Athletes for Literacy Program at MacArthur Begins with Hanes
Baseball and soccer players from MacArthur High School participated in
the second week of the Athletes for Literacy program in cooperation with
students from Hanes Elementary School. Brainchild of Jessica Rose,
instructional technology specialist at MacArthur, Rose has seen the
success of similar programs in other school districts and has far
reaching plans for the program in IISD.
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Hanes
Elementary School students Kenedee Carter and Jan Carlos de
Paula benefit from the interaction with John Smart, senior
at MacArthur High School. |
“I
hope that our athletes at MacArthur are getting an understanding of what
it feels like to give back and to mentor these kids,” said Rose. “If
every kid in this elementary can be impacted about learning and reading…
then that’s what’s important.”
Rose
said she approached Hanes Principal Stacy Blevins about beginning the
program with Hanes and the two have seen the younger students adapt well
to the effort.
“I
think they’re seeing a positive role-model that is successful in high
school, not only in academics but in sports, and we all know that to be
successful in sports you have to have the academic,” said Blevins. “My
kids are so excited when the athlete walks in…they’re waving, they can’t
wait, they’re always saying ‘why can’t I do it this week?’…it’s just
been a really good experience so far.”
Hanes
fourth grader Joi Thomas said, “I like it because I like to do a lot of
sports." Thomas also said the school she used to attend did not have
this program and she enjoys interaction with older students that compete
in some of the same sports she plays.
“I
think it’s really important for us to show the kids in elementary school
that it’s important to get to read…and important to know what you’re
reading,” said John Smart, MacArthur senior. “While we do have a lot of
good athletes that come out here, it’s not just about the sports that we
play, it’s about our grades and about the academics.”
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Pete Sessions visits Nimitz
Nimitz
High School senior AP and Dual Government classes recently hosted a
visit from Congressman Pete Sessions. Sessions visited the classes as
part of an instructional DVD being produced by the Annenberg Foundation
concerning the legislative process in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Students prepared questions for the congressman regarding the method
involved for a bill to become law. Scenes of Sessions’ responses at
Nimitz, as well as other footage taped at a high school in Los Angeles,
will be compiled into a DVD to be distributed nationwide for civics
teachers to use in classroom instruction. Sessions also distributed
pocket-sized copies of the Constitution for students to keep as a
reference.
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Congressman Pete Sessions answers students’
questions at Nimitz High School regarding the legislative
process. |
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Third Graders Receive Dental Screening
On
November 30, Dr. Maureen Weber provided dental screenings to 79 third
grade students at Brown Elementary School. The screening was part of a
larger survey from the Texas Department of State Health Services’ Oral
Health Program. Funded by a grant from the Centers for Disease
Prevention & Control, third grade students throughout the state were
selected by epidemiologists to participate in the survey during the
2007-2008 school year.
As
part of the survey, students who received the required parental consent
underwent a thorough dental screening, received a letter to parents
regarding the child’s dental health, and received free dental care
supplies – all valued at more than $2,600.
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Army
Unit Recognizes Lamar Students
Lamar Middle School students received a letter of
gratitude from an Army unit serving in Iraq in response
to a package of thank-you letters the students sent
earlier this fall. |
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