Crusader, The Official Magazine of Crandall ISD, Winter 2022

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Dr. Wendy Eldredge

Growth summarizes almost every aspect of our CISD. In just over one year, we have gone from enrolling our record-setting 5,000th student at Martin Elementary, to enrolling our recordsetting 6,000th student at Crandall Middle School. And these Pirates are coming to us from all over the world.

Africa, Brazil, Canada, Germany—our student body represents all walks of life. The origins of our 1,200 newest Pirates span the globe, coming to us from:

• 7 Countries

• 23 States

• 97 Texas School Districts

• 23 Private/Charter Schools

• 8 Home Schools

And as you thumb through the pages of this second edition of our Crusader magazine, you will see how our student growth is blending into other district areas. Construction is underway on Elementary School 6 in Heartland, just north of our new Crandall Middle School. Planning and community feedback will begin after Winter Break for designing the Performing Arts Center, approved in last May’s bond election. Phase 2 of Crandall High School’s expansion, also approved through the bond, will soon commence, adding space for more than 600 students.

You will also see how our growth is affording us the chance to develop new partnerships, like those with Alphabest—for extended-day programming for students in grades PreK-6—along with advertisements from local business partners who help support CISD.

And you will see the safety measures put in place throughout the past three years with the additions of our CISD Police Department and CISD Emergency Operations.

These are exciting times in our district. We are in a unique position to help shape our future, which is a spot that many communities would long to have. Let’s charge forward—together—doing all we can for our students, staff and community.

Pirates forever, Dr. Wendy Eldredge Superintendent

Growth. Is there a word that better describes our district and community?

BOARD OF TRUSTEES

School board members, elected from and representing their local communities, are entrusted with the responsibility of policy making and promoting educational excellence for their local school district. In Texas, school board members receive no compensation except the satisfaction derived from rendering an important public service.

School Board meetings are held the second Monday of each month in the L.R. Raynes Education Center, 400 W. Lewis Street. Postings of all Board meetings and agendas are located at the CISD Administration Building.

by Ethnicity

AFTER SCHOOL IS WHERE ADVENTURE BEGINS!

AlphaBEST gives your kids more than a safe space to do their homework. We engage their minds and expand their horizons.

AlphaBEST proudly partners with Crandall ISD to provide quality, engaging after school programs at Dietz, Martin, Noble-Reed, Walker, and Wilson Elementary Schools.

To ensure that cost is never a barrier to families who need our services, we partner with Childcare Management Services. To see if you qualify, please visit https://www.dfwjobs.com.

For assistance with applying qualified subsidies to our tuition, please reach out to subsidy@alphabest.org.

Visit alphabest.org/crandalltx or scan the QR code to learn more

Heroes in the district

Officer Chase Dunlap protects and serves our community both on and off duty. He is loved by all the students at Crandall High School, and rightfully so. As an Officer, the call of duty doesn’t stop when he leaves the halls of CHS. Officer Dunlap showed his compassion and courage by responding to a neighbor in need.

Officer Dunlap was on his way home from the gym when he noticed black smoke billowing from his elderly neighbor’s house, Ms. Jerry. ”I knew Ms. Jerry was an elderly woman who lived alone and used a cane to get around.” said Officer Dunlap. My priority was to see if she was still in the house.”

Officer Dunlap described his first moments on the scene. He explained that when he approached her front door, he said he saw that it was open and thought maybe she had escaped safely. However, he quickly noticed that she was nowhere in sight. Officer Dunlap moved toward

the house’s entryway and noticed the residence was filled with black smoke so thick he could only see a few feet into the house. Then he screamed for Ms. Jerry several times, with no response.

Finally, Officer Dunlap saw Ms. Jerry, caked in soot, who appeared from the black smoke in the house, where he quickly scooped her up and carried her to safety.

“I’m still haunted by the thought of what could have happened to Ms. Jerry,” said Dunlap, “but at that moment, I had no time to think; I knew there was only a short time to get her out safely.”

Dunlap stayed with Ms. Jerry until the emergency vehicles arrived and her family could pick her up. Ms. Jerry is safe and living with family until her house is repaired from the smoke damage. Officer Dunlap is such a great example of a humble, caring Officer. He quickly recounted all the kindness and generosity Ms. Jerry has consistently shown his family. Officer Dunlap did what few would have the courage to do. Due to his selfless actions, Ms. Jerry is alive and safe. Crandall ISD is so thankful to have Officer Dunlap onboard. Thank you for all you do for our community and schools.

Crandall ISD is so thankful to have Officer Dunlap onboard. Thank you for all you do for our community and schools.

BOND 2022 Crandall ISD

UPDATE

In May 2022, Crandall ISD voters approved Proposition A, which included $345 million for multiple projects across the district, as well as Proposition C, $20 million for a new Performing Arts Center. One new construction project in the package has been started and two are in the planning stages.

Phase II of the high school is scheduled to be completed towards the end of 2024 and the Performance Arts Center (PAC) is planned to open its doors for the 2025-26 school year and both will be located at the existing high school. The bond also includes renovations and updates at various

Crandall High

School

| Phase II

Based on demographic projections, Crandall ISD’s maximum capacity at the current high school campus will be exceeded by the 2025-2026 school year. The former middle school was transformed into a freshman center in order to provide the needed capacity for the high school. When the project is completed; the high school is not projected to reach maximum capacity until 2029-2030 school year. It will house 600+ students and provide a storm shelter for 4,000 occupants. The cafeteria renovation and bus loop that are part of this project will also accommodate the increased capacity of the school.

Performance Arts Center

A performance arts center will serve as a functional space with the specific goal of encouraging fine arts and providing usage for theater, art galleries, musical performances and educational space. This facility will be available for all of our students.

SCOPE OF WORK:

campuses as well as land acquisition so we continue expanding to provide the space we need for our Pirates. A large focus will be on Security and Technology Upgrades to ensure we continue providing the safest environment for our students and staff.

Architect: WRA Architects Construction: Gallagher Construction Location: 13385 FM3039 (Existing HS campus) Cost: $29,800,000

Tentative Project Schedule: Completed: Winter 2024 Grades Served: 9th-12th

SCOPE OF WORK:

Architect: DLR Group Construction: Gallagher Construction Location: 13385 FM3039 (Existing HS campus) Cost: $20,000,000

Tentative Project Schedule: Completed: Summer 2025 Grades Served: PreK-12th

Elementary School #6

Crandall Elementary School #6 will be located in the Heartland development on the south side of Interstate 20. This facility will feature a cafeteria, gymnasium, and media center on the north side of the building, and a 2-story academic wing occupying the south. The 98,000-square-foot facility will hold 850 students. Playfields will be located at the northwestern portion of the site, with playgrounds in between the academic and cafeteria wings.

This facility is scheduled to open in 2023 with Gallagher Construction Services

Ryder Burford

Ryder Burford, a 16-year-old Combine resident who is a junior at Crandall High School, is a very successful BMX bike rider.

Burford won the prestigious 2022 USA BMX South Central Gold Cup title earlier this year.

Also, according to his father, Rusty Burford, Ryder is currently ranked number one in the state of Texas for his 16 expert age group class. He has been ranked number one in his district for the last two years. In 2021, he was named Desoto BMX Rider of the Year.

Since beginning his racing career at the age of five, Ryder has won many local, state, and regional races. To learn more, watch Ryder in his recent interview by scanning the QR code.

CISD has officially hit our 6,000th student on October 17! Her name is Daila SandovalHernandez, a new 8th grader at Crandall Middle School.

Student 6,000th

Take a look at some interesting facts below for CISD's growth from this school year:

• Current enrollment: 6,004 (as of October 17)

• Increase of 272 since day 2 of the 2022-23 school year

1,163 new enrollees for the 2022-23 school year

Addition of 311 new students since the last day of the 2021-22 school year

Snapshot Day 2021-22 school year: 5,453 (+559)

The Crandall ISD Education Foundation partners with the community to provide and navigate resources for innovative teaching grants and student scholarships to benefit all students and educators of Crandall ISD.

Every year the foundation hosts a golf tournament at The Rusted Rail. This year, around $15,000 was raised and will be distributed among the teachers of Crandall ISD through classroom grants.

• Interested in donating or becoming a board member?

• Contact Nicole Tudor at EducationFoundation@ crandall-isd.net

Check out our new website

PIRATEs OF THE MONTH

AUGUST 2022

• Dietz Elementary: Chrissy Sigler

• Martin Elementary: Ranette Moreland

• Noble-Reed Elementary: Alexis Burnett

• Walker Elementary: Ashley Weld

• Wilson Elementary: Tammy Fairchild

• Crandall Middle School: Megan Richards

• Crandall High School: Jennifer Yeary

• Freshman Center: Shana Thompson

• DAEP: Vickie Merciers

• Central Office: Maria Gonzalez

• Maintenance: Chance Dunman

• Transportation: Stephanie Boyett

SEPTEMBER 2022

• Dietz Elementary: John Donnelly

• Martin Elementary: Zenobia Peters

• Noble-Reed Elementary: Katy Thompson

• Walker Elementary: Tomeka Thomas

• Wilson Elementary: Kacey Schneider

• Crandall Middle School: Lauren Hall

• Crandall High School: Lynsey Ingram

• Freshman Center: Christie Derzapf

• DAEP: LaTonya Walker

• Central Office: Alyssa Richardson

• Maintenance: David Middleton

• Transportation: Jacob Humphries

OCTOBER 2022

• Dietz Elementary: Rachel Mask

• Martin Elementary: Lesha Fair

• Noble-Reed Elementary: Shenise Tett

• Walker Elementary: Randi Woodham

• Wilson Elementary: Cassidy Patterson

• Crandall Middle School: Kendra Wallace

• Crandall High School: Misty Hardcastle

• Freshman Center: Ruth Navarro

• DAEP: Rita Claxton

• Central Office: Officer Chase Dunlap

• Maintenance: John Hooper

• Transportation: Sophia Cano

B U Y I N G O R S E L L I N G A H O M E ?

B u y i n g o r s e l l i n g a h o m e c a n b e a s t r e s s f u l p r o c e s s i f y o u d o n ' t h a v e t h e r i g h t r e a l e s t a t e t e a m . O u r m i s s i o n i s t o p r o v i d e E X C E L L E N T & C O N S I S T E N T c u s t o m e r s e r v i c e e x p e r i e n c e 1 0 0 % o f t h e t i m e . T o b a s e e v e r y d e c i s i o n o n w h a t ' s b e s t f o r o u r c l i e n t s , H a r r i s R e a l t y G r o u p a s a w h o l e , a n d t h e n i n d i v i d u a l t e a m m e m b e r s .

I S H E R E F O R Y O U !

KICKS OFF CONVOCATION AT NEW CRANDALL MIDDLE SCHOOL

On August 9, all 800 employees gathered together for a one-day districtwide event to hear from the superintendent, Dr. Wendy Eldredge, and CISD Board President, Rick Harrell. Leaders gave shout-outs for all of the incredible work being done by teams across the district.

The event helped prepare for the 2022-23 school year and the district awarded every employee with a $300 bonus. To top it off, the event was held in our newly opened Crandall Middle School–teachers and staff were able to take self-guided tours to admire the state-of-the-art facility!

Crandall

Middle School

Located in the fastest-growing county in the nation, Crandall ISD has also become one of the fastest-growing independent school districts in Texas. In the next four years, Crandall ISD is expected to grow to over 7,700 students. To accommodate this influx of new students, our school system must add new campuses and facilities.

In August 2022, Crandall ISD opened the doors to a

brand new stvate-of-the-art Crandall Middle School. The community was invited to attend an open house on Saturday, August 13 where students, parents, grandparents, teachers, staff, and business and community leaders from across Crandall ISD were able to walk through the new building before the start of the 2022-23 school year.

As CISD continues to grow, our goal is to provide our district with the direction and insight needed to smartly manage our growth to keep our schools from becoming overcrowded.

You IN CASE MISSED IT

At Crandall Middle School, students participating in outdoor education class learn how to cook cinnamon rolls in a Dutch Oven. Coach Lueke explained how this type of cooking is perfect for cooking over or in a campfire. Students had hands-on experience!

Crandall

Special

“Super

CISD celebrated Hispanic Heritage Month on September 15-October 15. The district shared weekly readings of stories that represented Hispanic culture. Campuses celebrated with lessons, dress up days, and art projects that celebrated Latino culture. It was a great opportunity to raise awareness and celebrate the different cultures that make up our Pirate family.

High School hosted a district Cross Country Meet on October 10 at the Rusted Rail Golf Course. Students did a great job and we are so proud of how hard they have worked!

Talk Like a Pirate Day was on September 19. Elementary students from across the district celebrated by dressing in pirate gear and a special guest dropped in to read them a story.

Crandall celebrated Homecoming Week, September 19-23 with their annual parade and ended the week in crowning the King and Queen for 2022-23. Congratulations to CHS Homecoming King, Brody Adams and Homecoming Queen, Mia Carr!

thanks to Oncor for visiting our elementary campuses and teaching our students how to be a

Safe Kid” when around electrical items.

CISD Athletics

TAKES A BIG JUMP TO 5A IN STRIDE

In just its second year of 5A competition, athletics programs have become a regular playoff presence.

Growth has been good for the Crandall Pirate athletics program. Crandall High School began its second stint in UIL Class 5A-Division II as school kicked off in August. The district jumped into 5A just two years ago with the 2020 UIL realignment.

CROSS COUNTRY

Cross Country competed at seven varsity meets, hosting the Pirate Invitational for the second-consecutive year. CISD also hosted the 14-5A district meet where six Pirates finished in the top 15, including first- and second-place finishes by Caden Floyd and Walker Cox. The Lady Pirates also fared well at the district meet with two finishing in the top 15—Reyna Vargas (2) and Cassie Vargas (12). Floyd and Reyna Vargas both went on to finish in the top 30 at the 5A-Region 2 meet in Grand Prairie.

FOOTBALL TENNIS

Football advanced to the playoffs for the second-consecutive year after finishing 8-2 in the regular season, good enough for a third-place finish in District 7-5A. That regular-season record matches its best since 2000. The Pirates, who finished 9-3 overall, claimed the bi-district championship after knocking off Marshall, 48-47, in a first-round playoff road win. A 37-45 loss to Midlothian Heritage in the 5A-Division II Region II Area round finished Crandall’s season.

Crandall’s offense totaled more yards (5,666) than any other Dallas-area 5A team through the second round of playoffs. The Pirates also ranked fourth in rushing yards per game (291), 12th in passing (224), and third in scoring (47)

Tennis also advanced to the playoffs for the second-straight year. The team narrowly missed a third-place finish in the district after dropping its last regularseason match to Forney, ultimately finishing fourth. They were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs by Lovejoy. Nicole Giles won first place in the consolation bracket of Kaufman’s Invitational Tournament in November, which builds momentum heading into the team’s spring season.

VOLLEYBALL

Volleyball advanced to the playoffs for the first time since joining 5A. The Lady Pirates finished fourth in District 14-5A with a 6-6 record before finishing their season against Lovejoy in a first-round bi-district exit. Arianna Gonzalez and Kennedi Holmes earned first-team all-district honors while Leah Gardner was named 14-5A Hitter of the Year. Freshman Chika Abba also earned 14-5A Newcomer of the Year honors. Nine of the 12 varsity players earned academic all-district honors.

Fine Arts

Ashley WELD

Ms. Weld is a 5th-grade science teacher for CISD. She has been competing in arm wrestling competitions for about four years.

Q: What is your biggest arm wrestling accomplishment?

Ms. Weld: Winning most – if not ALL – tournaments I have attended in Texas, Louisiana, and Oklahoma in the past two years.

Q: What was the biggest obstacle you faced and overcame?

Ms. Weld: My health is by far my biggest obstacle. I have type 1 diabetes and wear an insulin pump 24/7.

Q: What led you to teach?

Ms. Weld: Mrs. Montgomery. She was my Pre-K, Sunday school, and youth group teacher. She was also my mentor teacher during college. She always believed in me and taught me that relationships matter. If students know you care about them, really care, they will work hard for you if they

know you believe in them. I wanted to be that teacher for someone else.

Q: What is your dream subject or grade to teach?

Ms. Weld: My dream grade/subject has always been 5th-grade science. It is my favorite subject and by far the most fun thing to teach.

Q: What is your favorite part of teaching?

Ms. Weld: My favorite part of teaching is the kids. Seeing their journey from

Community members have made countless contributions to the students and schools of Crandall ISD throughout the years. Now, CISD is saying “thank you” with its Pirate Perks card.

The Pirate Perks card is for those who are 55 years of age, or older. This special card will provide the opportunity to continue being active in programs sponsored by CISD schools.

struggling to understanding. Seeing them jump with joy when they have worked so hard to learn or overcome something, and they finally reach their goal, whether it be academic or otherwise. I love getting to know my students personally and teaching them that, even though they may struggle at some point, if they believe in themselves and work hard, they can achieve anything in their path.

Q: What is your biggest piece of advice?

Ms. Weld: Believe in yourself.

Cards are available at no charge. Benefits include free admission to any CISD activity hosted at a district facility. UIL playoff events are excluded. A valid driver license is required when presenting the Pirates Perk card.

Cards are available for pickup through the Crandall ISD Administration Building, 400 W. Lewis St. Crandall, TX 75114. Contact Nicole Tudor at ntudor@crandallisd.net or 972.427.6000 x50045

Many of our teachers have hidden talents, but Ms. Ashley Weld’s talent has won her championships

In CISD, safety is more than a word

it is a mindset

School safety has long maintained an around-the-clock presence for Crandall ISD. It impacts everyone and everything on a campus. Safe schools allow children to explore, learn and grow. Teachers can interact freely and comfortably. Visitors can enjoy their time with students and staff. And parents can trust their young learners are in good hands throughout the day.

In three years, CISD has become one of the safest school districts in North Texas. CISD’s Police Department—established in 2019 with three officers and one chief—is now a force of eight officers, with a ninth set to be added this school year. Staffing for the 10-person department will rank at the top of Kaufman County school districts operating their own police force, and allow for an even officer-to-campus ratio on all of CISD’s nine campuses.

“Our schools rely on our police department for protection and you would be hard-pressed to find a stronger police presence throughout a school district than what we have here in CISD,” said CISD Police Chief Bill Taylor. “We have more than doubled our department’s size in just three years. If you go to a campus in our district, we want you to see our police officers.”

And that is a presence CISD intends to maintain.

CISD Emergency Operations has also fortified its presence over the past 16 months. Established in July 2021, the department provides a framework that reduces vulnerability to hazards and helps cope with crisis events that may occur. It operates within the same five-step emergency management model used by FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency): Prevention, mitigation, preparedness, response, recovery.

“When basic safety needs are not met, our students become at-risk,” said Keith Chapman, CISD’s director of emergency management. “They become at-risk of not feeling comfortable at school. At-risk for attendance. At-risk to be on edge throughout the day. And our emergency operations approach is designed so students—as well as staff and visitors— know, see and feel the safety protocols in place throughout our CISD campuses.”

Those safety measures were on full display throughout the 2021-22 school year when Chapman guided campuses through more than 160 drills, using Standard Response Protocols (SRP) from the I Luv U Guys Foundation. Exercises at each school included:

• Lockdown (2)

• Shelter (2)

• Hold (2)

• Secure (2)

• Monthly fire drill throughout school year

Staff members also attended a reunification and relocation class.

Through all the activities, benefits of the SRPs quickly became apparent—everyone was on the same page. By standardizing the vocabulary, all stakeholders across all campuses understood the response and how to react in a crisis.

Those standardizations have proven beneficial this school year as the Texas Education Agency (TEA) mandated intruder detection audits take place at each of the 1,200-plus school districts and charters across the state.

• Auditors could not gain entrance to the building

• Auditors walked halls with administrator and found no exterior door unsecured

• Auditors walked halls with administrator and found no interior door unsecured

• Campus administrator had all weekly door audits as required

Scan the QR code to learn more about the active shooter drill that took place this summer

Our campuses are keeping students, staff and visitors safe.

Our campuses are keeping students, staff and visitors safe. ”

“

Community

Social Emotional Learning Coordinator CISD Administration

I’m most excited about the growth in CISD because it allows us to influence students and provide them the tools they need to become successful not only in the classroom but in life. Focusing on building healthy identities, managing emotions, and embracing diversity for students and staff is a priority. With our growth, CISD and our community can come together to provide more opportunities to help students feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain supportive relationships, and make responsible decisions to positively impact the world.

Community Member

I am most excited about the opportunities to mentor young male students and teachers. Guys learn from other male examples. We need men present when the roll is called on all of our campuses. Young men and boys need to just see you. They need direction not perfection. Our mistakes as well as our mastery in life is needed.

There are many young men here already but many more are on their way to CISD. They need us. We need them as well.

Executive Director The Center

It is an honor working with CISD as we seek ways to assist low income and families in need throughout the district. CISD does a great job identifying those needs and I appreciate the opportunity to serve with them through partnership with The Center and North Texas Food Bank, especially in the monthly food drives. I am truly thankful for the blessing of serving with CISD and look forward to our future opportunities.

Parent Crandall High School

I am excited about all the opportunities that the growth in our district can bring. CISD has a beautiful new middle school, we have a much-needed fine arts facility coming, and lots of new CTE courses available. So many great things are happening as CISD grows and embraces all the new members of our community!

Teacher Crandall High School

My students and I have benefited from the new growth at CISD through the updated Fine Arts Facility at the new middle school. It's amazing what updated technology and equipment can do for the morale of a program and the students it serves.

With Let’s Connect, anyone can submit a question, idea, concern, or compliment any time of day—or night—and receive a timely response from a CISD staff member. Let’s Connect will make sure your questions get the correct answers. It will track hot topics.

Carey Dowl

Missy Collins

Katrina Spottsville

Rafael Juarez

Richard Dunn