District in Pictures
May 17, 2019
Cunningham Elementary Hallways Showcase 'Leaving the Shadows of PreK Behind' Silhouette Art Mural
Five Cunningham teachers – Jessica Jacobs, Amanda Beck, Regina Campbell, Pam Hill and Brandy Honeycutt – have been collaborating on a massive art project that they unveiled last Thursday. Titled “Leaving the Shadows of PreK Behind,” the silhouetted landscape of actual Cunningham preK students honors the many students who will complete their year at Cunningham, then move on to new campuses next year. “We took pictures of our students playing, then projected them onto the board and traced them on to black paper,” said Ms. Jacobs. “We thought that it was a cute way to say goodbye to our students. The kids know which ones they are (on the mural) and love it!”
Hirschi High School Students Selected as Texas Music Scholars
The Texas Music Educators Association selected six Hirschi High School band and orchestra students as Texas Music Scholars. They are (pictured clockwise from top left) Alexis Nicolas, Nathen Moore, Lauren Nicolas, Ayallah Jones, Catherine Dockery, and Kofi Agyepong. The award honors students who demonstrated scholastic merit, musicianship and citizenship during the 2018-2019 school year.
Wichita Falls High School Assistant Coach Honored – for the Second Time
The Texas Association of Soccer Coaches Organization (TASCO) named Wichita Falls High School Assistant Coach Larry Ludtke as its Soccer Region 1 Assistant Coach of the Year. He was recognized for developing players and contributing to the program’s overall success. "Coach Ludtke is a huge asset to our program,” said WFHS Head Soccer Coach Patrick McCauley. “He does a great job developing our players and holds the guys to a very high standard on the field and in the classroom. This award is a great recognition of his contributions to our program, and it’s his second time receiving it!”
Wichita Falls High School Teacher Wins Mirabeau B. Lamar Award
A Wichita Falls High School special education inclusion teacher, Monica Hicks-Bailey, was presented Thursday with the Mirabeau B. Lamar Award for Excellence in Education from The Grand Lodge of Texas, A.F. & A.M. The award, which honors her outstanding service in education, came with a certificate, medal and cash award. Ms. Hicks-Bailey is pictured below holding her certificate.
Superintendent, Associate Super Greet Crockett Students on STAAR Test Day
Monday began a week of STAAR testing. WFISD Superintendent Mike Kuhrt (pictured right) and Associate Superintendent Peter Griffiths (left) were out early Monday morning on Crockett Elementary School’s front sidewalk, welcoming in students with handshakes and good wishes.
Bricktown Tap House & Kitchen Meets STAAR Testing with Pizza
Even though Bricktown Tap House & Kitchen has a PIE Partnership with Jefferson Elementary, Bricktown manager Craig Harmel was responsive when a Zundy staff member contacted him about possibly feeding Zundy staff on Monday. He asked, “How can I support Zundy?” He responded by baking 35 freshly made pizzas for staff members’ Monday lunch on the first STAAR testing day of the week. “Bricktown manager Craig Harmel and some of his staff came to work an hour early to prepare the meal,” said Zundy’s Madeline Eubanks. One employee, Zundy parent Janett Tovar, personally fired all the pizzas. “We were blown away by the amount of amazing food they provided,” said Ms. Eubanks.
West Foundation Elementary Cranks Out Annual STAAR Video
It’s a West Foundation tradition to create a STAAR video, and this year was no exception. Third-grade reading teacher Kelli Gates borrowed the “Rock the STAAR” theme from curriculum specialists who provided training in January with that theme. “She knew that was our song,” said Charisse Humphreys. “As usual, she got busy on the lyrics.” They launched the video, which features student teacher Suzanne Farr, on May 2. Faith Baptist Church music minister Kyle Padilla sang the video’s song.
Lamar Elementary Teachers Treated to ‘On the Border’ Buffet on STAAR Monday
Maria Anguiano and Lindsay Miller are pictured here diving into the beans, rice, enchiladas, chips and salsa set out in a tempting buffet for Lamar teachers on Monday. The tasty lunch was provided by PIE Partner On the Border to offset stressful STAAR testing.
Barwise Middle School Teacher Draws Art Work for Wichita Falls Friend’s Book Series
Barwise art teacher Mike Murdock has teamed up with a childhood friend from Wichita Falls, Lyn I. Kelly (pictured top right), to partner on several art ventures. “We knew each other at Franklin and stayed friends as I went to Zundy and Old High,” said Mr. Murdock (pictured top left). In 1992, Mr. Murdock created a comic book, Bowie Butane, for which Mr. Kelly wrote the script. More recently, Mr. Kelly created a book series called The Dark Lands. Mr. Murdock did concept drawing, which appeared in the latest edition of Mr. Kelly’s second book, The Not – Where, and he created the covers for Mr. Kelly’s two most recent books, War of the Sentinels and The Forgotten. “Every year, Lyn buys a booth at the Dallas Fan Expo to promote his book,” said Mr. Murdock. “He is generous enough to let me tag along so I can get autographs. On occasion, kids will ask for a drawing (pictured top left). I will give a quick mini lesson as I draw their favorite character.” Mr. Kelly’s fantasy series is appropriate for middle school students, and the Barwise librarian may soon put it on the Barwise shelves, said Mr. Murdock.
Zundy Elementary Students Shrink Paper and Melt (Their Mothers’) Hearts
Zundy Elementary fourth-grade math teacher Brittany Brown searched for a “fast, cheap and personal” project for her students to complete to honor their mothers for Mother’s Day. She came up with Love Note Key Chains that feature a hand-written note from each child to his or her mother, telling why they love her. The note is written on a special paper called Shrink Dink. “I had to draw the paper lines on them and cut them out,” said Ms. Brown. “Once the kids wrote their messages, I put them in the oven.” Once heated, the paper shrinks to one-third its original size and takes on the texture of hard plastic that is about nine times thicker than the original paper. “The moms LOVED it,” said Ms. Brown. “It’s a nice little keepsake.”
Franklin Elementary Students Earn Tickets to Spend at Class Carnival
Franklin teachers Courtney Kittrell and Erica Gonzales partnered on their STAAR review this year, with memorable results. Students reviewed STAAR standards for four days, working with partners and earning tickets for their work ethic as well as for their scores on assignments. The higher the score, the more tickets they earned. “We had ZERO behavior problems and none of the end-of-the-school-year lull that we typically experience,” said Ms. Kittrell. “Students were so excited to earn tickets!” Then, at the end of the week, students cashed in their tickets at a classroom carnival. One of the teacher’s parents auctioned off prizes, which provided opportunities for students to spend all their tickets. The review was so effective – and so much fun – that these teachers have no doubt how they will review for STAAR next year. In fact, Ms. Kittrell said the carnival ranked in her “favorite Top 5 memories in all my years of teaching.”
Milam Elementary Teacher Orchestrates Musical Chairs Journal-Writing
Lamar Elementary Students Applaud their Wichita Falls High School PALs
All year long, PAL students from Wichita Falls High School have devoted time, week after week, to read to Lamar second-graders in the school’s Read 2 Learn program. But on May 8, Lamar students turned the table on their Old High PALS who are graduating seniors and celebrated them instead. As WFHS seniors paraded through the school dressed in their caps and gowns, the entire Lamar population gathered in the hallways with noisemakers, banners, signs, and high-fives. “It was glorious to see the smiles on everyone’s faces,” said At-Risk Coordinator Kaycie Taylor. “We are proud of you and thank you for inspiring our little ones!” said Claudia Lopez.
Kirby Middle School Teachers and Students Show Love on Tennis Courts
Kirby teachers spent some time bonding and collaborating with students in a new way during a friendly tennis match. Kirby tennis team members choose one staff member as a teammate, then the student/teacher teams competed against one another on the courts. “It was a joy to watch the students teaching the teachers how to play,” said Laura Checki, seventh-grade science teacher. “The entire match was filled with good sportsmanship and lighthearted laughter.”
Fain Elementary Fourth-Graders Review STAAR by Playing Giant Candy Land Game
You know an activity is good when you decide the same day that you want to repeat it next year. Fain fourth-grade teachers Tammie Tarver and Laura Wetzel set up a large Candy Land game in their rooms and used it for STAAR review. Here’s how Mrs. Tarver did it: She had 60 task cards with STAAR-type questions. She divided students into five groups and gave them eight minutes to correctly answer as many task cards as possible. After she reviewed each group’s answers, they moved their game piece on the large game board on the floor for as many spaces as correct answers they gave. Students collaborated, taught each other and shared strategies, said Ms. Tarver. She worked with students to underscore correct answers and correct wrong ones. “This is definitely something I will do again next year!” said Mrs. Tarver.
Milam Elementary Teacher Uses Sculpture to Teach Patience, Problem-Solving Skills
Milam Elementary art teacher Debbie Gossett believes learning to create sculptures is an important rite of passage for her fifth-graders. Her classroom is a virtual sculpture garden this year with the many outstanding sculptures created by students. They picked a subject, found a visual reference to work from, and built an armature from newspaper, masking tape, tongue depressors, foil or wire – a challenging step. Then they applied a special clay that Ms. Gossett makes herself, bringing the sculpture to life by adding details such as hair, hands with fingers, faces with noses, lips or wrinkles. Once the clay is dry, then they paint. “Sculpting teaches students the value of patience and forces them to use their problem-solving skills,” she said. “At each step, challenges will arise, and they must come through with solutions.”
Zundy Elementary Teacher Fulfills Childhood Dream Despite Challenges
When Zundy bilingual kindergarten teacher Jessica Rivers was a child in Peru, she dreamed of being a teacher. She graduated from college and taught in Peru in a poor, rural community at a school with one classroom with no ceiling or floor, then worked with the community to build a new school. When she came to Wichita Falls 16 years ago, she didn’t know English or the culture. She felt miserable but refused to give up on her new dreams. She was turned down twice for admission to Midwestern State University because of her broken English. On her third request, she was allowed to enroll. She graduated two years later as a bilingual teacher and later was hired by WFISD. Then she began her journey to a master’s degree in education. “It wasn’t easy at all. I am a single mom with three kids at home and my full-time job as a kindergarten teacher, but I didn’t give up,” said Ms. Rivers. She took one class each semester. MSU awarded her a master’s degree in education at the MSU Commencement on May 11.
Wichita Falls High School Alum Schools Coyotes on Travel Writing
A Wichita Falls High School graduate, Alex Temblador, visited a WFHS English as Second Language class on May 10 to tell the students about her self-made career as a travel writer. Ms. Temblador has written a book, Secrets of the Casa Rosada, that was published last year. She has also written scores of travel articles for travel magazines. “Prior to the visit, my students read Miss Temblador’s author website and prepared questions for her,” said Debbie Pepper. “During her visit, students took turns asking questions. They all listened and learned about travel writing and publishing novels. Several students loved the visit so much that they got permission from their next teacher to continue visiting with Miss Temblador.” Pictured below, Ms. Temblador is seated, holding her book, next to Ms. Pepper.
Lamar Elementary Kinders Lead a New Generation in Tie-Dye Art
Kindergarten classes at Lamar Elementary indulged in some classic tie-dye T-shirt art this week. You remember how to do it: Pinch the middle of the T-shirt, twist it in a spiral, secure with rubber bands, dip or color each section with dye, let dry for 12 hours, rinse, wash—voila. Here, finished T-shirts hang on a Lamar chain-link fence, the perfect drying rack. Or is it an outdoor display board? The project was coordinated by Lamar art teacher Megan Halford, pictured bottom right in red.
Franklin Elementary Launches Two STAAR Videos
Franklin Elementary staff members created not just one video but two of them to prepare students for the STAAR test. One dance video showed students and staff rocking out to beat the STAAR; the other video featured straightforward do’s and don’ts. “I wanted the kids to have a visual representation of what not to do on their test,” said Franklin’s Erica Gonzales, who coordinated the STAAR pep rally. “What better way than to show them what should be done and what should not be done.” Pictured here: The “What To Do on STAAR Days…and What Not To Do” video.
Milam Elementary Third-Graders Become Published Poets
At Milam, 51 student poems were chosen to be included in a published book called The Young American Poetry Digest 2019. Students in grades 3, 4 and 5 wrote the poems that will be included in the book to be published in October. Pictured below: Milam third-graders show off their poems and acceptance letters.
Burgess Elementary Receives Help to Restock Its Clothes Closet
What do you do when the year winds down and your school clothes closet is bare? As if on cue, the Junior League of Wichita Falls contacted Burgess’ social worker, Emily Valverde, to present a check to the school for $3,000. The money will help staff members replenish the Closet with much-needed pants, shirts, shoes and socks.
Wichita Falls High School Holds Faculty/Student Doubles Tournament
On Tuesday, 14 Wichita Falls High School teachers and administrators competed with students in the annual Faculty/Student Doubles Tennis Tournament. “Everyone had a lot of fun celebrating our amazing student athletes and the fantastic teachers and administrators who support them, both in and out of the classroom,” said WFHS Coach John Eakin, who coaches tennis.
McNiel Middle School Student Uses Coding to Create Strobe Computer Design
Logan, a student in Amber Houck's Tech Apps class, used his familiarity with Code.org to create his own unique strobe design that flashed across his computer screen – a project of his own. Along with teaching such technology skills, Ms. Houck has also overseen a growing robotics program this year, with 15 students in the Robotics Club. Two teams advanced to the state robotics competition in Austin on April 27. “This was a huge accomplishment for my kids, who have worked so hard,” she said. “We didn’t place in the Top 10, but it was good experience for the kids who went.”
McNiel Middle School Teacher Taps Twitter to 'Collaborate' with Maryland Teacher
Is it far-fetched to believe that a Wichita Falls teacher could collaborate with Baltimore, Maryland’s 2018 Teacher of the Year? Not at all – thanks to Twitter. In fact, this week it actually happened. McNiel U.S. History teacher Kimbra Thomas was scrolling through her Twitter feed when she saw a clever idea tweeted by @MrsHallScholars, a 16-year English teacher in Baltimore, Maryland, who was her district’s 2018 Teacher of the Year. Ms. Thomas liked the idea so well that she retweeted it and tagged fellow McNiel teacher, Missy McCartney @mccartney_missy, who tweeted back, “Love this!” And that’s just business as usual in today’s education world, said Ms. Thomas. “I always peruse Twitter looking for ideas and share them with colleagues. It’s teacher collaboration at its finest!” So what was the great idea? Give students a blank BINGO card at the beginning of the school year. Let them browse classroom library books and fill in each space on the BINGO card with the titles of books they want to read. Then, spend the school year making BINGO as many times as they can.
Jefferson Elementary Teacher Presents Riddle to Teach Value of Persistence vs. Intelligence
When Jefferson fifth-grade English teacher Sarah Reeder led her class in the study of the book Fish in a Tree, by Lynda Mullaly Hunt, she asked each student to solve the riddle given by the teacher in the novel. The riddle shows a wolf, chicken, bag of grain and boat on one side of a river. Since the wolf cannot be left alone with the chicken, and the chicken cannot be left alone with the grain, and only one item can travel in the boat at a time, how do you get all three items across? Students collaborated. They drew diagrams. But out of 70 students, only one student –Keegan Yandell (pictured below) -- solved it. “He is the type of student to stick with something until it is solved,” said Ms. Reeder, which was the point made by the teacher in the novel. As the protagonist, Ally, concluded, “I guess maybe, ‘I’m having trouble’ isn’t the same as ‘I can’t.’” Ms. Reeder led the students in a discussion about how working hard on a problem builds stamina needed to succeed. It was one of many amazing discussions triggered by this class-favorite book, she said.
Burgess Elementary Teachers Remembered During Teacher Appreciation Week
When Burgess Elementary teachers stopped to check their incoming mail each day during Teacher Appreciation Week, they found a surprise waiting for them there. “They were also treated to lunch and snacks every day of the week,” said Oyvind Zahl. Pictured below: A week's worth of little mailbox surprises.
Lamar Elementary Bilingual PreK Class Celebrates ‘Dia del Ninos’
It’s important to create celebrations at every grade level, even preK. Here, students in a Lamar bilingual preK class celebrate Dia del Ninos (Children’s Day) and their upcoming graduation. The theme this year: Dr. Seuss’ “Oh, the places you’ll go!”
McNiel Middle School Teacher Continues Annual ‘Celebration of Scholarship’
Three years ago, McNiel teacher Hannah Reames started an event called “Celebration of Scholarship” as a way for her students to present their work to a wider audience. She invites parents, teachers, and other students. Students set up their Chromebooks on a table in the Student Center where visitors can look at their projects on the many computer screens and ask questions. “Their finished projects are published on Google Sites, which allows people beyond our school to see their work,” said Ms. Reames. “My students seemed to enjoy preparing a project for someone other than me to see.”
Fain Elementary Teacher Incorporates Problem-Solving Relay into STAAR Review
Teachers throughout the district determined not to make STAAR review dull, and Fain fourth-grade math teacher Jennifer Anderson was no exception. She inserted an outdoor relay into her STAAR review. First, students had to perform a certain exercise or movement – galloping, frog leaps, crab walks – to get to the problem. Once they reached the word problem, they performed the problem-solving strategies they learned that year. When finished, they raced back to tag another student, who then took his turn. “The students loved the competition factor of the lesson and did a great job encouraging and cheering their classmates on,” said Ms. Anderson.
Architecture Students Document Local Landmarks
Seniors in the Career Education Center class “Architecture 2” visited some Wichita Falls buildings tagged as Historic Landmarks and created AutoCAD drawings of the buildings’ facades. “These files were then formatted for printing on the laser cutter and assembled by the students,” said Architecture 2 teacher Amy Hughes. “The facades were then made presentation-ready and gifted to the current building owners.” The owners of Hook and Ladder at 616 Seventh Street and Southernly Inspired (the former Gorsline’s Fashion Livery Stable/Liepold Clothing Store) located at 711 Indiana Ave. received the prepared facades and were grateful and impressed with the students’ work. Pictured here: Rider seniors Nikkolas Read (left) and Brady Tressler (right).
Cunningham Bulletin Board Targets End-of-the-Year Malaise
Cunnningham teachers made time to motivate their students, right up to the bitter end. This bulletin board at Cunningham Elementary reminds students (everybody?) to just hang in there -- "Just keep swimming" -- for a few more days.
#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.)
Email: athomas@wfisd.net
Website: www.wfisd.net
Location: 1104 Broad Street, Wichita Falls, TX, USA
Phone: (940)235-1004
Twitter: @WFISDschools