Regional Roundup

Kansas

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.

Oklahoma

4

BURKBURNETT

3

1

SAN ANGELO NEW DIANA

5

BRYAN

2

ALIEF 6

SABINE PASS

Gulf of exicM

From Across the State

1Staying Above the Statistics

Statistics show that once a student falls behind in reading after the third grade, there is a 1-in-8 chance the student will never be able to catch up to their peers. San Angelo ISD wanted to make sure its students did not become part of that statistic. The district began the San Angelo READS! communiArkansas ty-wide literacy initiative, which focuses on putting books in the hands of children and inspiring a love of reading. After only a few months of the initiative, San Angelo ISD has put more than 3,000 books in the hands of its students in the hope of encouraging future thinking and reading.

saisd.org

Louisiana 2 Growing Love and Veggies Alief ISD students are getting their hands dirty—all in the hopes of growing as individuals. Students from Hicks Elementary School have the opportunity to join a new initiative called Inner City Greens. The program is designed to teach students about social development and personal growth, including lessons on self-esteem and setting goals, while teaching students how to grow their own food. The group even does some yoga when it meets!

aliefisd.net

3Lettuce Celebrate You!

New Diana ISD’s agriculture class has been working hard in the greenhouse this year. The class produces and provides five to 10 pounds of lettuce to the school cafeteria a week! Students mainly help produce lettuce for the school but have also donated cherry tomatoes. The class allows students to give back to the school and learn the importance of growing their own produce.

ndisd.org

4More than a Paycheck

Burkburnett ISD and Texas Workforce Solutions wanted to give special education students in the district a chance to expand their knowledge outside of the classroom. Participants help around the school doing handiwork, such as putting together lunches and assisting staff with chores, and have the chance to work up to 20 hours a week while they’re still in school. The best part? Students receive a paycheck for their hard work so they can learn money management as well!

burkburnettisd.org

5Magic of Mariachi

The sound of mariachi music is ringing through the halls of one Bryan ISD middle school. After working with Bryan High School’s Los Vikingos Mariachi, music teacher Osvaldo Garcia created the Mariachi Palomino band at SFA Middle School, and so far, it has been a hit! The program has allowed students to experience new musical outlets they had never been exposed to before. Garcia hopes starting students young will give them a head start into mariachi music in the future.

bryanisd.org

6Keeping History Alive

Students at Sabine Pass ISD are restoring history—one headstone at a time. The students began the project to give back to the community and learn more about the town’s story. During the project, students created new headstones, cleaned up the cemetery, and researched the information once on the headstones of Sabine Pass’ McGaffey Cemetery. The restoration adventure was put on hold due to COVID-19, but the district hopes to keep the project going in the future.

sabinepass.net