Thursday, January 25, 2018

Week of January 29

The +10 Mindset
Your Vote = Your Voice
Are you register to vote?  The March primaries are coming quickly, and one of the candidates
on the ballot will be elected to make decisions about your future. More specifically, our next
legislators will make decisions about education, the educators and your child's future in education.  
Your vote is your voice, and I encourage you to become familiar with the candidates and informed
about their platform, so that you can choose the best candidate for issues that matter to you most.


Here is how you can register to vote.  The deadline to register is February 5.  Early voting begins
on February 20, and election day is March 6.


4th graders learning about internet safety from
BRISD Librarian, Dena Hamilton.

Art Excellence
Congratulations to Kourtney Wheeler (below left) who placed first for advanced painting at the Collin County Creative Arts Show at Myers Park last week, and Julia Taylor (below right) who received 3rd place in drawing.

Their art teacher is Alise Burke.  We are so proud of our students for their hard work in pursuing excellence in the fine arts.






Upcoming Events
Our College Bound Seniors are increasing on the
Wall of Honor.  Our goal is 100% of the senior class
having their face on this wall by May.

  • Fri, Jan 26 - HS BB vs Trenton AWAY
  • Sat, Jan 27 - Boys & Girls Powerlifting at Gainesville ISD
  • Tue, Jan 30 - HS BB vs Bland HERE
  • Thu, Feb 1 - JH BB vs Wolfe City HERE
  • Fri, Feb 2 - HS BB vs Celeste AWAY
  • Sat, Feb 3 - JH BB Tournament
  • Mon, Feb 5 - Baseball @ Farmersville
  • Tue, Feb 6 - HS BB vs Honey Grove HOME
  • Wed, Feb 7 - CX Debate at Honey Grove
  • Fri, Feb 9 - Boys HS BB vs Wolfe City AWAY
  • Fri, Feb 9 - Father / Daughter Softball Game 
  • Sat, Feb 10 - Softball Scrimmage vs Leonard HERE
  • Sat, Feb 10 - Powerlifting at Whitesboro
    Mackenzie Rogers signed her Letter of Intent
    to Jarvis Christian College on a softball scholarship
    Congratulations to Mackenzie! 
  • Mon, Feb 12 - BRHS BETA Induction at 6 p.m.
  • Tue, Feb 13 - Boys HS BB at Trenton
  • Tue, Feb 13 - Baseball at Commerce
  • Wed Feb 14 - Valentine’s Day
  • Thu, Feb 15 - Trenton Tennis Tournament
  • Thu, Feb 15 - Girls at Howe Powerlifting Tournament
  • Thu - Sat (2/15 - 2/17) - Softball at Melissa Tournament
  • Sat, Feb 17 - Boys at Howe Powerlifting Tournament
  • Sat, Feb 17 - Father / Daughter Dance at BRES
  • Sat, Feb 17 - Baseball at Muenster



Calendars
Congratulations to our 4 States Honor Band  Members.
Pictured are Eddie Ramirez, Raegan Harvey, Colton Parrish,
Mr. Terry, Jared Stroman, Marlaina Morgan, and Mr. Carpenter.

District Calendar
Elementary School Calendar
Middle School Calendar
High School Calendar










Election Information
Natalie Walker and Kayla Williams 
each got fourth place in their 
respective weight classes at S&S.
The March primaries are coming quickly, and I wanted to share information about the election.  Here is how you can register to vote.  The deadline to register is February 5.  Early voting begins on February 20, and election day is March 6. 






New Staff Members
Please join me in welcoming our newest staff members to BRISD.  Joanna Verde will joining our district in our Little Cubs Daycare Program.  She is a valuable member of our community and we welcome her.

Also, we would like to welcome our newest teacher, Erin Hale, to BRISD.  She will be teaching 7th grade English Language Arts.  She is a recent graduate of the University of North Texas with a Master's degree in English.







Your Input Matters
If you have a question, suggestion, or comment, please let a comment below. Comments are not published immediately. Please do not leave negative comments about individual people. If you have a negative comment, please email the principal, superintendent or call 972-752-5554.

Tuesday, January 16, 2018

Week of January 22

The +10 Mindset
Congratulations Kendall McCarley
for being accepted to the University
of Texas in Austin!
The 3rd 6 weeks formative assessments will be coming to an end this week, and the data from them gives us an indication if your student is making progress toward reaching their +10 goal in their subjects.  Please take a few minutes this week to visit with your child about their progress on these important assessments.

If you have questions about your child's progress, I encourage you to reach out to your child's teachers or principal.  They will be glad to help you.




FFA Excellence
Welcome our new 7th Grade English Language Arts teacher,
Erin Hale, to our district.  She is a recent graduate of the
University of North Texas with a Masters degree in English.
On the first week back from Christmas break, the FFA program competed in the Collin County Leslie Packard and Bob Bean for their hard work in preparing the students to exhibit their projects.  Additionally, I would like to thank our parents who put in countless hours of hard work behind the scenes to ensure that their kids are successful.  Finally, I would like to congratulate the students for their hard work, preparation, and dedication.  There is no doubt that every student learned many valuable lessons from this experience that will prepare them for even more success in life.
Livestock Show, and they did amazing.  


From Mrs. Packard - I am extremely proud of all of the hard work and effort that they put into these projects each and every day, and as you will see it paid off!  These BRFFA kids who made sale successfully earned nearly $27,000 in our county auction, and we can't wait to see what else we accomplish in during this year's major livestock shows. We as a chapter appreciate your support for our program and your willingness to work around our busy stock show schedules. If you see these kids around this week please give them a hard earned congratulations!


Swine:
  • Kelsie Kennon: 2nd place Black OPB, 4th place Cross
  • Jimmy Fortner: 1st place Duroc, 3rd place Cross, Reserve Champion Jr. Showmanship
  • Gillian Fortner: 1st place Hamp, Breed Champion Hamp, 2nd place cross
  • Kolbe Gelvin: 3rd place Hamp, 5th place Cross
  • Garrett Varner: 3rd place York
  • Blake Rushing: 1st place Cross, 5th place York
  • Josie Gonzales: 4th place Cross
Rabbits: 
  • Kailea Jenkins: 4th place Sr. Broken Holland Lop Doe
  • Dannika Lovell: 1st place Sr. Tortoise Mini Rex Buck, Best of Variety
  • Kyle Chrisenberry: 1st place Intermediate Californian Buck
  • Dominik Lovell: 2nd place Intermediate Californian Buck
  • Lauren Pearson: 2nd place Jr. American Fuzzy Lop Buck
  • Shelby Price: 2nd place Sr. Dwarf Hotot Buck

Sheep:
  • Kaitlyn Garner: 1st place Breeding Sheep, Grand Champion Breeding Sheep, 1st place Medium Wool, Champion Medium Wool, Champion Market Lamb
  • Carson Garner: Second place Breeding Sheep, Reserve Champion Breeding Sheep, 1st place Medium Wool
  • Edward Steven Williams: 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place commercial sheep
  • Karley Rowe: 3rd place Finewool Sheep
  • Abigail Sullivan: 11th place Medium Wool
  • Catarina Martinez: 10th place Medium Wool
  • Haley Sonntag: 9th place Medium Wool

Goats: 
  • Kayden Graham: 8th place market wether
  • Angel Garcia: 5th place market wether
  • Colton Pimpsner: 5th place market wether

Cattle: 
  • Kaitlyn Garner: 1st place class 2 Beefmaster Heifer, 1st place class 4 Beefmaster Heifer, Breed Champion Beefmaster Heifer
  • Carson Garner: 1st place class 3 Beefmaster Heifer, 2nd place class 2 Beefmaster Heifer, Reserve Champion Beefmaster Heifer
  • Josie Gonzales: 2nd place Brangus Heifer
  • Reyna Delgadillo: 1st place Horned Hereford, Reserve Champion Horned Hereford, 2nd place Polled Hereford
  • Ross Feagins: 1st place Horned Hereford, Breed Champion Horned Hereford, 1st place Polled Hereford, Breed Champion Polled Hereford, 8th place Exotic Steer
  • Katherine Henric: 1st place Maine Anjou Heifer, Breed Champion Maine Anjou, 7th place Exotic Steer 
  • JR Armbrister: 1st place class 3 Simmental Heifer, 2nd place class 2 Simmental Heifer
  • Shelby Price: 2nd place American Cross Steer
  • Ashley Swift: 4th place American Cross Steer
  • Kelsie Kennon: 1st place American Cross Steer
  • KC Swift: 1st place British Steer, Reserve Champion British Division Steer

Shop:
  • Katherine Henric: 2nd place in the outdoor furniture division
  • Charlie Joiner: 1st place & Division Champion 

Upcoming Events
Cursive handwriting is being
taught to our students at BRES.

  • Fri, Jan 19 - HS BB vs Honey Grove AWAY
  • Sat, Jan 20 - Boys Powerlifting at S&S ISD
  • Tue, Jan 23 - HS BB vs Wolfe City HERE
  • Thu, Jan 25 - JH BB vs Celeste AWAY
  • Fri, Jan 26 - HS BB vs Trenton AWAY
  • Sat, Jan 27 - Boys & Girls Powerlifting at Gainesville ISD
  • Tue, Jan 30 - HS BB vs Bland HERE
  • Thu, Feb 1 - JH BB vs Wolfe City HERE
  • Fri, Fb 2 - HS BB vs Celeste AWAY
  • Sat, Feb 3 - JH BB Tournament
  • Mon, Feb 5 - Baseball @ Farmersville
  • Tue, Feb 6 - HS BB vs Honey Grove HOME
  • Wed, Feb 7 - CX Debate at Honey Grove
  • Fri, Feb 9 - Boys HS BB vs Wolfe City AWAY
  • Fri, Feb 9 - Father / Daughter Softball Game 
  • Sat, Feb 10 - Softball Scrimmage vs Leonard HERE
  • Sat, Feb 10 - Powerlifting at Whitesboro



Calendars

District Calendar
Elementary School Calendar
Middle School Calendar
High School Calendar



Emergency Text Message

Be sure to join the Bad Weather/Emergency Updates group to receive important district updates, including any potential bad weather closings. Text the number 81010, and in the message type @brisdd. This will include you in the group to receive these updates.


Election Information

The March primaries are coming quickly, and I wanted to share information about the election.  Here is how you can register to vote.  The deadline to register is February 5.  Early voting begins on February 20, and election day is March 6.  

Your Input Matters
If you have a question, suggestion, or comment, please let a comment below. Comments are not published immediately. Please do not leave negative comments about individual people. If you have a negative comment, please email the principal, superintendent or call 972-752-5554.











Wednesday, January 10, 2018

Week of January 15

The +10 Mindset
Mike McCreary,
President
January is Board Appreciation Month, and in this week's post, I would like to acknowledge the Blue Ridge ISD Board of Trustees for their commitment to the students and staff of our great district.  Below are the 4 goals that our trustees adopted, and I am happy to say that we have met all goals that were to be completed by January 2018, and we are making great progress on the goals that are to be accomplished by January 2020.


  • Goal 1 - By the fall of 2020, BRISD will exceed national, state, and regional performance by demonstrating positive academic student growth on a number of assessment measured compared to the regional, state and national averages.
  • Goal 2 - By January 2018, BRISD will develop a comprehensive personnel plan designed to improve the quality of educators in the district.  
    Joe Harvey,
    Vice-President
  • Goal 3 - By January 2018, Blue Ridge ISD will create and implement a master facility plan that projects the needs over the next 5 years and includes facility assessments to determine the cycle for maintenance or replacement of existing structures and the need for new construction.
  • Goal 4 - By January 2018, BRISD will develop a plan to prepare all students for college and career by making specific plans to promote a college and career mindset to all students, and ensure that by 2020 every senior from BRISD graduates with a plan to enter a post-secondary institution, military or job preparatory program.


This Tuesday, January 16, the board will be recognized for their efforts at their regularly scheduled board meeting. Please join me in thanking our dedicated and unified board of trustees who are the reason our district is moving in the right direction at such a fast pace.




Kevin Dauster,
Secretary
Kicking off 2018 Tiger Style
The New Year is starting off with a bang.  Here are a few highlights:

  • Our teachers had a tremendous day of work on Monday, January 8 to prepare for the students returning. 
  • The students have had a great start to the new year by working hard and chasing excellence in their learning. 
  • The FFA program began their showing season with THE LARGEST TURNOUT at the Collin County Livestock Show.  Thank you parents, Mrs. Packard and Mr. Bean for your hard work supporting and leading our kids.  (More info in next week's post.)
  • The Lady Tigers are 2-0 in District Play in basketball.
  • The Tigers are looking good heading into their first district game on Friday.


I hope your year is starting out with a bang as well.  Let's work hard together to make 2018 a fantastic year for our students and our teachers.







Gary Lillard
Upcoming Events

  • Fri, Jan 12 - HS BB vs Bland AWAY

  • Sat, Jan 13
    • 7th Girls BB Tournament at Trenton
    • 8th Boys BB Tournament at Trenton
    • 8th Girls BB Tournament at Van Alstyne
  • Mon, Jan 15 - Student & Staff Holiday
  • Tue, Jan 16 - BRISD School Board Meeting at 6 p.m.
  • Tammy Phillips
    Tue, Jan 16 - HS BB vs Celeste HERE
  • Thu, Jan 18 - Girls Powerlifting at S&S ISD
  • Thu, Jan 18 - JH BB vs Dodd City HERE
  • Fri, Jan 19 - HS BB vs Honey Grove AWAY
  • Sat, Jan 20 - Boys Powerlifting at S&S ISD
  • Tue, Jan 23 - HS BB vs Wolfe City HERE
  • Thu, Jan 25 - JH BB vs Celeste AWAY
  • Fri, Jan 26 - HS BB vs Trenton AWAY
  • Sat, Jan 27 - Boys & Girls Powerlifting at Gainesville ISD
  • Tue, Jan 30 - HS BB vs Bland HERE
  • Seth McGinnis
    Thu, Feb 1 - JH BB vs Wolfe City HERE
  • Fri, Feb 2 - HS BB vs Celeste AWAY
  • Sat, Feb 3 - JH BB Tournament



Calendars
District Calendar
Elementary School Calendar
Middle School Calendar
High School Calendar




Phillip Pulliam,
new in December 2017
Election Information
The March primaries are coming quickly, and I wanted to share information about the election.  Here is how you can register to vote.  The deadline to register is February 5.  Early voting begins on February 20, and election day is March 6. 


Blue Ridge Alliance Update
The Blue Ridge Alliance met on Monday, January 8 at 6 p.m. at the BRISD Administration Meeting.  Representatives from the City, Chamber of Commerce, Blue Ridge ISD, and Mountainman Jerky were in attendance.

Edie Sims reported several accomplishments for the city in 2017 including the following highlights: land purchased for park area, all struck off properties sold, 6 street improvements, 7 ordinances created to affect budget, municipal court established, and council packets now are online.  For 2018 the City plans to complete improvement of  Ridgeway with concrete from Business 78 to State Highway 78, implement a marshal’s office, improve codification of ordinances, and improve code enforcement.

Faith Jech, president of the Blue Ridge Chamber of Commerce shared the plans for improving the chamber.  This included seeking input from local businesses on what they need, work with BRHS students to 
create videos to promote local businesses, promote job opportunities and help kids develop interview skills at BRHS, and begin to recognize the Business of the Month.

Mr. Wink shared information with the group about the school.  This included several accolades the students earned in the 2017 Fall Semester.  There has been a change in the board with Phillip Pulliam filling a vacant place until May 2018.  Also, he shared the district goals with the group and the progress of those goals.  The goals are academic improvement, college and career, facility improvement, and personnel recruitment, development and retention.

The BR Alliance will hold the 2nd Annual Fall Festival again  in October 2018.


Your Input Matters
If you have a question, suggestion, or comment, please let a comment below. Comments are not published immediately. Please do not leave negative comments about individual people. If you have a negative comment, please email the principal, superintendent or call 972-752-5554.


Thursday, January 4, 2018

Week of January 8

The +10 Mindset
Every year I am searching for the new change, a way to be better, an action that is a game changer for others, or a decision that will make my life easier.   It only makes sense.  Change is essential.  Becoming a better person is something we all want to do, and with the New Year comes a new opportunity to make a new commitment for improvement.

That was until I listened to Rick Warren



I thoroughly enjoy listening to the Rick Warren podcast because Rick possesses the powerful ability to turn the complexity of my faith into a simple action that I can implement immediately.  The most recent series he spoke about was titled Radicalis, and in this series, he challenged me to make a better resolution, live a radical life.

???RADICAL???

Yes, radical.  Here's the beauty of radical.  We really don't know what it means.  We think of radical as something fanatical, something that is ridiculously or vastly different from where we currently are.  

But in its original definition, radical was never an outlandish change.  This nebulous word was actually designed to be the exact opposite.  Radical in its initial definition is a return to our roots or fundamentals.  The word comes from the Latin, radicalis, which mean return to our roots.  Radical is, in and of itself, a ROOT, but the problem is that we have given this word an earthly definition that simply means ridiculous change, not a return to who we were designed to become.


For my New Year's Resolution, I want to make a radical change in my life.  I want to rediscover my roots, and in order to do that, I will have to identify actions that I must let go.  The surest way to ensure that I return to my roots will be to identify, challenge and then drop actions that are not aligned to my purpose.  

As you begin the new year, ask yourself this question.  "What is my purpose?"  After that, identify what you need to do to be more connected with that purpose, and as you reflect on your New Year's Resolution, ask yourself this question.  "What must I stop doing so that I can be more successful at what I must be doing?"  Asking these questions will lead you to your "Radical Resolution"



School Board Appreciation Month
January is School Board Recognition Month and Blue Ridge ISD is joining other districts across the state to thank our outstanding local leaders for their dedication and willingness to serve as advocates for our children and public schools. The theme of this year’s recognition month is “Helping Kids Soar to Success.”


Blue Ridge ISD would like to thank the following board members:

  • Mike McCreary, president; 
  • Joe Harvey, vice president;
  • Kevin Dauster, secretary
  • Tammy Phillips
  • Seth McGinnis
  • Gary Lillard
  • Phillip Pulliam, appointed in December to complete the term through May 2018.

Blue Ridge ISD has an exceptional group of school board members who are unified around one central focus, the children of our community.  They make decisions based on what’s best for students, and they go above and beyond to be knowledgeable of issues impacting public education.  Furthermore, they are deeply committed to providing outstanding leadership as representatives of our community.  Thank you BRISD Board of Trustees.


Upcoming Events


  • Fri, Jan 5 - HS Girls BB vs Wolfe City AWAY
    Kindergarten writing.
  • Mon, Jan 8 - Staff Development (Student Holiday)
  • Jan 8 - 12 - FFA students will be showing animals at the Collin County Livestock Show. GOOD LUCK! 
    Tue, Jan 9 - Students Return and 3rd 9 Weeks Begins
  • Tue, Jan 9 - HS Girls BB vs Trenton
  • Tue, Jan 9 - HS Boys BB vs Celina HOME
  • Thu, Jan 11 - JH BB vs Trenton HOME
  • Fri, Jan 12 - HS BB vs Bland AWAY
  • Sat, Jan 13
    • 7th Girls BB Tournament at Trenton
    • 8th Boys BB Tournament at Trenton
    • 8th Girls BB Tournament at Van Alstyne
  • Mon, Jan 15 - Student & Staff Holiday
  • Tue, Jan 16 - BRISD School Board Meeting at 6 p.m.
    2018 is going to be a great year
    at BRISD.
  • Tue, Jan 16 - HS BB vs Celeste HERE
  • Thu, Jan 18 - Girls Powerlifting at S&S ISD
  • Thu, Jan 18 - JH BB vs Dodd City HERE
  • Fri, Jan 19 - HS BB vs Honey Grove AWAY
  • Sat, Jan 20 - Boys Powerlifting at S&S ISD
  • Tue, Jan 23 - HS BB vs Wolfe City HERE
  • Thu, Jan 25 - JH BB vs Celeste AWAY
  • Fri, Jan 26 - HS BB vs Trenton AWAY
  • Sat, Jan 27 - Boys & Girls Powerlifting at Gainesville ISD



Calendars
District Calendar
Elementary School Calendar
Middle School Calendar
High School Calendar




Election Information
The March primaries are coming quickly, and I wanted to share information about the election.  Here is how you can register to vote.  The deadline to register is February 5.  Early voting begins on February 20, and election day is March 6. 

What I'm Learning
13 Things Mentally Strong Leaders Don't Do

9 Roles For The Teacher That Leads



Your Input Matters
If you have a question, suggestion, or comment, please let a comment below. Comments are not published immediately. Please do not leave negative comments about individual people. If you have a negative comment, please email the principal, superintendent or call 972-752-5554.