Regional Roundup

There are more than a thousand school districts in Texas and each one has success stories. Regional Roundup highlights some of the achievements happening in our public schools. When something special happens in your school district, let us know! Send news to comm@atpe.org.

Kansas

Oklahoma

KELLER

5 6 2

McKINNEY

PLANO

1 3

FREDERICKSBURG

AUSTIN 4

HARDIN

G u l f o f e x i c M

HEADLINES From Across the State

1Food Pantry Donation

When the COVID-19 pandemic emerged in March, the senior class at Fredericksburg High School decided to donate money raised for a planned trip to Six Flags Fiesta Texas to charity instead. After considering several charities, the students decided to donate to the Fredericksburg Food Pantry due to increased need caused by the pandemic. Students Arkansas presented the charity with a check for $10,850. The seniors hope their donation will inspire future classes to give back to the community. fisd.org

2Meditation, Not Detention

McKinney ISD’s Disciplinary Alternative Education Program has swapped detention for a program of mindfulness and meditation. Counselor Louisiana Carrie Dewey brought the idea to the school after speaking with a friend who shared his experiences with a meditation practice while serving a prison sentence. Students sit on yoga mats and meditate while music plays, and Dewey offers instruction. The program started three years ago with two sessions during the day. Now the DAEP offers eight sessions and even includes meditation in detention at the end of the day. mckinneyisd.net

3Videos Help Students Cope

The sudden closure of school campuses and shift to online learning was unsettling and stressful for many students. James Butler, a social-emotional learning mindfulness specialist at Austin ISD, decided to turn to technology to help his students. Butler took exercises he previously brought to classrooms, such as breathing and awareness exercises, and posted two-minute videos of them on Twitter and YouTube each morning. austinisd.org

4Feeding Families

A donation of 7,000 pounds of meat helped provide meals to Hardin ISD students and their families this summer. The meat came from show animals raised by district 4-H and FFA students. The students were unable to show the animals in local livestock shows due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, anonymous donors in the community purchased the animals, processed them, and donated them to the school district and local churches to distribute to families in need. hardinisd.net

5Reading Connection

As part of his regular duties, Keller ISD Superintendent Rick Westfall regularly visits elementary schools to connect with students. However, when COVID-19 forced the closure of district campuses and a transition to remote learning, Westfall had to find another way to establish that connection. That’s when he began offering online book readings on a weekly basis targeted to elementary-aged students. He has also held virtual meetings with older students from the district’s high schools. kellerisd.net

6Socially Distanced Recognition

Educators know that school staff are vital to the learning success of students and deserve to be recognized. When Plano ISD had to cancel its annual awards banquet due to COVID-19, officials wanted to make sure staff were recognized for their hard work. Employees of the district drove to four staff members’ houses to give them the Superintendent Service Awards while Superintendent Sara Bonser stood in front of their homes to announce the honors from a safe distance. pisd.edu