VOL. 1 | NO. 6
PROSPERTIMES Friday June 9, 2017 | Prosper, Texas
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Joyce Godwin | PROSPER TIMES
Class President Cutter Nielsen delivers the welcome speech for his graduating class.
Joyce Godwin | PROSPER TIMES
Valedictorian Alexis Vu speaks to the 2017 graduating class of Prosper High School. This is her image on the large video screen. Behind her is School Board President Daniel Jones, left, and School Board member Jim Bridges. Graduates toss their paste boards high in the air at the conclusion of the graduation ceremony.
Joyce Godwin | PROSPER TIMES
517 Prosper High School Graduates accept diplomas in graduation ceremony Joyce Godwin Joyce@CedarbrookMedia.com
It was a day of high emotion for Prosper High School graduates from the time their procession began to the time they left the auditorium. There were tears and laughter as the Class of 2017 performed the Prosper Rumble one final time as a class during the graduation ceremony Saturday at Prestonwood Baptist Church in Plano. As the graduates marched in to begin the ceremony, the band played while parents and friends shouted to their loved ones and held up signs of encouragement as they entered the auditorium letting their graduates know their family was with them.
The pasteboards of their graduation caps were decorated with logos of the colleges the seniors plan to attend or with the military branch logo they plan to join. Class President Cutter Nielsen put things into perspective early when he said “This is a pretty awesome privilege to get to speak to all of you today. Walking across the stage does not mean we forget our friends.” And in a lighter moment he added “Mom and Dad, it does not mean I have to pay for my gas.” Next it was the Salutatorian’s turn. Svaksha lyengar told her classmates to remember this new chapter of their lives that is unfolding before them. “Don't underestimate the positive impact you can have on people's lives,” she said. “Don't underestimate what a bright light you can be. In the end, it's not really about the
success and the fame and the wealth, it's going to be about the memories you made and the people you shared them with. So, go on and make me proud, Class of 2017. I can't wait to see what y'all do.” Prosper High School Principal Greg Wright shared some impressive statistics about the Class of 2017. Fifty-one students qualified for the top 10 percent of the class. There were 11 commended Merit Scholars and three National Merit Scholars. He also recognized Meghan Davis as the first ever PHS student on the way to MIT. Then he asked graduates planning to enter a branch of the military to stand. Close to 15 responded and the auditorium erupted into great cheers and applause. In fact, they repeated that every time one of these future military members walked the state to accept
a diploma. Wright expressed pride in the Senior Class that was able to raise $10,623 in one month for Relay for Life in the fight against cancer. “These are champions in their academics, in their performance, in the giving and in their behavior,” Wright said. “This is the nicest group of students I have ever been around in my career.” He spoke directly to the Class of 2017 and said, “You are amazing. This world is a better place because of you. I couldn’t have picked a better Senior Class to go out with,” he added referring to his coming retirement. “Do not every give up on your dreams,” he said. Valedictorian Alexis Vu took her turn at the podium and commended parents for sitting See GRADUATES, page 3
Prosper ISD students to have summer lunch options Joyce Godwin Joyce@CedarbrookMedia.com
The Light Lunch Ministry will be active yet again this summer. Tiffany Smith, founder of the program, said she is delighted to continue the program which will start up Tuesday, June 13 and will continue through August 1. Smith said she had the idea for this program for close to 15 years before she began finding a way to support the program through a strong partnership with the Prosper Ladies Association. Smith says there are more than 700 PISD students on the free and reduced lunch program at school and she’s concerned about them being able to have lunch when they are away from school. “We serve every Tuesday night from 6:30 p.m. to 7: 30 p.m. at Bodine Orthodontics,” Smith said. “Basically, I go shopping during the week and Tuesday night we set up a big assembly line. Each child has their own reusable bag that they bring with them.” The child then goes through the stations to pick up what they need to make sandwiches at home. Smith said the first year they stuck to shelfstable products, such as canned goods and packaged items. “We’re excited that we’re able to begin offering refrigerated items. That enables us to offer hot dogs and string cheese and lunch meat and yogurt and things like this,” she said. Smith said she is particularly excited to get help from Bar S Foods this summer. “We are able to get a lot of protein for the kids,” she said. Smith said this year is going to be better because Custer Storage is providing storage for the summer to enable her to keep things ready for the children. “I will have a place to pre-shop and organize and have a home base for our food,” Smith said. The estimated cost is $125 per child and will feed them through the 10 weeks of summer. Smith said she is expecting approximately 175 youngsters to come through the program. Donors wishing to help feed the children through the summer should call Smith at 214-425-3233 to inquire about in-kind donations and more. Also, if there are students in need who haven’t yet filled out an application, parents should also contact Smith.
Time to pay attention to mosquito protections Joyce Godwin Joyce@CedarbrookMedia.com
With the rising Texas temperatures for summer, comes warnings about mosquito transmitted diseases. Most notable at this time is the Zika virus and the Texas Department of State Health Services is already tracking information and sending out warnings. As of May 26, Collin County has been reported with one case of the Zika virus, but it is early in the season. The DSHS provides updates every Tuesday on its website on the number of Zika virus diseases cases in Texas by the patient’s county of residence. Twelve Zika cases have been reported for 2017 with 323 cases reported for 2015 and 2016. Collin County is not currently included in the high-risk areas of the state. The Texas DSHS is expanding its testing guidance for residents of six South Texas counties. In these counties, the DSHS has recommended testing for all pregnancy residents as well as any who have a rash plus at least one other common Zika symptom such as fever, joint pain or eye redness. The high-risk areas named are Cameron, Hidalgo, Starr, Webb, Willacy and Zapata counties. For the rest of the state, DSHS recommends testing anyone who has at least three of those four Zika symptoms and all pregnant women who have traveled to areas with ongoing Zika transmissions, including any part of Mexico. “Zika remains a significant health risk to pregnant women and their
babies, and it’s only a matter of time until we see local transmission here again,” said DSHS Commissioner Dr. John Hellerstedt. “We want to cast as wide a net as possible with testing to increase our ability to find and respond to cases, and the Lower Rio Grande Valley remains the part of the state most at risk for Zika transmission.” Zika testing is widely available through commercial labs, so healthcare providers can order testing through their normal channels. “We don't want cost to prevent anyone from getting tested,” Hellerstedt said. “If the cost of testing would be a barrier for a patient, providers should contact their local or regional health department for information about testing through the public health system.” DSHS says as temperatures continue to warm up, mosquito activity will increase, so people statewide should protect themselves from mosquitoes at home and while traveling to areas where Zika is spreading. Precautions include consistently using mosquito repellent when outside, wearing long sleeves and pants, and using air conditioning or making sure window screens will keep mosquitoes out of the home. Texas is also calling on people to pick up trash and dump out containers that could hold standing water in and around their homes and businesses to deny mosquitoes a place to lay their eggs, decrease the overall number of mosquitoes, and help protect family members and neighbors from Zika. The Zika virus is transmitted to people primarily through the bite
of an infected mosquito, though it can also spread by sexual contact. While symptoms are usually minor, Zika can cause severe birth defects in babies of some women infected during pregnancy. DSHS recommends pregnant women follow CDC advice to avoid traveling to locations with sustained, local Zika transmission, including all areas of Mexico. Pregnant women and their sexual partners who have traveled to those areas should use condoms or avoid sexual contact during the course of the pregnancy. The health alert and additional information on precautions and travel advice are available at TexasZika.org. A letter was sent recently to all Texas school superintendents and school board members about the dangers of the Zika mosquito. “Combatting Zika begins at the local level. When done in concert, these simple steps represent a big step toward preventing the spread of Zika.” The letter was signed by Gov. Greg Abbott, Commissioner for DSHS Dr. John Hellerstedt and Mike Morath, Commissioner for TEA. It states, “We encourage all schools and communities to take action now to address the threat of Zika virus in Texas. Please do not hesitate to reach out to us or your local health department as we work to limit locally transmitted cases of Zika in Texas. DSHS stands ready to provide technical expertise as you prepare school campuses for the summer months. Please feel free to send any questions to TexasZika@ dshs.texas.gov.”
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