Thursday, August 30, 2018

Week of September 3

The +10 Mindset - Learning starts with the Adults
BRISD Teachers learning about DMAC
and MAP from BRISD Curriculum Director,
Matthew Todd.

The big reason why our students are learning, growing, and excelling is because our teachers, leaders, and staff members are learning, growing, and excelling as well.  To accelerate this growth, we have made adult learning a priority and dedicated a specific time of every week so that teachers can learn together.

In the picture to the right, teachers learning from Mr. Todd about our new assessment systems, DMAC and MAP.  This is a traditional form of professional learning where teachers come to the board room, and we share a new concept or idea with them.  From there, teachers will collaborate on their own or with their principals each Friday in an effort to become more proficient in the work they are tasked with.

So why have a Late-Start Friday?
Well the reason is simple.  We care about our teachers, their success, and their time.  Every teacher deserves time during their contractual work day to learn with and from one other.  Second, it is disingenuous to say that adult learning is important when there is no time built into the teachers' work day to make adult learning a priority.  If we want students to grow in their learning, we owe it to our teachers to give them time to grow as well.

Finally, the Late-Start Friday is not intended to be a waste of time for the kids.  It is our intent to
provide all students who arrive at their usual time learning activities that otherwise may not be provided.  For example, character education sessions, homework clubs, and fitness activities are just a few examples of the learning that we will expose to all kids who arrive at their normal time on Fridays.  Also, we hope that families who choose to arrive late on Fridays enjoy the extra bonding time that this late start provides.




Enrollment Report and Facility Capacity for
Deputy Max Picco talking to the kids about
gun safety and finding an adult for help.
Future Growth

Our district's enrollment pattern is continuing its upward trend. On the first day of school, BRISD enrolled 819 students and by the end of the week, BRISD enrollment was 829 students.  Since 2015 BRISD has averaged 6% growth over the last 3 years.  

Eventually the district will need to consider options for additional facility space in the form of classrooms as we continue to grow.  Over the coming weeks, the district will explore options with the district's architect, WRA Architects, and the district will conduct another demography report to forecast the future growth over the next 3-5 years.  




In the Board Meeting
At the August 27 board meeting, the board adopted the 2018-2019 budget as presented by BRISD Business Manager, Amanda Ray, and the board adopted the same tax rate as last year at $1.57149 per $100 valuation.  The board approved the following action items:

  • Policy Update 111, affecting local policies BBD, CAA, CJA, DH, DEA, DI, DHE, FEA
  • 2018-2019 Property, Liability, and Fleet Insurance
  • 2018-2019 Unemployment Compensation Pool insurance
  • 2018 Property Tax Collection Rate at 100%
  • Guardian Security Solutions to install new exterior doors throughout the district.

Mr. Todd reviewed the 2018 Accountability Ratings. Mrs. Ray sought input from the board on upgrades to scoreboards at the gyms, softball field and baseball field, and Mr. Wink reported to the board that district enrollment has increased 34 students from the first day of school enrollment in 2017.

 


What I'm Reading

Six Strategies to Help Introverts Thrive at School and Feel Understood

STEPS TO BECOME A REGISTERED VOTER - Deadline is October 9
1. Request voter registration forms from the Secretary of State. Online order form or PDF form to mail or email your request. 
2.  Request voter registration forms from your county elections office.

Upcoming Events

  • Fri, Aug 31 - VB vs Farmersville
    BRHS students learned about digital citizenship from
    Dena Hamilton on our first Late-Start Friday.
  • Fri, Aug 31 - FB at City View in Wichita Falls
  • Sat, Sep 1 - V VB at Commerce Tournament
  • Sat, Sep 1 - JV VB at Decatur Tournament
  • Mon, Sep 3 - Labor Day Holiday
  • Thu, Sep 6 - School Picture Day
  • Fri, Sep 7 - End of 1st 3 Weeks Grading Period (Progress Reports out the next week)
  • Sat, Sep 8 - Saturday Night in Blue Ridge by BRASA at the Square in Blue Ridge
  • Mon, Sep 10 - JH VB vs Bonham HOME
  • Tue, Sep 11 - VB vs Van Alstyne HOME
  • Thu, Sep 13 - JH/JV FB vs. Celeste HOME
  • BRES Asst. Principal Shelley Reeves with our
    BRASA Tiger Cheerleaders
  • Fri, Sep 14 - VB at Whitewright
  • Fri, Sep 14 - FB at Celeste
  • Sun, Sep 16 - Paint the Town Green for Homecoming Week
  • Fri, Sep 21 - Homecoming at 7:00 p.m. and Homecoming Parade at 1 p.m.



Calendars
District Calendar
Elementary School Calendar
Middle School Calendar
High School Calendar
Blue Ridge Community Calendar





Your Input Matters
If you have a question, suggestion, or comment, please leave 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, August 23, 2018

Week of August 27

The +10 Mindset - The Next Step
The year has begun with a fantastic first week.  Kids are smiling. Teachers and staff are focused on excellence, and administrators have done a great job creating a structured system so everyone knows the where we are headed.  It has been a wonderful week.

So what is our focus this year?  The next step for Blue Ridge ISD is all about continuous improvement.  It's about acknowledging where we are strong and making those areas stronger, and it's about admitting where we must grow next.  With that being said, growth grows even faster with feedback.  In Blue Ridge ISD, we value your feedback, student feedback, and staff feedback.  When feedback is focused on growth also known as the next step, everyone wins.  If you have a question, concern, or suggestion, please feel free to give us a call and share your thoughts.



Safety and Security

As many of your know, student safety has been at the forefront of our public schools for the past 6
months.  The threat of school violence is a scary thing, and it is something that every educator in the nation is worried about.  To address concerns, we have implemented the following protocols:

  • The district has a new School Resource Officer, Deputy Max Picco.
  • All students have 1 point of entry into the buildings in the mornings.  They are the front of the HS school for MS/HS students and the cafeteria for ES students.
  • The district has increased its security presence by adding an additional security staff member this year.
  • The district added exterior video equipped door bells at the front door of all campuses, which requires all visitors to identify themselves prior to entering the building.
  • The district is requiring students to use the Anonymous Alerts App to report bullying, threats, harassment or any other concerns.  The username is blueridgeisd and the password is blueridgeisd.  Please encourage your students to use this app if they have any concern.
Student safety is our number one priority in Blue Ridge ISD.  If you have any questions, concerns, or idea to share, please feel free to let your principal or me know.



Upcoming Events

  • Fri, Aug 24 - VB at Tom Bean
    Laura Todd is jazzed up about the
    1st Day of School.
  • Fri, Aug 24 - FB at Era Scrimmage
  • Sat, Aug 25 - VB at Whitesboro Tournament
  • Mon, Aug 27 - BRISD Board Meeting
  • Tue, Aug 28 - VB at Pilot Point
  • Tue, Aug 28 - Watch Dogs Kick-off Event at BRES at 6 p.m.
  • Wed, Aug 29 - PTO Meeting at BRISD Board Room at 6:30 pm
  • Thu, Aug 30 - HS VB at Commerce Tournament
  • Thu, Aug 30 - JH VB at Bells
  • Fri, Aug 31 - VB vs Farmersville
  • Fri, Aug 31 - FB at City View in Wichita Falls
  • Sat, Sep 1 - V VB at Commerce Tournament
  • Sat, Sep 1 - JV VB at Decatur Tournament
  • Mon, Sep 3 - Labor Day Holiday
  • Thu, Sep 6 - School Picture Day
  • Fri, Sep 7 - End of 1st 3 Weeks Grading Period (Progress Reports out the next week)
  • Sat, Sep 8 - Saturday Night in Blue Ridge by BRASA at the Square in Blue Ridge
  • Sun, Sep 16 - Paint the Town Green for Homecoming Week
  • Fri, Sep 21 - Homecoming at 7:00 p.m. and Homecoming Parade at 1 p.m.
    BRHS started out the year with a Pep Rally
    Great job to our cheerleaders for serving
    as leaders.




Calendars
District Calendar
Elementary School Calendar
Middle School Calendar
High School Calendar
Blue Ridge Community Calendar



Your Input Matters
If you have a question, suggestion, or comment, please leave 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.

Friday, August 17, 2018

Week of August 20 (Welcome Back Tigers)

The +10 Mindset - Ready for the Future
The 1st week of school is here, and we are ready to make an epic impact on every student this year.  As we start the year, I want you to watch the video below and see what Blue Ridge ISD is all about.  We are more than a STAAR test, and this video will tell you why.




Our state accountability ratings were released, and our district receive a B.  Over the years, the Texas Education Agency, at the legislature's direction, has attempted to convey to parents and communities how schools are doing at educating students.  It is impossible to explain to you the formulas of how Blue Ridge ISD earned a B, so I will do something different. I will tell you what we define as success in educating your child.

First, we are all about growth.  When it comes to STAAR testing, did you know that Blue Ridge ISD has grown every year in student achievement over the past 3 years.  The table shows that BRISD was ahead of the state of Texas in 5 tested areas in 2016, and in 2 years we are now ahead of the state in 13 tested areas, and this year we aim to grow even more this year.

But aside from STAAR, there are great and amazing things happening for our kids every day.  Our extracurricular programs are growing by leaps and bounds, and the education in our classrooms provides tremendous learning opportunities that can never be assessed on a standardized test.

As we begin the year, I want you to know 3 things.
Thank you First Baptist Church Blue Ridge
for providing a great lunch to celebrate
our awesome teachers and staff.
We appreciate you!!!

  1. We will know your child by name, need and strength.
  2. We will always seek to grow as educators in every way possible in order to help your child learn, grow, and excel.
  3. If you ever have a question, concern, or idea, we want you to feel comfortable bringing it to our attention.  We will listen to your needs, and we will keep your concerns confidential.
Thank you for entrusting us with your child.  We hope that your child has a great start to school, and we look forward to partnering with you in every way possible.






HS/MS Morning Traffic and Drop-off Changes
Traffic flow for pickup/ drop-off will be the same as in previous years. Cars will enter closer to the flagpoles and move east through the drive to exit.  For safety purposes, all students must enter the front doors at the high school in the morning.  MS Athletes will be met by coaches at gym entrances.  Parents and visitors will not be allowed in the school until they check in at the front office of the school.




Upcoming Events

  • Fri, Aug 17 - Football Scrimmage vs. Cumby at 6 p.m. HOME
  • Mon, Aug 20 - 1st Day of 2018-2019 School Year
  • Mon, Aug 20 - VB vs Tioga at HOME
  • Tue, Aug 21 - VB at Poolville
  • Thu, Aug 23 - VB at Whitesboro Tournament
  • Fri, Aug 24 - VB at Tom Bean
  • Fri, Aug 24 - FB at Era Scrimmage
  • Sat, Aug 25 - VB at Whitesboro Tournament
  • Mon, Aug 27 - BRISD Board Meeting
  • Mon, Sep 3 - Labor Day Holiday
  • Thu, Sep 6 - School Picture Day
  • Fri, Sep 7 - End of 1st 3 Weeks Grading Period (Progress Reports out the next week)
  • Sat, Sep 8 - Saturday Night in Blue Ridge by BRASA at the Square in Blue Ridge




Calendars
District Calendar
Elementary School Calendar
Middle School Calendar
High School Calendar
Blue Ridge Community Calendar


Your Input Matters
If you have a question, suggestion, or comment, please leave 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.

Monday, August 6, 2018

Back to School Announcements

The +10 Mindset
Welcome our new high school principal,
Dr. Chris Miller
The summer has flown by and school is ready to begin on Monday, August 20.  Over the summer the
BRISD Board of Trustees have approved a wide variety of things to make our school safer, to provide our students with first class facilities and resources, and to provide every student with the very best educator in every classroom.  Over the summer, the board authorized the following actions:
  • Approval of a 3% Raise for all staff members in BRISD
  • Approval to hire a School Safety Employee for the 2018-2019 school year, and facility upgrades to exterior doors and fencing.
  • Approval of Facility Upgrade to BRES Gym (bleachers and painting),
  • Approval of Bleachers and Concrete sidewalks for baseball field,
  • Approval of Student Handbooks for All Students, Athletics, Band, Cheer, etc.
Thank you to the Blue Ridge Chamber of Commerce
for hosting the Back to School Bash.
In addition to the hard work of our board, our district hosted its first ever Back to School Bash which was completely organized by the Blue Ridge Chamber of Commerce.  We appreciate the City, churches and organizations for all of their work.  Over 290 backpacks were provided to children, and kids could get free haircuts, dental cleaning, and immunization shots.  This event is a testimony to the first class community that Blue Ridge is.  Thank you to all who helped make this event a huge success.

As August begins, I would like to invite you to be a part of this wonderful district.  If you have any questions, concerns, or problems, please know that I, along with our dedicated leaders, want to hear from you.  Our district is growing and the best way that we can grow in the right direction is to keep the lines of communication open.  My door has been open for you since I began in Blue Ridge in May of 2016, and my door will continue to be open for you any time you need anything.  I can't wait to see each of you as we begin the school year.



Upcoming Events

  • Mon, Aug, 6 - Football Begins at 12 a.m.
  • Mon, Aug 6 - District New Teacher Orientation at Administration Building
  • Tue, Aug 7 - Campus New Teacher Orientation at campuses
  • Wed, Aug 8 - All staff report to campuses for professional learning
  • Thu, Aug 9 - All staff report to campuses for professional learning

  • Fri, Aug 10 - BRISD will be closed
  • Mon, Aug 13 - District-wide Staff Development Day
  • Tue, Aug 14 - District-wide Staff Development Day
  • Wed, Aug 15 - Campus Staff Development Day
  • Thu, Aug 16 - Teacher Work Day, Staff Picture Day & Meet the Teacher
  • Fri, Aug 17 - Football Scrimmage vs. Cumby at 6 p.m. HOME
  • Mon, Aug 20 - 1st Day of 2018-2019 School Year
  • Mon, Aug 27 - BRISD Board Meeting




Calendars

District Calendar
Elementary School Calendar
Middle School Calendar
High School Calendar
Blue Ridge Community Calendar




Your Input Matters
If you have a question, suggestion, or comment, please leave 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.