A Districtwide Celebration of Diversity

Many drums. One beat. That’s the theme for the Mansfield ISD Multicultural Fest, and the strength of the district’s diversity was seen in every ethnic cuisine, performance, and activity that was on display for the event.

An estimated 6,000 people were in attendance on Feb. 27 to embrace the various cultures represented within the MISD community.

Participants were welcomed into the MISD Center for the Performing Arts by praise dancing. Once inside, there was a live wax museum of students representing historical figures from all backgrounds, and a variety of activities that highlighted the culture of different nations.

Participants stop to view the live wax museum.

“It was fun!” said Grace Anthony, fourth grader at Annette Perry Elementary School who was with her classmate Abby Mincer. “We went around to the different areas to play the games and activities.”

The definite fan favorite was all the free food samples prepared by the Ben Barber Career and Technology Academy culinary students.

“I definitely enjoyed all the food tasting,” said first-time attendee Tricia Grinolds. “I kept going back to the Cuba booth for their food and that virgin mojito drink.”

Event coordinator Lynn Wilkie said the MISD Multicultural Fest is one of her favorites because she gets to see how unique everyone is, while still coming together as a district.

“We are all MISD,” said Wilkie. “I love seeing every campus, department, and community member come together and be proud of where they came from. We had a great turnout, and I’m grateful to everyone who helped make this event a success.”

The Multicultural Fest started in 2013 as a way to educate the community of the various cultures within MISD in a fun and interactive way. The event has grown every year since then.

View the full photo gallery of the event here.

Elementary School Focuses on Teaching the Heart and Mind

Sara Buchan and two of her students who have earned blue butterflies.

Although Friday is the last day of National Random Act of Kindness Week, Martha Reid Elementary School spreads the kindness year-round.

Students and staff have all taken part of the Kindness Challenge. It’s an initiative started by first grade teacher Sara Buchan who wanted to teach children how to pay it forward.

“I can make them brilliant in math, but if they do not have social and emotional intelligence, I have failed them,” said Buchan.

The eight-year Mansfield ISD teacher started incorporating what she coined as a kindness mat. The mat is a non-reward-based sheet of paper with different nice gestures students can do. She later contacted the founder of Secret Blue Butterfly and received blue butterflies for teachers to hand out to students who go above and beyond.

The blue butterflies hang to remind students and staff
to spread kindness.

An entire hallway is adorned with blue butterflies hanging from the ceiling as a reminder to children to pollinate the world with kindness and love.

“None of this could have happened without the support I received from the principal and teachers,” said Buchan. “We have a segment on the morning announcements about the Kindness Challenge, and everyone has really bought into the whole idea of promoting joy.”

The saying is true: a little bit of kindness goes a long way. Reid Elementary staff hopes the kids use the lessons learned to continue having a heart of compassion as they grow older.

Eighth Grader Spells His Way to Victory...Again

Spelling Bee winner Jeremy Phan receives his championship plaque.

It’s a word Jeremy Pham will never forget. After successfully spelling catastrophe, the James Coble Middle School eighth grader was named the 2016 Mansfield ISD spelling bee champion.

Pham, who also won the district spelling bee last year, was the last student standing out of the 35 contestants from each of the district’s elementary, intermediate, and middle schools. He said he is proud to be able to take home another winner’s trophy.

“I’m happy I was able to win because there were many tough competitors,” said Pham. “You have to study every day for a few hours, and it’s best to study with flashcards to go over the words.”

The district spelling bee’s coordinator said the contest is not just about spelling words correctly. The contestants are developing skills that they will use even after graduation.

First runner-up Kailey Choi was a past district
spelling bee winner.

“The Bee fosters public speaking skills, enhances vocabulary and grammar skills, as well as building self-confidence through a friendly competitive environment,” said Krista Cobb, ELA instructional coordinator. “These are life-long skills that students can apply throughout all aspects of their lives.”

The district spelling was held Friday, Feb. 12 at the MISD Center for the Performing Arts. It was sponsored by the Mansfield Sunrise Rotary Club.

Congratulations to Jeremy Pham, first runner-up Kailey Choi from Cross Timbers Intermediate School, and the following campus winners who competed in the district bee.

School	Name
Alice Ponder Elementary	Michaela Oczak
Anna May Daulton Elementary	Erica Christenson
Annette Perry Elementary	Jordan Bosuro
Asa Low Intermediate	Vivian Cao
Brooks Wester Middle School	Gregory Jason Dey
Carol Holt Elementary	Lauren Eddington-Dixon
Charlotte Anderson Elementary	Ezra Escamilla
Cora Spencer Elementary	Ezenna Akubukwe
Cross Timbers Intermediate	Kailey Choi  (first runner-up)
D. P. Morris Elementary	Jacqueline Hoang
Danny Jones Middle School	Quinten Dukes
Della Icenhower Intermediate	Niladri Nath
Donna Shepard Intermediate	Eric Alan
Elizabeth Smith Elementary	Alvin Rhaman
Erma Nash Elementary	Aiden Bond
Glenn Harmon Elementary	Laila Mohammed
Imogene Gideon Elementary	Synia Roberts
J. L. Boren Elementary	Phillip Besand
James Coble Middle School	Jeremy Pham  (winner)
Janet Brockett Elementary	Aaron Pradith
Judy Miller Elementary	Peyton Mitchell
Kenneth Davis Elementary	Tiffany Lam
Linda Jobe Middle School	Micah Donathan
Louise Cabaniss Elementary	Annabelle Rodriguez
Martha Reid Elementary	Oluwatade Olayiwole
Mary Jo Sheppard Elementary	Jayden Nche
Mary Lillard Intermediate	Michael O. Asokwah, Jr.
Mary Orr Intermediate	Tojumi Olayiwole
Nancy Neal Elementary	Shaun Ukeje
Roberta Tipps Elementary	Oladipo Owoyele
Rogene Worley Middle School	Sandra Khuon
T. A. Howard Middle School	Jonathan Walker
Tarver-Rendon Elementary	Grant Ruhland
Thelma Jones Elementary	Precious Agwagom
Willie Brown Elementary	Prapti Patel

Gifts of Love to Our Four-Legged Soldiers

Fort Hood soldiers and their canine partners introduce
themselves to Daulton Elementary students, parents, and staff.

They may be cute and cuddly, but don’t let the fur fool you. Military dogs are an integral part to the protection of our country.

Students and staff at Anna May Daulton Elementary School are helping those four-legged soldiers get the support they need by raising money and collecting supplies to ship overseas. Through Operation Military Care K9, the campus is sending the military dogs and their handlers items to keep them healthy and protect them from harsh weather conditions.

“I want the kids to know how important these dogs are to our military,” said Lynn Kostel, librarian at Daulton who organized the fundraiser. “These dogs are nobody’s pet, and they’re vital to the survival of our guys.”

A military canine retrieves an object for his handler.

All branches of the armed forces utilize military service dogs specializing in drug and bomb detection. The canines sniff out narcotics, search for explosives, and support in other roles.

To kick off the fundraiser, Fort Hood soldiers visited the school with their canine partners to demonstrate how the dogs are used in different missions. The kids and adults were excited to see the dogs as they exhibited their talents.

“We try to teach kids about what the dogs really do,” said Sgt. 1st Class William Morton. “They always see dogs out and about, but this is a little different from the dogs they have at home.”

After the demonstration, the soldiers were surprised with baskets of supplies that were donated by local businesses. Kostel said the entire community did not hesitate to support when they heard about an opportunity to support the troops.

Local businesses donated gifts for the military dogs.

“I cried when I saw everything that they brought,” said Kostel. “Chick-fil-A sponsored the soldier’s lunch. We also had Petco, Petsmart, and Pet Supplies Plus supply items for the dogs.”

Daulton Elementary hopes the gifts of love keep coming. Money can be donated through the PTA, and the campus will be accepting items through Friday, Feb. 12. A list of needed canine supplies is available here.