IISD schools and departments have selected their Public Information Network (PIN) representatives to assist the Public Information Department during the school year. PIN reps are responsible for coordinating news on their campuses and sending campus or department news to the Public Information Department for publication in the District Weekly, other IISD publications, or to attract attention from local news media outlets.

School PIN reps for the 2005-2006 school year are: Randall Pliler, Irving High School; Mary Fitzgibbon, MacArthur High School; Michael Campbell, Nimitz High School; Vic Rucker, Secondary Reassignment Center; Miguel Elizondo, Austin Middle School; Melissa Pardue, Bowie Middle School; Debra Hargrove, Crockett Middle School; Dameon Gray, de Zavala Middle School; Annissa Macon, Houston Middle School; Stephanie Taylor, Lamar Middle School; Angie Gaylord, Travis Middle School; Brenda McGeorge, Barton Elementary School; Diane Kerestine, Brandenburg Elementary School; Jason Barnett, Britain Elementary School; Linda Tucker, Brown Elementary School; Rosa Avendano, Davis Elementary School; Angela Smyers, Elliott Elementary School; Gini Hainley, Farine Elementary School; Mary McCallister, Gilbert Elementary School; Mary Blanco, Good Elementary School; Darren Wilson, Hanes Elementary School; Troy Volkmann, John Haley Elementary School; Doug Sevier, Thomas Haley Elementary School; Karen Wilson, Johnston Elementary School; Steven Wurtz, Keyes Elementary School; Christie Johnson, Lee Elementary School; Sheila Anderson, Lively Elementary School; Erin Yacho, Schulze Elementary School; Dawn Richardson, Townley Elementary School; Annelise Lane, Townsell Elementary School; Myriam Baquero, Clifton Early Childhood School; Susanne Perrone, Kinkeade Early Childhood School; Sandra Gonzalez, Pierce Early Childhood School; Donna Bereuter, Service Center; Pam Endicott, Wheeler Transitional Center; and Betty Davis, Ratteree Career Development Center.

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The board also recognized campus teachers of the year. They are: Amy Vandeventer, Irving High School, math; Brenda Tucker, MacArthur High School, special education; Elizabeth Peery, Nimitz High School, science; Jennifer Hylemon, The Academy of Irving ISD, instructional technology specialist; Christy Agbaroji, Union Bower Center for Learning, instructional technology; Regina Vincent, Austin Middle School, math; Ralph Morgan, Bowie Middle School, band; Jenni Branum, Crockett Middle School, math; Pam Brown, Houston Middle School, English; Kitty Kennedy, Lamar Middle School, reading; Amy Hankamer, Travis Middle School, language arts; David Thomas, Secondary Reassignment Center; Yvonne Wills, Wheeler Transitional Center, special education; Jack Guthrie, Elementary Development Center; Rosa Gonzalez-Martinez, Barton Elementary School, bilingual third grade; Rita Ruiz, Brandenburg Elementary School, bilingual third grade; Stephanie Lee, Britain Elementary School, fourth grade ESL; Deidra Reed, Brown Elementary School, special education; Tammie Texada, Davis Elementary School, third grade; Gayla Lawrence, Elliott Elementary School, art; Jennifer Howard, Farine Elementary School, special education; Kimberly Sypert, Good Elementary School, bilingual first grade; Virginia Chavez, John Haley Elementary School, bilingual first grade; Lauren Cooper, Thomas Haley Elementary School, fifth grade; Bonnie Causey-Richardson, Hanes Elementary School, physical education; Mary Beth Yockey, Johnston Elementary School, fifth grade; Marcia Cooper, Keyes Elementary School, third grade; Janice Jenkins, Lee Elementary School, first grade; Becky Renyer, Lively Elementary School, third grade; Obed Gonzalez, Schulze Elementary School, bilingual third grade gifted & talented; Vicki Carlyle, Townley Elementary School, special education; Melissa Abadie, Townsell Elementary School, instructional specialist; Renee Newry, Clifton Early Childhood Elementary School, prekindergarten media specialist; Melinda Rodriguez, Kinkeade Early Childhood Elementary School, bilingual prekindergarten; Lourdes Murillo, Pierce Early Childhood Elementary School, bilingual prekindergarten; and Geraldine Godsey, Elementary Development Center, special education.

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Forty PTA officers representing Irving ISD Council of PTAs joined 3,000 parents and educators in Austin for a record-breaking summer leadership conference attendance.

Delegates from the council and Brown Elementary School, Elliott Elementary School, de Zavala Middle School, Schulze Elementary School, Thomas Haley Elementary School, Lamar Middle School, Lee Elementary School, Johnston Elementary School, Houston Middle School, Nimitz High School and Irving High School attended workshops on parenting, networking, advocacy, health & safety, conflict resolution, and leadership.

The Irving ISD council also hosted the Area 10 fall workshop at the IISD Administration Building August 13.

Upcoming meeting dates for the Irving ISD Council of PTAs are listed below. All meetings are held at 9 a.m. in the Board Room of the IISD Administration Building.

September 21
October 19
December 7
February 15
March 22
May 3

State PTA Convention, February 10-12, Arlington
Jam the Gym, March 24
Summer Seminar, July 21-23, Austin

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The Medical Studies program at The Academy of Irving ISD has been named a finalist in the Dallas Business Journal’s 2005 Health Care Heroes Awards. The program – the largest career specialization at the Academy – provides challenging career field internships for seniors and supports an extracurricular organization called HOSA (Health Occupation Students of America) in which students take part in medical-related workshops and competitions every year. With this program, Irving ISD is helping to address the shortage of medical professionals, and for that, the program was named one of 17 finalists for the Health Care Heroes Awards. Winners of the awards will be announced in a special Health Care Heroes issue of the Dallas Business Journal September 9. The Academy program was nominated for the award by IISD Partnerships In Education Coordinator Thelma Cantu.

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Joshua P. Chowritmootoo, teacher at de Zavala Middle School and former minister of the government of Guyana, recently visited his native country and met with its president Bharrat Jagdeo. Chowritmootoo also met with Robert Corbin, a member of parliament and former deputy prime minister.