Congratulations to the BISD Film Festival winners. They are:
Best Elementary Film – “A Magical Dragon Tale,” directed by Savannah Thomas from Haltom High School and Delaney Thomas from Watauga Elementary School
Best Middle School Film – “Spiderweb,” directed by Tatum McDonald from Smithfield Middle School
Best High School Film – “The Ambition Song,” directed by Ian Chapoy from Birdville High School
Congratulations to the Destination Imagination teams from Richland High School and Smithfield Middle School for qualifying for the Global Finals to be held May 20–23 at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville. Richland’s team name is “Lost All Dignity.” Team members are: Keri Murrell (manager), Emily Mullins, Peyton Murrell, Connor McDermott, Alyssa Kunkel, Levi Richey and Ryan Janke. Smithfield’s team name is “Collateral Chaos.” Team members are: Katie Pierce (manager), Keegan Pierce, Asher Pierce, Robbie Baum, Nathan Lucas, Zane Sanchez, Alex French and Jack Vinson.
Congratulations to Jenna Ruhlman from Smithfield Middle School for being selected as one of the 37 recipients of the Bobby Bragan Youth Foundation Scholarship for the 2014‒15 school year. Finalists from BISD include: Angel Oviedo and Caroline Berry from North Oaks Middle; Salera Garcia and Tristan Garcia from North Richland Middle; Harrison Caltagirone from Smithfield Middle; and Amara Holcombe and Dylan Walker from Watauga Middle. From across the metroplex, 234 applications were submitted and these students rose to the top with their outstanding academic and community success.
Six deaf/hearing impaired students at Smithfield Middle School are on a special Battle of the Books team that will compete against three other deaf/hearing impaired teams from across the nation. Those teams are at state schools for the deaf in Georgia, Louisiana and Massachusetts. The competition will occur through simultaneous video webcast using sign language interpreters from Gallaudet University. The competition has been coordinated with the assistance of Beth Muirhead, SMS librarian; the Deaf Ed staff (particularly their teacher, Teresa Fuller); and Gallaudet University in Washington, DC. (Gallaudet University sponsors and coordinates the event.) Two of BISD’s Deaf education students designed the team T-shirt.
