District in Pictures
February 21, 2020
WFISD ‘Dancing for the Stars’ Teacher Scores Second Mirror Ball Win for WFISD
TeamWFISD raised the most money -- $15,000 – in the Dancing for the Stars Fundraiser held Feb. 14, and team member Jennifer Taylor, a third-grade reading teacher at Burgess Elementary, raised $8,000 individually to win the coveted Mirror Ball Trophy for most donations raised. Ms. Taylor was the second school district participant in the fundraiser's six-year history to bring home the Mirror Ball Trophy, following in the footsteps of math teacher Kristin Howard (2016). When Superintendent Mike Kuhrt danced in the fundraiser in 2017, he won Judges Choice for Best Male Celebrity, earning 10s from all five judges. The event benefits Big Brothers Big Sisters and Midwestern State University’s Small Business Development Center. Saturday’s sixth Dancing for the Stars event raised $130,000. TeamWFISD participants pictured left to right: Kristin Howard, Jennifer Taylor, dancing instructor Lauren Loskot, Peter Griffiths and Ward Roberts.
Technology Support Specialist Honored at Technology Conference
WFISD Help Desk Analyst Amanda Leverett was honored at the Texas Computer Education Association (TCEA) convention in Austin on Feb. 7. She was selected as one of three finalists for the TCEA Technical Support Person of the Year out of 300 contenders. “It was a great honor to be nominated for this award, let alone be a finalist,” said Ms. Leverett. “I love technology and being able to help others love technology – or at bare minimum help control unruly technology and to make the user’s job or task easier to manage.” Ms. Leverett provides technical assistance remotely and/or over the phone. She has been employed with WFISD for 10 years and is certified with Lenovo, Dell and Google.
Lamar Elementary Nominated for Third Consecutive Capturing Kids’ Hearts Honor
The Capturing Kids’ Hearts program is thriving at Lamar Elementary, where staff members recently earned their third recognition plaque for being nominated as a Capturing Kids’ Hearts Showcase Campus. The prestigious nomination brings the campus one step closer to its third official naming as a Capturing Kids’ Hearts Showcase Campus. The campus has worn this title with pride for the past two years; it must be re-earned every year.
Hirschi High School Wins $5,000 Grant to Expand Salad Bar
Hirschi High School was one of 10 schools in the nation to receive a $5,000 grant through Kellogg’s Company and No Kid Hungry, which teamed up to reward schools that are innovative and creative in improving meal programs. “No Kid Hungry and Kellogg's were impressed by the live cooking demos and interactive nutrition activities we offer throughout our district,” said Emily Kincaid, Chartwells marketing director. “Throughout the school year, students are shown how to make nutritious, delicious meals and snacks and are encouraged to make a connection between what they eat and how they feel and perform.” The funding will bring a new salad bar to Hirschi. “Students at Hirschi respond favorably to the current salad bar, so we are excited to offer them a larger salad bar that will keep up with the demand,” said Ms. Kincaid.
Fain Elementary Receives Funds from Rotary Club Southwest
The Rotary Club of Southwest Wichita Falls hosted a night of celebration on Feb. 18 where the club awarded more than $23,000 to 15 local organizations – and Fain Elementary was among them. “Rotarians are people of action. I’ve seen it time and time again – when there’s a challenge that’s within our control to address, we do it,” said Club President Rob Staples. The SW Club is one of three Rotary clubs in Wichita Falls. Two Fain staff members – Robbie Kelly and Tamara Spray –accepted the Rotary gift for Fain at its celebration. Pictured: Fain Principal Clarisa Richie and a student show off the check.
Fowler Elementary Student Becomes ‘Mayor for a Day’
Fowler second-grader Tucker Hrncirik won a special prize at a school PTO auction recently: The chance to be “Mayor for a Day.” Tuesday was the big day. He attended a City Council meeting, met the City Council members and the “other” mayor, Mayor Stephen Santellana (pictured). He also toured Fire Station 1, shot water from a fire hose, and took a ride in a fire truck.
Kirby Middle School Young Men’s Club Attends Harlem Globetrotters Game
A Kirby PIE Partner, Matt Cunningham of Cunningham Clark Construction, purchased tickets for Kirby students and sponsors in the Young Men’s Club to attend a special night at the Harlem Globetrotters Game. The Kirby students attended a Meet-and-Greet with Globetrotters team members, watched the game, enjoyed refreshments and participated in some of the night’s contests. “One student even won the Slam Dunk Contest!” said Kirby counselor Blaire Robinson. “We appreciate Mr. Cunningham giving these boys an experience they will never forget.”
Zundy Elementary Class Sends Digital Valentine’s Day Cards to St. Jude Medical Center Patients
It seems that, thanks to technology, there’s a new way to do everything – and that includes sending Valentine’s Day cards. Zundy fourth-grade students in Chelsey Lerma’s class opened up their Chromebooks and sent digital greetings to patients at St. Jude Medical Center. “It was completely free, and I just thought it would be a nice way to teach my students about acts of kindness,” said Ms. Lerma, who teaches Reading Language Arts. “They loved doing it, and we focused on sending positive messages rather than ‘get wells’.” Zundy coworker Gladys Pando shared the link for this opportunity that she had found on Facebook with Ms. Lerma.
Scotland Park Elementary Students Use Elastic Bands to Learn Geometry
When Shannon Myers taught a geometry lesson on shapes, she found an “active” way to do it that also tapped students' technology skills. She gave her third-grade students large elastic bands and asked them to stretch them around their bodies in a way that would create a specific shape, such as a pentagon or hexagon. They took a picture of the shape they created, then used the Seesaw app to mark the edges and vertices and label the shape with its specific name. “The kids had so much fun, and I am sure they learned a lot,” said Ms. Myers.
West Foundation Elementary Teacher Makes Census Personal to Students
West Foundation teacher Charisse Humphreys signed up for lessons from the Census Bureau to assist her when she teaches her students about Census 2020. She started with the Valentine’s Day Fun Facts about census data provided by the Census Bureau. “I had the kids read over it and highlight what they found interesting,” said Ms. Humphreys. “Then we shared as a group.” She told them her personal story: They did not have any children during the last census, in 2010. “My oldest son is a third-grader and now in my classroom. We discussed how my family has grown by two people since 2010." She also alerted the children to one key fact: They were not yet born when the last census was done. “So they were not included in their family total,” she said. She will present more lessons March 2-6, one of which includes a virtual field trip through the Census Building.
Lamar Elementary Staff Benefits from City Hope Church’s Generosity
City Hope Church volunteers have been modeling acts of kindness at Lamar Elementary. They provided Lamar staff with fruit and cheese trays, warm chicken biscuits from Chick-fil-A, and a goodie bag full of surprises. Pictured: City Hope Church volunteers.
Career Education Center Staff, Students Show Off CEC in Open House
On Tuesday, the Career Education Center staff and students opened up the building for community members to tour the facility and learn about its 26 career-centered programs. The Open House is an annual event.
Sheppard Elementary Student Council Delivers More Than 1,000 Valentine Candy Grams
Student Council members at Sheppard prepared for more than six weeks for their Valentine’s Day event. They made and delivered more than 1,000 Valentine Candy Grams.
Rider, Hirschi High Schools Host Mini College Fair
On Wednesday, College and Career Advisors at Rider High School and Hirschi High School hosted a Mini College Fair for students during one class period. Eleven universities attended the fair: University of Arkansas, Texas Tech University, University of Arizona, Oklahoma State University, University of Tulsa, Midwestern State University, University of Texas at Austin, University of Alabama, Texas State University, University of Colorado at Colorado Springs, and Mississippi State University. College representatives spoke individually with students who came by their tables to ask questions.
Haynes Northwest Academy Teacher Invents March Madness-Themed Reading Activity
Haynes fourth-grade reading teacher Courtney Schrader is bringing her own version of the NCAA March Madness into her classroom. She designed a reading motivation activity, pictured below, that ties in with their March Madness interests.
Sheppard Elementary Hosts ‘Cookies & Canvas’
Sheppard music/art teacher Stephanie Benson drew families to Sheppard for a fundraiser called, “Cookies & Canvas.” The Fine Arts fundraiser raises about $600 each year for the Sheppard Fine Arts Department, said Lauryn Taylor, DoDEA Project Director. The evening began with an art project: Mrs. Benson guided families through a step-by-step painting of a Valentine’s gnome. They took a break to enjoy cookies and popcorn.
New Education Center Entry is Operational
A new entry procedure at the Education Center at 1104 Broad Street is now operational. Visitors to the building will stop at the top of the entry stairs to sign in and receive a Visitor’s Badge. This is now similar to the entry procedure at every other WFISD campus. A call will also be made to alert the person you are visiting that you are headed their way.
McNiel Middle School Honor Society Kicks Off Pet Drive
Students in the McNiel National Junior Honor Society volunteered Feb. 1 at the Wichita Falls Animal Service Center. The activity kicked off their “I <3 a Pet” Drive. Students collected pet supplies through Valentine’s Day, then delivered them to the Animal Service Center on Hatton Road.
Board Members Confirm Facility Direction
In a board meeting Monday, school board members confirmed the direction for facility upgrades that will begin if a school bond passes in November. Board members want two equal high schools, each costing $142 million to $143 million, that will open their doors as soon as 2024. To make it happen, community members must vote “yes” in November to a school bond totaling $290 million. If a bond passes, it will include a few other changes: The closure of Wichita Falls High School, the repurposing of Rider and Hirschi as middle schools after $1.5 million remodels each, and a $1.5 million remodel for Barwise Middle School. The current tax rate of $1.15 would rise to $1.47 to fund the new bond. This is just the beginning of a long-range facility plan that stretches to 2055. A bond is expected to be officially called in August, but design research and planning will begin immediately.
Career Education Center Construction Students Erect House #2
Another house is under construction on the back lot of the Career Education Center. Under the direction of construction teacher Scott Little, students have framed up WFISD’s second house as part of the construction curriculum. The first house was designed and built during the past two school years and was marketed and sold in 2019.
Scotland Park Elementary Shares the Love with Lamar Elementary
Recently, PetSmart coordinated a program of collecting teddy bears from the general public, then donating them to local schools. PetSmart donated 200 teddy bears to Scotland Park and when they asked At-Risk Coordinator Joe Clement for a tip on giving out more, he suggested sending 200 teddy bears to Lamar Elementary, too. Pictured: Lamar fifth-grade students help sort and count the bears they received. Some of the bears will be handed out to kindergarten students; others will be saved as giveaways at the upcoming Easter Egg Hunt.
Lamar Elementary Kinders Celebrate Reading Success
Students in Jennifer Edmondson’s class celebrated their reading success, child by child. Paraprofessional Maria Fernandez made a point of recognizing each student who had reached a reading milestone. Pictured: At-Risk Coordinator Kaycie Taylor is surrounded by Lamar kinders from Mrs. Edmondson’s class.
Booker T. Washington Elementary PTA Honors Student Council at Annual Gospel Fest
The Parent Teacher Association members at Booker T. Washington have a knack for drawing in community members to events they host. This year, when the organization chose someone to honor at the Gospel Fest, they chose Booker T. Washington’s first-ever elected Student Council. Since the Gospel Fest coincides with Black History Month, two Student Council members spoke about famous African Americans from history. Three Booker T. staff members also performed in the event’s musical numbers.
Wichita Falls High School Team Enjoys Generous Spread of Food
When the Wichita Falls High School’s Parent Teacher Organization provides food for WFISD employees, they go all out. “They go above and beyond, and I love to recognize what they do for us,” said WFHS testing coordinator Rebeca Perez.
Lamar Elementary Class Seeks to Boost Bank Morale
Jerry Taylor’s fifth-grade science class wanted everyone to get in the Valentine’s Day spirit. So they created a “Happy Valentine’s Day” sign and delivered it to First Capital Bank of Texas. The sign hung on a table of treats that greeted bank customers.
#IAMWFISD
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.)
Email: athomas@wfisd.net
Website: www.wfisd.net
Location: 1104 Broad Street, Wichita Falls, TX, USA
Phone: (940)235-1004
Twitter: @WFISDschools