STISD honored for giving in 2014 United Way campaign Board

BOARDWorks
A Publication of South Texas Independent School District
February/March 2015
Board approves calendar for 2015-16 school year
The STISD Board of Directors approved the calendar for the 201516 school year during the March 24 meeting.
In keeping with the process initiated last year to allow the district’s
Educational Improvement Council (EIC) to make a better-informed recommendation, students, parents, faculty and staff were
encouraged to express preferences on calendar options through a
brief survey created by the district. All proposed calendars submitted by the campuses, and the feedback garnered from the public
survey, were taken into consideration for the recommendation
presented to the board.
The calendar will include 180 total days of instruction split over
two semesters, with 80 days in the first and 100 days in the second. Instruction will begin on Monday, Aug. 24, and will end on
Thursday, June 2.
School holidays are as follows:
»» September 7- Labor Day
»» October 12- Columbus Day
»» November 25-27- Thanksgiving
»» Dec. 21- Jan. 1- Christmas Break
»» February 15- Presidents Day
»» March 14-18- Spring Break
»» March 25- Easter Break
»» April 25- Stress Day
Two holidays have been identified as “weather make-up days,” in
case of any school cancellations due to inclement weather. Those
days are Feb. 15 and March 25. There are a number of days high-
lighted in yellow throughout the calendar. These are the State
Student Assessment Days. For additional information and
to view the calendar in its entirety, please visit www.stisd.net
and click on the tab labeled “Calendar” and then “2015-16
Calendar.” An A/B version of the calendar is also available
on the district website.
STISD honored for giving in 2014 United Way campaign
The United Way of South Texas recognized STISD at the March
board meeting for earning highest per capita for a district of under 999 employees for contributions to the 2014 campaign. This
year, STISD raised $7,235, with the average pledge being $18.77.
100 percent of the United Way community givings remain in the
Rio Grande Valley to help those in need. United Way of South
Texas funds over 100 programs through 21 partner agencies and
six community impact grant recipients. These programs help
youth succeed, strengthen and support families, provide emergency shelter and more. For more information, please visit www.
unitedwayofsotx.org.
Left to right: Lilly Lopez-Killelea, United Way of South Texas vice president;
Marla M. Guerra, Ed.D., STISD superintendent; and Joe L. Lopez, STISD board president
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BOARDWorks
Students speak on summer symposium experiences
A few of the STPA students who attended the 2014 University of Texas-Pan American (UTPA) STEM Camp.
Pictured, from left to right: Divya Agarwala of Mission,
Christopher Conway of McAllen and Mellory Grannum
of Harlingen.
A few of the 2014 STPA graduates who attended the 2014
Texas A&M University STEM Camp. Pictured, from left
to right: Jose Escobedo of Mission (Med High), Marielle
Hicban of Edinburg (Med High), Alina Cantu of Mission
(Med High) and Alicia Sreeny of Edinburg (Sci Tech).
Two of the 2014 STPA graduates who attended the Texas
A&M University BET Camp. Pictured, from left to right:
Kimberly Estabillo of Weslaco (Med High) and Diana
Huerta of Mission (BETA).
Students from South Texas Preparatory
Academy (STPA) presented on their experiences at the 2014 UTPA STEM Camp at
the March board meeting held at Gateway
to the World Library in Edinburg.
Four former STPA students presented on
their experiences at the 2014 Aggie-STEM
Summer Camp at the March board meeting.
their senior year.
“We want students to walk away from this
experience with a better understanding of
different career choices available to them,
as well as the college-life experience” said
Rodriguez.
Forty-two rising 8th-grade STPA students
participated in the camp at UTPA Aug.
3-8. Students participated in various activities during the week-long camp, which included the designing, building and testing of
bridges, air and water-powered rockets and a
mars lander. Students also traveled to South
Padre Island and toured the Sea Turtle Inc.
and the UTPA Coastal Studies Lab.
Participants for this program were selected
through an application process. Students
were required to submit an essay and teacher
recommendations to be eligible.
Thirty rising 9th-grade students traveled to
Texas A&M University (TAMU)-College
Station, June 9-13. The Aggie Center for
STEM provided students with real world
experiences in STEM education through
project-based learning.
The camp provided students with a worldclass university experience with Texas A&M
University professors in STEM fields.
Program sponsor Daniel Rodriguez believes
this camp is an excellent opportunity for
all rising 9th-grade students, as it provides
a great start for their high school careers,
and prepares them for college admission in
Two former STPA students presented on
their experiences at the summer Business,
Education & Technology (BET) Camp, held
at TAMU.
Rising 9th-grade students participated in
this week-long residential camp promoting
business, education and technology, July
21-25.
The camp focused on increasing students’
research skills, while introducing them to
college life and promoting BET subjects as
potential career paths.
STISD approves course sequences for 2015-16 school year
The STISD Board of Directors approved
the course sequences for the 2015-16 school
year for all six STISD campuses during the
March meeting.
“The course sequence is the backbone of
the STISD curricular offerings,” said Jeff
Hembree, STISD deputy superintendent.
“It provides the student, parent, teachers
and administrators with clear curriculum
expectations that are specific for each
campus theme.”
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The district’s new middle school, Rising
Scholars Academy of South Texas (Rising
Scholars) will use a similar sequence to
STPA. South Texas Academy for Medical
Professions (Medical Academy), South Texas High School for Health Professions (Med
High) and STPA had no proposed changes
to their course sequence. South Texas Business, Education & Technology Academy
(BETA) proposed three new courses for
its education track: principles of human
services, child development and nutrition &
lifetime wellness, which were all approved
by the STISD board. The Science Academy
of South Texas also proposed three new
courses to the board, including business
spanish, bioengineering and biotechnology.
“The implementation of the new graduation
endorsements into each campus is now in
its second year and each campus has done
an outstanding job as usual,” said Hembree.
The 2015-16 course sequences can be found
on the district website - www.stisd.net - in
Students - Current Students - Academics.
BOARDWorks
19 BETA students advance to FEA National Competition in D.C.
Students in the Texas Association of Future Educators (TAFE)
chapter at South Texas Business, Education & Technology
Academy (BETA) in Edinburg competed at TAFE’s 31st Annual
Teach Tomorrow Summit at Texas Tech University Feb. 14-16.
Monte Alto, Andrea Lazo-Romero of McAllen, Brittany Luna of
Edcouch, Jazmin Martinez of Edinburg, Kathy Rios of Edinburg,
Stingray Schuller of Mission, Kayla Serna of Edinburg, Lorena
Silva of Alton and Bianca Zecca of Edinburg.
BETA students represented the campus in 16 of the 29 competitive events offered at the state meet, and 19 students qualified
for nationals. Students who placed in the top five in each of
the state events will advance to the Future Educators Association (FEA) National Conference, to be held April 23-25, at the
Hyatt Regency Crystal City in Arlington, Va., just outside of
Washington, D.C.
BETA TAFE students also had the opportunity to meet others from
around the state with the same interests, gain an understanding of
what it takes to be successful college students, and learn the skills
necessary for becoming successful educators.
Students advancing to the national competition include: Matias
Bautista of Donna, Sam Campbell of McAllen, Myra Canales
of Raymondville, Juan Andres Castillo of Mission, Gelsey
Castorena of Mission, Celina Cisneros of Mission, Isaias Gonzalez of Edinburg, Erasmo Hinojosa of San Juan, Max Johnson of Edinburg, Pebbles Lozano of Mission, Skylyn Lozano
of Mission, Ashley McDonald of Edinburg, Josh Mendez of
McAllen, Tony Ochoa of Mercedes, Victoria Perez of Alamo,
Valeria Sanjuan of Hidalgo, Chicago Joe Schuller of Mission,
Gurpreet Singh of Mission, and Yesenia Treviño of Monte
Alto. Four students - Max Johnson, Ashley McDonald, Isaiah
Gonzalez, and Chicago Joe Schuller - all placed in the top five
in the country last year as sophomores.
Additional BETA students who placed at the state competition
in their respective events include: Andrea Barajas-Partida of
Edinburg, Karen Barajas-Partida of Edinburg, Karla BarajasPartida of Edinburg, Roy Cantu of La Joya, Ariela Cardenas
of Weslaco, Celina Cisneros of Mission, Karla Ale Diaz of
McAllen, Leslie Garcia of Monte Alto, Odessa Gutierrez of
National qualifiers will compete in the event in which they qualified.
These events include: creative lecture, ethical dilemma, impromptu
speaking, exploring educational innovative careers, exploring
support service careers, research learning challenges, technology
video, job interview, TAFE service leadership award, and research
and marketing.
Top, from left to right: Celina Cisneros, Isaias Gonzalez, Gurpreet Singh, Juan Andres Castillo, Josh Mendez, Chicago Schuller, Erasmo Hinojosa, Tony Ochoa, Max Johnson, Matias
Bautista and Yesenia Treviño. Bottom, from left to right: Skylyn Lozano, Myra Canales,
Gelsey Castorena, Pebbles Lozano, Valeria Sanjuan, and Victoria Perez.
Not pictured: Samuel Campbell and Ashley McDonald.
BETA band & choir advance to state
Twelve BETA band and choir students are advancing to the
U.I.L. State Solo and Ensemble Contest, to be held at The
University of Texas at Austin on May 29.
BETA junior Seong Min Kim will make her third appearance
at the state level this May, and Josias Bahena (sophomore) and
Jennifer Fanzhen Ding (junior) will compete for the second time.
The band and choir are under the direction of Yingching Jeter.
Front row, kneeling: Seung Min Kim of Edinburg, Alyssa Barrera of Edinburg, Luis
Fernandez of Mercedes, and Gabriela Hernandez (standing) of Donna; Second row, sitting:
Abigail Marco of Edinburg, Josias Bahena of McAllen, Jennifer Fanzhen Ding of Edinburg and Jesus Ramirez of Penitas; Last row, standing: Diana Huerta of Mission, Catarina Miranda of Edinburg, Shari Lozano of Donna, and Stephanie Ortega of Harlingen.
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BOARDWorks
Bulletin Board
• Administrative Professionals Week: (April
20-24)
• STISD Board Meeting: 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday, April 28, at Biblioteca Las Américas in
Mercedes
• National Teacher Day: May 5
Connect With Us!
Find us on Twitter: @SouthTexasISD &
on Facebook at: https: www.facebook.com/SouthTexasISD
Tell your friends and family!
We are now enrolling for the 2015-16 school year.
BETA: 9th- & 10th- grade
Medical Academy: 9th- & 10th- grade
Rising Scholars: 7th-grade only
Apply Online: www.stisd.net
• Memorial Day: May 25
BoardWorks is published for patrons of South
Texas Independent School District after each
regular meeting of the Board of Directors. Board
meetings take place on the fourth Tuesday of
the month at 7:00 p.m. Board minutes are the
final authority on action taken at STISD board
meetings.
Board Bits
• National School Nurse Day: May 6
•
The STISD board approved renaming STISD’s new middle school Rising Scholars Academy of South Texas, or Rising Scholars, during the
Feb. 24 meeting. The campus will open in San Benito this fall.
•
The STISD Education Foundation presented its quarterly report during
the March 24 board meeting. The report included a listing of the newlyelected foundation board leadership, including: Grace Camargo, board
president; Sandra Gonzalez, vice president; and Tony Garza, treasurer.
•
The STISD Education Foundation has a new website - www.stisdeducationfoundation.org. Stay up-to-date with all things foundation there!
Editor: Amanda Odom
(956) 514-4255 or amanda.odom@stisd.net
Joe L. Lopez, President
Douglas E. Buchanan, Vice-President
Maria G. Leal, Secretary
Graciela Camargo
Eduardo L. “Larry” Cantu
Yolanda Cuellar
Javier Farias
Richard Fleming, M.D.
Adrian Garcia
Homero Garcia
Margarita Garcia
Sylvia Sánchez Garza
Hector Gonzales
Eduardo “Ed” Gonzalez
Filomena Leo, Ed.D.
Robert “Bobby” J. Lerma
Henry LeVrier
Ramon Montalvo, III
Eliceo Muñoz, III
Berta Palacios
John L. Solis, III
Irma Perez-Treviño
Israel G. Quintanilla
Rick Villarreal, D.D.S.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Marla M. Guerra, Ed.D.
SUPERINTENDENT
Phone (956) 565-2454
Fax (956) 565-4639
Website www.stisd.net
100 Med High Dr.
Mercedes, TX 78570
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around
the district
86 STISD students competed at HOSA state competition
Students in the HOSA-Future Health Professionals program
organization at South Texas Academy for Medical Professions
(Medical Academy) and South Texas High School for Health
Professions (Med High), competed at the 2015 Texas HOSA
State Conference in Dallas, April 9-11.
Of the 86 competitors from both campuses, 22 students will
compete at the HOSA National Leadership Conference in Anaheim, CA, June 24-27.
Medical Academy state competitors included: Veronica Alaniz
of La Feria, Kevin Barrientos of Edinburg, Miranda Brower of
La Feria, Matthew Garcia of Santa Rosa, Claudia Godinez of
McAllen, Jennifer Guajardo of San Benito, Adrian Guzman of
Brownsville, Lauren Hernandez of Harlingen, Perla Hernandez
of Port Isabel, Jocelyn Martinez of Brownsville, Natalie Nieto
of Pharr, Zeila Palacios of Edinburg, Michael Peña (national
qualifier) of Harlingen, Ingrid Rodriguez of Rio Hondo,
Sabrina Salazar of Brownsville and Victor Soto (national
qualifier) of Mission. Medical Academy students competed in
forensic science, CPR/first aid, nutrition, medical photography
and medical and nursing assisting events.
Med High student competitors included: Renee Acquaye
of McAllen, Angelica Aguirre of Brownsville, Mir Y Ali of
Brownsville, Julianna Berlanga (national qualifier) of Mission,
Prachi Bhakta of Harlingen, Maria Binamira of Edinburg,
Jacob Castro of Edinburg, Maite Cazares of Pharr, Dora
Conover of Edinburg, Victoria De La Fuente of Weslaco, Sana
Erabti (national qualifier) of Edinburg, Branden Etienne of
McAllen, Arthur Flores of McAllen, Angelo Ganno of McAllen, Janessa Garza of Mission, Carlos Garza of San Juan, Alicia Garza of Edinburg, Daniela Gonzalez (national qualifier)
of McAllen, John Guerrero (national qualifier) of Edinburg,
Patricia Guzman (national qualifier) of Mission, Katarina
Hamoy of Mission, Carolina Hernandez of Brownsville, Anabel Hernandez of Mission, Thomas Hernandez of Elsa, Evellyn Huerta of McAllen, Zhikynah Lamsis (national qualifier)
of McAllen, Victoria Langenstein of Edinburg, Ryan Lavilla
of McAllen, Sergio Lopez of Pharr, Valeria Magallan (national qualifier) of Pharr, Erika Mercado of McAllen, Elizabeth
Modesto of Brownsville, Iliana Naranjo of Donna, Aiza Nisar
(national qualifier) of Brownsville, Lema Noubani (national
qualifier) of McAllen, Fiona Okada of Mission, Anjali Patel
(national qualifier) of Edinburg, Claire Peng (national qualifier) of Palmhurst, Cassandra Perez (national qualifier) of
Mercedes, Shania Pintor of Pharr, Steven Quidilla of McAllen, Kevin Quidilla (national qualifier) of McAllen, Larissa
Ramilo (national qualifier) of Mission, Arianna Ramirez of
Mission, Michael Reyes of Mission, Aleena Romy of Edinburg, Oliver Rosa (national qualifier) of Edinburg, Anitta Saju
(national qualifier) of Edinburg, Anthony Salinas of McAllen, Isabella Salinas of Mission, Leanna Salinas of Mission,
Natalia Sanchez (national qualifier) of Edinburg, Pauline
Sanez of Brownsville, Leilani Silva of Edinburg, Cheyenne
Straub of Edinburg, Lauren Stuber of McAllen, Jia Tolento
of McAllen, Mariana Treviño of Mission, Mark Trujillo of
Brownsville, Marcos Valdez of Mission, John Valencia of
McAllen, Anjelica Vallejo of Edinburg, Angel Velez (national
qualifier) of Hidalgo, Jeswin Vennatt (national qualifier) of
Edinburg, Alondra Villarreal of Brownsville, Kaylah Villegas
of Weslaco, Salma Yazji of McAllen and Mary Ycu (national
qualifier) of Mission.
Med High students competed in various events,
including: personal care,
physical therapy, sports
medicine, veterinary science, emergency medical
technician, life support
skills, interviewing skills,
prepared speaking, speaking skills, biomedical
debate, community awareness, creative problem solving, emergency medical technician, forensic medicine, health
care display, health education HOSA bowl and public service
announcement.
Above photo: A group of Medical Acacdemy and Med High HOSA students at
the state competition.
Photo on left: A group of Med High HOSA state competitors.
Science Academy students awarded at TAMUK Competition
Students from The Science Academy of South Texas (Sci Tech) competed at the Texas A&M University-Kingsville (TAMUK) Engineering Competition in March, as part of the university’s Engineers Week.
TAMUK invited 277 students to visit the campus and compete in
a challenge where students were required to build a project from
scratch.
The engineering competition exposed students to the designing process and what it meant to create something from
scratch. Students were given a bag of materials that included
bottle caps, plastic bottles, CD’s and balloons, to name a
few. With these items, students had to use their creativity
in creating the best, lightest model that would travel the
longest distance.
Sci Tech students Shota Kaieda of Mission, Ramlah Kahn of
Brownsville, Cristian Tafolla-Gonzalez of Weslaco and Ashley
Perez of Weslaco took home two of the four awards allotted at the
competition. Students received best overall and first place for longest
distance in the car build.
The purpose of Engineers Week at TAMUK is to bring attention
to the contributions that engineers make to society, while also emphasizing the importance of learning more of the math, science and
technical skills.
Photo on right: Shota Kaieda, Ramlah Kahn, Cristian Tafolla & Ashley
Perez
Medical Academy PASF student visits D.C.
Lorena Martinez, Medical Academy senior and treasurer of the campus Pan American Student
Forum (PASF) organization, was one of four students from Texas chosen to participate in a cultural
trip to Washington, D.C.
The PASF sponsors an annual trip for high school members in good standing to educate and promote
awareness of the cultural differences in an effort to strengthen the bonds of friendship among nations.
While in D.C. in early March, she visited the U.S. Capitol, the Smithsonian Institution, the White
House, the Jefferson Memorial, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, the National Mall, the Mexican
Cultural Institute, the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, and the John F. Kennedy Center
for the Performing Arts.
All delegates had to submit an application and letters of recommendation to be considered for this
opportunity.
27 BETA FEA members make International Honor Society
Twenty-seven BETA Blue and Silver Future Educators Association (FEA) members were recently invited to join the
FEA International Honor Society, an honor reserved only for
members in good standing with the organization, who have a 90
GPA or higher and who have received recommendation letters
from organization sponsors.
Alvarez, Brittany Luna, Jazmin Martinez, Antonio Ochoa, Amaris Sanchez, Chicago Schuller, Gurpeet Singh, Jordan Vasquez,
Sarafey Zuniga, Karen Barajas-Partida, Rogelio Cantu, Edgar
Centeno Portilla, Celina Cisneros, Tania GarciaSigala, Jacqueline
Giang, Luis Gutierrez, Tiffany Johnson, Sarahi Lozano, Ashley
McDonald, Stingray Schuller and Yesenia Treviño.
Students invited to join the FEA International Honor Society
include: Carmen Boffill, Juan Castillo, Amanda Corbitt, Leslie
Garcia, Isaias Gonzalez, Odessa Gutierrez, Lizbeth Guzman-
Selected students will receive a certificate to commemorate the
induction and FEA signature Honor Society graduation cords
with medallion for their accomplishments.