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August 5, 2009 - Vol. 6, No. 1

Are you ready for school?

The summer is winding down for us and it's time to get serious about getting back to school. As we head into the new school year, there are a number of things we want to catch you up on.
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2009 TEA Accountability Ratings Released

On Friday, July 31, 2009, the Texas Education Agency released the accountability ratings for 2009. Mansfield ISD remains an Academically Acceptable district as campuses show gains as well as opportunities to improve.

"Overall, we are pleased that our performance continues to improve, but we are not satisfied with where we currently are," said Associate Superintendent for Curriculum, Instruction, and Accountability, Dr. Jim Vaszauskas. "We want to get better as a district."

The district has 13 Exemplary campuses, 12 Recognized campuses, and 10 Academically Acceptable campuses.

Read the full news release to get District TAKS observations and campus ratings.

Fan Fest 2009

Thursday, August 13, 2009
6:00 - 8:00 PM | MISD Stadium
Free Admission
Featuring: High School Varsity Football Coaches & Players

Exhibitions by:
Mansfield High School Drumline
Legacy High School Drumline
Summit High School Drill Team
Timberview High School Cheerleaders

Season Ticket Sales - Choose your team then choose your seat!

Free Hot Dogs | Concessions Available | Spiritwear | Bake Sale Items | Free T-Shirts (limited) | And More... | Get the flyer

 
New School Dedications



Sunday, August 23, 2009 at 2:00 PM
Asa E. Low, Jr. Intermediate School
1526 N. Walnut Creek Dr., Mansfield, TX 76063

Sunday, August 23, 2009 at 3:30 PM
Linda Jobe Middle School
2491 Gertie Barrett Rd., Mansfield, TX 76063

A reception and tour will follow each ceremony.

For more information, call MISD Communications at 817-299-6345.
District mourns the passing of former superintendent

On Thursday, July 23, the Mansfield ISD community was stunned and deeply saddened to receive the news of the  tragic death of our former superintendent, Mr. Vernon Newsom.

Mr. Newsom, who retired from the District this past June, died from injuries he sustained in a motorcycle accident while vacationing in South Dakota with his wife.

The District will hold a memorial event as part of the Newsom Stadium naming ceremony. Details will be available soon.

Read on for information regarding memorial opportunities or take some time to share your thoughts and memories of Mr. Newsom with the community on the district blog's memorial post.
School Board Update

Below are the significant items from summer Board Meetings:

  • At the June meeting, the Board approved using gas well revenues for technology expenditures. The first wave of technology upgrades will cost about $3.5 million and includes cabling projects, MS Office installation, phase 1 replacement of end-of-life desktops, and replacing end-of-life switches. The District expects to realize approximately $6.8 million in gas well revenues.
  • In July, the Board ratified the contract agreement with Lee Lewis Construction, Inc. for $59.4 million that set the wheels in motion to start construction on High School No. 5.
  • Also at the July meeting, the Board was introduced to new administrators: Susan Gerlach, Principal at Anna May Daulton Elementary and Dr. Sheila Saxton, Coordinator for Federal & Special Programs
  • The Board also approved an interlocal agreement with the City of Mansfield to create a tree farm behind Ben Barber Career Tech Academy. The trees can be transplanted to any public area or school located in Mansfield city limits.
  • At the August 4 Called Meeting, a presentation was made to the Board that showed how MISD could use $24 million in bond savings to build a 6,000-seat auditorium/professional development center.
District middle school students dominate as a tennis team

The United States Tennis Association hosts junior tennis leagues every fall and spring season.  This past spring season, a local team from Mansfield came together to dominate in league play and qualify for the state tournament in New Braunfels, Texas. 
 
This is the first time in two years that Tarrant County has offered a junior team tennis league and the Walnut Creek Kick Aces represented their league well.  The Kick Aces were coached by Cindy Planas, tennis coach at Coble Middle School, and is comprised of players from all five middle schools in Mansfield ISD.  Coble Middle School had Stuart Johnston, Andrew Cameron, Elliott Estep, Anuksha Mathur, and Vannessa Lam representing them; Wester Middle School had Alec Schreck, Sean Cawthorne, and Austin Grossklaus; Worley Middle School had Lisa Rowe; Howard Middle School had Aisha Ibrahim; and Jones Middle School had Shirley Cotty. 



The members of this team came together to go 25-0 as a team in local play, 5-0 in regional play, and 15-10 in state play.  The Walnut Creek Kick Aces finished 9th overall in the state in the 14 and under intermediate division.
Odds & Ends

Photo Gallery Updates:

Calendar - Get your a printable 2009-2010 District Calendar and the A-B Student Calendar. Do you want something more dynamic? Try using the Interactive Events Calendar. Need help with the interactive calendar? Get answers here.

News you may have missed...
Legacy grad's artwork included in traveling national exhibit
A recent graduate of Mansfield Legacy High School, Kegan Eastham, had one of his drawings selected into the traveling AP� Studio Art Exhibit.

Legacy Students Design Sustainable Habitat for Humanity House
Two Mansfield Legacy High School students participated in a summer architectural internship program focused on green design

Students compete and win at the SkillsUSA National Championship Mansfield ISD is proud to congratulate seven students from Ben Barber Career Tech Academy for competing at the SkillsUSA National Competition in Kansas City, Missouri.

By the way...
The four high school Web sites received makeovers this summer to help standardize the navigation and accentuate the most used and needed information. Check out their new look: Legacy, Mansfield, Summit, and Timberview
MISD Communications Department
[email protected]
817-299-6345