Carrollton-Farmers Branch ISD

The undefeated Newman Smith boys basketball team has been featured in the Dallas Morning News.

The team is 21-0 and the second ranked 5A team in the area.

Read all about the undefeated Newman Smith Trojans in this Dallas Morning News Article.

This weekend, Creekview Mock Trial competed in the Regional qualifying tournament for the DBA Texas High School Mock Trial Competition later this Spring.  In the toughest Region in the State (for comparison, DISD’s region generally has four schools competing for three state spots, Region Ten has twenty-five schools competing for three state spots), the team advanced to the Regional finals next weekend, where they will vie for a State qualification.

Please join me in congratulating the team!

Coach: Brian Sheguit
Attorneys: Natali Arredondo, Kassandra Busby, Liza Frolova
Witnesses: Isabella Barkat, Brandon Fantine, Camila Vasquez, Elizabeth Adeoye
Courtroom Artist: Edwin Walsh

This year’s case is about a social media influencer’s potential fraud liability in promoting an event which turned out to be disastrous.

Fourth graders from Carrollton-Farmers Branch ISD’s Las Colinas Elementary traveled to Austin and San Antonio on an Education in Action Discover Texas Field Trip, Friday, January 17, 2020, to experience what they are learning in Texas History. Students visited the Texas State Capitol and The Alamo.

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 day. In Austin the students visited the Texas State Capitol where their legislators, The Honorable Nathan Johnson, State Senator, District 16 and The Honorable Julie Johnson, State Representative, District 115, office. Students saw first-hand where Texas laws are made as they toured the State Capitol including the Senate and House of Representatives chambers with a focus on the legislative process, leadership, and Texas leaders, past and present. Students then traveled to San Antonio where they toured The Alamo, one of the most famous missions in the United States, and learned about the Battle of the Alamo’s role in the Texas Revolution.

”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 Lacey Phillips, Discover Texas Field Trips 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. Discover Texas Field Trip staff members handle all details, including round-trip charter bus transportation, reservations, and 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 Abilene, 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.

Carrollton-Farmers Branch ISD had 10 students named to the Texas Music Educators Association (TMEA) All-State rosters.  This is a tremendous accomplishment showcasing our CFB students who compete and win at the highest levels of music.  Below is a list of the students who placed in an all-state organization, their schools and their directors.

All-State is the highest honor a Texas music student can receive. 1,780 students are selected through a process that begins with over 68,000 students from around the state vying for this honor to perform in one of 15 ensembles (bands, orchestras, and choirs). All-State students participate in three days of rehearsals directed by nationally recognized conductors during the annual state TMEA Clinic/Convention. Their performances before thousands of attendees bring this extraordinary event to a close.

These students will travel to San Antonio on Feb. 12-16 to participate in the All-State rehearsals and performances during the TMEA convention at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center.

Creekview High School Choir Director – Kelly Pfaffenberger
Alex Gutermuth – TMEA All-State Treble Choir
Jakob Jeter – TMEA All-State Tenor-Bass Choir
Kianna Montanez – TMEA All-State Tenor-Bass Choir

Creekview High School Band Director – Arturo Denis
Samuel Shin – TMEA All-State 5A Symphonic Band
Natalie Wilson – TMEA All-State 5A Symphonic Band

Ranchview High School Band Director – Jarred Carlton
Gerardo Rivera – ATSSB All-State Symphonic Band

Ranchview High School  Orchestra Director – Brian Towndrow
Esther Peng – TMEA All-State Philharmonic Orchestra

Newman Smith High School Choir Director – Aaron Lucero
Anna Merrill – TMEA All-State Mixed Choir

Newman Smith High School Orchestra Director – Jessica Milbrandt
Jacob Von Tress – TMEA All-State Symphony Orchestra

R.L. Turner High School Choir Director – Evan Brown
Gerson Fuentes – TMEA All-State Tenor-Bass Choir

The African American Read In, created by the Black Caucus of the National Council of Teachers of English, celebrates Black History Month through literature. Anyone of any age or ethnicity can participate by reading or reciting poetry, book excerpts, speeches or other text written by African American authors. CFBISD students in elementary, middle, and high school as well as teachers, administrators, and local community members will participate. Many others will attend to listen and support those who read.

Everyone is welcome!

When:
February 3, 2020
Jazz Band 5:30 p.m. – 6 p.m.
Event starts at 6 p.m.

Where:
Newman Smith High School
2335 N Josey Ln, Carrollton, TX 75006

For more information, please contact
Patty Gonzalez
gonzalezp@cfbisd.edu
(972) 968-6515

The Carrollton-Farmers Branch ISD Council PTA held its annual Reflections Award Ceremony on Jan 14, 2020 at Newman Smith High School. The event recognized the students with outstanding artistic entries. This year’s theme was “Look Within”.

We are proud to recognize and celebrate the creative talents and efforts of the following students:

BLALACK MIDDLE SCHOOL
Tatum Bridges
Catherine Fuentes
Lauren Potts
Jonah Scott
Lily Silversmith

BLANTON ELEMENTARY
Eden Dixon
Addison Peeler
Kisa Zaidi 

COUNTRY PLACE ELEMENTARY
Maddox Maese
Gabriel Potts
Ava Woodhull

CREEKVIEW HIGH SCHOOL
Sooha Choi
MeKayla Holley
Woo In Kim
Lydia Long

DAVIS ELEMENTARY
Madison Hearron 

EARLY COLLEGE HIGH SCHOOL
Alexandra Sauced
Cassandra Scully
Robyn Young

FURNEAUX ELEMENTARY
Gabriella Clark
David Linkin Hamm

KENT ELEMENTARY
Aaron Duncan
Hunter Julian
Kellan Lewis
Parker Reinhardt
Leo Scott
Tessa Scott
Ava Vo
Evelyn Vo
Olivia Vo 

LA VILLITA ELEMENTARY
Shrey Basak
Ranisha Chaganty
Tanay Neetin
Sanjana Thouda

LANDRY ELEMENTARY
Jordan Reyes
Sophie Shin

LAS COLINAS ELEMENTARY
Penelope Carey
Adenike Obikoya
Mihika Verma
Sri lshaan Yedavalli 

MCCOY ELEMENTARY
Leah Bateman
Carter Finney
Mihika Gupta
Satvik Gupta
Amelia Hunt
Saanvi Jaiswal
Sahaj Jaiswal
Ryan Juramongkol
Nicholas Kazumov
Kashmira Kuloor
Krish Kuloor
John Lafferty
Gregory Leitheiser
Ritvija Mahabhashyam
Srini Medara Metia
Bowman Messer
Suchit Mishra
Lily Moore
Pradyun Nimmagadda
Crystal Grace Njenga
Jack Norton
Ryan Papciak
Corey Poole
Maya Rajesh
Aarush Roy
Amav Sangle
Saanvi Singh
Ira Sirohi
Sachin Srinivasan
A􀀼un Urankar
Avani Vanikireddy
Diya Vemireddy
Mahalhi Venkalraghavan
Pragati Vinothkumar 

MCKAMY ELEMENTARY
Melody Gallegos 

NEWMAN SMITH HIGH SCHOOL
Madeleine Birmingha
Zoe Meyerhoeffer
Jaime Perez de Velasco
Joy Richardson 

PERRY MIDDLE SCHOOL
Erika Almendorez
Sanjana Arudala
Radhiya Bharmal
Krish Kohir
Sophia Mohammad
Dhruv Pal
Robert Pauluzzi
Shivani Sarangam 

POLK MIDDLE SCHOOL
Irene Dorado
Kate Falor
Lanela Garcia
Quentin Maese
Hector Martinez
Aaron Nguyen
Genesis Orellana
Mariana Reyes
Helen Rodriguez
Araceli Soto
Karyhana Soto-Hernandez
Abraham Torres
Lyric Wade
Corey Williams II
Davon Wilson

RAINWATER ELEMENTARY
Gabby Guevara
Caelyn Hanson
London Lock
Alistair Muth
Melody Peterson
Alessandra Rojas

TURNER HIGH SCHOOL
Christian Fields
Belen Gonzalez
Isabel Graham
Karyme Sanchez

R.L. Turner High School was named a recipient of the Learning from the Ground Up garden grant from the Texas Farm Bureau for 2020 as announced by the organization earlier this week.

Thirty-nine grants were awarded to schools and educational programs across the Lone Star State for their projects that help increase agricultural literacy and awareness.

“These grants help teachers, parents and volunteer leaders get students outside and learning about agriculture,” Jordan Walker, TFB director of Educational Outreach, said. “The hands-on experiences from the various projects help students better understand classroom concepts and grow an understanding of food production.”

Projects include establishing or improving school gardens, raised beds, greenhouses and outdoor classrooms that provide students with hands-on, experiential learning about agriculture and food production.

“It allows our students a hands on opportunity to find out where their food comes from,” Shannon Miller, R.L. Turner Vocational Agriculture teacher said. “So we’re in the beginning process, we’re looking at the evaluation process of growing crops through hydroponics, which is what the grant purchased, and the crops that are grown in the ground. We’re trying to come up with alternative ways to supply nutrients for food products to a growing society in a time where we’re running out of land.”

Miller continued, “The students will devise a plan of what they’re going to grow based on the survey that we give out to the staff. They’re going to devise a plan of how they’re going to implement it, whether they grow using a garden bed or using the hydroponic system – because certain crops grow better in the ground vs. the hydroponics. Then, the food that they produce they’ll market and sell as microgreen salads to the staff.

It’s a huge step into the field of crop production. Our program mainly focuses on either Ag mechanics or the animal aspect, but with our society becoming more health conscious it’s nice for them to know what it takes effort wise, and financially, to go into the production of crops for society.

It allows our students to see what they consume on a daily basis and where it’s coming from and makes them more aware of their products versus what they see advertised.

I’d like to thank R.L. Turner Principal Brook Hall for providing this and allowing me to branch outside the animal industry. I appreciate the support from Jo Gillen our Career & Technical Director for always allowing us to try new Ideas out, and for the Texas Farm Bureau for providing opportunities for us to be able to do this. I’d also like to thank the Texas FFA for notifying us about these opportunities.”