Bulldog Broadcast - September 2018

Bulldog Broadcast September is: National Hispanic Heritage Month & National Literacy Month

The Official Magazine of Everman Independent School District

CONTENTS

F O E L B A T

3 4 6 10 24 26

S U P E R I N T E N D E N T ' S

L I T E R A C Y

C O R N E R

M O N T H

Publishers/Editors: Dr. Nikita Russell Derrick Thompson H I S P A N I C

S C H O O L

F A L L

H E R I T A G E

H I G H L I G H T S

S P O R T S

F O L L O W

U S

M O N T H

Contributors: Taisha Boone Tamika Dees Abigail Ferry Jason Gillis Marta Hawk Logan Jones Jason Miller Dr. Sean Milligan Cherie Pace Mary Preston Veronica Puente Paulina Sterrett Tami Terry Alejandra Witherspoon

Social Media Accounts Contact Us: Everman communications at communications@eisd.org or 817-568-3500

SUPERINTENDENT'S CORNER Dr. CURTIS AMOS

During the first few days of school, we have experienced an increase in student growth. For the first time in school history, Everman ISD’s enrollment count is over 6,000 students.

Here is the breakdown as of Friday, August 24, 2018:

Bishop (489) E. Ray (493) Souder (556) Hommel (383) Townley (469) Powell (452) Johnson (503) Baxter (1015) Everman High School (1687)

Now, let us look at literacy. One

Allow me to reiterate, it is

of the district’s initiatives is

imperative that we prepare

implementing the Literacy Plan:

our students to compete

Read! Write! Achieve! Many of

globally. In order to

you understand and have heard me

compete students must have

say that our students will be

21st-century skills, including

reading by the end of 2nd grade,

communication, creativity,

which is a skill set we must not

collaboration, and critical

take for granted. It is imperative

thinking that will prepare

that we as a community take part

them for college and careers

in helping our students to read and

of the future. My hope is that

write so that they can have a

through the collaborative

successful future. As you know,

efforts of EISD educators,

literacy is critical to economic

parents, and community

development as well as individual

students will be prepared to

and community well-being. Let us

compete globally and

work together to ensure that all

equipped with the tools

EISD students read on a daily

needed for the 21st-century.

basis.

Everman Academy (47)

Our vision statement of “One Goal…One Purpose…

Student Success” pushes us

As you can see, we are growing! Two

as educators to provide

years ago, we began discussions about

students with the great

the projected growth of the district.

educational opportunities so

Soon, we will begin discussions about

that they can perform at a

planning additions to campuses and possibly constructing new buildings to

We observe National Hispanic

support the student growth. Later this

Heritage Month in

year, I will provide more information to

September. According to NEA,

you regarding how the district can add

"National Hispanic Heritage

classrooms to existing schools without

Month is the period in the United

increasing taxes. Until then, we will

States, when people recognize the

continue to communicate with

contributions of Hispanic and

developers about their plans for

Latino Americans to the United

building homes in Everman. I am

States and celebrate the groups’

excited that the positive work we are

heritage and culture." Please join

doing and the excellent educational

the district in celebrating National

programs we provide promote EISD in

Hispanic Heritage Month by

such a way that families have a desire

participating in activities taking

to move to the area.

place at your child’s school.

www.eisd.org

very high level in today’s society. As we strive to work towards a common goal and understand the rationale, it is imperative that all stakeholders take ownership in educating every child. We must continue to work as a team to ensure the best for all EISD students.

Remember, “Everman ISD Is The Place To Be!”

www.eisd.org

STUDENTS ARE YOU READING???

www.eisd.org

BILINGUAL DEPARTMENT ยกHola padres! We are excited to start a new year. This year we are implementing our new Kindergarten Two-Way Dual Language program. Our Kindergarten students will be learning both English and Spanish and we cannot wait to see them enrich their vocabulary.

We have some great opportunities coming up for parents: September 6th, 6:00-8:00 p.m.- Texas Wesleyan University Parent Academy begins at Hommel Elementary. This is a series of classes that will be held throughout the year.

September 11th, 9:00 a.m.- 12:00 p.m.- Registration for FREE English classes for parents at Dan Powell Intermediate School.

www.eisd.org

Bilingual, Biliterate and Bicultural by: Alejandra Witherspoon In 1992 my parents made the difficult decision to move my two sisters and I from Mexico to Burleson, Texas. We are a very close family and grew even closer when moving to Texas. We left everything behind and my parents started from the bottom. They were washing dishes, cleaning houses, cleaning offices, and cooking at restaurants. We started a new life.

When arriving, we lived in a one bedroom apartment until getting a two bedroom apartment a few months later. My older sister and I began elementary school, neither of us knowing the English language. Our ESL teacher, Ms. Cathey, would work with us for an hour a day by pulling us out of our class. While we were learning English at school, my parents insisted on continuing to speak Spanish to us at home. My parents were told by our teachers to not speak Spanish to us so that we could learn English faster, but they knew that was not the best for us. They did not feel like speaking to us in English, a language which they did not know fluently, would benefit us. Growing up in our home we knew that when speaking to our parents we were to only speak Spanish. If we chose not to, then my parents would not listen to us. Once I began reading my parents would get books sent from Mexico, so I could begin reading in Spanish. I would write my family letters in order to practice my writing. They always made sure we had the resources we needed to better our language development in both English and Spanish.

As well as learning the Spanish language, my parents always made sure that we remembered our mexican culture and where we came from. Spanish music, television and mexican food was a constant in our home! They made it a point to be consistent with with us retaining our language and culture while adjusting to a new language and culture.

Thanks to my parents, I am bilingual, biliterate and bicultural. I am a college graduate and a bilingual educator who values the importance of knowing two languages as well as two cultures.

www.eisd.org

Q & A with Director of Transportation JASON GILLIS Explain your role in Everman ISD:

Tell us a little about yourself.

As the Transportation Director, I oversee: 1. The transporting of eligible students from home to school to home as safely and efficiently as possible.

2. The purchase of new buses, the maintenance of current buses and other district vehicles, and disposal of old buses.

3. Training for department staff.

4. Student management on the buses.

5. The purchasing of goods and services used by the department (fuel, parts, on/off-site service).

What inspires you the most?

Getting to work with others that come to work before most people get out of bed, who leave from work after most are at home eating dinner that operate a 40,000 pound mobile classroom of 50+ kids, while facing the chalkboard the whole time in traffic lanes built for 4,000 pound vehicles.

What do you love most about your job?

Knowing that I am responsible for getting kids to school with minds open to learning!!

I have been married to my college sweetheart for almost 24 years! She is a 6th grade Social Studies teacher, and we have both been in education for over 20+ years each! We have 2 awesome daughters! The oldest is a 5th grade science teacher in her 3rd year, and the other is in the Army in the military police, and will be heading to Korea in October. We have 2 cats, a tarantula, a ball python, and a red-tailed boa constrictor, and for some reason we don’t have many visitors (joking). Actually we have LOTS of friends and family at the house all the time!! Between my wife and I, we have more brothers, sisters and in-laws than we can count, along with our 17 nieces and nephews!!

I am a Texas-Certified Teacher and Principal, and I have been a teacher, coach, bus driver, bus mechanic, assistant principal, principal, director, machine operator, maintenance supervisor, parts specialist for 2 auto parts stores, hay hauler, pizza maker, cashier, waiter, and even a Subway sandwich artist. I have also recently become a Certified Personal Trainer and hope to start working part-time for Camp Gladiator!

What would you like parents to know about bus transportation in Everman?

Your babies are our babies when they are on the buses. We transport tomorrow’s leaders! We will follow the laws and rules put forth by our state and local school board to make that happen. We work hard to provide a safe and efficient bus ride for the kids. and we will always put safety fir

www.eisd.org

BISHOP ELEMENTARY

by Marta Hawk

Welcome back to another exciting year

Furthermore, we are excited to announce

at Bishop! We hope everyone had a fun

that Third and Fourth Graders will now

and relaxing summer. We would like to

have 1:1 access to Chromebooks! Also,

start by welcoming back our returning

Second Graders will have 1:1 access to

students, staff, as well as our new

iPads as well! Bishop is on the road to

students and staff.

engaging students in the latest technology in preparing students to compete in a

There are many new and exciting

global society.

things happening at Bishop Elementary this year. Bishop has started servicing

Join us this Monday, September 13th for

3-year-olds and will continue to service

our annual Open House from 5:00 – 6:30

four-year-olds in its Head Start

pm. Parents are invited to visit their

program. Also, we are also continuing

children’s classrooms. On Thursday,

its Pre-K program and is extending it to

September 20th Bishop will commence the

a full day program. This year

school clubs held every third Thursday of

kindergartners will participate in a

the month.

Two-Way Dual Language program in which students will have the

Other upcoming events:

opportunity to learn in English and

Monday, Sept. 3rd: Labor Day (national

Spanish!

holiday) Stay tuned for next month’s upcoming

We also want to acknowledge our amazing teachers for their dedication and hard work in helping students achieve tremendous academic growth.

Bishop Elementary received two distinction designations for the 20172018 calendar year – Academic Achievement in Mathematics and Post Secondary Readiness.

events.

E. RAY ELEMENTARY by Tami Terry

What a great start to the new school year! We had a wonderful turnout for Meet the Teacher on August 15th, and are looking forward to many more activities with students and parents in the upcoming school year. If you have not joined PTA yet, please do so. You can contact Ms. America Hutchins, PTA President for more information about how to do that. Dues for this year are $8.00 and need to be paid with cash.

TACOS WITH TEACHERS This month we are looking forward to our second annual Tacos with Teachers night. Join us on Thursday, September 13, 2018, from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.. Our PTA will be serving dinner for parents, students, and teachers in the E. Ray cafeteria. Last year was our first year to have this event, and we all felt it was a great way for parents and teachers to spend time getting to know each other. Be on the lookout for information coming home with your students about this event.

THE BIG KAHUNA FUNDRAISER E. Ray fundraiser will kick off on Wednesday, September 19, 2018. Students will receive information packets at that time regarding fundraiser instructions, prize opportunities and how they can win a ride on that awesome Big Kahuna Party Bus! Students will have two weeks to get those sales done and get them turned in. The fundraiser ends on October 3, 2018.

HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH September 15 through October 15, we will be celebrating National Hispanic Heritage Month. During this time, students will be learning about the culture and contribution of Hispanic and Latino Americans. In addition, our thirdgrade classes will be planning a Hispanic Heritage program to be shared with the community on Thursday, October 18, 2018, at 5:30 p.m. Please put this date on your calendar and make plans to join us for this celebration of Hispanic culture.

www.eisd.org

HOMMEL ELEMENTARY

by Abigail Ferry AVID Elementary: Hommel Style!

This year, Hommel has taken on the initiative to add the program, AVID Elementary to our campus. We had teachers and staff attend the summer institute in San Antonio, TX this summer.

We are excited to implement AVID, Achievement Via Individual Determination. We hope that this program is a stepping stone to help empower our teachers to implement more rigorous strategies in the classroom and a collegiate, career-focused atmosphere.

In turn, we hope that our students will build the foundation to become life-long learners who set goals that they will reach or exceed.Â

This program focuses heavily on college and career readiness through the implementation of WICOR (Writing, Inquiry, Collaboration, Organization, and Reading) strategies. As many of the higher grade levels already have established AVID, we will be sending our students with the skill set necessary to succeed in that environment at their future campuses.

Our third and fourth-grade students will start the AVID program this year. The first stop on their AVID journey will be learning organization and study skills. We are anxious to start the 2018-2019 school year with this new program. We want to prepare our students to be the best they can be and AVID is the tool that will take them to the next level!

SOUDER ELEMENTARY

BY LOGAN JONES & PAULINA STERRETT

At Souder Elementary we are pleased to

This year we will begin Free Dress

have started off the school year and are

Fridays. If a student is on-time and

thrilled to have your students at our campus

at school every single day during

once again after a wonderful summer

the week, they will have the

break. As a campus, we are excited to

opportunity to earn a Free Dress

continue the implementation of many

Friday Pass. Students will be able

motivational incentives for our students

Students enjoy working hard to

to dress out of uniform but will be

throughout the school year. In order to have

do their best and show their

required to be appropriate,

an engaging and motivating learning

excellent behaviors to earn

acceptable clothing. Absences and

environment for our students, we are using

points. Students are able to

tardies will be indicated on each

these incentives to encourage hard work and

receive points in any part of the

students’ conduct sheet daily (if

dedication each and every day. We know

building and by any staff

applicable). Free Dress Friday will

that all aspects of a school impact student

member. The staff has to simply

then be denoted on Thursday’s

learning and achievement and we are

scan the barcode of the student

space if the student's earned the

working hard to make our school a positive

with a device, and the student

privilege. Our goal is to encourage

and welcoming environment for all.

receives the points in their

students to be here and on-time to

account on the App. Each

school each and every day.

This year, we will continue positive

month, students are able to shop

behavior measures through our campus-wide

at our P.B.I.S. store with the

Our goal here at Souder Elementary

P.B.I.S. program. Last year, we began using

points they have received. Some

is student success, it's the most

the P.B.I.S. App. to track and encourage

students even plan ahead and

important thing. Student success

positive behavior with every student on

save their points to cash them in

goes beyond just academics, it

campus. Through fundraising efforts, we

all at once for bigger prizes at

encompasses the whole student.

were able to purchase an I.D. maker for

the P.B.I.S. store. We look

While we will work hard every day

student badges and a multitude of prizes that

forward to filling the store with

academically, we also will work

students could earn/purchase. This awesome

many more great prizes that

hard to encourage our students to

P.B.I.S. App allows all staff to reward

reward students when they show

develop positive social skills and

students individually when they earn points

their best behaviors.

positive life skills that will help

for exemplifying positive behavior attributes

them become better people.

throughout the school. Each student will

We have also decided to launch

have their own P.B.I.S. I.D. card on a

a new incentive that helps

We look forward to continuing to

lanyard that contains a barcode matching

promote student attendance and

work with your children and

only to the student. Teachers and staff

reduce student tardiness to

providing motivational incentives

members are able to scan the student’s

school. We want to encourage

for your students throughout the

barcode and apply points to the student’s

students to be present each and

school year.

account for when they demonstrate their

every day. As many of us know,

A.B.C.’s (Always do your best, Be safe,

student success is directly tied to

Care for others).

the number of days a student is present in the school building.

Students must be here to learn.

www.eisd.org

MRS. TAMIKA DEES TOWNLEY ELEMENTARY

On July 22, 2018, Townley Elementary hosted its first community forum titled "Talk and Tea at Townley." Our philosophy at Townley is that it truly Takes a Village to ensure success for ALL students. This forum consisted of speakers from local business owners, the political arena, early childhood education facilitators, religious organizations, and the Everman police department. Parents and community members enjoyed light refreshments and tea. One of our families received a 25.00 visa gift card as a door prize.Â

MRS. TANISHA BOONE POWELL INTERMEDIATE

TEACHERS:

We have worked to provide a At Dan Powell our students variety of staff members to

INSTRUCTION:

serve our students. It always

During the process of reaching

helps for our students to have

the whole child we are excited

teachers to which they can

about all of the various ways we

relate. We are excited about

meet our students’ needs. They

all of our staff members who

have access to GT, Pre - AP

are apart of our dream team!

classes, Bilingual support, Special

come first! We are taking every step to reach them where they are and assist them in advancing. We accomplish this by reaching the whole child through...

Services, Music, Art, P.E.,

CLUBS:

Student Council/ Powell

Students have the opportunity to learn in a structured environment. They get to experience every aspect of some of their favorite activities. They start out by participating in a club selection process. Once selected they go through an extensive review of procedures and expectations and last of all the have FUN! This allows our teachers to build relationships and gives our students insight that they might not otherwise learn about our staff.

Ambassadors, and many more.

Our students are important to us and providing an education that meets all of their needs will prepare them for what the future holds. WE ARE DAN POWELL.

www.eisd.org

MRS. MARY PRESTON JOHNSON 6TH GRADE CENTER

MOVES (Making Obstacles Vanish for Every Student) with Restorative Practices Ring! The startling sound of the bell makes teachers race to the door in anticipation of their students! The fresh hairstyles, starched shirts, and smiling faces hearken to the excitement of a new year with much to learn. This year, students are not the only ones smiling...OR learning! The teachers at Johnson 6th Grade Center are eager to embrace their students and the concept of Restorative Practices. All summer long, the Johnson 6th Grade PBIS team learned strategies on how to build strong relationships with students, develop school-wide systems, and implement practices that facilitate our overall goal of reaching every child.

Administrators, teachers and staff collaborated with each other, working diligently to present a high quality, hands-on PD to their colleagues and the enthusiasm was brewing!

This year our motto is Excellence with No Limits. That means that everything we do is MOVES. Every training and PLC fall into what I call...MOVES. MOVES are practices we do at Johnson 6th that make obstacles vanish for every student. Restorative Practices are a huge part of that! The teachers showed the most zeal with circle time, a strategy that is based upon allowing students to express how they feel, get them talking about problems AND solutions, all while building community. It’s the strategy that can be used in so many different ways with perhaps, the very best outcome which is learning about our students and how we can best serve them. I can’t wait to see all the wonderful relationships and robust scholars that we will build up at Johnson 6th Grade because of Restorative Practices!

EVERMAN JOE C. BEAN HIGH SCHOOL

MR. JASON MILLER

Bulldog Family:

Welcome to the 2018-2019 school year! I hope you enjoyed a summer vacation filled with fun and exciting memories with your loved ones. We were thrilled to welcome all of you back to a new school year of learning and growing.

Personally, I am grateful and elated to continue this journey with you as your Principal. Over the past year, I have had a chance to meet many of you and your children, and look forward to building a strong relationship with all of you in the upcoming year. As we enter this new school year, I want to let you know that our staff will be engaging in conversations around having a growth mindset, both for themselves and for all students. We believe that every person in this building should always be growing and learning. Despite obstacles that may arise, we must always believe in our ability to rise above challenges and come out stronger on the other end.

I want to personally invite you to attend our Open House on Thursday, September 18th starting at 6:00 PM. This will be a great time to strengthen our Everman community, meet teachers and other families, and learn about the upcoming school year. We’ll begin the evening in the auditorium with our Open House/Title I/LEP and Public Meeting for accountability.

At 6:45 PM, we will transition to the campus and from there you’ll have the opportunity to visit with teachers until 8:00 PM. Our school goal is to see 70% of our families at this event.

As always, please feel free to reach out with questions or concerns..

EVERMAN ACADEMY HIGH SCHOOL WE'RE BACK

by Cherie Pace

The Newest Members of the Academy

Mrs. Sarah Lawson My name is Sarah Lawson.

I have been in education for 10 years, 3 years as a Special Education teacher. I hold a Bachelor of General Studies from Texas

Welcome Back to the 2018-2019 school year! We are so excited to have all of you back. Looking forward to an “INCREDIBLE” year!!

Woman's University and Teacher Certification through ECAP. I have a passion for equipping individuals with skills to experience a better quality of life. My motto for life is "Never Lose Hope".

Mrs. Payton Neill My name is Payton Neill, I teach Social Studies at Everman

OUR GRADUATES

Academy High School. I am from Van, Texas and went to college at the University of North Texas, where I graduated Magna Cum Laude as a first-generation college student. I love ancient history, especially Greek, Egyptian, and Sumerian civilizations. I am married with one step-son and we have two dogs, a corgi named Elliot and a German Shepherd/Border Collie named Bailey. I love camping, offroading, fishing, kayaking, painting and watching Friends on Netflix. I am so happy to be at EISD teaching the best subject!

Both come to us with experience and a heart for students.

Congratulations again to the graduating class of 2018!

You all have been great examples and have set a very high bar for the students at Everman Academy High School! Go forth and do great things!

Sadly, Kelvin passed away over the summer. He will truly be missed.

We are looking forward to watching them grow their careers and our students here in EISD.

EVERMAN ACADEMY HIGH SCHOOL IS THE "FUTURE OF EDUCATION"!!

DR. SEAN MILLIGAN EVERMAN COLLEGIATE HIGH SCHOOL

Welcome to Everman Collegiate High School

The students of Everman Collegiate High

– A program of excellence! It is my pleasure

School are provided with numerous

to say welcome back for the 2018-2019 school year.

opportunities to be challenged as they learn and grow through college courses from Tarrant County College, advanced

Our primary responsibility is student learning

placement courses, and nationally

and offering all our students the educational opportunities that will maximize their potential. Today’s world demands students who think critically. We do this by challenging them in their learning

recognized curriculum in our AVID classes. Our students can benefit from challenging classes in Computer Assisted Drafting and Design, music, humanities,

experiences as they work to achieve their

information technology, business, child

dreams. Within the graduation requirements

development, and personal wellness.

of the Everman Collegiate High School, you

Additionally, our students are ensured to

will find expectations for each student to

have success and be appropriately

receive a well-rounded education. This

challenged.

includes a unique combination of rigorous academic standards and achievement in an inviting academic culture.

Everman Collegiate High School is building a tradition of excellence in academics as well as community service.

One of our greatest strengths is the pride and support from our community, and our parents are critical contributors to the success of our students.

I welcome your involvement as we work to provide the best possible education to the students of ECHS. I encourage you to contact me with your ideas, suggestions and concerns.

First Day of School

Everman Bulldogs Football Schedule Aug. 24th @CROWLEY 7:30 Sept. 7th STEPHENVILLE 7:30 Sept. 14th @SEGUIN 7:30 Sept. 21st CENTENNIAL 7:30 Sept. 28th @ALEDO 7:30 Oct. 12th MIDLOTHIAN 7:30 Oct. 19th @BURLESON 7:30 Oct. 26th CLEBURNE 7:30 Lady Bulldogs Nov. 2nd @WACO UNIVERSITY Volleyball Schedule 7:30 Nov. 9th JOSHUA 7:30 Aug. 31st ARLINGTON HEIGHTS 6:30 Sept. 7th @TIMBERVIEW 5:30 Sept. 11th LEGACY 6:30 Sept. 14th @ SEGUIN 5:30 Sept. 18th CENTENNIAL 6:30 Sept. 21st @BURLESON 5:30 Sept. 25th CROWLEY 6:30 Sept. 28th @GRANBURY 5:30 Oct. 2nd TIMBERVIEW 6:30 Oct. 5th @LEGACY 5:30 Oct. 9th SEGUIN 6:30 Oct. 12th @CENTENNIAL 5:30 Oct. 16th BURLESON 6:30 Oct. 19th @CROWLEY 5:30 Oct. 23rd GRANBURY 6:30

Everman Bulldogs Tennis Schedule Aug. 28th CENTENNIAL Sept. 4th @CROWLEY Sept. 11th LEGACY Sept. 18th @SEGUIN Sept. 25th BURLESON Oct. 2nd GRANBURY Oct. 9th @TIMBERVIEW Oct. 15th - 16th Bi District Playoff TBA Oct. 18th - 19th Area Playoff TBA Oct. 22nd - 23rd Regional Quarter finals TBA Oct. 25th - 26th Regional Tournament @ALLEN Oct. 31st - Nov. 1st State Tournament @TEXAS A&M

Everman Bulldogs Cross-Country Schedule Aug. 25th Cowtown Challenge @HALTOM CITY Aug. 31st Elk Run @BURLESON Sept. 8th Spartan Invitational @BURLESON Sept. 14th Buzz Run @CLEBURNE Sept. 21st Prowl in the Park @BENBROOK Sept. 26th Zebra Rally @BEAUMONT RANCH Oct. 5th Race for the Loot @GRANBURY Oct. 11th District 5-5A Championships @BURLESON Oct. 22nd Regional Meet @LUBBOCK Nov. 3rd State Meet @ROUND ROCK

Have a great story for next magazine contact: Dr. Nikita Russell at communications@eisd.org