District in Pictures
February 8, 2019
Sheppard, Fain, Jefferson Elementary Students Discover Citrus
Chartwells K12 brought its Discovery Kitchen to 415 elementary students at three schools to educate them about citrus fruits. Students at Sheppard, Fain, and Jefferson made their own citrus, mint-infused water, squeezing lemons, limes, and blood oranges into individual glasses of water and adding a sprig of mint. Students pictured here are from Fain Elementary.
Two Wichita Falls High School Debaters Qualify for State
After two years on the Wichita Falls High School Debate Team, seniors Emma Kuhrt and Aubrie Kuhrt finished in second place (beating top-seeded Aledo team) in the UIL District 4A Cross-Examination Debate Meet in Abilene on Jan. 30. The two Kuhrt seniors will continue in competition at the UIL State Cross-Examination Debate Meet in Austin March 22-23. First-year debaters Raylee Darden and Emma Watson, both juniors, finished fourth in total debate points. Pictured here, from left to right: Emma Kuhrt, Aubrie Kuhrt, Raylee Darden, and Emma Watson.
Ben Milam Elementary Spelling Bee Involves First-Graders for First Time
On Friday, two first-graders joined the “big kids” who participated in the school’s annual spelling bee. Everybody studied hard. “I would walk down the hall to see some students practicing during their down time from class,” said Laurie Whisnand, Milam 4th grade reading teacher. This year, the school winner was third-grader Kendyl Thomas (pictured right), who will continue on to compete in the city-wide spelling bee. “All of the students did a wonderful job,” said Ms. Whisnand.
Wichita Falls High School AP Physics Students Examine the Stretch in Springs
Advanced Placement Physics students in Dorene Baker’s class at Wichita Falls High School took a deep dive into springs on Wednesday. They measured the amount of stretching of springs holding various masses, then graphed them to calculate the spring constant. They converted the mass from grams to kilograms and the amount of stretch from centimeters to meters. They did calculations to determine the gravitational impact, the slope in their graph, how much work was done on the spring, the elastic potential energy in the spring at its maximum stretch – and more. This all made perfect sense to WFHS juniors Landon Graber, left, and Gigi Schalk, right, who worked as partners to record their measurements.
Hirschi High School Alum Returns to Hirschi Stage to Talk Army
Steven Laick, a Wichita Falls native, graduated from Hirschi High School in the Class of 1990, then joined the Army. Now 47 years old, he holds the highest enlisted rank of Command Sergeant Major. He serves with the Marketing and Engagement Brigade, a special unit that travels to tell the Army’s story. On Wednesday, he educated Hirschi seniors about the 100 different professions that make up the U.S. Army and how exciting their lives could look if they joined the Army. Soon, the Army will even have 20 soldiers competing on an Esports team by playing videogames – everything from Fortnite to Call of Duty – to relate to today’s recruits. “Make a solid plan,” he told students. “One thing you can never lose is the value of an education.”
Burgess Elementary Hosts First Oncor Electrical Safety Presentation
On Tuesday, Burgess Elementary students attended an Oncor electric safety presentation at their school called Oncor Super Safe Kids. The traveling educational experience teaches elementary school children about the importance of electric safety and how to spot potential dangers. They learned the impact electricity has on their everyday lives and about storm safety. The traveling educational experience will visit all WFISD K-5 campuses and every grade level during February and March. Each Burgess child received an activity book, refrigerator magnet, plastic hard hat and drawstring bag to take home. Oncor is a regulated electric transmission and distribution service provider that serves nearly 10 million Texas customers.
Jefferson Elementary L.I.F.E. Class Runs Coffee Bar
The Jefferson Elementary L.I.F.E. 1 class has a routine: They send out order forms to Jefferson staff to take orders for coffee, cappuccino, and hot chocolate. Then on Fridays, they load up the orders on a cart and make deliveries to classrooms. Pictured left, student Roben Dilbert hands coffee to Jefferson nurse Kristi Lane. “Our coffee bar is open every Friday,” said teacher Diane Tenbrink. “We use the money to help fund our CBI trips.”
'Principles of Law' Class Defends Fairy Tales
Students in Autumn Weber’s Principles of Law class at the Career Education Center learned the ins and outs of the courtroom in a creative way. They created defenses for some of the world’s most popular fairy tales. They created opening and closing statements and witness questions for fairy tales like Rapunzel (kidnapping), the Three Little Pigs (arson), and Hansel & Gretel (child abandonment). “Students played each role like in a real court, with prosecutors, victims, defendants, court reporters, defense attorneys, judges and jury members,” said Ms. Weber. “Luckily, my classroom has a courtroom bench, so it is easy, and students can feel like they are really sitting in a courtroom. It is a great activity for students to see how the criminal justice system works while making a creative ending to a story they all know.”
Cunningham Elementary Students Receive Postcards from Antarctica
Cunningham Elementary students in Emily Young’s classroom spent a few days in December studying Adelie penguins that live in Antarctica. On a special website, they viewed videos, pictures and research from scientists about how these penguins live, hunt and survive. Then students got busy: They drew penguins on postcards and sent a batch to the Antarctica scientists, who stamped them with a penguin stamp and sent them back. “The greatest part was seeing how excited they were when the cards returned,” said Ms. Young. “Just knowing they sent something all the way to Antarctica and back was awesome!”
Jefferson Elementary Kindness Club Boxes Up Kindness Cubes for Classrooms
What could be more important than sharing kindness with others? But how best to do it? Jefferson Elementary’s Kindness Club wrestled with this dilemma when member Aiden Yandell suggested that his club provide each class with a box of kind thoughts that students could open when needed. But what container could they use? The Club decided cube-shaped tissue boxes would be perfect, and the Kindness Cube was born. The Club collected boxes, gathered inspirational quotes, affirmations, a few corny jokes, and a few bits of wisdom, then assembled and distributed the first round of Kindness Cubes on Tuesday. Pictured here, Jefferson fourth-grade teacher Erin Evans (left) receives her delivery of a Kindness Cube.
Construction Class Home-Build Fulfills Promises
The small house under construction on the back lot of the Career Education Center is progressing well and fulfilling its mission for students. As promised, the plumbing students recently plumbed the small house, and the electrical students wired it up. The insulation has gone in, and the vinyl and metal siding combination has been hung. Supplies have been ordered so that students will soon begin putting up sheetrock, said instructor Scott Little. Top photo: Students work on the house exterior Wednesday afternoon. Bottom photo: Take a look inside.
Collision Repair Students Practice Restoration Basics
Christian Paz (with ear protectors) is a junior in the Collision Repair and Refinishing class under instructor David Boller. Here, he does body filler work on a 1996 Honda Civic fender as Mr. Boller (center) uses his work to instruct another student. Once Christian fills in the dents and levels it out, it will be ready for primer and paint. Prep work is crucial to create the finished product, said Mr. Boller. “Paint won’t fix anything,” he said.
Hirschi High School Students Tape Assistant Principals to Wall for Special Olympics
Here’s a math problem for you: How much heavy duty tape will it take to suspend and secure two fun-loving Hirschi assistant principals to the cafeteria wall? Figure in each one’s height and weight, force of gravity and angle of tape placed on the assistant principals. While Hirschi Student Council math whizzes tackled the calculation, the rest of the Student Council took donations for lengths of tape, then taped Kim Stutz and Greg Darden to the cafeteria wall. “It was a fun-filled activity for everyone in support of a great cause, the Special Olympics of North Texas,” said Jackie Ameluxen, Hirschi librarian and Student Council adviser.
Kirby Middle School Teacher Introduces Affirmations and Mantras Guide
Lamar Elementary Students Perform in Gail Key Academy Recital
It was recital time Jan. 31 for Lamar Elementary students who participate in the Gail Key Academy of Music. The program provides private and small group Suzuki string instruction programs for students in the Wichita Falls area. Students develop performance skills and character as they build a foundation for musical growth and appreciation.
Maintenance Department Repairs Franklin Elementary Drainage Problem
Maintenance Director Chris Fain and Maintenance Supervisor Mike Fisher tackled a long-standing problem at Franklin Elementary. For years, the school had a drainage problem in its front yard. When it rained, water stood ankle-deep on sidewalks. “The sidewalk was more flooded than the grass,” said Principal Angie Betts. “I lived in rainboots.” On rainy mornings, she and her staff had a specific strategy of funneling children from the street to the grass and up to the school steps. But no more. Mr. Fain and Mr. Fisher contracted with Falls Concrete to angle sidewalks and add concrete all the way up to the building and around the entry steps, eliminating mud and puddles. “It makes the school look so much better than it had in the previous years,” said Mr. Fisher. “We are very happy we were able to repair this issue.” Pictured bottom: Franklin secretary Amy Malone stands near the front steps, where concrete now extends all the way to the building.
Auto Mechanics Shop Receives New Sink
Picture this: A class full of student mechanics glances at the clock and sees the end of their class time approaching. They head to the shop’s single sink to wash the grease and grime off their hands before leaving. The bottleneck that always resulted – too many students, not enough sink space -- necessitated the purchase of a new, multi-use wash sink that can handle four students at once. On Tuesday, the old sink was removed and the gleaming new multi-use sink, pictured here, was installed.
Hirschi High School HiLites Dance at TCU Women's Basketball Halftime
For the past three years, the Hirschi High School’s dance team, the HiLites, has performed year round at all Hirschi football games and home basketball games. On Feb. 3, they fit in something special. They attended the Varsity Spirit TCU Spirit Day Clinic. They participated in the two-hour clinic, then performed at the halftime of the TCU vs. OSU women’s basketball game. "They did such a good job!" said Jordan Darnell, dance team coach and special education teacher. The all-senior squad has one freshman member who will return for the 2019-2020 season. “We are currently holding tryouts for the 2019-2020 HiLites,” said Ms. Darnell.
Booker T. Washington Elementary Students Learn from College Athletes
Midwestern State University athletes visited Booker T. Washington to talk about college and long-term goals. They hoped their experiences and advice would provide direction and inspiration for the elementary students. Many of the athletes said they started playing their sport when they were 5 years old. “They emphasized that many years of practicing made them more competitive,” said Kellie Hare, fifth-grade math teacher. “They told the kids how many hours they study and work out for their sport each week. Many discussed their scholarships and the requirements to keep the scholarship each semester.” The athletes spoke about their majors and the career fields they were pursuing after their sports careers were over. “It was a very positive experience for our students,” said Ms. Hare. "We have many that dream of being professional athletes. The MSU athletes pushed the idea that sports and academics go hand-in-hand.”
Wichita Falls High School Leads Polar Plunge Donations for Special Olympics
Many brave souls believe plunging into frigid water in the middle of winter is worth it for a good cause like Special Olympics. Wichita Falls High School brought in the most jumpers (34) to the Boomtown Bay event and raised the most money for the cause, said WFHS ESL and PAL sponsor Debbie Pepper. Special Olympics raised $10,000 this year, with the largest donation of $2,638.51 coming from Wichita Falls High School.
Sheppard Elementary Art Teacher Hosts Cookies and Canvas Painting Night
Sheppard Elementary music/art teacher Stephanie Benson (top photo) hosted the school’s inaugural Cookies and Canvas Painting Night for Sheppard students and their parents this week. "Parents and students painted blended hearts using white and red paint and added two love birds sitting on a branch. It was very cool to see parents working with their kids," said Ms. Benson. The event raised $535 for Sheppard's Fine Arts Department. "We had a blast doing it. We will definitely be doing it again," said Ms. Benson.
Dyslexia Teacher Uses EdCamp Passion to Track WFISD's Tech Savvy
Dyslexia teacher Amy Janjgava got the “EdCamp” bug when WFISD hosted its first one a few years ago, and she has been going to one every few months in nearby districts ever since. The teacher-led professional development days “refuel my passion for what I do,” she said. They also have given her a reading of WFISD’s technology progress. “At the beginning, I would go to some in the metroplex and they discussed smart boards, smart TVs, 1-to-1 Chromebooks, Google extensions, apps and more that I’d never heard of. But with our technology initiative, the Google Applications and Google Certification opportunities, and WFISD’s Twitter presence, I find we are now keeping up with other districts.” At the most recent EdCamp she attended in Prosper ISD, curious teachers expressed interest in WFISD’s cutting-edge initiatives. “We are now ahead of many districts, and that means a competitive edge our students now have,” said Mrs. Janjgava. “I highly recommend EdCamps, and I am always up for new carpool friends,” she said. “It is the best energy boost you can find, and it’s free!” Pictured here at Prosper ISD's EdCamp, left to right: Mrs. Janjgava, Laura Erwin, Caroline Miles, Stacia Jones, Jennifer Thompson, Michelle Phillips.
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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.)