Walker Named ATPE
Teacher of Year
Valdene Walker, fifth grade gifted & talented teacher
at Hanes Elementary School, has been named the Association of Texas
Professional Educators (ATPE) Elementary Teacher of the Year for the
state of Texas.
Her
award was announced during the ATPE state conference held March 29-31 in
Austin. The other finalists were Dany Fleming of Weatherford ISD and
Candiance Mullens of Crowley ISD.
Walker was previously
named the Local ATPE Elementary Teacher of the Year.
Walker, who has
taught 21 years at Hanes, received $300 for winning the award. In
addition, the local ATPE unit will receive $50 for local events.
"Ms. Walker is
one of the most dedicated teachers I know," said Stacy Blevins,
principal at Hanes. "Student success is her main goal, and she does
whatever it takes to make that happen. She is a true team player and
very deserving of this award."
Back to
top
Golf Event Benefits
Farine Teacher
A golf scramble
will be held Friday, April 20 at Riverchase Golf Course in Coppell to
benefit an IISD teacher who was recently diagnosed with a rare and
aggressive form of cancer.
The event
benefits Brad Williams, fifth grade teacher at Farine Elementary School,
who has taken temporary leave from his job for his treatment. His wife,
Tami, is a third grade teacher at Farine.
All proceeds
from the event, sponsored by Supreme Lending, go toward defraying
medical expenses. To sign up or sponsor a hole, contact Lisa Molinar at
972-467-2687 or Aristo Torres at
torres.aristo@sbcglobal.net.
Cost is $40 per
player or $40 to sponsor a hole. Williams also has created a daily blog
–
www.bradvscancer.blogspot.com – to chart his progress in fighting
the disease.
Back to
top
Houston Ready to
Celebrate 30 Years
Houston
Middle School, which opened in the fall of 1976, will celebrate 30 years
of excellence with events scheduled for April 27−28.
A reception is
scheduled for 2−3:45 p.m. Friday, April 27 at the school for past
students, faculty and staff. Attendees are welcomed to tour the school
and see the changes at Houston.
On Saturday,
April 28, a dinner and presentation will be held at the school. Those
wishing to attend the dinner should RSVP by April 14 to Julia Wigginton
at 972.261.2304 or 682.622.9267.
Back to
top
Students Place at
SkillsUSA State
Several IISD
students performed well during the SkillsUSA state competition held
March 28-31 in Corpus Christi. SkillsUSA is a national organization for
students enrolled in training programs for technical, skilled and
service occupations.
Margarita
Aguirre of The Academy of IISD won first place in CADD Technical Skills,
while The Academy team of Rita Chaidez, Chanel Lilly, Sarahi Ruiz and
Cynthia Tobias won best in show in Advertising Design.
Jacqueline
Jauregui of The Academy won first place in Technical Skills in Nail
Care, Nail Art and Acrylics. Jasmine Pruitt of Nimitz High School ranked
superior at the state level with her Mannequin Project.
Mukund Ramesh of
The Academy won first place in Electronics Technology, while The Academy
team of Melissa Butcher, Allan Martinez, Amanda Stanley and Jonathan
Wilson won first with their Tesla Coil Project.
Other students with top 10 or blue-ribbon finishes were
Jorge Cruz, Nicholas Goston, Kayla Lewis, Luke Milam, Jessica Neel, and
Walter Ramirez, all of The Academy.
Back to
top
Schools Prepare for
TAKS
Pep rallies will
be held at Britain and John Haley elementary schools on Friday in
advance of Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) testing next
week. Both events are scheduled for 1:45 p.m. Britain's event will
feature MacArthur cheerleaders, Britain cheerleaders, and the Britain
Dance Team.
Back to
top
Senior Art Featured
at Administration Building
Art from high school seniors in advanced placement
courses is on display in the atrium of the IISD Administration
Building. The public is invited to view the exhibit, which will be on
display for two weeks.
Back to
top
CBE Application
Deadline April 26
April 26 is the application deadline for the Irving ISD
summer administration of Credit By Examination (CBE) for advancement
(Grades K-12). CBE evaluates mastery of the Texas Essential Knowledge
and Skills (TEKS) for a particular subject or grade level. Testing dates
will be June 11-13 at Johnston Elementary School. Applications and
information are available from the student’s school counselor or online
at:
www.irvingisd.net/ppage/credit_by_exam.htm
Back to
top
Students Invited to
Teen Summit
Middle school
and high school students are invited to participate in a Teen Summit
titled Owning Your Future from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. May 12 at the Irving
Arts Center, 3333 N. MacArthur Blvd. This free event is co-sponsored by
Community Bible Fellowship Church, Irving Parks & Recreation Department,
and Irving Public Health Services.
Teens will
listen to a variety of speakers and participate in a panel discussion on
the influences of music and videos. The event also will include a job
fair and a special appearance by comedian Cedric Jones.
Registration
deadline is May 9. Irving Teen Court participants are eligible to
receive double community service hours for attending the summit. For
more information, call 972.721.8090.
Back to
top
National Library Week
Set for April 15-21
National Library
Week is April 15-21. The national observance, sponsored by the American
Library Association, celebrates the contributions of libraries,
librarians and library workers in schools and communities. Check the
school or public library in your neighborhood for activities related to
National Library Week.
Back to
top
Author Entertains
Johnston Students
Johnston
Elementary School enjoyed a visit last week from author, lecturer and
humanitarian Ashley Bryan, who was interactive with the students in
presenting his poetry.
Back to
top
Authors Visit
Keyes
Keyes Elementary School
librarian Anu Khosla and author Jan Peck help students with an animated
interpretation of the book Jazz Cats by author David Davis, who
also visited the school.
Back to
top
Birds at Pierce
Parents
at Pierce Early Childhood School recently participated in a project in
which they created bird nests with students. The nests were displayed in
the science lab, library and classrooms.
Back to
top
