More than 4,000 Mesquite ISD employees got "All Fired Up" at the district's annual convocation on August 17. Rafe Esquith, author of "Teach Like Your Hair's On Fire," was the keynote speaker. Students and staff echoed the theme through videos and songs.
Community Education Releases Fall Catalog
MISD Community Education recently released its course catalog for Fall 2010, offering favorites from past semesters and several exciting new classes.
This semester, community education students can improve writing skills, learn to build websites, raise a money-smart child, protect assets through estate planning and organize a co-op. Tutoring for the TAKS math test in grades 4-6 is being offered for the first time this semester, and there are numerous online classes available.
The fall catalog also features a variety of programs for kids, including sports camps, drama classes, music lessons and art classes. The Planet Kidz camp will continue to be offered on Friday nights for students in grades 3-8.
According to the Texas accountability results released publicly today, 42 of 45 MISD schools are rated either Exemplary or Recognized, earning the district a Recognized rating overall.
“We are very pleased with the improvements in student achievement that have led to this distinction,” said Superintendent Dr. Linda Henrie. “Teachers and administrators have worked very hard, and we are appreciative of each person’s diligence and dedication. Parents and students have contributed to this effort through support and focus on student achievement. I am very proud of this accomplishment.”
Fifteen campuses are rated Exemplary; 27 others are rated Recognized. These numbers show significant gains over 2009’s results of nine Exemplary and 21 Recognized campuses.
According to Henrie, many factors contributed this year’s success. For example, the district employed instructional specialists using federal stimulus dollars, administrators held data meetings throughout year in clusters and on campuses, and the addition of a science facilitator contributed to significant improvement in that subject area. Further, MISD continued its focus on professional development for all staff and was the largest district to implement an optional flexible year plan (OFYP), which served as an added incentive for high school students to give their best efforts on the state assessment.
“This accomplishment belongs to every employee, student and parent in Mesquite ISD,” said Henrie. “Everyone’s efforts contributed to achieving this goal, and we all have a tremendous reason to celebrate.”
The Board of Trustees recently approved updates to the standard dress policy for middle and high school students. These updates are intended to give students increased leeway to express personal style in their accessories, while still maintaining the core look of standard dress. Parents of middle school and high school students need to be aware of the following changes:
Belts may be any color or pattern, as long as they are leather-like dress-style or canvas worn properly with an approved buckle.
Shoes and boots may now be any color or pattern. Loafers, tennis shoes, mules, slides, and open-toed sandals with a back strap are all acceptable footwear (flip flops are not allowed in the standard dress policy).
Socks may be any solid color, as long as they are a matching pair.
REMINDER:
Please note that the following expectations for standard dress will still be enforced:
Standard dress-approved pants must be worn at the waist (no sagging will be permitted).
Shirts must be worn tucked in with a belt.
All clothing must be correctly sized. Oversized or too-tight clothing will not be permitted.
Blue-jean style khaki pants or pants that are tight at the knees and ankles will not be permitted.
Click here to review the entire standard dress policy, or refer to the Student Handbook and Code of Conduct (to be distributed at the beginning of the school year).
Dig Deeper with the MISD A.L.I.V.E. Program Now Enrolling for 2010-11!
What is Mesquite ISD A.L.I.V.E.?
Active Leaders Inspired by a Vision of Excellence (A.L.I.V.E.) gives parents and community members an opportunity to go behind the scenes to study the internal operations of MISD. Throughout the year, participants will meet with administrators and school board members, covering a variety of topics from curriculum and testing to personnel and budget. Most importantly, you will have the opportunity to pose questions to the decision-makers of Mesquite ISD.
When are the meetings held?
In general, A.L.I.V.E. meetings are held the second Wednesday of each month; however, the first meeting of the 2010-2011 school year is scheduled for September 22. Participants meet from 8:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. Locations vary.
Are there any requirements to participate?
All Mesquite ISD parents, as well as business people and community members from the area our district serves, are welcome! We only ask that participants provide their own transportation to meetings and make a good faith effort to attend as many A.L.I.V.E. meetings as possible throughout the year.
Seniors from five Mesquite ISD high schools recently participated in commencement ceremonies at the Special Events Center in Garland. Students attending Mesquite Academy graduated on Thursday, June 3 at Sunnyvale Baptist Church.
Graduation DVDs will be shipped in the next 3-4 weeks. If you ordered your DVD at the Garland Special Events Center and have a question, please call the Center at (972) 487-4700 and speak with the receptionist. If you turned in your pre-order form to your high school ticket office and need assistance, please call (972) 882-3680.
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