Artist: Rhyan Pogue
M ay 2020 | O ur G unter . com
Gunter Spotlight: Carla Wade
By: Hailey Wilde
Gunters’ Art teacher, Carla Wade, is a deeply devoted teacher with a strong passion and love for Art and her talented students. I am so excited to see how Mrs. Wade will further the Ambush Art program here in Gunter! Tell me a little bit about yourself! I graduated from East Central University located in Ada, Ok with a major in Fine Arts Education and a minor in Art History. I have been married for 18 years this year to Craig and have two amazing children, Ashtyn, 14 years old and Jace, 11 years old. I have been teaching for 16 years, 10 of those years were in Oklahoma. We have been in Texas for 5 years now and have lived in Gunter for 4 of those years. I love reading young adult fiction, painting, and spending time with my family. When did you discover your love for art? I have always had an interest in art, but my first memory was of my Mom helping me draw a picture from a magazine when I was in third grade. I took my first art class in 8th grade and my teacher was amazing! She fed my love of art by letting me help build our Christmas float, which was Cinderella’s castle covered in lights and by choosing me to help pain two large murals in my hometown that year. What do you love about Gunter? Gunter is a small tight knit community, we are all family here. Everyone is willing to help one another, even if they don’t know the person they are helping! Gunter supports the kids. If there is a need it is met 10 times over When I was hired at the school last year, I had a couple of business owners offer to help stock my room. When I approached the local businesses about displaying art in their buildings they all wanted to support the kids and said YES! What do you love about teaching in Gunter? The students I get to teach! I have not been at a school where I have met such talented young adults. These kids’ art is phenomenal! Considering they did not have an art program until last year, I am blown away daily by my students’ dedication and talent. The administration is the best I have had the opportunity to work for. My administrators are knowledgeable, not only in education, but with our kids and staff. They get to know the students and their employees on a personal level, which makes me feel supported and loved. If there is a need the community is quick to fill it. We are blessed to work in a town where everyone, not just school employee’s, care about our students. What do you see for the future of the Ambush Art program? I am hoping to become AP certified this summer and start an AP Art program at the high school campus. I took 17 students and 23 pieces of art to the UIL art competition, VASE, this past month. Out of the 23, 16 of those received a 4, the highest score possible and the other 7 received a 3, the next highest score. I am so proud of my kids. Next year I am hoping we will have some of these advances to state. How has the Ambush Art program contributed to Gunter? Last year the art department hosted a Sidewalk Chalk Competition, that allowed all students the opportunity to create original artwork on a large scale. I am hopeful that each year we will have more and more students participate. The GHS ceramics class started an Empty Bowls event last year to raise money for the Gunter Food Pantry, and we will continue on with this fundraiser each year. The students make bowls to donate to the fundraiser and sell them to raise the money and bring awareness to the hunger in our community. This year we are starting a new fundraiser on top of the Empty Bowls, called Filling Trays. For this the ceramics students will each make a mug or spoon rest to sell and all the proceeds will go to the school’s cafeteria program to help make sure every student can eat a meal even if their account balance won’t cover their lunch. We started the Night of the Fine Arts last year to showcase all the work that our students put in through the fine art classes, each year I am hoping to see this event grow bringing more awareness to the importance of having art education in our children’s lives.
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Artist: Rhyan Pogue
Artist: Andrea Montes
Artist: Ella Lotspeich
Artist: Unknown
Artist:Emma McMahon
Artist: Marlee Harden
OurGunter.com | May 2020
Artist: Emma Marks
Artist: Ella Lotspeich
Artist: Unknown
Artist: Unknown
OurGunter.com | May 2020
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OURGUNTER H ISTORY | V ALUES | F UTURE
C O NTENT S 2
Gunter Spotlight: Carla Wade
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Getting to Know Kenzie Woods
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Honoring Spring Athletes
9 Leigh Vickery, GHS Head Softball
Melissa Kelly, GISD Dir. Technology
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School Zone: State Ring Pick Up
All-Texomaland Basketball 11 12
School Zone: GES Teacher Parade City of Gunter Upcoming Events
GISD Food Service Award
GISD Graduation Information
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2020 Gunter Tiger Varsity FB Schedule
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Gunter Library Information
Published By 4CMEDIAGROUP, LLC Editorial & Design Renee Marler Renee@4cMediaGroup.com Production Jimmy Marler James@4cMediaGroup.com Contributing Writers Renee Marler | Dr. Jill Siler | Hailey Wilde Gunter ISD/Tiger Times
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OurGunter.com | May 2020
Contributing Art & Photography 4CMEDIAGROUP Renee Marler | Jimmy Marler | Marion Cole Editorial Submissions Please send editorial considerations to Renee@4CMEDIAGROUP.com
May 2020 VOL 2, Issue 4 SPOTLIGHT Getting to Know GHS Principal Kenzie Woods
6 10 12
SPORTS State Ring Pick Up & All-Texomaland Basketball
CITY OF GUNTER
Upcoming events and board meetings
If you are interested in writing for OurGunter, we would encourage you to reach out to us! We are open to contributions from students, teachers, parents and community members! ON THE COVER Art class drawing by Rhyan Pogue
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Getting to Know Kensie Woods: Gunter High School’s New Principal By: Hailey Wilde
Meet Gunter’s new High School principal, Kensie Woods! I had the privilege to interview Mrs. Woods and she is absolutely outstanding. Her energetic spirit and determination will definitely help make this transition between principals run a lot smoother for both the students and faculty. I am so excited to watch how Mrs. Woods will help Gunter grow into an even better campus and community! Tell me about yourself! I’m Kensie Woods… an only child married to an only child, Derek with FOUR kids - Tyler (11), Brady (9), Deke (7) and Bellamy (6)... so basically, we have no idea what to do with siblings because we’ve never had any! My dad was a pastor and had his first pastoral job in Franklin County, Virginia, where Derek’s family is from. When I was a little girl, Derek was one of my closest friends. Our parents were close and we spent a ton of our childhood together. One day, I found out we were moving to Texas and my heart broke. Derek was my childhood sweetheart, so I needed him to come to Texas with us. We devised a plan that we would hide him in the U-Haul and pray no one noticed until we crossed into the Lone Star State. Needless to say, that didn’t work. We loaded up and cried the whole drive to Texas. Fast-forward years later and God crossed our paths again - this time for forever! Our family is an experience, to say the least. We love to have fun, compete (in EVERYTHING), and just do anything together. We are a sports crew. We haven’t had a fall Friday night at home for almost 12 years because we live on the sidelines of football fields. We’ve been very involved in our church, with Derek being a deacon and me leading worship. We’re constantly on the go but we love to be at home, as crazy as that sounds! I’d say some of my strengths are…. I never meet a stranger, I’m genuine (to a fault, sometimes), when there’s a job to be done - I don’t stop until it’s done WELL, my family and friends would say I’ve got a pretty decent sense of humor, and I’ll do whatever I can to do what’s best for kids - no matter the situation. (I tiktok-ed for the first time the other day - just for a student… so there’s that). Where did you go to college? I’m a PROUD BAYLOR BEAR! I absolutely LOVED my time there. I majored in Communications because my goal at the time was to be in marketing for gospel recording labels and artists. When did you discover your love for teaching? I’ve taught in a variety of different situations my whole life - from Sunday School classes to summer sports’ campus. I always enjoyed being able to sow into the lives of young people. When I was in the 8th grade, I had a horrible attitude and got kicked off the team because of it. At the end of that school year, a high school coach approached and said I had a clean slate - that changed my life FOREVER! From that moment on, I wanted to pass that gift to other kids who needed a fresh start, just like I did. I LOVE teaching because it gives you the opportunity to be involved in the shaping of our future. I’ve taught everything from English to Debate to Special Education and I’ve loved EVERY minute with a haul of coaching on the side. What motivated you to come to Gunter? I’ve lived the majority of my life in Texas and been in/around major cities. My husband, on the other hand, has only lived in Franklin County, Virginia. We knew Texas was going to be where we’d plant roots, but we weren’t sure what would fit our lives. It only took one road trip up to Gunter to realize - THIS WAS THE PLACE! We loved the proximity to what the city has to offer but with the feeling of a small-town community. It really is the best of both worlds! What is your vision for Gunter as the new High School principal? My vision for Gunter is to continue growing the sphere of influence from the inside out. From what I’ve seen and heard (and even experienced, first-hand) is that Gunter has an incredible community with TONS to offer both within the city limits and beyond. The only thing I want to do is steward the gifts of Gunter well and increase the capacity of success and growth that’s already firmly established here. What are you hoping to see from the Gunter community as the new principal? I’m hoping that the Gunter community will take us all in and help get us acclimated to the Ambush as quickly and easily as possible. I’ve always had an open door and open arms policy - so I want everyone to take advantage of that. Before I ever became “the new principal,” I was Kensie Woods - the woman, wife and mom who’s faking it ‘til we make it just like everyone else! If there are questions - ASK! If there are concerns - TELL ME! If there are suggestions - I CAN’T WAIT TO HEAR THEM! If you want to just chat about sports - LET’S GO! Our family is BIG on relationships so we’re looking forward to building LOADS of them in Gunter! Is there anything else you would like to add? We just want to say how honored we are to be coming into such an amazing place. We’re looking forward to meeting each and every one of the members of the Tiger family SOON! Gunter has established a rich tradition of excellence and we fully anticipate that the very best is yet to come!
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OurGunter.com | May 2020
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Gunter Lady Tigers Hire New Head Softball Coach, Leigh Vickery By: Hailey Wilde
Meet Gunter’s new head softball coach, Leigh Vickery! She is a native Texan who knows exactly what it feels like to live in a small town. She has ambitious, yet achievable goals for our Gunter community and softball program, and I have no doubt she will be loved by our players. I can’t wait to see how Coach Vickery will help our Lady Tiger Softball team grow as players and teammates! Tell me about yourself! I am a born and raised a Texan and I’m very proud of that fact. I have been told my accent has a bit of a draw, so you will figure that out when you meet me. I love working out and really finding new and fun ways to teach a skill or concept. I have done a half-marathon, Tough Mudder, several 5K mud runs, color runs, and I did Crossfit for a period of time. Where did you go to college? I went to LeTourneau University and played softball and basketball there. I changed majors to Kinesiology Education after my freshman year because when I was working sports camps, I realized how much I love working with kids and loved seeing them be so successful. I haven’t looked back since. When did you discover your love for softball and coaching? This fall I will be starting my 15th year of education and have coached every minute of it. I have been a head coach of Softball, Volleyball, Track, and Basketball. I have many different areas of education anywhere from 3rd-12th grade. I realized how much I loved coaching softball about 6 years ago, when I took my head softball job at Valley View. We grew as a team and program, and let kids understand what having a passion for doing something meant. What motivated you to come to Gunter? I had heard some really great things about Gunter and the school’s success, but I also wanted to be back working with country kids! Small schools are amazing, homie, personal, and hardworking. What is your vision for the Gunter Softball program as the new head coach? To be the best around North Texas. I want our athletes to be feared when we walk onto the field. I remember in high school being a part of a team like that, and it was an amazing feeling. I want these girls to have fun getting dirty and be excited about coming out to practice every day. What are you hoping to see from your players and the Gunter community as the new head coach? I want my players to be known at the elementary and middle school. I want to see them going into classrooms at the elementary and reading to them. I want to be able to take them to a business or restaurants and people will be happy to see them in their establishment. I want our games to be packed because people in the community want to see what their hometown girls can do. I want the stands to be full, because it is always exciting to play in front of a crowd like that. Is there anything else you would like to add? I am excited to be a Gunter Lady Tiger!
Melissa Kelly Named GISD Director of Technology Gunter ISD is elated to welcome Melissa Kelly as the new Director of Technology. Melissa currently serces as the Coordinator for L ibrary Services and Innovative Learning for Allen ISD. Inher current role, she helped deisng and launch a cohesive K12 district Makerspace program that spans 23 campuses. Prior to her role in innovative learning, Melissa helped open the PK-8 S.T.E.A.M Center in Allen ISD which hosts 15,000 students annually. Melissa hs established herslef as a leader in the field, having presented over 30 professional learning sessions in the past three years, including multiple sessions at the largest tech conference in Texas (TCEA). Her areas of expertise include STEAM, G-Suite, Makerspace collaboration, instructional tooks like SMORE, Nearpod and Flipgrid and Canvas. The leaders that Melissa worked with could’t say enough glowing things about her work, emphasizing her passion for students and schools, her tenacity and “get it done” spirit and her ability to think beyond the digital tools to helping teachers use technology to make learning meaningful for kids. Melissa completed her Bachelors of Science from the University of North Texas and her Master’s in Education Administration at Lamar University. She is currently finishing her superintendent certification. Melissa and her husband Jason, along with their 5th grade son, Hudson, live in Van Alstyne, Texas. Melissa will begin her work for GISD in June. Melissa is replacing Shelli Neely, who is retiring this summer after 23 years with the district. OurGunter.com | May 2020
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GUNTER Independent School District
SCHOOL ZONE
May 2020 Tiger Times
All-Texomaland
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OurGunter.com | May 2020
GES TEACHER PARADE GES teachers formed a parade and traveled through many streets of Gunter to spread a smile through the district. A map was shared on our website and social media sites giving approximate times where the parade would be, and as you can see, the students were eagerly awaiting their teachers warm smiles and virtual hugs! #COVID19 has been rough for us!
Schedules subject to change, please check website and/or social media for updates www.gunterisd.org/calendars
OurGunter.com | May 2020
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Upcoming Events May 14 Planning & Zoning Meeting May 21 City Council Meeting Visit www.guntertx.gov for current agenda, which will be posted within 72 hours of meeting May 25 Closed for Memorial Day May 28 Parks Board Meeting June 4 Economic Development Meeting
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OurGunter.com | May 2020
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OurGunter.com | May 2020
The Gunter Library and Museum has been a part of the Gunter community for sixteen years. We are a 501 c3 non profit Library with volunteers who give their time and talents to serve our area’s business, academic, imagination, and reading needs. Visit us 110 S. Hwy 289 (next to the donut shop) and take advantage of our services • Books in print/audio/e-books/DVDs • Storytime, STEAM, and kids Summer Reading programs • Book Club • Free wifi and computer access with printer and fax services • Visit our museum and featuring artifacts, picture, and stories about the history of Gunter
It's time again for our Neighborhood Challenge Fundraiser! This annual event helps the library fund services for the benefit of the community. This year the library has plans to expand our museum in celebration of the upcoming 120th anniversary of our town! Help us improve our museum and preserve Gunter history. There are several ways to send your support and don't forget to mention your neighborhood: Visit our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/GunterLibraryandMuseum/ and lick the donate button Visit our PayPal site at paypal.me/gunterlibraryfriends Mail check to 110 S. Hwy 289 Gunter, TX 75459 Visit our library and drop of a donation in person (as soon as the library opens) And speaking of opening the library, our dedicated volunteers are working on a plan to open the library while keeping our community safe from the spread of illness. We hope to announce our plan along with opening dates very soon so be on the lookout. In the mean time if you wish to make an appointment to visit the library email librarian@gunterlibrary.com or visit our website at gunterlibrary.com to access our online collection of eBooks and audiobooks. We wish everyone a safe and healthy spring and thank you for your generosity in supporting your community library!
Stay current on all library events and activities by visiting us at gunterlibrary.com Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram!
Thank You To Our Sponsors Gunter Library & Museum 110 S. Hwy 289 (next to the donut shop) Jackie Kruzie Library Director Phone: 903-771-3066 Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM Tuesday, Thursday 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM Sunday: CLOSED OurGunter.com | May 2020
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