Birdville ISD Superintendent Dr. Gayle Stinson announced the appointment of Frankie Norris as the principal for North Oaks Middle School.
Norris has been assistant principal and 504 Coordinator at Richland High School since 2022 and was the assistant principal at North Ridge Middle School from 2017-22. Prior to becoming an assistant principal, she was an academic coach at North Ridge Middle School from 2016–17; a sixth grade English, Language Arts and Reading teacher at North Ridge Middle School from 2010-16; a fifth grade English, Language Arts, Reading and Science teacher at Hardeman Elementary from 2008-10; and various other teaching positions from 1998-2007.
She earned her bachelor’s, master’s and doctorate degrees from the University of North Texas.
At the regular Board meeting on March 28, the Birdville ISD board of trustees named Chris Smith head football coach/athletic coordinator at Birdville High School.
He brings an extensive amount of player and coaching experience with him. Smith played football at Stephen F. Austin State University where he was an offensive lineman and deep snapper. He was also a two-year letterman and Academic All-Conference for the Southland Football League.
Smith’s coaching experience includes: associate head coach/offensive coordinator/offensive line coach at Southlake Carroll High School from 2018 to present; associate head coach/offensive coordinator/offensive line coach at Carthage High School from 2017-18; offensive quality control at Texas A&M University from 2014-17; offensive line coach at Texas A&M University from 2014-15; associate head coach/offensive coordinator/offensive line coach at Carthage High School from 2007-14; and various assistant coaching experiences at Mesquite Poteet High School and Stephen F. Austin State University.
“Coach Smith’s experience is as good as it gets. He has served as the offensive coordinator at Southlake Carroll and Carthage, two of the winningest programs in the state,” Executive Director of Athletics Barry Norton said. “One thing that attracted Birdville ISD to Coach Smith is his experience at multiple levels. He has coached at the highest level of Texas High School Football (6A) and had tremendous success at the lower levels (4A) too. I believe his three years on Coach Sumlin’s staff at Texas A&M will serve him and his teams well.”
“With proven championship experience at high school and collegiate levels, Coach Smith brings an energy and enthusiasm that is contagious,” Superintendent Dr. Gayle Stinson said. “More importantly to me is his character – he emphasizes the importance of encouraging and growing young athletes and students into young adults that care for one another and become outstanding citizens. We are proud to welcome Coach Smith and his family into the BISD family.”
Smith earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Stephen F. Austin State University.
Birdville ISD Community: We will be closed on Friday, March 29 and Monday, April 1. Please note that there will be no classes on these dates. Regular classes and activities will resume on Tuesday, April 2.
Birdville ISD is excited about the upcoming opportunity for all students and staff to share a unique educational experience of the total solar eclipse.
Campus Plan: Weather permitting, our students will witness the eclipse from outside on Monday, April 8. BISD has acquired certified solar viewing glasses so all students and staff can safely experience the eclipse. The District has adjusted our schedules for that day so that all lunches occur before the main viewing timeframe.
Campus visitors/volunteers: District property will not be used for public viewing, and parents will not be allowed on campus during the event.
Absences: Student absences on April 8 will be excused as long as the attendance clerk receives a sign note from the parent.
BISD opt-out: If you do not wish for your student to participate in the viewing of the eclipse outside, please complete the OPT-OUT Form for each child and return it to the front office by Wednesday, April 5.
NOTE: Not submitting an opt-out form will result in your child participating in the viewing outside.
Birdville ISD looks forward to making this upcoming solar eclipse a genuinely educational and unforgettable experience for our students and staff. If you have questions, don’t hesitate to get in touch with your child’s campus.
Fourth graders from Birdville ISD’s Holiday Heights Elementary traveled to Austin on an Education in Action Discover Texas Field Trip, Friday, February 2, 2024, to experience what they are learning in Texas History. Students visited the Texas State Capitol and the Bullock Texas State History Museum.
During the charter bus ride to Austin, students discussed why Texans are so proud of their unique heritage and participated in activities and games in preparation for their visit. In Austin the students visited the Texas State Capitol where their legislators, The Honorable Kelly Hancock, State Senator, District 9 and The Honorable Stephanie Klick, State Representative, District 91, office. Students saw first-hand where Texas laws are made as they toured the State Capitol including the Senate and House of Representatives chambers. At the Bullock Texas State History Museum students traveled back in time through the Texas Revolution and learned about the events that created our Lone Star identity. The students’ visit to the museum concluded at the multi-sensory Texas Spirit Theater with the Star of Destiny where they saw and experienced the history of our great state including a gusher exploding from an East Texas oil derrick and the takeoff of Saturn V as seen from Mission Control at the Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center in Houston.
”Education in Action’s Discover Texas Field Trips are based on the understanding that the most effective way for students to learn is through experience,” stated Jennifer Pasteur, Education in Action’s Executive Director. ”Student activities during Discover Texas Field Trips reinforce and supplement Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) learning objectives in fun and hands-on ways at significant Texas sites that bring the content to life.”
Education in Action’s Discover Texas Field Trips make it easy for teachers to take their 3rd, 4th, or 5th grade classrooms on organized, fun, and educational site-based learning experiences. Education in Action handles all details, including round-trip charter bus transportation, meals, and reservations, and provides the TEKS-based program curriculum so participating teachers can focus on their students and making connections between the experience and what students are learning in the classroom.
Discover Texas Field Trips are presented by Education in Action, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to fostering educated and involved young people. In addition to one-day Discover Texas Field Trips to Austin, San Antonio, Waco/Georgetown, Dallas, and Fort Worth, Education in Action also offers summer Lone Star Leadership Academy camps for outstanding 4th-8th graders. During the weeklong, overnight camps, participants experience significant Texas sites in Dallas/Fort Worth, Austin/San Antonio, or Houston/Galveston with Texas educators and a focus on leadership. For more information about Education in Action visit www.educationinaction.org and www.facebook.com/educationinaction.
