See Band on

from Vollume VII, Issue 12 (November 1, 2022)

Gratitude costs us nothing, but it benefits everything even when times are tough. See Opinion on

Pay raise for custodial staff

The Longview ISD Board of Trustees unanimously approved amending the district’s custodial contract in order to raise janitorial staff pay, during their regular meeting Monday, Oct. 17th.

Back in July, the district raised the minimum wage for all hourly employees to $15 per hour, with the provision that the administration would begin negotiating a pay increase for Service Solution Corporation (SSC) employees.

The Dallas-based company has handled janitorial services throughout the district since 2014.

With an increase of $457,494 to the total $3.1 million annual contract, legacy employees will see an increase to $15 per hour, and current full-time staff increased to $12 per hour. The new base hourly rate will be increased to $11.50 per hour.

Superintendent Dr. James Wilcox said he hopes this adjustment helps illustrate the vital importance of district janitorial staffers as the “front line” in keeping students and staff healthy.

“From the first moment we began looking at increasing hourly staff pay, our hope was that we would find a way to lift the pay rates of our contracted custodial staffers as well,” he said. “These people are as much a part of Longview ISD as anyone, and we want them to know how much we value and appreciate their hard work.”

NEW GREENHOUSE

FOR GARDEN

Later, trustees unanimously approved a request from the Agriculture Science Department for the $55,194 purchase of a new greenhouse at the district garden.

Mr. Harold Hillis, Longview High Career & Technology Education (CTE) Director, explained that the purchase of a 20-foot by 48-foot Atlas Snow Arch greenhouse from BWI Companies

Board|Continued to page 17

Jackson aims at preparing future chefs

Elizabeth Jackson is starting her first year at LISD, but she already is setting big plans in motion.

As the latest culinary teacher at Longview High School, Mrs. Jackson is a Gilmer native who is excited about helping her 230 students broaden their horizons.

“This is my first year at LHS and my biggest goal at the moment is to start Family Career CommuJACKSON nity Leaders of America. My goal is to prepare them for competitions and to give them the confidence in knowing they have what it takes to earn a top rank and potentially earn scholarships!”

Before teaching at Gladewater for four years, Mrs. Jackson earned a Bachelor’s degree from The University of Texas Permian Basin and will be completing her M.Ed degree in Curriculum and

Chef|Continued to page 19

New leadership program launching at LHS

The Family Career Community Leaders of America is a national Career and Technical Student Organization for students in Family and Consumer Sciences education in school through grade 12.

Elizabeth Jackson, the latest culinary instructor at LHS has brought three years experience of working with the program. Now, FCCLA is available to Lobos which Mrs. Jackson says will broaden their future.

“Most students have never left the comfort of Longview. Joining FCCLA opens up doors for them to experience areas like Waco, Dallas, and even cities out of the state! FCCLA is open to those who have taken a Family and Consumer Science class and is only $17 to join!”

In February, the students who joined the program will be heading to Waco for Regionals.

The program offers intra-curricular resources and opportunities for students to pursue careers that support families. It also offers opportunities for members to compete, earn scholarships, develop real world skills, and help with the community.

According to the FCCLA website, more than 199,000 student members are active in over 4,900 chapters across the country.

To learn more about the program, go to fcclainc.org.

CHARTERS

Spotlighting Ware teacher Ms. Fornia

Meet Francheska Fornia, a 3rd Grade Bilingual teacher at Ware East Texas Montessori Academy. In her classroom, she incorporates both IB and Montessori methods and ideas. In order to convey the importance of globalization, Ms. Fornia has an IB wall display dedicated to the Learner Profile traits written in both Spanish and English. She also shows the flags of the various countries of origin of both students in her class and herself: El Salvador, Mexico, the Dominican Republic, Honduras, Puerto Rico, and the United States.

Puerto Rican herself, she has shared with her students a Puerto Rican custom of Vejigante. “The Vejigante (Vayhe-GAHN-tay) is a fantastic, colorful character introduced into carnival celebrations in Puerto Rico hundreds of years ago. He is a classic example of the blending of African, Spanish, and Caribbean influences in Puerto Rican culture.” These Vejigante are used to scare people during carnival time, roaming the streets and chasing children with their scary masks. In her classroom, students recently made paper mache vejigante masks and celebrated at a similar festival in the school cafeteria. This exploration of cultures helps support the international focus of IB as well as the Learner Profile trait of being open-minded. Students also regularly free write in journals, describing things that are important to them and expressing their thoughts and feelings, thus developing the Learner Profile trait of being reflective.

This six weeks, Ms. Fornia’s students are exploring the Unit of Inquiry “How We Express Ourselves,” including the key concepts of function, change and form. Students are learning how money functions, how multiplication works and how to count coins. In a “read-aloud,” Ms. Fornia shared the book Pigs Will Be Pigs, in which a family of pigs wanted to go out to eat, but didn’t have enough money and so they went on a money hunt throughout their house, finding money in a piggy bank, in a dresser drawer, in pockets of clothing, in the washing machine, etc. Students recorded the money found on each page, then totaled it, and discovered that the story had a happy ending: a trip to their favorite restaurant where the special of the day, multiplied by 4 (pigs) allowed them enjoy a feast of unlimited trips to the buffet. To reinforce multiplication and writing skills, students created arrays of egg cartons, Hershey’s bars, and candies, and then wrote word problems of their own arrays. In this transdisciplinary lesson (reading, writing, and arithmetic), students develop the IB forest park Learner Profile traits of being knowledgeable, being thinkers and being inquirers.

LISD is fortunate to have many teachers of Francheska Fornia’s caliber, dedicated teachers who implement IB principles and practices in their classrooms to their students’ great benefit.

FFA seeks sponsors for Carter Mayes Scholarship

The Lobo FFA is seeking sponsors. The Longview FFA Alumni is hosting the Carter Mayes Memorial Livestock Show on December 10.

They want this year’s show to be bigger and better by adding the “Live Like Carter Scholarship” where they are going to give a scholarship to a Senior Showman from each species (goat, lamb, swine & cattle) outside of their local chapter who is participating in the Carter Mayes Memorial Stockshow.

They need your help to make this happen. Please consider giving as these kids are future leaders. They need sponsors!

To find out more, go to: https://forms.gle/

w3sqGoigbUWRRKpk8

Fun and learning with Lady Lobo hoopsters

The Lady Lobo basketball team had a great time volunteering at the East Texas Montessori Prep Academy’s Fall Fest!

Gifted & Talented now enrolling at LISD

Referrals are now being accepted for the Longview ISD Gifted and Talented program. For more information please contact Mrs. Catina Love, LISD Testing Coordinator.

Anyone may refer a student for G/T services (i.e. teacher, parent, and/or any other), just complete the referral on the district website or request a hard copy from the school counselor.

While referrals are accepted at designated times throughout the school year, the time windows are grade-level specific. While the referral window for K, 4-7 has passed, the window for K-3 is April 10-April 21.

Students who score at or above the 90th national percentile rank (NPR) on math and/ or reading on the achievement assessment will move on to the second phase of the gifted and talented process.

Please note: The national percentile rank (NPR) requirement on math and/or reading on the achievement assessment will change in the spring to the 95th percentile.

Grades K, 4-7 will have the achievement test between Nov. 7-18, and the abilities test between Jan. 9-13. K-3 will have the achievement test between April 24-28, and the abilities test between May 11-19.

PROGRAM

PHILOSOPHY

The philosophy of the Longview Independent School District program for gifted and talented students encompasses these core beliefs: • Gifted students have unique educational needs that demand the nurture and advocacy of a differentiated academic program. • It is essential for gifted

students to interact with their intellectual peers, as well as all student peers. • Balanced programming for gifted students provides for both cognitive and emotional development. • Effective gifted programming equips students with the necessary skills to become self-directed, lifelong learners

STATE GOAL

Students who participate in services designed for gifted students will demonstrate skills in self-directed learning, thinking, research, and communication as evidenced by the development of innovative products and performances that are advanced in relation to students of similar age, experience, or environment and reflect individuality and creativity. High school graduates who have participated in services for gifted students will have produced products and performances of professional quality as part of

Gifted|Continued to page 19

Judson students enjoy grant-funded field trip

By Kay Ray LISD Foundation Executive Director

Kay Ray, Longview ISD Foundation Executive Director, interviewed 8th grade Judson students to learn about their learning experience after traveling to Texas State Technical College.

Ivonne Guerra, Judson STEAM Academy Spanish teacher, wrote an academic field trip grant in conjunction with Melanie Pondant, principal, titled “Texas State Technical College (TSTC) Seventh Grade Trip.” The grant was specifically designed for Language Acquisition and Design and English as a Second Language students to expose them to different trades and certifications available to them at a technical school nearby. While the students were scheduled to take the field trip in spring 2022, TSTC was unable to accommodate the students. Undeterred, Mrs. Guerra worked with TSTC to schedule the trip for the students, now eighth graders for fall 2022. By visiting TSTC in Marshall on September 9, students who may not be college bound but who want other career training and skills options learned how they could work at high paying jobs that are needed in our area and throughout the state.

One hundred ninety-one students, ten teachers, and a volunteer traveled to TSTC to learn about the certification programs TSTC offers: onstruction, manufacturing, environmental safety, aviation, business, and technology as well as others. TSTC instructors led students through stations to show them the type of hands-on instruction they would receive as a student there. Students had opportunities to ask questions about the programs, cost, financial aid, and the time to complete the programs offered.

Arnold Rodriguez, eighth grader, especially enjoyed learning about the diesel mechanic program. He already enjoys work-

RAY

ing on cars, so knowing that he could earn certification with two to three semesters of training interested him. He learned that TSTC works with Ryder Trucking Company to place TSTC graduates in good paying jobs.

Jade Angus, eighth grader, said the welding program interested her. Along with other students, she visited the welding lab and observed students welding. With three semesters of training as a welder, Jade could enter the workforce as a welder working in

Why send students to an IB school?

By Christy Triece Guest Writer

This article about the IB Programme is Part 1 of 2. Be sure to check back in the December print issue for the second part.

“If you have built castles in the air, your work need not be lost; that is where they should be. Now put the foundations under them.” — Henry David

Thoreau

Working hard to build foundations in classrooms across Longview ISD are teachers implementing the principles and practices of the esteemed International Baccalaureate program. It is Dr. Wilcox’s intention and dream for all LISD schools to become IB World Schools. The IB, headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, came into existence in the late 1960’s when educators recognized a need for the children of foreign diplomats and of business professionals of multinational countries to have an internationally acceptable, common education that would qualify them for university admissions worldwide. Thus began the IB Diploma Programme (DP). Through the years IB has expanded to include the Middle Years Programme (MYP), and the Primary Years Programme (PYP). In 2012, the Career-related Programme, ages 16-19, was instituted. Undergirding all four programs is the IB Learner Profile, a set of the 10 traits that IB believes a well-rounded student would need to have to become a global scholar — a person who could compete globally in the world and who could also “help to create a better and more peaceful world through intercultural understanding and respect.” Through the Learner Profile, IB aspires “to develop learners who are: inquirers, knowledgeable, thinkers, communicators, principled, open-minded, caring, risk-takers, balanced, and reflective.”

Longview High School became a fully authorized IB World School in December of 2009 and last year honored 40 Diploma Programme impending graduates at a Robing Ceremony held at The Summit Club which was attended by their parents and the DP faculty and administrators. So “Why IB?” for Longview High School students? Here are a few comments by last year’s graduates: “In the IB program I [grew] more self-aware of my work ethic and ability to time manage . . . [my teachers] instilled within me a passion for learning and a lifelong lesson that I won’t soon forget,” and “IB has been an enriching experience that has taught me how to better communicate with others, think critically, and to explore subjects that are of interest to me.”

The IB DP Programme is unlike other college preparatory programs, such as AP or dual credit, which are content based and course specific, in that it addresses the whole student and the whole curriculum over a period of two years. IB Diploma graduates look very attractive to college admissions

TRIECE

IB|Continued to page 14

Big wins for Lobo FFA at Harvest Festival

The Lobo FFA Cattle Show Team competed Saturday at the Harvest Festival, and they did amazing! Please join us in congratulating them for their hard work paying off! CATTLE

Landen Melton — 1st in Class with Brahman Heifer.

Emily Morin — 4th in Class with Beefmaster Heifer.

Angela Moyer — 2nd in Class with Santa Gertrudis Heifer.

Bellari Moyer — 2nd in Class with Santa Gertrudis Heifer.

Ashley Simpson — 1st in Class with Chianina Heifer and 3rd in Class with Angus Heifer.

Landry Tubb — 1st in Class with Shorthorn Heifer.

Kenzie Wilkins-Clark — 1st in Class with British Steer.

The Goat and Lamb Showmen also competed and they too did amazing!

GOATS

Maggie Mayes — 1st and 2nd in class with two goats and a sale spot

Dylan Briscoe — 2nd in class and a sale spot

LAMB

Maggie Mayes — 1st in class and a sale spot

Zamyah Sullivan — 2nd in class and a sale spot

Kaden Johnson — 2nd in class and alternate

Zion Templeton — 5th in class

Juan Aguilar — 5th in class

Page 8

THE LONGVIEW VOICE — November 2022 LOBO HALLOWEEN

JUDSON |Continued from page 6

construction or the oil industry.

Eighth grader Joselyn Rice said she too was interested in the welding program. While her father is a physical therapist, his hobby is creating specialty fence gates and welding horseshoes to create unique Christmas tree. She said her father has already taught her to weld so she can help him with his welding projects. Eighth grader Erika Hayes said she had seen Joselyn’s welding work and thought it was cool and interesting. Joselyn said she was especially interested in underwater welding. Joselyn also pointed out that this was the second John W. Harrison, Jr. Academic Field Trip she had benefited from. As an elementary student at Hudson PEP, she traveled with her class to study sciences at the Perot Museum in Dallas.

All four students said they learned about the electric lineman certification program, the paid apprenticeship offered to students, and the need for electric lineman. They also learned about the three-semester cybersecurity certification program, the computer assisted drafting program (CAD), and the electrical engineering program. The students said a cybersecurity job could earn them $50,000 or more because of the demand for workers in that field. At the CAD demonstration station, students participated in coding and 3D printing. At the electrical engineering station, students programmed a robot. They also witnessed computers interacting at a lathe demonstration.

The Longview ISD Foundation, Inc. is proud to have funded the field trip grant for Mrs. Guerra and the eighth graders. With the $925 funding, the Foundation is certain it invested wisely in these students’ futures.

Since 2019, the Longview ISD Foundation has funded nine academic field trips grants for a total of $41,997.88.

On December 7, the Longview ISD Foundation will announce the recipients of the 2023 John W. Harrison, Jr. Academic Field Trip Grant Program.

COST |Continued from page 2

thankful… and I am, but the savor is bittersweet.

There’s a scene in the old Woody Allen film Annie Hall where the couple argues over the personality differences that led to their breakup. Annie upbraids Alvy for being unable to enjoy his life, to which he responds: “I can’t enjoy anything unless everybody is. Y’know, if one guy is starving someplace, it puts a crimp in my evening.”

Maybe that’s where I’m at right now.

Writing this from the privilege I enjoy thanks to the providence of my circumstances, I reap the benefits of numerous ancestors who overcame adversity that I have scarcely known. I know I don’t deserve any of it, but I am thankful for all of it. I understand that grace abounds even to a sinner like me. Thus, I must be a blessing to others and allow this grace to abound through me to all who I can reach.

Glass half empty, glass half full. Whatever. Either way, you ain’t going thirsty. Count your blessings, not your worries.