Tiger Nation
November 2019
Happy Thanksgiving from Tiger Nation
Veteran's Day
On Monday, November 11th, Wills Point Junior High honored our local Veterans by hosting our annual Veterans Day Breakfast and Assembly. We kicked off the morning with a special breakfast for our veterans, put on by our WPJH Student Council and National Junior Honor Society members. The Veterans Day Assembly began immediately following the breakfast. During the assembly, the WPJH Wind Ensemble and Saxophone Ensemble performed multiple patriotic tunes, the WPJH Color Guard displayed the military flags as well as several members of the National Junior Honor Society spoke throughout the program. Our guest speaker was Staff Sergeant Kendal Allen. He gave an awesome message on why America is great, encouraging students to love our country. We had over 80 guests in attendance! WPJH students helped decorate our Honor Hallway, which held student artwork, flags, poppies and multiple pictures of veterans and active military personnel. We appreciate all the hard work displayed by our WPJH staff and students. Overall, it was an incredible experience to honor our local veterans and show our support for our country.
A special shout out is deserved for our Instructional Coach, Jamie Laney. Coach Laney takes the initiative each year to help head up this honorary program. This year, she worked many long days to ensure a successful assembly and we appreciate all her hard work!
Innovative Technology Brings Smiles to Classrooms!
Some very cool and new devices are coming to the district for our English Language Learners. Several of these students will hear teacher instruction in real time in their native languages for optimal learning along with immersion in learning English in context. The students are excited to open the lines of communication on their way to mastery with their classmates.
Mad Scientists!
What if we could get EVERY student in EVERY classroom to love to learn? It’s a tall order, but possible when we give our students a reason to get excited about learning!! We encouraged all teachers at the Primary to ROCK their classroom and create an outside-the-box educational experience for our students during Mad Scientist Day! It didn’t have to be expensive or fancy, but it had to be captivating!
The science classes at WPHS have had some pretty cool experiments. In biology, students were learning about the concept of osmosis and how different solutions will change the density of the gummy bear. The students were engaged in the conversation discussing their results and comparing it to classmates.
Down the hall in the forensics science classroom, the students were their own special CSI unit! There was one fingerprint they were looking for and they each had to complete the fingerprinting process to find the culprit. The investigation included different ways fingerprints could be gathered using various materials. Some of the fingerprints were viewed underneath microscopes and others were enlarged by putting their prints in a balloon.
Engineering!
Mr. and Mrs. Fields, two community members, volunteered their time to visit Mrs. Mixon and Mrs. Hurley’s third-grade classes at Woods Intermediate School on Monday, Nov. 18th. The Fields are both engineers. Mr. Fields is a Civil Engineer and Mrs. Fields is a Bridge Engineer. They discussed with the third-grade students whether a bridge was in tension or compression. They had student volunteers stand on an egg carton full of eggs to show compression or tension. Mrs. Fields was on the team that built the Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge in Dallas, Tx. Mr. Fields worked on the Clyde Warren Park project in Dallas, TX. They built and brought in a replica of the Margaret Hunt Hill bridge for the students to enjoy. Our GT students are studying about energy and motion.
School Board Visits With Surprise!
Future Farmers of America
#Leadership #Service
FFA students recently competed in the Mineola District Leadership Development Contest held at Winona High School. They competed in various contests ranging from; Greenhand Skills, Greenhand Creed, Senior Creed, Job Interview, Radio, Public Relations and Quiz. The Mineola District is considered one of the toughest districts in the State of Texas as far as Leadership Contest. They competed against schools from Smith, Van Zandt and Wood county.
November Tiger Techs!
We are so thankful for the many teachers in our district who are stretching themselves and pursuing innovative strategies and tools for our students to stretch themselves. We have 25 teachers within the district who have reached Level 1, 12 teachers have reached Level 2 and 5 have already reached the top level of Tiger Tech. These teachers are not only doing amazing things in their own classrooms but they are sharing experiences with their peers and growing a culture of collaboration on our campuses.
Below are the teachers who reached different levels of Tiger Tech over the past month.
Level 1 (NEW)
Lonnie Sanders (HS Science)
Norma Balderas (2nd grade)
Misty Hoedebeck (2nd grade)
Robert Gail (HS Eco)
Chasity Mixon (3rd grade)
Ashley Weed (Primary Asst Principal)
Jami Wilkinson (MS Tech)
Level 2 (NEW)
Amy Spurger (5th ELA)
Jennifer Brannon (HS ELA)
Brandy Pearson (Primary IC)
Lisa Valentine (5th ELA)
Tiera Homer (HS Math)
Level 3 (NEW)
Typhanie Hill (7th ELA)
High School Achievements
What an amazing fall it has been for WPHS Athletics! Fall Tennis competed at the State Tournament placing third in 4A Team Tennis. Cross Country advanced both Girls and Boys Teams to Regionals. Football won a District Championship and played a great game in the Bi-District round of the playoffs. Basketball has started for the girls and they are off to a 2-0 start for the year. Boys basketball will get their season started on Nov. 22nd.
Giving Thanks
#Service #Leadership
WPJH celebrated Turkey Day a week early with a yummy Thanksgiving Lunch. Administrators helped serve, teachers ate alongside their students & tons of smiles happened all around our cafeteria. It’s a great day to be a Tiger!
Manna Food Drive
#Service #Leadership
At Woods, November means it is time for the Manna Food drive. This year, our 4th-grade students have done an excellent job of promoting and organizing this event. Our 4th graders made posters and daily announcements to encourage our students and staff to bring in food items to support the food drive and the families in the surrounding area that the drive will benefit. They also help pick up all of the donations form the class around the school. Because of the students’ hard work and the support of our Woods parents and the Wills Point community we were able to donate thousands of items.
VR Headsets
It is so great to see so many of our students benefiting from the amazing tools at our disposal in the district. With every changing scene in the Virtual Reality headsets, the gasps of wonder and awe will never grow old with me. Over the past month, all our 5th graders got to see volcanoes in Indonesia, Russia, Hawaii and erupting volcanoes from a helicopter and experience a tornado and earthquake simulations. Our 2nd graders got to compare Urban to Rural by seeing Time Square, downtown Dallas, the suburbs of Terrell and Forney and the rural county roads in Wills Point.
Science Vocabulary Parade -
Our annual Science Vocabulary Parade showcased our students’ creativity and inventiveness through their interpretations of their science vocabulary terms. Students designed costumes that represented each word, and we had school board members and various district staff serve as judges. Our students did an outstanding job!
Filling the "Blank Space" at WPJH
7th grade math students worked together to create real world problems that were then applied to tables, graphs, and solutions from their own equations. They ended with a gallery walk where they learned about each others' examples.
Middle School Instruction Soars to New Heights!
Our 5th grade students have been learning about the 13 original colonies in Social Studies. They are doing collaborative research to create persuasive commercials based on an assigned state. The purpose of their commercial is to educate others about natural resources, important facts, artisans and how they affect the community, food supply, etc., and persuade visitors to move there. Students will also be integrating technology with the use of a green screen during production.
In language arts, they have been learning about moving west and the pioneers with their reading selections. In Ms. England’s classes completed Google slide presentations with partners over four different topics: basket weaving in the 1800s, pioneer children toys and games, how to build sod houses (they had to insert a video clip), plus facts about the wagon train on the Oregon Trail with a video to support their knowledge. The students then wove baskets and quickly realized that they prefer modern conveniences!
Stop Drop and Roll!
#Service #Leadership
Mr. Shawn Davis, a Wills Point community member, and Balch Springs Fire Marshal, recently visited with the students at Woods to talk about fire safety. The students learned about the importance of having a family fire evacuation plan and a predetermined place for the family to meet in case of a house fire. Students were taught to stay low and find the nearest exit, which could be a window or a door. It was emphasized to the students the importance of getting out of the house and leaving belongs behind and not to go back into the house for any reason. They also learned that fire alarms need to be checked monthly and that the batteries need to be changed twice a year. Mr. Davis suggested to the students that this be done at the same time we adjust the clocks during time changes.
Get Your Yearbook Today!
Technology Upgrades!
The Technology Team (with the help of the High School Chrome Crew) is working diligently to get new technology ordered, enrolled and distributed to the students and staff of WPISD. Recently, the School Board allowed additional expenditures for technology devices. The Primary campus had been previously identified for upgrades for instructional technology and was the recipient of most of the hardware.
The majority of the iPads in the district were end of life. Three hundred and fifty new Android tablets have been purchased exclusively for the students at Wills Point Primary. Additionally, twenty Aver wireless interactive panels were acquired for teachers to aid in the facilitation of instruction. Interactive panels will eventually take the place of projectors, they are placed on a mobile cart and provide the teacher with effortless collaboration and engagement. iPads in the Intermediate school will be replaced with versatile 2-in-1 Chromebooks. With this transitional device in second grade, students will be able to adapt easily from Primary school tablets to using a Chromebook by third grade. It provides the ability to interact with its screen the way they’re used to interacting with most devices – through touch.
Teacher grants distributed through the Wills Point ISD Education Foundation added about 60 Chromebooks to the district’s fleet. Because of the influx of technology, the School Board allowed the Technology Department to purchase upgrades for the wireless infrastructure. The district is currently assessing the wireless coverage and identifying areas in need of enhancement. It is expected that most of the improvements will be in place by spring of 2020.
Paraprofessional of the Month
Bianca Landaverde
Pam Arnett
Cynthia Taylor
Teacher of the Month
Meredith Shaw
Paige Granberry
Tamara Stanley
Department Recognition
Mike Wiliams
Suzanne Baker
Jimmy Lormand
District Raises Funds to Fight Juvenile Diabetes
#Service
Rocket Launch!
In our WPMS Rocketry Club, we have had five students complete their first Mercury level of National Association of Rocketry requirements. Each member had to complete the following requirements: (1) Do one of the following - Fly and successfully recover a ready-to-fly rocket two times and assemble a rocket with single or multi-piece plastic fins and fly successfully two times; or assemble a rocket with balsa or stiff card stock fins and fly successfully two times. (2) Assemble a rocket at least 24” long and fly successfully two times.
Upon completion of flights, each member was required to complete a verification document and attach a picture for each section they completed. These documents have been sent to the National Association of Rocketry for approval. These students will receive a certificate of completion along with a level 1 pin. Congratulations to Panha Phay, Eli Brewer, Micah Barnes, Rheann Shaw, and Bryant Fritchman on their accomplishment!
Safety and Security with Chief Wilhelm
WPISDPD is now fully licensed and a functional police department. We will continue to utilize Officer Jones with the City of WP until our current contract expires with the city. Chief Wilhelm is finalizing some procedures and policies for our district police department.
During last months newsletter, Chief Wilhelm stated “We are working towards streamlining and centralizing our security technologies, to include surveillance, and access control.” He is happy to report that we have received approval from the board of trustees to move forward with upgrades to our surveillance systems, access control (key cards), and install a new district wide radio system. Things are definitely moving in the right direction, says Chief Wilhelm.
The WPISDPD entered into a memorandum of understanding with the Child Advocacy Center (CAC) of Van Zandt County. This agreement will allow district personnel to refer students to the CAC during times of need and when children are involved with sexual assaults, family violence, abuse, and family related issues. This is a huge resource that benefits our students who are in crisis. they are a strategic partner in keeping our students safe, providing preventative educational programs, as well as cooperating with investigation where children are harmed.
Our district wide E-cig program for students with be deployed in December. Stay tuned for further details...
The last implementation phase of the Raptor visitor management system is being completed this month. We hope to be fully functional by Dec. 1st. We ask that all staff where their ID badges and assist those who are not. This system will help ensure visitors on campuses are accounted for and in the right place on our campuses.
Community Events
Dec 4 White Gift Service
Dec 9 Kindergarten Christmas Musical
Dec 11 Band performs for Elementary Campuses (Christmas carol concert)
Dec 12 MS Christmas Musical
Dec 16 4th grade Christmas Musical
Dec 17 JH Band Concert
Christmas on the Bricks
White Gift Service
#Character #Service #Leadership
December 4, 2019. WPHS Cafetorium. 7:00pm
Enjoy images from previous performances throughout the years.
Calendar of Events
Primary School
Dec 2nd - 20th Themed Dress Up Days
Dec. 6th PTO Hospitality
Dec. 7th Christmas Parade
Dec. 9th Kindergarten Musical
Dec. 20th Class Parties (9:30 a.m - 10:30 a.m.)
Dec. 20th Early Release at (11:00 a.m.)
Dec. 20th - Jan. 7th Winter Break
Jan. 8th Back to School
Woods Intermediate
Nov. 25th- 29th - Thanksgiving Break
Dec. 6th - PTO Hospitality
Dec. 7th - Wills Point Christmas Parade
Dec. 9th- 3rd Grade Field Trip to Dallas Children’s Theater
Dec. 16th - 4th Grade Music Program
Dec. 19th- 2nd 9 Weeks Attendance Reward Party
Dec. 20th - Class Christmas Parties (9:15-10:00)
Dec. 20th- Early Dismissal (11:00 a.m.)?
Dec. 20th- Jan. 7th Christmas Break
Jan. 10th - Academic Pep-Rally
Middle School
Dec. 4th - Progress reports sent home
Dec. 5th - Kona Ice
Dec. 7th - Christmas on the Bricks Parade
Dec. 12th - Middle School Music Night 6:30 @ HS main gym
Dec. 13th - 6th grade band concert for student body 2:45
Dec. 20th - Christmas parties and early dismissal (11:10)
Dec. 20th - Jan. 7th - Christmas Break
Jan. 8th - Report cards go home
Jan. 10th - Academic Assembly 2:45
Junior High
Dec. 2 Girls BB @ Home
Dec. 2 Boys BB vs. Brownsboro
Dec.9th- Boys BB @ Home
Dec. 9th- Girls BB vs. Mabank
Dec. 12th- Parent Night 5:30-7:00
Dec. 20th- Early Dismissal
High School
Dec. 2nd - Balfour Ring Delivery Lunches
Dec. 3rd- Balfour Ring Delivery Lunches
Dec. 3rd- Boys BB @ Caddo Mills
Dec. 3rd- Girls BB vs. Eustace
Dec. 4th - White Gift Service 7pm
Dec.5th- Girls BB Wills Point Tournament
Dec.5th- Boys BB @ Edgewood Tournament
Dec. 5th- GAP Graduation Ceremony 6:30pm
Dec.6th- Girls BB Wills Point Tournament
Dec.6th- Boys BB @ Edgewood Tournament
Dec.7th- Girls BB Wills Point Tournament
Dec.7th- Boys BB @ Edgewood Tournament
Dec 10th- STAAR EOC Retesting
Dec. 10th- Girls BB vs. Community
Dec. 10th- Boys BB @ Ferris
Dec. 11th- STAAR EOC Testing
Dec. 12th- STAAR EOC Retesting
Dec.12th- Girls BB @ Edgewood Tournament
Dec.12th- Boys BB Wills Point Tournament
Dec.12th- Girls BB @ Edgewood Tournament
Dec.12th- Boys BB Wills Point Tournament
Dec. 13th- STAAR EOC Retesting
Dec.13th- Girls BB @ Edgewood Tournament
Dec.13th- Boys BB Wills Point Tournament
Dec.14th- Girls BB @ Edgewood Tournament
Dec.14th- Boys BB Wills Point Tournament
Dec. 17th - Girls BB @ Saltillo
Dec. 17th - Boys BB @ Waxahachie Life
Dec. 18th - Mid-Term Exams Periods
Dec. 19th - Mid-Term Exams Periods
Dec. 20th - Mid-Term Exams Periods
Dec. 20th- Early Dismissal 11:30am
Dec. 27th - Girls BB @ Kaufman Tournament
Dec. 27th - Boys BB @ Holiday Tournament Allen
Dec. 28th - Girls BB @ Kaufman Tournament
Dec. 28th - Boys BB @ Holiday Tournament Allen
Dec. 31st - Boys BB vs. Eustace
Jan. 6th - Student Holiday
Jan7th - Student Holiday
Jan. 8th - Spring Semester Starts
Jan. 8th - Girls BB vs. Grand Saline
Jan. 8th - Boys BB @ Grand Saline