District in Pictures

Congratulations to the 2024 Secondary and Elementary Teacher of the Year winners, Jennifer Briscoe and Angela Christian. Mrs. Briscoe is an algebra teacher at McNiel Middle School, Mrs. Christian teaches 4th grade math and science at Crockett Elementary. Combined, these two teachers have a total of 42 years of teaching experience and are looked up to by their peers. Pictured below is Secondary Teacher of the Year Jennifer Briscoe, Superintendent Dr. Lee, and Elementary Teacher of the Year Angela Christian.

Memorial Stadium was packed on Monday evening for the Memorial High School Sign the Banner event. Future Mavericks took the field to sign the commemorative banner that will hang in Memorial High School. Additionally, families had the opportunity to meet the staff members and purchase all their Memorial gear from booster clubs and local merchants. Thanks to everyone who participated and made it a fun night for our future Memorial High School students.

On Tuesday evening, WFISD honored top-notch teachers at the annual Teacher of the Year banquet. Each campus nominee was recognized for their dedication to the teaching profession and for being a role model to other teachers. In all, the 24 teachers recognized at the banquet have a combined 346 years of teaching experience. Congratulations to each of these terrific educators.

• Barwise - Judith Rodriguez
• Booker T. Washington - Sarah Pellikan
• Brook Village - Lyndi Persinger
• Burgess - Alissa Donaldson
• CEC - Nanette Philip
• Crockett - Angela Christian
• Cunningham - Meredith Hernandez
• Fain - Laura Wetzel
• Fowler - Renee Vasquez
• Franklin - Michelle Church
• Haynes Head Start - Crystal Sanchez
• Hirschi - Donnell Thomas
• Jefferson - Nia Gonzales
• Kirby - Amaris Wise
• McNiel - Jennifer Briscoe
• Milam - Drake Calloway
• Rider - Stacie Martin
• Scotland Park - Krista Ferguson
• Sheppard - Megan Barrera
• Southern Hills - Amanda Palmer
• Support Campus - Monica Bobo
• West - Cleofoster Payne
• WFHS - George Samus
• Zundy - Whitney Stewart

On Friday morning, Kirby Middle School students got a treat. They had a chance to meet and get autographs from the famous Thunderbird pilots who will be performing their spectacular aerial stunts at the Sheppard Air Force Base Air Show this weekend.

Thank you to Peyton's Projects for coming out to West Foundation to teach the students about rattlesnake awareness and safety! Kindergarten, first, and second grade students all got to listen and learn about rattlesnakes and safety around them!

Jefferson students have been growing their research skills throughout the school year. Mrs. Barbee incorporates PebbleGo and PebbleGo Next, an online database, in her library lessons and when she visits the classroom for instruction during weekly grade level PLCs. She utilizes the database with kindergarten through fifth grade students to extend classroom teaching and to complete topic specific research projects. It has been foundational in teaching students how to: read and/or listen to a text; pull information from the text; and, then share that information with others using both physical and digital formats.

Last Friday, 8th grade students at Kirby Middle School had the opportunity to attend a Career Fair on their campus showcasing the different career pathways that are available to them at the Career Education Center. Thank you to everyone who participated and made the event a success.

TAG 4th grade students studied Aviation in this final unit. As a culminating activity, the students were tasked with designing and building a kite. Students were encouraged to be creative when designing their kite sails and tails, while keeping aerodynamics in mind. “We love to give our students the opportunity to be creative and also challenge their thinking," said gifted and talented teacher, Shasta Smith. "It was great to see their smiles when their kites were successful.”

Mrs. Huckeby, an 8th grade English teacher at McNiel Middle School, has launched book clubs for her reading classes post-STAAR. To start her unit, students did a "book tasting" where they previewed each book and took notes on them. Once they pick a book and a group, they will fill out their "review" as they read to track key events, characters, and quotes from their reading. "Mrs. Huckeby has worked so hard to create an engaging unit for her students in order to foster a love for reading," said fellow McNiel teacher, Hannah Reames.

Congratulations to Rider High School soccer player, Jimena Rodrigues. During the month of March, she was named 5A Female Athlete of the Month by the Greater Texas Ford Dealers!

Fowler's 5th graders got the opportunity to attend a Texas Rangers game against the Seattle Mariners through the Commissioner's Community Initiative and Players Give Back Program. "Our 5th grade students enjoyed every second of this well deserved trip to the ballpark," said Fowler assistant principal, Amanda Awtrey. "It was such a nice break after several weeks of STAAR testing. Even though the game ended in a 4 to 3 loss, the memories made and the experience that our students got to have with their teachers and peers is unmatched!"

Emir Pusurov, an 18-year-old from Osh, Kyrgyzstan, has had the opportunity to spend this year attending high school in Wichita Falls as part of a FLEX program that allows students from other countries spend a year experiencing American high school. During his time at Wichita Falls High School, Emir has been highly successful in the "Your Place in Space" challenge as well as earning first place with his business plan to bring the Silk Road trade route into the digital age. Aside from exceeding academically, Emir, has also been able to experience and enjoy Texas culture. He has loved trying Texas bbq, feeling that brutal Texas humidity many days, and one of his favorite memories was experiencing Thanksgiving! Emir was recently recognized by the CIEE organization. To read the full story, click here.

On Wednesday morning, Mrs. Jennifer Briscoe received a surprise greeting on the front lawn on McNiel Middle School. After being named Secondary Teacher of the Year on Tuesday evening, the campus welcomed her to school with a congratulatory yard sign. All of Mrs. Briscoe's students gathered outside with her to take a photo.

What’s your passion? 5th grade TAG students spent their final unit researching and pursuing their passions. Then, they presented to their peers. Students created cookbooks, taught about ASL, researched black holes, and designed robots, among other topics. Students have shared their knowledge about art and graphic design, their favorite sports, and their talents. “It has been a blast learning about the different passions that bring our students joy,” said Alison Colemere, gifted & talented teacher. “Many students were excited to grow their knowledge and share interests with their peers.”

In the group picture below, Franklin student, Zydia Alvarado, gave the class instructions on how to draw a planet.

On Earth Day, Fowler's PreK students read stories and sang songs about loving and caring for our Earth. They also learned about recycling and recycled plastic bags to make kites. "Our PreK students loved having the opportunity to recycle someone's trash and turn it into treasure, and it was a perfectly windy day to fly a kite," said Fowler assistant principal, Amanda Awtrey.

This week, senior IB Chemistry students toured Midwestern State University's Chemistry department as part of their required course of study on various analytical techniques like Mass Spectrometry, Infrared Spectrometry, Gas Chromatography, etc. The tour was facilitated by Dr. Chris Hansen (Academic Department Chair) and Ms. Raelene Kessling (Lab Tech). As part of the tour, the IB students were allowed to prepare various scented lip balms. Hirschi would like to extend their sincere thanks to Dr. Hansen, Ms. Kessling, and his assistants for making this possible.

The first-graders at Cunningham Elementary had a fantastic time aboard the STEAM bus this week. They delved into coding through engaging activities that were both educational and fun. Cunningham teachers strongly endorse the STEAM bus for any teachers who haven't yet taken advantage of the opportunity!

This week, Sheppard second grade students became published authors and illustrators with research, rough, and final drafts. Student Treasures Publishing provided a professional writing experience from beginning to end to celebrate the creation of Animal Facts, We are M.A.G.I.C.K., and Alliteration Animals.

The Franklin library received a glowing transformation from April 16-23! Students in all grade levels dressed in neon colors and participated in glowing activities that helped them review for upcoming STAAR and MAP assessments. Generous community members and parents donated items such as decorations for the room and glow sticks for every student. Members of the Franklin PTA donated their time to help totally transform the room.

Mrs. Deedy Durham, Hirschi High School's administrative assistant, was recognized with beautiful flowers from her colleagues on National Administrative Assistant Day! "Her hard work each and every day does not go unnoticed," said coworker Robin Inge.

Franklin 5th graders in Mrs. Michalski's math class made confetti this week to celebrate. However, it wasn't just any confetti! The day before the math STAAR assessment, students wrote down their fears and worries about the test on colorful paper. They then shredded them into tiny pieces. At the end of the day on Wednesday, April 24, the students threw the confetti in the air to celebrate the STAAR test being over and being able to know that they gave their very best effort!

April 23 was National School Bus Driver Day! Rider High School assistant principal Mr. Forney gave the Rider bus drivers a sweet gift to show his appreciation for all that they do and for always going "the "extra mile!"

West Foundation students are out of this world! This week, West Foundation 3rd grade students in Mrs. McWilliams' class did a great job creating Solar System models.

Sarah Raymond-Boyan, from the Challenger Learning Center, orchestrated an exciting virtual experience this week for business and IT classes from three WFISD campuses. The mission? Landing Blue Origin's lunar lander, Blue Moon, in a simulated lunar expedition. The participating students were divided into four critical teams—Mapping, Structure, Engines, and Tracking—to manage Mission Control operations from their respective campuses.

This immersive experience pushed students out of their comfort zones, providing practical insights into space exploration operations. Under Raymond-Boyan's guidance, the students not only learned about aerospace technology but also honed their teamwork and problem-solving skills in a dynamic, simulated environment.

At the conclusion of STAAR testing last week, Sheppard Elementary students celebrated with "Bring Anything But a Backpack" Day. Students got very creative and brought strollers, suitcases, a cooking pot, animal kennels and more. Some said it was the best day of school. These little incentives, free of charge, really help students to do their best on the test and keep smiles on their faces.

On Saturday, April 20, Rider choir students performed at the vocal Wichita Falls Symphony Orchestra Scholarship auditions. Each student did an outstanding job! A big congratulations goes to Rider choir 1st place and 3rd place winners, Allie Calvert and Alexis Trujillo!

Rider High School and future Memorial High School girls basketball team members visited Jefferson Elementary on Monday to read to the students.

Rider, Wichita Falls High School, and Hirschi Choir seniors joined together on Thursday, April 25 to invite incoming freshmen into the brand new WFISD choral programs at Memorial and Legacy High Schools! Thank you to every student and director who joined together to encourage students across the district!

The 8th graders at Kirby Middle School participated in a fun Jeopardy style review game for their Science STAAR test!

Student enrollment for the 24-25 school year is now open. Parents of returning students should have received an email with their child's unique snapcode. The snapcode will be needed in order to enroll returning students. To get started with enrollment, visit www.wfisd.net/enroll and click on the designated link for new or returning students.

District in Pictures is a weekly publication developed by the WFISD Community Relations department. If you have events, recognitions or classroom activities taking place on your campus that you would like us to feature, please let us know by completing the form at the following link: www.wfisd.net/dip. We would love to include you in our weekly district news.