INSIDE DSISD
The latest news from Dripping Springs ISD
Week of October 18, 2021
TIGER BAND ADVANCES TO AREA CONTEST
The Dripping Springs High School band earned a Division I rating at the UIL Region 18 Marching Contest in Austin. The Tiger band advances to the UIL Area D Marching Contest scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 23, at The Pfield (1440 W. Pecan St.) in Pflugerville. The band will perform at 4:30 p.m. in the preliminary round with the top seven bands advancing to finals, which begin at 7 p.m. The top three bands from finals will move on to the UIL 5A State Marching Contest on Nov. 1-2, at the Alamodome in San Antonio.
LONG-RANGE FACILITY PLANNING COMMITTEE MEETING RECAP
The Long-Range Facility Planning Committee (LRFPC) held its second meeting of the 2021-22 school year on Oct. 19. The committee is tasked with considering important decisions to ensure that Dripping Springs ISD continues to serve all students with a personal and exceptional education over the next 5-10 years. A video recording of the meeting can be found at dsisdtx.us/LRFPC.
Scott Leopold of Cooperative Strategies overviewed the agenda and noted an additional committee meeting will be added for Thursday, Nov. 11. Mr. Leopold opened the meeting with a discussion on middle school facilities, including a cost study, performance outcomes with various school sizes, and impacts on staffing. The committee worked in small groups discussing middle school sizes.
The second half of the meeting was devoted to a high school discussion. Mr. Leopold presented several different options with the pros and cons of each; groups then discussed and presented their thoughts on various options.
The next Long-Range Facility Planning Committee meeting will be held Thursday, Nov. 11, from 6:00-8:00 p.m. in the Dripping Springs High School cafeteria. The final LRFPC meeting is set for Thursday, Nov. 18, from 6:00-8:00 p.m. in the DSHS cafeteria. Members of the public may attend and observe the meetings. A community meeting is tentatively scheduled for late November.
FALL SPORTS UPDATE
The Dripping Springs High School girls’ varsity cross country team qualified for the Region IV-5A competition following a second-place finish at the district meet. DSHS was paced by a second-place individual finish from senior Karsten Bobb who timed 18:33 over the five-kilometer course. The girls' junior varsity team captured the district title, led by sophomore Madison Johnson who claimed first place with a time of 20:12. Senior Brant Melton qualified for the regional meet as an individual with a sixth-place finish in a time of 16:50. Both the varsity and junior varsity boys’ teams finished in fifth place. The Region IV-5A meet will be held on Monday, Oct. 25, in Corpus Christi.
DSHS team tennis claimed an area championship with an 18-1 win over San Antonio Southwest High School. The team's state playoff run came to an end with a 10-6 loss to Georgetown in the regional quarterfinals.
The Lady Tiger volleyball team has two road matches remaining before the state playoffs begin on Monday, Nov. 1. DSHS is currently 12-2 in district play, which is second place in the district standings.
The Tiger football team improved to 7-0 on the season last week and sit 4-0 in district play, alongside Seguin High School and Buda Johnson High School. The Tigers host Johnson in their final home game on Oct. 29. The game will be Senior Night for band members and Hi-Steppers. The UIL state playoffs begin Thursday, Nov. 11, with the bi-district round.
DSISD Infographic
NATIONAL SCHOOL BUS SAFETY WEEK
Oct. 18-22, 2021 is National School Bus Safety Week and Dripping Springs ISD asks all drivers to join the effort to help keep our students safe by observing school bus laws and displaying courtesy to buses and bus riders. This year’s theme is "Be Safe; Know the Danger Zone." This theme emphasizes the importance of teaching students and parents that there are three dangerous areas around a school bus where children have the greatest likelihood of not being seen by the driver: 10 feet in front of the bus where the driver may be too high to see a child, 10 feet on either side of the bus where a child may be in the driver’s blind spot, and the area behind the school bus.
National School Bus Safety Week is an active and evolving public education program and an excellent way for parents, students, teachers, motorists, school bus operators, school administrators, and other interested parties to join forces and address the importance of school bus safety. Dripping Springs ISD drivers transport approximately 3,800 students between home and school each day, and buses collectively drive more than 4,000 miles each day.
"In DSISD, our drivers take their role and responsibility seriously,” said Director of Transportation Pam Swanks. “They care deeply about our students and are committed to transporting them safely and efficiently to and from school each day. When motorists respect bus safety laws and exhibit extra caution around buses, it creates a safer environment for students."
Safety tips for bus riders are available on DSISD’s Transportation Department website. The National Association for Pupil Transportation offers these tips. Another helpful tip this time of year is a suggestion that students in the early morning hours have a flashlight with them to provide illumination while they are walking to the bus stop and waiting for the bus. Dripping Springs ISD also reminds drivers that it is illegal to talk or text on a cell phone in active school zones.