Elementary Schools Hold Senior Clap Out

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On April 26, Mansfield ISD held their annual Senior Clap Out for high school seniors all over the district to return to their elementary schools. The senior clap out allows high school seniors to walk through the halls of their former elementary school while the students and staff give them high fives and clap for them.

“It’s really nostalgic being able to come back to Annette Perry and see all my old teachers,” said Audra Slater, a Lake Ridge High School senior. “It’s so crazy just seeing all these kids supporting you not even knowing who you are but they still look up to you as if you’re their big sister or big brother.”

The teachers enjoy seeing their old students just as much as the graduates.

“There’s a couple emotions that you get,” said Kevin Dodge, a fourth grade teacher at D.P. Morris. “First you’re really jarred by how old they are which in turn makes you feel really old and you start contemplating how much longer you have left on this Earth. Then you think, but that’s okay because I was able to make an impact.”

When the students meet with their former teachers they often reminisce on memories from their time in elementary school.

“You get all these great memories back from when you were young,” said Lake Ridge High School senior, Omar Quinones. “Walking through the hallways, the school is so much smaller than it usually was because when you were a little kid you thought the school was humongous.”

The seniors also share what their plans for the future are.

“My heart fills just with pride to hear what their choices are and the decisions they’re making,” said Sondra Thomas, the principal of Annette Perry from 2009-2014. “I can’t wait to hear in five years what they’ve accomplished.”

The seniors wear their cap and gowns to show the current elementary students that they, too, will graduate one day.

“One day when I grow up I want to be just like one of those high schoolers,” said D.P. Morris fourth grader, Liliana Garcia.

Students Spend Quality Time with Grandparents and Grandfriends

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“Mimi!” “Gigi!” “Grandpa!”

Those were the words being shouted by Mansfield ISD children this week with big smiles plastered across their faces.

The students at Nancy Neal Elementary School and many campuses across the district celebrated National Grandparents Day, a day in which grandparents and grandfriends can celebrate intergenerational relationships and family time.

“It’s a special day in my heart because I’m very close with my grandparents, and I feel like it’s a great way to bring our grandparents into the classroom and into our school… and spend some quality time with them,” said Lesley Norris, librarian at Neal Elementary School.

Grandparents and grandfriends of Neal Elementary School were invited to eat lunch with their grandchildren.

Dill said she used to travel from New Braunfels to celebrate
the school's Grandparents Day.

Afterward, they were welcome to go into the library to participate in the book fair.

“I’ve been going to Grandparents Day for five years,” said Ellen Dill, a grandmother of a fourth-grader. “It’s just another bond between the grandparents. [My granddaughter] gets all excited about it. It’s a little reminder that she knows she’s special.”

National Grandparents Day falls each year on the first Sunday after Labor Day. The purpose of the holiday is to honor grandparents, give them an opportunity to show love for their children's children and to help children become aware of the strength, information and guidance older people can offer.

“I always tell my kids if their grandparents live far away or if they’re not close by, call them on the phone, tell them how much you love them and just share that special moment with them,” Norris said.

Norris added that it warms her heart to see the grandparents and grandfriends interact with each other. She said that is her motivation behind coordinating the event each year.

Never Forget – A Mansfield ISD Tribute to 9/11

Where were you on September 11, 2001 when the first plane crashed into the World Trade Center? Many of us can remember it like it was yesterday; but there’s a growing number of people (like a majority of today’s students) who were not born or were too young to understand what this day really means.

It’s important that we never forget—not only to commemorate the lives lost and affect by the largest terrorist attack on U.S. soil, but to make sure future generations don’t lose the meaning of a dark day in history that grew the country’s bond stronger.

Campuses across MISD started school with a moment of silence, followed by a spotlight of 9/11 in the morning announcements. Some schools took it upon themselves to invite the community to memorialize what is now called Patriot Day.  

A Step in Their Shoes
Legacy High School’s JROTC started the ceremonies bright and early by raising the flags before the start of school. Student Resource Officer Daryle Ryan took it upon himself to physically remember what the first responders at Ground Zero experienced. He climbed the stairs up and down at Legacy more than 30 times in honor of those who climbed the flights of stairs at the World Trade Center to rescue 9/11 victims.

A Tradition of Remembrance
Hundreds of people packed the front of Willie Brown Elementary school, where students held an assembly to remember 9/11. It’s a tradition the school has upheld since 2002. Many local law enforcement were present to be honored in the ceremony. The assembly began with the boy scouts raising the flag. Students also sang songs of unity and strength for those in attendance.

A Heart of Gratitude
Students and staff at Roberta Tipps Elementary School used Patriot Day to thank those in public safety positions. Students gave out cookies, thank you cards, letters, and Gatorades as a token of appreciation for the men and women in uniform who come to our “ade.” Mansfield ISD police, Mansfield police, Arlington police, and Mansfield fire crews attended the event, which is in its third year. Members of the police and fire units even signed autographs because the kids were very excited to see them all.

Whether campuses held events, or wore patriotic colors with hallways adorned with flags, today was a day of remembrance throughout the district for 9/11. And the message was very clear no matter which activity you took part in—our community will never forget.

View full photo gallery of Patriot Day events

Elementary School Challenges Students, Community to Keep Reading in Summer

As the school year comes to a close, one Mansfield ISD elementary school principal hopes an important activity her kids practice in the classroom will continue into the summer months.

So with students cheering, cheerleaders chanting, and teachers dancing, Janet Brockett Elementary School kicked off their 333 Reading Challenge with a school-wide pep rally.

Principal Tamara Liddell talking about the 333 Reading Challenge.

The challenge calls for families to sit down together and read for 30 minutes a day, three times a week. And after each reading session, everyone should share three things they learned from what they read.

Principal Tamara Liddell started the challenge two years ago at Brockett Elementary. She said it’s important to start early to plant that seed and develop a strong foundation for reading.

“When you learn to read, that is something that no one can take away from you,” said Liddell. “Reading brings experiences, understanding, and connections.”

One of the special guests at the summer reading pep rally was Jarius Pace. He’s a seventh grader who attended Brockett from kindergarten through fourth grade. He talked to the younger children about how reading has personally helped his academic career.

“I've gotten awards for reading,” said Pace. “It allowed me to understand things better, and I'm able to focus more."

Jarius Pace speaking to the elementary students.

Teachers and administrators at Brockett Elementary have come up with ways to keep summer reading interesting for the students. “Reading bingo cards” were created that include suggestions to read a book in an accent or read under the kitchen table.

“Camp days” have also been scheduled in the summer where students can come on campus and be read to aloud and receive free books.

Students who participate in the summer reading challenge will get to go on a field trip to the Winspear Opera House in Dallas on July 30.

Principal Liddell hopes the reading challenge will bring families together while instilling a joy for reading in her young students.

For those who can’t make it to a library, most public libraries offer e-book options. You can also check out Unite for Literacy and Children’s Library, which provide free online books.

Elementary Coach Still Making Big Strides After Heart Surgery

It’s no surprise to see dozens of students running laps at Annette Perry Elementary School after school on Mondays.

When Deidra Zschiesche started Annette Perry’s running club three years ago, she didn’t know what to expect. All she knew is that she loved running, and wanted to spread that love to her elementary school students.

Deidra Zschiesche coaching her running club.

The enthusiasm certainly caught on. The club has nearly 100 students who participate every week. That’s more than 25 percent of the total school population!

The P.E. teacher had been running all of her life, so it came as a big surprise when Zschiesche had a medical episode in 2013 and discovered, on Thanksgiving Day, that she had a tumor attached to her heart.

“It was something that the doctors said I probably had since birth,” said Zschiesche. “The tumor was making my heart work very hard just to breathe.”

A month later, the coach underwent surgery to remove the cardiac tumor. After eight weeks of recovery, Zschiesche laced up her running shoes and continued doing what she loved most. The surgery was so successful that Zschiesche ran the fastest half marathon of her life about nine weeks after her surgery.

Coach Zschiesche talking about her passion for running.

“It felt great,” said Zschiesche. “It was like I had a load off my chest.”

The students in the running club were happy to have their coach back. With her motivation, many of the kids also participate in local races.

“I love her as a coach,” said Mason Foreman, fourth grader at Annette Perry. “She’s helped me through a lot of things.”

“I’ve been running since I was in kindergarten here,” said Brianna Fosnaugh, second grader. “She’s the best P.E. teacher I’ve ever had.”

Zschiesche now has a different take on life and she hopes her story will inspire others to not waste a single second of life.

“Live life to the fullest,” said Zschiesche. “Do things that make you happy because life’s too short.”

Fourth Graders Run School News Network

Anchorwomen Allie Jarrett and Tina Tran preparing for the news.

Seconds away from making T.V. magic, the cameraman shouts, “Lights, camera, action!”

That’s a typical day for the people who run CNN. No, not the Cable News Network—the Cabaniss News Network is a news program that is broadcasted every morning through screens in the hallways and classrooms of Cabaniss Elementary School.

The morning bell rings at 8 a.m., and the newscast starts promptly at 8:03 a.m. to allow time for students to settle down and teachers to tune into the network via their classroom smart board.

Everything from the on-air talent to the information gathering and camera work is done solely by a select group of fourth graders. The students audition as third graders the prior year, so that they are all set for the first day of school. Occasionally, other students get featured on the news program as special guests to read news stories that they contributed.

For Tina Tran, positioned as the T.V. anchorwoman for the day, the choice to audition to be a part of CNN was easy.

“I like being in the spotlight. I always pretended to be a newsperson at home, so I decided to do it here, too,” said Tran.

Weatherman Adam Reynolds giving the day's forecast.

Adam Reynolds, the day’s weatherman, also enjoys the limelight; but to him, it’s also a way to give back to the school.

“We’re giving information that the students and teachers need, so I like being able to help,” said Reynolds.

Counselor David Dye oversees CNN. He started the network four years ago. He said he was thinking of producing a student-run news show when Principal Kisha McDonald came up to him wanting to start one also. Dye wrote a grant for the program to buy all the necessary equipment, and the rest is history.

Dye is very hands-on for the first two weeks of production, but he said after that, he starts handing over the reins to the students.

Cabaniss counselor David Dye after a successful newscast.

“It teaches the students to be self-sufficient,” Dye said. “It makes them have pride in their school and learn life skills. My favorite part is having the kids being able to independently produce quality work.”

And that quality work is surely being noticed. Some of the people on the on-air news team said they get treated like little local celebrities.

“A first grader came up to me and said that she wanted to be like me when she grows up,” said Allie Jarrett, the other anchorwoman on set.

Don’t think the fame is getting to their heads, though. Counselor Dye said he picks students that are very humble and know how to handle the attention.

Hour of Code Ends via Chat with Polyvore CEO

Technology Applications students at T.A. Howard
video chatting with Polyvore CEO, Jess Lee.

It’s not every day that you get to talk to a major company’s CEO, but the technology applications (tech apps) students at T.A. Howard Middle School were able to as a prize given during the Hour of Code.

In celebration of Computer Science Education Week (December 8 - 14), the event is part of a nationwide movement to get schools to dedicate one hour of time for students to learn coding. During this hour, kids in participating schools learn how fun coding can be through interactive activities.

About two percent of college students graduate with a degree in computer science, and the numbers have dropped since the last decade. Yet, computing jobs make up 60 percent of all math and science-related jobs.

These startling statistics are what sparked T.A. Howard Middle School to take part in the event.

As an extra bonus, one out of 100 schools that participated in the Hour of Code won the opportunity to video chat with a celebrity or industry executive. Amy Toombs, T.A. Howard’s librarian, was selected to video chat with Jess Lee, CEO of the style website Polyvore.

“Jess Lee’s in-person speaking fee is $22,000, so getting to hear all her wealth of knowledge for free was exciting,” said Toombs. “I loved that she looked like a regular person and made big goals seem so attainable.”

T.A. Howard was one of seven schools allowed to ask one pre-approved question to Lee, so students in the tech apps classes brainstormed to come up with the perfect one. Eighth grader Hayden Hartrick was the lucky student who got to ask the question during the video chat.

The question: “To what do you attribute your success today? Was it a skill, a class, a mentor or life experience? All of the above?”

Eighth grader Hayden Hartrick asking Lee the
pre-approved question.

It was the only inquiry that prompted the style mogul to respond, “That is a good question!”

View full video chat here.

For Hartrick, the chat with Lee taught him to not back away from the hard things in life.

“If you see something that is difficult, you need to traverse that road and go for what you want,” he said.

Teachers and staff hope this event will encourage students to pursue a career in the computer science field.

“Coding is used for everything from gaming to everyday apps,” said Kristi Bell, instructional technology technician for Mansfield ISD. “These children are learning why coding is important and why they should learn it.”

Find out what you can do to foster the next generation of coders and programmers by visiting the Code.org website.