At a banquet Tuesday, Superintendent Mike Kuhrt unveiled the names of the 2019 Elementary and Secondary Teachers of the Year. WFISD’s Elementary Teacher of the Year is Britney Prickett, a Crockett Elementary fourth-grade ELAR teacher. She has been teaching five years. WFISD’s Secondary Teacher of the Year is Debbie Pepper, who teaches English as a Second Language and English to students in grades 9-12 at Wichita Falls High School. She has taught 17 years, all at Old High. The winners were selected from a group of 26 teachers who were chosen by their peers as their school’s best. Ms. Prickett and Ms. Pepper will represent WFISD as they advance to the regional 2019 Teacher of the Year competition. Elementary TOY finalists were Franklin Elementary’s Tiffanny Lindsey and Southern Hills’ Cheri West. Secondary TOY finalists were Kirby’s Leslie Callahan and CEC’s Amber West. Pictured left to right: Britney Prickett, Mr. Kuhrt, Debbie Pepper.
Booker T. Washington Elementary Earns High Reliability Schools Level 1 Designation
Booker T. Washington Elementary staff announced Wednesday that the school earned its Level 1 High Reliability Schools designation from Marzano Research. The Marzano High Reliability Schools framework helps schools focus on specific, research-based conditions to fuel steady school improvement. Level 1 signifies that the Booker T. Washington campus, under the direction of Principal Mark Davis (pictured far left), has a safe and collaborative culture.
Franklin Elementary Earns High Reliability Schools Level 2 Designation
Franklin Elementary staff announced Wednesday that the school earned its Level 2 High Reliability Schools designation from Marzano Research. Level 2 signifies that the school, under the leadership of Principal Angie Betts, has effective teaching underway in every classroom. “I am proud of the staff and all they do,” said Mrs. Betts.
Barwise Middle School Earns High Reliability Schools Level 2 Designation
Barwise Middle School staff announced Wednesday that the middle school earned its Level 2 High Reliability Schools designation from Marzano Research. Level 2 signifies that Barwise, under the leadership of Principal Peter Braveboy, exhibits effective teaching in every classroom.
State and Federal Programs Director Promoted to Special Education Director
Alefia Paris-Toulon was named Director of Special Education, replacing Suzanne Russell, who is retiring this year. Mrs. Paris-Toulon began working for WFISD in 2006 as a special education teacher at Hirschi High School. Later, she became Hirschi’s diagnostician. In 2012, Mrs. Paris-Toulon was named Coordinator of State and Federal Programs. In 2013, she was promoted to Director of State and Federal Programs, where she currently serves.
Jefferson Elementary Librarian Wins 2019 Siddie Johnson Award
Kristan Neeb, the instructional media specialist in the library at Jefferson Elementary, was named the 2019 recipient of the Siddie Johnson Award at the state librarian conference this week in Austin. This award honors outstanding achievement in children’s library service. Nominees are evaluated for outstanding or innovative programs, a sustained high level of performance, leadership ability, involvement in professional organizations, community involvement and cooperation with parents and other libraries.
Sheppard Elementary Teacher Named Veterans of Foreign Wars Teacher of the Year
Brenda DeLeon, Sheppard Elementary special education teacher, was honored this week with a special designation from the Veterans of Foreign Wars. They recognized her as the Veterans of Foreign Wars Teacher of the Year.
CEC Students Earn SolidWorks Certifications
Four CEC students have completed their Certified SolidWorks Associate (CSWA) certifications: Peter Griffiths (pictured top), Shawn Wiltse, Johnathan Masuoka and Ashton Smith (all pictured bottom photo, left to right). The significance of this certification? “SolidWorks is considered the gold standard of 3D modeling, and it is rare to find any job description or application in engineering that does not require the CSWA level at a minimum,” said engineering and robotics instructor Jeff Davis. “Completion of the training and exam demonstrates to employers that you understand the software and can use it effectively. Almost every entry-level job requiring CSWA starts around $26/hour.” In a recent SolidWorks audit, there were 3,027,000 active accounts worldwide with just 203,368 Certified SolidWorks Associates (CSWAs) or about 6.8 percent in the last 23 years. “That is roughly 0.00024 percent of the world’s population,” said Mr. Davis.
CEC Culinary Students Earn ServSafe Managers Certificate
You thought this was spring? Actually, it’s the season of certifications. These Culinary students have all earned ServSafe certifications. The ServSafe program provides food safety training, exams and educational materials to foodservice managers. Pictured top: Garrett Saunders, Fabian McGee, Erika Escobedo, Elizabeth Sanchez, Jada Jelks-Browning, Conner Partidge. Not pictured: Alexis Byrd. Middle photo: Luis Castilla, Kyler Wiechman. Bottom photo: Anahi Munoz, Abraham Villanueva.
Rider High School’s ‘Pennies for Pets’ Drive Raises $12,731
Rider’s National Honor Society members participated in their annual project – Pennies for Pets – and succeeded this year in raising $12,731. The P.E.T.S. Low-Cost Spay & Neuter Clinic will use this year’s donations to help install kennels and an exercise yard at Faith Refuge. While Faith Refuge shelters women, the P.E.T.S. Clinic has worked with the city to get permits to build kennels and an exercise yard so women in need of shelter can bring their dogs and won’t have to choose between having to give up a pet and taking shelter. Pictured: All Rider NHS members gather for a photo before heading off to different parts of town to collect donations.
Dual Credit Program Basks in New Popularity
The Career Education Center recently hosted a meet-up for parents and students who wanted to learn more about WFISD’s Dual Credit program, which enrolls high school students in college classes where they earn credits simultaneously for both high school and college. Interested families filled the CEC Learning Stair and the glass-encased meeting room in the entry. The growth is real: The number of students from all three high schools taking dual credit classes has more than doubled in two years. In 2016, 105 students enrolled in dual credit classes. In 2017, 210 students enrolled in dual credit classes. In 2018, 288 students enrolled in dual credit classes.
Career Education Center Hosts Harley Davidson Motorcycle Project Reveal
In an exciting “reveal” on Monday, Bobbie Gilmore from Red River Harley Davidson brought two motorcycles into the Career Education Center foyer as part of the Battle of the Kings motorcycle design contest. One 2019 Harley Davidson street bike featured standard design (pictured right); the second bike incorporated student work in its amped-up design (pictured left) . Customized features included its rear fender, fuel tank, powder-coating, exhaust system and a laser-etched design. Welding students from the CEC participated in the customization; marketing students contributed to design and marketing. Culinary students even prepared motorcycle-shaped cookies for Monday’s “Reveal.” The design contest is part of a worldwide competition between Harley Davidson franchises that will ultimately conclude in Milan, Italy. “We had the option to take any of the new bikes except for touring models and turn them into whatever we could imagine, with input of a school along the way,” said Ms. Gilmore. “The competition is meant to get kids involved and build the next generation of riders and service technicians.” Earlier in the year, students visited the Harley dealership to see real-world applications of their skills in mechanics and marketing. The competition is currently in Round 1, soliciting online voting for the People’s Choice Award. Pictured: CEC marketing students with both bikes.
Rider High School Football Players Create Videos Focused on Being Better Teammates
Rider High School Football Coach Marc Bindel took an idea from a book titled, “The Hard Hat,” by Jon Gordon, that focuses on 21 ways to be a great teammate. “We are videoing our kids answering the questions with each chapter we go over,” said Coach Bindel. “Hopefully we stay on top of things, and there will be 21 videos over the course of spring football with a different athlete discussing a different aspect of being a Great Teammate each time." The first video, pictured here, features Rider football player Lance Asmus, #74, discussing work ethic.
Biggest Senior Send-off Ever Relocates to Midwestern State University
All 750 WFISD seniors converged on Midwestern State University’s Dillard College Thursday for WFISD’s annual Senior Send-off. This unique event presents 17 seminars taught by local business men and women to help prepare seniors for life after high school. This year, all seniors from all three high schools attended, making it the largest Senior Send-off ever. It was also hosted at MSU for the first time, which introduced every senior to their local four-year college campus. Seminar speakers included Google’s Kevin Hodges (pictured top left), who traveled to Wichita Falls from Google's Austin headquarters to speak on the changing job market, the future of work, and the skills students will need to be successful.
McNiel Middle School Teacher Promotes Entrepreneurship with 'Freed’s Shark Tank'
McNiel Middle School teacher Carly Freed came up with a Shark Tank challenge to promote student entrepreneurship. After watching presentation examples from the Shark Tank television show, students looked for innovations in a variety of sectors, then presented their projects to class “sharks” – the students, teacher and paraprofessional. Students requested an amount of money for a percentage of their companies. Sharks predetermined their own career field and net worth. Sharks awarded points according to a rubric, with totals calculated and recorded. Students Tawana Sithole and Jose Guerrero amassed the highest point totals by designing a company that offers The Hygiene Kit, available in one-time or monthly shipments and a complementary GoogleSite that allows customers to customize the items included. “These bags are so useful, I have taken them clipped onto my carry-on when traveling to Washington, D.C., recently,” said Ms. Freed. Tarleton State University and Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers awarded Shark Tank finalists with special gifts.
Booker T. Washington Elementary First-Graders Create Dioramas
Students in Vanessa Liston’s class at Booker T. Washington Elementary are participating in project-based learning by creating dioramas to showcase their study of cheetahs. Each first-grader created a diorama that illustrated the cheetah’s habitat. A special feature of the project involved the student himself. He or she wore a round red button pinned to his or her shirt. Visitors could “press the button,” and the child delivered one fascinating fact about cheetahs.
Zundy Elementary Class Studies the F.B.I.
When Zundy teacher Rachel Probst asked her class to choose what they wanted to learn more about in their research unit, they chose the FBI. “I was blessed that the local agency was willing to come out and talk to our class,” said Ms. Probst. “The kids loved it! We have such a great community!”
Scotland Park, West Elementary Staff Enjoy Hot Breakfast from City Hope Church
City Hope Church members Vanessa Parish (left) and Connie Eakin (right) stand with Scotland Park At-Risk Coordinator Joe Clement (top photo) as they prepare to serve hot McDonalds' sausage biscuits to Scotland Park staff members on Wednesday. City Hope Church members served breakfast this week to several campuses, including West Foundation Elementary (bottom photo). It is part of the church’s outreach efforts to become acquainted with local schools as they “Love God. Love People. Give Hope.”
Milam Elementary Special Ed Para Gives Spelling Words in Sign Language
It was STAAR testing Day. Milam teacher Allison Wilson was assigned a 30-minute break in her day. When she returned to class, she found Mrs. Connelly, a special education paraprofessional, teaching her students their spelling words in sign language. They were learning to sign words like father and water. “They loved it!” said Ms. Wilson. “It was such an amazing thing to see her capture their minds with something so engaging. It was a great STAAR day activity.”
Haynes Northwest Academy Uses IDEA Grant to Start ‘Drums Alive’ Program
Haynes teacher Adrian Cargal received an IDEA Grant that brought yoga balls, drumsticks, buckets and a choreography/lesson plan to her classroom. “The ‘Drums Alive’ technique combines physical activity with academics,” she said. It can help students learn math, accelerate music TEKS mastery, and polish phonics/early reading skills. She has big plans for the program. She cleaned out Haynes’ portable building so she can begin the program there and share it with other teachers. “After a training, I’m hopeful that teachers will be able to use the ‘Drums Alive’ room regularly to aid instruction and work on those motor skills!” she said. Pictured here: Ms. Cargal and students warm up for a performance.
Milam Elementary Teacher Hand-Makes Writing Screens
Earlier this year, Milam teacher Patricia Robinson spent two days making 22 writing screens that students use to create a little square of privacy at a table when they write. But that’s not all. She created each writing screen as a tool kit for writing support. She glued two folders together, then cut and glued colorful, helpful strategies onto each folder, then laminated them. “They were so excited to get their Tool Kit, and I’ve observed them looking it over when they are searching for a specific word," said Ms. Robinson. "They keep their journal, Word Book Bank and Tool Kit together so they have it organized and ready to write each day.”
Sheppard Elementary Students Take Charge of School on April 12
What better incentive for fourth- and fifth-graders to do their best on the STAAR test than to let them take charge at school? Each student in grades 4 and 5 chose the staff member they wanted to be – and then stepped into their role for one hour. “Students taught lessons, answered phones, counseled younger students, and gave positive feedback to teachers,” said teacher Lauryn Taylor. “One student said that, besides Disneyland, this was the best day ever!” Pictured clockwise from top: Kindergarten Teacher Megan Barrera, Principal Cindy Waddell, Nurse Supervisor Daphne Tucker.
Barwise Middle School Students Create Their Own Hertzsprung-Russell Diagram
Perfect timing! During the same week that scientists shared the first image of a black hole, Barwise Middle School students were doing some star study of their own. Eighth-graders in science teacher Jennifer Parker’s classroom created their own Hertzsprung-Russell Diagram this week under the direction of student teacher Allison Duke from Midwestern State University. This chart shows the relationship of color, temperature, size and brightness of stars. Students plotted data from the stars on their lab table and inferred relationships about the properties of stars. HR Diagrams differ from other graphs because students must interpret two X-axes and two Y-axes. “Students interpret spectral classification, temperature, luminosity and absolute magnitude,” said Mrs. Parker. In the life cycle of a star, Earth’s sun now is middle-aged, said Mrs. Parker. Hydrogen fuels a star, and when its supply runs out, “Our star will turn into a red giant, then a planetary nebular, and then will be a small white dwarf,” said Mrs. Parker. “The death of super massive stars is a black hole. Our star will die a black dwarf instead of a black hole because our Sun doesn’t have enough mass.”
Milam Elementary Reading Teacher Tested the Same Week Her Students Did
Milam Elementary fourth-grade reading teacher Laurie Whisnand got a taste of the same encouragement her students are getting for their STAAR tests. She took a writing test Thursday, April 11, as a graduation requirement to earn her master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction from Midwestern State University on May 11. Two days earlier, her fourth-graders took the Writing STAAR test. Milam writing teacher Angela Calhoon helped the students make cards and posters to cheer Ms. Whisnand on and wish her luck on her test. “It was amazing to see my own words of encouragement to them used on many of my students’ posters and cards,” said Ms. Whisnand. “Their encouragement gave me the confidence I needed to tackle the test.”
Southern Hills Elementary Students Combine Math, Art for Candy Wrapper Paintings
Southern Hills Elementary fifth-graders used their math and art skills to scale a 2”x2” composition of a candy wrapper up to 14”x14”, and then paint it. “How amazing are these candy wrapped paintings?” said teacher Stacey Barton. “So much hard work on this wall.”
CEC’s Health Science and Veterinary Science Students Collaborate for Organ Study
Students from Health Science and Veterinary Science teamed up for lessons on evaluating, comparing and identifying the organs from hogs and cattle. “Hogs are very similar to humans, so the Health Science students came to explore with us,” said Ag teacher Amber West (pictured wearing black). “Students will be able to dissect the organs to see how they look on the inside as well,” said Ms. West.
Zundy Elementary Hosts Career Day
On Thursday morning, Zundy Elementary hosted a Career Day for students in grades 3-5. Students followed a personalized schedule that directed them to five pre-selected careers to explore. Simultaneously, students in K-2 rotated through five career options as a class. More than 40 careers were represented by visiting community members, according to Becky Hernandez.
McNiel Middle School Athlete Sought by Stanford University for Summer Clinic
A McNiel Middle School athlete, Jalynn Bristow, received a handwritten invitation from the Women’s Basketball Coach at Stanford University, inviting her to attend Stanford’s summer basketball camp. Jalynn is coached by McNiel basketball coach Carol Newton. Jalynn has been McNiel’s MVP basketball player for two consecutive years.
Wichita Falls High School Student’s Former Head Start Teacher Attends His Track Signing
Wichita Falls High School senior A. J. Espino had a special guest at his ceremony when he signed a scholarship to run cross country for Cameron University. His former Head Start teacher, Christi Luig Kelton, was there to cheer him on. Such loyalty to a student makes Head Start more than a two-year program. “It makes it a forever family,” tweeted his mother, Marcella Arredondo. Ms. Arredondo is a Head Start aide at the Northwest Head Start.
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District in Pictures is a weekly publication developed by the WFISD Community Relations department. If you have events, recognitions or classroom activities taking place on your campus that you would like us to cover, please let us know by emailing Ashley Thomas at athomas@wfisd.net or Ann Work Goodrich at awork@wfisd.net. We would love to include you in our weekly district news. (Please know that we will do our best to cover every story idea submitted but it may not be possible to include everything every week due to time constraints.)
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