Category Archives: #BISDShines

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BISD has Four Destination Imagination Teams Advancing to State

BISD Students Compete in Regional Destination Imagination Tournament

Haltom High hosted the regional Destination Imagination (DI) tournament on Saturday, Feb. 25, 2017. More than 200 teams from the Mid-Cities region competed in open-ended challenges. The DI program promotes teamwork and enables students to learn and experience the creative process while fostering their creativity, curiosity and courage. Teams were able to choose from challenges in areas such technical, scientific, engineering, fine arts, improvisational, and service learning. BISD teams did very well in the competition with four teams qualifying to advance to the state tournament, which will be held in Lubbock on April 8, 2017.

 

Congratulations and good luck to the following BISD team which is advancing to the state DI competition:

The Royal Hot Pockets from Richland High School qualified to advance to state in two events and collected a few other awards for their hard work and dedication to DI. The team members are Allyssa Kunkel, Sara De La Cruz, Noah Lewis, Ryan Janke, and Peyton Murrell. The team is managed by Keri Murrell, a teacher at North Ridge Elementary. The team came in first in the Technical Challenge (Show & Tech), which prompts students to complete tasks by using engineering, research, strategic planning and related skills. They also received first place in the Project Outreach Service Challenge (Ready, Willing, and Fable). Additionally, the team received the Renaissance Award for outstanding design for their set and costumes in Project Outreach. They received the highest score for Instant Challenge in both events. Most members of this team have worked together for years. Alyssa Kunkel, Ryan Janke, and Peyton Murrell all received the Magellan Award for completing all challenges offered over the years. Sara De La Cruz and Alyssa Kunkel were recognized and received a special DI tassel for their mortar boards for graduation, and Alyssa was awarded a $1,000 scholarship from Mid-Cities DI.

North Ridge Middle’s Uh-huh … Alright … Definitely! team placed first in the Project Outreach Challenge and also received the highest Instant Challenge score. Project Outreach (Ready, Willing & Fable) is the Service Learning Challenge and is designed to engage students in public service to address real-life community issues. Team members are Brock Martini, Cailee Coulson, Spencer Murrell and Lorelai Perez. This team is also managed by Keri Murrell.

The Rainbow Mustaches team from Walker Creek Elementary was awarded first place in the Engineering Challenge (In It Together). The team was required to design, build and test different types of structures that are made out of varying materials. Team members include: Sage Demaree, Toni Sentell, Luke Bolstad, Nate Bolstad, Leo Pierce, Mary Connoly and Janson Perry. Team managers are Katie Pierce and Rebecca Bolstad.

Team Dynamite from Porter Elementary placed first in the Fine Arts Challenge (Vanished). In this challenge, teams flex their acting and artistic muscles as they explore and create together. Team members are Lilly Ringer, Kaitlyn Gaven, Kendall Robb, Lanie Riddle, Coryn Burris and Genevieve Dorasami. The team manager is Margaret Hutto.

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Share Your Story

 

“She loves kids, and is always thinking what she can do to prepare her students to be successful, productive members of society. BISD, and especially Deaf Ed, are blessed that she works with us!”
―for Christine Gaston, Teacher
Smithfield Middle & Birdville High Deaf Ed

Congratulations, Christine Gaston, Touch of Class Honoree for January 2017. #BISDShines #WeAreBirdvilleISD #TxEdTuesday #IAmTXEd

Share your Birdville story today, visit: http://www.birdvilleschools.net/ShareYourStory

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Porter Elementary Students Highlighted on “Wings Across America” Site

Second-grade students at Porter Elementary learned about the “Women Airforce Service Pilots” (WASP) aviators. Students from Ms. Becknal’s class wrote thank you letters to surviving WASP members and mailed them to an organization called Wings Across America. The letters are posted on their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/WINGSACROSSAMERICA/.

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TEA Updates | Number of Texas students taking Advanced Placement increases for Class of 2016

AUSTIN – Commissioner of Education Mike Morath announced today that, according to the College Board’s AP Cohort Data Report for the Class of 2016, more than 122,000 Texas graduates took at least one Advanced Placement Program® (AP®) exam during their high school careers. In addition, the percentage of Texas students taking at least one AP exam in high school continues to stay ahead of the national average.

Number/Percentage of Graduates

Who Took an AP Exam During High School

YEAR

TEXAS

NATION

2016

122,606

38.7%

36.2%


According to Class of 2016 figures from the College Board, Texas was again the closest state to achieving equitable participation for low-income students. Half (50.3 percent) of the AP examinees in the Class of 2016 were eligible for free or reduced-price lunch. Of those students, 45.1 percent achieved a score of 3 or higher – much higher than the national average (24.9 percent) and higher than any other state.

The College Board states that a score of 3 or higher on an AP Exam demonstrates that a student is capable of doing the work of an introductory-level course in a particular subject in college. Just over 20 percent of Texas students (20.2 percent) in the Class of 2016 scored a 3 or higher on an AP exam during high school, which was below the national average (21.9 percent).

Research shows that students who succeed in rigorous course work, such as that offered by AP, are developing college-level knowledge and skills while still in high school. These students are more likely than their peers to earn college degrees on time, which gives them an opportunity to save significant amounts of money.

The ten most popular AP exams among Texas students for the Class of 2016 were: English Language and Composition; United States History; World History; English Literature and Composition; United States Government and Politics; Physics 1; Macroeconomics; Calculus AB; Spanish Language and Culture; and Biology.

Some additional Texas highlights from the College Board’s AP Cohort Data Report for the Class of 2016 include:

  • 38.7 percent of graduates in the Class of 2016 took an AP exam during high school.
  • 20.2 percent of students in the Class of 2016 scored 3 or higher on an AP exam.
  • By May 2016, more than a quarter million (259,081) exams earned scores of 3 or higher, representing a potential cost savings for credit-hour tuition of $2.3 million for Texas families.
  • Three of the ten most popular AP courses in Texas are in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) courses.

Twenty-two Texas school districts were recognized for efforts to increase access to AP coursework while simultaneously maintaining or increasing the percentage of students earning scores of 3 or higher on AP exams. Those districts recognized on the 7th Annual AP Honor Roll included: Allen ISD; Austin ISD; Burnet CISD; College Station ISD; Coppell ISD; Dallas ISD; Hutto ISD; Katy ISD; Leander ISD; McGregor ISD; McKinney ISD; Pflugerville ISD; Pleasant Grove ISD; Princeton ISD; Sabine Pass ISD; Sanger ISD; Santa Fe ISD; Santa Gertrudis ISD; Santa Rosa ISD; Springtown ISD; Texarkana ISD; and Tomball ISD.

To review the entire College Board AP Cohort Data Report for the Class of 2016, visit www.collegeboard.org.  

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Birdville High School UIL Academic Team recently competed and won at various levels at the Grandview Invitational Meet

The Birdville High School UIL Academic Team recently competed and won at various levels at the Grandview Invitational Meet. 

 Calculator 9th/10th grades (Coach Tanna Sales)

  • Keith Mekush – 3rd place overall
  • Jenna Ruhlman – 5th place overall

Computer Applications (Coach Ann Blankenship)

  • Makayla Franks – 4th place overall
  • Kevin Davis – 6th place overall

Current Events: Second-place team – Angie Whistler, Collin Kane, Hunter Mendiola, Jeremiah Brand & Travis Maclin (Coach Kelly Grossman)

  • Travis Maclin – 6th place overall

Literary Criticism (Coach Rachel Nichols)

  •  Sam Streeter – 2nd place overall

Math 9th/10th grades:  Second-place team – India Wright, Jenna Ruhlman, Keith Mekush, Michael Lipenko & Zack McCoy (Coach Laura Douglas)

  • Jenna Ruhlman – 3rd place overall

 Math 11th/12th grades:  Second-place team – Henry Tang, Jared Burleson, Marlee Street & Morgan Petermann (Coach Laura Douglas)

  • Jared Burleson – 1st place overall

Number Sense 9th/10thgrades:  Third-place team – Eriq Jimenez, India Wright, Jenna Ruhlman, Keith Mekush, Michael Lipenko & Zack McCoy (Coach Cooper Mitchell) 

  • Jenna Ruhlman – 5th place overall
  • Michael Lipenko – 6th place overall

Number Sense 11th/12th grades:  Third-place team – Jared Burleson, Marlee Street & Vidhi Bhatt (Coach Cooper Mitchell)

  • Jared Burleson – 1st place overall

Science 9th/10th grades:  First-place team – Jenna Ruhlman, Keith Mekush, Michael Lipenko & Zack McCoy (Coaches: Andrew Bendersky, Kathy Mitchell & Will Griffin)

  • Jenna Ruhlman – 1st place overall
  • Zack McCoy – 5th place overall
  • Keith Mekush – 7th place overall

Science 11th/12th grades:  First-place team – Henry Tang, Jared Burleson, Kevin Davis, Morgan Petermann & Vidhi Bhatt (Coaches: Andrew Bendersky, Kathy Mitchell & Will Griffin)

  • Jared Burleson – 1st place overall, top Chemistry score, 2nd place Physics score
  • Vidhi Bhatt – 2nd place Chemistry score
  • Morgan Petermann – 6th place overall

Social Studies:  Third-place team – Alli Burk, Meagan Overcash, Reanna Boydstun, Sam Streeter & William Chaltas (Coach Kirk Mansfield)

  • Meagan Overcash – 1st place overall

Spelling:  First-place team – Allycen Toomey, Giang Pham, Hunter Mendiola, India Wright, Marlee Street, Reanna Boydstun & Travis Maclin (Coach Luke Devlin)

  • Travis Maclin – 2nd place overall
  • India Wright – 3rd place overall
  • Reanna Boydstun – 5th place overall