MISD School in Running to Win $100K for Agriculture Program

Can't see the video? View it here.

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UPDATE: Tarver-Rendon Elementary school won the Farmers Insurance contest. Students and staff were presented with the $100,000 grand prize check on Dec. 5 at a surprise assembly.

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What would you do with $100,000? Staff members at Tarver-Rendon Elementary School hope to expand their agricultural leadership program with it.

They applied for Farmers Insurance's Dream Big Teacher Challenge. As part of the application process, educators nationwide submitted proposals explaining the impact the money would have on their community.

The proposal took four months to write, but staff members said it was all worth it because Tarver-Rendon Elementary School made it to the final round. Out of the 15 remaining finalists, five will win the grand prize.

“We figure we have a one in three chance, and we’re the only school district in Texas to be one of the finalists, so we’re very proud of that,” said Principal Jamie Norwood.

Tarver-Rendon students feed the hens while learning
about the egg-laying process.

Right now, the school provides students the opportunity to learn character skills by raising animals, growing their own food, using the food in their homegrown salad bar for lunch and giving some of the harvest to local food banks.

Winning $100,000 would open up even more doors.

“With the grant, we would be able to have an outdoor classroom with stadium-like seating, more stalls for more animals, raised garden beds, more pathways and more signage,” Norwood added.

Rita Denton, director of student nutrition for Mansfield ISD, said the kids would be exposed to more organic and homegrown foods as well.

“I think with that grant and the opportunity that this administration and teachers have at this school to get more equipment, I think that it would bring more ingredients to our garden bar,” she noted.

The grand prize winners will be chosen through online voting.

Cast your vote for Shaye Anne Atwood, agricultural leadership teacher at Tarver-Rendon Elementary School, here.

Voting is open until Nov. 3, and people are allowed to vote once a day.

Fourth-Graders Beat Out High Schoolers Nationwide in Stock Market Game

Can't see the video? View it here.
When it comes to stocks, bonds and market trends, some elementary school students at Tarver Rendon Elementary School are already ahead of the game.

The fourth-graders are competing in an online stock market game as part of their social studies curriculum. They were given a $100,000 fictional account in which they are able to buy and sell mutual funds, stocks and bonds.

Out of more than 300 schools nationwide, a Tarver Rendon Elementary team has been leading the pack. What’s even more impressive is that a majority of the people they are competing against are in high school.

White teaches the students how to interpret the stock charts.

“Mrs. Thomas’ class has the team that is actually second right now. They were first yesterday and second today,” said Brian White, a social studies teacher. “I was hoping to have five teams in the top 100. I think we’re sitting on ten right now.”

Gatlin Gerhard, the captain of the leading team, said his winning strategy is to buy what he knows.

“I just got my favorite big companies and invested in them,” the 10-year-old explained. “I have Netflix. Shopify is one of them. Apple’s doing really good.”

The student said he has learned a lot so far and plans to explore Wall Street even more when he’s an adult.

White added that the activity has been a fun way to incorporate real-world money management skills into the classroom.

“They’re about 8 percent over the S&P 500 growth already, and we still have five weeks to go. They’re doing very well.”

More information about The Stock Market Game is available here.

Homegrown Salad Bar Becomes Staple at MISD Elementary School

It’s not every day that children are excited to eat their fruits and vegetables, but at one Mansfield ISD school, the produce is a result of weeks of hard work.

Tarver-Rendon Elementary School is home to the district’s first salad bar for elementary school students. The idea is part of the school’s new agricultural leadership program, which teaches students responsibility through growing and caring for plants and animals.

Students in the program plant and harvest vegetables at an on-campus garden. The school worked in partnership with the district’s Student Nutrition Services to feature those homegrown fruits and vegetables in a salad bar during lunch.

“It’s a great addition to our agricultural program,” said Shaye Anne Atwood, agricultural leadership teacher. “The students can use the bar to get a side salad or to have a salad for their meal. Some of the items are grown right here, and we also work with a local farmer to supply items.”

The featured homegrown produce will rotate with the seasons.

Atwood said the students have responded positively to the new salad bar because they were part of the entire process, from seedling to full-grown food. Jenny Laib, assistant director of student nutrition, added that students who normally don’t like healthy foods are coming back for seconds.

“The best part about the salad bar is watching the kids light up,” said Laib. “The fact that they’re getting to customize it and use the utensils themselves, we’re seeing a huge difference with the kids with how well received it’s been.”

Tarver-Rendon Elementary School’s salad bar is being tested out on third and fourth-graders first. Staff hope to expand the food option to other grades in the near future.

Apart from the salad bar, agricultural leadership skills are incorporated into all subjects at the campus. Atwood said her hope is that the program will grow and follow the students throughout their educational career.

For more information about the agricultural leadership program, and other Mansfield ISD Power of Choice initiatives, visit the district website.

8-Year-Old Who Battled Leukemia Gets Disney World Wish Granted

Karsyn and her mom attended a classroom party after
the surprise trip was announced.

The first day of kindergarten can be stressful on parents, but those feelings were compounded for Wendy Eubank who found out on the same day that her 8-year-old daughter, Karsyn, had cancer.

“The doctors told us she had leukemia, and we just didn’t know what to think,” said Eubank. “It was extremely difficult to take in.”

The Tarver-Rendon Elementary School student was in the hospital for a majority of kindergarten and first grade. She returned in second grade, and finished her last round of treatment in January 2016.

Even while battling leukemia, Karsyn has always dreamed of going to Disney World. With the help of Make-A-Wish Foundation, that dream became a reality. Make-A-Wish Foundation is a non-profit organization that grants wishes to children, ages 2 ½ to under 18 years, who have life-threatening medical conditions.

The second-grader was surprised at her school by her family and Cinderella on Friday.

“Here’s a little girl who has struggled and fought and has been so brave,” said Jamie Norwood, principal at Tarver-Rendon Elementary School. “We were all so excited that she got to come back to school. It’s a chance for her to have fun and not think about being sick.”

Karsyn was surprised by Cinderella at school.

Karsyn was a girl of few words when she was surprised with the trip, but she was able to describe how she felt: happy.

“It's been a three-year long journey,” Eubank added. “I am super excited to be able to go to Disney World because she’s wanted this forever. She’s my miracle kid, and you can’t even tell anything is wrong.”

Karsyn’s blood counts are stable now. She will have to undergo routine testing for 10 years to monitor her health. Eubank noted that the last few years have taught her a lot.

“I think positive and take it one day at a time,” said Eubank. “You learn what life’s really about and what’s important.”

The Eubanks plan to take their trip to Disney World in December. They thanked their family, friends, Make-A-Wish Foundation, and the staff at Tarver-Rendon Elementary for all the support they have received.

Tarver-Rendon Staff Dream Big for New Discovery Park

The open field behind Tarver-Rendon Elementary School.

You can call it a field of dreams. After all, that’s what it is right now—a partially-mowed vast area of land near the back entrance of Tarver-Rendon Elementary School.

However, staff members envision that space as a getaway for children to explore the math, arts, sciences, and technological world.

They call it the Tarver-Rendon Discovery Park. The entrance of it will house a sensory garden. Then, the path will continue to lead students to different areas of the park. There will be an area for live theatre performances, butterflies gardens, plant assortments, QR codes, Legos, chess or checkers, animals from the nearby agricultural barn—the possibilities are endless.

“We’re all about outside-the-box thinking,” said Allison Adkison, the kindergarten teacher at Tarver-Rendon who came up with the idea. “The discovery park is not a normal way to teach, but that’s why we’re doing it. We look for different ways to keep kids engaged.”

Adkison said after she thought of the idea, librarian Susan Buckles and technology teacher LaDena Drake became part of her support team.

“Anywhere you go in the park, it will be a learning experience,” said Drake. “It’ll help them see that you can play outside and still have fun learning.”

(View a diagram of the park here and a video of the concept here.)

Adkison, Buckles, and Drake take a visit to the proposed park.

The visionaries hope to turn the dream into a reality through community involvement and a grant from the Mansfield ISD Education Foundation. However, they say even if they don’t win the grant, it’s still going to happen.

“We're so determined. Our community is already pulling together for it,” said Adkison. “We have a group of dads and husbands coming out to help landscape the area some more. Our Tarver-Rendon parents are going to be a big resource to us, and we want local scouts and organizations to be a part of this too.”

The ideas for the park keep evolving, and it only reiterated what these educators teach their students: dream big.