JUDSON ISD SUPERINTENDENT DR. W ILLIS Summer 2014 MACKEY LOOKS AHEAD AT THE NEW SCHOOL YEAR ... 2 STUDENT LIFE IN JISD MAY BE ROUTINE FOR SOME , BUT ONE FOREIGN EXCHANGE STUDENT HAS A DIFFERENT VIEW ….. ...................... 7 BE WISE - IMMUNIZE . YOUR CHILD NEED UPDATED IMMUNIZATIONS ? H ERE ’S A LIST OF WHERE TO GO .... 9 JudsonJournal JISD Mission: All Judson ISD students will receive a quality education enabling them to become successful in a global society. JISD Choir Students Sing At D-Day Memorial “The French people there were very inviting to us …” Patricia Neil (choir member parent) Judson ISD students who are part of the The Texas Childrens' Choir has Texas Children's Choir were partici- performed in some of the most pants in a wonderful memorial ceremo- prestigious venues across the ny honoring the soldiers who fought country and the world. and died in the D-Day Normandy Inva- sion 70 years ago. The string of events and memorials began June 6th. Fiona Neil and Taylor Hockley, both Judson High School sophomores and 8th grade Judson Middle School student Alicia Ford were there in Normandy, France to sing at this solemn recognition. Along with them in attendance were President Obama and the First Lady. FFA Chapter, Students Rank In State, Nation The Judson High School FFA Chapter has been recognized as one of the top chapters in the entire state of Texas. It was honored with the Golden Horizon award…the highest state rank- ing that an FFA chapter can get. The Judson FFA also picked up the Golden Emblem rating which is presented to only the top 10 percent of FFA chapters in the state and carries a nation- al ranking as well. Both honors are based on how chapters employ the FFA mission and strate- gies, focusing on student, chapter and community development. The Judson FFA competes nationally in October. (continue page 2) 1 A New School Year and FFA Chapter, Students (cont’d) New Beginnings In addition, several Judson High School student FFA Superintendent’s Message chapter members were hon- Dr. Willis Mackey ored for their work in the pro- gram. Jordan Trees was named a candidate for the American FFA Degree…the highest degree in a four-tier program that recognizes indi- I hope this summer has provided a much deserved break with a chance to refresh yourself and vidual achievement in instruc- your family. As we return to the classrooms across Judson ISD, I am excited about the academic tional, practical and leader- success we’ve achieved over the past year and I’m looking forward to building on that success ship efforts. with each and every student. The latest standardized test scores released show noticeable and Also, seven other students substantial gains that continue across the district, especially in middle school Reading and Math from the Judson High School results. Our elementary schools continue to show a positive academic direction and at our high FFA were recipients of the school level, both Judson and Wagner High Schools Lone Star FFA degree. Those ...test scores released show showed good gains in both Science and Math scores. students honored were Tyler noticeable and substantial gains At the same time, the district’s college and career Bledsoe, Josh Borg, Jocelyn readiness efforts are impacting our students in a posi- continue across the Cochran, Rachel Cochran, tive way. We’ve seen not only the expansion of Career Tyler Hill, Renee Perez and District.… and Technology Programs and intern partnerships Jason Templeton. The Lone with our community business members, but the num- Star FFA Degree is the high- ber of our graduates entering two and four year public colleges and universities continues to rise est bestowed by the Texas at a healthy pace. I can see that while there is still a lot of room for improvement, we are making FFA to a member. Keep in steady progress that is both measurable and encouraging. mind these students achieved You may have seen in the news some of the construction results from the 2013 Bond. It author- this in the largest and most ized the building of a new elementary school and a new high school with no tax rate increase. I’m competitive FFA organization happy to report that we are opening Copperfield Elementary School in August and monthly ex- in the nation! Congratulations pense reports show we are on budget. Meanwhile, we recently broke ground on the new high to these students. school on Evans Road. That school will open to initially 1,600 students with the option of expan- sion in the coming years. Opening in August 2016, it will be Judson ISD’s third comprehensive high school. It will take enrollment pressure off of Judson High School and serve the northern end of the district’s footprint which will likely see significant development in years to come. As you know I will be retiring at the end of this year as Superintendent of Judson ISD. I just want you to know what a pleasure it has been to work with this community and with these students to raise the standard of excellence as a team with such supportive parents. It’s my mission and my passion and I look forward to seeing great things in our students this year as we work together producing excellence. Copperfield Elementary School, Judson ISD's newest school, is putting all the details in place right now. Much of the furniture is in the building, technology infra- structure is in the works and supplies such as books are coming in too. Much of the staff will be moving in over the next few days so they can get all the classrooms and facilities ready for students when they arrive August 25th. The Northeast Herald com- munity newspaper came out for a tour of the new school and conducted interviews with Operations Director, Daniel Kershner and Copperfield ES Principal, Gerrie Spellmann. In case you hadn't heard, input from the students going to the school determined that the mascot will be the Copperfield Bobcats! So congratulations to all you Bobcats out there! Enjoy the new school and new school year. 2 JUDSON ISD S TUDENTS SHINE JECA Student To Attend National Medical Congress Hannah Hinojosa, JECA Senior, is Texas Delegate to the Congress of Future Medical Leaders As big as the need for health and medical care is now, it will only get bigger in the coming years. So the profession is looking for good candidates that want to get into the field. But they have to be qualified and they have to possess the passion for the field. Judson Early College Academy student Hannah Hinojosa has been nominated to attend the Congress of Future Medical Leaders in Washington D.C. in November. This prestigious group is chosen out of an honors-only program for high school students who want to become doctors or research scientists. The event is hoped to encourage and inspire students who have the grit to follow this career path. It’s about giving them support to stay the course and provide resources and a plan for them to reach their goal. Hannah was nominated by Dr. Con- nie Mariano, The Medical Director of the National Academy of Future Physicians and Medical Scientists, to repre- sent Texas. That nomination was based on her academic and leadership qualities along with her sense of determina- tion as she approaches the field of medicine. Hannah will attend the three-day congress November 14-16 joining other students across the country to hear from Nobel Laureates, National Medal of Science winners as well as deans from Ivy League schools and top medical in- stitutions. It will be a great opportunity for Hannah and we congratulate her knowing she will represent Judson ISD well. Wagner ROTC Cadets Had Full Plate During Summer While summer is a good time to catch a breather from the routine, The Wagner High School ROTC program took a brief break and cranked it back up again. Cadets gathered at John Newcombe's Ranch in New Braunfels...otherwise known as Newks Ranch, for the Cadet Leadership Challenge. Nine schools were there participating with some coming from as far away as El Paso and Corpus Christi. The camp helped every cadet with developing skills and values such as communi- cation, encouragement and decision making. While challenging, it was a real growing experience for them. In fact, one Wagner Cadet re- ceived an individual trophy for leadership abilities and 8 other cadets were chosen as best marching platoon. Toward the end of the summer, the Senior Leadership welcomed in- coming freshmen into the program showing them basic drill move- ments and leadership fundamentals. The whole group then went to Camp Bullis for the Leadership Reaction Course. This provided a prac- tical way of working on problem solving and working as a team. It all wrapped up with CiCi's Pizza and a massive water balloon activity that was refreshing. It's also worth mentioning that the Wagner ROTC participated in the Make A Wish Foundation as they donated $1,000 toward the cause. WHEW!!! What a Summer!! 3 Rockets Experience Hunger at the Oxfam Hunger Banquet By Kiana Dunaway (Exclusive Student Content) Imagine a room with about twenty people inside. Out of those twenty people, ten people, which is 50% of the people in the room, don’t get a sufficient amount to eat everyday. Seven people, which is 35% of the people in the room, almost get the recommended amount of food and water each day. And the remaining 15%, which is three people, get a sufficient amount of food and water each day.