Week of December 4

The +10 Mindset
UIL Academic week for BRES and BRMS begins on Saturday, December 2 with One Act Play, and it ends on Friday, December 7 with the Elementary and Middle school meet in Celeste.  Why is UIL Academics important?  Well, first of all UIL Academics allows our students to take their learning to the next level (+10) by competing against their peers from other schools.  It allows them to gauge their ability and expertise against kids just like them.  In fact UIL Academics is a great representation of how the real world works.  If you want to be the best person for the job, you have to work hard every single day to be able outperform those who also want that job.

UIL Academics is not just about competition.  It also helps kids find their passion or if they're lucky enough, their purpose in life.  As a former choir director and high school principal, I found my passion and music which led me to discover my purpose in life:  helping people through education.  As a result of chasing my passion, I have former students who found out what they wanted to be when they grow up through UIL Academics.  Several of my choir students are now choir directors, music ministers, and even opera singers.  My students who were state champion debaters or current events winners are now lawyers, and some of my students who were gifted in One Act Play are theatre teachers or actors. 

One of my favorite examples of the power of UIL and extracurricular activities is John Wilson.  John is a gifted pianist, who excelled to the point of earning a full scholarship to Baylor University.  Today he lives in Vienna, Austria where he is one of the world's leading researchers on the famous composer Ludwig van Beethoven.  That wouldn't have happened if he hadn't discovered his passion and ultimately his purpose in life through extracurricular activities and weekly piano lessons.

This week, I would like to wish our elementary and middle school competitors the best of luck.  I hope that we win the district championship in every event, but more that than I pray that our students get one step closer to finding their purpose in life.  That, after all, is the essence of school. #GoTigers



The Future of BRISD Enrollment

We are collecting new or gently used coats for our kids.
You can join us by donating at the BRISD Admin Building

This week, I had a question about the future of our district's enrollment.  Below is our projected enrollment for the next 10 years that was conducted by Templeton Demographers, Inc.  It is important to note that the projection for the next 3 years is pretty reliable, but the projections for years 2021 - 2026 are dependent on several factors, economy being one of the largest factors.  If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to let me know.

BRISD Enrollment Projections

• Current - 816 
• 2017-18 - 821
• 2018-19 - 853
• 2019-20 - 915
• 2020-21 - 963
• 2021-22 - 999
• 2022-23 - 1,040
• 2023-24 - 1,082
• 2024-25 - 1,111
• 2025-26 - 1,151
• 2026-27 - 1,188

Upcoming Events

Technology + Student Collaboration =
Excellence in the Making

• Sat, Dec 2 - JH One Act Play Contest in Trenton
• Sat, Dec 2 - Blue Ridge Parade at 6 p.m.
• Sun, Dec 3 - Bethlehem in Blue Ridge at 1st Baptist Church
• Mon, Dec 4 - English 1 EOC Retest
• Mon, Dec 4 - JH BB vs Wolfe City AWAY
• Tue, Dec 5 - Algebra 1 EOC Retest
• Tue, Dec 5 - HS BB vs Farmersville HERE
• Wed, Dec 6 - English 2 EOC Retest
• Thu, Dec 7 - Biology and US History EOC Retest
  

  

  The MS Creativity class creating toothpick bridges
  which will be tested for capacity.

• Thu, Dec 7 - ES & MS UIL Academic Meet at Celeste
• Thu-Sat, Dec 7-9 - HS BB Tournament at Community
• Fri, Dec 8 -  ES & MS UIL Academic Meet at Celeste
• Fri, Dec 8 - HS Varsity Girls BB vs Slidell
• Fri, Dec 8 - ASVAB Testing at BRHS
• Mon, Dec 11 - JH BB vs Bland HOME
• Tue, Dec 12 - Girls HS BB vs Aubrey AWAY
• Tue, Dec 12 - Boys HS BB vs Nocona AWAY
• Wed, Dec 13 - Silver Tiger Reception at 8:30 a.m. at Admin Bldg.

• 

  Thank you Mrs. Porath and Branscome's for adding over
  5 dozen books to our library collection.,

  Thu, Dec 14 - JH & OAP Theatre Performance at 7 p.m. at BRHS
• Fri, Dec 15 - HS BB vs Tom Bean AWAY
• Sat, Dec 16 - JH 7th Boys Tournament at BRHS

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






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.

Week of November 27

The +10 Mindset

Mr. Wink speaking to MS boys on Man Up Monday

Thanksgiving Break is here, and I would like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude for Blue Ridge ISD.  As your superintendent, I could not ask for a better district to lead.  I am thankful for our committed and focused board of trustees, our passionate and student-driven administrators, and our selfless and fantastic teachers and staff who are truly unified to help every student learn, grow and excel.  Our parents and community members are such great partners, and I am so thankful that they want our students and school district thrive.  By the way, if you've never been anywhere but Blue Ridge, you don't know how exceptional and well-behaved our students are.  They are a daily inspiration to me.   Blue Ridge ISD is indeed a fantastic place to live and grow a family.

Congratulations to the 11 BRMS 7th grade Duke Talent Search
winners.  They students were recognized at the November
board meeting and they will take the ACT college entrance
exam this spring.

As we head into break, I hope you will take time to relax, rejuvenate, and reach out to let others know just how much you appreciate them.  As a parent of 1 Blue Ridge graduate and 2 current students, I never miss my opportunity to tell their teachers and administrators just how much they mean to my kids and my family.  As a member of the Blue Ridge community, I would like to thank those in our city government and chamber of commerce for all of the hard work they have done to bring our community together by promoting all things Blue Ridge.

In closing, thank you for being a trusted partner in making our vision grow closer to becoming a reality.  Blue Ridge ISD is a school on the rise and that is because of you. Happy Thanksgiving!!!


Upcoming Events

• Fri, Nov 10 - End of 3 Week Grading Period

  

  Congrats to BRES Teacher of the Month,
  Alise Burke

• Fri, Nov 10 - Veterans Day Assembly at BRHS Gym at 2 p.m.
• Fri, Nov 10 - HS FB vs Celeste at 7:30 AWAY
• Sat, Nov 11 - Boys BB vs Bonham at 10 a.m. HERE
• Sat, Nov 11 - HS Girls BB vs Callisburg at 12 p.m. AWAY
• Mon, Nov 13 - JH BB at Trenton
• Mon, Nov 13 - FAFSA Parent Meeting at BRHS Computer Lab at 5 p.m.
• Mon, Nov 13 - School Board Meeting at 6 p.m.
• Tue, Nov 14 - HS Girls BB vs. Van Alstyne AWAY
• Thu, Fri, Sat, Nov 16-18 - Blue Ridge Girls Basketball Tournament
• Mon - Fri, Nov 20 - 24 - THANKSGIVING BREAK
• Mon, Nov 20 - HS Boys BB vs Gunter at 1 p.m. HOME

  

  Congrats to BRMS Teacher of the Month,
  Courtney Christenson

• Tue, Nov 21 - HS Girls BB vs Como Pickton at 1 p.m. HOME
• Mon, Nov 27 - Students and Staff Return to School
• Mon, Nov 27 - JH BB vs. Celeste HOME
• Tue, Nov 28 - HS BB vs Ector HOME
• Thu-Sat, Nov 30-Dec 2 - HS Girls BB at Valley View Tournament
• Thu-Sat, Nov 30-Dec 2 - HS Boys BB at Farmersville Tournament
• Sat, Dec 2 - JH One Act Play Contest at Trenton
• Sat, Dec 2 - Blue Ridge Parade at 6 p.m.
• Sun, Dec 3 - Bethlehem in Blue Ridge at 1st Baptist Church
• Mon, Dec 4 - English 1 EOC Retest
• Mon, Dec 4 - JH BB vs Wolfe City AWAY
• Tue, Dec 5 - Algebra 1 EOC Retest
• Tue, Dec 5 - HS BB vs Farmersville HERE

  

  Congrats to BRHS Band Directors, James Carpenter
  (Asst.) and David Terry who were recognized for the
  leadership in earning BRHS' 1st EVER 1st Division
  Rating at UIL Marching Contest.

• Wed, Dec 6 - English 2 EOC Retest
• Thu, Dec 7 - Biology and US History EOC Retest
• Thu, Dec 7 - ES & MS UIL Academic Meet at Celeste
• Thu-Sat, Dec 7-9 - HS BB Tournament at Community
• Fri, Dec 8 -  ES & MS UIL Academic Meet at Celeste
• Fri, Dec 8 - HS Varsity Girls BB vs Slidell
• Fri, Dec 8 - ASVAB Testing at BRHS

Calendars

 Above, Leslie Packard is one example of BRISD teachers
who are leading their peers in an after-school
faculty meeting on Effective Vocabulary Instruction.

District Calendar
Elementary School Calendar
Middle School Calendar
High School Calendar

Learning starts with Educators
The success of our students is dependent on the ability of our educators to help them learn, grow and excel.  To increase in our collective ability, BRISD teachers and staff engage in multiple learning opportunities as part of their daily work.  From weekly collaborative meetings, to after school faculty learnings, to online Twitter chats and individual studies, BRISD teachers go above and beyond to get better at meeting the needs of all kids.

Let's give thanks for our outstanding Blue Ridge ISD administrators, teachers, and staff.




In the November Board Meeting

2nd 6 Weeks Formative Assessments
yielded growth in several grade levels.
Picture shows 5th graders chasing
excellence.

The Blue Ridge ISD Board of Trustees met on Monday, November 13 at 6 p.m. and conducted the following business:

• Recognized our Duke Talent Search Winners
• Recognized our volunteers of the month and teachers of the month.
• Heard a report from WRA Architects on the Facility Assessment that the firm conducted of the district's facilities.
• Approved the purchase of a new suburban to be added to the transportation fleet.
• Took action to cast votes for the Board of Director positions for Collin and Fannin counties.
• Heard information on the status of the district's dyslexia program and approved the posting of an additional position to provide more support for that program.
• Received a status update on the baseball field project and did not take action on bids for Phase 3 of the project.
• Heard information regarding the options for the district's personnel plan for 2018-2019.
• Reviewed the status of the district's implementation of MAP testing. (Measures of Academic Proficiency)
• Discussed the vacancy of Trustee Place 6.
• Reviewed information regarding Board Training at Region 10 and the 2nd 6 weeks attendance report. 

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.

Week of November 13

The +10 Mindset - Letter to the Superintendent

Below is a great question that I received last week from a parent in our district about +10 on tests and how we can avoid stressing students once they are consistently performing at the top in a subject.

Mr. Wink,

Did you vote? 
BRES students learned the importance
of voting on Election Day.

I love the idea of the +10 mindset in theory. But, when I try to apply it to my kid it doesn’t work. My child is generally in the 90’s on these tests. If I ask her to go for +10 then I’m asking her for perfection. And, that’s too much stress for anyone.

Don’t get me wrong – she has these 90’s with little effort. So I’m all for making her push a little harder, I’m just not sure how to do that without asking for perfection. Any ideas or resources you can recommend would be appreciated. Thanks.

My Response

If a student is in the 90's, our district goal is not to seek perfection, but to pursue learning beyond the grade.  What I mean is that we want kids to pursue passions or interests that they are interested in within the subject.  For example, students could create products of their learning or interests that they would like to share with others.  Such products could include:  writing a weekly blog based on something she is passionate about, making a YouTube channel (lots of kids are doing this), learning more about coding, creating a weekly podcast (this is also a neat project) where she interviews different people based her interests, researching colleges, or creating a philanthropic event or organization.

My personal belief is this.  The +10 Mindset is not about making a 100 on your test.  It is about continuous improvement or growth, and when we reach the top of an academic area (90-100), the next step for growth is pursing learning that can't be graded.   I hope this helps you push your child, and please continue to ask questions because they help me better communicate with our Blue Ridge community.

Lady Tigers make History by Earning their 1st EVER Spot at the Regional Tournament. (Sweet 16)

The Lady Tiger Volleyball team continued making history on Tuesday night by beating Tom Bean in 3 sets to earn their 1st Ever Trip to the Regional Tournament.  This means that they are in the Sweet 16 of Volleyball teams in the state.  They will play in Weatherford on Friday at 5 p.m. Congratulations to the girls, Head Coach Rick Bailey and assistant coaches, Greg Morrison and Alli Eales.

Upcoming Events

• 

  The BRHS Theatre Company did an outstanding job
  hosting the Murder Mystery Dinner Theatre.  Special thanks
  to HS teacher, Stacey Raymer, and theatre parents for all
  of your hard work. 

  Fri, Nov 10 - End of 3 Week Grading Period
• Fri, Nov 10 - Veterans Day Assembly at BRHS Gym at 2 p.m.
• Fri, Nov 10 - HS FB vs Celeste at 7:30 AWAY
• Sat, Nov 11 - Boys BB vs Bonham at 10 a.m. HERE
• Sat, Nov 11 - HS Girls BB vs Callisburg at 12 p.m. AWAY
• Mon, Nov 13 - JH BB at Trenton
• Mon, Nov 13 - FAFSA Parent Meeting at BRHS Computer Lab at 5 p.m.
• Mon, Nov 13 - School Board Meeting at 6 p.m.

• 

  Congratulations to Freshman, Alex
  Branscome, coached by Terra Mathers
  who finished 49th of 150
  at the UIL State Cross Country
  Championships last Saturday.

  Tue, Nov 14 - HS Girls BB vs. Van Alstyne AWAY
• Thu, Fri, Sat, Nov 16-18 - Blue Ridge Girls Basketball Tournament
• Mon - Fri, Nov 20 - 24 - THANKSGIVING BREAK
• Mon, Nov 20 - HS Boys BB vs Gunter at 1 p.m. HOME
• Tue, Nov 21 - HS Girls BB vs Como Pickton at 1 p.m. HOME
• Mon, Nov 27 - Students and Staff Return to School
• Mon, Nov 27 - JH BB vs. Celeste HOME
• Tue, Nov 28 - HS BB vs Ector HOME
• Thu-Sat, Nov 30-Dec 2 - HS Girls BB at Valley View Tournament
• Thu-Sat, Nov 30-Dec 2 - HS Boys BB at Farmersville Tournament
• Sat, Dec 2 - JH One Act Play Contest at Trenton

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




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.

Week of November 6

The +10 Mindset - Formative Assessments are Next Week
Please join us in motivating your students to excel on the 2nd 6 weeks formative assessments.  Every student has a +10 goal for this assessment.  Ask your child this week what their goal is and what they plan to do on the assessment to reach their goal.





No Excuse November
For most of my life, November has been an excuse for me to grow out my beard. November has been and will always be No Shave November, but I would like to push the Blue Ridge community to turn November into 

Let's be honest.  We make excuses when the going gets tough, but for the month of November, let's fight the urge to make excuses when things aren't going our way. When we are tired, let's not use that as an excuse.  Let's respond with courage when we would normally rationalize why something can't do accomplished.

Excuses are the defenders of the status quo.  They keep us from finding our excellence. They kill change, and they eviscerate visions.  The only way that excuses will ever be defeated is when more people develop a "No Excuse" mindset, and that starts when we collectively take a stance against making excuses every time something gets hard.  And what better month than November to say No More Excuses.

VETERANS DAY ASSEMBLY 

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 10 AT 2:30 PM AT BRHS GYM

Upcoming Events

• 

  Students working hard with meaningful work
   is how BRISD will reach its academic goals.
  Mrs. McPherson's 5th class in action. 

  Sat, Nov 4 - Angel Tree Sign Up at City Hall from 8 a.m. - 12 p.m.
• Sat, Nov 4 - HS BB vs Whitewright at 3 p.m. (AWAY)
• Sat, Nov 4 - Murder Mystery at BRHS at 6 p.m.
• Mon, Nov 6 - 2nd 6 Weeks Formative Assessment Week Begins
• Mon, Nov 6 - Blue Ridge Alliance Meeting at BRISD Admin Building at 6:00 p.m.
• Tue, Nov 7 - HS Girls BB vs Community AWAY 6 p.m.
• Thu, Nov 9 - JV & JH FB vs. Celeste HERE
• Fri, Nov 10 - End of 3 Week Grading Period
• Fri, Nov 10 - Veterans Day Assembly at BRHS Gym at 2:30 p.m.
• Fri, Nov 10 - HS FB vs Celeste at 7:30 AWAY

  

  Congrats to BRMS for winning the campus
  food drive.

• Sat, Nov 11 - Boys BB vs Bonham at 10 a.m. HERE
• Sat, Nov 11 - HS Girls BB vs Callisburg at 12 p.m. AWAY
• Mon, Nov 13 - JH BB at Trenton
• Mon, Nov 13 - FAFSA Parent Meeting at BRHS Computer Lab at 5 p.m.
• Mon, Nov 13 - School Board Meeting at 6 p.m.
• Tue, Nov 14 - HS Girls BB vs. Van Alstyne AWAY
• Thu, Fri, Sat, Nov 16-18 - Blue Ridge Girls Basketball Tournament
• Mon - Fri, Nov 20 - 24 - THANKSGIVING BREAK
• Mon, Nov 20 - HS Boys BB vs Gunter at 1 p.m. HOME
• Tue, Nov 21 - HS Girls BB vs Como Pickton at 1 p.m. HOME
• Mon, Nov 27 - Students and Staff Return to School

Calendars

Mrs. Levi's 8th grade science students are
learning about chemistry to reach their +10 Goals

District Calendar
Elementary School Calendar
Middle School Calendar
High School Calendar




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.