HIGHLIGHTS PROSPER ISD
FALL 2018 | ISSUE 1
QUARTERLY MAGAZINE
2018 Lone Star Cup Champions FALL 2018
COVER STORY 14 FUTURE EDUCATORS 32 PRINCIPAL SPOTLIGHT 38
CONTACT US FALL 2018 ISSUE 1
PROSPER ISD 605 E. 7TH STREET PROSPER, TX 75078 469-219-2000 WEBSITE EMAIL COMMUNICATIONS SOCIAL MEDIA TWITTER FACEBOOK INSTAGRAM EAGLE EXPRESS EAGLE CHAT PISD HIGHLIGHTS 2 MINUTE DRILL
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FEATURES UPDATES 6 CONSTRUCTION 8 ENROLLMENT 9 TRANSPORTATION IN THE NEWS 12 LIBRARY SNAPSHOT 13 BRINGING HOME THE LONE STAR CUP 14 ONE DISTRICT - ONE READ 16 RUCKER GETS ROCKED 17 SUBMIT A TIP ACADEMICS 19 CULTURE COMMUNITY 20 INTRODUCTION TO RISE 22 FEAR THE LIVING DEAD AT ROGERS ATHLETICS 25 LIVE AT PHS 26 WINTER SPORTS SCHEDULES
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COMMUNITY 28 PHOTO GALLERY CTE / STEAM 31 A DAY AT COURT 32 FUTURE EDUCATORS FINE ARTS 34 EAGLE BAND BLAZES A PATH 36 PET PORTRAITS SPOTLIGHT 38 PRINCIPAL SPOTLIGHT UPCOMING DATES 43 SAVE THE DATE WAYS TO CONNECT 44 QUICK LINKS
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MESSAGE
Superintendent Dr. Drew Watkins
I
t is difficult to believe that we already completed our 1st quarter of the 2018-2019 school year. It has been an AMAZING whirlwind so far. There is so much more to highlight than what we have room for in one publication, but we wanted to give a “State of the District� report for this quarter with some of our major highlights. In this publication you will find some of the many reasons that I am proud to be a part of the Prosper ISD family.
We will also give you information that will help with upcoming events, activities, and points of contact for the school year. One of our goals at Prosper ISD is to be easily accessible to our students and families. Together we can achieve great things this year. Make sure to check out these stories: One District - One Read, Bringing Home the Lone Star Cup, Rucker gets Rocked, Construction Updates, Principal Spotlight, Fear the Living Dead at Rogers Middle School, Eagle Band Blazes a Path and many more. We hope you enjoy reading about all of the amazing things happening in Prosper ISD. Sincerely,
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UDPATES CONSTRUCTION ENROLLMENT TRANSPORTATION UPDATES | 5
CONSTRUCTION OPENING 2019
UPDATES
ELEMENTARY #10 - WESTRIDGE SITE
Location: This campus will be located in McKinney in the Valor Pointe neighborhood off of Bluestem Road. Work Completed and Ongoing - as of October 2018 • Testing lab continuing with density at grade beams • Grading of fire lanes on south side • Installing lime at north fire lane • All lime test densities, depth, gradations have passed on north parking lot and approaches • Hauling off extra dirt • Co-serve setting junction box in the 25 ft. easement • Installation of carton forms and rebar continues – Area 4 • Grading and prepping ongoing – Area 3 • Installation of underground electric ongoing – Area 2
ELEMENTARY #11 - LEGACY SITE
Location: This campus will be located in Prosper in the Parks of Legacy neighborhood off of Fishtrap Road. Work Completed and Ongoing - as of October 2018 • Regraded fire lanes and paving west side ready for lime • Started liming west side fire lanes and parking • Installed RCP for off site area drain • Installed 20” water line • Taken water samples for water loop • Continue tying pier rebar • Continue drilling piers – Area 2 • Formed and poured grade beams – Area 4 • Start digging grade beams and pilasters – Area 3
BILL HAYS MIDDLE SCHOOL
Location: This campus will be located in Frisco south of Rock Hill Road on the west side of Hillcrest Rd. Work Completed and Ongoing - as of October 2018 • Installation of Visual display boards – Areas 1, 2 and 8 • Off-site paving of Alveria, Aragon and Hillcrest • Doors and Hardware – Areas 1, 2, 3 and 8 • Toilet partitions – Area 1 and 3 • Metal wall studs and gypsum board – Area 4 • Concrete roof – Area 7 (Shelter) • Sunshades – Areas 1, 2, 3 and 8 • MEP rough-in – Area 4
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PISD STADIUM
Location: The 12,000-seat stadium will be located on the same property as Frontier Park on the west side of the railroad tracks on the south side of Frontier Parkway.
Work Completed and Ongoing - as of October 2018 Site work (Area D2) concourse and • Chemical injection at field restroom • Continue slab over metal Area B (Community Room) deck – Area A • Complete exterior framing • Begin masonry veneer on • Complete dry in of roof south ticket booth • Continue exterior masonry • Continue interior overhead Visitor side MEP • Continue foundation – Area C • Pour concrete columns this Home side week • Continue erection of press • Underground storm line on box south end • Pour slab over metal deck
Milestone: Permanent power connection
LIVE FEED
PISD NATATORIUM
Location: The natatorium will be adjacent to the new stadium next to Frontier Park. Work Completed and Ongoing - as of October 2018 Building • Continue masonry at south and east area • Continue plumbing top out • Begin roof decking • Continue electrical rough-in • Form and pour bleachers Pool • Begin grading/preparation for 2nd half of competition pool foundation
OPENING 2020 ROCK HILL HIGH SCHOOL
Location: This campus will be located on Coit Road south of 380. Work in Progress or Ongoing - as of October 2018 • Piers – Areas L, J and H LIVE FEED • Grade Beams ongoing • Lime of South and East Fire Lane & Parking Lot • Underground plumbing and electrical work – Areas B, C and N • Site utilities ongoing. Will be complete in next two weeks • Electrical and Irrigation sleeve installation
UPDATES | 7
ENROLLMENT
OCT 2018
833
836
790
BAKER ELEMENTARY
BOYER ELEMENTARY
COCKRELL ELEMENTARY
792
873
841
FOLSOM ELEMENTARY
707
RUCKER ELEMENTARY
HUGHES ELEMENTARY
LIGHT FARMS ELEMENTARY
826 1,103
SPRADLEY ELEMENTARY
WINDSONG RANCH ELEM
1,681 1,628 3,454
REYNOLDS MIDDLE SCHOOL
2016
10,325
ROGERS MIDDLE SCHOOL
2017
12,448
PROSPER HIGH SCHOOL
14,364
TOTAL ENROLLMENT 8 | UPDATES
2018
GETTING FROM POINT A TO POINT B TRANSPORTATION UPDATE
A
s Prosper grows so does PISD Transportation. National statistics published on school bus transportation indicate that, in Photo by Maria Jaral Texas, 31% of school children use school bus transportation to get to school. This statistic increases to 48% nationally. Our Prosper ISD bus drivers, however, transport roughly 8,000 students daily which accounts for about 56% of our student population, far Prosper increased starting above the local, state and national pay for drivers to $20 per hour averages.
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this year. Additionally, drivers can earn trip bonuses, referral bonuses, no accident bonus, and a retention bonus.
Prosper runs 92 different routes this year employing about 100 drivers, an increase of almost 10% over last year. School bus drivers are hard to come by. Most every district in the state and the nation are constantly in search of qualified bus drivers. Prosper believes that a quality education extends to every facet of the district, including school bus transportation. To seek to best serve our students and families and gain quality drivers, Prosper increased starting pay for drivers to $20 per hour this year. Additionally, drivers can earn trip bonuses, referral bonuses, no accident bonus, and a retention bonus. All PISD buses have air conditioning.
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For more information about PISD transportation, email pisdbus@prosper-isd.net or check out the website www.prosper-isd.net/transportation.
SCHOOL BUS
Number of students Prosper ISD transports daily
percentage of Prosper ISD student population that utilizes bus transportation * national average is 48%
UPDATES | 9
IN THE NEWS
SNAPSHOT DAY BRINGING HOME THE LONE STAR CUP ONE DISTRICT - ONE READ RUCKER GETS ROCKED SUBMIT A TIP
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IN THE NEWS | 11
SNAPSHOT DAY LIBRARY UPDATE
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rosper ISD Libraries recently participated in “Texas Library Snapshot Day,” which provides a way to capture the diversity of activities and learning made possible by libraries. Snapshot Day is sponsored every fall by the Texas Library Association. This year the PISD libraries welcomed 3,407 students, staff, and community members, and 78 classes on Snapshot Day. Library patrons asked 497 questions and checked out 3,584 items such as books and audio books.
All of this, just on Snapshot Day!! The PISD elementary libraries hosted 2x2 Storytimes, kindergarten and first grade checkouts, Bluebonnet Book Talks, Announcement Crew meetings, Library Volunteer meetings, third grade map lessons, fifth grade Kindness Campaign Project, and a Maker Space Kickoff. The PISD secondary libraries hosted book club meetings, Eagle Times, school wide snack break allergy free table, Inktober Coloring, ELAR class presentation practices, girls’ choir rehearsals, eighth grade team meetings, and English II book checkouts.
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This year the PISD libraries welcomed 3,407 students, staff, and community members, and 78 classes on Snapshot Day.
ELEMENTARY
1,800 63 327 3,171
SECONDARY
Classes visited
Books circulated
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1,607 15 170 413
Visits from patrons
Visits from patrons
Questions asked
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Classes visited
#PISDLibrary
Questions asked
Books circulated
BRINGING HOME THE LONE STAR CUP COVER STORY
W
ednesday, September 19th, was an exciting day for Prosper ISD. The afternoon began with the annual Homecoming Parade hosted by PHS Cheer as thousands of Eagle fans and community members filled the streets. This year’s parade featured Grand Marshall Hop Spradley, Prosper Mayor Ray Smith, Town Council members, Past Homecoming Queens, Current Homecoming Court, the PISD Administration led by Superintendent Dr. Drew Watkins, the PHS cheer, drill team and Mighty Eagle Band as well as almost 90 floats to highlight the quality teams, programs, activities and community in Prosper. Following the parade, crowds
converged at the high school to enjoy food trucks and fellowship followed by the Annual Community Pep Rally. The pep rally featured presentations from PHS Cheer, the Mighty Eagle Band, the Talonettes, Spirit Leaders, Rogers and Reynolds Cheer, Rogers and Reynolds Drill Teams and more. In the middle of the excitement, University Interscholastic League (UIL) officials were on hand to present PHS with the coveted UIL Lone Star Cup. The Lone Star Cup is the top award presented by UIL to only 6 schools in the state, one from each conference. Last year Prosper dominated the competition winning the Lone Star Cup in conference 5A with 102 points, 19 points
above second placed Highland Park. Points were accumulated based upon team performance at the district, regional and state levels in the areas of Academics, Athletics and Fine Arts. Last year’s performances resulted in multiple State Champions and State Medalists for the school contributing to the top performance in the Lone Star Cup competition. Following the Pep Rally, Prosper fans walked outside to enjoy a celebratory ending with a fireworks show hosted by the Eagle Touchdown Club. As the school marches into Conference 6A, sights are set on bringing home a second Lone Star Cup to the fans and community of Prosper.
IN THE NEWS | 13
O
n October 1st in the PHS arena, Prosper ISD was proud to host a special guest. Prior to beginning his book tour in Florida on October nd 2 , author, speaker and educator Kwame Alexander made a stop in Prosper to share his literary experience and to hear our talented young poets. Alexander’s latest book with co-author Mary Rand Hess, Swing, “tells a lyrical story about hope, courage,
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and love that will speak to anyone who’s struggled to find their voice” according to his website. The author of over a dozen books, Alexander is a celebrated author and poet. His writing and poetry have been a focal point at Prosper ISD campuses this year where students were challenged to create their own poetic art. With a district focus of writing across the curriculum, a competition was held at every
ONE DISTRICT ONE READ Author Kwame Alexander visits Prosper ISD to share with students, staff and parents, alike, his passion for reading and writing.
campus. Twelve (12) students were chosen as campus representatives to present their work at the October 1st event. Congratulations to all of our students, their parents and teachers on choosing to express their voice through the art of poetry. Follow this link to find the published work of these talented young people.
IN THE NEWS | 15
RUCKER GETS ROCKED
Rucker teachers were surprised during an assembly with a $10,000 donation from the newly opened Burlington Store. This donation will go towards materials and supplies for each classroom.
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he Prosper Community is experiencing a commercial explosion with many recent developments including the Gates of Prosper. Burlington Stores was the latest commercial enterprise to open its doors to the Prosper Community. The store opened with a soft opening on September 5th and the Grand Opening on Friday, September 7th. Thursday, August 30th found PISD students and staff excited about a long weekend for Labor Day, but an assembly called by Rucker Elementary Principal, Shelly Spears, left the school excited about far more than a long weekend. The new manager at the Prosper Burlington Store, Kerri Turner, was there with a very special announcement for the school. According to a recent survey of teachers conducted by the Department of Education, 94 percent of public school teachers said that they pay for supplies for their classroom without reimbursement from the school. Reportedly, teachers spend on average $479 of their own money each year buying supplies and equipment for their classroom to improve the educational environment. Almost ten percent of those polled report spending more than $1000 without
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reimbursement. The teachers at Rucker Elementary aren’t going to have to do that this year thanks to a $10,000 donation by Burlington facilitated through the Adopt A Classroom program. At the special assembly at Rucker Elementary, the Burlington store manager presented Spears with a check for $10,000. The money will be divided between all of the classroom teachers at Rucker. Each teacher will receive an allotment and will go through the Adopt A Classroom website to purchase materials and supplies for their classroom from the list of Adopt A Classroom approved vendors. During the last school year, Burlington Stores and Adopt A Classroom adopted more than 70 schools across the nation. For more information on the program, email info@adoptaclassroom.org or look for information on their website AdoptAClassroom.org. Spears said that “Prosper ISD and Rucker Elementary feel especially grateful that they we were selected for this honor. We can’t wait to have our teachers spend their allotment to make the educational environment at Rucker even better.”
SUBMIT A TIP Students and concerned citizens are able to quickly and easily submit an anonymous tip through tip411 to report suspicious or criminal behavior at school.
D
uring a time in our country in which school safety is more important than ever, Prosper ISD has announced the implementation of a new program intended to increase student and staff safety in the district. The program, tip411, is an internet-based communication system that gives students or any concerned citizen a means to quickly and anonymously report suspicious or criminal behavior at school. When individuals submit a tip through the district’s tip411 link, the information submitted is sent to a 3rd party tip service acting as a privacy buffer between the individual and the Prosper ISD Police Department to preserve that person’s identity and contact information. The link can be found at www. prosper-isd.net under Parents and then tip411. The goal of the program is to provide an easily accessible but anonymous platform to communicate important information on crimes or criminal activity that will help the Prosper ISD Police Department keep the district
safe for everyone. It is important to note that tip submissions may not be received until the following day so, in the case of an emergency, individuals wishing to report should dial 911. To help students understand the scope of tip411 as well as the PISD drug dog program, PISD Canine Officer Steven Antommarchi and partner “Kaz” as well as the other PISD officers have made visits to district classrooms discussing the dangers of drugs and alcohol, the tip411 program and how the PISD drug dog program is geared towards making our schools more safe for all students and staff. Since its inception at the beginning of the school year, Tip411 has had nine (9) submissions according to PISD Chief of Police, Chad Vessels. Of the nine (9) submissions, five (5) have led officers and administrators to locating contraband and/or suspicious activity at or around a PISD campus.
IN THE NEWS | 17
ACADEMIC CULTURE COMMUNITY RISE EDUCATORS FEAR THE LIVING DEAD AT ROGERS MS 18 | ACADEMICS
CULTURE COMMUNITY Students showcase their own family’s culture and then connect it with other students to become a culture community.
I
n today’s ever-changing world, understanding both similarities and differences amongst cultures and learning to look for a means of compatibility is more important than ever. The size of the Earth may be the same but technology has made our world very small, indeed. In Middle School, social studies focuses on cultures from around the world and understanding what makes them unique. Before students can understand cultures from around the world, they must first explore cultures within their learning community. In Ms. Smith’s 6th grade classroom at Reynolds Middle School, they call their classroom their learning community. At the direction of Ms. Smith, the students looked at a picture of an apartment building where they were asked to speculate on what cultures could be found in that building. Not surprisingly, students responded with "I don't know - we can't see the inside." That's when this assignment really became interactive. Students were asked to pretend that they could cut down one of the exterior walls and have a peek inside the apartment units. When looking inside of a family’s home, students would be given clues as to what each family's culture was like. In order to explore cultures that may be in the apartment complex, the class created their own family's culture by showcasing it in a shoe box. With no other direction than that, students were given the freedom to use their creativity to determine the depth in which they needed to go to adequately communicate their family culture. The class consisted of students from all walks of life, from all over the world, all found within that learning community. Ms. Smith focused on celebrating those similarities and differences and teaching students to respect each other's cultures before delving deep into the curriculum. Once completed, students were able to have a gallery walk and present their cultures to their learning community. They were then able to ask questions to each other and learn similar traditions they share. The class created this video to highlight and celebrate their learning experience.
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Research Impacting Student Excellence
MEET OUR RISE EDUCATORS The PISD Research Impacting Student Excellence (RISE) Program provides an opportunity for innovative teachers in PISD to submit a proposal in order to pilot cutting-edge instructional strategies, teaching styles, or new educational approaches. RISE looks for educators to pilot a program that seeks a departure from specific aspects of the current curriculum in a sheltered and supported environment. Through the PISD RISE Program, teachers are encouraged to seek out and vet exciting new methods for our students, and, ultimately, provide quality data and training for our teachers. We want to introduce you to this year’s RISE educators and give a brief overview of what is going on in their classrooms.
Cheramie Hawkins Cheramie Hawkins at Spradley Elementary is taking a new approach to teaching math skills. Her students are conferencing over the strategies they have learned and then using them in fun and innovative ways. A game of go fish in Mrs. Hawkins's class becomes a game of math strategies. Kids are continually using their knowledge of math processes to adapt everyday things like Go Fish into math centered practice.
Derek Haney Derek Haney's class at Spradley Elementary is a full project based learning model. His students are becoming masters at approaching a given task and determining what they will need to know, use and learn to solve it. They are also continually working on team strategies, critical thinking and creative expression.
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Roshounda Ellerbe Roshounda Ellerbe's class at Light Farms is delving into service learning. They are reading literature and examining situations that show the perspective that they are unfamiliar with. In addition to being exposed to these new perspectives, Ms. Ellerbe's students approach the situation with empathy and look at ways that they can use their perspective to advocate for and improve their community.
Alejandro Juarez Alejandro Juarez is working to change the way his students at Light Farms approach music. Rather than memorizing scales and playing them over and over in a specific progression, his students are composing and learning songs through exploration. Students are able to better communicate what they know and why as well as to create and/ or play complex compositions after just listening to them.
Torrey Eckert Torrey Eckert is a counselor at Reynolds Middle School. She is interested in helping students develop their social emotional skills. Her program has 30 students 15 male and 15 female that spend one day a week learning skills and strategies that will help them cope with stresses and pressures. The goal is to help build resilient individuals that are able to balance the school and social pressures that they face.
Ashley Slaughter Ashley Slaughter's program at Reynolds focuses on personalized learning. Her classroom is structured to help students identify both strengths and weaknesses. They are able to better spend their time on the lessons and strategies that will help them to improve, helping make their class time more efficient. One of the many benefits of this program is greater ownership of the learning by students.
Josh Kirk Josh Kirk's class focuses on teaching social studies through a set of skills called Historical Thinking Skills. In Mr. Kirk's classroom at Rogers Middle School, students are positioned in the role of historians, seeking to both understand and construct historical narratives through a combination of analysis of context and deep study of primary documents.
Andrea Hutchinson Andrea Hutchison's class utilizes History Labs as a means of gaining greater understanding of historical events, movements and themes. Through investigations focused on a central question, her students at Rogers Middle School are able to elevate their critical thinking and analysis skills.
Shawna Easton Shawna Easton's class at Rogers Middle School is organized around the principle of student choice and ownership. Her students are able to let their own interests guide them in choosing both texts to read and when to focus on different modes of writing. This approach leads to greater student engagement and agency.
Amy Viars Amy Viars's PHS Forensic Science Class is based upon the principle of Problem Based Learning. Each unit is based around a real world problem that they must solve. This approach draws students into the types of processes that they will explore in their career giving them invaluable experience before facing the pressures of the workforce.
Kate Jackson Kate Jackson's class at Rogers Middle School utilizes a Project Based Learning approach to ELAR study. In addition to a focus on critical thinking and problem solving, Ms. Jackson's students also incorporate multiple genres and viewpoints into their studies. This approach leads to greater student engagement and depth of understanding.
ACADEMICS | 21
FEAR THE LIVING DEAD AT ROGERS MIDDLE SCHOOL Science students work together to solve the mystery of which organism is spreading the “zombie virus” throughout the campus and then develop a cure.
T
he United States and especially the younger generations have become obsessed with Zombies. We have movies, television shows, cartoons, books, video games, zombie themed parties, costumes, and more zombie paraphernalia to capture our intrigue around the “living dead.” Students in 7th grade science at Rogers Middle School are studying the structure and function of plant and animal cells in order to figure out which organism was responsible for spreading the zombie virus throughout the campus. Each day the virus spread to different teachers around campus. Students diligently worked together to uncover the mystery surrounding the virus in order to stop the spread. Once the students discovered which organism was causing the virus, they worked on a “cure” before the entire faculty was “wiped out.” After all, who wants a Zombie teacher for the year.
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ATHLETICS LIVE STREAMING WINTER SPORTS SCHEDULES ATHLETICS | 23
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LIVE AT PHS Fans are now able to watch their favorite high school events live and on demand from anywhere in the world.
P
rosper ISD is excited to announce that we have partnered with the National Federation of High Schools (NFHS) High School Sports Network to stream live broadcasts of Prosper ISD athletic events online. For a nominal fee, fans will be able to watch their favorite high school events live and on demand from anywhere in the world through the NFHS website. Then 72 hours after the event, the streaming fee is waived. Games can be found by visiting www.NFHSNetwork.com and searching for Prosper Independent School District. The best part about the program is that Prosper ISD students will film and produce most of the broadcasts! Prosper is also proud to be working with Pixellot Automated Production, a company that will work with PISD to record almost all PISD athletic events including sub-varsity games, basketball, volleyball, soccer, baseball, softball, wrestling and more. The program is a multi-lens camera with associated hardware and software that provides the fully-automatic live broadcast and recording of sporting events. The program will allow the automatic filming of events when student broadcasters are not available to film the many events that we have occurring, often at the same time. The NFHS Network is the exclusive distribution partner for all online high school broadcasts created by Pixellot systems. The NFHS Network allows family members, friends and fans who can’t be in attendance at the event the opportunity to access and experience their favorite high school sports and events. Through this program, PISD student broadcasters will participate in the live recording gaining valuable experience that supports their school today and builds their resume for tomorrow. Fans should be aware that UIL rules prohibit the live streaming of Friday Night Varsity Football games until a minimum of 1 hour after completion of the game. All NFHS Network events are available online at www.NFHSnetwork.com. Follow the NFHS Network on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Instagram at @NFHSnetwork for the latest news and event information. The NFHS Network is a joint venture among the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS), its member state associations and PlayOn! Sports. The NFHS is located in Indianapolis, Indiana and is the national leadership organization for high school sports and performing arts activities. PlayOn! Sports is based in Atlanta, Georgia and is the nation’s largest high school sports media company.
ATHLETICS | 25
WINTER SPORT SCHEDULES Fans can mark their calendars now for the upcoming winter sports season and be ready to show their Eagle Spirit.
PHS Men’s Basketball Varsity JV Sophomore 9th Green 9th White
Women’s Basketball
Varsity JV Freshmen
Men’s Soccer Varsity JV JV2
Women’s Soccer Varsity JV
Men’s Wrestling Varsity JV Freshmen
Women’s Wrestling Varsity JV
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Reynolds Middle School
Rogers Middle School
Boys Basketball
Boys Basketball
8th Grade White 8th Grade Green 8th Grade Black 7th Grade White 7th Grade Green 7th Grade Black
Girls Basketball 8th Grade Green 8th Grade White 8th Grade Black 7th Grade Green 7th Grade White 7th Grade Black
Boys Wrestling Girls Wrestling
8th Grade Green 8th Grade White 8th Grade Black 7th Grade Black 7th Grade Green 7th Grade White
Girls Basketball 8th Grade Black 8th Grade Green 8th Grade White 7th Grade Black 7th Grade Green 7th Grade White
Boys Wrestling Girls Wrestling
COMMUNITY COMMUNITY | 27
COMM PHOTO G HOMECOMING PARADE
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MUNITY GALLERY CULTURE FAIR COMMUNITY | 29
CTE / STEAM
A DAY AT COURT FUTURE EDUCATORS
30 | CTE & STEAM
A DAY AT COURT PHS Law Enforcement students get experience in the field.
T
he Prosper High School law enforcement practicum students have started their internship at the Collin County Courthouse. This program is taught by PHS teacher and part time PISD Police Officer, Allison Alexander. During their experience, nine (9) PHS students will be interning with Judge Scott Becker of the 219th District Court, while three students will be interning in the District Attorney's Officer under D.A. Greg Willis. During their internship, the students will also have opportunities to gain experience by providing assistance to other Collin County judges and attorneys as needed. The program is relatively new to PHS. Candidates apply for the internship which is very competitive with limited availability. Those selected worked over the summer to perfect resumes and participate in interviews for their specific positions. To make the selection more prestigious, the District Attorney interns competed against college and law school students for their spots in the program. In the first few days they began interning, the students learned first-hand about the various roles and responsibilities of courtroom personnel. The interns assisted with the busy docket witnessing a wide range of cases presented before the court. Later, interns will have the opportunity to experience two felony trials as well as voir dire from the jury box.
CTE & STEAM | 31
FUTURE EDUCATORS
P
rosper ISD's Chapter of the Texas Association of Future Educators (TAFE), led by teacher Jennifer DeLano, continues to pave the way for future success for our young educators. In addition to being mentored during "student teaching" of sorts by current PISD Teachers across the district, TAFE students compete at the state and national level in areas of curriculum development, presentation of lessons, interview, and more. The program is now blazing a new path that no other high school has endeavored. The Prosper High
32 | CTE & STEAM
School TAFE Officers, Julia Helmi, Brooke Blackstock, and Chelsea Monterrosa, attended the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development's (ASCD) Conference on Teaching Excellence this summer in Grapevine. ASCD is a professional organization for educators representing "more than 114,000 educators from more than 127 countries" according to their website. The Prosper group became the very first high school affiliate! The summer conference focused on a theme of "Pathways to Equity: Understanding the full impact of inequities is the first step to creating healthy environments, supportive schools, and targeted instruction that helps all students engage in meaningful opportunities to expand their learning and heighten their achievement." The PHS TAFE Officers heard keynote speakers and then worked hand-in-hand with educators from around the country to develop comprehensive equity action plans tied to Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math (STEAM); Community and Family Engagement; Under-served Populations; and Teacher Leadership.
FINE ARTS EAGLE BAND BLAZES A PATH PET PORTRAITS Photo by Maria Jaral
FINE ARTS | 33
EAGLE BAND BLAZES A PATH In preparation for the larger end-of-season goals, the Mighty Eagle Band members and directors are challenging themselves in competitions and coming out victorious in very competitive venues.
A
s Prosper High School blazes into the 6A conference, the PHS Mighty Eagle Band is also blazing trails never endeavored. Under the direction of Director of Bands John Alstrin, Associate Director of Bands Brad Huneycutt and Assistant Band Directors Michael Huestis and Spencer Smith, the band made school history last year by advancing to the finals of the UIL State Marching Contest for the first time in school’s history. The 2017-2018 school year also marked the first out of state competition for a Prosper ISD school. For this momentous event,
34 | FINE ARTS
Alstrin traveled the group to Indianapolis to compete in the Bands of America (BOA) Grand Nationals Marching Contest where they advanced to semi-finals in their first appearance finishing as the 23rd best band in the nation. The band is not resting on its laurels though. With a goal of UIL State finals in 6A and BOA Grand National Marching Contest finals in November, the band has been busy preparing through weeks of rehearsal beginning well before school started and continuing even now with roughly 8 hours of practice each week. In preparation for the larger end-of-season goals, the Mighty Eagle Band members and directors are challenging themselves in competitions and coming out victorious in very competitive venues. Their first competition of the year was at the HEB Marching Contest on September 29th, where Prosper took home the trophy for 1st place overall in prelims, 1st place in 6A, Best Overall General Effect, and 3rd overall in the competition. Just one week later, the band endeavored a new competition, the BOA Dallas Regional. For
the first time in school history, the Prosper Mighty Eagle Band advanced to finals of a BOA competition. Finishing in the top 10 in prelims, they were set to take the field when the weather stopped the competition. With no end of bad weather in sight, they called the competition placing bands based upon prelims results. Prosper finished 9th overall, only .05 points behind the 7th place band. The Band’s next competition was the UIL Region Marching Contest at Plano Clark on October 20th where they took straight 1’s (the highest score possible) for Sweepstakes and advanced to the UIL Area Marching Contest on October 27th in Birdville. This contest was especially difficult with many 6A “powerhouse” bands, but the Mighty Eagle Band didn’t disappoint making finals and finishing 4th in, arguably, the most difficult area in the state in 6A to advance to the UIL State contest in San Antonio on November 5th and 6th at the Alamodome. The band will compete in San Antonio at the BOA Super Regionals at the Alamodome in San Antonio November 3rd before competing at UIL State two days later. They will then finish off their marching
contest season with a return to the BOA Grand Nationals Marching Contest from November 8 - 11th in Indianapolis. This year’s theme is Royal Rising, a proverbial story of Prosper’s “rise” to the “royalty” of the 6A conference. With their beautiful costumes, royal tents, the music of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and William Walton, and overall presentation, it will be a performance that you will not want to miss.
FINE ARTS | 35
PET PORTRAITS P
rosper High School’s National Art Honor Society (NAHS) led my Ms. Gina Mock and Ms. Judy Seay are committed to service in the community. Every year these outstanding art students help out in the community in soup kitchens, food pantries and other notable service opportunities. Another way they serve is through their art. For the last couple of years, NAHS Members have painted pet portraits for volunteer service hours. The students then sell the portraits to accumulate enough funds to donate to a local
animal charity in February. Each painting is sold for a minimum donation of 25.00 and 20.00 of those funds are used for the donation while the remaining amount is used to replenish supplies. This ongoing service allows students to contribute to their community while gaining valuable experience and skills in their craft. If you are interested in having a pet portrait done, reach out to Gina Mock at gamock@prosper-isd.net for more information and next steps.
PHS students give back to the community through their art.
36 | FINE ARTS
SPOTLIGHT NATIONAL PRINCIPAL MONTH PRINCIPAL SPOTLIGHT SPOTLIGHT | 37
MEET THE PISD PRINCIPALS As we celebrate National Principals Month we would like to recognize all of the Prosper ISD Principals and the dedicated service they provide to their students, staff, parents and community.
BAKER ELEMENTARY Danielle Wallace
Ms. Wallace has been in PISD for 11 years now, working at Rucker, Rogers, Reynolds and now at Baker Elementary School. After completing her undergraduate studies at the University of California, Riverside, she began teaching in 1991 in San Bernardino, California, as a 6th-grade teacher. Since then, she has taught elementary and secondary. In 1998 she completed her Master’s Degree in history at West Virginia University. Ms. Wallace has been married for 21 years and has a 17-year-old daughter who is a Senior at PHS.
BOYER ELEMENTARY Alissa Andrews
Ms. Andrews has been in Prosper for 9 years. Her teaching career began in 2003 teaching 8th grade English Language Arts. Since then, she has taught both 3rd and 4th grade. While in Prosper, she has served as a classroom teacher, curriculum designer, and assistant principal before being named the Principal at Boyer Elementary this year. She graduated from Northeastern Oklahoma State University with a degree in Environmental Management and a minor in chemistry in 2000. After substitute teaching for almost a year, she got her certification in 2003 then went on to graduate from Lamar University with a Masters in Educational Administration in 2013. Ms. Andrews has been married for 22 years and they have two children who attend Prosper ISD schools.
38 | SPOTLIGHT
COCKRELL ELEMENTARY Glenda Dophied
This school year begins the 11th year in Prosper ISD and her 25th as an educator for Ms. Dophied. Her career began in San Angelo, Texas with a degree in Early Childhood Education from Angelo State University. She then served as a multi-age teacher for six years helping to build a learning community in the elementary setting. When her family relocated to North Texas, she continued in education as a 4th and 5th grade math teacher for eight more years. After earning a Masters in Administration from Texas A&M Commerce, she transferred to Prosper as an Assistant Principal. She has been the Principal at Cockrell for the last four (4) years. Ms. Dophied has been married for 24 years. Their daughter attends Texas A&M University, and their son is a Freshman at PHS.
FOLSOM ELEMENTARY Stephanie Cockrell
Ms. Cockrell is originally from San Antonio, Texas where she graduated from Texas State University with a Bachelor’s degree in Interdisciplinary Studies with a focus on Special Education. She moved to the DFW area in 2011 where she began her teaching career. In 2014 she moved to Prosper ISD to teach at Reynolds Middle School. Ms. Cockrell received her Master’s degree in Education Administration from Texas A&M University-Commerce and served as Assistant Principal at Hughes Elementary for two years before becoming the Principal at Folsom this year. Her husband, Jared, grew up in Prosper. They have a dog, Jameson.
HUGHES ELEMENTARY Tiffany Johns
Ms. Johns is a proud Baylor Bear! Both of her children, a 2nd grader and a Kindergartener, attend Hughes Elementary. They have a pug named “Moose” and a French Bulldog named “Max”. After teaching for one year in Waco, TX, Ms. Johns was hired as a first-grade teacher in Prosper ISD in 2008. Baker Elementary was her home campus for four years where she taught 1st and 4th grade. She has a total of 5 years of administrative experience at both the Middle School and Elementary level in Prosper. She has been the Principal at Hughes Elementary since it opened last year. SPOTLIGHT | 39
LIGHT FARMS ELEMENTARY Haley Stelly
Ms. Stelly and her husband have two children ages four and two. Ms. Stelly graduated from Baylor University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Elementary Education. She spent five years teaching 3rd grade at Baker Elementary in Prosper ISD. She then received a Master of Education degree in Educational Leadership from Dallas Baptist University in 2011 and served as the Assistant Principal at Rucker Elementary in Prosper ISD for four years before moving to Light Farms as the Assistant Principal in 2016. This is her second year as Principal at Light Farms.
RUCKER ELEMENTARY Shelly Spears
Ms. Spears educational background includes a Bachelor of Science degree in Education from Fort Hays State University in Kansas and a Master of Education in Administration degree from Lamar University in Texas. She is also a Licensed and Certified Academic Therapist (dyslexia therapist). She has been in the education field since 1994 as a classroom teacher, reading specialist, and now administrator. Ms. Spears has been in Prosper ISD since 2007. Ms. Spears and her husband, both from Kansas originally, have three teenage boys - a set of twins at Rogers and one at PHS.
SPRADLEY ELEMENTARY Machelle Scogin
Ms. Scogin began her 18th year in Prosper ISD and 7th year as Principal this year. Much of her career in Prosper has been spent at Rucker Elementary before moving to Spradley Elementary this year. She and her husband of 29 years have three children, two adults and one in Middle School. Ms. Scogin received her Bachelor of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies/ Early Childhood/Elementary Education from the University of Texas at San Antonio. She then received her Masters of Education in Administration from Lamar University. 40 | SPOTLIGHT
WINDSONG ELEMENTARY Kardel Miller
Mr. Miller is the Principal of Windsong Ranch Elementary, a role he took three years ago at the school’s opening. He has been in education for 19 years as an Administrator and Math/Science elementary teacher. He and his wife of 23 years met in college where he obtained his Bachelor of Arts Degree in Education at Dakota Wesleyan University before moving to Texas. Once in Texas, he began teaching 5th Grade Math & Science. After years in the classroom, he decided to pursue his Masters in Education and graduated from Lamar University. Mr. Miller and his wife have 2 sons.
REYNOLDS MIDDLE SCHOOL Justin Goldsmith
The 2018-2019 school year marks Mr. Goldsmith’s 14th year in education, 7th year as an administrator and 2nd year as Reynolds’ Principal. Before becoming an administrator, Mr. Goldsmith taught Social Studies in 5th - 8th grades for nine years and coached middle and high school football, basketball and track. He has been in Prosper ISD for four years. He and his wife have two sons both of whom attend Light Farms.
ROGERS MIDDLE SCHOOL Todd Shirley
Mr. Shirley and his wife, daughter and son have been Prosper residents for 17 years. This begins his 11th year in Prosper ISD and his fourth year as Principal at Rogers Middle School. Before becoming an administrator, Mr. Shirley taught 4th grade Science and Social Studies at Rucker Elementary before moving to Rogers to teach 5th grade Science. He then became Assistant Principal at Rogers where he served for two years before becoming Principal.
SPOTLIGHT | 41
PROSPER HIGH SCHOOL Dr. John Burdett
Dr. John Burdett is in his 2nd year as the PHS Principal. Dr. Burdett received his Bachelor of Science in Secondary Language Arts, his Master’s Degree in the same field and his Master of Education all from Auburn University at Montgomery. He then received his Doctorate of Educational Administration from the University of North Texas. Dr. Burdett taught Secondary English for several years before beginning his administrative career as an Elementary Assistant Principal. He has worked in education at the elementary, middle and high school levels. He has been married to his wife for 19 years and together they have three sons.
DAEP
Shelia Winter Ms. Winter is in her 26th year in education. During that time she has been a Secondary English Teacher, Athletic Coach, and Assistant Principal at PHS before taking the role of DAEP Principal this year. Ms. Winter graduated from Midwestern University with a Bachelor of Science in Education. She then went on to Southeastern Oklahoma to receive her Master’s of Education. Ms. Winter has a son and daughter and 2 grandchildren.
42 | SPOTLIGHT
November 5th-8th Stuff the Bus
November 6th Election Day
November 8th
Performance Task Showcase PISD GT Symposium
November 19th-23rd
Thanksgiving Break / School Holiday
November 26th
PISD School Board Meeting
DECEMBER December 5th
Senior Citizen Luncheon
December 17th
PISD School Board Meeting
December 21st
Early Release (schedule TBD)
December 24th - January 4th Winter Break / School Holiday
January 7th
Student Holiday / Staff Development
January 21st
Martin Luther King Jr. Day / School Holiday
January 21st
PISD School Board Meeting
SAVE THE DATE
NOVEMBER
UPCOMING DATES | 43
WAYS TO Communication Outlets
Eagle Chat PISD Communications link Facebook - @ProsperISD Twitter - @ProsperISD Instagram - prosper_isd Campus Contact Tip411
General Information
FAQ Community News Eagle Express PISD Highlights Annual Report Calendars PISD At a Glance PISD Student Handbooks
Medical
Immunizations Medications Illnesses/when to stay home from school Campus Nurses
Discipline Questions/Concerns
Baker Elementary Boyer Elementary Cockrell Elementary Folsom Elementary Hughes Elementary Light Farms Elementary Rucker Elementary Spradley Elementary Windsong Ranch Elementary
Reynolds Middle || 6th Grade Principal || 7th Grade Principal || 8th Grade Principal 44 | WAYS TO CONNECT
Julia Roberds Ashley Gannon Kristen Patterson Marty Farrell David Bill Kim Newman Marisol Balderas Jennifer Larriviere Katie McLain Cindy Zukowski Amy Rizzo Jeff Veal
CONNECT Discipline Questions/Concerns Continued 혖혖 Rogers Middle || 6th Grade Principal || 7th Grade Principal || 8th Grade Principal || Transportation
Jamey Briscoe Jennifer Marthijohni Nicholas Jones Keith Kirkland
혖혖 Prosper High School || Students Last Name yy A - BA Dedrick Buckels yy BE - COR John Boehringer yy COS - GOM Gerald Parr yy GON - KAR Dustin Toth yy KAS - MILL Jason Jetton yy MIN - REL Julie Brantley yy REM - S Melissa Weiss yy T-Z Kristy Carr || Department Contact yy Advanced Placement, GT, Dual Credit - John Boehringer yy CTE - Kristy Carr yy Engineering - Gerald Parr yy English - Jason Jetton yy Fine Arts - Julie Brantley and Gerald Parr yy Languages Other Than English (LOTE) - Dustin Toth yy Math - Dedrick Buckels yy PE - Dustin Toth yy Science - Julie Brantley yy Social Studies - Melissa Weiss yy Special Education - Dedrick Buckels
WAYS TO CONNECT | 45