Many exceptional students are being recognized at John F. Kennedy Elementary School as part of a new program called “The JFK Way.”  JFK Principal Renee Jones created “The JFK Way” awards program as a way to recognize students who always meet expectations, even when no one is looking.

“Its an opportunity for me to get to know students better and spend time with them in a non-academic setting,” said Mrs. Jones. “It is important for the students to know I appreciate them and notice that they are making awesome choices.”

The first group of JFK Way award recipients included 32 outstanding students. One student in Mrs. Washington’s class confided, “I just got to have breakfast with the principal, and it was so cool!” Teachers at JFK are excited to see students being recognized for good behavior.

“So often students who follow directions are overlooked, while those who make poor choices receive all the attention. Positive attention is so much more powerful. It influences the students around them to try and achieve the same status,” shared another staff member.

Once a month, each homeroom teacher nominates students who they feel represent “The JFK Way.” These students are recognized first at an awards assembly, and then invited to join Principal Jones for breakfast one morning before school. According to program guidelines, a student receiving “The JFK Way” award exemplifies the following at all times:

• A good citizen in the classrooms, on the playground, in the lunchroom, and when representing JFK in the community, or on campus
  
• Always shows integrity
  
•  A hard-working and diligent student
  

TISD is proud of JFK for encouraging good character and excellence in all areas in such a creative way. 

Christmas came early for Head Start Students at W. H. Burnett Elementary School! That’s because the Kaufman County Retired School Personnel (KCRSP), with a generous donation from American National Bank, provided two free books for each Head Start student to take home and read with their parents.  

Students sorted through piles of books on the tables in the library looking for just the right one. Many students were so excited that they sat down, opened their books, and started reading right away.

“Literacy is our number one focus. We want all of our students reading before they leave Burnett,” TISD Head Start Director Cassandra Laster explained. “We are so thankful for this donation from the Kaufman County Retired School Personnel. I know our students will cherish their new books.” 

KCRSP is the local unit of the Texas Retired Teachers Association. Each year, the organization participates with retired school personnel all over Texas to put books into the hands of students.

KCRSP chose to encourage Head Start students in Kaufman County to develop a love of reading and an appreciation for literature and books. TISD would like to thank KCRSP and American National Bank for their support! 

A sea of red filled the halls of Dr. Bruce Wood Elementary School Wednesday morning. The Terrell Tigerettes visited Wood to read books and interact with the students.

Students’ faces lit up as the Tigerettes, grouped in pairs, walked into the classroom. After finishing their stories, the Tigerettes asked students questions, and let the students ask them questions.  The teachers were excited to host the guest readers.

“These girls are awesome.  They not only read, but also talked to our students about good character, working hard and never giving up,” fourth grade teacher Mary Gibson said.  “It was so exciting to see my students hang on to their every word and to want to be like them.  It was incredible.  It made my students think about their futures and their goals.”

Tigerettes Coach Sharraine Williams encourages her students to give back, to invest in and inspire others.  They began this reading program three years ago at John F. Kennedy Elementary School.  This is the Tigerettes first year to read at Wood, and they plan to visit other schools throughout the year.

Terrell High School students are getting the opportunity to experience college before college thanks to a new program implemented to create a post-secondary mindset.

Freshmen and sophomore students will have the opportunity to visit at least one college each year, while juniors and seniors will have the opportunity to visit at least two a year. That means this year’s freshmen will have the chance to visit a minimum of six different universities before they graduate.

Four Furlough Middle School band students earned membership in the Texas Music Educator’s Association Region 3 All-Region Band.  The students selected include Diego Armendariz, 8th grade trumpet; Angelica Acevedo, 8th grade French horn; Nathan Rogers, 8th grade alto saxophone; and Audi Vargas, 7th grade clarinet.  FMS students competed against approximately 1,200 students from middle schools in Forney, Royse City, Mesquite, Garland, Rockwall and Richardson. 

Tryouts were held at Rockwall Heath High School on Saturday, November 15. The students were selected through a competitive audition process. Students were required to memorize scales and prepare two contrasting pieces of music.  To prepare for the audition, the students received extra help before and after school, or took private lessons in the months prior to the audition.

“It takes a lot of extra hours outside of the school day to compete at such a high level,” FMS Band Director Carrie Webb said. “I am very proud of our students.  Not only did they excel on the day of the contest, but their perseverance and work ethic leading up to the competition is what excites me the most.  TISD has great students, and we represented our school and community very well.”

These students will participate in the All-Region clinic and concert hosted by Forney ISD on Friday, January 9 and Saturday, January 10. 

There’s a new, and much older class of students walking the halls of Herman Furlough, Jr. Middle School these days. They’re parents, and they’re getting an inside look at what happens on a normal day at school at HFMS during Shadow Day.

HFMS administrators, many of whom have children of their own, know what it’s like when you ask your student, “What did you do at school today?” Often times, the answer can be far from informative. That’s why the HFMS administrative team decided to host Shadow Day, a day dedicated to allowing parents to attend school with their student. 

“The parents attend classes, walk the halls, and even eat lunch in the cafeteria,” HFMS Principal Jay Thompson explained. “We want them to get to know our school, and this provides them with that opportunity.”

For parents who could not attend during the day, Mr. Thompson offered an opportunity for parents to attend an evening session called Open House II. 

“It’s a great way to show parents and guardians the great things happening at HFMS, and it helps build a relationship between school and home,” Mr. Thompson said.  

Parents enjoyed the opportunity to go back to school and have a window into their student’s everyday life. Michael Stanley was one of more than 80 parents who participated in Shadow Day.    

“I got to see how my son interacts with other kids, I got to meet his teachers, and I got to see what my son is learning in his classes,” Mr. Stanley said. “I think it’s a great chance to understand what’s happening in the school.” 

Shadow Day is just one way HFMS is working to improve parent involvement on campus. HFMS administrators look forward to hosting the event again next year.

Tigers lurk around nearly every corner at W. H. Burnett Elementary School! After recent renovations to the school, the walls were blank canvases ready for an artistic touch and meaningful messages. 

This summer, artist David Eden painted an incredible mural in the library showing Burnett’s commitment to reading, expressed by Dr. Seuss. More recently, during Thanksgiving Break, the Burnett Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) hired Eden to add the same imaginative flare to the walls in the hallways. 

"We wanted to brand our school and show everyone what Burnett is all about,” Principal Angela Barton explained.  “The paintings depict our commitment to reading, and some of the character traits we are working to instill in our students. We are so grateful to our PTO for investing in our school and students," Mrs. Barton said. 

Students, teachers and parents at Burnett will now be reminded at every turn of the character traits that are highly valued at Burnett and throughout Terrell ISD. Those traits include respect, responsibility, perseverance, integrity, fairness, and trustworthiness just to name a few. 

In addition to character traits, quotes from Dr. Seuss and Walt Disney are reminders of the wonderful doors reading can open for every student. One mural features a tiger dressed up as a pirate next to a quote from Walt Disney that reads, “There’s more treasures in books than in all the pirate’s loot on Treasure Island.”

Eden will return during Winter Break to work on a mural in the cafeteria that focuses on college and career readiness. The Burnett students and staff are excited to see the finished product.