Your Mansfield ISD

And then there were two.

Out of the original batch of 35 spelling bee contestants who made it to the district competition by being the winners at their campus bee, only two girls were left in round 10.

Ruth Oyerokun from Linda Jobe Middle School and Tojumi Olayiwole from Mary Orr Intermediate School battled it out for almost an hour on Feb. 10 to see who would be named the Mansfield ISD spelling champion.

Androcentric. Lithe. Folksiness. Polymer. Each word was spelled effortlessly—until the word to spell was hogan.

Olayiwole misspelled it, which gave Oyerokun the opportunity to correctly spell the next two words. T-r-a-w-l became her trophy-winning letters.

“I’m very happy,” said the seventh-grader. “This is my fourth spelling bee. I was runner-up in fourth and fifth grade.”

Olayiwole (left) and Oyerokun (right) were competitors and friends.

Winning was a little bitter-sweet for Oyerokun because the runner-up is her friend, but she said it felt satisfying to win after years of qualifying and preparing for the district bee.

“It feels good to finally not be behind someone,” she said. “I’ve been studying for the past two months for 30 minutes a day. My family has been very supportive and told me to learn from my past mistakes.”

The annual MISD Spelling Bee fosters public speaking skills, enhances vocabulary skills and builds self-confidence through friendly competition. It is just one of the ways the district and community comes together to support literacy.

“One of the tenants of Rotary International is literacy,” said Randall Canedy from the Mansfield Sunrise Rotary Club, which sponsors the event. “[The spelling bee] isn’t the only thing we do, but it’s something we really enjoy and one of our favorite events of the year.”

Oyerokun already has her eyes set on her next prize. She’ll go on to compete at the Scripps Regional Spelling Bee on March 2 at Texas Christian University.

List of Contestants/Campus Winners

School	Student
Alice Ponder Elementary	William Curlin
Anna May Daulton Elementary	Morgan Taggart
Annette Perry Elementary	Emma Shatto
Asa Low Intermediate	Dante Perales
Brooks Wester Middle School	Cris Vint
Carol Holt Elementary	Jayden Maple
Charlotte Anderson Elementary	Drew Dazey
Cora Spencer Elementary	Jaden Marshall
Cross Timbers Intermediate	Tiffany Lam
D. P. Morris Elementary	Emma Griffith
Danny Jones Middle School	Elizabeth Mingle
Della Icenhower Intermediate	Mariam Dohadwala
Donna Shepard Intermediate	James Edwardsen
Elizabeth Smith Elementary	Kemi Morohunfola
Erma Nash Elementary	Joseph Oehlke
Glenn Harmon Elementary	Shayla Simms
Imogene Gideon Elementary	Trevin Lawson
J. L. Boren Elementary	Julia Rio
James Coble Middle School	Himadri Nath
Janet Brockett Elementary	Aaron Pradith
Judy Miller Elementary	Kojo Boadu
Kenneth Davis Elementary	Luke Dickey
Linda Jobe Middle School	Ruth Oyerokun (winner)
Louise Cabaniss Elementary	Ayush Shah
Martha Reid Elementary	Angel Brefo
Mary Jo Sheppard Elementary	Marcus Jones
Mary Lillard Intermediate	Nicolas Shea
Mary Orr Intermediate	Tojumi Olayiwole (runner-up)
Nancy Neal Elementary	Cadence Webb
Roberta Tipps Elementary	Ayaan Monga
Rogene Worley Middle School	Kennedy Johnson
T. A. Howard Middle School	Kashif Ghani
Tarver-Rendon Elementary	Joshua Oyerokun
Thelma Jones Elementary	Caitlyn Nguyen
Willie Brown Elementary	Cristian Rodriguez

Representatives from Mansfield ISD, the City of Mansfield and the Mansfield Chamber of Commerce loaded up on buses and took a trip down Highway 35 to let their voices be heard.

Feb. 15 was Mansfield Day at the Capitol; and MISD had its students, staff and board trustees take part in the day of advocacy.

“I wanted our kids to interact with [state legislators] so they can continue to see what great kids we have in our district,” said MISD Superintendent Dr. Jim Vaszauskas. “I also wanted for the kids to meet our legislators who represent us in Austin and hear them speak.”

The group took a full tour of the State Capitol in Austin.

Students were grateful to be in attendance because it gave them the opportunity to take what they learn in their textbooks and bring it to life.

“It’s a blessing to be here because a lot of people don’t get to see what it’s like to really be in a position where you get to see how your say gets put in the Capitol. It’s a good experience to see for yourself,” said Cierra Lockhart, senior at Summit High School.

The trip to Austin also gave the MISD school board a chance to share all the great things happening within the district.

“We’re really a voice for our kids,” MISD Board President Raul Gonzalez explained. “We’re making sure state legislators put the political agendas aside and make public education a priority.”

The day at the Capitol was hosted by the Mansfield Chamber of Commerce. The organization holds advocacy days every two years, but 2017 marks the first year the three entities have gone together to show strength in numbers.

For the past two years, Mansfield ISD has been encouraging the community to take part in Colors for Caring. The initiative, started by Superintendent Dr. Jim Vaszauskas, is celebrated on the first Monday of every month in honor of those who have been affected or have had loved ones affected by cancer.

Summit High School seniors Elliot Adway, Lauren Blue, Dacion Tatum and Cierra Lockhart have taken part in many of the Colors for Caring days, but knew they could do more when they were given a special project for their Teen Leadership II class.

The students were asked to find a passion and come together to help a cause. The only stipulation on the project was it could not be a traditional money fundraiser. Senior Lauren Blue knew she wanted to do something to help children.

“In Teen Leadership II, Mrs. Cullen asked all of us to research non-profit organizations and see how we could meet their need. I was researching and I found Bow Dazzling”, she said about how the group project started. “I thought it was the neatest one so I asked the members in my group if they wanted to do that one also they said yes.”

Lauren and her group have reached out to each middle and high school campus' cheer sponsor in hopes of getting their programs involved in this project.

Their plan is for each middle and high school to have posters about the bow and ribbon drive displayed throughout the various campuses with information about how to get involved. Each campus will have a basket in their cheerleading room for students to drop off donated bows and ribbons.

Lauren understands the potential impact this project could have for the young girls involved.

“Helping little girls with cancer makes me feel amazing! Knowing that I can help someone going through something ten times harder than my life means the world to me.”

Bows for Beauties is district-wide service project that is accepting new/unused bows that will be going to young girls of all ages. For more information on how you can contribute to this project, contact Cierra Lockhart (Cierra.lockhart17@gmail.com)or Lauren Blue (live4ballblue@sbcglobal.net)

For information and a photo gallery of MISD’s Colors for Caring Days, visit the district’s website.

An eye-opening trip to the Ron Clark Academy inspired MISD principal Tameka Patton to bring a very special program back to Nancy Neal Elementary School.

“At the Ron Clark Academy, we were greeted by students who asked us questions and asked what was our mission there,” Patton said. “I’ve got students at Nancy Neal that can do this.”

Superintendent Dr. Jim Vaszauskas spent time with the Neal
Ambassadors earlier in the year teaching them the importance
of being a life-long learner.

The Nancy Neal Ambassadors are the student body representatives that assist in campus community outreach efforts and serve as hosts for special guests to the campus.

They are a key component of telling the “Neal story” to guests who visit the campus.

“Students had to complete an application and meet an application deadline,” ambassador co-sponsor Erica Carswell stated about the selection process of the students who would become ambassadors. “They were then brought in for face to face interviews. We selected the top ten students and they became Neal Ambassadors.”

For Turner Hawkins, applying to be an ambassador was an obvious choice.

“I chose to join because I thought I would do a great job because I love helping people. This has taught me that if you work together, you can get more done.” Hawkins said.

Through the direction of their sponsors, school leadership and the many special guests they have welcomed into their meetings, the Neal Ambassadors are learning character, responsibility and the value of a heart for service.

The students have had the privilege of learning leadership traits from a number of guest speakers. Superintendent Dr. Jim Vaszauskas spent time with students early in the year talking about what it means to have a heart for service and the importance of being a life long learner. Recently, the ambassadors welcomed Leigh Collins, district director for Senator Konni Burton, who talked about the importance of goal setting. The students listened to her speak and ask questions about her educational path and her career.

Ultimately, the Neal Ambassador Program is about building leaders of the future in areas such as public speaking, responsibility or introductions; the possibilities are endless.

Co-sponsor Monique McGrew says it’s all about their character.

“The one thing we have really honed in this year, and tried to instill on each student is character, who are you when no one’s looking.”

Sports fans around the country have been filling out brackets and following along with the NCAA basketball tournament, but a group of Mansfield ISD elementary schools are taking part in their own version of March Madness.

Early in the school year, Janet Brockett Elementary School principal, Tamara Liddell, was introduced to the district’s guiding statements for the newly introduced strategic plan Vision 2020. One of the guiding statements states that all students will be involved in at least one extra or co-curricular activity, Liddell immediately had an idea.

"My colleagues and I began talking about how we could support Vision 2020, I threw out starting a basketball league,” Liddell said about the creation of the league. "We started and he had six schools that wanted to be involved. Our children were ecstatic to now have, what they have asked for quite often, basketball."

The team from Imogene Gideon receives the trophy
after winning the championship game of the playoffs

For the first year of the MISD Elementary Basketball League, teams from Janet Brockett, Imogene Gideon, Louise Cabaniss, Thelma Jones, Erma Nash and Glenn Harmon elementary schools played weekly games against each other and concluded their season with a playoff tournament.

In order to give these elementary students the feel of the 'big leagues,' the games are played at James Coble Middle School. Coaches from within the school community volunteer their time to help these young hoop hopefuls hone their skills and prepare for each game.

These games are more than just basketball competition for the students on the team; many of the schools have started a cheerleading club to support the students on game nights, as well on campus. The cheer clubs are responsible for organizing pep rallies for the teams on game day, providing signs and spirit sticks to fans, but most importantly they are there to cheer their team on at the game.

By having so many students involved in various ways, this event is truly bringing the MISD community together. During these games, the stands in the middle school gyms are packed with parents, grandparents, and other students from their campuses.

The students are not only getting to play a sport they love, but also getting to learn teamwork, sportsmanship and also having the opportunity to make new friends. Juelz Harris, an Imogene Gideon fourth grader, is really enjoying this experience.

"We have built a lot of friendships and it has been very fun working with our coaches. It’s my favorite sport, I am glad we get to play now."

For the principals of these campuses, the league isn’t about a trophy or wins and loses. Shanee Charles, Principal at Imogene Gideon Elementary, appreciates what this league is teaching, not only her students, but the school community as a whole.

"I feel like this basketball league has not only given us a stronger sense of community, but also, a stronger sense of school pride. The other students that are not on the team come to school asking who we play this week and if we’ve won the game. Next year we would like to see this program grow to more campuses."

Walking through the halls of Ben Barber Innovation Academy and Frontier High School, you may see students operating a hand-built robot, filming a short film about the effects of coffee or even working on a full engine rebuild for a classic car.

Principal Cathy Hudgins is proud of, not only the numerous choices her students have, but also what opportunities those choices open up for them.

“We offer a wide range of career classes here, but what is more impressive is that we offer over 70 different industry level certifications within those courses,” says Hudgins.

The availability of industry certifications or certificates aligns directly with one of the guiding statements found in the district’s strategic plan, Vision 2020. Vision 2020 states that all students will graduate with 24+ college hours and/or an industry certification or certificate.

In support of Vision 2020, Hudgins and her staff have been investigating more certifications that could be offered through the current courses at BBIA and FHS. They are excited to add many new options in the 2017-2018 school year that will help students become more career-ready upon leaving high school.

Culinary Arts student prepares to cook an entree for Savvy's Bistro
customer. Savvy's Bistro is BBIA's student-ran restaurant.

One such certification is the ProStart Certification in Culinary Arts. Students working in the culinary arts department are currently required to obtain their ServSafe certification in food handling, but the ProStart Certification will be the first skills based certification in this program of study.

“This certification will allow our students to walk into any restaurant in the United States and immediately get a heads up on everyone else,” Hudgins says. “This is a proven industry certification that shows they are at the highest level of skills and ability.”

The Arts and AV department will begin to offer students the opportunity to take a certification in the video editing software Adobe Premiere CC. This is an editing platform that is used in local news stations, large media companies and all the way to Hollywood.

Hudgins is also excited about a new certification that will be coming to the marketing program of study at BBIA.

“We are bringing a new certification to our marketing department that is called School-Based Enterprise Certification,” explains Hudgins. “As the students work through the student store, they will learn the back-end of store management, marketing, pricing and more. That is all included in this certification.”

Also included in this guiding statement from Vision 2020, students will graduate with 24+ college hours, Frontier High School offers a program that can help students interested in the area of health science get a head start on their college education. The Health Science Academy through TREC (Trinity River East Campus) allows students to earn up to 48 hours of college credit before graduating high school. Student who complete all 48 hours will earn their associate’s degree before they walk the stage and receive their diploma.

“Earning certifications is a great way for students to measure their achievement in classes,” Hudgins says. “It also gives them a leg up as they are trying to get into colleges or go into the work force.”

For more information about MISD’s Vision 2020, visit the district website.

Storms rolled through Mansfield ISD in the early morning hours on March 29. The damage caused by these storms forced MISD to close the district for the day while repairs were made to campuses.

Not all employees were free from work that day. In fact, many departments put in extra hours in order to make sure classes were ready to resume the following day.

To dealing with power outages and fallen trees, many employees found themselves doing jobs that may not fall in their respective duties.

Mark Williamson, MISD's director of maintenance, and his team were up early assessing and repairing the damage made.

"I had plumbers getting batting cages off backstops. I had electricians helping with the removal of trees," Williamson stated about the flexibility of his staff. "I had carpenters working with the grounds team collect and remove debris. It was all hands on deck."

The scoreboard at Timberview High School's
baseball field was damaged by the storm.

When the power goes out on a campus, it affects more than just the classroom environment. The Student Nutrition department has to immediately begin to implement a plan for their food inventory on campuses. Many of the campuses powered back up before the inventory could be affected; but for five campuses, plans had to be made to maintain the quality of the food.

Dr. Paul Cash, executive director of facilities and operations, was very pleased with the districtwide effort that was made to help these campuses.

"The distribution department rounded up their freezer trucks and arranged pick ups at the five campuses needing assistance," Cash said. "Student nutrition technicians, members of the MISD Energy Team and other district employees were on site to load these trucks in order to maintain quality of the food."

The ultimate goal on any weather-related school dismissal day is to get students back in the classroom as soon as possible. Through the efforts of numerous departments working together, MISD was able to return to class the next day.

"The majority of teachers returned to class the next day with lights on and food being served to students," Cash explained. "Not once during all the work that lead to that did one person make a negative comment about the job that had to be done. They got up and came to work committed to stay as long as they needed to stay in order to get kids back to school."

Visitors at Elizabeth Smith Elementary School this week had to watch out for photographers, flying Frisbee discs and even students taking part in military formations. The different activities were all part of the school's first ever Innovation Week.

Innovation Week is an opportunity for students to step outside of their everyday curriculum and explore subjects of interest in a project-based learning environment. Project-based learning is a way of instruction in which students gain knowledge and skills by investigating and responding to an authentic, engaging and complex question, problem, or challenge over a longer time period rather than just one class session.

Each student had the opportunity to select one of 15 areas to work with for the entire five days. Areas ranged from baseball and softball to movie making and Frisbee golf. Teachers and parent volunteers with experience in these areas were on campus all week to help the students through the process of learning their exploratory area.

A student in the gardening class works on her fairy garden
project for Innovation Week at Elizabeth Smith Elementary.

Stormi Berry, Smith Elementary physical education aide and instructor for the Innovation Week’s hair design classes, feels that while the students are learning a new skill, seeing them intermingle with students from other grades is the real story of the event.

"Students from all grades participate in each area. They are all together, kindergarten through fourth grade, and it has been really fun seeing the older kids become big brother or big sisters to the younger ones," Berry said. "The older kids are excited to be a mentor to the young ones, and the younger students just love hanging out with the older kids."

For Cody Cross, taking part in the photography club and learning from some really great teachers has made this the best week ever.

"I love photography group because we take so many pictures, our teachers are amazingly nice and this is just the best time I have ever had at school."

Principal Lea Boiles hopes her students leave Innovation Week with an even further love of learning.

"My hope for Innovation Week is for students to engage in creative critical thinking activities that include building relationships, collaboration and community service," she said. "All of this is done in an atmosphere that promotes a love for learning and a desire to make a positive impact on our little part of the world, leaving it a better place than when we started."

Having a high grade point average (GPA) is great, but proving that you have the drive to roll with life’s punches on your journey to college is also important. And for three Mansfield ISD seniors, that trait is being rewarded.

The Dell Scholars Program annually awards $20,000, a laptop, textbook credits and ongoing support to students who demonstrate that they have a different type of GPA—grit, potential and ambition.

Medina (left) and Ali (right) said they value service
and want to make a difference in people's lives.

Timberview High School’s Maria Medina and Hana Ali, along with Summit High School’s Samira Bideh, were three of the 400 finalists nationwide.

Medina said she has come a long way from being the little girl who moved to the U.S. from Mexico and didn’t learn English until the second grade. Despite the naysayers and doubters she encountered, she was determined to make something of herself.

“I started getting really good at English by fourth grade,” Medina said. “The next year, I was taking Pre-AP classes. I was nervous at first, but my teachers kept encouraging me to try it.”

The senior is now graduating from high school with enough credits to enter Texas A&M University as a sophomore this fall in hopes of becoming an immigration lawyer and, eventually, the president of Mexico.

Her classmate Ali also knows a thing or two about not letting life’s experiences deter the future. The fellow Dell Scholar lost her father when she was in the eighth grade. Instead of making excuses for herself, she pushed herself even harder.

“It was a hard time for my family,” Ali explained. “But I’ve always valued education, and I knew it’s what my dad would have wanted. Doing good in school would make my parents proud, and that’s what I wanted to continue to do.”

And there’s certainly a lot to be proud of. Ali will be graduating as valedictorian of her class. She will also be attending the University of Texas at Arlington with a full ride and some leftover money for medical school.

Bideh said she's ready to take on college
and further her education in graduate school.

Over at Summit High School, Bideh spent her high school years striving to succeed by juggling school, a job and her extracurricular activities—all while still keeping up with her grades. She said her determination comes from her parents who came to America from Somali speaking little to no English when she was an infant.

“They didn’t know the system or how anything worked since it was a new country,” she recalled. “I just kept putting education first. But even if you don’t have the best grades, showcase the different things you’re good at to prove to colleges that you have what it takes.”

Bideh, who is one of six siblings, said that she plans to attend the University of Arlington. She wants to major in biology to become a physician assistant.

Although these ladies may have had different life paths and obstacles, they kept their positive attitude through it all. Now, with the welcomed surprise of being a 2017 Dell Scholar, they will be able to use their positivity to help others through their respective careers.

Cobb graduated from TCC on May 16.

It’s graduation weekend at Mansfield ISD; and for one senior, it’ll be the second time within a month that she crossed the stage.

Frontier High School’s Brianna Cobb earned her associate degree before officially receiving her high school diploma.

She was able to accomplish the academic feat through Frontier’s Tarrant County College Trinity River East Campus (TREC) program. The program allows health science students an opportunity to earn 42 dual credit college hours and a certification.

The 18-year-old joined TREC in her junior year. She said it was a big goal to set for herself and admits that the road wasn’t easy.

“It was frustrating at times,” she explained. “Sometimes I wanted to give up because of the workload.”

Cobb took 17 college hours last semester. She said that she didn’t have much time for extracurricular activities in her junior or senior year, but knew that her end game was more important.

“I kept telling myself that it’ll be worth it, and it was so worth it. I’m so glad I stuck with it,” she continued. “I’m still in shock. When I think about it, I’m like ‘Wow! I did it!’”

The graduate plans to enroll at the University of North Texas this fall to earn her bachelor’s degree. She wants to become a cosmetic surgeon or an obstetrician/gynecologist (OB/GYN).

“I’d tell anyone who wants to do what I did to persevere,” she said. “It can get stressful, but don’t give up. Believe in yourself.”

For more information about MISD’s TREC program, visit the Frontier High School counseling center webpage.

What do teachers do in the first week of their summer break? At Mansfield ISD, they get a jumpstart at perfecting their skills for the following school year.

MISD is holding its annual Summer Curriculum Conference June 6-8 at Legacy High School. Attendees have the opportunity to select from various sessions, such as English language learners (ELL), technology, advanced academics, special education and other content-specific courses, to further their professional development.

“The conference provides professional development that teaches strategies and ways to integrate technology into learning,” said Toni Clarkson, elementary math coordinator. “So next year, as they go back to class, they’ll feel like they have a lot more tools to use with students and make students more successful.”

Teachers took part in immersive learning games for the classroom.

Clarkson said the neat part about the conference is the collaborative nature of it.

“The educators are really able to share with each other, so it’s a place where all the district teachers can come together and share best practices,” she added.

Hosting the summer conference is no easy feat. Coordinators said the planning starts in January to offer relevant courses paired with the best instructors. Registration opens in April.

Teachers enjoy the experience. They said becoming a student and soaking up the knowledge is the best way to better themselves in the classroom.

“I’ve learned a lot about dyslexia and dysgraphia in my session,” said Christie Furtick, teacher at Erma Nash Elementary School. “I’ll use the tools I learned to help my students even more.”

Attendance to the conference is free for MISD employees. Out-of-district educators pay $25 to attend. For more information about the conference course offerings, view the catalog here.

It’s a summer of exploration for dozens of Mansfield ISD students going into grades 6-8. Ben Barber Innovation Academy’s (BBIA) annual Rising Star Discovery Camp is underway.

The camp is a fun introduction to a few courses offered at BBIA. Students are able to receive an interactive overview of topics ranging from culinary arts, video production, graphic design, criminal justice and computer maintenance.

Green helps a student troubleshoot a computer tower.

Instructor Jimmie Green, Sr. said he likes seeing the kids learn, and the learning is a mutual process.

“These kids are smart. I can teach them 1,000 things, and they can teach me 2,000,” he said. “We’re diagnosing, defragging; and by the end of it, we’ll have a race to see who can take a computer apart and put it back together the fastest.”

Camp coordinators work hard to make the courses mimic real-life situations.

In the criminal justice class, the students went outdoors to investigate a staged crime scene. Chris Vasquez, who previously worked with the Houston Police Department for 11 years, said it’s a way to give students a general idea of the policing world while creating positive experiences between the children and law enforcement.

“I went into teaching because I got tired of putting kids in jail and wanted to catch them before they get corrupted in the system,” he said. “They’re learning the steps of an investigation right now, which involves documenting and picking up evidence.”

Vasquez gives instructions on how to correctly document evidence.

The teachers said their goal is to spark an interest in the students that will hopefully have them coming back to BBIA to pursue their respective career paths when they enter high school.

“Once my curiosity was sparked in computer maintenance, there was no turning back for me, so I hope these kids find the same interest in a topic,” Green said.

BBIA’s Rising Star Discovery Camp runs June 12-16 from 8 a.m. to noon. The cost of registration is $65.

When you’re having so much fun that you forget you’re learning, that’s what coordinators at Mansfield ISD’s summer science camp call a win.

Young scientists entering grades 1-5 participated in various labs and experiments focusing on this year’s camp theme—water. The topics covered ranged from conservation, hydroelectricity, pollution and purification.

“We try to combine keeping their education going and making them realize that education is not just sitting in a room and writing,” said camp coordinator Daniel Beauford. “They’re learning things without even realizing that they’re learning.”

Kids learned about the water cycle in one of the various sessions.

MISD Science Camp is being held June 19-23 at Brooks Wester Middle School. The program is in its fifth year and keeps gaining momentum. Last year, approximately 300 kids attended. This year, the camp maxed out at approximately 420 students.

“There’s a lot of kids here eager to learn. It grows every year, and that’s because of the different experiments and hands-on activities we provide. We have 35 of the best teachers in the district heading these science lessons,” said Beauford.

Incoming third-grader Jackson James said his favorite activity was creating an aquifer out of ice cream and toppings that he later got to eat. He said he learned some valuable information that he can share with others.

“I learned that 75 percent of our body is made out of water,” said the eight-year-old. “We’re also doing a PSA (public service announcement) to teach people not to waste water.”

As interest continues to grow in the camp, camp coordinators said they may need to expand the camp to two weeks to accommodate all the children. It’s a problem they said they’re happy to have.

Sturner prepared the chicken spaghetti in the test kitchen.

While students are out for the summer break, Mansfield ISD Student Nutrition Services is heating up their oven making sure everyone comes back to some new tasty, yet nutritious, meals.

Foods like chicken spaghetti, grilled chicken pesto subs, chicken and waffle paninis, hash brown casseroles, Asian chicken and rice bowls, and grilled stuffed burritos will be making their debut for certain grade levels in the fall.

Chef Isabella Sturner is charged with making new recipes for MISD schools. She said the process to get different foods on the menu is a collaborative one.

“I work closely with Denise Hayslip (MISD’s dietician) to make sure each recipe is compliant with USDA regulations,” said the district’s culinary trainer. “We try to keep our meals delicious, fresh and relevant—food that the students will actually eat.”

And MISD students have a say in what foods make the cut. When all the food guidelines are met, students taste them and provide their feedback.

“We recently had a taste testing for students at Summit High School. They really enjoyed the shrimp fajitas and jalapeno cornbread,” Sturner continued.

Sturner said the upcoming year’s meals will have a southern home flare to it, and nothing says homestyle better than making the food from scratch.

Fresher food, like this strawberry salsa, is the goal.

“The lasagna, zucchini bread, taco meat, fried rice, lo mein, ranch, spaghetti sauce—all of that is homemade. We have a good blend of scratch cooking, which is impressive since we have to serve 300 to 500 people within a 10-minute window,” she explained.

The nutrition workers try to accommodate all types of eaters, including vegetarians. That’s why they’re hosting a vegetarian item sample session on July 17 at 11 a.m. Anyone interested can go to the Student Nutrition office on 1151 Mansfield-Webb Road in Arlington.

With an average of more than 20,000 people being served each school day, the department certainly has its hands—and cafeterias—full, but workers said they wouldn’t have it any other way.

“My favorite part about food is the amount of enjoyment others get. We’re serving good food that’s real food,” Sturner added.

MISD Student Nutrition Services distributed more than 5 million meals last year. For more information about menus and pricing, visit the department website.

A new facility that changes the way young students will learn is on the horizon at Mansfield ISD. The MISD Early Literacy Center, set to open in the fall of 2018, will be an innovative school for children ages three and four that takes learning beyond the four walls of a classroom.

“It’s basically structured in what early childhood research says is best for how students learn,” said Kristi Cobb, MISD’s director of early literacy. “Young students can come attend and learn through play, learn through unique experiences and learn through interacting with students.”

The focus of the learning center will be to promote literacy and numeracy development at an early age in an exploratory and engaging environment.

A rendering of a room dedicated to the study of Earth.

The facility will have 16 unique learning experiences, what people would typically call classrooms, that are structured into pods of learning: exploration, investigation, imagination and navigation. In each pod, children will be immersed in learning about different topics, such as the ocean, greenhouses, animals, construction and space.

“The building is very unique. It’s not like a traditional literacy center and not like a tradition school,” said Jeff Brogden, associate superintendent of facilities and bond programs. “For instance, one of the experiences is about the ocean, so there is an interactive submarine that is part of the experience. Students and teachers will be able to take an interactive field trip through the ocean to visit different mammals and learn all about that realm.”

The facility will be located near Della Icenhower Intermediate School off of South Collins Street. Each morning and afternoon session will consist of 15-17 students, a teacher and an instructional aide. Between 480-500 students will be able to enroll each year.

The school will also host field trips and other activities so that all Mansfield ISD students have the opportunity to benefit from the facility.

MISD's Early Literacy Center is aligned with the district's Vision 2020 guiding statement that indicates students will read on level or higher by the beginning of the third grade and will remain on level or higher as an MISD student.

View more details and renderings of the future school here.

The group picked more than 20 pounds of produce in one day.

Every Tuesday and Thursday this summer, Mansfield ISD agricultural science teacher Keven Smith had two things on his mind—teaching life skills to students with special needs and giving back to the community.

Smith and the students went to the Ron Whitson Agricultural Science Center to feed the farm animals. He then took them over to a garden where they harvested produce to donate to local food pantries.

“I got together with MISD’s special education SUCCESS programs, and we started the SUCCESS garden three years ago. Students would come out and plant, and we would later harvest the food and give it to local food pantries,” said Smith. “We have harvested thousands of pounds of fresh foods like watermelon, okra, and squash so far.”

Smith said he loves instilling the knowledge of agriculture into the children’s lives. He wants them to know that fresh food does not magically appear in the stores.

“My goal is to teach them how important farming and ranching is,” he continued. “It’s not a career choice of the past. We need those jobs to sustain life. Also, people have the power to grow their own food, and they should learn how to.”

This year, the agricultural science teacher solicited the help of high school volunteers to provide another social element to the experience.

“I like that I get to help them,” said Kaitlyn Weitzman, incoming sophomore at Mansfield High School. “My brother has special needs too, and they don’t always get the chance to explore and do as much as they are out here.”

After a day of picking, the students got to fish in the local pond.

Smith will continue to instill the love of cultivation into young learners in the upcoming school year. He hosts pumpkin patch field trips, farm animal visits, and he is partnering with the new Tarver-Rendon School of Agricultural Leadership to teach core content and leadership skills through agricultural-based experiences.

Although his summer program has wrapped up, Smith said he is excited to start planting more crops for an even bigger harvest next year.

Campgoers worked together to bring their projects to life.

Mansfield ISD students entering grades 5-8 spent the week letting their imaginations run wild while building a spirit of teamwork. Create Camp is taking place July 24-28 at Legacy High School.

The summer camp is designed to allow the children to work with the four C’s—creativity, collaboration, communication and critical thinking. Camp coordinator Hope Hutchison said she decided to start the camp after working at the district’s science camp and seeing how excited the kids were to learn.

“I saw everyone’s enthusiasm, and I started thinking, ‘Maybe I should expand this idea to kids who like other subjects as well,’” said Hutchison. “Create Camp focuses more on STEAM, which incorporates the arts, as well as science, technology, engineering, and math. I’ve been doing Destination Imagination for more than 20 years, so this gives them a taste of that as well.”

MISD's Create Camp is in its second year. There are daily individual challenges and one comprehensive group challenge given to the children to teach them how to problem solve and think on their feet.

Students worked on their radio broadcast daily.

This year’s group project was a radio show. Students worked all week to create a comprehensive radio show, equipped with a story, live sound effects, cliffhanger and a breaking news bulletin. At the end of the week, the campers will perform the radio show for their parents.

“My favorite part is seeing the creative processes from the kids,” Hutchison continued. “These children didn’t know each other on the first day, but now they’re interacting and really working together to get this project done.”

Aaron Pradith was a radio announcer in his group. He noted that the camp helped him improve his social skills.

“This helped me break out of my shell more,” said the incoming fifth-grader at Della Icenhower Intermediate School. “It made me talk to my teammates more and make decisions together.”

More than 120 students participated in this year’s camp. Hutchison said she hopes her camp will inspire the students and teachers to start similar imagination clubs at their campuses.

“I know the district’s Vision 2020 plan states that students will participate in extracurricular or co-curricular activities, and this is another option they can choose,” she said.

MISD's FFA team prepared for the competition since January.

A group of 20 Mansfield ISD students who take great pride in their livestock can now say they have some of the best longhorns in the area, and they have the scholarship money to prove it.

The 2017 Autobahn Youth Scholarship Tour is an annual event in Fort Worth in which children and teens showcase their longhorn cattle. Organizers give out more than $400,000 in scholarship money to winners.

The five-day competition is much more than making sure the bovines have shiny coats. Contestants can also compete in various categories including public speaking, judging, agricultural mechanics, art and photography.

“I want my students to be really well-rounded individuals, so I tell them that they have to compete in certain categories,” said Kristi Chambliss, agricultural science teacher at Ben Barber Innovation Academy and sponsor for MISD’s FFA club. “If you want to be a pro in this industry, you have to be able to speak and write properly.”

Students from all over the Metroplex
showed off their cattle.

Diversifying the students’ talents paid off. The team raked in a club record of $56,998 in scholarships. In addition, three of the four all-around winners came from Mansfield ISD.

“My favorite part was seeing how happy the kids were when they heard their names being called for the awards,” Chambliss explained. “Our group also won the Herdsman Award for keeping our area the cleanest and working hard behind the scenes. It’s a big deal because showing is only a small part of what we do.”

This is the fourth year for MISD to compete in the Autobahn Youth Scholarship Tour. The students come for the competition, but leave with memories and lasting relationships.

“This is a major networking opportunity as well,” Chambliss continued. “They have common interests with other students and industry professionals. This can open the door to countless possibilities.”

View results of the 2017 Autobahn Youth Scholarship Tour here.

Anderson Elementary was rebuilt under the 2011 bond package.

In a matter of days, the newest MISD facilities transformed from looking like a construction site to being pristine buildings.

Charlotte Anderson Elementary School and The STEM Academy at Brooks Wester Middle School were ready to accept students and parents for the first day of school, but it took a lot of teamwork to reach to that point.

“It was amazing to see the construction workers, maintenance crews, custodial staff from different campuses, teachers and staff work together,” said Franklin Alvarenga, custodial supervisor for the Anderson Elementary School project. “We worked long nights and early mornings—even on the weekends—but we were so fortunate to have the resources and support needed to get the job done.”

Construction on the facilities were underway for months; however, the weather and earlier start of the school year made the completion schedule even tighter.

Alvarenga said Mansfield ISD staff had six days to move in and clean up at Anderson Elementary School. He said the reward was the look on the children's faces when they saw their newly rebuilt school.

“There’s a sense of satisfaction that your time and effort pays off and is recognized,” Alvarenga said.

The STEM Academy is currently housing 75 sixth-graders.

Over at the STEM Academy, the principal said she was overwhelmed by the amount of support she received to move into the building. Victoria Webster and her staff were given the “okay” to go inside on Monday, giving them only two days to get everything in place.

“The teamwork was absolutely phenomenal,” said Webster. “Everybody was checking up on us, and there was no complaining. The mentality was to get it done, and get it done right.”

Crews remained up until the wee hours of the morning putting the finishing touches on the building. Webster said she was surprised and grateful to see all the progress that was made in such a short amount of time.

“When everything was finally done, it was like a dream,” said Webster. “It was shocking to see something that you’ve been imagining actually come to life.”

The program is housed inside of Timberview High School.

Saving time and money while fostering a desire to become a lifelong learner is one of the goals of Mansfield ISD's newest Power of Choice program.

The Early College High School at Timberview will allow students to graduate from high school with an associate degree in hand. The program is currently open to ninth-graders and will add a grade level each year until this year's class becomes seniors.

Ninth-grader Jesus Herrera said the college-going culture is exactly what he needs to fulfill his dream, which is to finish what his father started.

"Since I was young, I could remember that his dream job is being an engineer, but he had to settle with being a carpenter," said the 14-year-old. "I want to become a mechanical engineer for the both of us."

The program comes at no cost to Mansfield ISD students. In partnership with the district, Tarrant County College Southeast pays for the tuition fees, while MISD covers the cost of any textbooks.

Transportation is also provided so that students from any part of the district can take advantage of the opportunity.

Herrera said his motivation is his father who
couldn't finish college.

It's a deal that associate principal Erica Bennett hopes will tear down any barrier or excuse a student may have for not wanting to go to college.

"We're looking for the student who wants to go to college, or they have the need and demand for their family and lifestyle to go to college," Bennett said.

Bennett noted that extracurricular activities are also important for students to become well-rounded individuals. Although traditional athletics or fine arts activities are not available for Early College High School students, they can still participate in any Timberview High School or Tarrant County College club.

“These students are college students. They have their student I.D. and the same benefits and access to what Tarrant County College offers,” Bennett added.

The Early College High School program is another way MISD is giving students and parents the ability to choose the educational pathway that is best for them. Herrera said it’s a pathway he is eager to explore.

"I'm pretty excited because I'm closer to being at my dream job pretty soon," he said.

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