Open House
Showcases Students’ Media Skills
On
January 31, Irving ISD hosted its annual Technology Media Fair Open
House, culminating months of student work on various technology-enabled
projects. With a district-level deadline of mid-December for entries to
be submitted from each school, individual entry planning for the
competition began as early as the summer.
“More than 2000 projects are entered at the campus level, and we had
about 650 entered at the district level,“ said Mikie Kindsfather, IISD
instructional technology coordinator. “It’s an opportunity for us to
showcase what our students in prekindergarten through 12th
grade are doing with technology – both in the classroom and on their
own.”
Entries in 12 categories focused on the theme “Media Magic” and the open
house event showcased the more than 250 winners from schools throughout
the district. The top three prizes are achieved in each category at each
grade level and according to coordinators, the open house was less about
competition and more about celebrating what IISD students are doing with
technology.
Click here
for a list of all winners.
Kevin Dwelly, MacArthur sophomore, won a first place award for his
project - a humorous Christmas card - that was originally part of an
assignment for one of his classes.
“I’m surprised it got first place, I’m pretty surprised it even got to
here,” Dwelly said. “I’m pretty interested in it, even outside of
school,” Dwelly said of technology and desktop publishing.
The Media Fair is based on a state-level competition sponsored by the
Texas Computer Education Association (TCEA) and entries followed the
same rubric by which projects are judged at the state level. In a new
addition for 2007-2008, entries in six categories were judged online by
media enthusiasts from around the U.S. and internationally.
With the exception of “Digitally Submitted Photography”, first place
winners from the other 11 categories will be submitted to TCEA for state
judging. In 2007, six IISD submissions garnered top places in statewide
competition, and about 100 first place entries from IISD are slated for
submission this year. For more information on the IISD Technology Media
Fair, visit
www.irvingisd.net/mediafair.
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District Musicians Named to Region, State Honors
Middle and high school fine arts students from Irving ISD have recently
seen their labors of love come to fruition as they have been named to
region and state level honors in the fields of choir and instrumental
performance.
More than 600 students auditioned January 19 for placement in one of the
Region XX singing groups. The regional concert was held at Grand Prairie
High School on February 1 following a day-long session of clinics and
instruction.
IISD middle school students named to the Sixth Grade Honor Choir
include: Alicia Chavez and Ashley Saldana, Bowie; Carla Alvarez, Erica
Rodriguez, Kimberly Guevara and Karina Contreras, de Zavala; Jasmine
Velez, Houston; Cydney Lott, Jordan Brewer, Octavia Brookins, Brandi
Covington and Joanielee Rogers-Bristow, Lamar; Katie Shank, Hae Jin Kim,
and Brittani Monk, Travis.
Students named to the Mixed Choir include: Ashley Guardado-Escobar,
Crockett; Chibueze Umeakuana and Jordan Curtis, Houston; Kayla Mitchell,
Travis.
Middle school Honor Girls Choir members include: Martha Barrera, de
Zavala; Michelle Paden and Brittney Monte, Houston; Odalis Menjivar and
Briana McElroy, Travis.
In
addition to outstanding performance by IISD middle school students,
district high school orchestra students have qualified for state solo &
ensemble competition through regional auditions.
High school orchestra representatives include: Ankita Krishnan and
Daniel Oh, Irving High; Jose Cannon and Michelle Okezie, MacArthur;
Jaclyn Le, Maria Sanchez, Joshua Boyd, Javier Perez, Destiny Oates and
Ali Marcano-Tovar, Nimitz. Marcano-Tovar qualified for state competition
in both the solo category and ensemble category.
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Six
Nimitz High School Orchestra students qualified to compete
at the state UIL Solo & Ensemble contest in Austin in May.
Pictured left to right are Nimitz students: Maria Sanchez,
Jaclyn Le, Joshua Boyd (front center) Ali Marcano-Tovar,
Destiny Oates, and Javier Perez. |
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Elementary Schools Host Science Nights
Brown and Johnston elementary schools hosted events at their respective
schools in late January showcasing the innovative ways students are
developing their skills in math and science.
Fifth grade students at Brown Elementary School hosted two engineers
from IBM who spent the day inspiring students to consider careers in
science and technology. Students participated in different experiments
such as separating hydrogen and oxygen in water, powering a clock using
a lemon, and witnessing the effects of a Van de Graaf Generator. The IBM
engineers also attended Brown’s Family Math and Science Night, at which
they presented fifth grader Yesenia Ramirez with a trophy for placing
third in a metroplex-wide T-shirt design competition.
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Yesenia
Ramirez, student at Brown Elementary School, celebrates with
her parents, teachers and representatives from IBM after
winning a metroplex-wide shirt design contest to promote
engineering and science.
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With many teachers
clad in white lab coats, students at Johnston Elementary School
participated in experiments at the school’s Family Science Night.
Students formed teams to exhibit what they are learning about in the
different areas of science. Students conducted experiments related to
states of matter, diffusion of particles in water, and also conducted
online virtual experiments. The online activities included virtual frog
dissection and weather manipulation.
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Angela
Johnson, third grade teacher at Johnston Elementary School,
assists a student in making a bag of “Oobleck” during
Johnston’s Family Science Night January 31. Once the
substance was mixed, students had to determine if it was a
liquid or a solid.
|
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Academy Law Students Compete at Mock Trial
The Academy of Irving ISD legal team competed in the Texas High School
Mock Trial Competition on Saturday, February 2, 2008, at the Crowley
Courts in Dallas. Marc Alcorn was recognized for outstanding performance
as an attorney.
In
addition, Jason Douglass was recognized for outstanding performance by a
witness for the second year in a row. The Academy of Irving was one of
two schools out of a field of twenty-two entries that had winners in
both the witness and attorney categories.
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