District in Pictures
March 29, 2024
Lang Honored With First Roberta Faulkner Sund Award for Creative Teaching
Cunningham Holds Ribbon Cutting for New Playground Surface
Last Friday, Cunningham Elementary held a highly anticipated ribbon cutting to celebrate its new playground surface. The previous surface consisted of rubber tiles that had deteriorated over time. Cunningham principal, Amy Simmons, became aware of the playground issues when she started working at the school last summer. "As soon as I saw the playgrounds, I knew they had to be addressed," Mrs. Simmons said. "Our students in wheelchairs and walkers were struggling to navigate the playground safely due to the condition of the tiles, so we decided we would do something about it." The school began fundraising and had all the funds needed for Phase 1 of the playground repair by Christmas break. The rubber tiles were replaced with a turf surface, making it more accessible for all of Cunningham's students. The school has now started fundraising for Phase 2 that will address the playground on the K-5th grade side of the building. "The end goal is to make that playground accessible as well so that any student who comes through our doors has a safe, accessible place to play regardless of their ability, grade level, or what program they are in," said Mrs. Simmons. "It ties right in with our campus mission of providing an inclusive, safe, and respectful place where students can grow."
Early Learning Program Receives Grant for Kindergarten Books
Two Days Left!
There are only two days left for WFISD Seniors to submit their scholarship applications through the WFISD Foundation! The WFISD Foundation expects to award around $85,000 in scholarships this year. Mark your calendar for Tuesday, May 14 at 5:30pm for the WFISD Foundation Scholarship Reception. Students who are being awarded a scholarship will receive a personal invitation from their high school college and career counselor. Click here to get started now!
Mr. Baka's Biography
This week, students in Jessica Rivers' bilingual kindergarten class at Zundy Elementary completed a writing project focused on biographies. The class voted on who they wanted to write their biography about and Zundy assistant principal, Joseph Baka, was the winner. The students selected the questions and interviewed him. They recorded the interview and then wrote the biography in Spanish. After they finished writing, they made a cover for the book and presented the final product to Mr. Baka. It took the students about one week to complete the project. "It was a fun way to learn about a biography and practice the right way to write," said Ms. Rivers.
Southern Hills Class Receives Sweet Treats from Rider Baseball Player
Rider High school student, Kreasen Dean, came to his mom's class this week to surprise her students. Kreasen's mom, Stacy Dean, is a teacher at Southern Hills Elementary. He surprised all of her students with doughnuts to thank them for supporting him by voting for him as the Midseason Pitcher of the Year through the Times Record News online poll.
Biology Students Have a "Berry" Good Time
Students in Mr. Nielsen's IB Biology class at Hirschi High School had a "berry" good time extracting DNA from strawberries in a hands-on lab investigation. Pictured are Camryn Guthrie and Ann James mashing their berries before adding various solutions to extract the DNA. Students even got to take home their DNA in a handy necklace!
Step Right Up!
There is a carnival going on at West Foundation in 3rd Grade! Mrs. Tackett and Mrs. Warton have added a fun twist to the STAAR review by transforming their classes into a carnival. Students can earn tickets by working through various reading and math skills daily. Once the students have worked through those skills, they can then spend the tickets they have earned on games and prizes. The carnival is a nine day long review and the students are loving it!
Fowler 2nd Grade March Madness
Fowler 2nd graders participated in "March Madness" style stations this week. Each room was transformed into basketball themed activities that were tied back to the 2nd grade TEKS. There was a math room, phonics room, STEAM room, and an art activity. Students rotated classrooms and got to experience each station.
3,2,1….Blast Off!
Fourth grade TAG students continued their unit on Aviation by exploring space flight! Students learned about historical NASA missions, the evolution of space flight, and the goal of future space explorations. They applied their understanding of thrust and aerodynamics to create paper rockets! “Collaborating on design and exercising precision when building rocket components was a challenge for each team,” said Alison Colemere, Gifted & Talented Teacher. “It was all worth it, though, when they saw their rockets launch through the air!”
Parachute Play at Fowler
Students at Fowler Elementary enjoyed "Parachute Day" this week. According to Fowler paraprofessional Staci Handy, Parachute Day is the best day and watching the parachute float up and down is mesmerizing. But, parachute play isn’t just fun and games, it is:
- Cooperation
- Teamwork
- Hand-eye coordination, balance, and mobility
- Core and arm muscles
- Social interaction and communication
- Listening and responding
Fowler students are mastering the above skills. Their favorite part is hanging out in the parachute mushroom with PE teacher Mrs. Case and "hiding" from their homeroom teachers.
Students Learn About Ecosystem Stability Through Jenga Lesson
Students in Mr. Shore's 7th Grade class at Kirby Middle School had a fun time playing Environmental Jenga this week. By pulling out color coded blocks which represented different environmental pressures, students simulated ecosystem stability and balance in a fun and engaging way.
West 4th Graders Go to STAAR Boot Camp
Fourth grade students at West Foundation enjoyed a room transformation provided by West teacher, Shayla Schelter. Students started working on a STAAR Training Boot Camp. Students were turned into "cadets" working together to solve review problems. After their challenge, students completed multiple rounds of boot camp fitness exercises. Through the process, students built some knowledge...and built some muscles!
Franklin Holds Fun-Filled STEAM Event
On Tuesday, March 26 the Franklin faculty and PTA worked together to provide a fun filled STEAM event for families. Franklin faculty and staff hosted science and engineering activities that included a watermelon/rubber band challenge, Lego volcanoes, gravity splat, and exploding baggies. Kids of all ages also got to make and take creations such as oobleck, fizzy paint, and lava lamps. The Franklin PTA hosted concessions and stations for color hairspray and temporary tattoos. Families were also able to visit the book fair in the library.
Blue Cross Blue Shield Provides Classroom Supplies for Teachers
Alynn Terry and Seonaid Acevedo, representatives from Blue Cross Blue Shield, stopped by Scotland Park Elementary on Monday to make a classroom supply donation to the staff. The supplies were taken from a list developed by the teachers. Thank you, Blue Cross Blue Shield.
WFISD Apparel Store Now Open
Need a new WFISD t-shirt, hoodie, or tumbler? Well you're in luck! The WFISD apparel store is open with plenty of different options available (short sleeve, long sleeve, various colors). Click here to place your order.
Please note: Campus pick up is available for WFISD staff only. Shirts will be delivered to your campus if you selected that option. To add that option, click on the very first image in the store that says "STAFF" and then choose your campus. Otherwise, you can pick your items up from BroCro Creative at 607 E Scott Ave or pay to have you order shipped to your home or school. Important: After you order, please keep a copy or your receipt. There is no way for the district to look up individual orders for staff after they have been placed.
Orders must be placed by the end of the day on March 31. Orders will be shipped or ready to pick up at BroCro Creative by April 18.
Brook Village Treated to Pop Up Breakfast
This week, the staff at Brook Village was treated to a pop up breakfast sponsored by Grand Canyon University. Staff members received breakfast pizza from United and warm scones and coffee courtesy of Chartwells.
Elementary Art Show
We invite our community to the WFISD Elementary Art Show on April 2 from 5 to 7:30 p.m at The Forum (2120 Speedway). All elementary art programs will be represented. It is a come-and-go event that will also include performances by the high school jazz bands. We hope to see you there!
#TellYourWFISDStory
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 feature, please let us know by completing the form at the following link: www.wfisd.net/dip. We would love to include you in our weekly district news.