Trice-Told Tales
September Parent Newsletter 2019
Great start to the 2019 school year
New Trice Staff Members
Mrs. Diane Jones-- Assistant Principal
Ms. Kimberly Collins--Special Education teacher
Ms. Collins was born and raised in the Texarkana area. She graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Interdisciplinary Studies from Texas A&M in 2012, she is qualified to teach both General and Special Education. She started working for the Texarkana Arkansas School District in August of 2016. She spent the last three years working at College Hill Elementary as the Special Education-Resource teacher for grades K-5. This year will be her first as part of the Trice family.
One of the main reasons Ms. Collins entered the field of Special Education, was to show students that despite whatever obstacles they may face, goals can still be met, and dreams can become a reality.
Ms. Collins will be replacing Ms. Smith who has transferred to College Hill Elementary this year. We will miss Ms. Smith and wish her well this school year.
Mrs. Michelle Newman--dyslexia interventionist
Mrs. Newman has taught 18 years in Bryant, Arkansas, Pleasant Grove, and in the Texarkana Arkansas School District. She has been with TASD for the past 11 years. The past 10 years she has been on the Union elementary campus as a dyslexia interventionist.
Mrs. Newman will be replacing Mrs. Newton who has transferred to Fairview this year. We will miss Mrs. Newton and wish her well this school year.
Mrs. Latamala Duncan--Kindergarten teacher
Mrs. Elizabeth Gilley--First Grade teacher
My name is Elizabeth Gilley and I am a second career teacher with thirteen years of teaching experience, having completed degrees in Psychology/Sociology, Curriculum and Instruction, and a Master’s degree in Educational Administration in 2015. I have served as Grant Coordinator for the ABC Grant Program, as President of the Personnel Policy Committee and as a member of the Leadership Team for the Mineral Springs School District. I was Adjunct Professor of Math and Technology courses in the Office Careers program at Texarkana College for five years, and worked for the Genoa Central School district for four years as well as the Hope School District for four years. I have taught Third Grade, Kindergarten, and K-4 Special Education. I am excited to finally join the Trice Family this year as a First Grade Teacher.
I am married and have five beautiful children and one granddaughter who lives in West Monroe, Louisiana. My youngest son will be a junior in high school this year and my youngest daughter graduated from Henderson State University last December with plans to attend Law School in Little Rock, Arkansas.
Ms. Colester Young--Guidance Counselor
Mrs. Tonya Dunphy--Instructional facilitator
Mrs. Dunphy will be starting her 20th year with the Texarkana Arkansas School District. Mrs. Dunphy has held many positions within TASD including 1st and 2nd grade teacher, District Curriculum Coordinator (K-6), Assistant Principal, Instructional Facilitator, and Community and Parental Involvement Coordinator at Arkansas High. She obtained a Master’s Degree in Educational Administration in 2003 and has completed coursework towards a Doctorate. She has sponsored the Interact Club at Arkansas High for 6 years which emphasizes youth volunteerism in our community.
She has been married for 22 years and has one daughter who is in her second year of college at Stephen F. Austin. Kaylee is working towards a degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders to become a Speech Pathologist.
Mrs. Dunphy will be working along side our other instructional facilitator, Mrs. Kathy Coker.
Ms. Katie Lasagna--reading interventionist
She has been a paraprofessional for TASD for the past 5 years at Union Elementary. During those 5 years she has taught coding, video/film, photography, graphic design, and all sorts of technology related subjects.
She graduated from Texas A&M-Texarkana with a bachelor's in mass communications and a minor in history.
SHe has worked in broadcast news (camera operator), creative services (made commercials for businesses in Little Rock), radio (voice over work for commercials), and even worked on crew for a motion picture (the remake of The Town that Dreaded Sundown). For the past 9 years she has moonlighted as a video game tester. She has also been a coach for TASD Destination Imagination for the last 2 years.
Ms. Lasagna has 3 children. Her son, Toby, is 11 and her twin daughters, Riley and Ari, are 9.
Mrs. Kayla Smeltzer--attendance secretary
My Kayla Smeltzer is joining Trice Elementary as an additional secretary. She was born in Texarkana, Arkansas and a 1985 graduate of Arkansas High School. She was a stay at home mom for 14 years and attended Texarkana College.
She has worked at TASD for 11 years and began as a temp helping in HR and payroll. After working as a temp for one year, she was hired as an office clerk in the HR Department and went on to work in food service, transportation and custodial as a Secretary. In the 2018/2019 school year, she was a secretary at Second Chance. Mrs. Smeltzer will be working with Mrs. Becky Johnson and Mrs. Maggie Morgan in the front office this school year.
What's happening around Trice
September 10-12th--Grandparents day
September 17th--TFA #1 Reading and Math for grades 3-5
September 19th-- 1st Box Top Store & Parent/Teacher conferences from 4:00-7:00
September 20th--No School for students, Parent/Teacher conferences from 10:00-1:00
September 23rd--Drum Ensemble performance at OIE conference in Hot Springs
September 25th--Fall Pictures
Grandparents day
To make grandparents day a success, we need your help. If you would like to volunteer to help serve cookies or juice please call and speak with our parent volunteer coordinator Mrs. Cox. We are also asking all kindergarten and first grade students to bring in one bag of store bought cookies.
Trice T-Shirts
Tech Tuesday
Pull Tabs for the Ronald McDonald House
Boyles Blend--Coffee and Conversation with the principal
Want More Information?
Check the school website, Facebook page, and Twitter feed for announcements, calendar of events, school flyers, videos, and more!
Trice Mission:
Academically challenging curriculum
Respectful learning environment
Technology & arts integration
Striving to develop effective leaders
Tracey D. Boyles
Principal
Email: tracey.boyles@tasd7.net
Website: Http://tr.tasd7.net/
Location: 4505 Pinson Drive, Texarkana, AR, United States
Phone: 870-7728431
Facebook: facebook.com/TriceRenaissanceElementaryMagnet
Twitter: @TriceElementary