enlighten. inspire. achieve. CONNECTIONS SPRING 2020 A Publication from Hillsboro Independent School District Hill County Fair: A Day in the Life Story on Pages 4-5 this issue The Eagle Cafe..................pg 3 Education Foundation......pg 8 School Board...................pg 11 2 CONNECTIONS SPRING 2020 Hall of Fame Inducts Class of 2019 The Hillsboro High School Athletic Hall of Fame inducted four athletes and one state-qualifying team as their Class of 2019 inductees. The Master of Ceremonies was Troy Dungan, HHS Class of 1954 and former WFAA chief weather anchor. dgar Lee “E.L.” Keeton attended Hillsboro ISD Efrom kindergarten through his graduation from Hillsboro High School in 1937. Keeton was awarded several awards in high school including 1st team all-state split end and named Captain of the South Texas All-Star Team. Upon graduation, Keeton at- tended Southern Methodist University where he let- tered in 1939 and 1940. One story that is told about him is that he covered Jackie Robinson when SMU played the University of California-Los Angeles. Upon leaving college, Keeton became a Captain in he 1956 State Qualifying Football Team played the United States Army Air Corp and became a B25 Tten games in the regular season, winning eight. Instructor Pilot. They won District 17AA and advanced to the Texas State High School AA Playoffs for the second year in a row. The whole season they scored 219 and ennie Michael “Mike” Curry graduated their opponents scored 95 while leaving four op- Bfrom Hillsboro High School in 1957. Not ponents scoreless. The team was very aggressive only did Curry participate in sports, he also and played well on both offense and defense. Eight participated in the Civic Club, HHS Student team members won the 1957 Texas District 17AA Council, Key Club, and the Letterman’s Club. All-District Team. Several were selected for All-Dis- He was the starting quarterback when HHS trict honors. Mike Curry was named the best back won back-to-back undefeated district champi- in the district and Bobby Mackey was named best onships for the first time in school history. His lineman in the district. They were both also selected collegiate football career took him to the Uni- to be on the Cen-Tex Super Squad and received All- versity of Oklahoma and Kilgore College. His State honors. post-college career took him and his family all Members were Harmon Hunt (manager), Don- across Texas. ald Mackey, Leonard Herring, Don Cockrell, Robert Johnson, Tommy Beavers, Herman Pope (manager), harles Qualls, HHS Class of 1947, was very Joel Terry, John S. More, Eugene Niles, Dean Paul Cactive in high school; he was an FFA officer, Bennett, James Walker, Joe Fernandez, Pat HIll, junior and senior class reporter, and on the year- Mike Curry, Jerry Ben Owens, Bobby Mackey, Don book staff. Qualls also played football, basketball, Wood, Billy Joe Kellum, Gerald Nail, Geno Taylor, baseball, and ran track. After high school, he Eddie Himmel, Refugio Rizo, Richard Hollenshead, attended Arlington State College (University of Harry Reese, Herman Keith, and Harvey McBrayer. Texas at Arlington) where he played football. He Coaching the team were P.T. Galiga (pictured also earned his Master of Science in Physics from below presenting the bi-district trophy), Dexter Bas- the University of North Texas. He then began a singer, Bobby McFarland, Douglas Conaway, and long and prosperous coaching career at the high David DeWitt. The trophy is still housed in the HHS school and collegiate level. Qualls was inducted trophy case. into the Texas Coaches Hall of Fame and the Texas Athletic Directors Hall of Fame. eola DeShun Williams Pina, HHS Class of 1985 was Lnot only academically advanced and a leader on cam- pus, she was a triple threat. Her high school basketball ca- reer was played under Coach Marty Grey, where she was named 1st Team All-District. Under Coach Bea Perales, her volleyball team placed 3rd in district and she was named 1st All-District Team and runner-up MVP. Also under Coach Perales, Williams Pina went to the State Track Meet in 1985. After high school, she enlisted in the United States Air Force and played basketball for Elgin Air Force Base as their power forward. She played basketball for North Western Florida State (Okaloosa Walter Junior College) for two years. She graduated from the University of West Florida with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and Busi- ness Management. CONNECTIONS SPRING 2020 3 The Eagle Cafe Now Open For Business CONNECTIONS Connections is published by The Hillsboro Reporter as a courtesy to the Hillsboro Independent School District. For additional copies of Connections, please contact The Hillsboro Reporter at (254) 582-3431. Hillsboro Independent School District 121 E. Franklin St. Hillsboro, TX 76645 Phone: (254) 582-8585 Fax: (254) 582-4165 www.hillsboroisd.org hings are heating up in the culinary kitchen at Hillsboro High School. Over the summer, the culinary kitchen got a makeover with a new industry style kitchen. Superintendent: Vicki Adams T “The new kitchen is inspiring to our students,” Amy Ballentine-Harris, HHS Culinary Arts teacher, [email protected] said. “It motivates current students to work harder and brings interest to the program.” Within the program, there are three levels of Culinary Arts. Introduction to Culinary Arts is a 48-minute Hillsboro High School class where students focus on the basics: sanitation and safety, cooking methods, types of equipment, 1600 Abbott Ave. measurements and beyond. Culinary Arts is the second level and is a 96-minute block class. This is where Hillsboro, TX 76645 Phone: (254) 582-4100 students build on skills with a more in-depth focus on the business side of the industry, learning about cost www.hhs.hillsboroisd.org controls, different culinary careers, how to order and store ingredients, and the basics of catering. Advanced Principal: Keith Hannah [email protected] Culinary Arts is where students will create professional displays, make meats and desserts, and leads the charge on all catering events. The students even host two monthly staff lunches. Upon graduation, these students will have earned their Food Handler certifications and some will test for their Food Manager certifi- Hillsboro Junior High School cations which will allow them to enter straight into the workforce. 210 E. Walnut St. Hillsboro, TX 76645 “Every establishment that serves food requires at least one employee to have the Food Manager certifica- Phone: (254) 582-4120 www.hjhs.hillsboroisd.org tion,” Ballentine-Harris said. “Being in culinary teaches more than just how to cook in a professional kitchen, Principal: Patrick Harvell but teaches real-world life skills. Students are learning practical mathematical applications, leadership and [email protected] followership skills, resume and interview skills, and the list goes on and on. Speaking of resumes, this class alone can build a students’ professional resume right out of high school.” Hillsboro Intermediate School The students in FCCLA are now able to provide catering services. This allows them to get a good idea 1000 Old Bynum Rd. Hillsboro, TX 76645 of what it would be like to work for a restaurant or catering business. The students regularly sell lunches to Phone: (254) 582-4170 teachers, where all of the proceeds go back to their culinary program and allow them to attend conferences, www.his.hillsboroisd.org Principal: Stephanie Tucker assist in the all-district Christmas lunch, and expand to community events. All of the money raised in their ef- [email protected] forts goes directly back into the program to use for entry fees for competitions and conventions, ingredients, and supplies for the kitchen. Hillsboro Elementary School 115 Jane Lane Hillsboro, TX 76645 Phone: (254) 582-4140 www.hes.hillsboroisd.org Principal: Robin Ralston [email protected] Franklin Elementary School 103 Country Club Dr. Hillsboro, TX 76645 Phone: (254) 582-4130 www.fes.hillsboroisd.org Pre-K Coordinator/Daycare Director: Michelle Steele [email protected] Connections is created by Cami Steele, Designer/Writer/ Photographer Erick Cabrera, Practicum Student Sheri Hemrick, Photographer 4 CONNECTIONS SPRING 2020 Hill County Fair efore the sun comes up, after the sun goes down, in between work and sports practices, Band weaved between their schoolwork, stu- dents throughout Hillsboro ISD that are participating in the Hill County Fair are putting in behind the scenes effort for their projects. Students get their animal projects as early as April and some will take their projects onto major shows featuring statewide entries. Some animals grow much faster and aren’t purchased and brought home until about a month before the county show like rabbits and chickens. But there is more to the fair than just animals! Art and agricultural mechanics are among the entries. With each animal project comes learning how to adjust feed to make the animal weigh the optimal amount for their weight class. “The animal really has to tell you when they look their best,” Jennifer Kolar, HHS Ag teacher, said. “Their weight has to match their frame. We change their feeds based on if they need more fat, are too chubby for their frame, or if they need to have more muscle.” A huge part of showing an animal is time manage- ment, unlike an art or ag mech project, animals have to be feed, shaved, and worked with from the mo- ment they arrive. For some, like steers, that can be months. Rabbits, for instance, only have a month to get comfortable with humans. Emma and Sara Spigener, sixth grade and third grade respectively, feed their rabbits twice a day and have to weigh them every three days to check how they’re growing.