Cowboys Mascot Teaches Kids to Live Drug Free

Rowdy, the official mascot of the Dallas Cowboys, took time away from the gridiron to teach Mansfield ISD youth that you can’t score in life by doing drugs.

The mascot was the special guest at Danny Jones Middle School for Red Ribbon Week, a nationwide effort to visibly take a stand against drugs. He educated the seventh and eighth graders about the dangers of drugs and encouraged them to stay safe and smart.

In true Rowdy fashion, the program was filled with entertainment and dancing, which included dance-offs, crowd chants and giveaways. Event organizers hoped the upbeat pep rally would inspire students to make the right choices in life.

Rowdy pumps up the crowd at Jones Middle School.

“We wanted to get everybody’s juices flowing,” said Jones Middle School PTA President Lisa Huff. “I hope they take away the message that being drug free is valid and good and always something that we want to do as good people in the world, and that we make that commitment all of our lives.”

The 2016 theme for Red Ribbon Week was: YOLO. Be Drug Free. (YOLO stands for You Only Live Once.)

Schools all across Mansfield ISD held events that encouraged kids to say no to drugs. Several campuses wore red ribbons, took part in special activities and held dress-up days to show the importance of living a drug-free lifestyle.

Red Ribbon Week also motivates youth and parents to have open dialogue about the need to live a healthy lifestyle because children of parents who talk to their teens regularly about drugs are 42 percent less likely to use drugs than those who don't.

The first Red Ribbon campaign began more than 30 years ago. Today, the Red Ribbon Campaign is the oldest and largest drug prevention program in the nation reaching millions of young people. View more information about Red Ribbon Week and sign the pledge.

Learning Through Immersion: The Foreign Exchange Student Program

You can learn about different countries in geography books, but 11 new Mansfield ISD high school students have chosen to learn about the U.S. culture by traveling across the globe and immersing themselves in it.

The MISD Foreign Exchange Student Program provides teenagers from other countries the opportunity to learn about the history of the United States, see the workings of U.S. government and become more fluent in the written and spoken English language.

“There’s such hope and promise in what a foreign exchange student can glean from the year-long experience.” said Holly McCanlies, MISD director of guidance and counseling. “The purpose of the program is to gain a deep understanding of a culture that’s different from their own, to make life-long friendships and to experience an educational system that is truly great.”

Gregory (right) assists Dominguez (left) in computer technology class.

Federico Dominguez is originally from Spain and attends Timberview High School. He said the decision to come to America for a full year of learning was one he felt would set him up for a successful future.

“I want to learn English because it’s a global language. I will need it for my work and life,” said the 16-year-old. “I’ve learned that you can find a lot of people from different places.”

Dominguez said he loves soccer and is on the junior varsity team at Timberview. He keeps in touch with his family back in Spain weekly and is excited to be making friends here.

“He interacts a lot with the students,” said Timberview teacher and coach Duane Gregory. “I think he’s done a good job getting acclimated and familiar with how things work in our community and our culture.”

McCanlies said that students from all over the world have taken advantage of the MISD Foreign Exchange Student Program, and she has seen how the experience has helped them flourish into well-rounded individuals.

During their stay, foreign exchange students live with host families who reside within the district. MISD has space for five foreign exchange students at each of its traditional high schools. For more information about enrollment and eligibility, visit the guidance and counseling page.

MISD Students “Nail It” for Families in Need

A stage usually set up for musicals and performances was transformed into a construction workshop filled with tools and supplies to see which North Texas high school team would be named the best builders in the region.

“We were trying to come up with a fun preliminary contest prior to our SkillsUSA contest,” said Gene Schramme, construction technology teacher at Mansfield ISD’s Ben Barber Innovation Academy. “We brought the ‘Nailed It’ idea to the staff at the MISD Center for the Performing Arts, and they helped it all come together.”

Students used teamwork and skill to build their playhouses.

The teams of four from Ben Barber Innovation Academy, Birdville Center of Technology and Advanced Learning, Stephenville High School and Fort Worth’s Green B. Trimble Technical High School spent hours designing and building a playhouse that would be judged by a panel of industry professionals.

The inaugural contest wasn’t all about hands-on learning, though—it was also a way to give back to the community.

“I didn’t know these houses were going to Habitat for Humanity until two weeks ago,” said Jacob Dawson, high school junior and member of the Ben Barber Innovation Academy team. “It made it that much more important to do that job right.”

“The first thing I told [the teams] was, 'We want you to be safe, and we want you to have fun because we’re building these playhouses for kids.' At the end of the day, there are four families, and their kids are getting a playhouse,” said Schramme.

The MISD team was proud of their finished product.

After six intense hours of work, the judges made their final decision. MISD’s Jacob Dawson, Caleb Padgett, Logan Dawson and Hayden Zawodniak earned the coveted winner’s plaque. They were happy that their talents were recognized, but they were even happier to be helping a greater cause.

“About a month ago, we took a trip, and we helped Habitat for Humanity, and we got to meet a bunch of wonderful people,” said junior Caleb Padgett. “Now that we get to do these, it’s such an honor to be able to give those to families in need.”

DEWALT® Power Tools, Huckabee & Associates, Inc. and Upstage Center, Inc. were major sponsors of the Oct. 12 event.

Organizers hope the competition will expand to include even more area schools next year.

Military Dad Surprises Daughter with Homecoming

A late-night email from a kindergartner's mother caused staff from two Mansfield ISD elementary schools to pull together and give the five-year-old a surprise ending to her day.

The email stated that Brielle Garcia would not be in class on Friday because her dad came back from deployment. He had been gone for months and was going to spend some time with his daughter.

Wal-Mart donated small flags for the students to wave
during the impromptu assembly.

But employees at Charlotte Anderson Elementary School and Judy K. Miller Elementary School, who share the same campus, wanted to make the occasion a real hero's welcome.

"I came to school early this morning, sent out a couple emails, and everyone just got the urge and dedication to make something wonderful happen for Brielle and her dad," said Sheira Petty, principal at Charlotte Anderson Elementary School.

In an impromptu kindergarten assembly about heroes, students learned about the different branches of the military. Brielle was then called up to the front of the room because her dad is in the U.S. Air Force.

Brielle was shy but happy to finally see
her father after his deployment.

As the Air Force song played in the background, the curtains to the stage slowly opened to reveal Brielle's dad standing behind her.

She looked back in shock and gave her father a big hug and a kiss. The students who watched it all unfold waved their little American flags and cheered them on.

"I'm actually leaving again to Korea in either January or March; so any time I get to come home, I try to come back and see her," said Staff Sgt. George Garcia.

Brielle didn't have much to say, but her smile said it all. Her daddy was back, and she was going to cherish every moment of it for as long as she could.