Published: April 17, 2007 01:47 pm            

Westwood ISD School Happenings for 4-8-07

HIGH SCHOOL

• Scholarships — Any senior interested in the following scholarships should apply online or see Mrs. Vaughan for an application:

— The Altrusa Club of Anderson County: $1,000; must have at least a "B" average to apply. Deadline: April 15.

— The William Bonner Ingram Scholarship: for students planning to attend any college, university or technical school; you must submit prior year income tax information to apply. Deadline: April 18.

— The Guion Music Club Scholarship: must plan to major or minor in music to apply; Deadline: April 26.

— The Palestine Evening Lions Club/Jack Gist Memorial Scholarship: $500 per semester for four semesters; must plan to attend TVCC to apply. Deadline: April 15.

— The Alpha Epsilon Chapter Scholarship: $750; given to a senior girl who plans to major in education. Deadline: April 20.

— EFSI Brazos Group 50K Giveaway Scholarship: $5,000; apply online at www.efsi.net. Deadline: May 31.

— Campus Door Scholarship: Apply online at www.campusdoor.com/scholarship.



JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL

• Expanding Your Horizons Career Conference — Girls in grades 6-8 recently had the opportunity to attend the "Expanding Your Horizons" Career Conference" held March 31 at Tyler Junior College on March 31. The focus was on math, science and technology related careers. The girls won a $100 for having the most participants. The money will go towards a scholarship for girls wanting to attend next year’s conference.

Sponsors for the conference were Rosa Huffman and Jettie Huffman.

Students who attended included: sixth graders include: Hayle Bell, Haley Lankford, Tiffany York, Heather Wooden, Raelynn McCubbins, Ciera Tillis, Cassidy Rodgers, Meghan Coates, Emily Vinson and Haley Welch; seventh graders: Adelina Almorejo, D'Metria Lacy, Selena Cotton, Mackenzie Jones, Sarah Dunnam, Kayla Myers, Alexis Arbuckle,Velicios Palacios, Caitlin Welch, Tori Wardell, Maci Kimbrough, Chelsey Deyon, Laura Young, Jessica Yancy, Ashley Lacy, Lauren Chase, LaKeisha Barrett, Kelly Chappell,Katie Britton, Malinda Damon; and eighth graders: Tori Stebbins, Sarah Culpepper, Whitney Daughtery, Jayme Lively,Shelby Pitts, Rebecca Garland, Katarina Sias, Esther DeLeon, Marisol Jimenez, Jackie Zavala and Samantha Hubert.

• Important Dates — Monday, school board meeting at Westwood Primary School; Tuesday, Parent Support Group meeting at 5:30 p.m. in the cafeteria; Wednesday, CSI meeting at 7:30 a.m. in room 205; Thursday, band UIL concert and sight reading contest at 8:30 a.m. in Chapel Hill; Friday, end of the fifth six-weeks period.

• Contest Band — On March 29, the Westwood Junior High School Contest Band participated in the Rusk Showcase of Bands. The Rusk Showcase is an opportunity for bands preparing for UIL competition to perform their contest literature for judges' critiques. The bands are not rated but are given comment sheets as a guide to better prepare for their UIL competition.

The WJH Contest Band, made up of the top half of the WJH seventh and eighth grade bands, was complimented highly by the judges.

"The kids played very well, but we still have a long way to go before we're ready for the UIL judges. If we can clean up the small details, we should have no problem in achieving our goals." WJHS band director Juan Rodriguez said.

The contest band will be participating next in the UIL Concert and Sight reading contest at 8:30 a.m. Thursday at Chapel Hill High School. Everyone is welcome to attend if they are able. Last year, the band received its first ever 1st Division — Superior rating at UIL and hope to repeat that accomplishment this year.

The full Jr. High band will be performing their annual awards concert in May. If there are any questions about the Westwood Jr. High Band or the Westwood Band Program in general, contact Juan Rodriguez, WJH Band Director by phone at 903-723-0423 or e-mail at jrodriguez@westwoodisd.



ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

• Fifth Grade — Fifth-grade students were rewarded with pizza this week because they scored ninety percent passing on the reading TAKS test in February. Way to go fifth-grade students! These students also took the Math TAKS test this week.

Fifth-grade teachers are requesting that the field trip forms be returned as soon as possible so that students may attend a field trip to the planetarium on May 1.

Mrs. Lasser’s fifth-grade science classes reviewed the rock cycle by creating different layers of rock with cake mix, marshmallows, syrup and M&M’s™. Students had to decide from what they built which layers were older than other layers. Later in the week, students made models of the solar system with grapes, raisins, and oranges. Wow, science is really cooking this week!



PRIMARY SCHOOL

• Gifted and Talented Program — Westwood Independent School District’s Gifted and Talented Education (GATE) program provides differentiated instruction for those students identified as gifted and talented. Gifted and talented students are those who excel consistently, or who show the potential to excel, in any one or a combination of the following: general intellectual ability, leadership ability, psychomotor, and the visual and performing arts.

The GATE Program places emphasis on creative and divergent thinking skills, critical thinking skills, communication skills, research skills, independent study skills and affective development.

Each year, parents, guardians, students, teachers, and community members are given the opportunity to nominate students for the GATE Program at Westwood ISD. At this time, nominations for students in grades 1 through 11 are being accepted.

Anyone interested in nominating a Westwood ISD student to be screened, tested and considered for this program needs to contact the campus counselor at that child’s school.

Nominations will be accepted through Friday.

• Kindergarten — Mrs. Corley’s class is going on a Dinosaur Hunt during the week we are studying the letter “Dd.”

We have our hunting permits and we are ready to roar!

• Campus Newsworthy Names — The following students were recognized by the principal, Mr. Williford, as students of the week for April 2-6: Esiel Vigil, Ambrianna Price, Ivone Cervantes, Jamarion Hall, Brianna Westley, Anthony Huffman, Ty Hoisington, Danielle Blair, Alisha Rose, Hope Duke, Nicole Wilcher, Aaren Lively, Randi Taylor, Nicholas Craddock, Victor Delgado, Gabriel Lopez, Jeremy Roberson, Abby McGhee, Alex Leandro, Josie Soehnge, and Daniel Lopez.

Demonstrating ‘Responsibility,’ the following students were selected as members of ‘Character Club’ for Friday, March 30: Kadonte Watkins, Alexandrea Thompson, Hunter Waren, Gabriel Lopez, Christian Lopez, Chahallie Grant, Victor Delgado, Mary Luna, Cassandra Buth, Presley Cox, Cullen Humphrey, Zachary Henson, Alyssa Barnett, Brandon Gray, Kaylee Parker and Sam Vickery.

        

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