District in Pictures
September 6, 2019
Rider High School PALS Reach Out to El Paso Students
When Rider Spanish teacher Marina King heard about the El Paso shooting at a Walmart that killed 22 people and wounded 26, she knew she wanted to help. She also felt Rider students could help, too. As a teacher of the PALS (Peer Assistance and Leadership) program, she turned to her upperclassmen with a plan. She asked every member to fill two colored note cards with encouraging, inspiring or compassionate words. Her 45 students wrote up 90 cards, pictured here. She sent them with prayers to two El Paso schools: Hillside Elementary and Tom Lea Elementary. “I just hope this will bring them hope,” said PALS President Anna Grisel.
Truancy Team Places 1,500 Phone Calls in Two Weeks to Track Down Truants
Verna Honeycutt, coordinator of WFISD’s Attendance/Truancy team, has been busy – an understatement. She and her team have placed 1,500 phone calls since school began to track down 542 no-shows and dropouts. As of Aug. 30, their hard work reduced the number of "disappearing" students from 542 to 6. The effort has included 50 home visits. By finding the school or district where each no-show or dropout enrolled, Ms. Honeycutt keeps the WFISD dropout rate from affecting graduation, attendance, or accountability rates. Once a student is confirmed in another district or state, she changes the student’s withdrawal code to reflect that. “We generally find that parents have moved away and just didn’t go through the correct process of withdrawing their students,” said Ms. Honeycutt. “We also encounter CPS, judicial or medical placements of students.” Ms. Honeycutt’s team members are first-rate investigators, checking social media and combing through records to locate "lost" students. Pictured left to right: Case workers Courtney Flores and Maria Ramirez, Coordinator Verna Honeycutt, and case worker Martha Catano.
Read 2 Learn Remedial Reading Program Lands $4,000 Youth Literacy Grant
For the second time in three years, WFISD’s Read 2 Learn program has received the Dollar General Literacy Foundation Youth Literacy Grant. The $4,000 grant will provide books for students and fund efforts to grow the program and provide technology needed to run it, said R2L District Coordinator January Cadotte. Last year, R2L served 420 second-graders in 15 WFISD schools with the help of 500 volunteers. The program coordinates volunteers to read with 2nd graders. The R2L mission is to help all 2nd graders read on grade level by the time they reach 3rd grade.
Haynes Northwest Academy Holds Capturing Kids’ Hearts Program Rally
All students at Haynes Northwest Academy have been busy learning the ins and outs of the Capturing Kids’ Hearts Program at their school. On Aug. 30, they assembled for a rally where they reviewed the program’s key features, like Sharing Good Things, Making a Social Contract, and learning signals for Time Out, Check, and Foul. They practiced explaining their thoughts using a proper sentence stem like, “Capturing Kids’ Hearts is…” then completing the sentence. Pictured here, Student Services Coordinator Marcus Mathis (right) practices the Time Out signal with students.
A Team of PIE Partners Provides Head Start Nap Mats
Do you ever wonder how some large needs in the District get met each year? Often it’s PIE Partners who come to the rescue. For example, last spring, Head Start teachers said they needed nap mats for the 2019-2020 school year – something comfy and clean for the children to stretch out on during their daily rest time. Grants that funded the purchase in years past had gone away. To provide the mats, WFISD turned to its PIE Partners. A number of them banded together to provide the needed mats. Thanks go to Alcoa Inc., Bryant Edwards Foundation Inc., Fain Foundation, Guinn Foundation, Inc., J.S. Bridwell Foundation, Perdue Brandon Fielder Collins & Mott LLP, Star Brite Cleaners, Sweet Texas Tees, Texoma Community Credit Union, Union Square Credit Union, United Supermarkets, and Wichita Falls Teachers Federal Credit Union.
WFISD Foundation Distributes $60,450 in Scholarships to High School Seniors in 2019
A key mission of the WFISD Foundation is to award scholarships. In the past year, 61 seniors at WFISD’s three high schools earned scholarships for college totaling $60,450. To apply for scholarships this year, seniors should contact their counselors for information about the various scholarship opportunities, said WFISD Foundation Executive Director Cheryl Pappan. Pictured here: Rider graduate Vy Phan was one of the 61 students honored with a WFISD Foundation scholarship. She received the Foundation's Dottie Galyean Scholarship.
Fowler Kinders’ Social Contract Puts Students in Role of Mini Teachers
Classes around WFISD are writing up Social Contracts in keeping with Capturing Kids’ Hearts philosophy. One Fowler Elementary class that thoroughly enjoyed the experience was Samantha Griego’s kinders, who dutifully volunteered the expectations that should guide them in class. “The students came up with expectations that really would have been the ‘rules’ I would have presented them with,” said Ms. Griego. “Giving them the opportunity to design the social contract provided them with a sense of ownership.” Each student drew a self-portrait and affixed it to the Social Contract poster, which they signed. “They see their signatures and hold each other accountable,” said Ms. Griego. “They are like mini teachers throughout the day. It usually goes, ‘You are doing a great job following our social contract,’ or ‘Oh, no. You are not following our social contract.’ I love it!”
Career Education Center Marks Third Year
Pictured here, Career Education Center staff members assemble for a staff photo at the launch of the new school year. This is the third year of operation for WFISD’s newest state-of-the-art facility. CEC enrollment as of Aug. 30 was 1,433 students – 344 from Hirschi, 561 from Rider and 528 from Wichita Falls High School. Enrollment has risen by 100 students over last year as the CEC has added dual credit classes.
Jefferson Math Teacher Transports 5th Grade Students to Classroom Carnival
Jefferson Elementary math teacher Kristin Howard transformed her classroom into a carnival designed to help her 5th graders review for the first unit test of the year. The carnival featured eight games. “The carnival has been a big hit,” said Mrs. Howard. “The kids had to answer questions over addition, subtraction, multiplication and division and then show me their work. We discussed their answers. If they got the answers correct, they earned a ticket and got to play a carnival game. If they did not, we went through the problems together to reteach the mistakes made. Once the corrections were made, they could still earn a red ticket and play the games.”
Special Ed Specialists Carry ‘Reinforcement Packs’
Laura Akin, elementary special education curriculum and program specialist, and Katie Flippen often wear fanny packs stocked with items that help reinforce students' good choices. It’s not new that some students with disabilities respond to M&Ms, gummy bears and goldfish – or that they can be motivated to positive behavior with fidget tools or stickers. What is new: Ms. Akin's practice of putting all those helpful items in one grab-and-go bag. She picked up the idea from the West Foundation Elementary LEAP (Language Enriched Autism Program) teachers, who wore them when responding to crisis calls or just helping with classroom behaviors. “Katie and I found ourselves scouring the classrooms we were visiting for anything we could find that would reinforce students. Then I went to West to help out in a room, and the teacher had her pack on, and it was full of the students’ preferred reinforcers. I thought, ‘Why didn’t I think of that?’” Pictured left to right: Ms. Flippen and Ms. Akin show off their reinforcement packs.
Hirschi High School Choral Program Gets Ready to Move Into First Real Choir Room since 1994
“Hirschi hasn’t had a real choir room since 1994,” said Hirschi Choir teacher Mineasa Nesbit. “Our program has been moving all over the building from the Band Hall to other regular-sized classrooms since I arrived in 2005.” An old locker room was renovated in 2007, but the space was small with low ceilings and no acoustics – something important when preparing choral students for performances and contests. But all that is about to change, said Ms. Nesbit. The new space will feature high ceilings, built-in risers, and three soundproof practice rooms. “We are so grateful the District is making this investment in our students and program,” she said. "It has been a long time coming – about 15 years that I’ve dealt with these issues – but we are so excited.” She created a video for her students that showcases construction progress. “We call each phase a ‘movement,’ as you would do in a major choral composition when the song changes moods or moves to a different phase.” Pictured below, the new room takes shape.
Lamar Elementary Student Featured in Food Bank Circular
The Wichita Falls Area Food Bank featured Lamar 5th grader Jayden Esquibel in its Fall 2019 “Food for Thought” publication. The Food Bank contributes about 100 Power Paks – weekend food packages – to Lamar students. That number rises weekly. “Lamar Elementary is blessed by the steadfastness that the Food Bank provides students every week,” said Kaycie Taylor.
Milam Elementary Teacher Uses Affirmations to Facilitate Classroom Friendships
Capturing Kids’ Hearts Founder Flip Flippen says the question every child asks at this point in the school year is, “Do I have a friend in my class?” To make sure every student can answer, “Yes!” Milam 5th grade ELAR teacher Siobhan Loyd directs her students to write affirmation notes to each classmate, using a checklist to keep track. They write the notes at breakfast in class or when they finish their work, said Mrs. Loyd. She held the affirmations in an envelope for each child, then sent their August envelopes home with them last week (pictured below). They will continue this practice all year. “We love loving each other,” she said.
Rider High School AP Biology Students Perform Statistical Analysis in Penny Lab
Here’s something you may never have thought about in your entire life: How many droplets of water will a penny hold? And will a penny hold more droplets of salt water, sugar water or soapy water – and why? Rider teacher Joshua Nielsen’s AP Biology students conducted this lab this week, repeating the investigation using different types of water. “The statistical analysis comes into play when they compared the average of each test – the Standard Error of the Mean and Standard Deviation,” said Mr. Nielsen. So, aren't you curious to find out what type of water beaded up the best on a penny? “Students found that sugar water, being sticky, allowed for the most drops of water on a penny,” said Mr. Nielsen.
Sheppard Elementary Students Learn While ‘On the Move’
Kindergarten students in Sheppard teacher Sara Rennhack’s class are learning while they’re on the move – just the way they like it. Ms. Rennhack set up her Balanced Literacy stations around the room so that students must wander the room, hunting for A-B-C cards that will help them learn to write capital and lowercase letters. “The kids absolutely love the freedom to move around and ‘hunt’ these cards instead of the normal, sit-at-your-desk-and-do-a-worksheet routine,” said Ms. Rennhack.
Kirby Middle School Teacher Creates ‘Be Relentless!’ Class Send-off
At the end of every class period, Kirby teacher Emma Beshear sends her students off by having them shout together, “Be relentless!” The send-off (pictured below) is part of the Capturing Kids’ Hearts program. She assigned one student to be the Launch Leader, and this student leads the class through the launch at the end of the class period. She chose this particular send-off after watching a You Tube video about Principal Hamish Brewer. She decided her students, like his, faced challenges inside and outside the classroom. “My goal is that they constantly pursue their goals, even when they face a setback,” said Ms. Beshear. Students conducted a word study on relentless, finding synonyms, antonyms, and examples of what being relentless would look like in the classroom. “We decided that the word relentless is not a word to whisper," said Ms. Beshear. "So we yell, ‘Be Relentless!’”
Teacher Uses Time-Tested Assignment at This Time Every Year
Zundy Elementary teacher Melanie Lindsay can’t recall where the idea for her “I Am” poems came from. Did Curriculum Specialist Sherry Parker give it to her? Or was it Zundy 4th grade teacher Tammy Kuehler? Or Maybe 5th grade Zundy teacher Lindsay Rogers? Well, wherever it came from, it works, so she uses it year after year. Students write an “I Am” poem by finishing the sentence stems to create their own free-verse poem. “I’ve loved it so much that I do it every year because it works for all grade levels,” she said.
Harrell Facility Repurposed for Denver Alternative Center Offers New Efficiency for Denver Staff
The Harrell building that now serves as the new Denver Alternative Center may not be a new building, but Denver staff say it’s a big improvement over the old one -- and they appreciate it. Teachers no longer traipse between the main building and outdoor portable buildings. “There is no going ‘in and out’ between buildings, no exposure to weather, no remembering the codes to get back into the classrooms or into the main facility,” said teacher Bill Lockwood. The new set-up places fellow team members Janet Slack and Melissa O’Malley directly across the hall from Mr. Lockwood instead of in another building. “It has been really helpful having them within easy reach,” he said. Even the parking is better. After Mr. Lockwood dropped off a horse at the vet last week, he parked his entire rig around back of Harrell. “That was convenient!” he said. Pictured here: Denver staff members gather for a photo at the start of the school year.
Lamar Elementary Teachers Enjoy Sweet Treat at First Staff Meeting
When Lamar Elementary teachers showed up for their first staff meeting of the year, they were greeted by three tempting yogurt cakes. The treats were provided by Ashley Caldwell from Menchie's. Pictured here, Lamar Principal Amanda Garcia cuts a cake for staff members to enjoy.
Wichita Falls High School Electronic Marquee Installed
Digital signs tell the time, the temperature, and give a greeting or important information to anyone approaching the building. This digital sign was installed this summer at Wichita Falls High School. It’s one of many in the district, according to Maintenance Director Chris Fain, who said digital signs now greet visitors at Brook Village, Southern Hills, Crockett, the Career Education Center, Franklin, Cunningham, Fain, West Foundation, Fowler, Jefferson, McNiel, Kirby, Rider and Hirschi.
Empty Room + Paint + Creativity = Google Garage on Carrigan Campus
McNiel U.S. History Teacher Launches Year with Patriotic Photo Booth
McNiel U.S. History Teacher Kimbra Thomas started the first day of school with an icebreaker: Taking fun photos using silly props. “I try to make learning history enjoyable, and it was a great way to start the year with something fun,” she said. “The students really enjoyed it.”
West Foundation Counselor Focuses on Friendship
The beginning of the school year is the perfect time to focus students on the gift – and skills – of friendship. West Foundation Elementary Counselor Miranda O’Neal is leading students in activities that focus on the true meaning of friendship and the importance of including everyone. Students are decorating shirt artwork and making commitments to be good to one another, said West Principal Kim Smith.
Franklin Elementary Teacher Uses Colored Sticky Notes Strategically
A simple tool like colored sticky notes made Franklin 5th grade teacher Tiffanny Lindsey’s Figurative Language Lesson much easier. Students reviewed Figurative Language – metaphors, similes, hyperboles, and personifications – and found examples in their novels. They watched a Flocabulary Figurative Language Rap, then wrote examples of each technique – putting each one on a specifically colored sticky note. “The sticky note colors matched their anchor chart colors,” said Ms. Lindsey. “Then they walked around the room sharing each example with four peers before sticking their examples on the cabinet doors. The colorful sticky notes made a colorful visual to help them review.” When Ms. Lindsey posted this activity on her Twitter feed, a student responded by bringing in more colored sticky notes for future projects.
McNiel Student’s ‘Lauren’s Law’ Took Effect Sept. 1
Lauren’s Law, spurred by the tragic 2016 murder of McNiel Middle School student Lauren Landavazo, took effect Sept. 1. The law, authored as Senate Bill 719 by Texas Sen. Pat Fallon, R-Prosper, ramps up penalties in murder cases involving children. Now, prosecutors can pursue capital murder charges in the death of a child aged 10 to younger than 15 – not just for children younger than 10, as was previously the case. The law took effect three years following Lauren’s death on Sept. 2, 2016. Lauren, 13, was murdered by Kody Lott while walking home from school. He also wounded then-McNiel student Makayla Smith. A Fort Worth jury sentenced Lott to life in prison for Lauren’s murder and 20 years for the aggravated assault on Makayla. Pictured: McNiel’s Mane Event horse stands on the school’s front lawn as a memorial to Lauren and Makayla.
Lamar Teacher Unleashes the Magic of Reading
How old-school can you get? Lamar teacher Jessica Hernandez reads aloud to her fourth-grade class every day. But students are fully engaged and hanging on every detail, proof that opening a book and unleashing the power of a story still wields magic in the mind of a child.
#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.)
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