District in Pictures

The Southern Hills Elementary Art Club and Panther Ambassadors have been busy spreading love this Valentine's Day by making beautiful hand-made paper flowers and cards for the residents of Encompass Health! "I wanted my students to find new ways to serve and bring joy to our community," said art teacher Stacey Barton. "It’s heartwarming to see them using their creativity to make a difference!"

Legacy High School is proud to announce Greg Davis as its new head football coach and campus coordinator. Davis brings a wealth of experience and a track record of success, both on and off the field, to the Leopards' program. No stranger to Wichita Falls, Coach Davis earned his Bachelor’s degree (2009) and Master’s in Education (2015) from Midwestern State University. Coach Davis joins the Leopards after spending the past two seasons as the defensive coordinator at Mansfield Lake Ridge. His coaching résumé includes stops at North Shore, Corsicana, Katy, Southlake Carroll, Fort Worth Eastern Hills, Dallas Skyline, and Ennis High Schools. Throughout his career, he has been part of multiple state championship, state finalist, and state semifinalist teams.

This week, Memorial High School seniors, Jun Park and Evan Liang, received notification that they have advanced to National Merit Finalists! The two students are pictured below with their certificates from the National Merit Scholarship Corporation. Congratulations to both of them on this incredible accomplishment!

West Foundation Elementary teachers, Coach Warren and Coach Jackson, recently made a friendly bet on the Super Bowl outcome, and it seems Coach Warren ended up on the losing side! As a result, he's been sporting a variety of eye-catching outfits throughout the week. From hot dogs 🌭 to unicorns 🦄, bears 🐻, cows 🐄, and even old lady attire 👵, Coach Warren has certainly embraced each unique look with flair!

It's clear that Coach Warren can pull off any style effortlessly, wouldn't you agree?

Legacy Baseball hosted their inaugural Hilltop Jamboree on February 1. The coaches and players held a free kids camp with special guest, two-time World Series Champion Ryan Brasier, for children in kindergarten through 6th grade. There were food trucks, inflatable obstacle courses, music, vendors, and competitions followed by Legacy Baseball intrasquad games. A great time was had by all!

Mrs. Henderson's First Grade Class at Zundy Elementary had fun this week making their own scrolls after a discussion from their Amplify Reading Curriculum. The lesson helped them learn a vocabulary word and understand their story.

Congratulations to Memorial High School's January "Teacher of the Month," Mr. Jaydon Johnston. Mr. Johnston was nominated by his colleagues for a multitude of reasons, including his great sense of humor, positivity and encouragement of others. He is always willing to help out however he can. For example, he emcees (and raps) at the pep rallies, hosts a weekly Bible study for teachers, coordinates the UIL Academics at MHS, and gives 100% in his math classes. He has an incredible ability to build relationships with his students. He finds ways to connect with them and get them engaged in learning. He is a shining star at MHS!

Mrs. Dickens' class at Burgess Elementary hosted a Willy Wonka-themed rewards party to celebrate students who showed progress in their recent Middle of the Year MAP Science scores. Students earned a "Golden Ticket" based on their growth and had the chance to choose from a variety of prizes. The more growth they showed, the greater the rewards. This event was a fun and engaging way to recognize their hard work and achievements!

The staff members at Haynes Head Start had some extra special treats this week! Members of New Hope Church sponsored a "Soup-er" Valentine's Day Lunch. Many of the church members are retired teachers who want to show their appreciation for the Haynes staff. In addition to a luncheon, Mrs. Tinker also provided a special Valentine's Day treat for everyone in the lounge. "Our principals are constantly providing for us," said secretary Gina Peacemaker. "Today is a Valentine treat but Mrs.Tinker always dresses it up to make it extra special!"

Memorial High School students Jimin Park, Evan Liang, and Jun Park competed at the Red River Regional Science and Engineering Fair at Midwestern State University. Due to a conflict with TMEA convention, Jun had to record a video for his portion of the presentation, but Evan and Jimin will compete for a chance to advance to the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair, the world’s largest international STEM research competition for high school students. Their project, "ProsthetiSense: Detecting Hand Gestures for Prosthetics by Employing Deep Learning Algorithms via Non-Invasive Electromyogram Signals" focuses on reducing costs for prosthetic limbs though the creation of a computer model and application of deep learning algorithms. There will be public viewing of the projects tonight from 5-6PM and an award ceremony at 6:00PM.

This week, Zundy Elementary hosted a STEAM night for families that included a bucket drum and choir performance. Students engaged in a variety of activities from puzzles to volcanoes and so much more! This was such a fun night for all of the students and families that attended!

February is Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month, and schools are taking action! On Monday, CIS members were excited to partner with First Step, Inc to bring valuable information and resources to McNiel Middle School students. Through open discussions they are empowering the students to make safe and informed choices. Thank you to Kiawa from First Step for collaborating with Communities in Schools to bring awareness to this cause!

Dr. Lin Wang, an Assistant Professor of Economics at MSU Texas, recently visited business students at Legacy and Memorial High Schools to discuss career opportunities in accounting. During these sessions, Dr. Wang introduced students to the diverse career paths within the accounting field, ranging from tax auditing to working with the FBI. Students also gained insight into essential financial concepts used in managerial and investment decision-making. As part of the presentation, they watched a video featuring business magnates Mark Cuban and Warren Buffett, who emphasized the importance of accounting education. The video underscored that understanding accounting principles is crucial for everyone studying at a community college or university. Dr. Wang's visit highlighted the importance of financial literacy and the many career paths accounting offers.

This week, students at Zundy Elementary were challenged to write a kind note of thanks for Mrs. Boutwell, the school counselor, and Mrs. Gilliam, at-risk coordinator. Zundy is so thankful for the work they do with the students, staff, families and community.

This week, Memorial High School students participated in Region 9 interviews about their high school experiences. The interviews will be used to give students and parents within Region 9 an idea about what a typical high school experience looks like. Seniors: Trae Steele, Chase Pontius, Florances Qiu, My'Kaele Hookfin, Justyn Judie, Aniyah Bascombe, Austin Feldman and Preslee Graham. Juniors: Addison Renner and Jackson Bohannon.

First grade artists at Southern Hills wrapped up their texture unit by drawing cozy cups of hot cocoa and experimenting with different techniques to show visual texture. To celebrate their creativity and hard work, they ended the unit with a special treat—real cups of hot cocoa to enjoy together!

Memorial ACS ChemClub explored Culinary Chemistry when capturing carbon dioxide in Maverick-theme colored popping candy. The students got a real world example of proportionality of reaction and the external factors that contribute to the success of a chemical synthetic process. The investigation was a success, and the students made viable products that were tasty as well.

Every Friday at Memorial High School, football players participate in "Mav Mentality." The athletes learn life lessons from Memorial staff members and are provided with tools to help them with life after high school. Today, Coach Dillard talked about "watering the bamboo" - in order to see the results in the future, you have to put in the work today!

McNiel Middle School theatre teacher, Mr. Henderson, has begun rehearsing for the Middle School UIL One-Act Play festival with his drama club! Recently, he taught a puppetry workshop with his one-act play cast and crew, as their play this year focuses on utilizing live stage puppetry in the production! Students had a blast learning the different puppetry techniques!

Kindergarten students at Zundy Elementary had a royally wonderful time celebrating friendship during their special Valentine’s Party! Dressed as kings and queens, they took part in a charming friendship dance, twirling and swaying alongside their parents in a heartwarming display of joy and togetherness. This festive event marked the perfect conclusion to their Amplify unit on kings and queens 👑, where they explored the roles, traditions, and history of royalty. What better way to bring their learning to life than by stepping into the shoes of royalty themselves?

Last week, the kindergarten teachers at Franklin Elementary went above and beyond to make learning FUN and interactive with a Doctor's Day celebration! Students received their very own medical gear—gloves, masks, and surgical caps—ready for their big day as mini doctors! Classrooms were transformed into an ER, with decorations setting the scene for a hands-on learning experience. Medical lessons were woven into their daily activities, making this day both educational and exciting for our future healthcare heroes! We can't wait to see what other creative experiences our teachers have in store!

Zundy 4th grade was treated to a reading of “Reach the Magic” about friendship, kindness and reading. It is written by Katie Crosbie Holland, a Wichita Falls author, mom, Sheppard spouse, and former KFDX reporter. Ms. Katie read the book and answered questions from students. To top off the special day, a local Wichita Falls business, Nix Means Law, donated a free autographed copy of the book to every fourth-grade student at Zundy! To watch a full read-along of the book, visit ReachTheMagicBook.com.

Eighth-grade Principles of Arts, Audio/Video Technology, and Communications students at Barwise have been putting their brand-new podcasting equipment to good use, thanks to a generous donation through DonorsChoose. "They've been having a great time creating their own podcasts and exploring ways to develop an ongoing podcasting program at Barwise," said teacher Pam Troester.

Hooray for the Red, White, and Blue! First grade students at Ben Franklin Elementary shared patriotic spirit with their musical performance! The students did an amazing job and drew a huge crowd of supporters!

Zundy students have truly set the bar high when it comes to outstanding behavior and citizenship! Throughout the entire fall semester, they demonstrated exceptional responsibility, respect, and leadership—so much so that not a single conduct cut was recorded. This incredible achievement is a testament to their commitment to maintaining a positive and supportive school environment.

Way to go, Eagles! 🦅 Keep up the fantastic work and continue to set an example for others.

Introducing the newest authors from Crockett! Both of Mrs. Barnett's second grade reading classes have proudly published a book. What an amazing accomplishment for this young group of kids!

The Regional Day School Program for the Deaf is excited to host their first Deaf-initely Can 5K and Fun Run! Proceeds from this event will directly support the Deaf Education program, benefiting Deaf and Hard of Hearing students, their teachers, and families. Funds raised will help provide field trip opportunities, learning materials, workshops for parents and educators, transportation for student activities, and assistive listening devices. Join us in celebrating our students’ abilities and making a meaningful impact! Use coupon code "wfisdstaff5" for $5 off your registration!

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.