The B_Ridge to Excellence: October 2018

Wednesday, October 31, 2018

Week of November 5

The +10 Mindset - Growing as a Community
The 2nd Annual Blue Ridge Festival was fantastic, and it is a living testimony to how much we are growing as a community. Not only did we see tremendous numbers of people in attendance. We also saw more people than every donating their time, talents, and gifts to make our community an even better place. Thank you so everyone who volunteered their time to run a booth, organize a game, cook food, lead your group's performance and make this a great time for our community. Go to the district Facebook post to see a sample of all the fun that was had last week.

Don't forget to vote on Tue, Nov 6.

Voting will be held at BRISD Admin. Building

Congratulations Lady Tiger Volleyball
Bi-District Runners-Up in their
1st year in 3A Competition!

Facility Information & Next Meeting
The next meeting of the Long-Range Facility Planning Committee is Thursday, November 8 at the Blue Ridge ISD Administration Building. Everyone is invited to attend. The purpose of the meeting will be to discuss the facility upgrades made by the committee and the potential cost of those projects. In addition to our architects, WRA, Brian Grubbs from SAMCO (BRISD's financial advisor) will be in attendance to share financial information to the group. The group will also tour the buildings to get a better perspective of the needs that the district is facing in regard to building capacity. Below is a graphic that illustrates the current capacity of our buildings and what the future holds in the next 5 years.

Long-Range Facility Planning by Johnwink90

Storybook Character Day at BRES last Friday was a hit!

Upcoming Events

Thank you to everyone who donated to our
BRISD Food Pantry

Fri, Nov 2 - HS Football vs Prairiland HOME
Sun, Nov 4 - Daylight Savings Time (Set clocks 1 hour forward)
Week of Nov 5 - Formative Assessment Week
Tue, Nov 6 - ELECTION DAY (DON’T FORGET TO VOTE)
Tue, Nov 6 - HS GBB (Basketball) at Whitesboro
Thu, Nov 8 - MS FB vs Chisum HOME
Thu, Nov 8 - Long Range Facility Committee Meeting at 6 p.m. in Board Room
Fri, Nov 9 - HS FB at Chisum
Fri, Nov 9 - HS GBB (Basketball) at Sam Rayburn
Fri, Nov 9 - Veteran’s Day Assembly
Mon, Nov 12 - JH GBB (Basketball) vs Howe
Mon, Nov 12 - BRISD Board Meeting Closed at 6 p.m. and Open Session at 7 p.m.

BRMS 6th graders learned how to calculate density.
Tue, Nov 13 - HS GBB (Basketball) vs Community
Thu, Nov 15 - JH BBB (Basketball) at Howe
Fri, Nov 16 - HS GBB (Basketball) at Gainesville
Mon - Fri, Nov 19 - 23 - THANKSGIVING BREAK
Mon, Nov 26 - School Resumes
Mon, Nov 26 - JH BBB at Bonham
Tue, Nov 27 - HS GBB at Ector
Thu - Sat, 11/29 - 12/1 - BBB at Farmersville Tournament
Thu - Sat, 11/29 - 12/1 - GBB at Valley View Tournament
Sat, Dec 1 - BR Christmas Parade

Calendars
District Calendar

At our Oct. 22 Professional Learning Day, I had a great time
learning with our outstanding educators about personalizing
learning for every student.

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.

Wednesday, October 24, 2018

Week of October 29

The +10 Mindset - Interventions & Extensions
On Monday, October 22, our teachers worked hard on our professional learning day to learn how to build powerful interventions and extensions to help every student learn, grow, excel. The goal of our training was to create instruction that best meets every student where he or she is currently and then take each student to where they need to be this year.

With that said, what we are trying to create is a world of possibilities, where obstacles become opportunities, and disabilities dissolve because we believe in our abilities to help all kids grow in their learning. To better explain this instructional vision for Blue Ridge ISD, I encourage you to watch the video below that I found on Facebook about Nike's first pro athlete with cerebral palsy. Excuses don't exist in a culture of excellence.

Excellence in Extracurriculars

The Tiger Band wins is second 1st Division Rating.

This past week was a phenomenal week for our students. Last week, I shared my thoughts about our excellence mindset when it comes to competition in extracurriculars (CLICK HERE to read). With that said, I have some exciting news to share.

The Blue Ridge HS Tiger Band got its 2nd consecutive and 2nd ever 1st Division Marching rating in UIL Marching Contest. This is the band's first 1st Division Rating as a new school in 3A.
Our boys cross country team took 3rd to advance to the Regional Meet where they finished 11th.
The BRHS Volleyball Team made the playoffs as the smallest 3A school in our district and the possible district runner-up. The playoffs begin next week.

The 8th grade volleyball team took 3rd in District.
The BRMS Volleyball Teams had a successful year as well. The 8th grade team finished the year in 3rd place and the 7th grade team finished in 4th place.
The Blue Ridge football teams are fighting hard in district play, and more will be shared in the following weeks.

The point that I want us all to recognize is this. It's not the size of the school in the game. It's the size of the game in the school. Our goal is to every student believing that they are a valuable member of our teams, and their work will help us reach our goals.

Below - HS Volleyball advances to their 1st ever playoffs in 3A play,

while the Boys Cross Country advances to first ever Regional Meet in 3A competition.

Upcoming Events

Fri, Oct 26 - HS FB at Bells
Sat, Oct 27 - Blue Ridge Fall Festival
Sat, Oct 27 - BRISD Dinner Theatre Production at BRHS
Sun, Oct 28 - Harvest Festival in Blue Ridge Square
Mon, Oct 29 - Carter Blood Drive at BRHS
Mon, Oct 29 - Parent Dyslexia Simulation Night at BRHS at 5:30 - 8:00 p.m.
Thu, Nov 1 - JH Football at Prairiland
Fri, Nov 2 - HS Football vs Prairiland HOME
Sun, Nov 4 - Daylight Savings Time (Set clocks 1 hour forward)
Week of Nov 5 - Formative Assessment Week
Tue, Nov 6 - ELECTION DAY (DON’T FORGET TO VOTE)

What gets celebrated gets accelerated.
BRES had Kona Ice to celebrate hard work
during the 1st 9 wks
Tue, Nov 6 - HS GBB (Baskeball) at Whitesboro
Thu, Nov 8 - MS FB vs Chisum HOME
Thu, Nov 8 - Long Range Facility Committee Meeting at 6 p.m. in Board Room
Fri, Nov 9 - HS FB at Chisum
Fri, Nov 9 - HS GBB (Baskeball) at Sam Rayburn
Fri, Nov 9 - Veteran’s Day Assembly
Mon, Nov 12 - JH GBB (Baskeball) vs Howe
Mon, Nov 12 - BRISD Board Meeting Closed at 6 p.m. and Open Session at 7 p.m.
Tue, Nov 13 - HS GBB (Baskeball) vs

Community
Thu, Nov 15 - JH BBB (Baskeball) at Howe
Fri, Nov 16 - HS GBB (Baskeball) at Gainesville
Mon - Fri, Nov 19 - 23 - THANKSGIVING BREAK
Mon, Nov 26 - School Resumes

MS Students apply their Knowledge in Texas History

BRMS 7th Grade Texas History students learned their civic duty by writing letters to their state representatives. History is not just facts and dates for these students. They are learning how to be active participants in the political process.

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.

Wednesday, October 17, 2018

Week of October 22

Mr. Wink's Elementary Student Leader
of the Week is Gabby Lopez.

The +10 Mindset - Becoming a Champion
Now that we are in 3A competition, people have asked me questions about the large goal that I established for Blue Ridge. In May of 2018, I challenged our coaches and sponsors with a large goal. Blue Ridge will have a state champion team in 4 years. This goal is not exclusive to athletics. It also includes UIL Academics, Band, One Act Play, FFA, and Robotics. Every team is part of this lofty goal.

Now with that goal there are lots of questions about what that exactly means for us now. Well first, champions are built through the leadership of others. That means that our current seniors and juniors play a huge leadership role. We have amazing upperclassmen, and their leadership and participation are essential. They are part of the reason we are being so successful now, and they are serving as role models of leadership for our underclassmen to learn from so they can one day take the programs to the next level.

In order to reach our goal, it will take every one of us. We need parents, students, and educators working together to achieve our common goal, creating men and women of character who are committed to working hard to help their team excel in every way. The best teams are made of selfless teammates who make themselves better by helping everyone around them get better. We are excited to be in 3A, and we look forward to watch our teams and organizations learn, grow, and excel through both camaraderie and competition.

Currently, our volleyball team clinched its first ever playoff birth in 3A play and our football team has a strong chance of making the playoffs this year. Our band will compete in 3A competition on Saturday, and our UIL Academics teams are preparing for competition right now. I invite parents to support the kids in being the best they can be by committing to their team's success. That is how we build teams of excellence.

The Blue Ridge Fall Festival is Saturday, October 27

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION

The Future of BRISD Enrollment
At the October 4 Long Range Facility Planning Committee meeting, Trent Smith with Templeton Demographics presented our projected enrollment for the next 10 years. Based on the report our enrollment is up 18 students from last year, and up 84 students from 2017. Their report shows BRISD to enroll over 900 students next fall and over 1000 by 2021.

Click this link to learn more about the Demographic Report, and please join us for our next meeting on Thursday, November 8 at 6 p.m. at the BRISD Board Room.

What I'm Reading
How Stress Affects your Memory

Upcoming Events

Please join BRISD in our Boxed Food Drive.
The last day of the drive is Saturday, October 27

Fri, Oct 19 - Last Day of 1st 9 Weeks
Fri, Oct 19 - HS VB vs Leonard HOME
Fri, Oct 19 - HS FB vs Leonard HOME
Sat, Oct 20 - JH VB District Tournament at Leonard
Sat, Oct 20 - HS Band at UIL District Marching Contest
Week of Oct. 22 - Red Ribbon Week
Mon, Oct 22 - Staff Development Day (No School)
Thu, Oct 25 - BRISD Dinner Theatre Production at BRHS
Thu, Oct 25 - JV / JH FB vs Bells HOME
Fri, Oct 26 - HS FB at Bells
Sat, Oct 27 - Blue Ridge Fall Festival
Sat, Oct 27 - BRISD Dinner Theatre Production at BRHS
Sun, Oct 28 - Harvest Festival in Blue Ridge Square
Mon, Oct 29 - Carter Blood Drive at BRHS
Mon, Oct 29 - Parent Dyslexia Simulation Night at BRHS at 6 p.m.
Thu, Nov 1 - JH Football at Prairiland
Fri, Nov 2 - HS Football vs Prairiland HOME

4th Graders enjoying the Fun Friday Reward.

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

Hosts and Guests by Phillip Lentz
Last weekend, there was a fantastic NCAA Football game played between the University of Oklahoma and Army. Oklahoma was at home, ranked #5 in the country, and had the support of over 80,000 fans. Army was a huge underdog, but to the surprise of the college football world, they found a way to end the football game in a tie and force overtime! In what was a relief to Oklahoma and a huge disappointment to Army, Oklahoma scored in overtime to win the game.

As you might expect, the Army athletes were upset and frustrated. They had every right to be disappointed. They lost the game, but what they didn’t lose that Saturday night was their character. When Army finished changing in the OU locker room, they made sure to clean it up-- even nicer than when they arrived. They didn’t make a mess, they didn’t leave trash on the floor out of frustration, and they worked hard to leave the locker room in perfect condition. They were guests at Oklahoma’s stadium, but they acted like hosts!

Champions become champions by working hard when other people aren’t working. Leaders earn followers when they act like hosts-- even when they are guests. If you want to reach your full potential as a leader, you must work hard to be a great host even when it isn’t easy. It would have been easy for the Army football team to act like guests, but the character of these young men was on display in front of thousands of people during the game AND afterwards when no one was watching. These men will be great leaders of our nation one day. How will you earn the right to lead others by being a great host in the future?

Blue Ridge Robotics Competes in Allen
The BRHS Robotics team competed in the Allen Robotics contest. Our team competed against dozens of schools around Texas at the event. While we didn't win, our students are being exposed to great learning opportunities that will help them get closer to victory in the future. Special thanks to sponsors Darryl Spurgers and Kenny Williams for preparing our kids. Below is a video that shows what Robotics is all about and the level of competition our kids experienced.

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.

Wednesday, October 10, 2018

Week of October 15

The +10 Mindset

Thank you Mr. Lentz for all that you do as principal of
Blue Ridge Middle School

The 1st 9 Weeks is coming to an end on Friday, October 19, and it has been a great start to the year. I would like to take this opportunity to thank our campus leaders who have set the tone for excellence at every campus. October is National Principals Month, and we celebrate our outstanding leaders who have made the start to this year absolutely fantastic. Please join me in thanking them for their service.

Greg Smyder, BRES Principal
Shelley Reeves, BRES Asst. Principal
Phillip Lentz, BRMS Principal
Dr. Chris Miller, BRHS Principal

Thank you Mr. Smyder for all that you do as
principal of Blue Ridge Elementary

Thank you Dr. Miller for all that you do as
principal of Blue Ridge High School

Facility Committee Update

Thank you Shelley Reeves for all that you do
as assistant principal of Blue Ridge Elementary
School

The facility committee met on Thursday, October 4 to discuss the future of the district's buildings. Please click on this link to gain access to all handouts provided to the committee.

A key question that was asked was how much longer will it be before our buildings run out of space. The image below is a chart that illustrates the maximum capacity of all buildings and where our enrollment was in 2017, where it will be in 2020 and where it will be in 2025. Maximum capacity is when every classroom holds approximately 25 students for 8 periods per day. Based on this graphic and our enrollment today, the elementary and high school are at maximum capacity and the middle school currently has every room being utilized for instruction or for special programs such as dyslexia and special education.

The next facility committee is scheduled for

Thursday, November 8, 2018 at 6 p.m. in the BRISD board room. The public is invited to be a part of this process.

What I'm Reading
How to Help Kids Manage Sleep, Stress, and Homework

Upcoming Events

Fri, Oct 12 - HS VB at Bonham
Fri, Oct 12 - HS FB at Cooper
Sat, Oct 13 - Band at Ponder Contest
Sat, Oct 13 - HS UIL Academics at Melissa
Sat, Oct 13 - Robotics at Allen Contest
Mon, Oct 15 - Board Meeting - Closed Session at 6 pm. Open Session at 7 pm
Tue, Oct 16 - HS VB at Howe
Wed, Oct 17 - Picture Retakes
Thu, Oct 18 - JH / JV Football at Leonard
Fri, Oct 19 - Last Day of 1st 9 Weeks
Fri, Oct 19 - HS VB vs Leonard HOME
Fri, Oct 19 - HS FB vs Leonard HOME
Sat, Oct 20 - JH VB District Tournament at Leonard
Sat, Oct 20 - HS Band at UIL District Marching Contest
Week of Oct. 22 - Red Ribbon Week
Mon, Oct 22 - Staff Development Day (No School)
Thu, Oct 25 - BRISD Dinner Theatre Production at BRHS

Kindergarten enjoyed the Blue Ridge parade last Friday.
Thu, Oct 25 - JV / JH FB vs Bells HOME
Fri, Oct 26 - HS FB at Bells
Sat, Oct 27 - Blue Ridge Fall Festival
Sat, Oct 27 - BRISD Dinner Theatre Production at BRHS
Sun, Oct 28 - Harvest Festival in Blue Ridge Square

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

Wednesday, October 3, 2018

Week of October 8

The +10 Mindset

For more information about the Zombie Run, go to
https://www.brisd.net/Page/1107
To register online visit https://brhstheatre.ludus.com/index.php

The first 6 weeks formative assessment week ended a week ago, and this past week teachers begin their plans to respond to the date. This response is called Response to Assessment, and it helps educators learn what kinds of questions students struggled with so they can be retaught in 2nd 6 weeks instruction. It allows teachers to determine which classes struggled with specific essential skills in order to provide them additional instruction, and it give teachers the opportunity to identify students who need tutorials during class and outside of class on specific skills. If you have questions about your child's performance and how the school will respond to your student's data, please contact your principal or teacher.

Staff Members of the Month
Blue Ridge ISD teachers do an amazing job day in and day out to meet the needs of all kids. Each month each school selects the teacher who best represents our district's motto: Learn, Grow, Excel.

The September Teachers of the Month are:

Erica Gudgel, BRES
Jennifer Stroup, BRHS
Daniel Moman, BRMS

Register to Vote
The last day to register to vote is October 9.

See You at the Pole had a great turnout thanks to our
FCA Leaders and Coach Jarred Seamans.

Registration forms from your county elections office, and we have voter registration cards at the BRISD Administration Office.

Election day is Tuesday, November 6, 2018

Long Range Facility Planning Committee

As part of our efforts to improve the facilities throughout the district, a Long-Range Facility Planning Committee was established, and it had its first meeting on Thursday, October 4. Its purpose was to learn about the current status of our facilities, learn about our district's enrollment growth, and become informed about the financial information related to school facilities. The committee is open to the public, and the next meeting will be held on Thursday, November 8 at 6 p.m.

What I'm Learning
This was a great video that HS students and college students could benefit from about improving memorization. It was shared to me through a BRHS grade level Remind account. Touch base with your school to learn how to receive information that your child receives.