MISD Teachers Kick Off Summer with a Week of Learning

Can't see the video? View it here.

The students are gone, and the school bells are silent; but instead of packing for a vacation, some teachers in Mansfield ISD decided to begin their summer break by honing their skills even more.

Hundreds of educators attended the district’s free annual summer curriculum from May 29 through May 31. The sessions are open to all teachers in the district for a chance to learn new teaching techniques while earning their staff development equivalency hours.

“The teachers especially love that it’s them doing the presentations,” said Teresa Francis, advanced academics coordinator. “It’s not some person who hasn’t been in the classroom or doesn’t know what’s going or talking about some educational theory that doesn’t really have anything to do with what they do in their day-to-day job.”

A bulk of the planning for the conference begins January. Organizers said they research what’s relevant in teaching and use objectives they learned in other trainings to customize each session.

“We’re always looking for what we can offer our staff members that will be helpful to them,” Francis said.

Along with the core subjects, the classes covered topics such as leadership, CPR, gifted and talented, special education, dyslexia, college readiness and more. The sessions are centered around the district’s strategic plan, Vision 2020, which guides how  Mansfield ISD will fulfill its mission of inspiring and education students to be productive citizens.

“It continues year after year to be a very popular event for our teachers,” said Christie Alfred, MISD’s chief innovative officer. “They really appreciate the fact that it’s focused on Mansfield ISD to the things that are specific to our teachers and to our district.”

The summer curriculum classes are held at Legacy High School, a centralized location for the staff. Organizers said that the goal each year is to provide quality lessons that can be immediately implemented in classrooms.

Schools Introduce Competitive Play for Younger Students

Can't see the video? View it here.
For younger students who want to play an organized sport, an outside league used to be their only option.

Now, more Mansfield ISD elementary and intermediate schools are starting their own competitive leagues to increase student involvement.

“The district guiding statement is every student will participate in an extracurricular or co-curricular activity,” said Tamara Liddell, principal of Janet Brockett Elementary School. “We, along with several other Mansfield ISD schools, wanted to take that vision to another level.”

Brockett Elementary teamed up with seven MISD elementary schools to create a basketball league for third- and fourth-grade boys. Games are played in front of a packed house on Monday nights, and practices are held throughout the week.

Cheerleading clubs have also been created at schools to
cheer the boys on.

Coach Ron Middleton said it teaches the kids to be successful student-athletes. He said the kids learn discipline and character. In addition, every one of his students gives a grade report to their other teachers to make sure academics remains the focus.

“These kids are students first and athletes second,” explained the Brockett Elementary P.E. teacher. “You have to make sure you’re on top of your game—not only on the court but in the classroom as well.”

The idea is catching on at the intermediate level as well. Although Donna Shepard Intermediate School does not play against other schools, the intramural program introduced this year still receives large participation.

“They get to stay here after school and be with their friends in a safe environment and still be active,” said P.E. teacher Lesley Burke. “It just enhances those competitive skills and helps them to be a good winner and a good sport.”

Shepard Intermediate’s intramural program offers dodgeball, basketball, volleyball and soccer. The fifth- and sixth-graders will also have a chance to compete in video gaming later this school year.

MISD Elementary School Trains Leaders of the Future

An eye-opening trip to the Ron Clark Academy inspired MISD principal Tameka Patton to bring a very special program back to Nancy Neal Elementary School.

"At the Ron Clark Academy, we were greeted by students who asked us questions and asked what was our mission there,” Patton said. “I’ve got students at Nancy Neal that can do this."

Superintendent Dr. Jim Vaszauskas spent time with the Neal
Ambassadors earlier in the year teaching them the importance
of being a life-long learner.

The Nancy Neal Ambassadors are the student body representatives that assist in campus community outreach efforts and serve as hosts for special guests to the campus.

They are a key component of telling the “Neal story” to guests who visit the campus.

"Students had to complete an application and meet an application deadline,” ambassador co-sponsor Erica Carswell stated about the selection process of the students who would become ambassadors. “They were then brought in for face to face interviews. We selected the top ten students and they became Neal Ambassadors."

For Turner Hawkins, applying to be an ambassador was an obvious choice.

"I chose to join because I thought I would do a great job because I love helping people. This has taught me that if you work together, you can get more done." Hawkins said.

Through the direction of their sponsors, school leadership and the many special guests they have welcomed into their meetings, the Neal Ambassadors are learning character, responsibility and the value of a heart for service.

The students have had the privilege of learning leadership traits from a number of guest speakers. Superintendent Dr. Jim Vaszauskas spent time with students early in the year talking about what it means to have a heart for service and the importance of being a life long learner. Recently, the ambassadors welcomed Leigh Collins, district director for Senator Konni Burton, who talked about the importance of goal setting. The students listened to her speak and ask questions about her educational path and her career.

Ultimately, the Neal Ambassador Program is about building leaders of the future in areas such as public speaking, responsibility or introductions; the possibilities are endless.

Co-sponsor Monique McGrew says it’s all about their character.

"The one thing we have really honed in this year, and tried to instill on each student is character, who are you when no one’s looking."

Mastering Reading by Increasing Vocabulary

Through the hallways of Mary Jo Sheppard Elementary School, young learners can be heard shouting out some pretty advanced vocabulary words.

“Algorithm! Distinguish! Fiction!” the second-graders said as the teacher gave a definition of each term.

The elementary school, like many others across the district, is focusing on building vocabulary to strengthen reading skills. The emphasis on vocabulary lines up with Mansfield ISD’s Vision 2020 strategic plan, which states that students will read on level or higher by the beginning of third grade and will remain on level or higher as an MISD student.

“We believe that if the students master their academic vocabulary, they will be reading on grade level, especially our second-graders,” said Dr. Lori Ayala, assistant principal of Sheppard Elementary School.

A teacher reviews vocabulary in the hallway.

Teachers have started using several teaching techniques to make vocabulary fun and memorable. They utilize videos, games, flipbooks and vocabulary journals in which the student talks about the word, draws the words and writes the word in a sentence.

“The teachers are constantly reviewing the words, even when they have time in the hallways for restroom breaks,” Ayala explained.

Student progress is also tracked. Word mastery has increased across the campus, and each student keeps a journal of how they are improving.

“Everyone has met their goals so far,” Ayala continued. “Our goal at the beginning of the year was to pass with 70 percent. We’ve met that goal and went beyond that.”

For more information about MISD’s Vision 2020, visit the district website.

MISD Kids Find Their Genius Through Clubs

On Fridays, there’s an extra pep in the step of the third and fourth-graders at Martha Reid Elementary School, but it’s not because the weekend is near.

The students know that if they do their school work Monday through Thursday, there’s a special period Friday morning where they can engage in different clubs.

Origami, the art of folding paper, is intriguing to the students.

Principal Rebecca Stephens said the idea was implemented in the second six weeks to coincide with one of the guiding statements of Vision 2020, Mansfield ISD’s new strategic plan, which states that students will participate in an extracurricular or co-curricular activity.

“Every kid has an interest; every kid has their genius,” said Stephens. “We’re giving them the opportunity to try different clubs to see what they like to do outside of school.”

She added that having the clubs during the day gives students who may not be able to come early or stay later an opportunity to participate in the different activities as well

Origami, science, music, drama, robotics, Legos and kindness are just some of the various offerings each six weeks. There’s also a Book Buddies Club in which the older children read to the younger ones.

Students said that reading is more fun with partners.

“I like reading because it helps me learn, and I can get a job one day because of it,” said third-grader Keller Johnson, who enjoys being a book buddy.

Stephens added that it’s not just about having fun. The Friday clubs give children something to look forward to throughout the week.

“It has made a difference because they have the intrinsic motivation to do well at school and be a part of school, and they take ownership in that.” she said.

Next semester, the club rotations will be available for the second-graders as well.

Vision 2020 Focus: Algebra I Mastery

Mansfield ISD's mission is to inspire and educate students to be productive citizens. In alignment with this mission, one of the guiding statements in the district's Vision 2020 Strategic Plan is that students will demonstrate mastery of Algebra I by the end of ninth grade.

"The reason I'm teaching is to help kids love math as much as I do," said first-year teacher Kate Gustafson from Della Icenhower Intermediate School.

Watch more on how MISD teachers are laying that groundwork for students.


To view Mansfield ISD's full Vision 2020 Strategic Plan, visit the MISD website.