Panther Tracks - Amazon S3...Panther Football Starting off Strong The Bells Panther football team...
Transcript of Panther Tracks - Amazon S3...Panther Football Starting off Strong The Bells Panther football team...
www.bellsisd.net
October 2016 Volume 3, Issue 2
Inside this Issue . . .
State Accountability
Ratings
Fall Sports
Homecoming 2016
Panther Band News
Bus Safety Week
BISD Teachers Re-
ceive Grants
PJH Students of the
Month and Student
Council
Think Through Math
Challenge
Bells FFA
Third Grade Flat
Stanley Projects
Panther Prowl 2016
PJH Community
Garden
Student Learning
Displays
BISD Professional
Learning for Faculty
BHS Students of the
Month
PJH Science Interac-
tive Learning
Fire Safety Week
Panther Tracks
BISD’S Finances
I have often commented on the
complicated nature of the Texas
school finance system. Over the
past several years, it has only es-
calated in complexity! As our
Texas Legislators prepare for an-
other Legislative session set to
begin January 10th, school finance
is again the top priority of a num-
ber of politicians and is expected
to dominate the session. The task
of financing Texas’ public schools
absorbs approximately 70% of our
State’s budget; naturally it re-
quires much attention.
As for the finances of Bells I.S.D.,
we are fortunately doing well,
thanks to the school finance
knowledge and watchful eye of
our business manager and the
Board of Trustees. BISD’s recent
external financial audit revealed a
healthy general fund balance as of
August 31, 2016 of $2,292,763.62,
up approximately $628,915.33
from August 31, 2015. The cur-
rent fund balance represents 3.6
months of expenditures as BISD’s
average monthly expenses this
past year totaled $627,795, with
the majority of that being payroll.
It is anticipated the Board of Trus-
tees will designate $900,000 of
the fund balance for future con-
struction at the October board
meeting.
The goal of the Board is to main-
tain a minimum of two months
expenditures, preferably three in
fund balance for emergencies.
The board adopts the philosophy
that the money generated by our
district from local property taxes,
state funds and federal grants, is
for the sole purpose of providing
a quality education for the stu-
dents of this community in clean,
modern facilities. Research indi-
cates BISD’s fund balance may not
be as large in proportion as some
schools our size; however, the
clear reason is the Board is
spending the money as intended
……to educate the students in
our community! Schools are non-
profit institutions, and the Board
distributes the school’s revenue as
such.
The Board of Trustees recently
elected to refinance the 2009
bonds used to build the gym, band
hall and junior high classrooms; in
doing so, the interest rate was
reduced from around 5% to
2.12%, saving the district approxi-
mately $2.5 million dollars over
the life of those bonds. That figure
equates to a savings in yearly pay-
ments of approximately $112,000!
In addition, the district will be in
position, again through responsi-
ble stewardship of district funds
over the years, to “pay off” the
elementary school bonds in the
fall of 2019, six years prior to the
scheduled pay off and saving con-
siderable funds in the process. I
anticipate planning to begin soon
to be prepared to renovate the
high school when the elementary
bonds are paid off.
Desiring more information on
BISD’s finances? Please feel free
to contact the administration of-
fices, and we will gladly share in-
formation. We intend on being
fully transparent and will be glad
to share audit and budget infor-
mation!
From the Superintendent………………. Mr. Joe Moore
2016 Accountability Ratings In August, the Texas Education Agency re-
leased 2016 state accountability ratings for dis-
tricts and campuses. Bells ISD and all three
campuses received a rating of Met Standard. In
addition, congratulations to Bells Elementary
and Bells High School for receiving additional
distinctions. BES received the following six
distinctions: Academic Achievement in English
Language Arts and Reading, Academic Achieve-
ment in Math, Academic Achievement in Sci-
ence, Academic Achievement in Science, Top
25 Percent in Student Progress, Top 25 Per-
cent in Closing Performance Gaps, and Post-
secondary Readiness. Bells High School re-
ceived three distinctions: Academic Achieve-
ment in Social Studies, Top 25 percent in Stu-
dent Progress, and Postsecondary Readiness. BES received 6 out of 6 distinc-
tions ranking them in the top 5%
of all campuses in the state.
Bells ISD Newsletter Leading the Way for Student Success!
www.bellsisd.net
Panther Football Starting off Strong
The Bells Panther football team began the season strong
with wins against Era, Chico, Paris Chisum and Honey
Grove. They are currently 6-1 overall and 2-1 in district
play and look forward to the end of the football season.
Page 2
Lady Panthers Volleyball Looking at Another Post- District Appearance
Fall Sports in Panther Country
Homecoming 2016 Homecoming 2016 proved to be an amazing night for both
current BHS students and alumni who came to the game to
watch the Panthers dominate the field in a tremendous win
over the Honey Grove Warriors. With this being a big reunion
year for Bells graduates, the stadium was packed with visitors
who had come home to take part in the reunion festivities. The
Panthers played an amazing game and the pride of our maroon
and gold was evident under the Friday night lights.
2016 Homecoming King and Queen
The usual homecoming fanfare took place on September 16th
with the crowning of our 2016 king and queen. Seniors Bruce
Chartier and CJ Crane were crowned at pre-game festivities.
Members of the 2016 Homecoming Court are pictured at left.
Queen nominees were CJ Crane, Katie Branam, Riley Krueger,
and Cheyanne Connor. The nominees for king were Bruce
Chartier, Maverick Priest, Caleb England, and Lane Murphree.
The Bells Lady
Panther volley-
ball team is hav-
ing a great sea-
son. Currently,
the team holds
an 8-4 record in
district play.
The Lady Pan-
thers have se-
cured a playoff
spot with post
district play
coming up the
first week in No-
vember. The JV team is
11—9 in their
season with two
games remain-
ing.
Congratulations to
senior volleyball
player Zoe Bank-
ston for being
named the KXII A+
Athlete for the week
for week of October
17th. Way to go
Zoe!
King and queen photo by Alumni YB Editor, Sara Carpenter
Homecoming Court pic by 2016-2017 Yearbook Staff
www.bellsisd.net
Bells High School
Students participat-
ed in Homecoming
spirit days as part
of the week-long
celebration
leading up to the
Friday night game.
At right, students
were “getting
groovy” in support
of the Panthers.
Page 3 Volume 3, Issue 2
Panther Band Excels
in 2016
Fall Competitions The Bells High School Panther
Band recently traveled to Tishamingo, Oklahoma, to
participate in the 2016 Chickasaw Festival Band Extrav-
aganza. Bells ISD represented the great state of Texas
by being the only Texas band to compete. Even more
exciting, the Panther Band placed FIRST in Division 3
(2A) and was ranked 2nd out of 14 bands in the small
school category (1A-3A). The band earned 1st place in
Division 3 and was awarded a trophy and a check for
$75! The BHS Color Guard and
Drum Major - Danielle
Yelton-Brown, ranked
THIRD overall out of 34
bands. That is... out of all 1A
-6A schools and 11 different
divisions. This was a tremen-
dous accomplishment for the
squad. Congratulations to the
band and color guard on a job
WELL DONE! The next competition for
the band was the Sounds of
Fall Marching Classic in
Princeton, Saturday, October
15th. Once again, the Panther Band competed well and
represented panther pride and excellence by earning sev-
eral awards. The Band received Best Music, Best
Marching, Best Percussion, Best Color Guard, and first
place overall in the 2A division. On October 19th, the band traveled to Princeton High
School for the UIL Marching Contest where they re-
ceived a rating of 1, (which is the best possible rating).
What an amazing job the Panther Band has done this
year! Congratulations to all the band members and their
directors, Mr. Jesse Speer and Mrs. Jennifer Sewell.
Thanks to the many parents who travel with and support
the band as well.
2016 Homecoming King and Queen
The usual homecoming fanfare took place on September 16th
with the crowning of our 2016 king and queen. Seniors Bruce
Chartier and CJ Crane were crowned at pre-game festivities.
Members of the 2016 Homecoming Court are pictured at left.
Queen nominees were CJ Crane, Katie Branam, Riley Krueger,
and Cheyanne Connor. The nominees for king were Bruce
Chartier, Maverick Priest, Caleb England, and Lane Murphree.
www.bellsisd.net
Page 4
National Bus Safety Week
Bells Teachers Recipients of Local Grants Pictured below: Sixth grade teacher, Carol Brandt received a grant for over $300 from Ruiz for Kids. At right: Fourth grade teacher Ladonna Stanek was awarded a $500 grant from Red River Title.
The National Association for Pupil
Transportation designated the week
of October 17th - 21st, 2016 as
National School Bus Safety Week.
As part of an annual campaign to
promote bus safety and encourage
recognition of school bus drivers,
the NAPT observes this special
week the third week of October
each year.
Bells ISD is blessed to have such a
dedicated, caring team of drivers.
This group of caring individuals
takes their job seriously and realiz-
es the importance of what they do
behind the wheel of the school bus.
If you happen to run into one of our
drivers, give them a hand shake and
a pat on the back for what they do
for our students. Driving for Bells
ISD are Jeff Daniel, Lisa Cantwell,
Danny Williams, Brian Hicks,
Floyd Geron, Gina Anderson and
April Bellows.
Want to know what’s happening in Bells ISD?
Bells ISD makes communication with all stakeholders
a priority. The district desires for
students, parents, and community
members to know what’s happening
at the campuses. Take time to get
connected through these important
avenues.
www.bellsisd.net
Congratulations to Students of
the Month for October 8th Grade: Austin Connor and Hai-
ley Ridenour 7th Grade: Walker Durham and
Brenna Williams 6th Grade: Spencer Hinds and
Brigette Saxon
PJH Student Council The PJH Student Council had
elections, Monday, October 10th
and their first meeting the following
day. The members are eager to
begin activities that will help their
classmates and the faculty, their
school, and the Bells community.
The following students were select-
ed to these important posts at PJH:
President: Landon Nelson
Vice President: Jaden Nelson
Secretary: Carson Howard
Treasurer: Walker Durham 8th Grade Representative: Carl Be-
sario 7th Grade Representatives: Lillie
Baxter and Shelby Harwell 6th Grade Representatives: Payton
Cole, Davis Durham, Mekena Hart-
line, and Dawson Hensley
At their first meeting, the PJH
Student Council agreed to raise
money this school year for Children
with Cancer. They will partner with
Alex's Lemonade Stand and the
Children's Hospital- cancer unit to
raise money for research and treat-
ment.
The first activity will be a quick
fundraiser on October 18th. The
game is called Heads or Tails. Each
participant pays a quarter to play. If
they are out, they can pay one dollar
to stay in the game.
The members will partner with Mrs.
Stubbs for the National Red Ribbon
Week. They will partner with BES
and BHS for each of the Veterans
Day programs. For a bigger fund-
raiser in which the money will go to
Children with Cancer, the Student
Council members are hosting a jun-
ior high dance in November. They
hope to have food and drinks donat-
ed so that all of the money received
from the dance will go towards the
Children with Cancer program.
The officers and representatives
have many more great ideas and
can't wait to see them in action.
If you would like to donate to the
Children with Cancer, please con-
tact Mrs. Elaine Jones
Page 5 Volume 3, Issue 2
Campus News at Pritchard Junior High
PJH Student Council Officers for 2016-2017 Back Row- Left to Right: Shelby Harwell, Carl Besario, Landon
Nelson, Jaden Nelson, Carson Howard, and Lillie Baxter
Front Row: Payton Cole, Makena Hartline, Walker Durham,, Davis
Durham, and Dawson Hensley
www.bellsisd.net
Page 6
Think Through Math Summer Challenge
During the summer, many of our current 4th - 9th
grade students participated in the first ever BISD Think
Through Math Summer Challenge. Twenty-five
students passed 8 or more Think Through Math lessons
between June 6th and August 4th, 2016 and earned a
free Math Homework Pass and a Back to School
Goodie Bag which each student received on the first
day of school. In addition, 15 of those students passed
more than 16 Think Through Math Lessons and were
invited to celebration party at CiCi’s pizza. Their
names were entered into a drawing for a Kindle Fire.
We are so proud of these students for working on
improving their math skills and preparing for the new
school year over the summer months!
25 BISD Students Passed 8 or More Lessons -
Math Homework Pass + Back to School Goodie Bag
4th Grade: John Tindall - 48 lessons passed - Most Passed in 4th Grade
and 2nd in the district!
Laykin Little - 32
Mackenzie Severson - 32
Abigail Marsh - 20
Austin Draper - 16
Ethan Lewis - 15
Robert Montgomery - 9
Peyton Washburn - 9
Katherine Spears - 8
5th Grade: Drake Daniels - 73 lessons passed - Most Passed in 5th
Grade and in our entire district!!
Jacie Kyle - 20
Anzley Poe - 15
Alyssa Hensley - 8
6th Grade: Ethan Stotesbury -
26 Lessons Passed
and Most Passed in
6th Grade
Dawson Hensley -
17
Preston Carter - 16
Ashlyn Fox - 16 Brooklyn Blodgett -
16
Madison Ball - 16
Autumn Lane - 13 Ansley Campbell -
10
7th Grade: Hannah Bondarenko
- 9
Hali Blodgett - 8
8th Grade:
Carson Miller - 19
9th Grade:
Victoria Azevedo - 22
15 BISD Students Passed 16 or More Lessons -
Celebration Party + Drawing Entry
4th Grade: John Tindall - 48 lessons passed - Most Passed in 4th Grade
and 2nd in the district!
Laykin Little - 32
Mackenzie Severson - 32
Abigail Marsh - 20
Austin Draper - 16
5th Grade: Drake Daniels - 73 lessons
passed - Most Passed in
5th Grade and in our
entire district!!
Jacie Kyle - 20
6th Grade: Ethan Stotesbury - 26
Lessons Passed and Most
Passed in 6th Grade
Dawson Hensley - 17
Preston Carter - 16
Ashlyn Fox - 16
Brooklyn Blodgett - 16
Madison Ball - 16
8th Grade:
Carson Miller - 19
9th Grade:
Victoria Azevedo - 22
Congratulations to
6th grader Brooklyn
Blodgett for
winning the Kindle
Fire!
www.bellsisd.net
Page 7 Volume 3, Issue 2
Bells FFA
News At the State Fair of
Texas Bells FFA had
twelve students’ exhibit
animals and eleven students partici-
pate in competitions. Landri Hicks
placed 7th in class 4 of Medium
Wool Lambs. Landon Morse placed
1st in class 3 of Dark Cross Pigs.
Chance Morse placed 2nd in class 2
of Hampshire Pigs. Rylee Hicks
placed 3rd in class 19 of Hereford
Steers. Cara Powers placed 5th in
class 31 of Charolais Steers and 4th
in class 47 of Other Cross Breed
Steers. Piper Simons placed 2nd in
class 39 of Simmental Steers. Bai-
ley Stowers placed 9th in class 48 of
Other Cross Breed Steers. Britt Her-
od was Reserve Grand Champion
Charolais for Heifers. Cord Mat-
chett placed 2nd in class 6 of Other
Registered Breeds for Heifers.
Ansley Campbell placed 3rd in class
12 of Polled Hereford Heifers. Ren-
don Campbell placed 1st in class 9
of Polled Hereford Heifers. The
Livestock Judging team was 22nd
out of 152 teams. Cord Matchett
was 9th and Cara Powers’ was 19th
in the Beef Skill-A-Thon. Congratu-
lations to all exhibitors. Bells FFA will host the dis-
trict LDE’s
on Novem-
ber 7th.
On No-
vember
19th,
Krum will
host the
Area
LDE’s,
and on
December
1st-3rd will
be State
competition hosted by SHSU-
Huntsville. Good luck to all partici-
pants. We are hoping for another
successful year.
Thanks to all for participat-
ing in another successful meat fund-
raiser for the FFA. The FFA meat
fundraiser should be delivered in the
next couple of weeks. Thank you
for all of the support.
Flat Stanley Ms. Kight and Mrs. O’Malley have
brought back an old ELAR/Social
Studies project this year and have al-
ready had a fantastic response. They wanted to make Geography fun
for students so they read Flat Stanley
by Jeff Brown to their students and
had the students color their own Flat
Stanley. The students were in charge
of either taking Flat Stanley on their
own adventure OR mailing him to
another state or country. Amelia Carter chose to send her Flat
Stanley all the way to Paris France!
Her cousin Dalton Day was able to
take Flat Stanley to visit the Eifel
Tower after they had an AMAZING
French breakfast! Now that technology is so great, Dal-
ton was able to email a letter and pic-
tures showing the AWESOME adven-
ture they went on together!
Stanley’s adventure
has been plotted on
the classroom map so
students can visualize
where he went and
exactly how far that is
from Bells, Texas.
Here are the pictures
he sent and the thank
you picture they sent
back to him. They are
looking forward to
seeing all the other
adventures Stanley
goes on!
www.bellsisd.net
Page 8
Panther Prowl 5K and Fun Run 2016
For the second year in a row,
Bells ISD and the community of
Bells came together to sweat a little
and raise money for a good cause.
This year’s Panther Prowl 5K and
Fun Run was held on October 1st.
Under sunny skies and with a crisp
fall breeze, runners and walkers
embarked on a 3.1 mile jaunt around
Panther Stadium and the campuses
of Bells ISD. The recipient selected
for this year’s fundraiser proceeds
was Robbie and Jenae Mattingly to
help with medical costs incurred
with their son Creed’s diagnosis of
Pompe Disease. The Mattingly’s
were awarded $2000.00 from the
fundraiser, and $500 was raised for
the Bells High School scholarship
fund for graduating seniors. Thank
you to all who came out and
supported the Panther Prowl this
year. Race results can be found
online at https://
static.secure.website/
At left: On your mark, get set,
GO…...and the run begins!
BES Teachers David Marsh (above)
and Rob Novak (below) finish the
5K strong. Both teachers had great
run times and medaled in their age
groups.
Below: 7th grade teacher, April Bellows races to the finish just seconds in front of
Robbie Mattingly and Shawn Cerda.
www.bellsisd.net
Page 9 Volume 3, Issue 2
PJH Community Garden A community gar-
den is in the planning
stages at this time. The
idea is to have a garden
that will provide food
for the Bells community, at no cost
to the recipients. We encourage peo-
ple of all ages to participate. It will
be located on the north side of the
Pritchard Junior High and anyone in
the community is invited to contrib-
ute to this endeavor. A community
meeting will be held November 7,
2016 at the junior high. All members
of the community and school are
invited to attend.
At the meeting we will discuss:
1. Our mission statement: To en-
courage the school and community
to work together and learn from
each other in a gardening environ-
ment to meet the needs of others.
2. Our goal is to provide a place for
all members of the community to
meet and share a common interest in
gardening and provide healthy food
for the community. We want it to be
a place where people of all ages can
come and enjoy each other’s compa-
ny and learn and grow together.
There are a variety of ways for peo-
ple to participate and we welcome
everyone to come and contribute in
their own way.
3. Money that has been raised to
help with garden expenses.
4. Plans for the garden and where it
will be placed.
5. Composting
6. Speakers
7. Community participation.
Students are signing up to be a
part of the PJH Garden Club. The
name of the garden is “Nana’s Gar-
den”. They are excited and ready to
get to work. They are selling Sonic
cards to raise money to purchase the
materials to begin garden prepara-
tions.
The committee at PJH that is
overseeing the garden project is Mr.
Brewer, Mrs. Nelson, Mrs. Jones
and Mrs. Westbrook. We appreciate
the support from Mr. Steger and Mr.
Moore for allowing us this oppor-
tunity to teach our students about
gardening and serve others at the
same time.
Top left: Freshman student, Victoria Azevedo, races BHS teacher, Donna Brown, to
the finish line.
Center: Always a supporter, Carolyn Emory, takes long strides to the finish line. At left: BES teacher, Tishia Crump, and her daughter, Malaney Crump battle it out
to see who can cross the finish line first. Top right: Sixth graders Brock Baker and Blayze Massey are the first ones to cross
the finish line in the Fun Run. Thank you to all who sponsored the 5K: Mullican Little Funeral Home, No Name
Cattle Co., Loan Star Pawn, Corley Law Firm, Sherman Collision Repair, Country
Chapel, BES PTO, Sherman Machine, Inc., Porter Family, Glaser Foundation, Cel-
larman’s, Cling and Bling, Lumen Technologies, ACME Speed Shop, R3 Health
and Fitness, Donna Smith, Meek Family, and Ivers Family.
Community
Garden
Meeting
Scheduled for
November 7, 2016
www.bellsisd.net
Page 10
Student Learning Displayed throughout Bells ISD
Numerous displays of
student learning decorate
the walls of all Bells ISD
campuses. Take time to
stop and browse the many
excellent examples of
interactive learning
through critical reading,
writing, and thinking
taking place in classrooms
across the district.
www.bellsisd.net
Page 11 Volume 3, Issue 2
www.bellsisd.net
Page 12
Bells ISD faculty and staff
spend anywhere from 12 to 40
hours of their summer vacation
participting in professional
learning activities. This allows
educators the opportunity to have
two comp days the week of the
Thanksgiving holiday. While teachers enjoy the
opportunity to have this week
off, they truly benefit from the
various professional
development activities in which
they participate. In addition to their summer
training, several hours are spent
in professional learning activities
their first week back in August.
Generally, though, some time
that week is reserved for fun and
games. This year, the campuses
gathered for a week-long
competition of Family Feud in
which they earned points each
day. On Thurday of inservice
week, the campuses went head
on in a Lip Sync Battle that
would determine the winner of
the Panther Cup. Although it
was a close race to the end, Bells
Elementary won the Panther Cup
(for the time being).
Lifelong Learners: Bells ISD Educators Participate in Professional Development
Teachers partici-
pate in T-TESS
training to learn
all about the new
teacher appraisal
system for Texas
teachers.
At Right: Bells ISD ad-
ministrators take part in a
high quality day of learn-
ing with nationally recog-
nized educational re-
searcher and author, Dr.
Ruby Payne.
www.bellsisd.net
Page 13 Volume 3, Issue 2
August
9th - Victoria Azevedo and Braden Oliver
10th - Jillian Defries and Christian Smith
11th - Garrett Hill and Savannah Brown
12th - Dylan Weaver and Jolie Crisp
September
9th - Cheyenne Floyd & Ben Branam
10th – Kerynn Sizemore & Eli Norris
11th – Samantha Stanley & Tuff Dowlen
12th – Leeanna Glatt & Trevor Whitmire
BHS Students of the Month
Don’t forget to
clip your box
tops and return
to the Bells
Elementary
School office.
Pictured left: Students in
Mrs. Kristina Nelson’s 8th
grade science classes master
the Periodic Table of ele-
ments through interactive
learning.
Upcoming Holidays October 24th—Student Holiday
November 21st—25th
Thanksgiving Break
October 24th—28th is Red Ribbon Week
Junior High Upcoming Spirit Days Monday—No School
Tuesday—Be on a drug free team! Wear favorite jersey.
Wednesday—Shade out drugs! Wear sunglasses or cap.
Thursday—Red Out! Wear as much red as is humanly
Possible.
Friday—Scare the bejeebers outa drugs! Wear a costume.
www.bellsisd.net
Kindergarten Classes Learn about Fire Safety
We’re on the web!
bellsisd.net
Bells ISD Administration Office
1550 Ole Ambrose Rd.
Bells, TX 75414
903.965.7721
Superintendent
Joe Moore
Administrative Assistant
Heather Waldrip
Assistant Superintendent
Tricia Meek
Business Manager
Marilyn Steger
Business Assistant
Louise Sanford
Bells Elementary
110 Scott Rd.
Bells, TX 75414
903.965.7725
Principal
Yalonda Ivers
Assistant Principal
Melissa Flyger
Student Advisor
Carla Norris
Campus Secretary
Stephanie Hinds
Pritchard Junior High
1510 Ole Ambrose Rd
Bells, TX 75414
903.965.4835
Principal
Will Steger
Counselor
Kristi Stubbs
Campus Secretary
Cindy Moore
Bells High School
1500 Ole Ambrose Rd
Bells, TX 75414
903.965.7315
Principal
Josh Weger
Counselor
Karri Branam
Campus Secretary
Sharon Blount
PEIMS Coordinator
Lori Flores
October 24th—28th is Red Ribbon Week
Elementary Upcoming Spirit Days Monday—No School
Tuesday—Be on a drug free team! Wear favorite jersey.
Wednesday—Wear bright colors.
Thursday—Red Out! Wear red.
Friday—Wear clothes inside out!