AUGUST 29 , 2014 VOLUME 3 , ISSUE 1 Palestine Independent School District
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INSIDE THE ISSUE :
Message from our Superintendent
Thank you Welcome back Calendar
Produced by Palestine High School Printing and Imaging Technology :
• Ana Balderas
• Rozi Balderas pg . 1
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The Mission of Palestine Independent School District is to foster relationships that Excite , Engage , and Empower our students and community to achieve Excellence .
Palestine ISD enjoyed a great back to school week , beginning last Monday with a fantastic Convocation Service . Dave Weber entertained us with his hilarious impersonations , and left us all thinking about how we interact with our coworkers , families , and everyone around us , while kissing our frogs frequently !
It was exciting this week as we welcomed students for the 2014-15 school year . Thank you to everyone for sending your campus enrollment numbers , and we are pleased to see that enrollment ( 3,354 students ) is higher than it has been in over 10 years .
So many great things are happening in PISD , and it was nice to be able to share all about our district and what our students have available to them with Lion ’ s Club members this week .
First of all , we are very proud of our Board of Trustees for being named the Region VII school board of the year for 2014-15 . Their wealth of varied personal , business , community and board experiences contributes to a team who is responsive to its community ’ s needs and strongly committed to student success . Their philosophy of , “ If it is best for students , we will support it ”, has laid a strong foundation for the district ’ s students and the community of Palestine .
We are also pleased that the district has met the requirements in the first two years of the state ’ s new accountability standard ( 2012-2014 ), with PHS leading the geographic area for postsecondary readiness . PISD ’ s STEAM ( Science , Technology , Engineering , Art , and Math ) program teaches creative thinking to students in grades 6-12 while preparing students to pursue a course of study in engineering . Beginning this school year , the new LAUNCH
PISD School Board
Stanley Sokolowski- President
Janie Sepulveda- Vice President
Wildcat Weekly
Message from our
Superintendent : Jason Marshall
Dyna Tutt- Secretary
Michael Bennett program is available to grade K-5 students and will extend the STEAM concept to the early grade levels .
PISD is very proud of its 1:1 Technology Initiative providing students an iPad to use in class and at home . Currently , students in grades 4-12 receive iPads giving them access to learning 24 hours a day , 7 days a week , and students in K-3 will be receiving iPads in years to come . Additionally , the new TACE Program ( Texas After school Centers for Education ) provide academic enrichment opportunities for students before and after school , as well as during the summer .
For high school students , the CTE Program ( Career and Technical Education ) has grown by leaps and bounds . Recent renovations to the CTE facilities are helping to provide real world experiences in cosmetology , culinary arts , health sciences , and many others . Last year ’ s graduates earned 171 industrybased certifications in 12 of the 16 career pathways recognized by the state of Texas . New for 2014-15 is the development of a golf course management pathway for students , and the district looks forward to revitalizing the former Meadowbrook Country Club .
PISD shows its true commitment to helping students transition into college and / or the workforce by providing free tuition for high school students taking courses at Trinity Valley Community College . High school students earn these credits through Wildcat University , and during the 2013-14 school year , PISD students earned 2,184 college hours , 707 courses were completed by the senior class , and 23 seniors were able to graduate core complete ( 48 + college hours ) in June , 2014 .
Palestine ISD an exciting place for students with many opportunities to prepare them for a career in the 21 st century workforce . The Palestine ISD staff is the best around and I ’ m looking forward to see what we will accomplish in 2014-15 . Have a great year !
Rickey Ferguson
Dana Staples Wade Hobbs