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Issue #9

Fall 2013

Brahma Newsletter
Hallettsville ISD

HISD Continues to Build Upon Success!

HISD is making significant steps to realizing strategic goals developed in January 2013 while students continue to excel in academics, athletics, and extra-curricular activities! The technology network was upgraded in the summer of 2013, and campus instructional technologists are now available to help teachers effectively integrate technology into every period of the school day. District and campus administrators continue to HES Calf Pen HJHS Yearlings HHS Brahmas Brahma Athletics provide support and training for teachers to align curriculum and instruction and develop challenging and meaningful lessons for all students. Teachers and administrators are working to foster school, home, and community collaboration for student educational success by conducting conferences with the parents of all HISD students in the fall of 2013.

Continued on
Curriculum Corner Tech Talk

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; Issue #9 Fall 2013

Safety and Facilities: New design for elementary school

HISD Facilities Needs

Enclosing HES to provide safety from walk-up access Construct additional classrooms at HES and HJHS Correct drainage and foundation issues at HJHS Library expansions at HES and HJHS Construct cafeteria at HJHS Technology, electrical and air system upgrades at HES Additional bathrooms

Proposed Cafeteria Addition at HJHS HISD has developed a comprehensive plan providing a safe and secure environment for students, employees, and community members. Construction committee members Paul Cook, Todd Schindler, Robert Lundy, and Jo Ann Bludau will continue to meet with architect Jim Singleton and district financial advisor Christian Merritt to discuss financing options and plans for accomplishing district safety and facilities goals.

All campuses have security cameras

A security camera system has been installed district-wide to monitor buildings, hallways, parking lots, business offices, and high traffic areas. The Hallettsville Police Department has been granted access to the system to use in the event of an actual emergency. Every campus in Hallettsville ISD is also utilizing the Raptor software program, which is the nations leading visitor management system for school security, providing instant sex offender and background checks to enhance school safety.
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HES Calf Pen

Hallettsville Elementary School is off to a great new school year! We welcome many new faces around our campus. Our entire staff is ready to make this year a successful and engaging learning environment. We are continuing to strive to make the best education available to our children in order to create a foundation to become the best citizens they can be. HES has implemented the Accelerated Reader (AR) program this year in place of the Reading Counts program. The students have already been checking out books and taking tests. Students who meet their point goal and have a comprehension grade of 85 receive a reward. Another change this year is that the AR program now gives students only one chance to successfully pass a test. Please make sure your child is reading intently and daily. In an effort to continuously improve our commitment to your students safety, we

Fall 2013
have implemented the Raptor system. The system will insure that only persons who are authorized are allowed on campus. We welcome any volunteers to help our growing students minds but all visitors and parents are required to come to the office and get a pass. Our faculty and staff are excited about kicking off the 2013-14 school year. We look forward to working with the students and seeing that every child has the opportunity to achieve greatness. Tiffany Janak HES Principal

HJHS Yearlings
The 2013-2014 school year is under way, and the HJHS staff and students are ready to make this an outstanding year of academic and athletic success. HJHS students will Hula To Success as they put their efforts into improving student character, test scores, and overall interest in learning. Not only are students encouraged to get involved in clubs/organizations or athletic programs on campus, but also participate in UIL Academic competitions. HJHS 5th through 8th grade students are fortunate to have the latest technology available to aid in learning. Students and teachers hit the ground running exploring what technology has to offer to make the educational experience more relevant to todays world. In order to ensure that all students are successful, tutoring is available Monday Thursday from 3:30 4:00 p.m., and students are encouraged to attend as needed. Parents are also encouraged to participate in Family Access to monitor his/her childs grades at all times. Students and parents are also invited to subscribe to teacher class pages. Subscribing will enable interested persons an opportunity to be notified of important upcoming assignments and projects. HJHS staff is looking forward to working closely with students and parents to ensure that every opportunity for learning is used toward Achieving Greatness! Sophie Teltschik, HJHS Principal

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HHS Brahmas
skills that will impact their future.

Fall 2013

The 2013-2014 school year is under way and everything is great at Hallettsville High School. Teachers at HHS create lessons that engage and empower students in the learning process. Active and connective learning engulfs our campus each day as we strive to inspire students to inquire beyond the normal scope of the material. For more extensive enrichment, we offer tutorials every day after school in order to ensure each student has the skills necessary to face the challenges of the classroom and high stakes testing. Our extra-curricular activities are in full force with fall sports, clubs, organizations, and service groups continuing a rich tradition of success. It is through fine arts, sports, spirit groups, and other student organizations that our students have an opportunity to represent our school and community and plant the flag for excellence. It is through these experiences that our students develop and demonstrate leadership

At HHS we understand that excellence in schools requires a partnership with our community. We encourage parent volunteers and quality relationships with the businesses of the Hallettsville area. Furthermore, we are emphasizing schoolcommunity relations this fall with a big push for clear communication with parents. We understand that parents most prize possession is their children and the communication process between teachers, administrators, and parents is imperative. We are excited about the wonderful strides we have already made this fall and will continue to make throughout this school year. Together, we will achieve greatness. Go Brahmas!!!!! Darrin Bickham Principal, HHS

Brahma Athletics
The Brahma and Lady Brahma athletic program is fighting to continue the habits of winning after a stellar year in 2012-2013. The athletes seem to be striving for an even greater year in 2013-2014. The numbers of athletes have increased from last year to this year at our high school and we have welcomed them as they begin their pursuit of excellence in all of our sports. The Junior High athletic program seems to be following the same suit with good numbers of boys and girls athletes that bring tons of ability to our program. Hallettsville ended up ranked eighth in the Lone Star Cup competition that involves over 250 class 2A schools vying for the top spot in Texas. This competition is a way of recognizing the top districts that compete in all UIL activities with sports, academics, band, one-act play, etc. We are hoping that our students/athletes will continue striving to be a top contender with this competition in our great State of Texas. The fan support for our athletic program continues to amaze us all. The athletes and their coaches have grown accustomed to great support wherever we compete. Hats off to our whole community for the unbelievable support as we pursue championships. Tommy Psencik- Athletic Director

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Curriculum Corner
As we begin the new school year, we are excited about our focus on engaging students in learning and putting students first. The department of Curriculum and Instruction will concentrate on providing teachers with the proper tools, resources, and training necessary to accomplish our goals of improvement in student success. We started the 2013-2014 school year with our HISD mini-conference led by administrators, instructional technologists, and teachers from all three campuses. Teachers had the opportunity to attend seven different sessions focused on district-wide programs, state assessment data, and state guidelines, such as bullying, gangs, and drugs. We will continue our focus on student success during alignment meetings for departments and subject areas across grade levels in the fall and spring. These meetings allow us to examine data and use it to help drive

Fall 2013

instruction. We also use this time to review and align instructional strategies and resources. Additionally, we will be creating and administering formative, curriculumbased assessments to monitor student progress on mastering the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) for their courses. Teachers will continue to participate in training focused on enhancing our curriculum and preparing our students for success on state assessments, in college, and in careers. As we pursue our goals for this year, we will continue to provide quality professional development for all faculty and staff. Dr. Mandy Bucek HISD Curriculum Director

Tech Talk
Hallettsville ISD Students Enjoy New Opportunities
The high school library has become a network friendly place for students to access information along with the vast traditional sources already offered. Students take advantage of the Renaissance Place programs using All-InOne touch screen Windows 8 computers while Dual Credit students work on their Macbooks to complete online assignments for their college courses. HISD proudly provides the entire district with a visionary and global network keeping inline with the constant continuum of a thriving learning community. Denise Henk HISD Technology Director
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HALLETTSVILLE ISD
EDUCATION FOUNDATION
MISSION STATEMENT
Hallettsville ISD Education Foundations mission is to provide opportunities for excellence in education, promote innovation in teaching, and partner with the community to enhance the quality of education for all students.

Foundation Goals
The Hallettsville ISD Education Foundation will achieve its mission by directing resources toward the following goals:
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HISD EDUCATION FOUNDATION BOARD MEMBERS Rev. Herb Beyer, President Dick Nance, Secretary Kris Allen, VP Finance & Governance Kevin Myers, VP Development Diane Pruett, VP Marketing & Events Christine Brown, VP Programs Amy Amsden Audrey Barrera Darrell Herring Marna Klimitchek Susan Seay Jo Ann Bludau

PROGRAMS/FUNDING PRIORITIES
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Please contact Rev. Herb Beyer at tccm@cvctx.com or 361-798-0155 if you are interested in contributing to the foundation fund. Contributions may also be mailed to the HISD Education Foundation at P.O. Box 368, Hallettsville, TX 77964. All contributions to the Foundation are tax deductible.