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.

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

MISD Teacher Named KLTY Teacher of the Month

She usually likes to stay behind the scenes, but Brooks Wester Middle School teacher Stephanie Shackelford was front and center to be recognized for a job well done by a local radio station.

Hundreds of students and staff gathered in Wester’s gym to honor Shackelford for receiving the 94.9 KLTY Teacher of the Month award. The award is given to deserving teachers who are nominated by the public. Coworker Julia Stephen said she wrote into KLTY after seeing how hard Shackelford worked to raise more than $10,000 for the campus’ Angel Tree program.

Radio host Frank Reed talking to Shackelford about her award.

“She really took the bull by the horns,” said Stephen, seventh grade science teacher. “She did the planning, and put in the hours, and the time, and the energy. She was just incredible to work with—very excited, motivating, and inspirational.”

Shackelford said she is in shock and humbled by such acknowledgement.

“I’m not used to having the attention on me, so this is all so new for me,” said Shackelford. “I hope students take away from this assembly that when you do good, something good eventually comes to you—even though you’re not doing it to get any sort of recognition for it.”

As the KLTY Teacher of the Month, the eighth grade English teacher received hundreds of dollars in gift cards, a complimentary facial treatment, and a plaque of recognition.

Buckets and TNT speaking to Wester Middle school students.

At the award ceremony, the audience received an additional treat by having two members of the world-famous Harlem Globetrotters speak to them about the importance of having good character. Afterwards, Buckets and TNT brought members from the crowd down to the court to teach some of their basketball skills.

The students left the presentation learning about cooperation, healthy mind and body, effort, enthusiasm, and responsibility (C.H.E.E.R.). The acronym is used to get the kids to care about school and each other to better prepare them for the challenges they may face as young adults.

MISD Staff Spotlight the Good in Schools and Departments

Ambassador Training spotlights the positivity in public schools.

For the past three years, Mansfield ISD has partnered with Friends of Texas Public Schools to bring the Ambassador Training Academy to staff members from across the district. The program unites campus and departmental employees around the district’s overall mission to foster a community built on mutual support and to cultivate productive, lifelong learners.

Each year, a group of 100 individuals are nominated by district leadership to represent MISD and come together for three energizing and informative professional development sessions. Participants learn how the power of professional unity profoundly impacts the field of public education.

The program explores some of the major issues negatively affecting the perception of Texas public schools, but the majority of the sessions are spent focusing on and celebrating all that is going right in public schools. The overall goal is to change the conversation about public education from the inside out by addressing the attitudes and mindsets of those working in the schools, and helping them to step up as ambassadors for themselves, their classrooms, their campuses, district, and the profession.

MISD ambassadors engage in the interactive sessions.

Ambassadors engage in a variety of activities including a book study, headline-gathering to share strengths and achievements from each campus and department, and the development of an activity or program that promotes comradery and teamwork. Each year, the participants share more than 1,000 "good news" stories from across the district.

"The Ambassador Training Academy was a great opportunity to learn about the wonderful things going on at all the MISD campuses and to see how well we appreciate and encourage each other in the district," said Todd Butler, third grade dual language teacher at Erma Nash Elementary School. "I've always believed that the public school system works well, but I learned things about its effectiveness that surprised even me."

Upon the completion of the program, ambassadors are challenged not only to continue their role as advocates and champions for Texas Public Schools, but also to share what they have learned to empower others with the same type of optimism and hope for the future of education.

"I truly enjoyed the opportunity to be a part of this year’s Ambassador Training Academy," said Beatrice Owens, instructional specialist at Lake Ridge High School. "The atmosphere was electrifying which challenged people to self-motivate. Personally, it was a great time to lift my spirit, and I left each meeting refreshed and ready to cheer on the staff at Lake Ridge." 

The 2015-16 MISD Ambassadors are encouraged to share what they learned to their peers.

This year’s class completed the program on January 13. There are now 300 Mansfield ISD employees who have fulfilled the training requirements to become MISD Ambassadors. Although the training is complete, the role of each ambassador is just beginning.

Building Character and Raising Funds Through Fitness

Before the run, students and parents recited
the pledge of allegiance.

It was time for a different kind of fundraising at Thelma Jones Elementary School. Teachers and staff wanted to raise money for more technology in the classroom, but they didn’t want to deal with selling and delivering products.

“We figured that if we gave something to our community that was healthy, they’d appreciate it, participate in it, and help the cause,” said PTA president Angela Cleversy.

As hoped, the community response was positive for the campus’ first ever Boosterthon Fun Run. It’s a program that wraps fitness, leadership, and character together.

First grade boys ran first while the girls cheered them on.

For two weeks, students learned about different character traits—like teamwork and humility—during their enrichment period. As they developed sportsmanship, the students prepared for the fun run by asking for pledges based on the number of laps they ran on the final day.

“It’s fundraising, but the focus is on character, fun, and fitness,” said second grade teacher Aline Trinh. “It’s something that I had done in my old school district in Virginia, so I suggested the idea to the PTA.”

The preliminary results amazed the staff. On the day of the fun run, more than $27,000 pledges were received from 36 states and five countries.

Not only will the funds be used to help the campus—some of the money also helps those in need. For every class that raises $30 or more per lap, Boosterthon Fun Run will donate a pair of shoes to a person overseas who needs it.

Angela Cleversy (third from left) is all smiles with
Principal Dameon Gray (left) and helpful teachers.

“It’s just been a great overall learning experience for the students. These kids are excited to get fit, and they’re excited to learn about the different character lessons. They're more united,” said Trinh.

Cleversy, who is also a special education teacher at Jones Elementary, said the school will use their portion of the funds raised to purchase more learning iPads, starting with third grade, fourth grade, special education, and enrichment classes.

Mansfield ISD Toys for Tots 2015 Brings in More Than 30,000 Toys!

The entire Mansfield ISD community came out to show record-breaking support for the fourth annual MISD Toys for Tots event. With the amazing generosity of everyone involved, more than 30,000 toys and approximately $9,000 was donated to the campaign.

Campuses and departments held several contests to encourage students and staff to give to the cause. On the night of the Dec. 9 event, community members came out to the MISD Center for the Performing Arts to drop off even more donations.

Attendees brought their donations and were able to stay to enjoy free activities, such as a snow sledding hill, Santa photos, live reindeer, bounce houses, crafts, and student performances.

“I am always amazed at the amount of enthusiasm our students, parents, staff, local businesses, and other community members have for MISD Toys for Tots,” said Lynn Wilkie, sales and marketing coordinator at the MISD Center for the Performing Arts. “So many people have given so much of their time, energy, and resources to make sure this event was a hit, and I am truly appreciative to everyone for that. Words cannot describe it.”

The number of toy donations received for MISD Toys for Tots has continually increased since its inception in 2012. In its first year, 16,000 toys were given. 20,000 toys were given in 2013, and 26,000 were donated in 2014.

Event organizers said they are already thinking of new rides and activities to “wow” the crowds for next year. View a video, photos, and a social media collage of all the MISD Toys for Tots fun.
Special thanks to: The U.S. Marine Corps, Mansfield ISD campuses and departments, The City of Mansfield, FOX 4 News, Two Men and a Truck, Mansfield FFA, Texas Trust Credit Union, Top of Texas Photography, Mansfield Methodist Medical Center, Starbucks, First United Methodist Church of Mansfield, Hawaiian Falls Water Park, Raising Cane's, Mellow Mushroom, Art Ballet Academy, Lifetime Fitness, UpStage, Common Grounds Community Network, Chisolm Trail Jeep Club, Sports Clip, Canales Furniture in Arlington, Lone Star Irrigation, and the Mansfield ISD community.

Land of the Free Because of the Brave

No matter which Mansfield ISD school you stepped foot into on Veterans Day, there was a recurring theme of extreme gratitude from staff and students.

Veterans were invited to an array of events, which included flag raisings, free breakfast, patriotic programs, and parades. It may not seem like a big gesture—and compared to the sacrifice our service men and women make to serve our country, it’s not—but it was a token of appreciation that went a long way for those who served and are serving in the U.S. Armed Forces.

A veteran at one of the campus events wearing
a reminder that freedom costs.

For Lyle Keith, who retired from the U.S. Army with a ranking of Spec. 5, programs like “Bring a Vet to Lunch” at Elizabeth Smith Elementary are special.

“I’m the only vet in the family for my granddaughters, so I took a day off to be here,” said Keith who has two granddaughters at Smith Elementary. “I feel it’s very important because it gives these children a heritage and teaches respect for veterans.”

Grace Lindsay, second lieutenant in Summit High School’s JROTC program, said she’s proud to celebrate Veterans Day because veterans are the foundation of the country.

“They’re the people who’ve given us what we need—the people who’ve shown us that we can do our stuff with them as our front line,” said Lindsay. “They can protect us and still keep us safe even when we’re at school.”

Because we realize that freedom is not free, MISD thanks all those who served the U.S. in times of war and peace. Veterans Day is celebrated once a year every Nov. 11, but our appreciation will last a lifetime.


View the full Mansfield ISD Veterans Day 2015 photo gallery here.

Respect Yourself. Be Drug Free.

Red Ribbon Week, the nationwide campaign to take a stand against drugs, is 30 years strong and continues to gain momentum. The annual initiative is held every year on Oct. 23-31.

Joe Scriv, Champ, Principal Rita Ashley, and Mavs Man
getting ready to inspire kids to be drug free.

Campuses around Mansfield ISD joined the effort to show the importance of living a drug-free lifestyle. Students and staff took part in activities like putting a cap to drugs by hearing hats, showing that they have power over drugs by dressing up as super heroes, and turning their backs to drugs by wearing their clothes backwards.

Mary Lillard Intermediate School had something special in store for their students to kick off Red Ribbon Week. Dallas Mavericks mascots Champ and Mavs Man visited the campus to encourage the kids to stay confident and resist peer pressure.

“We talk to the kids about making sure they stay drug free and make better choices so that they can stay on the path to success,” said Joe Scriv of the Dallas Mavericks Organization.

Organizers said the performers were the perfect touch to get the message across.

“We really wanted to provide something students could relate to,” said Lillard PTA chairperson Lisa Huff. “After brainstorming, we thought this high-energy show would bolster student morale and let the students know that cool people really don’t do drugs.”

Mansfield Mayor David Cook and Principal Rita Ashley
after the proclamation of Red Ribbon Week.

The finale was certainly one to remember as Mavs Man dunked over several students and staff who were standing under the basketball net. It was yet another reminder to the kids that they can’t perform at those optimum levels if they start using drugs.

Mansfield Mayor David Cook ended the event by proclaiming it to be Red Ribbon Week in the City of Mansfield. He inspired the crowd to take the Red Ribbon theme to heart throughout the entire year: Respect yourself. Be drug free.

MISD Teachers and Staff Kick Off the New School Year in Style

More than 4,000 Mansfield ISD teachers and staff came together for a time of fun, laughs, and encouragement in preparation for the upcoming school year.

MISD Convocation 2015 was held on Wednesday, August 19 at the MISD Center for the Performing Arts. From the high-energy dancing to the motivational messages, the goal was to get everyone excited for another year of great achievements.

Superintendent Dr. Jim Vaszauskas and School Board President Dr. Michael Evans empowered the audience by explaining why every single job title held within the school district is important to a student's education. The key speaker, Dr. John Draper, helped educators realize that everything they do can influence a child's life.

View the photo gallery of MISD Convocation 2015.

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Special thanks to our speakers and:

• Josh Roberts - emcee
• Eric Morrison - DJ 
• The Education Foundation - presented grants to teachers
• The MISD Energy Team - spoke about the importance of energy conservation
• Lake Ridge High School cheerleaders and band members - performers for those entering The Center 
• Mansfield High School's JROTC - presented the colors during the national anthem 
• Timberview High School's choir- sung the national anthem 
• Legacy High School's drill team - performed during Convocation

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.