www.bellsisd.net December 2014 Volume 1, Issue 2 Bells ISD Newsletter RIGHT PLACE, RIGHT TIME Inside this Issue . . . . . Panther Football News Carlee Shelby—A+ Athlete Bells ISD Career Fair Elementary U.I.L. FFA Competition SAT and ACT News BHS 100 Club PJH Students of the Month World Cultures Study at PJH English II Symbolism Project Veteran’s Day PALS at BHS Honor Rolls PJH Reindeer Run Volleyball Honors Parent Survey What’s Coming Up? Panther Tracks For the first time since 1996, the Bells Pan- ther football team garnered a post-season run. Anyone who attended a game this season does not have to “ponder” too long on two crucial keys to the Panthers’ success. Head Football Coach Scott Ponder and his son and Panther quarter- back, Derrick Ponder, provided strong leadership and talent to the Panther football program this season. The Panthers ended the season with an 8- 4 record, with only one loss in district play. After claiming the Bi-District Championship against the Clarksville Tigers, the Panthers traveled to Waco to play the Area game at Baylor Universi- ty’s McClane Stadium. There, they met up with the Mart Panthers where the season ended in a hard fought game against a seasoned play-off team. Excitement and energy permeated the stands at every game this season where panther fans came out in large numbers to support these stu- dent athletes. Bells Panthers Enjoy Winning Season Superintendent’s Note Thank a Board Member Bells I.S.D.’s Board of Trus- tees are extraordinary people who voluntarily tackle the enormous job of governing the school district. Their actions and decisions affect the lives of a number of students, employees, and the community. The Board is comprised of seven individuals elected by eligible vot- ers within the boundaries of the school district; board elections are the second week of May each year. Local policy dictates board meet- ings are held the third Monday of each month while additional meet- ings may be held when posting requirements are met. Board mem- bers serve without compensation. Upgraded facilities, academic and extracurricular successes, and a positive working environment are the result of past and present board members working together, hand in hand, with administration and school employees. As a team, boards and employees are deter- mined to provide an abundance of learning opportunities for Bells I.S.D. students and to attract quality teachers to BISD. The success of Bells ISD stu- dents and programs has been well documented this fall. The Bells Elementary students added to this success this past week by winning the District UIL ACADEMIC Championship! School success in any area cannot be achieved with- out support—unconditional, over the top support from all involved from top to bottom at all times! The support provided by the BISD Board of Trustees is very evident and appreciated. January is recognized across Texas as “Board Appreciation Month”; however, in BISD, it is apparent that every month should be labeled as such. If you see board members presently serving or have served the district, a simple “thank you” from students, employ- ees, and community members is all the compensation they receive, and very much warranted! Due to this Board’s “unconditional support”, Bells Independent School District’s students and employees are enjoy- ing a fantastic 2014-2015 school year! Thank You BISD Board of Trustees! Don’t forget, order your Panther Year- book NOW! Dead- line is January 30th.
16
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www.bellsisd.net
December 2014 Volume 1, Issue 2
Bells ISD Newsletter RIGHT PLACE, RIGHT TIME
Inside this Issue . . . . .
Panther Football News
Carlee Shelby—A+ Athlete
Bells ISD Career Fair
Elementary U.I.L.
FFA Competition
SAT and ACT News
BHS 100 Club
PJH Students of the Month
World Cultures Study at PJH
English II Symbolism Project
Veteran’s Day
PALS at BHS
Honor Rolls
PJH Reindeer Run
Volleyball Honors
Parent Survey
What’s Coming Up?
Panther Tracks
For the first time since 1996, the Bells Pan-
ther football team garnered a post-season run.
Anyone who attended a game this season does
not have to “ponder” too long on two crucial keys
to the Panthers’ success. Head Football Coach
Scott Ponder and his son and Panther quarter-
back, Derrick Ponder, provided strong leadership
and talent to the Panther football program this
season. The Panthers ended the season with an 8-
4 record, with only one loss in district play. After
claiming the Bi-District Championship against
the Clarksville Tigers, the Panthers traveled to
Waco to play the Area game at Baylor Universi-
ty’s McClane Stadium. There, they met up with
the Mart Panthers where the season ended in a
hard fought game against a seasoned play-off
team. Excitement and energy permeated the stands
at every game this season where panther fans
came out in large numbers to support these stu-
dent athletes.
Bells Panthers Enjoy Winning Season
Superintendent’s Note
Thank a Board Member
Bells I.S.D.’s Board of Trus-
tees are extraordinary people who
voluntarily tackle the enormous job
of governing the school district.
Their actions and decisions affect
the lives of a number of students,
employees, and the community.
The Board is comprised of seven
individuals elected by eligible vot-
ers within the boundaries of the
school district; board elections are
the second week of May each year.
Local policy dictates board meet-
ings are held the third Monday of
each month while additional meet-
ings may be held when posting
requirements are met. Board mem-
bers serve without compensation.
Upgraded facilities, academic and
extracurricular successes, and a
positive working environment are
the result of past and present board
members working together, hand in
hand, with administration and
school employees. As a team,
boards and employees are deter-
mined to provide an abundance of
learning opportunities for Bells
I.S.D. students and to attract quality
teachers to BISD.
The success of Bells ISD stu-
dents and programs has been well
documented this fall. The Bells
Elementary students added to this
success this past week by winning
the District UIL ACADEMIC
Championship! School success in
any area cannot be achieved with-
out support—unconditional, over
the top support from all involved
from top to bottom at all times!
The support provided by the BISD
Board of Trustees is very evident
and appreciated.
January is recognized across
Texas as “Board Appreciation
Month”; however, in BISD, it is
apparent that every month should
be labeled as such. If you see
board members presently serving
or have served the district, a simple
“thank you” from students, employ-
ees, and community members is all
the compensation they receive, and
very much warranted! Due to this
Board’s “unconditional support”,
Bells Independent School District’s
students and employees are enjoy-
ing a fantastic 2014-2015 school
year! Thank You BISD Board of
Trustees!
Don’t forget, order
your Panther Year-
book NOW! Dead-
line is January 30th.
www.bellsisd.net
Many Bells Panthers
achieved All-District
Honors this season.
Those awards are as fol-
lows: Superlatives—Offensive
MVP—Derrick Ponder;
Newcomer of the Year—
Hunter Hawthorne; Of-
fense—1st Team Wide
Receiver—Noah Straw;
2nd Team Running
Back—Triston Coglon;
2nd Team Wide Receiv-
er—Ethan Sanford; Hon-
orable Mention Offensive
Lineman—JD Shaw;
Honorable Mention Wide
Receiver—Chris Hall. Defense—1st Team Out-
side Linebacker—Hayden
Cobb; 1st Team Defen-
sive Back—Ethan San-
ford; 2nd Team Inside
Linebacker—Jace Lester;
2nd Team Defensive
Back—Noah Straw; Hon-
orable Mention Inside
Linebacker—Aaron
Brown; 2nd Team Kick-
er—Derrick Ponder; 2nd
Team Punter—Derrick
Ponder. The 2014 Academic All-
District Player awards go
to Ethan Sanford, Dylan
Babbitt, Derrick Ponder,
and Josh Melvin. Making up the Bells
Panther Coaching staff
are Scott Ponder, Head
Coach; Ron Steele, Assis-
tant Head Coach and De-
fensive Backs; Clay
Rolen, Defensive Coordi-
nator and Linebackers;
Logan Turner, Offensive
Coordinator and Quarter-
backs; Ricky Rodriguez,
Special Teams Coordina-
tor and Defensive Line;
and Logan Gunter, Wide
Receivers. All BISD coaches and
football players are to be
commended for their hard
work and dedication to
this successful season.
Panther Football continued
A dream doesn't become reality through magic; it takes sweat, determination and hard work. -Colin Powell
Page 2 Bells ISD
SUCCESS
A+ Athlete Award
Congratulations to senior Carlee
Shelby for recently being named a
KXII—TV 2014-2015 A+ Athlete .
Students who receive this honor must
be a senior, and the nomination comes
from the school district. Carlee is
clearly a student leader at Bells High
School, where she participates in
many activities including athletics,
FFA, and Beta Club. After gradua-
tion Carlee plans to attend Texas Tech
University and pursue a career in anes-
thesiology.
Panther fans gathered to send the players and coaches off to Waco .
Bells PD led the Panthers to their game at McClane Stadium.
Congratulations to Ethan Sanford and Derrick Pon-
der for being named to the Class 2A Division 1 & 2 All
State Team. Ethan was named All State Wide Receiver.
He had the 2nd most receptions in a single season in
Texas high school football history (138 catches, ran for
over 1750 yards, and made 17 touchdowns). Derrick
was named Honorable Mention All-State Quarterback.
He had over 4,300 passing yards, 47 passing touchdowns
and 4 rushing touchdowns. Congratulations to these two
Panthers!
www.bellsisd.net
On Wednesday, November 19th,
the campus of Bells High School
was totally transformed. Students
did not attend class as normal. Ra-
ther, they enjoyed the bi-annual Ca-
reer Fair and Expo! Over 23 profes-
sionals from various walks in life
took time out of their busy sched-
ules to come and share with grades
7-12 about exactly what it takes to
succeed in various areas. Earlier in the fall, students took a
survey indicating careers in which
they were interested. The day at BHS began with stu-
dents receiving packets that includ-
ed their individual schedules for the
day, a program with brief biog-
raphies of all presenters, infor-
mation regarding the top ten occu-
pations in the nation, reminders on
how to access Career Cruising and
subsequently create a resume and
conduct job and college searches
with that tool, a thank you, possible
questions they might wish to ask
presenters, and paper on which to
take notes. When the first period
bell rang, all BHS students gathered
in the gym. There, Mr. Weger and Mrs. Ivers
spoke briefly to students about what
the day would hold and then shared
information regarding the difference
between “hard
skills” and “soft
skills” in the work-
place. Mrs. Flores,
Mr. Weger, Mr. Poe,
Mrs. Clark, Mrs.
Fuller, Mr. Rolen,
Mrs. Snyder, and
Mr. Williams then
presented a skit re-
garding job inter-
view skills to stu-
dents. Then, students
began their journey to various break
-out sessions in the high school and
junior high buildings to hear indi-
vidual professionals speak. Students returned to classes dur-
ing 5th period, and the guests on
campus were served lunch and en-
joyed a presentation by the BHS
Senior Chapter Conducting team.
Some of the guests were able to stay
and participate in an expo in the old
gym where participants showcased
some of the tools of their trade. Mil-
itary recruiters and a few colleges
were involved in the expo as well.
The Grayson College nursing de-
partment came and brought one of
their smart mannequins with them. Bells ISD would like to offer a
big thank you to Presco Products of
Sherman. Presco provided a $10
Amazon or Star-
bucks card to each
of the presenters
present that they.
They also provid-
ed an Xbox One!
In total well over $600! Students
could enter their name in a drawing
for the Xbox One by writing thank
you notes to the presenters. Our
winner was Kayla Gowin.
The Career Fair was a wonderful
day! What an incredible opportunity
for PJH and BHS students. It would
not have been possible without our
wonderful presenters giving so gen-
erously of their time. The presenters
at the 2014 Bells Career Fair and
Exp were: Shari Adams, Billy
Skidmore, Brad Gersten, Steve
Reynolds, David Taylor, Dr. Rebec-
ca Dowing, Jackie Melancon, Nikki
Stephens, Dustin Williams, Dr.
Melinda Parker, Amanda Smith, Dr.
Theresa Rockhill, Dr. H.M. Ho,
Matt Washburn, Jeff Heatley, Bill
Weidner, Brandon Poteet, Patrick
Crites, Ted Beaver, Jenny McCar-
ley, Sammi Hicks, Kristi Carter,
David and Tammy Hamrick, Shel-
ley Smith, DeAn Jeffrey, and Brad
Oliver.
Career Fair at Bells High School
Page 3 Volume 1, Issue 2
Thank you to all professionals who took time out of their busy schedule to partici-pate in the Career Fair. Also, many thanks to PRESCO PRODUCTS for their generous financial support of the Bells ISD Career Fair.
www.bellsisd.net
Page 4
Bells ISD
Patrick Crites of Irving FD
Dave Hamrick of Hamrick Photography
Brad Gersten of Ag Power, Inc. Kristi Carter of P31 Fitness
Nikki Stephens, U.S. Probation Officer
Shari Adams speaking on Acting
Ted Beaver speaking on Surgery Tech
Dr. H. M. Ho
Career Fair 2014
www.bellsisd.net
“To catch the reader's attention, place
an interesting sentence or quote from
the story here.”
Bells Elementary School Wins UIL Academic Contest for 2014
Page 5 Volume 1, Issue 2
Kristi Carter of P31 Fitness
Dr. H. M. Ho
Over forty students represented Bells Elementary at this year’s UIL Academic contest in early Decem-ber. Students and teachers have been preparing for many weeks and their hard work and dedication definitely paid off as they scored the highest number of points of any school at the contest. The follow-ing BES students placed in their events:
SECOND GRADE
Chess—Coach Melissa Flyger
Tucker Crites—1st Place, Individu-al and Team
Suzanne Flyger—1st Place Team
Abigail Marsh—1st Place Team
Creative Writing—Coach Karen Hall
Laykin Little—1st Place
Story Telling—Coach Leesa Walk-er
Kenzie Severson—6th Place
THIRD GRADE
Chess—Coach Vicki Russell
Cole Richardson—3rd Place, Indi-vidual and 1st Place Team
Shelton Burden—5th Place Individ-ual and 1st Place Team
Lucas Hamner—1st Place Team
Music Memory—Coach Rob Novak
Kinley Weger—3rd Place Individual and 3rd Place Team
Rachel Metcalf—3rd Place Team
Easton Neal—3rd Place Team
Ready Writing—Coach Vicki Kight
Titan Tillman—4th Place
Story Telling—Coach Lisa Jones
Jacie Kyle—1st Place
Alyssa Hensley—2nd Place
Hayden Nalor-4th Place
FOURTH GRADE
Art—Coach Angela Novak
Kylee Beach—3rd Place Team
Teryn Halliburton—3rd Place Team
Kori Wilson—3rd Place Team
Music Memory—Coach Rob Novak
Ansley Campbell—2nd Place Indi-vidual and 2nd Place Team
Kori Wilson—2nd Place Team
Serrena Gallvan—2nd Place Team
Number Sense—Coach Crissi Sprayberry
Brayden Taylor—2nd Place Indi-vidual and 2nd Place Team
Aiden Neal—5th Place Individual and 2nd Place Team
Jeffrey McKinney—2nd Place Team
Oral Reading—Coach Gina Cooper
Kori Wilson—1st Place
Sarah Cooper—4th Place
Serrena Galvan—5th Place
Ready Writing—Coach LaDonna Stanek
Kori Wilson—4th Place
FIFTH GRADE
Art—Coach Angela Novak
Gracie Simpson—3rd Place Indi-vidual and 2nd Place Team
Eli Taylor—4th Place Individual and 2nd Place Team
Spencer Roberts—2nd Place Team
Chess—Coach Melissa Flyger
Canyon Payne—1st Place Indivu-dal and 2nd Place Team
Chase Polk—2nd Place Team
Jonathan Ames—2nd Place Team
Listening Skills—Coach Janna Melvin
Justine Norris—4th Place
Maps, Graphs and Charts—Coach Tishia Crump
Lisa Sutherland—4th Place
Kaden Pyle—5th Place
Music Memory—Coach Rob Novak
Grace Marsh—4th Place
Number Sense—Coach Janna Melvin
Jaden Nelson—1st Place Individu-al and 3rd Place Team
Lillie Baxter—3rd Place Team
Sophia Al-len—3rd Place Team
UIL Placers
www.bellsisd.net
.
Bells FFA Continues Winning Tradition
Page 6 Bells ISD
The state of Texas can boast that they
have 1,036 Future Farmers of America
Chapters with 106,000 plus members. Each
fall students across the state compete in Leadership De-
velopment Events (LDE). There are 57 district competi-
tions. Students advance from those competitions on to
area competitions. Success at area leads schools to
Huntsville, Texas and the campus of Sam Houston State
University where the state competition has been held
since 1931. Bells High School Greenhand Chapter Conducting
Team, Greenhand Quiz Team, and Senior Chapter Con-
ducting Team departed school on the morning of De-
cember 4th to once again compete in this auspicious
event. Friday afternoon the two chapter conducting
teams competed in the preliminary round. To make it to
this point, the greenhand team had already made it to the
top 20 of 250 teams across the state, and the senior team
could brag that they were in the top 20 of 260 teams
from around the state. By 8:15 PM, both teams could
brag that they achieved placement as a top 10 finalist! Quiz teams must know parliamentary procedure, the
FFA Manual, and a district officer packet. Teams then
take a 100 question written quiz over this material. They
would test on Saturday morning. Texas has 585 quiz
teams and only 20 make it to the state level. Chapter conducting teams prepare by studying par-
liamentary procedure. Not only do students have to learn
the proper way to conduct a meeting, they must also be
able to answer up to 100 questions (senior level) verba-
tim for judges after they have concluded the order of
business set before them. Teams are given a “problem”
that they have to “work” in a mock FFA Chapter meet-
ing using correct parliamentary procedure. Students are
given a sheet of business in a preparation room and three
minutes to study and think about how business should be
conducted in the meeting. During the preparation time
students may not communicate with one another in any
fashion. They then enter the competition room where
they go through the proper opening ceremony for an
FFA Chapter meeting. Each student has very specific
jobs and role descriptions which they must recite word
for word. The students must then “work the problem”
using proper parliamentary procedure. This must be
done within a twenty minute time period.
These students have prepared and worked for months
in order to get this far, starting their school days at 7:00
a.m. for over a month so that they would be ready to go.
Mr. Glen Blount has coached this team and others for
many years. In fact, one could say that competing at the
state level in these competitions is a Bells High School
tradition. The first State Championship in Senior Chap-
ter Conducting was earned in 1993; Greenhand teams
won in 2004 and 2006. Since 1999, at least one of the
two chapter conducting teams has made it to the state
level of competition every year. The top two teams from
district advance to regionals, and the top two teams from
regionals advance to the state
level. Unlike UIL regulated
events where like sized schools
compete against one another, in
FFA LDE competitions, 1A
schools compete against 6A
schools.
Pictured at left: BHS Senior
Chapter Conducting Team Jonathan Ciaccio, Haley
Cathcart, Kyla Pyle, Carlee
Shelby, Anthony Chartier, Zoe
Bankston, Desiree Davidson,
Cassidy Jeffrey, and Tyler
Vance.
Greenhand Chapter Conducting
and Quiz pictures on page 8.
www.bellsisd.net
college and they don’t
require an ACT or Sat
score.” You are correct.
Then why should you take
the exams? The answer is
simple: scholarships!
Nearly every scholarship
application will ask for an
ACT/SAT score. To have
a completed application,
you must have a score!
Don’t forget; you can pre-
pare for these exams by
utilizing Method Test Prep
via Career Cruising 24
hours a day, 7 days a
week, not just during advi-
sory one day a week at
school!
It is time to seriously
begin thinking about the
SAT and ACT! ALL jun-
iors are strongly encour-
aged to take these stand-
ardized exams during the
spring semester of their
junior year. Typically,
students do better on one
test or the other. Nearly
all colleges accept both
exams when determining
admission. Both the SAT
and the ACT are predic-
tive exams; the score one
earns on these exams
helps colleges “predict”
what your GPA will be at
the end of your freshmen
year in college. The ACT tests English
Language Arts, reading,
mathematics, and science.
One can also take the
writing test. It is possible
that taking the writing can
lower one’s score and not
all colleges require writ-
ing. However, if you only
plan to take the test once,
you should take the writ-
ing. The highest score
possible on each section
and as a composite (total
score) is a 36. Students
who do well in English
and History in school typ-
ically perform better on
the ACT than they do on
the SAT. The ACT is
very text heavy and re-
quires a lot of reading. The SAT tests critical
reading, math, and writ-
ing. Most colleges look at
only the combined score
of reading and math and
that minimum score is
what is listed on their ad-
mission requirements and
scholarship requirements.
SAT scores are reported
on a scale of 200-800. A
perfect score would be
2400 with one earning an
800 on all three parts.
Typically students who
are strong math and sci-
ence students perform
better on the SAT than
the ACT. Information about test
dates, costs, and how to
register is located in the
commons right by the
scholarship section.
Please do not hesitate to
visit with Mrs. Ivers re-
garding this. Students
who qualify for free or
reduced lunch may take
each exam up to two
times completely free of
charge. One must see
Mrs. Ivers for a fee waiv-
er. Perhaps you are thinking,
“I’m going to a junior
available after Christmas
break. BUT, students who
plan to participate in the
workshop are strongly
encouraged to register for
and take the February 2,
2015 ACT. The deadline
to register for that test
date is January 9th. You
can pay a late fee and reg-
ister through January 16th.
Bells High School will be
hosting an ACT prepara-
tion workshop on Satur-
day, January 24th. Chuck
Ladd, a Whitesboro
teacher, who has done
extensive research into
the ACT and has conduct-
ed successful workshops
for over a decade will be
working with students
that day. The cost of the
workshop is $40. More
information about signing
up for this event will be
Junior Jabber
ACT Prep Session
Page 7 Volume 1, Issue 2
BHS 100 Club
Bells High School is excited about the new 100
Club program! Students are encouraged to partici-
pate in a minimum of 100 hours of volunteer activi-
ties prior to graduation! Volunteering gives students
many incredible experiences, helps them learn new
skills, practice communication and leadership skills,
and make their community a better place! Both col-
leges and those dispersing scholarship funds look at
how students have been involved with volunteering
activities throughout their high school career. Bells
students who successfully complete at least 100
hours volunteering prior to graduation will be recog-
nized at graduation and at the Senior Awards Ban-
quet. This program is being phased in starting this
year in the following manner: Class of 2015=25
hours, Class of 2016=50 hours, Class of 2017=75
hours, Class of 2018 the first true 100 Club partici-
pants with 100 hours!
New
at B
HS!
www.bellsisd.net
Get off of website
.
PJH Students of the Month
Page 8 Bells ISD
Congratulations to the following PJH Students and
Staff Members for being selected as Student or Teach-
er of the Month.
September
6th - Cole Moore and Callie Lamb
7th—Ben Branam and Courtney Davidson
8th—Sebastian Lopez and Cassie Mulkey
Staff—Shirley White
October
6th - Johan Medina and Cheznie Hale
7th—Braden Oliver and Hannah Gonzales
8th—Eli Norris and Charli Waggoner
Staff—Bill Wheeler
November
6th - Trystan Mallory and Landri Hicks
7th—Mackenzie Robinson and D.J. Olfers
8th—Alyssa Garner and Alex Ramsdell
Staff—Gina Anderson
December
6th Grade—Austin Young and Carson Gafford
7th Grade—Elsie Hooton and Dylan Gard
8th Grade—T.J. Sifuentes and Alexyss Williams
Staff Member—April Bellows
Greenhand Quiz Team
L to R: Drew Taylor, Mackenzie Lewis,
Tyler Van Duser, Jayla Melvin
“FFA makes a positive difference
in the lives of students by develop-
ing their potential for premier lead-
ership, personal growth and career
success through agricultural edu-
cation.”
Greenhand Chapter Conducting Team
L to R: Colby Meek, Drew Taylor, Jayla
Melvin, Tyler Van Duser, Sydney Ste-
phens, Rylie Hicks, Danielle Doggett,
Garrett Baker, Mackenzie Lewis and
Larissa Flores.
www.bellsisd.net
Pictured left to right: Mrs.
Debbie Westbrook, (front
row) Victoria Azevedo, Des-
tiny McKinney, Morgan
Martin, Lauren Cockrill,
Maria Billy, Ella West, and
Tori Pettit. (back row) Isa-
bella Smith, Hattie Powell,
Marlee Martin, Vanessa
Flores, and Jaycee Little.
Steppers Bells Christmas
Parade
acceptance and unity,
using the snowflake as
a symbolism of how we
are all unique. One
snowflake quickly
melts, but if we all stick
together, we can change
the landscape. The
school Christmas Tree
was decorated with
student-made snow-
flakes.
PRIDE Time Fun
at PJH
Pritchard Junior High
has titled their theme
for December as “We
Are All Just A Bunch
Of FLAKES.” Flakes
stands for friendship,
love, and kindness, for
every student. The pur-
pose is to promote
Page 9 Volume 1, Issue 2
Thank You to Buzz Cory for Your Sup-
port of BISD Bells ISD is fortunate to have many generous individu-
als who give of their time and energy to support Bells
ISD students and faculty. One person whose face is of-
ten seen on the sidelines at sporting events is Mr. Buzz
Cory, known to everyone around as “Buzz!” He owns
Buzz Photos, the top photography agency in North Tex-
as, and he has been extremely generous helping the
yearbook staff with equipment and photos. Mr. Cory
has two grandchildren who attend Bells ISD. More in-
formation about Buzz Photos can be found on his web-
site .
http://www.buzzphotos.com/node/78
Christmas Break December 22—
January 2nd Teacher Workday
January 5th
Merry Christmas!
www.bellsisd.net
Get off of website
.
Bells Kindergarten Celebrates Annual Events
Page 10 Bells ISD
BES Uses Real Life Application of Math Concepts
Students in every grade at Bells Elementary are using activities and events happening around campus
to gather data that they then use to apply difficult math skills to real life, high level thinking. One ex-
ample recently used was students across the campus charted the responses to a survey on what reward
they wanted for successful performance in the I-Station Reading Program (1st Grade—chart on left).
The chart on the right shows 5th graders charting school-wide data from the jog-a-thon. Campus-
wide, students, teachers and administrators are working on high priority standards in the math curricu-
lum to help students become better prepared for spring STAAR assessments. Using real-
life data provides a best practice strategy to
help students learn the material.
Above: Scarecrow Day Right: 50th Day of School
www.bellsisd.net
ing their contributions to the
Texas Tuition Promise
Fund®, the state’s prepaid
college tuition plan. The
Foundation will award
scholarships and grants of
up to $2,000 worth of
Promise Fund tuition units
to top scoring applicants.
Dec. 31 — A Date to Re-
member Eligible applicants have
between now and Dec. 31,
2014, to apply for Match
the Promise scholarships.*
Texas Match the Promise
Foundation℠
Fifth through ninth graders
whose families have an in-
come of $100,000 or less can
apply now for matching
scholarships and tuition
grants offered by the Texas
Match the Promise Founda-
tion℠. Match the Promise encour-
ages families to prepay col-
lege tuition by supplement-
Families can also enroll in the
Texas Tuition Promise Fund
during this time if they have-
n’t already done so.
Visit the Match the Promise
website for eligibility require-
ments and selection criteria,
and apply now. If you have
questions, you can contact us
via email or at 1-800-531-
5441, ext. 3-7570. Just re-
member, it's never too soon
to dream big! http://
www.matchthepromise.org/
Don’t forget to by January 30, 2015!
Important News for Parents and Students
Page 11 Volume 1, Issue 2
6th Grade Social Studies World Cultures Project Students in Mrs. Valerie Babbitt’s sixth grade social
studies classes recently studied about world cultures.
During the unit, Mrs. Babbitt invited Claudio Romero
to come and speak to students. Mr. Romero is an art-
ist, musician, and entertainer from Santiago, Chile.
When he was 16 years old, he was an exchange stu-
dent who lived with Mrs. Babbitt and became very
close to her family. While here in October, Mr.
Romero visited 6th grade social studies classes at PJH