Author and former NFL star Tim Green visits Mansfield ISD

Tim Green visited four MISD schools this past week, sharing an inspiring message of hard work and the importance of education and reading. Students at TA Howard Middle, James Coble Middle, Danny Jones Middle, and Donna Shepard Intermediate participated in the author visit organized by MISD Librarians.

A little background on the multi-talented Mr. Green: After studying writing at Syracuse University where he was an All American football player, Tim was drafted in the first round of the NFL draft by the Atlanta Falcons where he was a top defensive player for eight years.

While Tim played in the NFL, he also studied law and began his writing career. By the time he retired from football in 1994, Tim had already published his first book and became a lawyer. In addition to those two jobs, he began working as a television broadcaster for FOX NFL Sunday and other shows, including Battlebots, Good Morning America, Court TV, A Current Affair, and most recently, Find My Family.

After writing more than a dozen books for adults, Tim Green began writing a series of novels for young readers set in a world of sports taken from his own experiences as an athlete and a coach. In the meantime, Tim has visited over 600 schools and spoken to more than 300,000 students across the United States about the importance of education and character, in addition to the joys and benefits of reading.

In addition to his visit, Mr. Green donated hundreds of copies of his newest young adult novel, Force Out, to MISD Title I schools. His generosity and commitment to Mansfield ISD’s young people are greatly appreciated by teachers and students alike.

Tim Green’s Mansfield ISD visit certainly starts the summer right; with a good book!

Tim Green with TA Howard Middle School students

Tim Green with Librarians (L-R) Suzonne Evans (Shepard), Lorrie Wallace (Jones),
Amy Toombs (Howard), Karen Swanson (Wester), and Amy Herford (Coble)

Tim Green signing books at TA Howard Middle School

Tim Green and TA Howard student Allan Njomo

Guest post by Amy Toombs, MLIS, Library Information Technology Educator at T.A. Howard Middle School

Battle of the Books District Champion Teams

Congratulations to the Mansfield ISD Battle of the Books Champion Teams representing middle, intermediate, and elementary schools. Battle of the Books is a school-wide competition where teams vie for the title of Best Readers on their campus held each Spring. Each team reads 10 pre-selected books and answers questions in a Whiz Quiz style round; the team with the most correct answers at the end of the round wins. The winners of first round battle on until only one team is standing. The final team competes against the best readers at their grade level in Mansfield ISD. The competition is intense, and preparation takes months.

This year’s teams have made an incredible effort, reading and practicing under the watchful eyes of their coaches. Congratulations to this year’s winning teams:

Middle School: TA Howard Middle School

Congratulations to the Howard Middle School Battle of the Books District Champion Team members Nathan Haslam, Allan Njomo, Brandon Martin, Jake Stacks, Jared Jeffries, and Lilly Ray

Intermediate School: Donna Shepard Intermediate School

The Donna Shepard Intermediate School’s Battle of the Books team pictured above: (From left to right) Priscilla Brothers, Noah Liukonen, Carter Ho (team captain), Nicholas Winston, Khalid Ahmed, and Leah Nguyen. Each student was required to try out for each school’s team. The students were expected to read and become experts on books from the selected list of ten titles. The detailed questions were asked of all 6 teams at the district battle. The team representing Donna Shepard Intermediate earned the most points, thus winning the district trophy. Each of these Shepard students received a gold medal for his/her hard work.

Elementary School: Roberta Tipps Elementary

MISD held the elementary level district competition for Battle of the Books on Friday, May 3rd. The purpose is simply to encourage students to read good books and have fun while competing with peers. A typical "Battle" is a full day tournament in which students' teams earn points by answering questions about the books on the book list. They play two rounds and at the end of the morning, points are totaled and teams with the top three scores are awarded 1st, 2nd and 3rd place medals. In addition the 1st place team wins the district trophy for their school. This year, Tipps Elementary won 1st place. Team members are pictured above (L-R) Ella Scoresby, Ainsley Jones, Julia Lederman, Brenna Franklin, and Sarah des Bordes with Teachers (L-R) Tina Owens and Heather Hughes. After three tie-breaker rounds to determine 2nd and 3rd place winners, Spencer and Daulton Elementary schools tied for 2nd place. Ponder Elementary made it to the tie-breaker round and came in 4th. Congratulations to all the participating teams.

Orr Intermediate and Jones Middle win District Academic UIL Contest

On Saturday, February 16 the Academic UIL competition for Intermediate and Middle School students was held at Timberview High School. The event was coordinated by Renee Cox, Matthew Swope and Marie Medina along with help from the Timberview’s Academic UIL team. Academic UIL is the academic competition with 16 academic events, three categories of art and one music event.

The contest had a total of 433 student competitors in 28 events from 12 schools; Worley Middle, Howard Middle, Wester Middle, Jones Middle, Coble Middle, Jobe Middle, Low Intermediate, Cross Timbers Intermediate, Orr Intermediate, Icenhower Intermediate, Shepard Intermediate and Lillard Intermediate.

Congratulations to our District Sweepstakes winning schools:

 Danny Jones Middle School

Mary Orr Intermediate School

Visit the Intermediate & Middle School Academic UIL Contest Photo Gallery.

Regional Academic Meet at Danny Jones Middle School

Danny Jones Middle School hosted its first ever regional math and science competition in coalition with the Texas Math and Science Coaches Association. This is organization is made up of several middle schools across the state of Texas in which students compete in academic UIL events in the core areas of mathematics, science, number sense and calculator practice.

Approximately 350 students representing 20 middle schools from all over the Dallas/Ft. Worth area competed in the Saturday, January 26 all-day event. Students from Mansfield ISD campuses came from Danny Jones Middle School, Mary Lillard Intermediate School and James Coble Middle School.

Some notable results from the competition were as follows:

Calculator: 2nd place - Noah Edwards (DJMS)

Science: 2nd place - Vincent Stevenson (JCMS)

Team Awards (Danny Jones Middle School):

• Number Sense - 3rd place
• Calculator - 2nd place
• General Math - 3rd place
• General Science - 3rd place
• Sweepstakes for Large School - 2nd place

"All of these students and their sponsors should be commended for their efforts, dedication and hard work, said Travis Moore, Principal at Danny Jones Middle School. "A special kudos goes to Ms. Julie Jager, Casey Williams and the many other volunteers and sponsors who assisted to make this event a great success for our students. Danny Jones Middle School was honored to host this awesome academic tournament. Hopefully, this will be an annual event that will expand to more and more surrounding schools."

Wester Middle School continues tradition of support for Mansfield Cares

While catching up on some items shared before the winter break, we came across some impressive campus news from one of our middle schools:



Brooks Wester Middle School students, teachers and staff gathered around the Wildcat Angel Tree and presented Mansfield Cares representatives a donation check for $4,335. The Angel Tree collection has been a tradition at Wester for 10 years and each year the goal is to do better than the last year. The teachers challenge students in various ways to think of others for character-building and give to a special cause. The Wildcats rose to the occasion and did a great job, especially since this collection came soon after the school's student council Canned Food Drive and during the district's Toys for Tots campaign.

Well done, Wildcats!

Chemistry help from APE MAN at Jones Middle

Danny Jones Middle School 8th grade students were presented with a challenge to design a T-shirt that reflected their learning of the chemistry unit taught during the first six weeks.

Students were introduced to the acronym APE MAN.

The APE MAN acronym is used to help students remember how to calculate information regarding elements on the periodic table.

Atomic number = # of Protons = # of Electrons

  Mass number
- Atomic number
  Neutrons

Then on October 10, 2012 students participated in APE MAN day. Students wore their shirts and attempted to complete a scavenger hunt that consisted of nine challenges such as:
a)    Find five different elements that are metals.
b)    Find three different elements with the same number of valence electrons.
c)    Find two different elements that are metalloids.

APE MAN day was a great success with over 95% participation. Students and teachers enjoyed seeing the creativity and effort that the students put into their shirt design.

Students were asked to reflect on the day. Here are some of the comments from students:
I learned a lot from this project the best part was designing the shirts. Alexis F.
It was fun being able to use my phone at school while learning! Billea H.
I felt as if I was surrounded by paparazzi, it was fun! Everyone participated and whoever didn’t missed out on a fun project. Alex A.
We had fun finding elements similar to ours. Candria C
I love making the shirt. The easiest part was finding the information for my shirt because all I had to do was download a free app about elements. MaKenzie B.

Rachel's Challenge Comes to Worley Middle School on Oct 11

Guest post from Dr. Shelly Butler, Principal of Rogene Worley Middle School

Worley Tigers are excited to bring Rachel's Challenge to Mansfield!

The Rachel's Challenge organization is a non profit, non political, non religious organization based in Littleton, Colorado. The objective of this program is to equip students and adults with strategies to combat bullying and feelings of isolation or despair.

Seventeen year old Rachel Scott was the first student killed at Columbine High School in 1999. Rachel left behind a legacy of positivity and caring for others through her writings and drawings. Rachel's story has been shared with the world through the Rachel's Challenge organization. Her hope was to start a "chain reaction" of kindness and compassion. (www.rachelschallenge.org)

Our number one reason for inviting Rachel's Challenge to Worley is to change the culture of bullying, teasing and harassment in today's society by empowering our students with the social and emotional tools they need to exist in an ever changing global society. According to the Rachel's Challenge website, the assembly conveys the power of deliberately reaching out in word and action to others. It also encourages listeners to examine their own lives, their relationships with the world around them and the impact their behavior has on others by taking on 5 challenges.

We believe that it is vitality important for our families and our community to hear the Rachel's Challenge message, understand what IS and IS NOT BULLYING and join our student body in taking on the 5 challenges.

Our students have raised the funds to bring Rachel's Challenge to our school through a Fund Run. Thanks to our coaches and students, we have raised enough to pay for the program and the prizes for the run.

Rachel's Challenge will be presented at Worley Middle School on Thursday, October 11 for our students at 9:00 a.m. that morning and 7:00 p.m. for parents and the local community. The one hour evening community event will be held at the Mansfield ISD Center for the Performing Arts in the Professional Development Center.

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Editor's Note: Other MISD campuses have also brought in the Rachel's Challenge program including events at Linda Jobe Middle School, Danny Jones Middle School and Lake Ridge High School within the past year.

Jobe Middle School service project is for the birds

The Builders Club at Linda Jobe Middle School is a community service organization that seeks to cultivate young leaders within the school. The group is sponsored by the Kiwanis Club of Mansfield which provided many of the resources needed for the Builders Club's service and learning projects. 

One of the projects they did this year was recently highlighted during the May school board meeting. The club built bird houses for Watercrest at Mansfield, an area senior adult living community. The students brainstormed this idea with the help of Cheryl Litke, their Kiwanis sponsor, and developed a plan of action. Home Depot donated the materials to construct the bird houses and the students stayed after school to glue and hammer them together. 

"We had tons and laughs and great pizza," said Angela Small, Jobe teacher and club sponsor. "The students then took their bird houses homes and continued to paint and design the bird houses with their family. This project was fun and exciting for all those involved and we foresee many more service learning projects in Jobe’s future!" 

On May 22, 2012, Mrs. Elizabeth Hostin (principal), Ms. Angela Small, Mrs. Cheryl Litke, and several students from the Builders Club (pictured above) attended the School Board meeting to present their finished bird houses to the Watercrest Community. The birdhouses will be on display in their adjoined park.

Coble Middle School Opens College and Career Prep Center

When it comes to preparing for college and the workforce, the students of James Coble Middle School understand it’s never “too early” to get started.

In March, the campus opened the Coyote College and Career Center. The new resource center invites students to learn more about the path to college through research and hands-on activities.

“The vision of the project is to equip students with information that helps prepare them for the future,” said Principal Dr. Charlotte Ford. “We want to provide information about the application process, financial aid, resume-building and all different types of careers.”

Using Ford’s vision as a guide, the campus Counselor, LaMonica Brewington and her Counseling Intern, Jeannita Bussle, worked to gather a rich collection of resources for the students.

“We visited government agencies and we were able to access a ton of free information that helped to build the center,” said Brewington.

Teachers can schedule time for students to visit the center, just as they would for the library or computer lab. So far, Brewington and Bussle have worked with about 150 students, including Aaron Williams, a 7th grader who aspires to become a music producer.

“I know it’s very important to get a good degree,” said Williams. “I’m learning how to prepare for college and the importance of starting good study habits while I’m young.”

The center has several computer stations for students to practice building their resumes and they also spend time filling out sample copies of the Texas Common Application.

In addition to reaching as many Coble students as possible, Ford and her team have an even broader goal for the impact of the center.

“We want people to know that this facility is open to staff, parents and community members as well,” said Bussle. “We will continue to expand this program to assist as many people as we can.”

To learn more about the Coyote College and Career Center, contact the campus directly at 817-299-6400.

Healthy Snacks Take the Prize at Howard Middle

T. A. Howard Middle School Health Teacher and Coach, Brad McAlister, took teaching health to a healthy, new level. On Wednesday, February 8th, Coach McAlister held the Healthy Snack Contest. Students were placed in teams of 4-5 students. As a team, the students were challenged to come up with a healthy snack that met strict guidelines. Each snack was required to be 250 calories or less and must contain a fruit or vegetable.

Coach McAlister came up with this idea over the Winter Break while watching cooking shows on television with his wife. The goal of his project was to help the kids learn there are healthy and delicious alternatives for snacks instead of chips and soft drinks. 

Over the course of the day, Coach McAlister’s class became the talk of the school. Coach McAlister was very pleased with the effort and thought the students put into the project and has decided to make this contest a regular event each semester. 

"I thought this would be a great way to get kids to eat healthier snacks," said McAlister. "I envisioned the students would come up with creative ways of making snacks that all kids would be willing to eat."

McAlister also plans to put together a recipe book with the students' recipes.

Special thanks to Donna O’Brian (Principal), Pete Jenson (Assistant Principal), Brandee King (Assistant Principal), Karmen Waquespack ( Teacher), Doug Klaudt (Teacher), Ryan Bartoszek (Teacher/Coach), Jared Hall (Teacher/Coach), Dr. Fred Garza (MISD K-12 Health Coordinator), Denise Hayslip (District Dietitian/Nutrition Coordinator) for gladly volunteering to judge the students healthy snacks.

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See more photos from the Healthy Snack Project. 

Rachel’s Challenge at Danny Jones Middle School

On Tuesday, January 24, 2012, the Rachel’s Challenge Organization is coming to Danny Jones Middle School. Rachel’s Challenge is an organization that was started in honor of Rachel Scott, the first student to be killed in the Columbine High School tragedy in 1999. Her acts of kindness and compassion coupled with the contents of her six diaries have become the foundation for one of the most life-changing school programs in America.

The mission of Rachel’s Challenge is to inspire, equip and empower every person to create a permanent positive culture change in their school, business and community by starting a chain reaction of kindness and compassion. When asked why Rachel’s Challenge was so important to the students of Danny Jones Middle School, Mr. Travis Moore, the principal replied, “I saw the presentation in Arlington over a year ago. It really touched my heart. I knew that it would have a positive impact on our students.”

Ms. Callie Farr, PTA president of Danny Jones Middle School, helped to raise the funds necessary to bring Rachel’s Challenge to DJMS. When asked why it was so important to bring this national program to her child’s school, she replied “As a middle school PTA, we are challenged to find a program that is of benefit to the students. Rachel's Challenge provides an impact message of personal tragedy that serves to promote positive change in the way students treat others. We want each student know they can make a difference. We want the universal message of kindness and compassion told by Rachel's story to be heard by Danny Jones Middle School students and motivate them to positive change and commitment. We also want parents to attend and know their support of PTA serves to make a difference.”

Rachel’s Challenge will be presented to Danny Jones Middle School students for one hour at the following times on January 24, 2012:

• 7th grade @ 9:30 am (gym A) 
• 8th grade @ 1:30 pm (gym A) 
• RC Chain Reaction training for student leaders @ 3:00 pm (Cafeteria) 
• Community event (open to the public) @ 7:00 pm in the DJMS (Cafeteria) 
  Danny Jones Middle School is located at 4500 East Broad St., Mansfield, TX 76063.

Please visit the Rachel’s Challenge website for additional information.

Eight-Period School Schedule

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UPDATED Monday, November 28, 2011 

We are currently working on revisions to the eight-period schedule for next year. A revised schedule will be released later this week that will include 45 minute class periods and changes to the start and end times for the day. We appreciate your patience on this schedule update as we address the valid concerns and valuable feedback from the community.

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Original Post from Friday, November 18, 2011 at 11:59 AM

Due to the fact the district was cut $13 million this school year by the Texas Legislature and will be cut an additional $13 million next school year, Mansfield ISD has made the decision to move to an eight-period day at the secondary level (high school, middle, intermediate). Compared to other available options, the decision to change our schedule is in the best interest of our students, staff and district. No programs are being eliminated, so our students will continue to be able to participate in the current programs offered. No staff members will be laid off because of the budget cuts.

The length of the school day and the start and ending times of classes have not been finalized. We are continuing to gather feedback on these times from our students, staff and parents. If you have a question or comment, you may comment on this blog post or send it to info@misdmail.org . We will add frequently asked questions below the graphic as new questions are asked. Thank you for taking the time to review this information and providing input.

Dr. Bob Morrison
Superintendent, Mansfield ISD

Click graphic above for larger image. (Graphic updated at 3:40 PM, November 18, 2011.)

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FAQs

Why are we changing our schedule?

Mansfield ISD’s state and federal funding was cut $13 million in the 2011-12 school year and is expected to be cut another $13 million in 2012-13 school year. The change to the district’s bell schedule will result in an estimated savings of $6 million per school year. The district has made changes to operations in the last two years to reduce expenses, but the district is now entering a phase where tougher budget decisions will have to be made. 

Why do we need eight periods, instead of seven?

All MISD students must earn 27 credits to graduate. A seven period day would only allow for 28 credits and students would lose the ability to take certain elective courses that they enjoy. Students who need to repeat a course would have very little flexibility in their schedules to do so. An eight period day gives our students more flexibility.

How will this change impact instructional time at the high school?

An eight-period schedule will increase instructional time for high school students by approximately 10%. The new eight-period schedule will have 8,850 minutes of instructional time for the year, in place of the current 8000 minutes offered by the A/B Schedule. Students will also be able to see their teachers every day. Teachers will have a planning period every day.

How will students manage the load of classwork (tests, etc.) and homework required for an eight period day?

Principals and teachers will work together to develop a homework, test and project schedule that is manageable for students, so they are not overwhelmed.

Pirates make landfall at Worley Middle School

Two Texas History teachers from Worley Middle School, (above L-R) Jeff Horn and Darryl Swinney, dressed up like pirates on Monday, October 31 for a class presentation on pirates who played a role in Texas history.

In a storytelling mode, they both explained the role of pirates Jean Lafitte and Louis-Michel Aury in the Mexican War of Independence. 

According to the principal, students were thrilled to see their teachers perform for them. 

"The history department here at Worley goes above and beyond to provide our learners with authentic historical experiences," said Dr. Butler, Worley Principal. "It’s almost like our students get to sit on the sidelines of history and watch it take place."

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It was also a pretty good excuse to get dressed up for work on Halloween. 

Well done, guys.

Trustee Inspires Students through Storytelling

Keeping the attention of about 300 middle school students near the end of a long school day might prove to be a daunting task, but MISD School Board Trustee, Raul Gonzalez certainly stood up to the challenge on the afternoon of October 12.

In honor of Hispanic Heritage Month (September 15 – October 15), Gonzalez delivered a presentation to the seventh grade students at Coble Middle School. He talked to them about the rich Hispanic culture in his hometown of El Paso, explaining that family, hard work and determination were fundamental values in his upbringing.

He highlighted the importance of work ethic as he proudly told the story of how his father worked his way up through the ranks at the Post Office until he became the Postmaster, with only a high school education. His father’s tremendous work ethic taught him to persevere in his own job at a law firm, where he has worked for 28 years and is now the Director of Administration.

Gonzalez encouraged students to take advantage of the opportunities surrounding them and to never use the words “I can’t.” After delivering a captivating message about culture, values and hard work, he left the students with one final lesson, “We all come from different backgrounds, but we must always work together.”

(The 8th Grade Advanced Boys Choir kicked off the assembly with their performance of "Viva Tutti") 

 

Pictures of the Week (May 23 - 27)

Check out some of the cool happenings that went on in Mansfield ISD last week:

Heartbeat Team May 2011

On Thursday, May 19, 2011, Dr. Morrison presented Jeanne Clayton with the final Heartbeat Award for the 2010-11 school year. Gideon Elementary principal, Imelda Little and other campus staff took their turns in congratulating the third grade teacher with the huge heart.

Full gallery...

(Ok, technically this wasn't last week, but we want to be sure to include it since the staff recognition announcement was made last week.)

May 2011 School Board Meeting

Photos from the Tuesday, May 24, 2011 Regular MISD School Board Meeting including a variety of student recognition and board commendations.

Full gallery...

Cross Timbers - Blessed by a Timberwolf

The students of Cross Timbers Intermediate School (CTIS) were divided into teams and competed in several categories to win the privilege of “Blessing” a volunteer CTIS staff member by throwing a pie in their face, providing a make-over for the day and last but not least – a water balloon lineup.

Full gallery...

Career Day at Worley

The Worley Middle School Career Day took place Wednesday, May 25, 2011. The lineup of presenters represented a broad range of careers and job fields.

Full gallery...

2011 MISD Rangers Game Night

The Texas Rangers invited the MISD Elementary and Secondary Teachers of the Year, along with our Shining Star Winners to be recognized on the field at the Friday, May 27 game. Honorees included MISD Elementary and Secondary Teachers of the Year and our Shining Star winners. (A special thanks to the Mansfield HS boys chorale for singing the National Anthem.)

Full gallery...

CyberSafety Awareness Week

This is cross-posted from the misdtechnotes blog:

 

During the week of May 16–20, Mansfield ISD Technology will be hosting the first MISD CyberSafety Awareness Week to provide a focus for students, teachers, parents and community about online safety and our students. Topics include safe surfing, cyberbullying, messaging, and how to protect personal information when online.

 

K-4 students will focus on age appropriate topics during their Technology Applications rotation:
Grades K-2

• Ways we use the Internet
• Basic rules for online safety

Grades 3-4

• Cyberbullying (what it is and what you can do about it)
• Safe Surfing (ways to protect yourself online.

5th – 8th grade students will be participate in related learning activities during their advisory period.
Grades 5-6

• Text Messaging (safety, etiquette)
• Keeping personal information safe when online

Grades 7-8

• Smart Surfing (research tools, copyright, viruses/spyware)
• How to handle Cyberbullying, protecting yourself and your information online

Parents, teachers, administrators and community members are invited to attend an event on Thursday, May 19, in the MISD Administration Building Great Room at 605 East Broad Street from 6:30 – 8:00 PM.

A panel of guest speakers will be presenting information with time at the end for questions from the audience.

Topics include:

• UT Arlington Admissions – Social Networking and College Admissions
• MISD Human Resources – Social Networking and Future Employment
• MISD Police – Cyberbullying
• Technology Department – What Parents Can Do

Download the printable information sheet. (PDF)

Wester Student Exhibits Lone Star Leadership

Each year outstanding student leaders are nominated by their educators to participate in Lone Star Leadership Academy programs. Upon completion of these programs, students are invited to join Education in Action’s alumni organization, the Lone Star Youth Leadership Council. Council members receive a structured and guided opportunity to continue their leadership training.

Education in Action announced that the Lone Star Youth Leadership Council program had its highest rate of participation since its inception nine years ago, with 147 student leaders from 70 school districts, two charter schools, five private schools and one university.

This year’s lessons focused on identifying members’ leadership strengths and developing their communication, listening and presentation skills. These skills were honed and put into action through services projects, which members were responsible for creating and leading in their communities with the end goal being for members to improve the lives of those around them.

Among the 147 participants was Grant Williams, an 8th grader from Brooks Wester Middle School. As a first year member, Williams took on the task of developing a project called, “Take a Look at a Book.” He led a group of volunteers to collect and donate 304 books to an economically disadvantaged campus, Erma Nash Elementary.

“Working to bring people together to help others made me a better person and leader,” said Williams. “I’m sure the people who donated also feel like better people now. I want to thank everyone who helped out.”

Members that successfully complete program requirements also have the opportunity to return to the Lone Star Leadership Academy as Youth Facilitators, where they will mentor younger students and receive additional leadership training.

Mansfield ISD, along with the Education in Action Staff applaud the accomplishments Grant Williams and all members of the 2010 – 2011 Lone Star Youth Leadership Council.

Sponsor: Judy Norton, Social Students Teacher

Superintendent Update - March 2011

Dr. Bob Morrison shares an update on the financial status of the district, new schedules for intermediate and middle school students for next year, the naming procedure for high school #5 and the Mansfield ISD parent survey:



Watch more videos on the MISDTV channel.

Mansfield Wrestling event benefits Education Foundation

The temperatures may be dropping but the heat is being turned up for a pro wrestling event in Mansfield ISD.

“Big Time Pro Wrestling” is coming to Mansfield. Mark your calendars for the Mansfield ISD Smackdown on January 29, 2011 benefiting the Education Foundation.

The back story...

A war of words started back before the winter break when the wrestlers from the North American Wrestling Allegiance (N.A.W.A.) called out the MISD staff wrestlers...

And then things heated up when the MISD coaches responded...

Watch more of these videos.

Here are the details..

Date: Saturday, January 29, 2011
Place: Mansfield High School Gym
Time: 7:00 pm

Ticket Prices Presale:
Ringside - $20
Floor - $15
Lower Bowl - $12
General Admission - $8
Kids 12 and under - $6
Note: $2 will be added to the ticket prices at the door 

Tickets are on sale at all MISD high school and middle school campuses or at these locations: MISD Education Foundation Office, 1016 Magnolia #200, Mansfield, TX 76063 and Texas Trust Credit Union, 1900 Country Club Drive, Mansfield, TX 76063.

Get the poster PDF (10.33 Mb)

There will be four bouts preceding the main event and a Main Event will feature a four man tag team of MISD Staff members vs. N.A.W.A. wrestlers.

Representing MISD are the following:
Jason (Lil Peezy) Pounds – T.A. Howard Middle School
Mark (The Terminator) Walker – Timberview High School
Chris (Buck Wild) Melson – Legacy High School
Andrew (The Marshmallow) Marsh – Danny Jones Middle School 

Managers:
Jeff Hulme – Mansfield High School
Jason Mutterer – Summit High School
Justin Dearing – Ben Barber/Frontier
Dave Hodgson – Wester Middle School
Brandon Johnson – Jobe Middle School 

Commissioner: Byron McCollum – Coble Middle School
Ring Valet: Bethany Smith – Worley Middle School
Celebrity Referee for Main Event and Announcer: John Rhadigan, Sports anchor from FSN

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The Mansfield ISD Education Foundation:

• Is a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit tax-exempt philanthropic organization of citizens; 
• Shares a vision of enhancing education in the Mansfield ISD;
• Works to increase private support for educational activities in the Mansfield ISD;
• Benefits Mansfield ISD students and teachers by supporting activities not funded by tax dollar;
• Fosters creative approaches to education through private grants and involvement; and
• Awards Foundation funds through a volunteer Board of Directors made up of business, community and education leaders.

Happy Earth Day

Every so often we receive some unique bit of information, story or classroom work that seem like they would be good to share with the community. Today marks the 40th Anniversary of Earth Day and we heard from a few campuses that celebrated with Earth-friendly activities.

Here's one that was especially creative:

Wester Middle School students are studying Shakespeare and his sonnets. One class wrote a class sonnet titled Sonnet 155 to mark Earth Day. (Shakespeare wrote 154 sonnets.)

Sonnet 155

Our tortured Earth, we will give what is due
And make sure nature is still blooming bright
We pick up trash and oft’ recycle too
Thus keep enjoying wonderful our sight

Clean salt waters into a sparkle new
Keep pure the air while song birds live flying
And underground, fish swim in oceans blue
Repay, return, or Earth will keep dying

Now picking up pieces of our planet
Earth’s creatures deserve beauty as a home
As does Michael Jackson’s sister, Janet
Lest we all leave this breath-taking, blue dome

Tis not fair why Mother Earth must suffer
Our life’s not fair, She has it twice tougher

Written by Mrs. McKinzey’s students
Wester Middle School
Earth Day, April 22, 2010

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Students from the Wester campus also did their part for Earth Day by picking up trash:
You can see a few other Earth Day photos from campuses on our Facebook photo album.