Irving ISD News Brief

• New Superintendent for Irving ISD  
  During a special called meeting March 12, the Irving ISD Board of Trustees unanimously approved the employment contract with Dr. Dana T. Bedden.  During the meeting, Bedden accepted and signed the contract that will take effect July 1. He will replace Dr. Neil Dugger, who has served as interim superintendent since April 20, 2009.  Bedden was announced as lone finalist for the position of IISD superintendent February 18. He currently serves as superintendent of Richmond County School System in Augusta, Georgia. A native of Florida, Bedden earned a Bachelor of Science degree from University of Florida and Master of Education degree from Pennsylvania State University. He earned a Doctor of Education in educational leadership and policy studies from Virginia Tech University.
• Science Collaborative Honors Teachers  
  Chandra Maxey and Maria Martinez, science teachers at Cardwell Career Preparatory Center, and Athena Bivens, special education teacher at Schulze Elementary School, were honored February 18 by the Regional Collaborative for Excellence in Science Teaching (RCEST).  Hosted at University of North Texas, the mission of the organization is “to provide the North Texas area with a cadre of teachers who can make science activities a meaningful learning experience for students through a hands-on, minds-on approach.” Maxey, Martinez and Bivens were honored for their years of participation in the collaborative, and for the volume of professional development hours accrued through the program. Maxey has participated for four years, accruing 600 hours; Martinez has participated for two years and has accrued 180 hours; and Bivens has participated …
• Sims Named McDonalds All-American 
  Odyssey Sims, senior at MacArthur High School, has been selected to participate in the 2010 McDonald’s All-American High School Basketball Games.  Sims will attend a send-off celebration at 7 p.m. March 23 at the McDonald’s located at 5722 West Lovers Lane in Dallas. Selected to play on the Girls West Team, Sims will be joined locally by two other high school seniors. Tiffany Moore, senior at Frisco High School, will also play on the Girls West Team. Selected to play on the Boys East Team is Perry Jones III, senior at Duncanville High School. Cathy Self-Morgan, girls’ basketball head coach at Duncanville High School, will serve as co-head coach the Girls West Team. Elesha Walker, Duncanville junior-varsity girls’ basketball coach and varsity assistant, will serve as Girls West assistant head coach.  Sims was named 2010 State Farm/WBCA High School …
• Census Poster Winners
  Students from Irving ISD won in the City of Irving 2010 Census Poster Contest and will be recognized at the city council meeting at 7 p.m. April 1.  First, second and third place winners were selected from more than 2,300 entries from 27 Irving ISD schools and the Irving Public Library system. Additionally students will win trophies, cash prizes and class pizza parties as a result of participation. For the complete list of students winning a top award in the city’s 2010 Census Poster Contest, access www.irvingisd.net/articles/census2010.htm.  The U.S. Census makes an effort to count every resident in the United States, and is required by the Constitution to take place every 10 years. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the 2010 Census will help communities receive more than $400 billion in federal funds each year for things such as …
• Wizard of Oz
  Singley Academy Choir will present The Wizard of Oz at 7 p.m. April 8, 9 and 10 in the auditorium at Singley Academy.  Tickets are $10 for adults, $7 for students and seniors, and $5 for children 10 and under. Singley Academy is located at 4601 N. MacArthur. For more information, call 972-600-5986.
• School Climate Survey for Staff
  Irving ISD is cooperating with the National Center for School Leadership in conducting an online School Climate & Culture Survey of professional and paraprofessional staff members at all IISD schools and central support offices.  The survey marks the first time in several years that a district-wide survey of school climate and culture has been conducted in Irving ISD. The participation of all professional and paraprofessional staff members is encouraged, and survey responses are anonymous.  The survey will be available until April 2, is administered online, and should take approximately 10-15 minutes to complete. Irving ISD staff and faculty are encouraged to access the School Climate & Culture Survey at www.ncfsl.org/survey/index.php?sid=91895&lang=en.
• Application Deadline April 19 for IISD Credit By Examination
  April 19 is the application deadline for the Irving ISD summer administration of Credit By Examination (CBE) for advancement in grades kindergarten through 12. CBE evaluates mastery of the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) for a particular subject or grade level.  At the elementary level (K-5), options include acceleration from kindergarten to first grade and skipping a grade level in grades 1-5. At the secondary level (6-12), the following options are available: (1) Without Prior Instruction & (2) With Prior Instruction.  Applications and information are available from the student’s school counselor. Testing dates will be June 7-9 at Johnston Elementary School, 2801 Rutgers in Irving. For additional information, see attached files regarding the application process, or access www.irvingisd.net/ppage/credit_by_exam.htm.
• Medals for Nimitz Students  
  John Stich, honorary consul general of Japan at Dallas, presents medals on behalf of Ichiro Fujisaki, Japanese ambassador to the United States, in recognition of the insightful questions posed by Nimitz students to the ambassador at the Fort Worth Club February 18. Pictured are (from left) Nimitz Principal Rick Nolly, Social Studies Teacher Helen Bradley, Nabila Alam, Mauricio Valdovinos, Minh Duc Le, Andres Hernandez, and Consul General Stich.
• Endgame  
  Victor Moreno, member of the Singley Academy chess team, executes a checkmate at St. Vincent’s Episcopal School Spring Chess Tournament March 6. Moreno and teammates Elijah Brooks, Jeremiah Cate, Nirjan Chapagain, and Aisha Ojha won first place in their division at the tournament.
• Honor Band Opens Conference  
  The Crockett Middle School Honor Band was selected to perform at the opening general session of the Texas Middle School Association Annual Conference in Arlington March 5.
• Reading with Their Boots On  
  Gilbert Elementary School Principal Michael Crotty (foreground) acts out the role of Slim Jim Watkins from Why Cowboys Sleep with their Boots On as Interim Superintendent Dr. Neil Dugger (background) reads the story for students at Brown Elementary School March 12.
• Students Provide Haiti Help  
  Students in Spanish and Advanced Placement Spanish classes at Lamar Middle School raised $800 to be donated for relief efforts in Haiti.
• Texas Public Schools Week Events  
  Parents at Good Elementary School visited their students in physical education classes during Texas Public Schools Week March 10. Pictured doing the “Chicken Dance” are Damian Preiss and his mother Sara Rosario.  Kinnadi Franco (left), sixth grader at Bowie Middle School, and her parents visit with Tori Sears, sixth grade math teacher, at the school’s open house March 9.  Parents at Houston Middle School complete the online School Climate & Culture Survey during open house March 9.

Source: District Weekly