District in Pictures

On a beautiful afternoon, students at Wichita Falls High School enjoyed the amazing phenomenon of the solar eclipse from the vantage point of the turf field at Old High. Over 500 students and 41 staff members participated in the viewing of this celestial event. WFHS journalism teacher, Mrs. Hegseth, braved climbing the band viewing tower to snap the photos. "Everyone seemed to enjoy the experience," said WFHS science teacher, Dr. Anita Lang. "Thank you to our amazing admin team for making this school-wide event possible!"

This week, Jefferson Elementary held a Volunteer Breakfast to show their love and appreciation for their Read 2 Learn volunteers. These ladies and gentlemen commit to volunteering their time and energy on a weekly basis to help second grade students learn and grow in their reading skills. In addition, the volunteers take time to get to know their students, and they often go above and beyond to help students feel seen, cared for, and encouraged.

On Monday afternoon, Franklin Elementary students took a break from the classroom and ventured outside to view the eclipse. The students even made cool masks around their glasses to watch it!

Janet Hughes, Booker T. Washington 5th grade science teacher, led her students on an exciting field trip to Camp Grady Spruce this week. The adventure was packed with incredible experiences, from witnessing a solar eclipse to enjoying horseback riding. The students also explored Devil's Island on a hike and topped off their day with a boat ride. It was a memorable day of learning outside the classroom for the students! The opportunity was made possible thanks to an IDEA grant that Ms. Hughes received through the WFISD Foundation.

Jefferson students have had an amazing year with their PALS from Rider High School! The PALS program is such a blessing to the Jaguars, and the time and effort the PALS put into both building and modeling positive relationships is greatly appreciated. Jefferson PALees gave their PALS a card to show their love and appreciation for all the ways their PALS helped them to shine this year.

Yahretzy Aldana and Antonio Gonzales are observing the eclipse through a pinhole projector, while Kaidyn Martin opts for protective glasses for her viewing experience. Meanwhile, Ann James and Lexi Jacobson are utilizing eclipse viewers provided by Bucee's and the Houston Museum of Natural History. Mrs. Graham and her students are also gathered, delighting in the celestial event together.

West Foundation's Solar Eclipse exhibit sheds light on Alma Thomas, a figure renowned for her dual roles as a scientist and an art instructor, with a keen focus on astronomy. Alongside her, the exhibit highlights the contributions of another eminent artist and scientist, Leonardo da Vinci, who was particularly fascinated with the intricacies of human anatomy.

Last week, players from the MSU football team visited McNiel Middle School to engage and mentor students. They spent time during lunch hours talking with the students, offering guidance and companionship. Thank you, MSU football!

UIL Academics had great success at the District Meet on April 5-6. We congratulate the following students and teams:

Computer Science - Jun Park (1st Place), Evan Liang (2nd Place), Rider High School (1st Place Team)

Copy Editing - Sadiqa Islam (5th Place)

Current Issues & Events - Abid Ali Sayed (1st Place), Rider High School (1st Place)

Feature Writing - Allison Calvert (2nd Place), Beckham Nobles (6th Place)

Literary Criticism -Ben Kemp (1st Place), Maegan Roberson (2nd Place), Kate Swiger (4th Place), Damaya Phillips (6th Place), Rider High School (1st Place)

Mathematics - Jun Park (1st Place), Chaitan Reddy (5th Place), Rider High School (1st Place Team)

News Writing - Allison Calvert (2nd Place)

Number Sense - Chaitan Reddy (1st Place), Mahdi Kabir (2nd Place), Sai Chada (4th Place), Rider High School (1st Place)

Persuasive Speaking - Elizabeth Teruel-Figueroa (6th Place)

Poetry Interpretation - Cheran Hooper (2nd Place), Elizabeth Teruel-Figueroa (5th Place)

Prose Interpretation - Leila Dillard (4th Place), Isabelle Roe (6th Place)

Speech Team Overall - Rider High School (3rd Place)

Science - Zara Farooq (2nd Place), Evan Liang (4th Place), Vincent Doan (5th Place), Anh Tran (6th Place), Rider High School (2nd Place)

Biology Top Scorers - Zara Farooq, Evan Liang, Anh Tran, Florances Qiu

Chemistry Top Scorers - Evan Liang, Anh Tran, Mahdi Kabir

Physics Top Scorer - Vincent Doan

Academics Overall for the District - Rider High School (2nd Place)

Again, congratulations to the students and coaches on their success, and thank you to the Rider faculty and staff who made these achievements possible.

High school students were treated to the Global Eats program in WFISD kitchens this week. Each day of the week, a new country was featured on the Create line (with all of the usual offerings still available as well). From Korean inspired bulgogi tacks to Italian flatbread pizza, students enjoyed the opportunity to try something new! Executive Chef Ravyn Moore was featured on KFDX talking about the program.

The moment when a father returns from deployment is truly extraordinary! Sheppard Elementary was thrilled to share in Jairilys Martinez's joy as her father made a heartwarming surprise visit to her school after being away on deployment for a year. "Serving as a supportive school community for the Martinez family during his absence has been an honor," said Sheppard Elementary principal Cindy Waddell. "We at Sheppard are deeply grateful for his service."

Franklin students were able to rock out April 8-12 for "Rock the STAAR" week! The kindergarten, first, and second grade classes worked on their writing skills to make posters and affirmations to encourage and motivate Franklin students who will soon be taking STAAR assessments. Third, 4th, and 5th grade students reviewed reading skills with rock music-themed tasks and activities. Generous parents and community members donated rock star supplies for every student that included a VIP backstage pass, star glasses, bandanas, and colorful hair clips. Students, staff, and faculty were encouraged to dress as rock stars. Faculty and staff members created their own rock star stage name that was featured on a star for the Franklin Wall of Fame!

Shout out to the Morgan family for earning a Nintendo Switch for participating in the Sheppard Elementary School fundraiser. CMSgt Morgan, father of the students, was very proud of the work his kids did to help raise funds for the campus. "Sheppard families are amazing at supporting school activities," said Sheppard Elementary principal Cindy Waddell.

Zundy Elementary is grateful to Jefe's Mexican Restaurant for their generous donation of a meal that allowed the paraprofessional team the opportunity to share a lunch together as part of Paraprofessional Appreciation Day. "A huge thank you to our Paraprofessionals for their invaluable support to both teachers and students," said Zundy principal, Becky Hernandez.

Franklin 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders enjoyed a special "Rock the STAAR" Rally on Tuesday, April! Ward Roberts, aka DJ Ward Up, was host for the event. The students enjoyed fun callbacks and watching their teachers battle it out in some silly competitions. The rally also included videos featuring test taking tips from Franklin kindergartners, Franklin teachers, and celebrities such as Olivia Rodrigo and Beyonce. The grand finale was a live performance by the teachers of an original song titled "Rock the STAAR" written to the tune of Taylor Swift's "Shake it Off." The goal of the rally was to encourage students to do their best on their upcoming STAAR tests in a fun and memorable way!

This week, fifth-grader Asa Arevalo proudly displayed her mother Erica's tennis jersey from her time at Zundy Junior High. Since 2013, Zundy has transitioned to serve as an elementary school.

Sergio Maldonado of La Familia Cutz partnered with Kate Burgess Elementary School this week to provide haircuts for students! "The kids looked so handsome and are really proud of their haircuts," said Burgess administrator Kerris Shillingford.

Milam Elementary's Kindergarten classes celebrated a STEAM day by engaging in a series of rotating stations set up in various classrooms. Each student had the opportunity to explore the STEAM bus, diving into hands-on learning experiences. Additionally, they embarked on a creative STEAM project using cereal boxes. The fun didn't stop there; before arranging the boxes into a domino trail along the hallway, they enjoyed a tasty cereal snack. Both the children and staff thoroughly enjoyed the day's activities, marking it as a memorable experience.

In Mrs. Renfroe's 4th grade class at Cunningham Elementary, a unique carnival-themed incentive system is in place to inspire students and acknowledge their achievements. Mrs. Renfroe awards tickets to students for behaviors that meet her expectations. For instance, a student might earn a ticket for actively participating by raising their hand to answer a question or by assisting a fellow student with their assignment. Moreover, tickets are also distributed for outstanding academic achievements or any other area Mrs. Renfroe wishes to promote. These tickets play a crucial role during the "store day" or carnival-themed event, where students have the opportunity to exchange their accumulated tickets for various rewards. The rewards vary from small items like stickers and pencils to the privilege of choosing a fun class activity. This system is Mrs. Renfroe's way of celebrating her students' progress and establishing a clear link between positive actions and rewards. Such a system of positive reinforcement motivates students to strive for excellence and adhere to class expectations in an enjoyable manner.

Sophomores in Jessica Studer's Honors English II classes participated in a Book Tasting this week at Rider. They were able to "sample" eight different books before making their final decision. The books will be part of their final six weeks research project. According to Mrs. Studer, "The students loved having the opportunity to choose for themselves which book resonated with them most and were very engaged in the whole process." She added, "I look forward to this every year because it is such a joy to see students so excited about books and reading. They love having a voice in what they will be studying."

On Tuesday, April 9, Rider High School's Guitar Ensemble traveled to Austin for the annual ACG Concert and Sight Reading contest, which attracts many of the top high school and middle school guitar programs from across Texas. Their performance impressed judges and earned superior ratings. In the accompanying photo, the Rider guitarists proudly display the "Professional Performance" plaque awarded to outstanding groups from the event.

Dr. Lee delivered breakfast this week to the staff at JJAEP. This breakfast was sponsored by Grand Canyon University.

CEC Entrepreneurship students are diving into an exciting pop-up business venture at the Wichita Falls Downtown Farmers Market. After doing some research, business planning, financial calculations, and strategic marketing efforts, they are now poised and ready for business. You can show your support for our students by attending the Market Day Event on April. Don't miss the opportunity to be a part of their entrepreneurial journey.

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.