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Four IISD High School Teams Preparing for Regional Academic Decathlon

For the second year in a row, Irving ISD will host the Region 9 Academic Decathlon at MacArthur High School January 18 and 19.

Competition will be centered on the theme, “The Civil War” and 25 large and medium sized high schools will participate. Teams will be tested in 10 areas including: math, music, economics, science, language and literature and art. Students will also take a written Super Quiz and will compete in the Super Quiz relay. Nimitz High School has won the regional title 17 of the past 20 years and is the defending Region 9 champion.

The highlight of the academic decathlon is the Super Quiz relay, which will begin at 3 p.m. on January 19 and is open to the public. During the Super Quiz, all teams will assemble in MacArthur’s Spectator Gym for the fast paced nine-round event. Seating for visitors will be available on the home side of the gym in the second floor gallery.

Following the Super Quiz at approximately 5:15 p.m., dinner will be offered to coaches, teams, school personnel, parents and guests and will take place in the MacArthur cafeteria. Advance tickets are $12 and a limited number of tickets will be available at the door for $15.

The academic decathlon will conclude with an awards presentation ceremony at 7 p.m. in the MacArthur auditorium.  For more information about the Region 9 Academic Decathlon, call Tracie Fraley at 972-215-5040.

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Athletes of the Month

The Irving ISD Athletes of the Month for January are Devon Herrman, senior at Irving High School, and Dimitri Jenkins, senior at MacArthur High School.

Devon Herrman

Dimitri Jenkins

Herrman is the captain of the Irving High Lady Tiger Soccer team and has been recognized by the team for her performance each year for the past three years: her freshman year she was Newcomer of the Year, her sophomore year Herrman was named as Offensive Player of the Year, and her junior year was awarded Utility Player of the Year. She also plays with the Aces club local soccer team. Additionally, Herrman participates in cross country where she finished third at the District 7-AAAAA meet in October. Along with athletics, she is active in many school and community activities, participating in Bio-Society, DECA, National Honor Society, Tiger Fever and serves as the senior class president. Academically, Herrman ranks 38 in her class with a 4.42 GPA and has orally committed to attend Southern Methodist University.

Jenkins, known as DJ to his teammates, has had a great month of basketball. In district play, he is averaging 17 points, nine rebounds, and two assists per game. At The Colony Holiday Tournament, he had a big game versus Allen, coming away with 12 points and nine rebounds, and against Nimitz he finished with 23 points and 13 rebounds. Jenkins maintains a high “B” average in all his classes and according to Coach Chad Evans, is a great leader both on and off the basketball court.

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Community Leaders Sought for Business Exchange Days

Irving ISD and the Greater Irving-Las Colinas Chamber of Commerce are sponsoring the 12^th Annual Business Exchange Days for high school students on January 31 and February 1. This event gives high school juniors and seniors the opportunity to hear local business professionals discuss their careers and the industry in which they work.

Business Exchange Days will be held at Irving High School, Macarthur High School, The Academy of Irving ISD, and Union Bower Center for Learning. In preparation for the event, more than 160 speakers have been requested by IISD high school teachers. Presentation topics requested are related to the following career areas: nutrition, child care center ownership and management, child psychology, culinary or chef practices, dental hygienist, graphic design, business consulting, electrician, computer hardware or networking, paralegal and the law, communication and writing skills, and general business topics. Motivational speakers are invited to volunteer to participate as well.

Business professionals interested in participating as classroom speakers are encouraged to contact Thelma Cantu, partnerships in education coordinator, at 972-215-5017, or via email to tcantu@irvingisd.net.

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Board Approves Language Stipend

The IISD Board of Trustees recently approved a $500 Spanish language oral proficiency stipend for the 2007-2008 school year. The stipend can be applied for by any professional or paraprofessional employee not currently receiving a bilingual stipend.

To qualify, IISD employees must score a four or better on the Texas Oral Proficiency Test, or pass a district approved equivalent assessment. The stipend will be annualized over the course of the year and will be retroactive to the beginning of the current school year since it has taken a period of time to obtain a district equivalent assessment. According to Robyn Wolters, IISD personnel director, this means that qualifying employees will still receive the full $500 for the year.

Information and forms may be obtained on the IISD web site at www.irvingisd.net/ppage/Stipends.htm.

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Townley Sponsors Letter Writing Campaign

On Thursday morning, January 10, students at Townley Elementary School held assemblies to begin a letter writing campaign both to practice their writing skills and as a show of support of soldiers stationed overseas.

Irving Mayor Herbert Gears joined Townley Principal Doug Sevier in speaking to the students about patriotism and how they can show their support for the troops by writing letters to the soldiers. Cindy Porter, owner of a local military surplus store, will be shipping the student’s letters free of charge to Fort Hood, Texas, where the letters will be forwarded to soldiers overseas.

Porter also spoke to the students about donating books to the soldiers for the United Service Organization's United Through Reading program so soldiers can read to their children in a recorded video message before being deployed to Iraq.

According to Josie Avila, fifth grade bilingual teacher at Townley, the letter writing campaign and the book donation program was designed to encourage the soldiers to keep fighting for freedom and for Townley students to hone their writing skills.

Air Force Master Sergeant Quinton Holloman - husband of Yolanda Holloman, Read Right program teacher at Townley - has been stationed in Iraq in the past. He told students that having writing skills is very important for your life and to make sure to use all of the tools that teachers have taught about grammar, punctuation and writing. Holloman also spoke about how important it was for him to receive letters that students had written to him when he was deployed overseas.

“As a soldier, it is important to know you have support at home,” Hollman said. “I still have my letters, and I’ll always have them.  When they turn yellow and crumble, then I’ll have yellow crumbles…but I’ll always have them.”

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ISF Awards Funds in Grant Program

The Irving Schools Foundation has awarded a total of $5,502 to six teachers as part of the Citi Success Fund: Grants to Teachers.

The Citi Success Fund is a $15,000 grant received this year by the Irving Schools Foundation to implement new and innovative programs in classrooms throughout the year. Applications are accepted three times per year and are meant to encourage teachers to develop dynamic programs that stimulate thought and advance new approaches to teaching.

Fall 2007 recipients and their projects include: Chandra Maxey, Union Bower Center for Learning, Let Go of My Lego; Joy Morris, Stipes Elementary School, Families All Together Marvelously Involved in Literacy…Yes!; Ramye Ramsey, Crockett Middle School, Bringing Math Home; Danna McWilliams, Lamar Middle School, Life Against Grime; Danna Torrell-Edwards, Elliott Elementary School, Literature on the Lawn; and Vallorie Montgomery, Lamar Middle School, Got Books?

The next submission date for the Grants to Teachers program is February 15 and grants are awarded for up to $1,000 each. For more information about ISF, or the Grants to Teachers program, please visit www.irvingisd.net/foundation.

Danna McWilliams, LIFE skills teacher at Lamar Middle School, celebrates with her class after receiving an Irving Schools Foundation Grants to Teachers award for her program Life Against Grime.

Vallorie Montgomery, LIFE Skills teacher at Lamar Middle School, receives an Irving Schools Foundation Grants to Teachers award from Principal Rocci Malone for her class program, Got Books?

Jan Dickson presents a grant from the Irving Schools Foundation to Danna Torrell-Edwards, instructional specialist at Elliott Elementary School, for her program Literature on the Lawn. Designed for students in grades 3-5, the money will be used to purchase books for students to read each month.

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IISD Students Chosen for Leadership Program

The Today Foundation has selected five Irving ISD high school students to join 15 students from north Texas in participating in the Texas Leadership Forum.

Students named are: William Lee, Amanda Campbell and Dominic Hilario from Irving High School; and Mercedez Mendez and Alejandro Lozano from Nimitz High School.

Students will participate in a series of leadership development meetings throughout the year designed to foster civic involvement, community leadership and character building while educating them about government and public policy. They will also conference with area business, educational and civic professionals regarding leadership experiences and networking opportunities.

Students were chosen from various North Texas high schools based upon references from school officials, academic performance, community involvement and the students’ leadership ability. At the invitation of Congressman Pete Sessions, students can attend a one-week conference in Washington, D.C. to take part in activities on Capitol Hill with the goal of exposure to inner workings of government at the nation’s capitol.

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