Inside Carroll 2020

VOL. 06

INSIDECARROLL

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Superintendent’s Message

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STAFF & CONTRIBUTORS CISD SUPERINTENDENT Dr. David J. Faltys ASSISTANT SUPERINTENDENT FOR BOARD & COMMUNITY RELATIONS Julie Thannum, APR ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS Justin Dearing ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF MARKETING Jill Webb COMMUNICATIONS COORDINATOR Hayley Herring

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“You’re braver than you believe, stronger than you seem and smarter than you think.”

These words from Christopher Robin to lovable Winnie the Pooh just keep coming back to me each time I think about the resiliency shown by our students and staff during the COVID-19 emergency school closures. Nobody could have predicted this pandemic, and perhaps nobody yet knows the impact it will have on this generation. But I believe we will see our kids rise above it and be stronger than ever before. I am so proud of the way our Dragon family has been working together to get through this difficult time.

We started the last school off by celebrating another Lone Star Cup win, and I’m proud to say that when this year’s race for the cup came to an abrupt halt by COVID-19, it was none other than the Carroll Dragons sitting at the top. I have no doubt that our students would have continued to shine had they been given the chance to compete in UIL activities after spring break. It was heartbreaking to see our seniors not be able to complete their seasons, but even without an official Lone Star Cup winner in 2020, they are winners in our hearts. The class of 2020 will go down in history as the class that may have had to overcome the most obstacles just to get to graduate. We know that they received a strong foundation during their years in Carroll ISD and will take what they have learned and experienced out into the world to make us proud.

Our Dragon family experienced some significant losses this year – both students and staff members – but they will never be forgotten. I saw so many students and staff come together to support one another and help out through that time of grief. It’s moments like these that I am most proud to be superintendent in Carroll ISD. Whether it was our cheerleaders raising funds for those hurting in Odessa, Carroll Middle School and our theatre program supporting each other after losing loved ones or donations collected for our annual Give Back Challenge and Pink Out events, our Dragons rose to the occasion when they saw a need. I hope that will always be the case.

The District Diversity Council worked diligently with the Administration this past year to finalize a comprehensive Cultural Competence Action Plan that was presented to Trustees on August 3. Now more than ever in our country and individual communities, we need to be listening and learning from one another in an effort to better understand and appreciate our differences. Our School Board agreed to hold a series of public workshops to engage the community in the work of the DDC and to identify which aspects of the plan the community supports implementing. I believe we all must come together to ensure a safe and inclusive environment for each and every Dragon we serve.

Even as I write this, times are still uncertain. Our staff has been hard at work planning and preparing for the 2020-2021 school year. I doubt anyone expects it to be normal, but I do see the determination in their eyes to welcome back their students and ensure they are cared for, loved and educated. No one will take a hug, high five or face-to-face conversation for granted again. Whether in-person or virtual, our staff is dedicated to excellence for every individual child.

This school year will mark my last in Carroll ISD as I prepare to retire in December.

The next 12 months will bring the search for a new superintendent, an end to the 2017 bond program and the start of another strategic planning process. I look back with great fondness on all that has been accomplished, and I thank each of you. I’m proud of how far we have come together.

Don’t let the year 2020 get you down, Dragons. You’re braver than you believe, stronger than you seem and smarter than you think. I have no doubt you will remain #DragonStrong.

#ExpectExcellence #EmbraceDifferences

Dr. David J. Faltys Superintendent INSIDE CARROLL • 01

CONTENTS 05 CARROLL SCHOOL BOARD 10 BOND PROJECT UPDATE 14 ADJUSTING TO THE TIMES 18 HALL OF HONOR 22 #SAFEDRAGON UPDATE 29 DRAGONS ON THE FRONT LINES 46 TAKING CARE OF THE CARROLL COMMUNITY 49 CARROLL THEATRE RESILIENCY 55 CLASS OF 2020 62 EXCELLENCE IN EDUCATION 83 SPOTLIGHT: ACADEMICS & ART

#EXPECTEXCELLENCE

87 SPOTLIGHT: ATHLETICS 93 SPOTLIGHT: COMMUNITY

02 • INSIDE CARROLL

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CARROLL SCHOOL BOARD

Nobody Ever Said It Would Be Easy...

But A Pandemic? Really?

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eading through a worldwide pandemic is not for the faint of heart. While nobody said it would be easy, serving this past year on the Carroll School Board took on whole new meaning. From emergency closures to teleconferenced public meetings, CISD Trustees often found themselves maneuvering through the unchartered waters of 2020.

“The global pandemic was something that none of us had experienced or even thought possible,” says Board Vice President Todd Carlton. “I am very proud of the way our district pulled together to finish the school year. While this upcoming year will most likely present even more challenges to the way we have traditionally experienced school, I believe it also presents CISD an opportunity to lead the way by finding new and innovative ways to educate our Dragons.”

As the district faces the uncertainty of the fall semester, teachers are already planning for the possibility that in-person instruction could be disrupted.

Extensive plans are being put in place to allow for real-life, two-way virtual instruction and a hybrid of the two instructional delivery options should the state require smaller class sizes or flexible schedules.

Trustees acknowledge that no one went into remote learning last spring hoping it would last, but educators across the state had to quickly make changes that supported what many would describe as “grace over grades.” Carroll teachers took to social media and online Zoom meetings in an attempt to stay connected to their students in meaningful ways.

Car parades and drive-through campus celebrations helped remind Dragon families that CISD was focused on caring for student needs.

“I am grateful to our district leadership who worked tirelessly to make difficult decisions thoughtfully amid quickly-changing circumstances throughout this crisis,” Board President Michelle Moore says. “Our teachers and staff stepped up in an incredible way to get us through the spring semester.”

INSIDE CARROLL • 05

It’s easily been one of the most challenging years, however, the School Board has continued to put students and staff first while making prudent financial decisions and protecting the interests of the local taxpayer. The emergency closures caused by the pandemic weren’t the only challenges Trustees faced as they found themselves working on tough issues like racial equality, staff retention, school safety and the social-emotional wellness of students.

“I am extraordinarily proud of the leadership that our Administration and Board have shown navigating these unchartered waters and believe that CISD is positioned to come out the other side of these challenges stronger and more resilient than ever,” says Carlton.

The seven men and women who serve on the locally-elected School Board give their time and talents without compensation. They attend special events, research governance issues and attend trainings to increase their knowledge of education issues.

CISD offers numerous opportunities for parents and citizens to get involved and share feedback with Trustees, whether it be through the Carroll Leadership Academy for Supporting Success (CLASS), Budget & Finance Committee, the School Health Advisory Council (SHAC), newly-formed diversity councils at the district and campus levels or a host of online surveys covering numerous topics.

“Serving on the School Board is an honor and privilege,” says Board Secretary Dave Almand. “To be trusted by the community to take care of our children is a huge responsibility. We have faced a lot of challenges the last few years but nothing like this past spring. It has reaffirmed that all our Trustees and district leadership will do whatever it takes to support all our students.”

Looking ahead to the 2020-2021 school year means 06 • INSIDE CARROLL

the School Board and Administration will need to focus even more on the social-emotional needs of each Dragon, while also ensuring students do not regress academically and staff still feel supported.

The Board approved webcams in every classroom to support virtual learning should it be necessary, received a plan for further study regarding cultural competence and equity for all students and gave all staff a 1% pay increase and a one-time 1% payment in December as well. They continue to oversee the final projects of the 2017 Bond Program, all while managing fiscally-responsible policies to protect and serve the local taxpayers.

“As the newly elected Board President, I will do what I can to ensure Carroll ISD is strongly positioned to serve all students this coming school year,” says Moore. “Our community has high expectations, and I believe our district will continue to meet and exceed those expectations regardless of the obstacles and challenges of COVID-19. We are a #DragonStrong community!”

CARROLL SCHOOL BOARD

Eric Lannen Joins Carroll ISD School Board

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fter moving from Houston to Southlake around six years ago, Eric Lannen has immersed himself in the community. With two Carroll graduates and a third child enrolled in the district now, Eric wants to ensure CISD is the best it can be. After serving on multiple committees, he decided to run for a seat on the School Board. After securing the position, Lannen is ready to put in the work.

“There are many reasons [why I ran], but the most important reason is that I feel called back to give to my local community,” Lannen says. “I can’t imagine a better way to give back than by offering the only meaningful thing I have to offer the school district — my experience and expertise.”

Lannen has 28 years of professional experience and executive leadership in human resources, communications, real estate, facilities management and security, which he hopes will help him bring a “new and unique perspective to the CISD Board of Trustees.”

“In addition, I hope my community involvement shows the passion I have to serve our community,” he says.

During his campaign, Lannen ran on a platform of CARE — which stands for care for every student, attract and retain, reduce expenses and engagement activities.

He wants to increase education on diversity and inclusion, create stronger policies to address bullying, implement creative ideas to ensure CISD continues to have the best staff, be a responsible steward of the money and assets trusted to the Board, identify new ways of generating income and care for the community through engagement activities like surveys and public forums.

“Carroll ISD does many things well, but there is always room for improvement,” Lannen says. “In my view, honesty, integrity and humility are the most important values any person or school organization can aspire to and are qualities that we should make a priority to develop in our children.”

I hope to bring thoughtful leadership and responsible stewardship with no personal agenda.

CARROLL ISD BOARD OF TRUSTEES PLACE 2

Eric Lannen

For the past two years, Lannen has served on the District Advisory Committee, which works on new CISD policies and programs. He currently serves on the Carroll Education Foundation Board, the CISD Budget and Finance Committee and the School Health Advisory Council (SHAC).

While serving on the school’s Advisory Board and after attending School Board meetings, Eric realized his background could make him an asset to district leadership.

“I have grown to love and appreciate the hard work and thoughtful leadership that our Board exhibits,” Lannen says. “In general, I hope to bring thoughtful leadership and responsible stewardship with no personal agenda.”

Lannen hopes to see Carroll continue to pursue excellence, whether it be in academics, arts or athletics. But he also knows that the school system works at its best when it encourages character development.

“The best and most successful programs can be built through putting character and child safety first, while still developing mental/physical toughness,” Lannen says. “I believe our coaches, teachers and leaders at Carroll exhibit these qualities. I’ve seen in my own son how team building through instilling integrity and humility go hand-in-hand with tough physical training and a winning attitude. Winning for winning’s sake will be forgotten over time. It’s the true teacher-coach who draws people to the process because they produce individuals of championship character.”

INSIDE CARROLL • 07

CARROLL ACADEMICS

Online Learning Comes With Challenges, Successes

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n March 13, Carroll ISD, under the recommendation of the Tarrant County Health Department, announced its initial closure due to the COVID-19 pandemic. During that time, CISD teachers shifted its instructional focus to an online learning environment. This timeline was eventually continued through the remainder of the 2019-2020 school year.

Making such a major change to the daily learning environment of students can result in both positive and negative outcomes. In some areas, the new way of teaching was met with a bit of resistance, and for others, it gave students an opportunity to shine.

Old Union Elementary School Kindergarten teacher Tercel Aydinli realized some of the most important lessons and memories of a student’s first year of school would have to happen in an online classroom.

“Some of the hardest things while transitioning to online learning were honestly to let go of the expectations for the rest of the year,” Aydinli says. “In kindergarten, they make the most progress in the spring. That’s when we get to see them soar! Plus we have field trips, field day, end-of-the-year party, kindergarten graduation — all of the social things that go beyond learning to help make lasting memories.”

Many younger grade teachers and students struggled with this new way of learning. Students are used to high-fives and hugs from their teachers, and for them to become digital overnight was tough for many Dragons.

For Eubanks Intermediate School special education teacher Amber Gaudern, the transition to online learning 08 • INSIDE CARROLL

was similar to that first-starting-to-teach feeling.

“I think the hardest part of online learning was having all of my materials at school and having to shift from using my current curriculum, which is pretty interactive and hands-on, to something completely online,” Gaudern says. “It was like starting all over again, but luckily, we were equipped with technology that allowed my students to still excel in their work.”

Both Aydinli and Gaudern saw positives in the online conclusion to the school year. Aydinli used her time to foster more in-depth, one-on-one relationships with her students through the use of various forms of technology.

“I was able to interact a bit more one-on-one with students throughout the day because they had access to Seesaw and the internet when it worked best for them,” Aydinli says.

While submitting individual assignments through the different avenues available to students, teachers could immediately give direct feedback, something that can be tough with a full class of students. Gaudern saw some of her students thrive.

“I sat in on a meeting with a 5th grade class and one of our students said, ‘I am thriving with online learning,’” Gaudern says. “He really enjoyed working through his work at his own pace and going back to review materials as he needed the assistance.”

Through the challenges and the celebrations, Dragon students and teachers across the district adapted to the new way of learning and worked together to finish the year #DragonStrong.

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2017 Bond Program Enters Final Year of Construction

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onstruction during the 2020-2021 school year will mark the final projects approved by Carroll voters as part of the $208 million bond program in May 2017. Most of the work left involves smaller renovation projects, with the exception of new classroom additions at Rockenbaugh and Walnut Grove Elementary Schools.

RES is getting a seven-classroom addition at the back of the campus. This new building will be tied to the existing school by covered canopies and one enclosed hallway. It will host prekindergarten students and will also double as an ICC 500 storm shelter for the entire RES population. The campus will receive covered canopies for parent and bus loading/unloading during inclement weather, as well as new playground surfacing, increased security components and additional parking.

At WGES, two smaller classroom additions are being built on the end of each academic wing. They will include two classrooms each (for a total of four) and serve as storm shelters that each house half of the WGES students/staff. With the new addition, WGES and Johnson Elementary School will still be the largest of the district’s five elementary campuses.

Renovation projects are also underway at Dawson Middle School, Eubanks Intermediate School and Durham Intermediate School. DMS/EIS are getting band practice rooms; DIS will receive new science labs. The Dragon Stadium project involves new reserved green10 • INSIDE CARROLL

back seating, restrooms for tailgaters to access and an expanded marketing/observation deck on the second floor.

A new STEAM area at Carroll High School, as well as offices for female coaches in the wrestling building, is the final 2017 bond project. To review a complete list of projects included in the 2017 Bond Program, visit CarrollBudget.com.

School officials say a Strategic Planning Committee will be seated in early spring of 2021. After that, the district will likely ask staff and parents to form a Capital Needs Planning Committee to review facility needs for a second bond election. When the CNPC formed in 2015 to make a bond program recommendation, it was understood and communicated that CISD would likely need two bond elections during a 10-year period.

Although CNPC members identified more than $300 million in projects, only $208 million were included in the first of the two elections.

The most significant questions to be answered by the next CNPC will be whether or not CISD should build a sixth elementary school to balance the north and south attendance zones and maintain the 550-student elementary school model preferred by parents and staff. The district also expects to discuss safety and technology needs for the second bond package, as well as a significant renovation project to the Carroll Senior High School academic wing.

A

CSHS Construction Projects Accelerated During Shutdown

lthough COVID-19 caused significant disruptions, it created a window of opportunity for school construction projects typically pinched for time during the short summer break. School construction, deemed essential business during the statewide emergency closures, and work pressed on while students learned remotely.

“The one positive from COVID-19 might just be the acceleration of our 2017 bond projects,” says Superintendent Dr. David Faltys.

“Our crews were able to get into areas of the building that would normally have had students using them all spring, and, instead, we were able to move up the completion timelines for critical work.”

The music center at Carroll Senior High School took the most advantage of the school closure. Construction crews accelerated the demolition timeline for areas like the old Carroll ISD paved the way for a choir room and the Black Box new fine arts complex and a new future during the Fine Arts Center Theatre.

Slab Party in December.

Huckabee Architec ts is spearheading this project, which is now slated for completion in late 2020.

It will include a new storm shelter built to ICC 500 code standards to withstand 250 mph winds. Another safety feature ties the art building and the new music center to the existing auditorium/academic building. This will give students indoor access to the entire performing arts area.

In December 2019, Carroll ISD hosted a slab-signing party, allowing students and staff to add their names to the concrete pad before construction on the walls and performance center began. Other projects completed at CSHS included renovations to the indoor workout facility, new turf on the practice football fields, construction of a baseball/softball complex and the aquatics center. Bullet-resistant and intrusion glass were added to key areas at CSHS, and an LED tennis lighting project to address safety was approved by the School Board in June.

All in all, the bond program approved in May 2017 earmarked more than $51 million in projects on the CSHS campus. Although some individual projects are over budget, Bond Program Manager John Haugen

says overall costs are still within the $208 million approved by Carroll voters.

The new structure on the corner of Peytonville and FM 1709 is hard to miss, rising high above the existing art building and in some ways appearing more massive than the existing school itself. The music center will feature a 700-seat performance auditorium, band and choir classrooms, storage and office space, restrooms and soundproof practice rooms. Haugen says the performance auditorium will seat 500 on the main level and 200 in the balcony.

The unique room shape and layered configuration gives the band and choir programs flexibility for performances and crowd sizes.

A new road wraps around the front of the new music ce nte r a n d a r t b u il d i n g , tying into the existing visitor parking lot at the front of the campus. The CSHS west entry has been transformed to create a separate and identifiable entry for the gymnasium.

Once completed, the band program will have direct access to the new music facility to load instruments and to access practice marching areas in both the student parking lot and on the newlyturfed field west of the CSHS field house.

Renovations inside the existing auditorium provide more space for Carroll Theatre, including expanded room for set building and art design, storage and a newlyconstructed Black Box Theatre. The orchestra pit was also redesigned for more effective use and sound during musical productions.

“By the time this project is completed, we will have a beautiful fine arts complex for students in choir, band, theatre and visual arts to enjoy,” Faltys says. “Once the band program moves to Carroll Senior High School in 2021, then we can begin renovating the existing band hall at Carroll High School into a lower level STEAM area. Our Capital Needs Planning Committee did an excellent job planning projects to benefit our amazingly talented students.

We cannot wait to attend our first concert in the new music center.”

INSIDE CARROLL • 11

Full STEAM Ahead At Carroll High School

The renovation of the existing Carroll High School band hall into a STEAM area to showcase student creativity is one of the last projects slated as part of the 2017 Bond Program.

“STEAM empowers teachers to utilize project-based learning that crosses each of the five disciplines: science, technology, engineering, arts and math,” says Assistant Superintendent for Student Services Dr. Janet McDade. “Teachers are able to create an inclusive learning environment in which all students are able to engage and contribute.”

In STEAM classrooms, the disciplines are brought together, leveraging the dynamic synergy between the modeling process and scientific/mathematical thinking.

Through this holistic approach, students exercise both sides of their brain at once. Students will be taught how to learn, how to ask questions, how to experiment and how to create.

The state-of-the-art CHS STEAM area will include computer labs, collaboration spaces, robotics and engineering labs, 3D printing rooms and a STEAM gallery, as well as classrooms and design spaces. Students can bring the outside in and the inside out in the engineering and robotics labs with roll-up garage doors.

“The vision for the STEAM area at Carroll High School is to provide our students with hands-on, problem-solving courses where they are exposed to coding, robotics, rockets, computer science, engineering and gaming,” says McDade. “These spaces will allow for innovation, exploration and will prepare CISD students for post-secondary courses and career pathways.”

12 • INSIDE CARROLL

2017 Bond Program Features Significant Technology Upgrades The 2017 Bond Program has had a significant impact on the physical structure of CISD campuses. Watching the construction of new classrooms, storm shelters, playgrounds, sidewalk canopies and turf happening right before your eyes might give off the false impression that those are the only projects included in the $208 million bond.

The most significant changes, however, happened outside the view of most people — in technology infrastructure and hardware installation.

During the five-year bond program, CISD used voter-approved funds to improve and update all campuses’ infrastructure. Projects involved numerous vendors and hardworking CISD technicians, under the watchful eye of Technology Bond Project Manager Holly Davis and Executive Director of Technology Randy Stuart.

Classroom teachers and students at every grade level benefited from the upgraded technology with district-issued devices and techsavvy maker spaces, giving students creative and collaborative learning spaces where they can move around, build things together and experience hands-on learning.

Less than exciting, but still important projects included upgraded network closets with new Cisco switches, improved network cabling, new fiber and increased wireless access points to cover every classroom.

At the elementary schools, all K-4 homerooms received iPad charging lockers, with enough iPads provided by bond funds to serve each student. Individual laptops were issued to all students in grades 5-12, and classrooms were equipped with new audio/visual capabilities.

Desktop computers and laptops that were beyond their lifecycle were refreshed for teachers and administrators, while digital signage was added on campuses. Each school got an upgraded bell and PA system as well as sound systems in gyms and cafeterias.

Safety was a top priority in the 2017 Bond program as surveillance cameras, key card swipe access controls and phones were added/ upgraded at each CISD facility. At numerous campuses, steel doors and locking systems were installed to create additional layers of safety and further fortify academic areas where students gather regularly throughout the school day.

Despite all the best planning with technology projects now coming under budget, who could have predicted the projects to ensure connectivity and access to district-issued computers would play a critical role in the district’s ability to pivot to remote learning?

INSIDE CARROLL • 13

ADJUSTING TO THE TIMES

CISD Special Educators Balance Unique Challenges Through Remote Learning

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he lives of educators, therapists and providers are filled with adjustments, mostly because their lives revolve around the children they serve. At Carroll ISD’s Special Programs Department, those students’ circumstances vary from being deaf or dyslexic to learning English as a Second Language (ESL). But no matter what personal obstacles the students face, CISD special educators help make facing those challenges a little easier.

They were more needed than ever in March when all campuses closed in response to COVID-19 and lessons shifted to home. While the school hours and lesson plans changed, special educators’ jobs never did. They were there at the beginning of the school year to help students in special programs succeed, and they were determined to complete the year despite the physical separation.

“The [Texas Education Agency] talks about making reasonable efforts,” Special Programs Executive Director Tyisha Nelson says. “Here, we give our best effort.”

THE LIFE OF A SPECIAL EDUCATOR Nelson’s 20-year education career has taken her everywhere from general educator to school principal. But special education always resonated with her. As a former educational diagnostician with Garland ISD, Nelson worked with children to diagnose their conditions, assess their circumstances and help them overcome learning obstacles.

“As a teacher, there’s something different about seeing a student make that progress in person,” Nelson expresses. “For me, when you see that lightbulb go off and the child gets it, the joy you feel is irreplaceable.”

That joy is something Nelson shares with her coordinators and instructors within the department. As head of the Special Programs Department, Nelson oversees the whole umbrella of special education, including physical and learning disabilities, dyslexia, English as a Second Language and more.

But she doesn’t carry this challenge alone. Nelson’s coordinators Dr. Denise McCrummen, Beth Hewett and Monica Gattshall all work together, along with the rest of the educators, service providers and administrators across the 11 campuses in Carroll ISD. Adjustments to a student ’s curriculum var y based on the student’s individual needs. Sometimes accommodations are made to the lesson plans in a general education setting and students receive 14 • INSIDE CARROLL

help from a paraprofessional or teacher. Sometimes students are placed in a centralized support classroom with other students and learn functional and developmental skills relevant to their individualized education program.

Other times students require modified instruction through one-on-one support. With 37 different languages in the district, Gattshall knows how important that support is when English isn’t a student’s primary language.

“The teachers are essentially case managers,” Gattshall expresses. “Their responsibility is to manage the case of the student, whether it’s academic, social, emotional or physical needs. We wear so many hats. I always tell my teachers you’re an advocate first, a counselor second, a quasi-parent third and, somewhere down the line, you’re a teacher.”

Those small interactions are essential to a child’s education. Nelson says it isn’t just a matter of fulfilling their needs — it’s a matter of getting them to communicate what those needs are.

“That social-emotional piece is vitally important,” Nelson says. “You think about if you have an area of weakness that impedes your ability to learn, you’re going to need that additional support with somebody providing redirection, accommodating

the material, even building self-sustaining goals and showing you how to advocate for what you need.

You’re dealing with the whole child, not just their lesson plans.”

A special educator’s job is never easy, but it is fulfilling. Getting to teach kids, help them through their daily struggles and realize their material is all part of special programming, and it’s something Nelson, McCrummen, Hewett and Gattshall enjoy doing. When it came to teaching and assisting kids, they never imagined that anything would change.

COVID-19 COMPLICATIONS In March, Carroll ISD shut down all of its campuses in response to COVID-19. UIL academic and sporting events had to be canceled, and classes had to be moved online. Teachers were just coming back from spring break when they were told they had to adapt their lesson plans for remote learning.

While the experience was rough on all teachers in the district, it was especially difficult for special programs. Not only did they have to adapt the material to accommodate students served by special programs, but they also had to adjust it so parents could understand the material.

“We’re not technology-based,” Hewett empathizes. “We’re very much one-on-one with sensory materials. How do we deliver a service that we’re used to delivering in person and make that effective for the student? How do we take this whole program, redo it and put it out there so our students can be successful?”

Even wrapping their heads around video conferencing with Zoom and Google Meets proved to have its own learning curve. Nelson says it forced them to find creative solutions on how to best translate the material online.

“School districts, in general, were not ready for this,” Nelson says. “It turned my world upside down.

You’re thinking of the big picture, what your role is to help facilitate those next steps when everyone is experiencing high stress levels, anxiety and trauma.

How do we chunk and flow information so we can serve students and help parents understand what the next steps are?”

It’s a whole different world for the kids physically from helping them walk, sit up and eat to trying to manage their needs virtually. In this new approach, the parents or guardians become essential in helping their kids most with their at-home education. It was not always easy, especially for those parents who were still working jobs during regular school hours.

“Timing and scheduling have been a big obstacle for us,” Nelson expresses. “A lot of our parents work during the day, so it’s best for them to help their students at night. A lot of our teachers are working extra hours to support our kids whenever they need it.”

Even though their hours are from 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., McCrummen says many teachers will work even longer, just because they love their kids that much and want to be there for them.

“We’ll have those parent conversations at any time,” McCrummen says. “We’ll take those calls. We’ll answer those emails 24/7. That’s the nature of our INSIDE CARROLL • 15

job. We try to shut it out as best we can, but you can’t always do that.”

Another obstacle is parents being able to understand the material and clearly communicate it to their children.

“You’re really counting on the parents to be teachers in a virtual learning environment,” Gattshall says.

“If your parent is not proficient in English, that makes at-home learning all the more challenging.”

That responsibility bears a heavy burden for some parents. McCrummen personally knows some of the frustrations that parents faced.

“Some parents felt completely overwhelmed and said, ‘I can’t do this,’” she recalls. “’I’ll do the best I can, but I’m not a speech therapist. I’m not a special education teacher.’ It’s been a lot of collaborating, coordinating, documenting and making sure we’re getting it right for the parents and make learning easier for the kids.”

FIGHTING FOR FAMILIES While special education teachers already have their hands full with families they assist, many also have to think about their own families. Although many of her children have already left the nest, Hewett knows her colleagues have their own personal and family struggles.

“Some of our teachers have little ones at home that they’re also trying to teach at the same time,” Hewett reiterates. “They became mom-teachers as well as teacher-teachers.”

With her grandson pulled from kindergarten, Gattshall had to teach him his lessons on top of her own responsibilities as a special education coordinator.

“We’re two weeks behind on his lesson plan,” she chuckles. “It’s really helped me see how difficult this can be for parents — especially when the language barrier is involved. Adding that layer helped me realize how hard this really is because I’m doing it myself.”

Nelson’s situation is a little bit different. Although she doesn’t have any children to take care of, Nelson and her sister look after their grandmother, who suffers from dementia. Balancing those two worlds has proven to be a challenge, but her team has helped her get by despite their adversities.

“We don’t have a private nurse coming in the home due to COVID-19,” Nelson says. “It’s all about giving grace and giving yourself grace for not being able to do all the things that you want to do.”

Going through those circumstances are difficult enough by themselves, but it’s even harder when you’re apart from the colleagues and peers you trust and rely on. McCrummen loves the convenience of walking up to her teachers and speech therapists anytime for help or a quick clarification on campus. Now those interactions are limited to phones and computer screens.

“Not having our general and special educators just down the hall or around the corner has been an obstacle for us,” McCrummen expresses. “You have those conversations while you’re eating lunch together, as you’re walking down the hall in the morning about what you’re doing and what you can change to meet 16 • INSIDE CARROLL

the needs of the kids. It’s been hard not to have that in-person, on-the-fly collaboration time.”

LOOKING FORWARD TO THE FUTURE Although the end of the 2019-2020 school year hasn’t been easy, C arroll ISD managed to get through it in time for graduation on May 29, with about 40 seniors graduating from special programs.

While Nelson and her team are proud of persevering through the tough times, they’re most looking forward to seeing their students again after such a long absence.

“Not being able to have that interaction with students face-to-face and see and feel how they’re doing has been a huge obstacle,” Nelson says.

“Some of us are feeling empty in that space right now, so we’re just ready to fill our buckets back up once school resumes.”

Even the kids are excited to see their favorite teachers in person once again. Gattshall heard so many stories from her teachers about students hopping online, just to see them once in a while.

“We have kids that schedule Google Meets with their ESL teachers every day. The teachers are like, ‘Honestly, I think they just want to see my face,’” Gattshall expresses. “We’re that safe place for kids during school. We’re going to be that safe place for them in this environment as well.”

Whatever challenges lie ahead, the Special Programs Department will be ready for them. After all, accommodating is what they do best.

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CARROLL HISTORY

Carroll ISD Hall of Honor Welcomes New Class In Style

T

he Carroll ISD Athletic Department and the Carroll ISD Hall of Honor Council ushered the latest class into the Dragon Hall of Honor this year with its annual banquet.

On January 25, the Hall of Honor Council inducted nine new individual members and two teams.

Former Dragon and current member of the Dragon Football radio broadcast Justin Padron led the event at Southlake’s Hilton. Previously inducted members to the hall, district leadership, community members and inductees’ family and friends filled the hotel’s ballroom to celebrate the newest class to enter the ranks, as well as share powerful speeches and great memories.

This was the first year that the district and the Hall of Honor Council hosted an induction event of this caliber. Executive Director of Athletics Steve Keasler knew it was time to bring in a new way to honor these significant Dragons.

“With the rich history of athletics here in Carroll ISD, there are many athletes, coaches and community members that have been a crucial piece of the Dragon story,” says Keasler. “The Hall of Honor Council and the CISD Athletic Department wanted to find a new way to honor this important group of people. This annual event is just a small thank you to these Dragons for what they have done for our community.”

Founded in 2011, the mission of the Hall of Honor is to celebrate those individuals, teams and supporters who have distinguished themselves through excellence in athletics and to inspire interest and enthusiasm for athletics and community.

THE 2019 HALL OF HONOR INDUCTEES: CHANCE CAPLE Chance Caple was a two-sport athlete for the Dragons, playing football and baseball and earning the District’s MVP honors in both sports. Over his Hall of Honor career in baseball, Caple was a four-year letterman and two-time All-State right-handed pitcher, winning 24 games as a Dragon and leading the 1996 team to the state tournament his senior season. He was drafted in the eighth round as a Dragon by the San Diego Padres in 1996, but he decided instead to be a member of the No. 1 recruiting class in the country and play baseball at Texas A&M for the next three years. There he earned AllConference Honors, two Big XII Conference Championships and a trip to the College World Series before becoming the very first Dragon in Carroll 18 • INSIDE CARROLL

Chance Caple

school history to be drafted in the first round of the 1999 MLB Draft by the St. Louis Cardinals. Caple had a five-and-a-half-year career with the Cardinals as one of the top prospects in the organization. He spent two years on the 40-man roster before arm injuries caught up with him and ended his pursuit of a Major League career.

CAREY CLAYTON A 1996 Carroll ISD gra d uate , C a rey Clayton bec ame the first Dragon offensive lineman to make it to the NFL .

Clayton’s on-field accolades included Dragon team captain, First Team All-District Center and Second Team All-District Defensive Tackle. Clayton was named to the All-Area team, All-Metro team and All-Region team. He was also a track star. He was a two-time district shot put champion, the 1996 regional shot put winner and state finalist. Clayton continued his football career at the University of Texas at El Paso. After college, he was a member of the NFL’s San Diego Chargers, the San Francisco 49ers, the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Houston Texans.

EDDIE CHEATHAM - HONORED POSTHUMOUSLY Eddie Cheatham was part of the first graduating class at Carroll High School in 1965. Cheatham would be known as an iconic figure of the Carroll Dragon football team, serving as the program’s first quarterback.

As a junior, he received honorable mention in the

sports of football, basketball and track. During his senior year, he was an All-District quarterback and honorable mention defensive back. He also received an honorable mention in basketball and served as a member of the district track champions in the mile and 440 relays. Upon graduating from Carroll, Cheatham received a football scholarship to Cameron University in Lawton, Oklahoma. His passion for collegiate football was ultimately cut short when he decided to pursue a degree in civil engineering, which took him to the University of Texas at Arlington, where he graduated in 1972. Cheatham was inducted posthumously, with his sons attending to accept in his honor.

TINA MITCHELL JONES Tina Mitchell Jones, who attended Carroll High School from 1967 to 1973, is known as one of the best dual athletes to have ever competed at Carroll, serving as a four-year basketball player and a versatile track star. As an All-District basketball performer in her junior and senior years, Mitchell Jones played on the first-ever Girls Basketball State Tournament Team in 1972. She also qualified for the UIL State Track Meet all four years and held the school record in girls’ high jump at (5’-5”) for 22 years. Upon graduating from high school, she attended Ranger Junior College from 1974-1975. During her first year, she suffered an injury that eventually ended her basketball career.

PEGGY O’BRIEN Peggy O’Brien attended Carroll High School from 1968 to 1972 and was a member of the Lady Dragon Basketball team. During O’Brien’s time at Carroll, she led the first team in Carroll Lady Dragon Basketball history to the state tournament and state championship game. In 1970, she was known throughout the community as one of the contributing players who put Carroll Girls Basketball on the map. She was awarded First Team All-State, and she was the first female athlete from Carroll to receive an athletic basketball scholarship. During her senior year, she averaged 26.1

points a game and received awards in All-District, All-Region and All-State.

GREG OGLESBY Twenty-five years coaching soccer at Carroll ISD, Greg Oglesby is a Carroll Dragon icon who impacted over two decades of students, athletes, coaches and the community of Southlake.

His most impactful legacy lies within the game of soccer with the formation of the boys and girls soccer programs at Carroll ISD in 1994. Coach Oglesby is best known for his extraordinary record in soccer, with 533 games won during his tenure. His teams won seven district championships, nine area championships, four regional championships and two state titles. Coach Oglesby’s legacy and foundation set within the soccer programs have forever changed the school district as well as the community.

CLINT RENFRO A 2006 graduate, Clint Renfro was a dual-sport athlete in football and track. He was an All-District receiver on the 2004 state championship football team. In track, Renfro was the district champion in the 110-meter hurdles, 300-meter hurdles and the mile relay, as well as a state runner-up in the 300-meter hurdles in his sophomore and junior years. During his senior track season, he received a gold medal for one of the state’s all-time fastest performances in the 300-meter hurdles with a time of 36.2.

Upon graduating from high school, he attended Texas Christian University on an athletic scholarship to play football and run track. During his freshman year, Renfro won the conference championship in the 400-meter hurdles and served as a member of the winning mile relay team.

INSIDE CARROLL • 19

1975 GIRLS BASKETBALL TEAM Representing a town that didn’t have a stoplight, the 1975 Lady Dragon Basketball team achieved a first in Carroll history. They were the first team to bring home a state championship for the district. Coached by High School Principal Don Durham, one of the foundational cornerstones of Carroll ISD, the team had come close before, suffering a heartbreaking loss in the championship game just a few years earlier. In an incredibly hard-fought game, the Lady Dragons came out on top against Vega 50-48 in three overtimes to bring home the championship. The team finished their year 25-9.

JONATHAN ROBERTS A 2014 graduate, Jonathan Roberts excelled as a talented and highly recruited swimmer who led the Carroll Dragons to four straight state championships.

As a four-year, All-American and four-time individual state champion, Robert’s swimming eventually took him to the University of Texas at Austin. While at UT, his accolades included being named an NCAA Division I All-American four times and a member of the UT Austin National Championship Swim Team four times.

TASHIA WOOLDRIDGE A 2003 graduate, Tashia Wooldridge was a fierce women’s track competitor at Carroll. Her winning tenure began her freshman year and continued into her senior year. From 1999-2003, she was a district champion in the 400-meter dash, as well as qualifying for regionals all four years in the 200- and 400meter dash. In 2001, Wooldridge placed second in the regional meet, ultimately qualifying her for the UIL State Track Meet, where she finished in sixth place and 20 • INSIDE CARROLL

became the first individual sprinter at Carroll to ever qualify for the meet. Upon graduating, she attended Abilene Christian University on a full track scholarship.

KAREN CLAYTON YOUNG A 1997 graduate, Karen Clayton Young was an integral member of Lady Dragon Basketball. During her tenure as a Lady Dragon, she was a three-year starter and excelled as a highly respected team leader, exemplifying integrity on and off the basketball court. Young received numerous accolades and awards as a Lady Dragon, including District MVP, All-Area, All-State and All-American honors. She also led the Lady Dragons to three consecutive playoff appearances. Her athletic ability and honors earned Young a Division 1 scholarship to Texas Christian University. While playing for Texas Christian University, she excelled in their women’s basketball program, leading the Horned Frogs to their first NCAA tournament appearance in school history.

2002 BOYS BASEBALL TEAM The 2002 Dragon Baseball team won Carroll’s first state championship since 1982 and gave baseball lifer, head coach Larry Hughes, his first state title. This team started the modern era of Dragon Baseball, considering that before 2002 there had been one state title in the history of the sport. There have now been three since the dawn of this millennium. This was truly the team that began a powerhouse. A debt is owed to all who contributed to what this team did for Dragon baseball.

These state champions were coached by head coach Larry Hughes and assistant coaches Sam Booker, Matt Miller, Matt Hubert, John Craft and Jeremy Trojacek.

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INSIDE CARROLL • 21

SCHOOL SAFETY Carroll ISD Awarded $135,370 Safety And Security Grant

C

arroll ISD was awarded $135,370 as part of a 2019-2021 Safety and Security Grant available under Senate Bill 500 approved by the 86th Texas Legislature. The grant application was submitted in January by the CISD Administration and announced to the Safety & Security Committee at their May virtual meeting.

The Texas Education Agency was appropriated a total of $100 million to provide funding to public schools. Grant allocation amounts were based on a district’s official enrollment as of October 2018.

Superintendent Dr. David Faltys says the district received the maximum grant allowance available to Carroll ISD. “You cannot put a value on the safety of our students and staff, but security measures can get costly, so it sure helps the district to receive news of this grant,” Dr. Faltys says. “Our #SAFEdragon program is comprehensive and involves the implementation of both hard and soft safety measures. This particular grant will help supplement some of the safety and

22 • INSIDE CARROLL

security projects we started with the 2017 Bond Program, as well as our intruder glass project partially funded by the City of Southlake and the Mayor’s School Safety Task Force.”

Approximately $51,508 will be used to help pay for video/audio systems at the entrance of each Carroll ISD facility. The remaining $83,862 will be applied to an ongoing bullet-resistant glass project at Carroll High School and Carroll Senior High School.

The state’s grant program restricts the funds to be used for additional safety and security equipment (campus hardening) such as: exterior doors with push bars; metal detectors at school entrances; erected vehicle barriers; security systems that monitor and record school entrances, exits and hallways; campus-wide active shooter alarm systems that are separate from fire alarms; two-way radio systems; perimeter security fencing; bullet-resistant glass or film for school entrances; and door-locking systems.

The grant allows for pre-award costs going back to January 1, 2019.

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SCHOOL SAFETY Carroll Collects School Safety Feedback From Staff, Students and Parents

T

he overall goal of Carroll ISD’s #SAFEdragon program is to protect and support the physical and social-emotional welfare of students and staff by fortifying campuses, promoting a culture of preparedness and communicating effectively before, during and after an emergency.

Ultimately, the district hopes to restore academic programs and services as soon as possible after an emergency and provide crisis support to both students and staff.

For any school safety program to be effective, however, the district must include a plan to involve key stakeholders in providing ongoing feedback.

“Carroll ISD’s comprehensive #SAFEdragon program continues to set the bar high for other districts across the state,” says Superintendent Dr. David Faltys. “We are often asked to present and share our school safety program with others. In fact, this year we were selected by the Texas School Safety Center to present at their summer conference in San Angelo. But even as we serve as a model for others, CISD remains committed to seeking input from our students, staff and parents so that we can improve and grow our program.”

The district works diligently to collect feedback through a biennial safety and security survey. Parents, staff and students in grades 7-12 will once again be invited to participate in the 2020 Safety & Security Survey administered early in the 20202021 school year. The district originally planned to conduct the survey during the spring semester before the COVID-19 pandemic.

School officials say the district last conducted a safety and security survey during the 2017-2018 school year. In addition to surveying stakeholders every two years, Carroll ISD gets feedback from parents and staff members who serve on the district’s Safety & Security Committee.

In addition, CISD is working with four like-minded Texas districts to compare safety and security measures and expenditures: Alamo Heights, Lake Travis, Highland Park and Eanes. This Safety & Security benchmarking project was part of the 2015 Strategic Plan but was delayed by the COVID-19 closures, as were the 2020 School Safety audits required by state law.

“It’s been a strange year for sure,” says Carroll ISD’s Assistant Superintendent for Board and Community Relations Julie Thannum, APR. She works with the Superintendent’s Cabinet to

24 • INSIDE CARROLL

help oversee safety and security and is also the liaison for the School Resource Officer (SRO) program funded by the City of Southlake.

“We remain committed to our ongoing safety and security projects despite the temporary delay caused by the pandemic,” says Thannum. “Our plan is to hire a company to conduct the audits, collect benchmarking data and administer the safety survey early this fall so we can begin incorporating the feedback and recommendations as soon as possible.”

Thannum says the district partners with K-12 Insight to administer the online safety and security survey. The company, based out of Washington D.C., uses a unique combination of cloud-based technology, industry-leading school district surveys and professional development to give K-12 administrators the tools they need to improve family and community engagement, generate public support for key initiatives and provide exceptional experiences for parents, students and staff.

“K-12 Insight does a great job collecting and presenting the data that helps CISD improve its programs,” says Thannum. “They helped us administer our first-ever Culture Survey last December and continue to play a key role in helping CISD measure public opinion and grow our #SAFEdragon program.”

T h e Te x a s S c h o o l S a f e t y C e n t e r r e c e n t l y announced a two-month deadline extension so that public schools can complete the 2020 audit cycle.

CISD will issue a request for proposals in August and select an independent third-party company to complete the audit of all facilities.

Results of the 2020 Safety & Security Audits are confidential by law, but they will be shared with staff and parents on the Safety & Security Committee as well as the Carroll School Board in executive session. The deadline to submit audit results to the state is November 15, 2020.

Results of the 2020 Safety & Security Survey administered by K-12 Insight will be made available to the public on the CISD website.

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SCHOOL SAFETY Worldwide Pandemic Tops Off Big Year In School Safety

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t was a big year for school safety in Texas as districts continued their efforts to fortify facilities, provide additional training and incorporate mental wellness programs for students and staff.

Cybersecurity, threat assessment, Stop The Bleed and active shooter trainings were all priorities during the year, but nobody really expected what would come next.

“The big unexpected twist in school safety came when districts faced emergency closures due to the COVID-19 worldwide pandemic,” says Superintendent Dr. David Faltys. “I don’t think any of us could have predicted that we would leave for spring break and not return in person for the rest of the year.”

Carroll ISD joined more than 1,200 districts across th e s t ate i n c l o si n g it s doors for 11 weeks during the spring semester. All school-sponsored events were canceled including senior prom, end-of-year awards ceremonies, sports competitions and extracurricular activities. It wasn’t until the district held a modified graduation on May 29 that CISD hosted an in-person large group event.

“I’m so proud of the work that our staff did to help prevent the spread of the virus and to keep our students safe,” Dr. Faltys says. “I cannot say enough about how our staff stayed focused on meeting the needs of students and their families, often putting their own health at risk to provide technology services and lunches for qualifying students. It was heartbreaking to lose that face-to-face interaction, but they made the best of it by connecting online, holding drive-by car parades and really redefining education as we know it.”

School safety was a key theme for the 2019 2020 school year, even before COVID-19. The district began the year by hosting a large-scale active shooter training with the Southlake Police and Fire Departments as well as members of the City of Southlake Emergency Management team. More than 800 staff members took part in the eight-hour training in August 2019, with the remaining staff members completing the training in December.

“The training was hosted at the CISD Administration Center and gave both the school and emergency personnel the opportunity to cross-train and learn

26 • INSIDE CARROLL

about each other’s safety protocols,” says Dr. Faltys. The four training modules included information about the Incident Command System (ICS), Standard Safety Protocols for Schools, Team Movement/Entry and Rescue Task Force (RTF). A training specifically designed for school bus drivers was held in October at the CISD Transportation Center.

In addition, school nurses and athletic trainers participated in Stop The Bleed training, and all employees and School Board members were required to complete online cybersecurity training mandated as part of House Bill (HB) 3834. The new law signed

by Governor Greg Abbott requires state and local government employees to annually complete a certified training program.

In May, the district promoted International Water Safety Day, sharing informational videos and public service announcements done in partnership with Lori and Bryce Cerami. June ushered in peaceful student protests on racial injustice at Southlake Town Square, serving as an example of how students, city and school leaders can work collaboratively to make a difference by meeting, listening and planning together.

“Sometimes it is hard to believe how much we packed into one school year,” says Assistant Superintendent for Board and Community Relations Julie Thannum. “We grieved the loss of several staff and students this past year, as well. It’s been an emotional, stressful and sometimes very difficult year, but we’ve seen the strength and resiliency of our students and staff despite all the adversity. It gave us real meaning behind the words #DragonStrong.”

School officials say they learned a lot during the COVID-19 pandemic by hosting a safe, in-person modified graduation at Dragon Stadium and appreciate the expertise and guidance of the registered nurses at each CISD campus. The nurses took the temperatures of each student, employee and guest who entered the stadium.

“We are so fortunate to have School Resource Officers and registered nurses at every campus,” Dr. Faltys says. “These individuals are trained to address campus health and safety each and every day. There’s no doubt we will continue to rely on them greatly during the 2020-2021 school year.”

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INSIDE CARROLL • 27

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Carroll ISD graduates have gone on to achieve wonders in a wide range of careers, so it should be no surprise that many were on the front lines when the COVID-19 outbreak hit earlier this year. While their stories may be different, one thing stands true: Carroll helped prepare them for the road ahead.

Dragons On The Front Lines

A Look At Four Carroll Graduates

INSIDE CARROLL • 29

AMY MOAN Amy Moan, a Carroll 2010 graduate, knew in high school that she wanted to work in health care. After taking classes like anatomy and AP biology, all that was left was deciding which pathway to take. After reviewing her options, she decided to pursue a nursing degree from Texas Christian University. While the program was tough, Moan felt Carroll prepared her to take on the challenge.

“Some of the prereqs for nursing were challenging, and my course load in high school taught me how to handle that in college,” Moan says.

Her classes were not the only way Carroll prepared Moan for nursing. By participating in Dragon athletics, specifically volleyball, she says she learned how to work with others as a unit, a skill that has come in handy not only while on her Fort Worth nursing floor but also during the COVID-19 outbreak.

“It has made me a better team player,” Moan says. “There’s a lot of stress for the unknown, but I have a great team that I work with.”

While her ICU unit is not a dedicated COVID-19 floor, changing policies and procedures have affected her job. When she’s not working alongside her co-workers, she is in school to become a nurse practitioner. And, when she’s needed, Moan also acts as a substitute nurse for Carroll ISD. Her mom, Lisa, working at Walnut Grove Elementary is not her only connection to the current Dragon dynamic.

Amy founded Pink Out while at Carroll, which was originally a volleyball team event that was carried into the football program.

“It’s really awesome that it has continued to keep going!” she says. “There’s a sense of pride in being a Dragon. And I’m proud of where I came from.”

30 • INSIDE CARROLL

AARON MITCHELL Aaron Mitchell, a 1999 Carroll alum, spent his high school years sporting various Dragon jerseys. While he played basketball and football, he spent his junior and senior years focusing on baseball.

“Southlake is definitely a gigantic part of the Mitchell family,” Mitchell says. “Carroll is a giant portion of who I am today. It’s a great school, and I’m proud my children go there now. We are Dragons through and through.”

The time spent on the field prepared Mitchell for his next team adventure: firefighting.

He joined the Irving Fire Department in 2008 and has been on the front lines ever since. While COVID-19 has brought challenges and changes to the department, Mitchell says the close-knit nature of his team has ensured they can persevere.

“You don’t need communication because of the cohesiveness of the crew.

You just do what needs to be done,” he says. “It reminds me a lot of baseball.

We go out as a team. It’s similar to what I grew up with.”

Mitchell says his biggest concern is being around his family. Working with his dad in construction and having kids at home (17, 13, 12 and 9) has heightened his worries.

“Early on for me, it was pretty concerning,” Mitchell shares. “I do this job, and I realize there are risks.”

But at the end of the day, Mitchell continues to serve others alongside his team.

INSIDE CARROLL • 31

ELENA ARRIAZA Registered nurse Elena Arriaza, class of 2013, spent a lot of her time at Carroll running. The former cross country athlete says the sport “was her whole life” her junior and senior year of high school — so much so that she continued running at the collegiate level at the University of Oklahoma.

While the sport shaped her educational path, Arriaza says Carroll Cross Country Coach Justin Leonard helped form who she is today by teaching her about everything from managing stress to how to become successful.

“They are things as a high schooler you may ask, ‘What does this have to do with anything?’” Arriaza says. “But now, it has given me the mindset to never give up, how to make sacrifices and has given me a hard work ethic. He’s a great coach.”

After pursuing a degree in kinesiology, Arriaza took a 15-month second-degree program to become a nurse.

“I knew I wanted to be involved with people,” she says. “I love people, and I don’t like sitting still. I like being on the go.”

That momentum helped Arriaza keep going while working on a strictly COVID-19 unit at a hospital in Dallas. The non-ICU floor is dedicated to patients who need hospital assistance but are positive for the virus. That potential exposure has kept Arriaza from loved ones, a sacrifice that weighs on her.

“The hardest thing is I do not see my friends and family,” she says. “It has just been really lonely. But our patients in the hospital also don’t have any family around either. I think we are kind of leaning on each other.”

But thanks to her roommate, who is also a nurse, and her co-workers, Arriaza has been able to find support through other channels.

32 • INSIDE CARROLL

JOHN RUELAS Carroll 2009 grad John Ruelas, a second-year family medicine resident in Houston, has seen how COVID-19 has not only affected hospitals but also clinics. His program involves one month rotations in various fields ranging from pediatrics and psychiatry to obstetrics/gynecology to emergency medicine, but he was in his emergency medicine rotation once the COVID-19 pandemic started to worsen in March.

With daily changes coming in proclaiming the amount and type of PPE needed, sanitation requirements and isolation practices, not to mention schedule changes to provide support where and when it was needed, it’s safe to say Ruelas and the rest of his colleagues had to stay on their toes.

“My residency program took patients off of some rotations to cover for other residents in the hospital or to have extra residents working to spread the workload and be ready for a possible large surge in patients,” Ruelas says. “I have covered two weeks of nights in the hospital to help out.”

After joining the district in 2nd grade, Ruelas continued on his education at CISD until graduation. It was there that he says he was able to learn more about health care professions and prepare for the long academic road ahead. Ruelas attributes the rigor of Carroll’s AP classes and his time with the Carroll Medical Academy for setting his sights on medical school at an early age.

“The Carroll Medical Academy gave me exposure to the medical field, which confirmed that I wanted to pursue it as a career and also prepared me to do well in medical school by giving me a decent base knowledge of anatomy, physiology and medical terminology,” Ruelas says.

He lives with his wife, a second-year internal medicine resident who he met in medical school. With other family members practicing medicine, Ruelas says he is grateful he can talk about what he is experiencing with loved ones.

“It has also been helpful talking with my family and friends,” he says. “I have been able to compare experiences with my older brother who is finishing his pediatrics residency in Seattle, where they were initially hit hard by COVID.”

INSIDE CARROLL • 33

#WEFUNDTEACHERS Growing Alumni Network Maintains Sense Of Pride Felt By Carroll Dragons

C

arroll alum Robert Clayton knows being a Dragon means more than sporting the traditional green and white.

“Embodying the standards this community stands by has provided and continues to build on — being part of Dragon Nation is something us alumni hold very near to our hearts.

It’s an honor more than anything,” says Clayton (’00).

Clayton is a part of the committee leading the Dragon Classic Golf Tournament, scheduled for October 9, 2020, at the Grapevine Municipal Golf Course. Dragon Classic supports CEF as the title sponsor of the Carroll Dragon Alumni Network.

“There’s a reason why so many alumni are choosing to come back to the community to raise their families,” Clayton adds. “We are very proud to continue ‘The Tradition.’”

The Carroll Dragon Alumni Network has a unique online portal that is free to all Carroll alumni. The portal launched in the summer of 2019 and already has more than 800 members. Members of the network are able to connect with past classmates, keep up with news about their former district and communicate with their favorite teachers. Alumni can also use the portal to help plan reunions by connecting with their classmates in classspecific groups.

“Many alumni members are available to mentor and network to help their fellow Dragons grow and succeed,” says Principal at Carroll Senior High School Shawn Duhon.

The Carroll Dragon Alumni Network is launching The Founders Circle, an inaugural fundraising campaign this fall. Membership benefits include a plaque naming all Founders Circle Members to be prominently displayed on the campus of Carroll Senior High School.

“Our goal is to Protect the Tradition by raising $150,000 from 150 distinguished alumni who contribute $1,000 each in support of Alumni Network initiatives such as the online alumni services portal, alumni scholarships and the Carroll ISD Teacher Fund,” says CEF Executive Director Kathy Lanier, who works with Dragon alum Jackson Williams and a volunteer committee to manage the alumni network.

Dragon alumni Mike Lafavers (’78) is the owner of Feedstore BBQ and a charter Founders Circle member.

As a long-time member of the Southlake community, he knows and understands the importance of a good education in a good school district.

“All my kids, niece and nephews benefited from going 34 • INSIDE CARROLL

to Carroll just as my brothers, sister and I did,” says Lafavers. “From back with [Superintendent] Jack D. Johnson to the present with Dr. David Faltys, Carroll ISD continues to make me proud to be a Dragon. There is just this sense of pride to say you went to Carroll.”

The tradition that began over 100 years ago at Carroll ISD has spanned multiple generations and carries with it a life-long distinction that is recognized in Southlake and around the world.

“Being an alumnus of Carroll has made a difference in my life. Not only the education part but more importantly the sense of belonging to a culture of caring, compassion and competitiveness,” says Brian Hodges (’79).

“I guess I have a unique perspective on this. My mother was born in what was then known as the area west of Grapevine and attended Carroll, as did my sister and my youngest daughter,” Hodges adds. “But the constant among the three generations was the fact that the Administration, the coaches, the teachers and most importantly the classmates cared about the individual, not just the student or the athlete.

“In fact,” Hodges adds, “several of those individuals remain among my closest friends and most valued mentors. That is why supporting today’s Dragons is so important — it is just a way of passing it forward and of course ‘Protecting the Tradition’ that was established way back when.”

“Carroll ISD provides students with the foundation for success in life. With the support of Dragon Alumni, the Carroll Dragon Alumni Network will continue to serve the Carroll ISD both now and for generations to come,” says CEF Board member and Carroll Dragon Alumni Network Co-Chair Williams (‘11).

To learn how you can become a Founders Circle member, visit CarrollAlumni.org or contact Jackson Williams at info@carrollalumni.org or 817.542.9976.

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CARROLL CULTURE

School Board Requests Workshops To Engage Public In Equity Work

The Carroll School Board has requested that the Administration and members of a 63-person advisory committee participate in workshops to engage the public in the equity work of the district.

School Board President Michelle Moore says the workshops will give Trustees an opportunity to ask questions of members of the District Diversity Council (DDC) who have worked with the Administration for nearly two years on a proposed Cultural Competence Action Plan (CCAP).

The district’s commitment to equity and inclusion has been a primary focus of work since the Administration began implementing a nine-step plan in November 2018 following a racial slur video by local teens that went viral on social media. That initial plan emphasized staff training, face-to-face meetings to discuss cultural awareness and kindness with student leaders, formation of the DDC and revisions to the Student Code of Conduct.

Staff training on equity and inclusion began in 36 • INSIDE CARROLL

February 2019 and has continued since that time.

The School Board held a meeting to listen to parent concerns, and then met face-to-face with students in grades 9-12 at Student Diversity Dialogues hosted at The Marq. Southlake Mayor Laura Hill also formed the Mayor’s Alliance for Unity and Culture to enact positive change in the greater Southlake community. The SCOC changes were approved by the School Board back in August 2019.

In December 2019, the district launched its firstever #WeAreDragons Culture Survey to collect data and information about Dragon families. The information will serve as a baseline to help CISD communicate facts and create greater awareness surrounding equity and inclusion.

More recently a comprehensive five-year action plan that included the Administration’s original nine actions steps, along with input and recommendations from the DDC, was presented to the Carroll School Board. The timing of the presentation was

delayed by emergency school closures caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, causing concern by some parents that the community was not fully aware of the DDC work.

Trustees ultimately voted to receive the document, with a decision to host additional workshops to dialogue and discuss the aspects of the plan with Carroll families. Additional action steps outlined in the proposed plan were either suggested by one of six DDC subcommittees or by the CISD leadership team.

“This outstanding group of committed people spent a lot of time working to make sure every child feels loved and cared for in Carroll ISD,” says Superintendent Dr. David J. Faltys. “It will be important going forward for everyone else in the community to understand the plan the district ultimately puts in place.”

“We asked our Dragon community to help us navigate the important issues of racial equity and inclusion in our schools, and they stepped up back in 2018,” says Moore. “Now it’s time to bring everyone back to the table to answer questions and gain more clarity on what is proposed in the plan.”

The membership of the council is as diverse as the ideas they brought to the table. School officials say the students, staff, parents and community leaders on the DDC spent time each meeting getting to know one another better and bonding over a common mission.

“The DDC is comprised of a group of people from a variety of different ethnicities and backgrounds but we all have a similar goal in common: making the Carroll Independent School District experience a safe and meaningful learning environment, equitable for all students,” says Sheri Mills, a School Board member serving on the DDC. “I’m so proud of the work this group has put forward. Their work is not only something that will make an impact for all students, but it is also a model that other school districts in the state of Texas will follow.”

With the SCOC work completed, the DDC continued to meet throughout the 2019-2020 school year to discuss important issues like staff recruitment, professional development, bias reduction and awareness, student-led policy, curriculum and instruction and communications/outreach.

“We did not have an established model on which to build a cultural competence plan. We had no idea how the Southlake community would respond, or who would routinely show up for a conversation that is inherently sensitive and uncomfortable. With all of the unknowns going in, I applaud our council for being vulnerable, present and engaged,” says Tyisha Nelson, Carroll ISD’s Executive Director for Special Programs and a staff liaison to the DDC. Campuses held multi-cultural nights during the 2019-2020 school year to create a greater appreciation and understanding of the diversity represented in Carroll ISD. Building relationships and educating one another about cultural celebrations, foods and holidays became the norm, and every campus formed a Campus Diversity Council to collaborate and share ideas.

“I am optimistic that the actions and hard work of the District Diversity Council will result in more welcoming environments in Carroll ISD where students of all backgrounds feel safe and supported, free from bullying and harassment,” says Moore.

Dr. Faltys had already been working on giving students a voice in CISD by assigning Coach Eric McDade as the district’s Leadership and Culture Coach. The two of them attended face-to-face meetings with students to discuss Dragon culture, and things that concern students like homework, dress code, restrooms and the stress caused by the rigor of academic performance in Carroll ISD. One of the features of the proposed CCAP is a Campus Culture Coach program to identify champions for equity and inclusion at each school. If the program is approved, these respected teachers — up to two at each campus — would be trained and earn certification to work with McDade, their fellow teachers on staff and their school’s Campus Diversity Council.

The audit recommended in the CCAP is designed to ensure that independent equity experts review the CISD curriculum across all grade levels and subjects. The Administration hopes that an equity audit by outside consultants would either affirm or replace recommendations outlined in the CCAP. “I believe Carroll ISD can be a leader in this work,” says Moore. “Our plan is thoughtful and will require staff, student and community engagement to achieve our goals.”

INSIDE CARROLL • 37

CARROLL CULTURE

Carroll Campuses Earn ‘No Place For Hate’ Designation At th e co n cl u sio n of t h e 2 0 1 9 -2 0 2 0 s c h o o l ye a r, C a r r o l l M i d d l e School, Dawson Middle School and Rockenbaugh Elementary were re co g n ize d a s “ N o P l a ce4Hate” schools by the Anti-Defamation League.

This recognition is given to schools that take the ex tra steps to ensure their campus provides an inclusive environment for all students.

This was the first year these campuses participated in the antidefamation initiative N o Pla ce 4 H ate (N P FH).

Each campus designated a lead teacher for this initiative who is responsible fo r p l a n n i n g a n d l e a d ing staf f and students through several activities to help build a culture of acceptance.

Secondary District Teacher of the Year Jenna Cossu took the lead role in sponsoring the Carroll Middle School group. Cossu led the campus staff and students through exercises, teaching ways to be more inclusive and accepting to those around them.

One of the recognition programs Carroll Middle School executed was “ Humans of CMS ,” based roughly off of the “Humans of New York” project that started in 2010. This project spotlights different students and staff on campus and allows students to get to know the people they walk the halls with daily.

To receive this designation, schools must first take the NPFH pledge, which includes a commitment to support a non-bullying environment and serve as an ally to peers. The schools then create an NPFH committee made up of students, teachers and parents. The committee organizes and hosts three school-wide activities throughout the year.

Schools are encouraged to be creative and unique in their mission-driven activities.

Dawson Middle School’s Principal Ryan Wilson believes the experiences his staff and students 38 • INSIDE CARROLL

encountered while working with NPFH this year can and will lead to huge change for his campus. “ Dawson’s journey wo r k i n g with th e A nti Defamation League has been both enlightening and encouraging. The a c ti v iti e s o u r s t u d e n t s took part in, which led to this campus distinction, gave them an opportunity to compare valuable stories with fellow students all over the Metroplex,” Wilson says . “ H earing how other middle school campuses recognize and celebrate cultural diversity opened our eyes to the ways we can do much the same. It ’s the beginning of a fantastic, educational collaboration with tremendous room for growth.”

At Rockenbaugh Elementary, the NPFH committee allowed the school’s community to come together and learn more about the campus’s cultural identity.

The campus hosted a cultural night that allowed students and their families to share unique aspects of their personal cultures with others. Each family was allowed a table where they could share fun games, crafts and food specific to their culture.

At the end of the year, schools that completed all steps received the honor of being an NPFH site and received a banner for display. This year marks 20 years for the NPFH program nationally and 10 years here in North Texas.

Assistant Superintendent for Student Services Dr. Janet McDade complimented the campuses for stepping up and taking part in this important program.

“I am proud of these three campuses as they work to build safe and inclusive communities for all Dragons,” says Dr. McDade.

Carroll ISD is excited to see what these campuses and others around the district can do with the NoPlace4Hate program and partnerships with the Anti-Defamation League.

CARROLL CULTURE

Carroll ISD took a closer look this past school year at the changing demographics of the district by launching its first-ever Culture Survey for staff, parents and students in grades 7-12. Survey results were shared with the public in early 2020 to help increase awareness about the district’s growing diversity.

“Carroll ISD believes every child deserves an excellent education in a safe environment,” says Superintendent Dr. David J. Faltys. “We must ensure that we’re working together to accomplish goals that will help our students succeed both in and out of the classroom. We have an amazing culture here in the district, and our staff just wants every student to feel like they are a part of our Dragon family.”

CISD invited each household with a currently-enrolled student to take part in the #WeAreDragons Culture Survey to learn more about the families who make up the district’s population. School officials partnered with an independent research and communications firm, K12 Insight, to administer the survey and compile the results.

Postcards were mailed to the household of every Dragon student, encouraging parents to participate in the survey.

Secondary students were sent an email link and invited to take part in the voluntary survey during class. All employees, too, were invited to share their insights and perceptions. The goal was to include as many key stakeholders as possible in an effort to show that each Dragon is personally acknowledged, cared for and valued.

Participants were asked questions about their family and how they perceive the current culture in Carroll ISD. All of the questions were designed to get to know the Dragon family better and answer the question, “Who Are We?” School officials say several questions in the survey addressed overall parent perceptions in CISD, as well as culture and climate, safety and behavior, access and opportunities, policies and procedures, curriculum and instruction, family support and inclusion and demographic questions.

The district will use the Culture Survey information to educate the public and to create greater awareness about the make-up of our student population and our staff. The plan is to conduct similar surveys every two years so staff can better understand and serve students and their families.

CISD is hoping a #WeAreDragons awareness campaign will make a difference in 2020-2021 and beyond. In the wise words of one Carroll second grade student serving on the district’s Resiliency Committee, “we all bleed green.”

The ultimate goal is to learn more about what makes us different so that we can unite in the one thing that makes us stronger together — we are all Dragons.

Language(s) Spoken At Home

Carroll ISD Launches First-Ever #WeAreDragons Culture Survey Arabic

7

1%

English

1,045

94%

French

11

1%

Gujarati

10

1%

Hindi

24

2%

Mandarin

38

3%

Portuguese Spanish

13

1%

60

5%

Tamil

7

1%

Telugu

20

2%

Urdu

27

2%

7

1%

Vietnamese

At my school, all students have the opportunities to... express their cultural identity.

66%

17%

17%

learn about different life situations.

61%

28%

11%

learn about their own ability level.

72%

18%

10%

learn about their own cultural/racial background.

55%

30%

15%

participate in extracurricular activities.

89%

5%6%

participate in high-quality academic offerings.

81%

8% 11%

participate in advanced academic programs.

88%

6%6%

receive academic support.

78% 0

20%

Yes

10% 12%

40%

No

60%

80%

100%

Don’t Know INSIDE CARROLL • 39

CARROLL CULTURE

Student Groups Unite To Host CultureFest “CultureFest exemplifies that any student or individual can make a difference in the community,” says Rahul Guhan, Bollywood Dance Club Founder and class of 2020 Carroll Senior High School grad.

“You just have to be dedicated to your goal and, as a byproduct, people will come and support you in your endeavor.”

Everyone knows Carroll Culture. “Protect the Tradition” has been emblazoned on nearly every Carroll property. Parents, students and alumni gather to watch the district’s games, and Carroll’s thriving record of excellence has led the Dragons to win multiple accolades over the past several years.

Carroll Culture is even more than the tailgating parents outside of every football game or the number of graduates that walk across the stage every year; it’s the pulsating student life, the vivacity of the teachers and the supportive community that brings all of the diverse viewpoints and people of the Carroll community together.

In 2017, a group of Carroll High School students came together to celebrate the diverse cultures that make up the school. Led by Bollywood Dance Club, a group of culture-oriented and languageoriented students, clubs came together to present their projects from the school year at the first CultureFest.

“When we started planning the first CultureFest, the school year was already coming to a close,” says Guhan. “As a result, the officers and I thought that many people would not attend the event and that it may not be ver y successful since it was planned by sophomores in high school. Those potential hurdles did not diminish our spirits since we were dedicated to the goal of showcasing our school’s diversity.”

The small event ended up being a huge success, drawing a large crowd and quite a bit of support.

The Bollywood Dance Club, sponsored by faculty members Wendy Bumpass and Matt Colvin, renewed the event for the next year, opening their doors to a number of other clubs and student organizations.

This group of student organizations coming together was an opportunity for each club to gain exposure in front of their classmates and the community.

“By bringing together the various clubs that make Carroll unique, we aspired not only to showcase these clubs but also introduce people to the actual clubs,” senior Ridhi Gari says.

The students were also provided a way to give back to the community.

40 • INSIDE CARROLL

“All CultureFest profits went directly to a charity of our choosing, including the $750 we donated to the International Rescue Committee and the $1,147 to the Make-A-Wish Foundation. We thought it was important for students like us to take initiative in celebrating Carroll ISD’s diversity and give back to our community,” Gari added.

B efore Culture Fest 2020 was c anceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Guhan and his team worked alongside CSHS Principal Shawn Duhon and representatives from all of the district’s schools in order to bring the event to the Dragon community.

The architects of CultureFest had two main missions: instill a sense of community and acceptance in students at an even younger age and fundraise money for the Australian Red Cross to combat the Australian wildfire crisis.

While this did not come to fruition, the team’s creative spirit continued up to the last moments.

Bollywood Dance Club and the 25 various other clubs at CHS and CSHS worked tirelessly to create a fun, inclusive and educational event.

While the seniors who founded and organized CultureFest for the past few years have already graduated, the program still holds strong. Bollywood Dance Club’s Arnav Koppala and Alyiah Karmali, next year’s co-presidents, will be organizing the 2021 CultureFest.

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96.3%

Carroll ISD’s latest scores

632

647

521

515

538

529

ACT

TOTAL SCORE

CISD STATE

Carroll ISD’s latest scores

ENGLISH

MATH

SCIENCE

26.9 20.9

27.4 20.3

1,067

MATH

1,036

ENGLISH, LANGUAGE ARTS & WRITING

1,280

SAT

CISD STATE REGION

27.0 20.9 27.1

27.1

27.3

2017

2018

2019

26.8 26.1 25.7

25.7

2010

2011

26.6

26.6

2014

2015

26.0

24.9 24.2

2006

24.3

2007

24.5

2008

2009

2012

2013

2016

COMPOSITE SCORES AT ALL-TIME HIGHS 2006-2019 100%

Dragons are state leaders in College Readiness The class of 2020 excelled well beyond state averages on ACT benchmarks for college readiness.

94%

55%

COLLEGE ENGLISH COMPOSITION

83%

38%

COLLEGE ALGEBRA

84%

44%

COLLEGE SOCIAL SCIENCE

75%

35%

COLLEGE BIOLOGY

66%

25%

MEETING ALL FOUR

Dragons are also wellrounded as well — more than doubling the state average (66% vs. 25%) of students meeting college readiness on all four ACT exams.

INSIDE CARROLL • 43

EXCELLENCE IN EDUCATION

New Assistant Principal Brings Global Perspective To Carroll ISD

T

here will be a new face roaming the halls of Johnson Elementary and Walnut Grove Elementary this fall: Assistant Principal Ashraf Mobh who will be serving both campuses.

Mobh, an educator with 18 years of experience, is replacing former AP Haily May Christensen, now the AP at Rockenbaugh Elementary.

“Carroll ISD has a strong tradition that is rooted in values, which have the learner in the forefront,” says Mobh. “I’m most excited to work with the families, students, the community and learn from my colleagues as I start this new journey.”

Mobh joins the Dragon family from Highland Park ISD, where she served as a 4th grade teacher for the last eight years. During her time in Highland Park, Mobh was awarded both the 2020 Unsung Hero District Award and named the 2014 Teacher of the Year.

Prior to Highland Park, Mobh taught 4th grade in Duncanville ISD for 10 years. She has also served in the past as a diversity trainer. For the last decade, Mobh has been heavily involved in Global Connections, an organization that encourages school leaders worldwide to develop global consciousness within their school communities. She has worked with the United Nations for Youth for Human Rights, attended Global Conferences and created a partnership with WE.ORG for her school, all in an effort to allow students to have access and an understanding of the world.

“I hope to bring these learnings to Carroll ISD and support teachers and students as they find innovative ways to make the change,” says Mobh.

Outside of her role as an educator, Mobh enjoys being a part of service projects. The last four summers, she has had the opportunity to work with Global Encounters, a service learning program. With this organization, Mobh served as a director working with high schoolers from over 20 countries as they navigated their way in building sustainable change.

Mobh and her husband love to travel and spend time with family, and she is an avid reader who dabbles in a bit of gardening. Being a part of a family that migrated to the US in the ’80s, Mobh says she is fortunate to be able to hold onto several languages.

Along with English, Mobh can speak and understand Hindi, Urdu and Gujarati.

“I am extremely excited to welcome Ashraf to Carroll ISD,” says Assistant Superintendent for Student Services Dr. Janet McDade. “Her experiences as a diversity trainer and instructional leadership 44 • INSIDE CARROLL

Ashraf Mobh (pictured left) is excited to join the Dragon community.

while having a true passion for servant leadership will be an asset to both Johnson and Walnut Grove Elementary Schools.”

Mobh’s nieces and nephews attend Old Union Elementary, and she is excited to join them as members of the Dragon family.

“Carroll ISD offers a space for meaningful engagements where diversity is valued as a strength,” says Mobh. “I’m excited to see how the vision plays out in day-to-day commitments we make toward young people. I’m hopeful that I’ll be able to foster a love of learning in an inclusive environment where together we inch closer to our shared values and beliefs.”

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INSIDE CARROLL • 45

TAKING CARE OF THE CARROLL COMMUNITY

Calming Rooms And Intervention Counselors Institute A Self-Care Mindset At CISD

S

tress levels are up these days. That’s why Carroll ISD made a move to help students, staff and faculty with their health by creating calming rooms and hiring four intervention counselors. Through these measures, Carroll ISD has put a focus on the mental and emotional well-being of all Dragons.

“We did see a need [because] stress levels and anxiety levels are increasing in our students. With our research and seeing what professionals are recommending and other schools are doing, we thought it would be a great thing to implement for kiddos just to be able to reduce some stress and anxiety,” says Tammy Pulse, Coordinator of Counselors for CISD. Every school provides a safe, calm space available to anyone to use and, though the calming room may look different from school to school, they play an important role for people who may need to decompress.

“Our goal is just to [have] a place for them to implement their skills to kind of get back on track and then back to the classroom where they can be productive and successful,” Pulse says. “So [it] definitely helps with discipline, it helps academically for kids to just be able to reset. A lot of times we call it a reset room, too, where they just go to kind of reset their brain, so they come back clearer and more focused and more able to participate.”

Pulse says the feedback toward the calming rooms has been “100% positive.”

“It’s a support for kids,” she adds. “We’ve had really positive results from that, and I think parents and staff members and kids just see it as an extra support for them.”

46 • INSIDE CARROLL

Calming rooms provide a safe place for students who struggle with anxiety [or] stress [while] being at school.

“Just getting them in that door, that helps a lot,” Pulse says.

All of the calming rooms are near the vicinity of a counselors’ office, so students who use the calming room can talk to a counselor if they’d like or have a counselor check on them if needed.

“Based on whatever their need is, we’re there for that,” Pulse says. “For every time a kid comes in, we’re on staff to check in and make sure everyone is OK and they’re taken care of.”

Carroll ISD has also hired intervention counselors.

Intervention counselors, who work alongside school counselors, are more experienced in working with atrisk students, facilitating discussions around topics like suicide and helping train staff to provide social and emotional support to students.

“Their job duties are intervention in every sense of the word,” Pulse explains, “intervention as far as staff training on social/emotional support for kids and parent education. Our intervention counselors may run our special groups like our suicide prevention group, like HOPE Squad or they may do our Teen Life groups or our Power of One groups.”

Pulse says intervention counselors serve students in crisis, but they also work to prevent similar events with at-risk kids. These counselors are also involved in 504 plans, which are plans to help students with disabilities receive equal access to education.

“They’re there to support the staff and our counselors and our kiddos in every sense of the word intervention could be,” Pulse adds.

The four intervention counselors — who work at Dawson Middle School, Carroll Middle School, Carroll High School and Carroll Senior High School — have been with CISD for about two years.

“The district just saw a need for an added layer of support for our students and for staff and parent education so the School Board made a call for this added support, which we’re really thankful for,” Pulse says.

She also says that the feedback toward the intervention counselors has been positive.

“Our intervention counselors are a huge asset to our schools and are loved by staff and parents and [the] community,” Pulse says. “They work very hard and they’re saving kids’ lives. They’re an active, powerful support for our kids and our staff and our counselors.”

INSIDE CARROLL • 47

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the light

THROUGH THE

DARKNESS A Look Back At Carroll Theatre’s Resiliency

A

ll students experienced challenges and losses throughout the 2019-2020 school year, but Carroll Theatre experienced more than its share of hurt, even prior to closures and cancellations.

Theatre banded together to support each other as it grieved the passing of one of its own, as well as two classmates’ parents over the year. While the department didn’t expect to end the year with more Zoom calls than green room chats, these students proved connection creates light in dark times, and they could be there for one another even when they were apart.

INSIDE CARROLL • 49

THE SHOW MUST GO ON Moments before showtime for the department’s final fall production of “Amélie,” rising junior Desmond Reusch received word that his father had passed.

After holding the curtain for Reusch to process the news, Desmond decided he still wanted to perform alongside his cast.

“I don’t think any of us know the words to say,” Carroll Theatre Director Jamie Pringle says. “I try to bring on my experience as a parent; I just really think, ‘What would I want for my daughter?’ The responsibility of teachers is to put yourself in a parent situation when a parent can’t be there.”

As the show pushed on, the Carroll cast went out of its way to ensure Reusch felt seen. Incoming senior Estela Romero says she remembers watching as her classmates gathered around Reusch as he led an ensemble number, creating a moment where everyone could wrap their arms around each other and freely be emotional.

“I don’t know how he did it. It was so beautiful,” Romero shares. “The song was so sentimental. Everyone started crying.”

Romero also experienced that level of support after her father passed of cancer earlier this year. Pringle and her classmates knew about his failing health, so they were able to check in and be there for her during the last stretch of his fight. After sharing the news, the department ensured Romero felt comforted after returning to school by greeting her with hugs and having breakfast waiting for her.

50 • INSIDE CARROLL

“It was a really nice time after such a hard thing,” Romero says. “They just kind of knew what to do. They were really respectful about it.”

with various activities, those in the theatre department, as well as other students, could just show up and know they would be met with love.

“In that green room, there was a place for everyone.

If you were happy, there was someone who recipCREATING A SAFE SPACE rocated that there,” Heffron says. “If you were sad The entire department experienced loss after and wanted to cry, there was someone there. The senior Sarah Lacy unexpectedly passed in January. atmosphere shifted as we did.”

As the organization’s president, Sarah sought to make The Carroll Senior High School Administration also connections with everyone, building strong individual ensured students and staff had access to grief counrelationships with each student. selors for those who needed their expertise, which “Sarah has always been a natural born leader and Pringle says was invaluable. positive influencer,” Sarah’s mom Julie Lacy says. “She “I feel like our school and the Administration has did so by bringing enthusiasm, optimism and passion really helped the department take the time to heal,” to whatever task was at hand. Through her passion, recent graduate Bella Duran says. humble self-assurance and acceptance of others, With time and resources, students started to open Sarah encouraged others to follow her example.” up about how they were doing. They could share when Teachers and students th ey we re h avi n g g o o d across the district grieved days, working through bad over the tragic loss, and ones or were somewhere in the theatre department between. After all, grief isn’t became a safe place to linear. share those feelings. Peo“The mood in the room ple sought out the green would change so quickly,” room, which normally acts Pringle says. “It was much as a place students could like if yo u we re in yo ur hang out between classes home grieving over a loved a n d w h e re th e th e a tre one. It is a very emotional department would meet, to moment to be the adult in provide and find support. that room and to try to walk “It became a hub where students through that.” kids could feel safe and Even though teachers cry and hold each other,” were there to guide stuPringle says. “It was the dents, Pringle says it was saddest and most beautialso important for teachers ful thing I have ever seen.” to discuss how they were The district knew these handling grief. kids needed time, so stu“I would imagine that if dents could stay in the we came across as stoic and green room for as long as were holding our feelings they needed. Those who in, then maybe they would RISING SENIOR decided they could not go have felt that was what was Adriana Heffron to class or just needed a expected of them,” Pringle break could rest assured shares. they could be together.

Duran says she felt that “There is this mentality that the show must go on,” wall between students and teachers fall so everyone rising senior Adriana Heffron says. “But also what could just be there for one another as human beings.

Pringle told us is it’s OK to take a break, it’s OK to “I think having that kind of changed how people pause the show. There’s an intermission for a reason.” view their teachers,” Duran says. “I see them as peoSarah’s younger brother Zach was one of those ple, not just figures of authority.” students who could seek out the green room for an That community spirit, centered on inclusion and extended support system. Sarah knew Zach wanted to acceptance, is exactly what Sarah aspired to bring to be in the department, and their mom says that’s one the theatre department. As the department’s presiof the reasons Sarah wanted to remove cliques and dent, Sarah wanted every member to have a place, ensure that students could feel included regardless to have a friend. of grade level.

“I know I can speak for everyone: She made every“It was so important to her that Zach and his classone feel very welcome,” Romero says. “She just made mates felt accepted into the department and had a me feel like I was a part of something.” place to belong,” Julie Lacy says. “She wanted Zach As the incoming president, Heffron, who worked to love Carroll Theatre as much as she did. He wants to closely with Sarah Lacy on the board last year, says follow in Sarah’s footsteps while forging his own path.” she plans to keep that mission going.

After seeing so many come together, the Carroll “She was so passionate about it all. She was pasBooster Club jumped into action. By providing meals, sionate about people,” Heffron says. “That’s why the bringing in bottles of water and loading up the room department thrived when she had her hands on it.”

” In that green room, there

was a place for everyone. If you were happy, there was

someone who reciprocated that there. If you were sad and wanted to cry, there was someone there. The

atmosphere shifted as we did.

INSIDE CARROLL • 51

WORKING THROUGH ADVERSITY As students started going back to their regular routines, Pringle wanted to keep communication flowing, so she started introducing new aspects into her classes. She started conversations with check-ins, where students could share their highs and lows as well as how they were handling their grief.

“We couldn’t just go back to normal,” Pringle says.

“It became our new normal.”

But in March, those in-person conversations had to move online. As COVID-19 kept students at home, the department kept looking for ways to retain connections. Pringle, along with student leadership, made sure that all of the students within the department were staying engaged and had someone to lean on.

“To go from that to literally a global pandemic where we can’t see each other and hold each other is very strange,” Pringle says. “But we were still doing almost daily check-ins.”

Pringle says many students came to her saying they felt guilty after getting upset over canceled milestones, ranging from theatre events to schoolwide celebrations like prom. She says she wanted to let them know it was still OK to be sad over those unmet expectations. One student, in particular, felt 52 • INSIDE CARROLL

the disappointment COVID-19’s shutdowns could bring. Class of 2020 graduate Michelle D’Amico learned she had landed a role on Broadway just before the pandemic.

“This was my ultimate goal of my career, so I didn’t expect it to happen during my high school year,” D’Amico says.

After undergoing a series of auditions through an initial open call, she was able to tell the department she was moving to New York to be a part of a show’s ensemble and act as an understudy for the lead. D’Amico says Carroll Theatre gave her the tools to go for her dream.

“I think that really taught me how to work hard and how to put everything I have to perform the best I can at all times,” D’Amico says.

Pringle, and several members of the department, gathered in the green room to celebrate the occasion.

“We commented on how amazing it was to have that special moment where people were so excited after we had such tragedy in that same room,” Pringle says. “It was just such a joyous moment in the same place where we had just had such sad moments.”

After sharing the news, packing her bags and

” You are supposed to be

emotionally vulnerable and go outside of your

comfort zone. It brings you

closer together with who you are doing that with.

CLASS OF 2020 GRADUATE

Michelle D’Amico

Previous Thespian Troupe President Sarah Lacy

attending her first week of practices, Broadway announced it was suspending shows, so D’Amico moved back home. “ I c an’t imagine what a loss that is for her.

Although, I have no doubt she will have another moment,” Pringle says.

ACTING, REACTING Through the year, through the pain, Carroll Theatre has continued to be there for its members. It has looked different over the school year — transitioning from hugging around a sad student to a Zoom call. But through it all, the department has used what it’s best at to get through: reacting.

“We study emotion. We study life, and we are students of humanity,” Pringle says. “That’s one of the beauties of theatre, we know different emotions can exist together at the same time.”

Carroll students were able to openly share their experiences with one another, which Duran believes comes natural after working together as a cast and crew.

“When you are at this age, it’s hard to ask for help sometimes. But we relate to each other more,” Duran explains. “It’s how the show works. If one person is out of place in choreography, if they miss a step, it affects the whole thing. Every person is important.”

D’Amico says awareness and ability to fully invest in what you are doing builds connections unique to those in theatre.

“You are supposed to be emotionally vulnerable and go outside of your comfort zone,” D’Amico says. “It brings you closer together with who you are doing that with.”

Julie Lacy saw that with Sarah’s friends within the program, with many of those relationships forming during her very first show.

“The nature of theatre requires them to interact on so many levels in such a vulnerable way,” Lacy says. “Relationships naturally form in that environment. Some of the friends she met during her first Carroll Theatre production remained her dearest friends throughout high school.”

Students are also quick to credit the department’s team of teachers for creating a support system, with Pringle at the helm for the department’s efforts.

But Pringle is quick to say she thinks anyone in her position would have done the same thing.

“I would like to think any teacher who has gone through this would feel the same way,” Pringle says.

“When given the time and space, we know how to take care of each other.”

Even as students continue onto the next steps in their academic or professional careers, the graduating senior class knows they will carry Sarah’s spirit within them.

“She has been the light that made us who we are,” D’Amico says. “Everything we do is inspired by her.”

With that light leading the way, the department is able to think about the little steps ahead.

“I used to think resilience meant you got up and dusted yourself off, and you were tough. You had grit and you just went on,” Pringle says. “A true definition of resilience is just being able to advance through adversity. It doesn’t mean we have to push through any sadness or rush through that process, but we can continue to take little steps forward.”

INSIDE CARROLL • 53

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CELEBRATING THE CLASS OF 2020 Class of 2020 Makes History, Finishes #DragonStrong

The #DragonStrong face coverings couldn't hide the smiles on the faces of Carroll ISD’s graduating seniors.

The class of 2020 graduated on May 29 in their home stadium. The seniors walked into “Pomp and Circumstance” at 8:20 p.m. (2020 military time) as their proud families watched in staggered rows spaced across the home and visitor stands at Dragon Stadium.

Emotions ran high throughout the evening as each graduate's name was announced. They walked across the stage to receive their diplomas and elbow bump Carroll Senior High Principal Shawn Duhon. Earlier in the program, Mr. Duhon fought through an emotional speech to commend the students for their attitudes, their commitment and their resilience during one of the most difficult spring semesters on record.

The graduating seniors were spread from sideline to sideline and seated 6 feet apart from the honor graduates in front of the last row near the Dragon east end zone. They wore masks bearing the Dragon logo and #DragonStrong, a design chosen by student leaders in the senior class.

Senior members of the Dragon Band played the national anthem to open the ceremony, and senior members of the Dragon Choir sang the alma mater on video to close the event, but not before the graduates got to do their traditional tassel turn and cap toss. Speeches INSIDE CARROLL • 55

CELEBRATING THE CLASS OF 2020 Ex c e r

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e is w c i pal h at I se e f Sh a w t he v r om ac c i n t n Du h his c l a nal y e , a la a s s of 2 on’s s st t h w y e r wh at i n t 02 0: pe e c h o h as t his p er pr I se e t andem a o e d d t o e s f c and p end a t or w ic . An effec r ese n d I se C O VI ho c o t s w it e a te t s al D -19 m es u h a c l a p c t c a h h s e l e e a s sr o Th e c r wh , f a a c r ts an o will e s e ar l a ss o om fu d c f o s l h t n e da l of e wor l 2 02 0 a t i st y d i sc d. S e n x c it e ics fr will t u d i s o o s a u rs I s m r n [C n d ea t he c s ay l o h ar e g er s ause O VI D ok in w it h and tuden -19 ] t h e y ou t h r or int o a m ir r ts . do esn e tr u or , t po sit ' t lie t h ab h at i s iv e i m a bo ut . B ut o pa c t t he r ut a m YO U you se in our eal y o ir r o as a p e t ha u . Or r. W do esn t e r h m ir r c so n . I e ' t k no n h e pe opl ck yo or do t do e w you ur se l e your s n ot esn ' t r cou f, t h e m i n d. t ell t show r ag e m w ir h , h e y a our a w hol e t 's d e So g r s p ir a ep ins t r ut a d u at t ions h i d e es of Y h av e b O , your U . . .t h 2 02 0 een p dr ea e m ir r ese n , I c ha ms , yo r or g o ou t l leng e ed th ur h e t and e a y s r o e c u t or l a st f onqu t o ta o n st r er yo e w mo k e th at e y ur f e is adv n t o h u s r a C ar r , and e r sit rs. C r e si l m ay b y t ha oll S lim b iency e mon t you e nior your . Ta k e t hs t M H ig h a t . l E e o ap of ver es g r ad c om e t. C o , and fait h u at e nt in u . Sh o w will m e to d ak e a t he w emdiff e or ld r enc a CO e .”

V I D -1 9 were given by Senior Class President Libby Lester and Student Council President Mary Helen Traynor, as well as Valedictorian Gordon Liu and Salutatorian Anu Aggarwal.

More than 2,000 people watched the ceremony on CISD's Facebook and YouTube live streams. Dignitaries included the Carroll School Board as well as Mayor Laura Hill and State Representative Giovanni Capriglione. The ceremony included recognition for the families of Elise Cerami, Yolanda Cardenas, Graham Brady and Sarah Lacy, as well as Rep. Capriglione who helped pass a bill for families of deceased students to receive a posthumous diploma. Earlier that evening, families of these students could take photos on the field at their child's chair, which was draped with a green cap and gown.

CISD went to great lengths to implement significant safety measures for the 2,500 family members in attendance and the more than 700 graduates/staff on the field. CISD school nurses took everyone's temperature with a forehead thermometer before they could enter the stadium. School Resource Officers provided security, campus administrators assisted with parking and various CISD staff helped with assigned ticketing and staggering seating and served as line leaders for the graduates.

Members of the CISD custodial staff gave conciergestyle service by disinfecting hand railings in the concourse area and restrooms. Even the microphone coverings were changed out for each speaker to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. Thankfully, weeks after the May 29 ceremony, CISD officials received no reports of new COVID-19 cases. The modified graduation at Dragon Stadium will long be remembered as a safe and special night for the class of 2020 graduates and their families. w it h

56 • INSIDE CARROLL

CELEBRATING THE CLASS OF 2020

58 • INSIDE CARROLL

Fall registration is now open at

LadyDragonLacrosse.org 1st-12th grade

INSIDE CARROLL • 59

CELEBRATING THE CLASS OF 2020 Class Of 2020 Valedictorian — Gordon Liu

A

s Gordon Liu, valedictorian for the class of 2020, graduates Carroll Senior High School and heads into the next phase of his life, he wants his classmates to make sure they are passionate about where they invest their time.

Liu — the son of Jin Liu and Angela Chen, both of whom work in commercial real estate — will be attending the University of Texas at Austin in the fall to study business with hopes of one day building his own.

“Something that has always motivated me is to make sure I am passionate about what I am doing,” Liu says. “I think being passionate about whatever it is helps you accomplish more.”

Liu is a Carroll ISD kinder-grad. He started his time in CISD at Johnson Elementary and continued through Durham Intermediate, Carroll Middle School, Carroll High School and Carroll Senior High School. During high school, Liu took a variety of classes, and even though he didn’t experience an in-depth focus on computer science, he thoroughly enjoyed the class.

“Even though I wasn’t able to dive deep into computer science and take multiple levels of the course, I had the opportunity to take one or two classes, and they were some of my favorites,” Liu says.

Much like the rest of the graduating class, Liu’s senior year and Carroll ISD journey did not end the way that he originally planned due to the COVID-19 emergency closures. While at home, Liu connected with his family, relaxed and enjoyed some muchneeded time together.

“It was unfortunate that we were unable to have our graduation parties and other events that were planned, but I think the quarantine period gave me a chance to relax,” Liu says. “I have really learned I need to do that more.”

Leaving Carroll ISD and taking that next step is exciting for Liu, but he does not plan on forgetting the teachers and staff that made a lasting impact on his life. Sherry Martin, his AP biology teacher, is one of those teachers that has prepared him for whatever is coming next.

“Since I was involved in Carroll Medical Academy, Mrs. Martin has been there for me since the beginning of my high school career. Her AP biology class really prepared me for rigorous academics throughout high school,” Liu says. “Being able to have her again as a junior really showed me how she shaped who I was and also who my fellow students were as well.”

60 • INSIDE CARROLL

CELEBRATING THE CLASS OF 2020 Class Of 2020 Salutatorian — Anu Aggarwal

F

or the class of 2020 salutatorian Anu Aggarwal, this final year of high school has been an interesting time of self-reflection and preparation for her next phase. After joining Durham Elementary as a kindergartener, Aggarwal was one of the first Dragons to attend Walnut Grove when it opened. Looking back at her time in Carroll, Aggarwal can remember happy moments in specific classes.

“In elementary science class, I always loved Star Lab days, where we would get to go in the inflatable tent and look at the stars; it was so fun,” Aggarwal says. “At Durham Intermediate, I distinctly remember Mr. [Lance] Manghum’s class being the hardest class I have ever taken in Carroll ISD, but it was so much fun because he made math fun for me.”

Aggarwal plans to attend Duke University in Durham, North Carolina, where she will double major in biology and linguistics. She plans to continue on after her undergraduate work and attend medical school, but she hasn’t closed the door on other areas that may open up to her in the next few years.

For Aggarwal, Duke seemed like the perfect fit because she immediately fell in love with the campus and the community that supports the university.

“I had gone on quite a few college visits, and there was something about Duke that just stuck with me,” Aggarwal says.

The journey for Aggarwal through her senior year drastically changed with the emergency closures of all Carroll ISD campuses due to COVID-19. The unexpected downtime gave her an opportunity to slow down and enjoy some of the areas of her life that had been fast and furious for too long.

“I am a very active, go-getter type person, and I think in the beginning I abused the fact that I didn’t have much going on, so I decided to allow myself to enjoy doing things I normally don’t have time to do,” Aggarwal says. “I am trying to learn as much about languages as I can, and I am working with my grandfather to learn how to write the characters for Hindi.”

As she heads off to college in the fall, Aggarwal realizes just how much she appreciates her family.

“We have spent so much time together these last months during the quarantine. I just realize how much they do for me,” Aggarwal says. “I didn’t think leaving after graduation would be hard; we all are ready to go to college and start our lives, but I am really going to miss my family.”

INSIDE CARROLL • 61

EXCELLENCE IN EDUCATION

2019-2020 K-6 Teacher Of The Year

Don T. Durham Intermediate School: Komal Panjabi

F

ifth grade math teacher Komal Panjabi has a deep passion for learning. After growing up in Hong Kong and the Middle East, she self-advocated for her education, which eventually led her to the United States to pursue a college diploma.

“It wasn’t expected of me. I had to kind of fight for the right to be educated,” Komal says. “Education is everything; it’s a gift that no one can ever take away from you.”

After graduating from James Madison University and obtaining a graduate degree, she started working in special education. But after she and her husband moved from New Jersey to Southlake, Komal started subbing across the street at Don T. Durham Intermediate School. Following several longer short-term stints, Komal knew she wanted to join the campus full time.

Now, three years after joining the Dragon community, Komal aspires to encourage her students to use their voices in her classroom and feel empowered through learning . By creating classroom expectations based on the circle of courage, which focuses on four quadrants: belonging, mastery, generosity and independence, Komal believes she’s giving students the ability to feel in control of their education.

“Our classroom is a family,” Komal says. “ We have each other’s back. It makes them feel like they are a part of a bigger thing.”

Komal also takes the time to check in with her students so each one feels seen, with everything from a weekly check-in called celebrations and concerns to a suggestion box and a student spotlight — the “Panjabi’s Pick” of the week. By integrating what they are interested in into her lessons, including the occasional math rap and graphing how many women are in the engineering field, she believes that not only the course load but also her demeanor creates a more relatable and approachable environment.

“You can make them invested in the classroom if you can use what they are interested in,” Komal says. “I want them to know it’s OK to be different.

I joke with the kids, ‘If you want to be No. 1, you have to be odd.’ It’s just about making them feel safe and validated.”

While swiftly transitioning to at-home learning has brought all teachers challenges, Komal says she focused on ways to retain those connections with h e r stu d e nt s . S h e sta r te d a sch o ol -wid e

quarantine cookbook both teachers and students could contribute to, helping them share what they were accomplishing while sheltering in place.

She also wrote each student a letter sharing the small achievements and wins she has seen him or her execute throughout the year. Some of those moments had direct connections to their efforts in the classroom while others focused on kindness and generosity shown throughout the year.

“It’s not just about math. You are educating the entire child,” Komal says. “For me to be able to have that impact, I don’t take that lightly.”

INSIDE CARROLL • 63

EXCELLENCE IN EDUCATION

2019-2020 Secondary Teacher Of The Year Carroll Middle School: Jenna Cossu

A

s a K-12 D rag o n g ra d , C a rroll M id dle School math teacher Jenna Cossu bleeds green. After deciding to pursue a teaching degree from Texas Christian University, she worked with her college department to ensure she could student teach at CMS, providing her with more experience to join the campus’ teaching staff after graduation.

“Coming back to Carroll was the only option,” Jenna says. “I knew that’s where I wanted to be. I love that it came full circle.”

After student teaching with her favorite middle school teacher Susan Herndon and graduating, she became a Carroll Middle School teacher and coach. Now, nine years later, Jenna knows just how important colleagues and mentors can be for new teachers.

“I can vividly remember my first year being terrified. Now, those are my people,” Jenna says. “We rely on each other as teachers and I really feel like that openness has made people love our school and not want to leave.”

After deciding to get more involved on campus, Jenna stopped coaching and started leading school projects like CMS’ No Place For Hate and Friends of Rachel initiatives. She also ensured her co-workers felt cared for by working with the Cheer Fund Committee, a group that throws celebrations for teachers marking an occasion.

“I feel like I got to experience so much more of what our school offered,” Jenna says. “I’m where I need to be.”

In the classroom, Jenna continues to build connections with students by running a daily check-in Google Doc, a forum for students to share where they were at. While she was unable to follow-up in person during the end of the spring semester, Jenna still pushed to ensure her students felt seen.

“I have had more kids say ‘I miss school’ than I have heard in all my nine years ,” Jenna says .

“We learned that in this time that we need to be together. I have to be around my kids. That’s why I teach.”

Jenna also worked with the Cheer Fund Committee to ensure teachers felt supported. By hosting virtual events like a trivia night for teachers and meet-ups where people could still socially distance, she believes teachers were able to become a support system for those who needed it.

“It kind of helps all our mental health that we are checking in on each other,” Jenna says. “As

teachers, we thrive on being around people. It’s so important to check in.”

As Jenna prepares for her 10th year with CMS, she knows that she’s not done learning. While she’s grown immensely since her first day, she believes each new group of kids pushes her to develop.

“The kids make us want to be better teachers and make us want to learn how to best help them,” Jenna says.

INSIDE CARROLL • 65

EXCELLENCE IN EDUCATION 2019-2020 Campus Teachers Of The Year DAWSON MIDDLE – JACOB LILLY (SOCIAL STUDIES TEACHER) Years at Carroll ISD: 4 Favorite Thing About Being a Dragon: My favorite thing about being a Dragon is being a part of the amazing community.

CARROLL ELEMENTARY: KRISTIN BILLINGSLEY (SPECIAL EDUCATION TEACHER) Years at Carroll ISD: 7 Favorite Thing About Being a Dragon: My favorite thing about being a Dragon is working at Carroll Elementary School. We are a family at CES, and we are there to help in hard times and to celebrate great moments with our friends.

Favorite Memory from CISD: It is hard to pinpoint one favorite memory of my time at CISD. One of my favorite memories is when I got to ring the bell in the human resources office when I signed my first contract with CISD. Everyone in the area came out and clapped.

It was a nice way to be welcomed to the Dragon family.

What I think it means to be #DragonStrong: I think that being #DragonStrong means always doing what is best for our students. What I appreciate most about CES is the wonderful group of people that I work with who always put students first!

From her principal: “Kristin has a true passion and devotion to her students. She will do whatever it takes to help them be successful.

She always has a positive attitude toward students, teachers and parents and is willing to help in any way that she can. Kristin always has a smile on her face when she is working with her students! We are truly blessed to have her at CES.” 66 • INSIDE CARROLL

Favorite Memory from CISD: I went to the senior high for a meeting earlier this semester and saw students from my first year at CISD and got more hugs and handshakes then I could have ever expected.

It truly warmed my heart and reminded me that the students are the reason I teach.

What I think it means to be #DragonStrong: I think being #DragonStrong means standing in the face of adversity and persevering to do what is right, both in and out of the classroom.

From his principal: “Jacob Lilly is an educator who deeply understands the importance of building rapport with his students. He has a tremendous gift to see kids not by their demographics or societal labels, but by their needs, interests and personal goals. He wields technology, humor and complete care for his students to create a classroom worthy of replication.”

OLD UNION ELEMENTARY: RENEA WAINWRIGHT (GT TEACHER) Years at Carroll ISD: 5 Favorite Thing About Being a Dragon: My favorite thing about being a Dragon is the strong sense of community and family that exists in Southlake. I love how it makes you feel like you are a part of something that binds everyone together in a positive way.

Favorite Memory from CISD: My favorite

memory from CISD is when we all came together on my campus on a day off to help those teachers whose rooms had flooded. It was very moving to see the hard work and effort of everyone helping those in our OUES family who had been affected. It really exemplified the sense of family that exists on my campus.

What I think it means to be #DragonStrong: To be #DragonStrong to me means to persevere, work together, hold yourself and others to a higher standard and to put others before yourself. To me, it is a set of character traits to which we should aim for in order to have a positive impact in our world.

From her principal: “Renea's dedication to her students is beyond superb. She always takes every student's needs into consideration and goes above and beyond to make sure their needs are met. She enjoys utilizing the latest technology and teaching practices to make learning fun and relevant for her students. Renea shares ideas with her colleagues and contributes positively to the culture of the school. She also puts the needs of our staff above her own and is a team player.”

CARROLL SENIOR HIGH – JAMIE PRINGLE (THEATRE TEACHER) Years at Carroll ISD: 5 Favorite Thing About Being a Dragon: The best thing about being a Dragon is the support and pride that comes with being a part of an incredible school district. The community interest in our schools and our commitment to excellence are just two of the things that make Carroll ISD such a special place to teach.

Favorite Memory from CISD: My favorite memories all surround working closely with my theatre kids during productions. I have this amazingly talented and dedicated group of students that want nothing more than to bring outstanding theatre productions to the Southlake community. The professionalism, drive and attention to detail that these students have are incredible to see… they surprise me every single day!

What I think it means to be #DragonStrong: I think #DragonStong represents the resilience of our students and staff.

Regardless of the circumstances, Dragons are able to continue to advance through adversity. Our Dragons have the ability to continually learn, grow and adapt through any hard times that we may face.

From her principal: “Ms. Pringle has a huge heart for kids. She demonstrates a love for kids not only through her passion of teaching theater but also during difficult times when students lean on her for comfort, passion and understanding. She has a phenomenal connection with her students that is not just temporary during performances but everlasting for a lifetime.”

ROCKENBAUGH ELEMENTARY – DEBBIE BUKOWSKI (SPECIAL EDUCATION TEACHER) Years at Carroll ISD: 8 Favorite Thing About Being a Dragon: My favorite thing about being a Dragon is how every school, student, staff and parent in the district are DRAGONS. This creates a unified and positive atmosphere as the whole community rallies together to support our students and teachers. By being unified, we take every aspect of our school district to a higher level.

Favorite Memory from CISD: My favorite memory from CISD is watching my own children grow and become the young adults they are today. Watching each of them graduate and walk across the stage to the next chapter of their life was a special moment for me as a parent.

What I think it means to be #DragonStrong: To me, being #DragonStrong is about resilience. In life you have your ups and downs, and things aren't always perfect. As adults, we have to model for our students and children how to handle difficult or unique situations with calm determination in order to move forward.

From her principal: “Debbie does what is best for each of her students. She partners with parents and encourages each family to take an active role in their child’s education. She takes the time to show parents the ‘why’ and ‘how’ of her teaching process and answer questions and commits countless hours of collaboration with teachers and staff across the campus to identify and implement best learning practices. Mrs. Bukowski is a problem solver with a positive outlook, strong work ethic and fierce determination to do the right thing. She truly values every team member’s unique contributions and talents in her department, and she spends every ounce of energy on her students.”

JOHNSON ELEMENTARY: JOAN MYERS (ESL TEACHER) Years at Carroll ISD: 6 Favorite Thing About Being a Dragon: My favorite thing about being a Dragon is the Dragon pride! I love that anywhere you go, people know who the Dragons are! We have such a great reputation with sports and academics, and we have so many talented kids. I was in California last summer wearing a Dragon shirt and someone stopped me and said, "I know who the Dragons are; you guys were on ‘America's Got Talent!’"

Favorite Memory from CISD: I am not only a teacher but also a parent in CISD. This school district has given my kids so many opportunities! My son ran on the cross country team with Coach [Justin] Leonard! He is an amazing coach and pushed him to be his best at all times in every area of his life. So, my favorite memory is watching my son cross the finish line running the 5K and making Carroll ISD's cross country top 10 list of fastest 5K runners. Every one of my best memories were with the cross country team and all of their accomplishments. They are the hardest working kids!

What I think it means to be #DragonStrong: #DragonStrong means no matter what we go through, we will get through it together and be stronger for it.

From her Principal: “Joan Myers is someone who goes above and beyond to help her ESL (English as a Second Language) students no matter what. She works tirelessly to meet kids where they are, and is creative, innovative and constantly develops her curriculum to meet her students’ needs. But not only does she work to serve her own students, she serves as an advocate for all students at JES and in our district. She educates parents and staff on how to meet diverse needs and goes above and beyond the call of duty to guide and counsel teachers on how to better serve the students in their classrooms.”

INSIDE CARROLL • 67

EXCELLENCE IN EDUCATION 2019-2020 Campus Teachers Of The Year CARROLL HIGH – KIM GOODMAN (CHILD DEVELOPMENT & INTERPERSONAL STUDIES TEACHER) Years at Carroll ISD: 3 Favorite Thing About Being a Dragon: My favorite thing about being a Dragon is the passion to protect our traditions, and the compassionate service seen across the entire district.

EUBANKS INTERMEDIATE – AMBER GAUDERN (STRUCTURED LEARNING TEACHER) Years at Carroll ISD: 3 Favorite Thing About Being a Dragon: My favorite thing about being a Dragon is our sense of community, wherever you are. I love that we are all Dragon teachers, students, parents, etc., and what brings us all together is that we're Dragons no matter what!

Favorite Memory from CISD: My favorite and most exciting memory from Carroll ISD is getting a call and being offered my dream job.

After accepting, I got to "ring the bell" and officially became a Dragon!

What I think it means to be #DragonStrong: #DragonStrong is remembering that even though we are apart, together we are pushing through and overcoming every challenge. #DragonStrong is lifting each other up, encouraging others and showing just how resilient, innovative and exceptional we are.

From her principal: “Amber Gaudern helps her students realize they are capable of so much more than they ever imagined. She volunteers as a coach with Special Olympics and encourages all of her students to participate. Amber connects her students’ interests with lessons in the classroom. Amber is always willing to help anyone in need, and she is adored by her students and the staff at Eubanks.”

68 • INSIDE CARROLL

Favorite Memory from CISD: My favorite memory is ringing the bell as a new employee of CISD, and the growth of the Business Professional of America Carroll Chapter reaching the national stage with awards.

What I think it means to be #DragonStrong: Being #DragonStrong as an educator means that I am valuing each and every family in CISD, that I can model integrity with my students and all students on my campus and that I am cultivating meaningful relationships.

From her principal: “Kim Goodman provides every child a caring adult who is interested in their full body of work. You can find her at every event and one of the first to volunteer for every opportunity that is presented. In class she provides multiple courses to impact each child’s future life.”

WALNUT GROVE ELEMENTARY – RACHEL CADY (SECOND GRADE TEACHER) Years at Carroll ISD: 6 Favorite Thing About Being a Dragon: My favorite thing about being a Dragon is knowing that I am a part of something bigger. I have always loved that every student in Carroll ISD is a Dragon. I love the Dragon logo and the sense of strength it brings. I love knowing that I have a community that supports me as a teacher.

Wearing Dragon green is an honor!

Favorite Memory from CISD: Wow! How can I pick just one favorite memory? I have been blessed by so many students, families and co-workers that choosing one moment as a favorite memory feels daunting. If I had to choose, I would say ringing the bell 13 years ago, to officially become a Dragon, as my favorite memory. Every Dragon memory I have comes from that moment and being given the chance to be a part of this amazing family!

What I think it means to be #DragonStrong: Being #DragonStrong means sticking together. It means being supportive, showing compassion and remembering that Dragons have each other's back. I knew this community was a special place before the pandemic, but watching everyone take care of each other during this craziness has solidified that!

From her principal: “Rachel builds and develops strong relationships with her students and co-workers. The caring relationships she creates with her students lasts even after they are out of her class. She has high expectations for her students and motivates them to work to the best of their abilities.

Rachel is always willing to offer help, no matter how much she already has on her plate. She is intentional with her time, planning and her students. Rachel gives her students and her team her all and doesn't ask for recognition for it. Rachel brings a smile to school each day, and she embraces new changes with enthusiasm!”

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INSIDE CARROLL • 69

EXCELLENCE IN EDUCATION

Durham Intermediate Teacher Awarded For Humanities Education

Sixth grade teacher at Durham Intermediate School Elizabeth Irish recently received the Outstanding Teacher of the Humanities Award, which recognizes 12 exemplary K–12 humanities teachers who have made contributions in teaching, curriculum development and extracurricular programming in their schools and community. These teachers receive a $5,000 cash award and an additional $1,000 for their respective schools to purchase humanities-based instructional materials.

“Mrs. Irish is the type of teacher every kid wishes they had,” says Durham Intermediate Principal Mike Wyrick. “She captures their hearts and minds collectively to create lifelong learners, and we are so proud of her for being recognized with this award.”

Humanities Texas is the state-level branch of the National Endowment for the Humanities. Both promote the study of the humanities and provide awesome professional development for history and English teachers. Over the years, Irish has done quite a bit at both the state and national levels. In 2008, she won a grant from the National Endowment to go to Pearl

Harbor and study WWII with a group of teachers from the U.S. and Japan. She has also attended several week-long summer institutes with Humanities Texas.

Coincidentally, John Irish, Elizabeth’s husband and Carroll Senior High School social studies teacher, won this exact same award in 2016. This humanitarian power couple has contributed significantly to Carroll ISD, through both their excellence in the classroom and the added recognition and financial benefits of this award.

“It is extremely rare for a district to have one teacher receive this award, but Carroll is fortunate enough to have two teachers receive the honor,” says Executive Director for Curriculum & Instruction Gina Peddy. “Both John and Elizabeth create a challenging yet inviting classroom environment where students are not afraid to take risks and welcome the ability to think on their own.”

Elizabeth has joined the staff of Carroll Senior High for the 2020-2021 school year and will be recognized for her award this fall.

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EXCELLENCE IN EDUCATION

2019-2020 Employee Award Winners

Service Award: Auxiliary Service Award recipient Evelia Freyre

AUXILIARY SERVICE AWARD Evelia Freyre — Child Nutrition Services Award Description: The purpose of the district’s Auxiliary Service Award is to honor members of the Carroll Independent School District auxiliary support staff who have made significant contributions to Carroll ISD. The recipient should be a dedicated employee who upholds the mission and goals of Carroll ISD through everyday service to the students and staff, while exemplifying an excellent work ethic, attendance and attitude.

About Evelia: “Evelia Freyre is an integral part of the cafeteria team at Dawson Middle School. She is a strong ‘helper’ to all people. When anyone of the staff is unavailable, Evie is able and willing to fill any role in the kitchen. She is a quiet leader with a heart for others!”

COMMUNITY SERVICE AWARD Kim Goodman — Carroll High School Award Description: The purpose of the district’s Community Service Award is to honor employees of the Carroll Independent School District who have made significant contributions to the children of this community outside of the school setting. The work could entail volunteer hours as a coach, scout sponsor, civic leader, church member or involvement in other community-related service projects.

About Kim: “In addition to performing her job at an exemplary level, Kim Goodman demonstrates an 72 • INSIDE CARROLL

extraordinary commitment to her school community as well as to the general public. In her child development class, Mrs. Goodman incorporates community service into the curriculum, and in her role as sponsor of Business Professionals of America, she teaches her students the importance of helping those in our very own school and district. Her example of giving of herself has been inspiring to her students and co-workers as she continues to make her school and community a better place.”

DISTINGUISHED SERVICE AWARD Cindy Dumont — Johnson Elementary School Award Description: The purpose of the district’s Distinguished Service Award is to honor individuals associated with the Carroll Independent School District who have made significant contributions to the children of this community over an extended period of time. The recipient must be an individual who upholds the mission and goals of Carroll ISD through service to the children.

About Cindy: “For 22 years, Cindy has served as the Principal’s Assistant. She has dedicated her energy to making Johnson Elementary the warm and inviting school that it is. She is one of the friendly faces up front and the first responder with the many concerns or questions that arise on a daily basis. Whether it be questions from parents, students or staff, Cindy is ready and willing to do whatever needs to be done.

She will always be a part of JES because of her heart

to serve, and she lives her best life by doing for others. She will be remembered because of her dedication to her relationships.”

PARAPROFESSIONAL SERVICE AWARD Laura Beth Compton — Walnut Grove Elementary School Award Description: The purpose of the district’s Paraprofessional Service Award is to honor members of the Carroll Independent School District paraprofessional support staff who have made significant contributions to Carroll ISD. The recipient should be a dedicated employee who upholds the mission and goals of Carroll ISD through everyday service to the students and staff, while exemplifying an excellent work ethic, attendance and attitude.

About Laura Beth: “Laura Beth Compton is the glue of the ACE room (Alternative Curriculum Education) at Walnut Grove Elementary. Through employee changes, schedule changes and day-to-day obstacles, she has been consistently steady and ready to take on any new challenge. She has been a go-to for any problems or questions that arise, and an excellent role model for the teachers around her.

She is a trustworthy friend and is always ready with a helping hand.”

CORE VALUE AWARD: EXCELLENCE Mary Bullard — Old Union Elementary School Award Description: The purpose of the Carroll ISD Core Value Award for Excellence is to honor a member of the staff who understands where the Dragon tradition of excellence came from and is an active participant in maintaining excellence in Carroll ISD. This employee recognizes that passion sustains excellence and embraces the fact that all decisions should be student-centered, in an effort to better create and sustain an environment that fosters excellence.

About Mary: “Mary Bullard exemplifies the quality of excellence in all that she does to serve students, staff and parents. In everything that Mary does, she gives willingly of her time and attends to every detail to ensure that the best possible product is produced and that everyone in the process is supported. Mary digs deep into all aspects of processes and programs when making recommendations that impact students and teachers. Mary exemplifies the Core Value of Excellence in every area of her work for students and teachers.”

CORE VALUE AWARD: RELATIONSHIPS Matt Colvin — Carroll Sr. High School Award Description: The purpose of the Carroll ISD Core Value Award for Relationships is to honor a member of the staff who excels in cultivating a secure, supportive and nurturing environment where everyone feels safe and valued. Strong and meaningful relationships that value and respect the differences in all people are essential to the success of students during their time in Carroll ISD. About Matt: “Matt Colvin has a genuine love for students, and his desire is to teach them in a way that makes them feel valued as individual people.

Core Value Award: Excellence recipient Mary Bullard

His ability to develop genuine relationships with his students allows for greater learning to take place.

Because the students feel valued in his classroom, they are more willing to complete their work and participate in class. Mr. Colvin’s ability to develop relationships with his students is a tangible example of the social/emotional well-being of students, an important aspect of education.”

CORE VALUE AWARD: CHARACTER & INTEGRITY Rebecca Alexander — Walnut Grove Elementary School Award Description: The purpose of the Carroll ISD Core Value Award for Character & Integrity is to honor a member of the staff whose character and integrity is evident in and out of the workplace — someone who sees the importance of character and integrity and does not expect this from students and co-workers without being willing to live this on a daily basis.

About Rebecca: “Rebecca Alexander not only expects her students, her team and every staff member of Walnut Grove Elementary to possess essential traits of good character, but she highly expects this in herself.

She has created a legacy within her tenure at Carroll ISD, which is over 23 years, and students, teachers, parents and volunteers follow in the footsteps she has made. She will give up time or any personal benefit to help develop someone else to be a better version of themself. She values opinions and is always searching for ways to teach others how making mistakes is learning. Rebecca is loyal to the core and maintains self-control in order to reach a positive outcome.”

CORE VALUE AWARD: INNOVATION Johanna Belwood — Carroll Sr. High School Award Description: The purpose of the Carroll ISD Core Value Award for Innovation is to honor a member of the Carroll ISD staff who places importance on innovation and continuous improvement, recognizing that they are essential for excellence and yield lifelong learners. This individual is a forward thinker and juggles new ideas and proven techniques to create learning spaces that challenge the status quo.

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EXCELLENCE IN EDUCATION

2019-2020 Employee Award Winners

Core Value Award: Compassionate Service recipient Glenn Adams

About Johanna: “Johanna Belwood’s innovative classroom pushes her students to always be adapting and improving. She teaches her students to be innovative learners who look to themselves and others to better their performance. Her assignments often include collaboration with others, as she pushes her students to work with those different from themselves. Mrs. Belwood’s innovative classroom and her desire for the success of her students gives them endless opportunities.”

CORE VALUE AWARD: OPEN & HONEST COMMUNICATION Cheryl Bischof — Walnut Grove Elementary School Award Description: The purpose of the Carroll ISD Core Value Award for Open & Honest Communication is to honor a member of the staff who effectively promotes open and honest communication and interaction between students, school personnel, families and the community. This individual protects Dragon traditions while fostering a culture of continuous improvement based on strong communication methods and practices.

About Cheryl: “Cheryl Bischof holds the core value of open and honest communication at the highest standard. She leans into a conversation, listening intently and communicates with the most honest, transparent 74 • INSIDE CARROLL

and compassionate delivery. She has Walnut Grove Elementary and the entire district’s mission, goals and interests at heart. She communicates in a manner that makes the recipient feel important and valued. Creating a positive and helpful moment for someone is her quality characteristic, and she is in the perfect role to provide this very valued and important core value.”

CORE VALUE AWARD: COMPASSIONATE SERVICE Glenn Adams — Transportation Services Award Description: The purpose of the Carroll ISD Core Value Award for Compassionate Service is to honor a member of the staff who leads by example with their willingness and passion to serve those in need around them. This individual recognizes that all students have unique talents, gifts and abilities to be used to positively impact the world, and leads the charge by example.

About Glenn: “Glenn Adams exhibits compassionate service every single day on his bus route. He goes out of his way to create special moments for his riders.

This past year, Glenn had the idea to organize a class trip to visit a student who had been in the hospital.

He went above and beyond to bring a little bit of joy to a student he had only known for a few months.

His displays of compassionate service make a huge impact on those around him.”

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INSIDE CARROLL • 75

RETIREES SPOTLIGHT

Once a Dragon, Always a Dragon!

T

hese amazing individuals retired from Carroll ISD at the end of the 2019-2020 school year, and their absence will be felt at each of their campuses. For a combined 388 years in education, these awesome educators dedicated their careers to students and made an impact. This list of retirees is as of July 1.

LYNN BARKER Early Childhood Teacher - Carroll Elementary School Years in Education: 22 Years in Carroll ISD: 13 Favorite Part of Being a Dragon: Once a Dragon, always a Dragon! Belonging to a district that has allowed me to work with precious children, caring families, the best teachers and supportive administrators. I'm so happy to have had the privilege of ending my 34-year teaching career at Carroll. It has been unbelievably fulfilling and always wonderful!

What I Will Miss Most About Carroll ISD: Starting each fall with my new little class of Dragons and falling in love with all of them!

Favorite Memory from Carroll ISD: I will always remember "ringing the bell" when I was hired to teach Pre-K at CES under Stacy Wagnon! This was amazing and magical because my daughter Heather was also hired to begin her teaching career at Rockenbaugh Elementary in 3rd grade! It was very special to share becoming Dragons together!

DIANE BEAN Special Education Teacher - Carroll High School Years in Education: 27 Years in Carroll ISD: 17 Favorite Part of Being a Dragon: My favorite part of being a Dragon is the tradition that the whole city is a part of. It is a city-wide connection to sport the Dragon green.

What I Will Miss Most About Carroll ISD: I will miss seeing students on a regular basis and building relationships with them. I will miss my fellow special education and English co-workers, and seeing all of the Carroll High School staff!

Favorite Memory from Carroll ISD: I do not have one favorite memory — the continuing memory is when working one-to-one with a struggling student and suddenly...the light comes on, and they get it. That happens frequently and is always rewarding to see their pride.

LORA BENEDETTI Spanish Teacher – Carroll Senior High Years in Education: 24 Years in Carroll ISD: 23 Favorite Part of Being a Dragon: I love the sense of family that this district provides.

What I Will Miss Most About Carroll ISD: I will really miss seeing my colleagues on a regular basis.

76 • INSIDE CARROLL

Many Dragon teachers’ favorite memory is ringing the bell after joining the Carroll family.

Favorite Memory from Carroll ISD: I had the privilege of being the student council advisor for many years — I got to work with a wide variety of amazing student leaders. But my most profound memory is working with an incredible stuco team to host the annual State Conference for Student Councils. It involved an intense year of brainstorming, planning, fundraising and implementing. It was the best state conference that I ever attended if I do say so myself!!

GONZALO CISNEROS Custodian Years in Education: 19 Years in Carroll ISD: 19 Favorite Part of Being a Dragon: My favorite thing is all the people I have worked with over the years and the kids that I get to see every day. I will miss them a lot and the screaming and talking in the hallways!

What I Will Miss Most About Carroll ISD: I will miss my co-workers, especially the ones in which I have worked the longest. I will miss coming to work at the

high school and seeing the kids daily! I will especially miss seeing them after their practices and watching them enjoy their athletic victories and excitement after each basketball and volleyball game, since that has been my area to clean for the last 15 years.

Favorite Memory from Carroll ISD: I have enjoyed working with two managers during my time in the district. They have been there for me personally and within the district. I will really miss coming to work!

JANN CURTIS Science Lab Teacher – Eubanks Intermediate School Years in Education: 31 Years in Carroll ISD: 13 Favorite Part of Being a Dragon: Being a Dragon is being part of one big happy family. We all share the same vision for providing a wonderful environment for our students. We lift each other up and are always there for each other. Once a Dragon, always a Dragon!

What I Will Miss Most About Carroll ISD: I am going to miss the relationships with fellow teachers, administrators and especially the kids. I loved spending each day learning the students’ personalities, discovering their needs academically and personally and making sure I do my best to fill their buckets.

Favorite Memory from Carroll ISD: My favorite memory at Eubanks is our annual Veteran’s Day Program. Seeing the support from the students, staff and veterans is breathtaking and shows how much we truly care about our veterans. My father, a Navy veteran, was able to attend 10 of our programs and received a standing ovation each time. It was always such a special moment for the both of us.

THOMAS DEWESTER Second Grade Teacher – Johnson Elementary School Years in Education: 28 Years in Carroll ISD: 13 Favorite Part of Being a Dragon: My favorite part of being a Dragon was and is the feeling of family. From my first interview at Johnson, I have felt that I was welcomed into a loving, supportive extended family.

What I Will Miss Most About Carroll ISD: I will miss the students, all of the teachers and the administrative staff. Mostly, though, I will miss my 2nd grade team. I will miss their laughter, support and friendship. I will miss my team leader Beth Alexander, whom without I would have been lost in the wilderness many times.

Favorite Memory from Carroll ISD: So many memories of love and laughter, of student success, of personal success, I can't just choose one.

CINDY DUMONT Principal's Secretary – Johnson Elementary School Years in Education: 28 Years in Carroll ISD: 22 Favorite Part of Being a Dragon: I love the sense of family in our Dragon community. Being part of the Johnson Elementary family has brought me great joy, and I have made lifelong friends over the past 22 years. There are so many special students and families that I still keep up with, and they will always hold a special place in my heart.

What I Will Miss Most About Carroll ISD: This is an easy question for me. I’m going to miss my friends, co-workers and leaders, not only at JES, but at other campuses and Administration. I cherish the relationships I have developed throughout the years. It’s too painful to say goodbye, so I’m saying, “See you later!”

Favorite Memory from Carroll ISD: My favorite memories in Carroll ISD were when my two boys, Matt (’02) and Jeremy (’04), were still in school. I loved watching them in the sports and fine arts activities they participated in, as well as developing friendships with other parents. The Dumont family has a lot of Dragon pride, and we are so thankful for our time here.

DEBORAH EDWARDS Physical Therapist – Special Programs Years in Education: 40 Years in Carroll ISD: 29 Favorite Part of Being a Dragon: My favorite part of being a Dragon is that I am serving in my hometown and my community. I have lived here since 1970...all of my siblings are Dragon graduates, my two children plus two nieces I helped raise are Dragon graduates and now three grandchildren are Dragons. My husband is a retired Dragon teacher/coach and still drives a school bus. I cannot imagine working anywhere else!

What I Will Miss Most About Carroll ISD: The kids! I believe being a physical therapist for special needs children was my calling. A seed was planted when I was in 1st grade and then really watered when I was 13, with God's guiding hand opening door after door every step of the way. They are inspirational, motivational and love unconditionally. There is so much to learn from each child.

Favorite Memory from Carroll ISD: I started the Special Olympics Program for the Grapevine-Colleyville, Carroll and Coppell school districts when we were a co-op and then continued to coach Carroll once the co-op split. One of my athletes was chosen to participate in International Games at Notre Dame University, I could not have been prouder! But I will also never forget the smile on a child's face when they conquer a new skill, or watching several children journey from age three through graduation, and then move through the transition program into a valued place in our community. That is thrilling.

JULIE GRAVIETT First Grade Teacher - Old Union Elementary Years in Education: 31 Years in Carroll ISD: 27 Favorite Part of Being a Dragon: My favorite part of being a Dragon is the community. I have been a teacher in Carroll ISD since 1994 and have seen the district grow in population. I love the fact that everyone is a Dragon no matter which school you attend. Everyone cheers and supports each other. Carroll ISD is absolutely the best in the nation.

What I Will Miss Most About Carroll ISD: I will miss seeing the students, families and colleagues on a daily basis. Their smiles and hugs always brought sunshine to my day. Once a Dragon, always a Dragon!!

Favorite Memory from Carroll ISD: My favorite memory INSIDE CARROLL • 77

RETIREES SPOTLIGHT

Once a Dragon, Always a Dragon! is the "Meet the Teacher" every single year. I loved meeting all of the families and making the students feel welcomed and loved. This was always the beginning of a fun, loving and successful school year.

LAURA HUDGEONS Second Grade Teacher – Old Union Elementary School Years in Education: 41 Years in Carroll ISD: 25 My favorite part of being a Dragon, what I will miss the most about working in Carroll ISD and my favorite memory is all the same: the students and the parents!

I could never pick just one. I will miss seeing the staff.

The Carroll community is a family I have been lucky and privileged to have been part of.

CAROL LARSON Third Grade Teacher – Walnut Grove Elementary School Years in Education: 23 Years in Carroll ISD: 20 Favorite Part of Being a Dragon: My favorite part of being a Dragon is the tradition and sense of pride that encourages students to have high expectations and to do more.

What I Will Miss Most About Carroll ISD: What I'll miss are the relationships made with teachers, other staff members and, most of all, the students. Seeing a student experience learning a new concept and the pride they feel with their accomplishments is what I'll remember for the rest of my life.

Favorite Memory from Carroll ISD: I have so many memorable moments from my time at Carroll, it's hard to pick one. Every student that has come in and out of my classroom has made a difference. I think my favorite is hearing from a previous student who has come back to be a PAL in my class, one from the previous year that stops by my room, or one from years ago that tells me that I've made a difference in their life.

SHAROLYN OVERBY Business Teacher – Carroll Senior High School Years in Education: 34 Years in Carroll ISD: 34 Favorite Part of Being a Dragon: The culture of excellence! We sometimes take it for granted, but when we step out of that bubble of excellence, we realize how fortunate we are.

What I Will Miss Most About Carroll ISD: Everything!

CSHS is the most wonderful school, overflowing with the most magnificent 34 years’ worth of memories. One ongoing memory that comes to mind is lunch with my fellow teachers. There has always been a group of teachers who eat lunch around a big round table. We listen, we laugh, we jump in, we laugh, we cry, we laugh, we retell a superior story from the past…we roar with laughter! The 78 • INSIDE CARROLL

entire lunch is about feeding your soul… and feeding your body is just an afterthought.

Favorite Memory from Carroll ISD: Back in the day there was one road in and out of Southlake. I believe it was 114, but it wasn’t a super highway, just a road. When the football team would go out of town to the playoffs, that one road would be plastered with signs that said, “Last person to leave town, please turn out the lights!” I had never seen that before I began teaching at Carroll. And in those days, Southlake was a ghost town on Dragon Football playoff nights!

REBECCA SCHRAEDER Social Studies Teacher – Dawson Middle School Years in Education: 17 Years in Carroll ISD: 14 Favorite Part of Being a Dragon: There are two things that are my favorite parts of being a Dragon. I love that we are all Dragons regardless of which school you attend.

We truly are a Dragon Nation. Secondly, I love that Carroll ISD is known for excellence in both academics and extracurriculars. I was always very proud to say I taught for Carroll ISD. What I Will Miss Most About Carroll ISD: There are so many things that I will miss but my co-workers top the list. I worked with the best of the best. Dawson has the most caring, dedicated teachers I have ever seen. They always inspired me to be my best, and I made some lifelong friendships. I will also miss the students. When I see them or hear their names, I will always claim them as "one of mine.”

Favorite Memory from Carroll ISD: How does one pick a favorite memory out of 14 years of great memories? The daily interactions with the students...the serious teaching times, the funny classroom moments, the times I felt I made a difference, the heartfelt conversations, pep rallies, dancing in the hallways, the many, many laughs with both students and fellow teachers, etc. All are precious, treasured memories!

ELLEN ZOCK Third Grade Teacher – Johnson Elementary School Years in Education: 23 Years in Carroll ISD: 22 Favorite Part of Being a Dragon: Everyone is a Dragon!

It brings students, teachers and families closer together as a community.

What I Will Miss Most About Carroll ISD: Not spending my days with the students at JES and back-to-school convocations.

Favorite Memory from Carroll ISD: Years ago, JES had a back-to-school all day team-building that ended at a hotel for team presentation and an overnight stay. I can still hear the laughter from those days.

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WHAT’S AHEAD?

Strategic Planning Committee To Begin Work Updating Plan

The strategic planning process is expected to return to Carroll ISD during the 2020-2021 school year. School officials say the Board of Trustees will likely appoint a Strategic Planning Committee during the spring semester. The group will be made up of employees, parents and students in each attendance zone, tasked with the goal of reviewing and updating the 2015 Strategic Plan.

“Our written strategic plan serves as a compass to guide us in our work for students,” says Superintendent Dr. David Faltys. “It keeps us pointed toward our true north as we make decisions and spend funds.

We’ll want to establish a framework for membership that ensures equitable representation across Dragon campuses and programs. The work this group will do will eventually be handed over to a capital needs committee to determine if any new construction or facility upgrades are necessary.”

Faltys says the district will likely issue an RFP (request for proposals) for the services of an independent consultant. In 2014, the Carroll School Board directed the Administration to develop a strategic plan for the district. Carroll ISD contracted with Cambridge Strategic Services to facilitate that strategic planning process.

A 39-member Strategic Planning Committee composed of school employees, parents, business leaders and administrators met for a three-day planning 80 • INSIDE CARROLL

session in late September/early October 2014. As a result, the group developed a DRAFT Strategic Plan to include an updated district mission, vision, core beliefs, goals and strategic objectives.

On December 2, 2014, representatives from Cambridge Strategic Services met with volunteers serving on 10 action plan subcommittees. This group’s work continued on January 8, 2015, when even more community and school volunteers came together to begin work on each of the 10 action plan strategies.

The groups researched best practices, brainstormed new ideas and formulated action plans to address each specific strategy area. Their work continued throughout the second semester until the DRAFT Strategic Plan was presented to the Board of Trustees for approval. After that, a Capital Needs Planning Committee was seated to make recommendations for the 2017 Bond Program. At that time, CNPC members recommended two bond elections over the next 10-year period.

Dr. Faltys says the CISD staff has been working diligently since June 2015 to carry out the individual elements of the Board-adopted strategic plan, but the district has come to the end of the plan’s life. The process to update the strategic plan experienced a slight delay by the COVID-19 emergency closures, but the Administration plans to present a framework for committee membership to the Board this fall.

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82 • INSIDE CARROLL

ACADEMICS/ART finish online over the summer, but due to COVID-19, she was able to finish the year online with her classmates and graduate as originally planned. Due to the uncertainty of the COVID-19 outbreak, D’Amico does not know when she will resume rehearsing, but she says her stage managers have kept her as updated as possible.

“Even if the show can’t open again, I’m so grateful for the short time I had with it and am so ready to put my all into performing again,” D’Amico says.

DRAGON MEDIA, KDGN EARN TOP HONORS AT UIL JOURNALISM CONFERENCE

CARROLL SENIOR LANDS BROADWAY ROLE Michelle D’Amico is a known name for Carroll Theatre fans, but now it will be known amongst Broadway enthusiasts after landing a role in a major production in New York City. A few weeks before COVID-19 shut down theatres, D’Amico moved to the Big Apple to join an ensemble and understudy the lead.

After a few weeks of auditions and callbacks, she finished out the process by performing three scenes and three songs for the entire production team of the show, which landed her the role that required her to be in the city immediately.

The class of 2020 graduate has been heavily involved in Carroll Theatre throughout her high school career, starring in many of the program’s productions, and landing numerous awards and nominations throughout her career. She received an honorable mention as a featured actress for her role as Little Sally in Carroll’s production of “Urinetown” from Dallas Summer Musicals, won a Schmidt & Jones award for the best female actor in a musical after playing Louise in “Gypsy” and was nominated for Best Actress for her role in Carroll’s November production of “Amélie” at the Betty Buckley Awards and Dallas Summer Musical High School Musical awards.

When she originally landed the Broadway role earlier this spring, her plan was to withdraw from school and

UIL Journalism presented Carroll’s Dragon Media program with nine awards and top-level critiques as part of the University Interscholastic League Press Conference, usually held the first weekend in May. Due to COVID19, winners were announced online by UIL Journalism Director Jeanne Acton. Carroll Senior High School and Carroll High School journalism students received the association’s highest rating, The Award of Distinguished Merit, for both the KDGN broadcast and “The Dragon” Yearbook. In addition, the 2019 yearbook was the recipient of the Silver Star Award, representing the top 10% of Texan student publications. The program also brought home four individual achievement awards. Nicole James & Josh McSwain (’19) won first-place in theme selection and development. McSwain also received first place for infographic design and second place for index spread.

Leif Messinger (’20) received second place for broadcast graphics. Tops in Texas Awards were also awarded for theme selection and development and infographic design. You can follow these award-winning Dragon Media students on Instagram and Twitter at @slcdragonmedia.

EMERALD BELLES ADVENTURE ON WORLD TOUR After an action-packed “America’s Got Talent” summer in 2019, the Emerald Belles experienced an exciting year full of television appearances and oncein-a-lifetime performances.

“The past year and a half has been a whirlwind of crazy opportunities for my girls,” says Emerald Belles Director Melissa Page.

After competing in “America’s Got Talent” in July and August of last summer, the Belles returned to Southlake for the school year, but little did they know it would be a more out-of-the-box than usual year.

In addition to their typical appearances at Friday night football games and normal competitions, the Emerald Belles performed on “Good Morning Texas” in October. In December, they had the opportunity to perform with the Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders during the Salvation Army game at AT&T Stadium. In January, the Emerald Belles were invited to appear on “The Kelly Clarkson Show,” an opportunity Page did not want them to take lightly.

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“I always tell them to take it all in and appreciate everything because these things just don’t happen to high school drill teams,” says Page.

By spring, the Belles performed at halftime of a Dallas Mavericks game and had plans to perform at the San Antonio Spurs game as well, but they were unable to travel to San Antonio due to COVID-19.

The Emerald Belles did not get to fully finish their year-long tour due to COVID-19 and had to cancel a planned trip to perform on a cruise line in late March, as well as an April National Charity League event at the Gaylord Texan. Despite those missed opportunities, Page was thrilled with the incredible year the Belles had.

“I am truly blessed with my precious Belles, and I am so proud of them,” says Page. “My mission is to keep teaching our motto — #BeKind, #BeABelle — and spread it out to the community.”

MIDDLE SCHOOL BAND DIRECTORS GET CREATIVE WITH ONLINE LEARNING During the early days of online learning, Dawson Middle School band students were treated to a concert from their band director, playing multiple parts to one song, all thanks to the application Smart Music.

“Music has always been a therapy for me, so I figured one way to bring a smile to their faces, even for just a brief minute, would be to have a piece of music 84 • INSIDE CARROLL

recorded that they could easily access anywhere in their house,” says Dawson Middle School Band Director Chase Howard.

The Dawson Middle and Eubanks Intermediate Bands work extremely close together as one band, under the direction of Howard and Eric Guerrero.

During the closure due to COVID-19, these directors knew the focus would initially be their core curriculum classes but wanted to ensure the students had achievable goals for their band curriculum, which is when Howard started getting creative with the Smart Music idea.

After they posted the first “Concert on the Couch” video to Canvas, the students’ online learning platform, students asked how they, too, could create a similar compilation. Smart Music granted all students free access to the musical library through June, so the Dawson and Eubanks students were able to explore the different types of music and play along.

“We are continuing with our normal curriculum of rhythm and notation pedagogy while emphasizing the use of fundamentals with our 6th grade beginners,” says Howard. “They were planning on performing at a solo and ensemble event at the end of March, so Smart Music and this recital opportunity really fit hand-in-hand with what we were already working on.”

Directors Guerrero and Howard encouraged stu-

ACADEMICS/ART dents to continue playing their instruments at home through other fun activities, like Band Bingo, where students earned a virtual “bingo” by following the bingo card and recording different pieces of music and submitting them to Canvas.

“We were certainly figuring it out as we went along,” says Howard. “We definitely had a good time putting a twist on how we normally would deliver material out to students.”

CISD AWARDS FOUR POSTHUMOUS DIPLOMAS DURING 2020 GRADUATION Hundreds of Southlake Carroll seniors were able to find a seat, while remaining 6 feet apart, and take part in their high school graduation. And while four Dragons were not able to physically join their classmates, they were still recognized thanks to one local mom.

Lori Cerami knew how important it was for families who have lost children to see their efforts recognized on a graduation stage. So starting in October 2017, she put in the work to ensure all high school parents could obtain a posthumous diploma. Because she knew Elise’s legacy deserved more than an empty chair at the ceremony.

“An empty chair just reminds me how empty I am; it just makes me feel more empty,” Lori says. “My child is supposed to be in that spot.”

Before venturing down to Austin and asking for an amendment to House Bill 638, only family members of seniors who had passed were warranted a diploma. After Gov. Greg Abbott signed the change into law last May, Lori could rest assured that her daughter Elise, and all other high school students, would be recognized at their respective graduation ceremonies.

Not only did the Ceramis receive Elise’s diploma but also they could fill that designated chair with a photo of their daughter. The chair also housed Elise’s cap, gown and tassel, all symbols of her place alongside her classmates.

The Cerami family was not the only family affected by this change. Four posthumous diplomas were awarded this year. The other three honored Yolanda Cardenas, Sarah Lacy and Graham Brady. Now, Lori hopes other families, not only in Texas but across the country, can pick up the torch to ensure they feel their children are seen during their high school graduations.

“I want to do good things in her name,” Lori says.

“Avoidance is not resilience. Child death is an uncomfortable conversation, but I think people get better at [empathy, understanding and relating to people who are going through difficult things] when we have conversations with people about it.”

As the Texas law currently stands, it’s the family’s responsibility to request a posthumous diploma from

its school district. Lori believes other families in other states could introduce similar bills to their local governments.

“I originally thought her legacy was going to be in pool code — that she was going to have some law enacted in making a change in water safety,” Lori says. “To see something that is even bigger than that...because this is helping families all over Texas for years to come and could have a precedent set in other states. That’s a pretty cool legacy to have.”

CARROLL FRENCH STUDENTS EXCEL ON NATIONAL STAGE Four Carroll Senior High Students have received awards for their performance in this year’s National French Contest, sponsored by the American Association of Teachers of French.

Carolyn Teng is a platinum award winner — the highest performance ever at Carroll Senior High — and received the highest score in her level three and is ranked No. 1 nationally. Harper Moxcey also won, receiving a gold award for placing in the 95th percentile for level three. Nikki Olaleye and Rhiana Prince were silver award winners for placing in the 90th and 85th percentile in level three and level AP, respectively.

The awards did not stop coming for Carroll High as Claudia Alonso Pagan received a bronze award for placing in the 80th or 75th percentile in level AP. Kayin Jones, Jake Hyslop, Peyton Lawrence, Chloe Moore, Ana Metelski, Richa Nag, Heather Quintana, Madeleine Snell, Liam Timberlake and Sophie Walters received honorable mentions.

Rebecca Gould, teacher at Carroll Senior High School, is so proud of these students and recognizes the magnitude of their successes.

“As their teacher, I’m so proud of all my students for their efforts and preparation. It is extremely gratifying when they are acknowledged at a national level for their achievements and hard work,” Gould says.

CARROLL JAZZ ORCHESTRA ATTENDS VIRTUAL ESSENTIALLY ELLINGTON FESTIVAL While they didn’t get to go to New York as originally planned, the Carroll Jazz Orchestra was one of the 18 high school jazz programs that experienced the 25th annual Essentially Ellington High School Jazz Band Festival online. After originally qualifying in February, these Dragons streamed the festival’s masterclasses, experienced one-on-one lessons with professionals, watched Q&As and enjoyed solo performances from June 8 to 12. “They worked really hard to make that happen,” Carroll Director of Jazz Bands David Lown says. “It’s really amazing what they’ve done, still having the jam sessions in a virtual setting.”

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ATHLETICS CONGRATULATIONS TO THESE ATHLETES! GOLF Daniel Fuller, New York University Kevin Yang, McLennan Community College CROSS COUNTRY/TRACK Tim McElaney, Texas A&M University Katherine McElaney, Texas A&M University SOCCER Olivia Hein, Northern Arizona University Robbie Pino, University of Chicago Eric Jorgensen, Southwestern University Kyle Reynolds, University of Dallas BASEBALL Jack Nielsen, Furman University Thomas Wrehe, Panola College Paul Bonzagni, Weatherford Community College

STUDENTS CELEBRATE NEXT STEPS WITH VIRTUAL SIGNING DAYS Throughout the year, Carroll Senior High School and the Carroll ISD Athletic Department honor Dragon student athletes who commit to continue their athletic careers at the collegiate level. This year, more than 55 Dragon student athletes went on to participate in college athletics on scholarship. Many of these Carroll seniors were recognized at in-person celebrations, either in November or February. However, several others were not able to be recognized due to COVID19. With a little creativity and a whole lot of family support, the families hosted virtual signing days to mark the milestone.

“While there is the disappointment that we were unable to recognize these student-athletes in person for their accomplishments both on and off the field, these outstanding Dragons are going to go on to do great things at the next level and represent Carroll ISD well in all that they do,” Carroll ISD’s Executive Director of Athletics Steve Keasler says.

CARROLL LEFT LEADING IN UIL LONE STAR CUP STANDINGS The University Interscholastic League Lone Star Cup is awarded annually to six high schools, one in each UIL classification (1A, 2A, 3A, 4A, 5A and 6A), based on their team performance in district and state championships for both academic and athletic competitions. Winning schools receive the UIL Lone Star Cup trophy and a $1,000 scholarship.

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, Carroll ISD was leading the 2019-2020 UIL Lone Star Cup standings with 43 points. These standings were based on performances by team tennis, cross country, marching band, volleyball, robotics and football. Schools behind

Carroll making up the top three included Conroe The Woodlands and Lewisville Flower Mound.

Carroll ISD has a rich history with this honor, dating back to the district bringing home the 4A Lone Star Cup for its 2000-2001 win. The Dragons have won the Lone Star Cup seven times, including last year when they edged out Austin Westlake High School by just 11 points.

“Unfortunately, we didn’t get to see the final standings for this year’s UIL Lone Star Cup due to the closures and cancellations of many of our spring sports,” Executive Director of Athletics Steve Keasler says. “I am confident that we would have been right there in the running to bring home Carroll ISD’s eighth cup, and that is all because of our outstanding students, coaches and club sponsors across the district.”

UIL has announced it will not award the 2019-2020 Lone Star Cup due to COVID-19’s cancellations. Carroll could have conceivably earned more points had boys and girls soccer, baseball and softball season accomplishments been added to the point standings.

While the spring sports were certainly disappointed that the COVID-19 pandemic interrupted their seasons and asterisks will likely denote 2020 in all the record books, Carroll can at least take solace that the district was proudly sitting on top when the race for the UIL Lone Star Cup was abruptly halted.

CROSS COUNTRY TEAMS SWEEP STATE MEET Riding a wave of momentum, perseverance, exceptional dedication and hard work, the Carroll Dragons Boys and Girls Cross Country teams swept the 6A titles at the Texas State Championship meet in Round Rock last November.

“It’s really hard to express in words how proud of our kids we are. Our runners set a goal last year to win INSIDE CARROLL • 87

ATHLETICS

the state meet this season and they worked extremely hard to achieve it,” Leonard says. “It was a total team effort by everyone in our program. Our kids were at their best when it mattered the most, and I’m just so thankful that I got to be a part of their journey.”

For the boys team, this win was long-awaited redemption after several years of near misses. The Dragons have finished just short of the top spot for the past three years, finishing second in 2016, 2017 and 2018. This time, the Dragons compiled 80 points, followed by Conroe The Woodlands and Lewisville Flower Mound to round out the top three.

Solomon Chavez came in 6th place overall at the meet; following him in scoring for the Dragons was Antonio Florcruz in 14th place, with Tim McElaney right behind him in 15th place. Joe Gardner was next to cross the line for the Dragons in 20th place, and Michael McCabe rounded out the Dragons’ scoring in 25th place. Nate Lannen (36th) and Brett Gilley (51st) also competed for the team.

The Lady Dragons won handily. This championship was the team’s first state title since the 2014 season.

The squad scored 45 points, followed by Humble Kingwood and Prosper for the top three spots.

Jenna Holland paced the team, finishing 5th overall.

Following her in scoring was Katherine McElaney in 7th place, Grace Williamson in 10th place, Tatum Foreman in 11th place and Abigail McIlvain in 12th place.

Also competing for the team was Lydia Lo (17th place) and Kaylie Cox (28th place).

88 • INSIDE CARROLL

SISTERS TAKE TO THE MAT When relocating from Sweden to the Metroplex two years ago, the Berg family had a few non-negotiables for their new home. Obviously, they wanted to find a district with high academic standards, but equally important was finding a school that the three sisters, junior Hannah, sophomore Hedda and 7th-grader Hilda Berg could compete in wrestling.

After touring other districts in the area, the Berg family visited Carroll High School, where they had the chance to meet with Dragon Wrestling Head Coach Joe Hathaway and get an inside look at the Dragon Wrestling program.

“Yes, our parents wanted us to go to a school that would be great for us academically, but we really wanted to go somewhere we could compete and continue to grow as wrestlers,” sophomore Hilda Berg says. “We toured quite a few different schools, but after seeing the facilities and meeting Coach Hathaway, it just felt like Carroll was a perfect fit for all three of us.”

For Hathaway, it did not take long to realize that these sisters brought something special to the mat.

“I had the opportunity to meet them on their tour and I was excited at the possibility of working with a family who valued both academics and wrestling,” says Hathaway. “Once they got on the mat, it was obvious this was going to be a great experience. They are three of the hardest workers in the room, and that is something every coach hopes for with their athletes.”

ATHLETICS Hannah and Hedda both competed on the Dragon Varsity Wrestling team . D uring H edda’s freshman season on the squad, she was an alternate on the state wrestling team. During her sophomore year, she was one win from placing in the state meet. Hannah’s junior year was shortened by injur y, but she was preparing for a very successful season prior to the setback.

Rachel Mahlow, Lady Dragon Wrestling Coach, has learned a lot from watching the girls face and conquer various hurdles in their way.

“All three of them have faced different challenges in their careers. Hannah has probably had it the hardest with her injuries,” Mahlow says. “Even through all that, I just sit back and watch as they all keep fighting, growing and learning. They are determined to get better every day.”

Hilda, as a 7th-grader, was a member of the middle school wrestling team. Her favorite part of wrestling is the fact that it is just as much of a mental competition as it is a physical match.

“I love to work out until I am dead tired both physically and mentally,” Hilda says. “With wrestling, you have to think, you have to be ahead of your opponent and that is tough work. I love it.”

Hours of mental and physical training all accumulate when a wrestler hits the mat. Stepping onto the mat as an individual and successfully completing the game plan for the match is an exhilarating feeling for all three of the Bergs.

“The team works together in practice to build each other’s skills, but we take the mat alone. It is up to me when I step on the mat. There is nowhere to really hide once the match starts,” Hannah says. “When your hand is raised at the end of a match, and you know your hard work has paid off...that is the best feeling in the world.”

The Berg sisters competed with Dragon Wrestling for the past two years. Recently their family relocated back to Sweden, but Coach Mahlow sees her time with these athletes as a blessing.

“It has been an amazing two-year journey with these girls,” Mahlow says. “A journey that has been a ton of fun and has made me a better coach.”

SOPHOMORE QB NAMED COUNTRY’S TOP RECRUIT FOR CLASS OF 2022 Sophomore Dragon F o o t b a l l p l aye r Q u i n n Ewers’ first year as the starting quarterback certainly boosted his stock, not only locally but also on the national high school football scene. According to Ewers and those closest to him, the young quarterback is handling the new spotlight like a veteran, and his goals for Dragon Football haven’t waivered.

Before he even took his first varsity snap, Ewers wa s a lre a dy a to pic of conversation in the high school football world. A popular tweet from Ewer’s personal account in 2018, showcasing him throwing a 73-yard pass at Dragon Stadium, was shared across the Twitter platform over 200 times. Former Dragon and current NFL quarterback Chase Daniel got in on the excitement and retweeted the video of the impressive throw.

Fast forward one year: Ewers suited up and started as a sophomore for Dragon Football. In his first season under center, Ewers threw for over 4,000 yards and 45 touchdowns. He added five more touchdowns and over 560 yards on the ground, as well. The Dragons completed their second consecutive undefeated regular season, ultimately falling to state runner-up Duncanville in the state quarterfinals, ending the year with a 13-1 overall record.

Coming off his first season leading the Dragons, the postseason awards and recognitions started piling up for Ewers and his teammates. Ewers earned District 5-6A MVP and MaxPreps National Sophomore Football Player of the Year. In early April, “ESPN” named Ewers the top recruit in the country for the class of 2022.

Ever since moving to Southlake in 3rd grade, Ewers and his family have been ingrained in “Dragon Nation.”

Kristin Ewers, Quinn’s mother and a teacher at Rockenbaugh Elementary School, loved moving to a place where everyone is a Dragon and was very excited for her son to be involved in a community that supports one another.

“One of the biggest things for us really was that everybody here is a Dragon,” Kristin says. “I know it’s a bit cliche and everyone talks about that, but for INSIDE CARROLL • 89

ATHLETICS Quinn to become a Dragon from day one on the field as a 7 or 8-year-old was special. As a mom, it’s a cool thing to see your kid be not only a part of a team, but something bigger community-wide.”

The quarterback position for the Carroll Dragons has quite a bit of history behind it. Former Dragon quarterback and current head coach Riley Dodge has played a crucial role in Quinn’s growth both on the field and in the spotlight.

“I can’t say enough good about the Dodge Family,” Kristin says. “Friday nights are a family event, and that’s important to me because that is the type of man — a family man — I want my child to be mentored by. Let’s be real, he spends more time with coach Dodge in the fall than he does with us, and I greatly appreciate the leadership that coach Dodge displays and teaches Quinn.”

When the Ewers family moved to Southlake, Quinn’s father Curtis wanted to get his son involved in Dragon Youth Football (DYF) and other sports.

On these teams, he met some of the players that he would share a locker room with throughout his time in Carroll ISD. “When we got here, I asked Kristin to keep an eye on the kids playing football at recess so we could find some kids for the DYF team,” Curtis says. “Some of those guys from that first team just graduated in 2020 and have been a major part in helping prepare Quinn to become the player and the kid he is today. The bond between teammates is an important one, and I am excited to see how these relationships Quinn has built continue in the future. I think they will stay in touch and continue to support each other.”

Curtis is pleased with Quinn’s response to the spotlight and applauds the way his son has handled his work in the classroom, on the field and everything encompassed within the recruiting process.

“We are watching just like everyone else, and I am pretty surprised that he isn’t getting overwhelmed with the process,” Curtis says. “As parents, we just want to help if he hits roadblocks or gets stressed, but he is handling this process extremely well. He has coach Dodge in his corner, and I am very thankful for that.”

According to the college recruiting site 247Sports. com, Ewers currently has roughly 30 offers from NCAA Division 1 college programs. Ewers committed to join The University of Texas at Austin football program before the start of the 2020-2021 season, which was delayed by the UIL due to the COVID-19 outbreak. The spotlight could easily be a distraction, but Ewers is focused on one thing, and one thing only.

“It is great to be getting recognition and the scholarship offers, but my personal goal and our team’s goal is to bring a state championship back to Southlake, plain and simple,” Ewers says.

90 • INSIDE CARROLL

RILEY DODGE RECEIVES 2019 LANDRY AWARD Dragon Football coach Riley Dodge was named the 2019 Landry Award Coach of the Year. The Landry Award winner exemplifies the values that defined former Dallas Cowboys Coach Tom Landry both on and off the field. A coach’s job is first about teaching life skills and molding young lives. Coaches shape young people into the leaders of tomorrow.

Sophomore quarterback Quinn Ewers thinks coach Dodge is the perfect recipient of this prestigious recognition.

“Having him as not only a head coach but also my quarterback coach has made a huge difference for me,” Ewers says. “He understands the position and can help me be in the right place at the right time.

Being coached by coach Dodge has been a blessing, and he has shaped who I am both on and off the field.”

The other finalists for the Landry Award included Carlos Lynn from Cedar Hill High School, Michael Odle from Lewisville High School, Marty Secord from Frisco Wakeland High School and Bob Wager from Arlington Martin High School.

The Dragons finished their second season under Coach Dodge with an overall record of 13-1. Carroll was eliminated from the playoffs after a tough game against eventual state runner-up Duncanville. Since taking over the program, the Dragons are 26-2 under Coach Dodge.

ATHLETICS While Carroll Athletic Director Steve Keasler is pleased with the outcome on the field, he is more impressed with the way coach Dodge leads his players.

“Having a successful program on the field is important, but we are in the business of getting kids ready for the real world,” Keasler says. “Coach Dodge and his program are about family, faith and football; they spend just as much time working on teaching and preparation for the competition as he does building character, resiliency and toughness with his players.

He is setting them up for success both on the field, in the classroom and in the future.”

DRAGON SENIORS DUBBED ARMY ALL-AMERICANS In front of a crowd featuring their families, coaches and teammates, Carroll seniors R.J. Mickens and Andrej Karic were announced by “NBC Sports” as members of the Army All-American team. These two joined 100 other top high school football players in San Antonio on January 4 in the biggest high school football all-star game in the country.

Mickens, who signed to play with Clemson in the fall, was a member of the Dragon varsity squad since his freshman year. Mickens was named the District 5-6A Utility Player of the Year as a junior in 2018. He also was named AP Class 6A second-team All-State selection as a sophomore and was a first-team AllDistrict selection as a freshman.

“It’s a huge honor and just proof that the hard work is starting to pay off,” Mickens says. “It’s crazy to think that I will be playing in the same game as some of the greats like Odell Beckham Jr. or Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence.”

Karic has been a multi-year starter and anchor for the very impressive Dragon offensive line. In 2018, Karic was named first-team All-District and was highly recruited by teams ranging from Baylor to Oregon.

But he knew after his first trip to Austin that he had found his new home at the University of Texas.

“Man, UT… I just love everything about it, I fell in love after my first visit,” Karic says. “Being named to play in this game on a national stage, and getting to wear the burnt orange, I couldn’t be more excited.”

Carroll ISD’s Executive Director of Athletics Steve

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ATHLETICS Keasler realizes how big of a deal it is for the Dragons to have two players take part in this showcase.

“There aren’t a ton of high school players chosen for this game, and for us to have two is just another example of the great things going on in our athletic programs and our classrooms,” Keasler says. “I am just so happy for these student-athletes, their families and everyone involved in this program.”

After the event wrapped up, both athletes’ family and friends had the opportunity to take photos and congratulate these two outstanding young men.

“It shouldn’t go without notice that the cafeteria was packed for this event with R.J. and Andrej’s friends, families and, most importantly, their teammates. This program understands the importance of teammates,” Keasler says.

LADY DRAGON SWIM/DIVE EARN SECOND STRAIGHT TITLE; BOYS FINISH FOURTH Dragon Swimmers and divers continued the tradition of competing in the UIL State Championships. Out of the 48 girl’s teams that scored points in the state meet, the Lady Dragons outpaced them all, clinching their second consecutive UIL 6A State Championship.

The team scored 284 points on the weekend, almost 50 points more than the second-place finisher Kingwood High School.

The Lady Dragons earned four gold medals in individual events, including senior Kit Kat Zenick who took first in the 50-meter freestyle and the 100-meter freestyle events. Corbyn Cormack finished atop the podium in the 200-meter individual medley, and Hailey Hernandez took first place over teammate Bridget O’Neil on the diving platform.

The Lady Dragons also won two of three relay

92 • INSIDE CARROLL

NISCA ALL-AMERICAN: SWIMMERS Kit Kat Zenick Riley Francis Ashley Zettle Hailey Heldenbrand Corbyn Cormack Kate Heintz Madelyn Clem Ryan Perham Michael Kietzman Andrew Zettle Mason Edmund Nicholas Swafford

NISCA ALL-AMERICAN: DIVERS Bridget O’Neil Hailey Hernandez Allison Ward Jackson Miller Phillip Kleiman races including the 200-meter Medley Relay, which featured Hernandez, Cormack, Zenick and Madelyn Clem, and the 400-meter Freestyle Relay, featuring Zenick, Riley Francis, Ashley Zettle and Kate Heintz.

Altogether, seven Lady Dragon swimmers and two Lady Dragon divers earned National Interscholastic Swimming Coaches Association (NISCA) High School All-American honors this year, with all three relay teams identified as All-Americans and 10 individual All-American listings.

With a late surge in the pool, the Dragon boys vaulted themselves from seventh overall to fourth with 140 total points. Ryan Perham finished second in the 100-meter fly event with a personal best time of 48.45 seconds and third overall in the 50-meter freestyle with another personal best time of 20.41 seconds. Five Dragon swimmers and two Dragon divers were named NISCA High School All-Americans this year. Joining those individuals were two All-American relay teams and six individual All-American listings.

COMMUNITY CARROLL ISD PERSONNEL ON FRONT LINES OF COVID-19 While 100% of students and teachers adjusted to online learning during COVID-19 school closures, Carroll ISD had many faithful employees serving on the front lines of the district's needs. The Carroll ISD Facilities, Child Nutrition and Technology Departments worked tirelessly during closures to ensure students were fed, had the technology resources and assistance they needed and their campuses and facilities were sanitized and ready for their safe return.

The facilities services personnel continued to work daily during the closure to maintain CISD campus grounds in a ready-state condition, and the custodians and maintenance personnel continued to maintain best practices of infection control with EPA-registered disinfectants for the use of cleaning and disinfecting the buildings. These essential employees supported the upkeep of the campuses, grounds and critical equipment.

“Even with all their hard work and dedication, they look forward to our students returning to the classroom,” says Director of Facilities Bob Carabajal. “Our employees prepared campuses with the challenge of ensuring safeguards to be in place for our students, staff and community as we await to open our doors for the smiling faces of our students.”

The Child Nutrition Department faced the challenge of preparing and delivering food to families who qualified for free and reduced lunch services, all while maintaining safe protocols in the kitchen and social distancing with coworkers and Carroll families.

“Cafeteria service looked nothing like it did during the school year!” Director of Child Nutrition Susan Wilson says. “We had to create a plan that took into account the safety of the staff and families during preparation and distribution of the meals.”

The Child Nutrition Department prepared multiple days’ worth of meals for each qualifying student, and the transportation staff delivered directly to those students’ homes using a contactless method.

“We are so thankful for our transportation team who stepped up in a big way to make this happen,” says Wilson. “They had to become food handler certified to join our emergency feeding team, and they, along with our food service staff, have been so faithful and resilient during this time.”

The Technology Department had to see how to best support students and families during online learning. The team quickly deployed devices to K-4 students who did not have them at home and set up new over-the-phone tech support for families in the early stages of online learning.

“The technicians were very creative in finding ways to continue to support students that needed help,” Executive Director of Technology Randy Stuart says.

“They cut a hole in an old Promethean board and put in plexiglass to provide a barrier while leaving a slot open to pass devices back and forth.”

The first week of online learning, the technology department received over 1,000 requests for assistance, and the technicians continued to come into the office every day to meet with parents and students to offer technical support, all within their new safe and socially distant support setup.

Online learning certainly took a team effort from numerous areas and departments within the district, and these incredible men and women from the Technology, Facilities and Child Nutrition departments led by example with selfless service.

CES COUNSELOR AND RESILIENCY COMMITTEE MEMBER PUBLISHES FIRST CHILDREN’S BOOK Former Carroll Elementary School Counselor Katrina Hunt released her first children’s book “Penelope Embraces Her Uniqueness” a story about a young girl who struggles with low self-esteem, last November.

“I want children everywhere to walk away knowing they are special,” says Hunt. “Each one of us has something that only we can give to the rest of the world, and it’s so important that we find out what that is and shine brightly.”

What began as a writing piece about motherhood in journal form quickly transformed into a manuscript and then featured illustrations, which was Hunt’s favorite part about the process.

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COMMUNITY “As I watched my daughter learn and grow, I wanted to encourage her along life’s journey,” says Hunt. “It was so amazing to see my book come to life and see the final product.”

Hunt plans to continue writing books that will hopefully have a social and emotional connection for everyone, especially children. Hunt has not only been the counselor at Carroll Elementary School but also served on the district’s Resiliency Committee, a group of staff members and students from every Carroll ISD campus who meet regularly to discuss mental health and wellness, current CISD programs and ways the district can support and encourage resilience in all students.

“Dreams do not get accomplished when you are fearful,” said Hunt. “The book is a wonderful example of what resiliency is all about, rising above our struggles and figuring out our place in the world.”

Although Hunt resigned her position in Carroll ISD this summer due to a family relocation, the impact she had during her time as a Dragon and a first-time author will continue to impact young CISD readers.

DRAGONS PRODUCE DIY MEDICAL MASKS FOR LOCAL FACILITIES Members of the Dragon community stepped up during the COVID-19 outbreak. Two Dragon staff members used their talents outside of the classroom to help fill a huge need in the medical world: Carroll Middle School nurse Susan Bonczyk and Eubanks Intermediate music teacher Megan Von Dreau created masks for local medical workers. These DIY masks were not a full substitute for the recommended N95 Mask, but they allowed for medical officials to use the N95 in the crucial situations where they were most needed.

HOPE SQUADS CONTINUE EFFORTS DESPITE AT-HOME LEARNING DURING SPRING SEMESTER As the Carroll ISD Hope Squads prepare for their third year on secondary school campuses, they are looking back at what they have been able to accomplish since their founding. With a goal to equip students and parents with the skills to have important conversations about mental health and suicide, CISD Coordinator of Counselors Tammy Pulse knows the work these groups are doing makes a difference.

“Our high school members are actually saving lives of students on each campus,” Pulse says. “I truly believe adding Hope Squads to our four secondary campuses has been the best suicide prevention/peer support program implementation ever.”

More than 700 schools across the U.S. and Canada have started Hope Squads on their campuses.

These student peer groups help reduce youth suicide 94 • INSIDE CARROLL

through education, training and peer intervention.

Members strive to create a safe school environment, support anti-bullying messages, encourage mental wellness, reduce mental health stigma and prevent substance misuse. The overall goal of the program, however, is to ultimately reduce teen suicide attempts.

In Carroll, Hope Squads may have up to 40 members on every middle and high school campus, with 10 boys and 10 girls per grade level. The committee members were nominated by fellow students based on their trustworthiness and approachability. And even though many spent the spring semester adjusting to at-home learning, these students kept up with their Hope Squad responsibilities to ensure their classmates had someone to talk to.

PUGSLEY THE THERAPY DOG, REPORTING FOR DUTY In Carroll ISD, everyone is a Dragon. But Carroll High School students have a close second place for their campus mascot: Pugsley the Therapy Dog. Pugsley belongs to ACE Alternative Curriculum Education (ACE) Teacher Kathi Orfield, who got Pugsley when he was four months old. After talking with a student and researching, Orfield started the process of getting a pug, a breed known to work well with children.

“Researchers think it has something to do with their imperfectness,” says Orfield. “Their wonkiness puts children at ease.”

The three-year-old pup passed his Canine Good Citizenship test at 13 months old and became a certified Therapy Dog with Alliance of Therapy Dogs in October 2018. Pugsley goes to school with Orfield every day, greeting students every morning and during passing periods. When it comes to Pugsley’s therapy duties, Orfield says, “Pugsley is there for each and every student, because therapy means different things to different people.”

Pugsley walks with students during physical therapy and sits with students at lunch and in class.

“Pugsley has an innate ability to sense what each person needs, whether it’s a wiggly tail and some prancing around for the girls who want to love on him or a little rough housing for the boys, he knows what to do,” says Orfield.

He is a friend to all at CHS and a joy to have on campus, but even more than that, he offers a unique therapy opportunity to students and even staff, helping

COMMUNITY all Dragons have a fuller experience on campus if they need a little extra love from Pugsley.

“We feel so blessed to be at CHS where Pugsley is loved and appreciated for all he does,” Orfield says.

“Having a Therapy Dog at school is a really wonderful thing. I wish that every school had a Pugsley, that would be an amazing gift.”

TRANSITION PROGRAM YOUNG ADULTS EARN VOLUNTEER AWARD Volunteering is an integral part of the Carroll ISD Transition Program. In February, the program’s young adults were recognized by GRACE with the Volunteer Group of the Year Award for their commitment to GRACE through the hours they commit to the GRACE Donation Station on a weekly basis.

The community-based program makes up one half of the Carroll ISD Transition Program, and the motto for these young adults is “expanding your possibilities.” They certainly do just that during their weekly visits to GRACE, assisting in hanging up clothes to be priced and sent to the retail store, GRACEful Buys. The young adults generally volunteer every Wednesday for an hour and a half, helping sort and organize donations, all while listening to their favorite tunes on their portable speaker.

“The GRACE staff always knew they could depend on our group to get a large number of clothes hung each Wednesday morning,” says Transition Teacher Monica Poucket. “We took pride in the work we did!”

Even though they were honored for their work volunteering specifically with GRACE, the young adults in the Transition Program do quite a bit of work-based learning in the community, all focusing on adult daily/ independent living, functional academics, vocation and social/communication skills. The Transition Center, located in the CISD Administration Building, is the young adults’ home base throughout the week, where they feed and take care of the program’s pet guinea pigs Sugar and Spice, prepare their own lunches and operate the administration building vending machine and the Dragon Wagon snack cart, a fan-favorite for CISD staff.

Thursdays are Dragon Wagon days in the administration building, when the young adults roam the halls with their snack cart, singing along to the songs from their portable speaker and selling snacks and drinks from office to office. It is a high point of the week, both for the young adults and the administration building employees.

“It warms my heart that our young adults now have

relationships with just about everyone in the building,” says Transition Aide Andrea Cole. “I love hearing the conversations the employees and young adults have week to week.’’ There are so many skill sets to learn while selling snacks and drinks, and every time the young adults go out to sell, they are utilizing those skills and getting better.

Both in the administration building and the community, there are multiple opportunities for the young adults to learn valuable life and social skills. Each of the volunteer sites has a great sense of appreciation for the young adults and the work they do, whether they’re hanging clothes or sorting hangers, playing bingo with elderly people, caring for horses, loving on cats or shelving DVDs. “The various activities the young adults participate in help them grow individually to become more independent and successful,” says Poucket. “Watching their individual growth is truly rewarding.”

As much as the young adults love their volunteer work and involvement in the administration building, no activity holds as special of a place in their heart as their work with animals. Volunteering at Classy Cats and Ride with Pride are certainly favorites for the young adults. At Classy Cats, they play with the cats and kittens waiting to be adopted, and at Ride with Pride, the young adults are tasked with checking the chicken coops for eggs, cleaning stalls and feeding the horses treats.

“I love to see our young adults blossom in making choices for themselves, feeling confident and having a sense of success in the various things we do,” says Cole.

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