2015 HORIZONS Student Showcase

The Berry Center hosted the 2015 HORIZONS Student Showcase on April 13. This annual event featured approximately 900 CFISD students representing grades 1-12 and 390 projects. Students demonstrated their advanced-level products to more than 4,000 visitors.

Additional photos from the event are available on the CFISD Facebook page.

Gleason ES Rodeo Day

Cesar Deleon appears as a larger-than-life cowboy along with his handler Elizabeth Guerrero at the Gleason ES Rodeo Day event.

Students at Gleason ES recently enjoyed a special Rodeo Day event courtesy of the Houston Rodeo Committee. Each year, during rodeo season, committee members select campuses to visit and present educational and entertaining stations for students. Gleason teacher Pam Salley submitted the school as a possible location for such a visit. Campuses are evaluated prior to selection to make sure the schedule and space requirements can be met. 

On the day of the event, stations were set up and overseen by more than 20 volunteers from the rodeo committee. Each booth had a theme, covering such topics as rodeo history, cowboy life and cattle ranching. Student groups had the opportunity to experience each station, transitioning between them every 25 minutes. The sound of galloping horse hooves was played over the school PA system to signal students when it was time to transition. As part of the festive occasion, students were encouraged to come to school in western wear.

“All of our students, from pre-K through fifth-grade, really enjoyed each station,” said Nancy Skinner, Gleason secretary. “We look forward to hosting this event again.”

Campuses must wait three years after hosting a Rodeo Day event before they are eligible to be selected again. 

Gleason students (L-R) Vincent Guarino and Londyn Bean have a chance to try out western dancing after hearing a presentation about its place in rodeo history.

Lillian Meche shows off her dance skills and western wear at the Gleason ES Rodeo Day event.

Melanie Rodriguez displays her drawing of a longhorn steer at a Rodeo Day arts and crafts station.

Explore UT

A group of Thornton MS students attended Explore UT at the University of Texas at Austin on March 7. The annual, day-long event is advertised as the biggest open house in Texas and features many attractions for students of all ages. Campus tours, including education facilities and residence halls, provide students a chance to explore post-secondary education options. Students, educators and families are also able to experience museum exhibits, an interactive science presentation and the Children's International Festival, among other educational attractions.

Read more about Explore UT on the University of Texas at Austin website.

CFISD Bus Road-e-o

The annual Bus Road-e-o is scheduled for March 28 at the Eldridge Transportation Center. The event will begin at 7:30 and feature fun activities for the whole family. The CFISD community is invited to attend and enjoy free food, music, face-painting and more.

The highlight of the event will be the bus driving competitions. CFISD bus drivers will demonstrate their prowess behind the wheel and their knowledge of bus safety. The competition is judged by a group of volunteers composed of staff members, assistant directors and former drivers.

Additional information about this event can be found in a previous article on the the Employee Connection blog.  

TSPRA Conference

Members of the CFISD communication team are recognized at the TSPRA conference on Feb. 25, 2015, including (L-R, back) Mitzi Loera, Gary Durrenberger, Leslie Francis, Rosario Meehan, Stephanie Migl, Stephen Biller and (L-R, front) John Taylor, Kim Foster, Nicole Ray and Joel Weckerly.  

CFISD staff from the communication, community engagement and community programs departments attended the annual Texas School Public Relations Association (TSPRA) conference in San Antonio Feb. 24-26. Conference attendees were able to participate in learning sessions covering a variety of topics directly impacting their field of work. Districts from across the state submit publications, photographs and video productions from the previous year to be judged by panels of experienced Texas public school employees. On the last night of the conference, an award ceremony is held recognizing submissions that were selected for awards.

Representatives from CFISD received a total of 28 awards during this year's ceremony. Gary Durrenberger, CFISD photographer, received his fourth Best in Class award for sports action photograph Missed It By That Much. For its work on the 2014 $1.2 billion Bond referendum, the entire communication team received a Crystal Award. The communication department was responsible for providing information to the community through print, internet and video during the months leading up to the Bond Election in May 2014.

Edit 3/24/15: The original post incorrectly had the number of awards at 24. This has been updated to the correct number.  

Chili Cookoff 2015

CFISD campuses kicked off the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo season in tasty fashion this month by hosting chili cook-off competitions. Many campuses got into the spirit by wearing western or chili-themed clothing. Teams prepared their special recipes and presented them for administrators and coworkers to sample. Celebrity judges, including Board members and CFISD administration, were on hand to help judge the competitions. Jeff LaCoke, Ault ES principal, can be seen in the photo at right tasting one of the entries at his campus.


Windfern HS

Windfern staff (L-R) Jennifer Gray, Debbie Huntsinger, Martha Strother and Wendy McAdow are the Hot Chili Cookers at Windfern's chili cookoff.

Teachers Jeremy Otey and Katie Sarzynski, celebrate winning the People's Choice award for their chili entry.

The Divalicious Divas (L-R, front) Carl Van Overdam, Tina Clinkenbeard, Jessica Nance, Karen Walters and (back) Monica James, LeiLani Natale and Kris Schrandt warn that their chili will "bring out the animal in you."

Lieder ES

Blanca Warner, bilingual aide, and Yarah Gonzalez-Hidalgo, teacher, show off their western garb at Lieder's chili cookoff.

Kathryn Gutierrez, campus secretary, celebrates the chili cookoff in style.

Lieder staff members (L-R) Karen Miller, Janet Weimann, Noreen Hughes and Christi Ferrell sample their coworkers' entries.  

Truitt MS

Dan Wilson and Nina Ortiz, assistant principals, are ready to try a bowl of chili from the Truitt cookoff.

The winning table decorations from Truitt feature a Sound the Alarm! theme. 

Jersey Village HS

(L-R) Stephanie Migl, CFISD director of communication; Martha Owens, H-E-B representative; and Ralph Funk, Jersey Village principal, take a break from their duties as event judges. 

Superintendent Fun Run Registration

Online registration is still open for the Superheroes for Kids Fun Run, set for Feb. 21 at the Berry Center. The fun-filled community event will feature several food trucks, over 30 vendor booths and attractions for all ages, including a toddler’s sidekick race, bounce houses, bungee jump and rock wall. The event raises funds for the Cy-Fair Educational Foundation (CFEF) and generated over $34,000 during its inaugural first year. 

Participants can help raise additional money for the CFEF by taking a brief test drive of the new Ram 1500 truck at the event. For every test drive, Northwest Dodge will donate $20 to the foundation.

More information about this event can be found on the district website.

2015 Bus Road-e-o

The transportation department will host the annual School Bus Safety Road-e-o event on Saturday, March 28 at the Eldridge Transportation Center at 7:30 a.m. Employees and their families are invited to attend this fun-filled event that will include music, contestant prizes, food and drinks. 

Held annually, the Road-e-o consists of 12 competitive events for bus drivers, including parallel parking, off-set alley, diminishing clearance and straight line—a challenging event where the bus must be aligned to allow front and rear dual wheels to travel between a row of tennis balls without disturbing them. After the driving events, participants will take a written exam. The competition will be officiated by a group of volunteer judges composed of staff members, assistant directors and former drivers.

The press release for last year's event can be found on the district website.

The top four places in the 2014 CFISD School Bus Safety Road-e-o qualified for the Gulf Coast Chapter of the Texas Association for Pupil Transportation (TAPT) School Bus Safety Road-e-o competition. Pictured are (L-R) Edgar Castiblanco, fourth-place alternate; Helen Nixon, third place; Linda Hair, runner-up; and Cody Smith, first place.

2015 Elementary Spelling Bee

Jenifer Jones, grades 2-5 English/language arts/social studies curriculum coordinator, congratulates Ellie Jung and Zayn McGhee at the Feb. 3 event. 

McFee ES fifth-grade student Zayn McGhee won first place in the 23rd round of the annual districtwide Elementary Spelling Bee by correctly spelling the word existential. Ellie Jung, fifth-grade student at Kirk ES, was runner-up. McGhee and Jung will compete in the Houston Public Media Spelling Bee on March 28. 

The full list of champions representing CFISD elementary schools is available in the press release on the district website. 

2014 Heart Walk

CFISD had 51 teams of staff, students and family members participate in the annual Heart Walk on Nov. 8, raising approximately $14,000 to date. Donations are still being accepted at www.nwharrisheartwalk.org.

Cy Ridge HS students hand out water bottles at the community event on Nov. 8.

Students represent PALs, Peer Assistance and Leadership program, at the 2014 Heart Walk.

Event attendees join CFISD high school dance groups near the DJ stage, one of the attractions at the event. 

Anthony MS Dedication

CFISD recognized the opening of its 18th middle school on Nov. 2 with a dedication ceremony honoring namesake Dr. David Anthony. Anthony was superintendent of CFISD from 2004-2011. CFTV produced a video recognizing his years of leadership. It premiered at the event and is now available on the CFISD Youtube channel.

David Anthony, ED.D. stands with Sherma Duck, principal, at the dedication of Anthony MS on Nov. 2. 

David Anthony, Ed.D. tours Anthony MS with two of his grandchildren at the dedication of the new school on Nov. 2.

Sock Hop

Keith ES celebrated its annual Sock Hop family event on Oct. 24. Principal Cheryl Fisher said it was the largest and most profitable to-date. Through donations from sponsors and a fundraising auction, the event generated approximately $27,000 for classroom needs and staff development. Keith ES staff plan, organize and run this event each year. 

The event started during the school day as students and staff dressed in 1950s-inspired outfits and enjoyed the rehearsals of the fourth- and fifth-grade music classes. In the evening, parents were invited to participate in a music program. This year, music instructional specialist David Kastor taught his 5th-grade students how to play a selection of 50s songs on acoustic guitar. 

"The Keith Sock Hop is not your typical school event," Fisher said. "It is a family experience that all ages enjoy. We celebrated our 10th Anniversary at Keith in August, and our annual Sock Hop is a tradition that the whole Keith community comes together for." 

Parents join fourth- and fifth-grade students for a musical program during the Keith ES Sock Hop on Oct. 24.

Hispanic Heritage Night

Sheridan staff members (standing, L-R) Anne Wilcox, Angelica Trejo, Joyce Boin, Melvina Dobard, Felicia Kucera, Elena Tackett and Veronica Gonzales; and (kneeling) Cindy Locke and Maria Hottensen prepare for a fun evening at Hispanic Heritage Night. 

The Sheridan ES parents, staff and students gathered at the school on Oct. 6 to celebrate the second annual Hispanic Heritage Night.

The event featured a mariachi band, Zumba and the Sheridan fifth-grade choir. The parents and students shared food, costumes and cultural fun facts from various countries. 

“It was an enjoyable evening,” said Anne Wilcox, Sheridan interim principal. “Sheridan celebrated the significant contributions that Latinos have made in the United States.”

Sheridan ES staff member Adriana Ramos dresses the part for the school’s second annual Hispanic Heritage Night on Oct. 6. 

Sheridan fourth-grade student Mahdiya Igbal and her family participate in Hispanic Heritage Night.

Sheridan fourth-grade student Caleb Daigle and kindergarten student Alexandra Daigle dress up for Hispanic Heritage Night.