What: 100-year-old Jackie Driesslein, a former San Antonio school teacher, will help first graders at Behlau Elementary School celebrate the 100th day of school. Ms. Driesslein will do a Q&A with students about what it's like to be 100 years old.

When: 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 1

Where: Behlau Elementary School, 2355 Camp Light Way, 78245 (school phone number is 398-1000)

Note: Lots of elementary campuses throughout San Antonio celebrate the 100th day of the school year with fun events for the student. This particular event is fairly unique and was organized by Behlau first grade teacher Justin Uting, who is a family friend of Ms. Driesslein.

Students, staff, parents, and community members who are looking for ways to support public education can register now for the Save Texas Schools San Antonio Conference Feb. 3-4 at the Northside Activity Center and Holmes High School.

Sessions include: "Understanding the Education Funding Crisis," "Developing and Supporting Pro-Education Legislators," "Sharpening the Education Message," and "How to Hold a House/Neighborhood Meeting." There is also a special youth track for high school and college students. A panel discussion with San Antonio area school superintendents and school board members is also planned.

Speakers include NISD Superintendent John Folks, San Antonio Mayor Julian Castro, Rep. Mike Villarreal, and Sen. Leticia Van de Putte.

Advance registration is free on Friday night (though a $10 donation is suggested), $10 for Saturday-only, or $20 for the entire conference.

For more info and to register, please visit the Save Texas Schools website.

WHAT: VIA Metropolitan Transit will unveil a new "wrap" and new video for the agency's Classroom on Wheels bus. Blattman fifth grader Alexis Cortez is featured in the video.

WHEN: 1:30 p.m., Wednesday, Jan. 25

WHERE: Blattman Elementary School, 3300 North Loop 1604 West (near Bitters Road)

WHO: Blattman students, Buster the Bus mascot, VIA President/CEO Keith T. Parker, and Blattman Principal Carin Adermann

WHY: VIA's Classroom on Wheels is part of an educational program that teaches children about the benefits of public transportation and how to ride the bus safely. The specially-designed "green" hybrid bus serves as a mobile classroom that visits schools and events, providing hands-on educational presentations to about 40,000 children each year.

MORE INFO: http://www.viainfo.net/Community/Cow.aspx

Dr. John Folks, a passionate advocate for Texas public education who has led Northside ISD for the past decade, announced today that he is retiring at the end of the school year. Click here for the full story.

More than 140 underprivileged children will experience the joy of the holiday season, thanks to students and staff at Jay High School.

On Tuesday and Wednesday (Dec. 13 & 14), Jay students will take children from seven nearby elementary schools shopping from 9:15 to 10:45 a.m. at Payless Shoe Source and Big Lots Discount Store, 1777 SW Loop 410.

Each elementary student will get $25 for shoes and $25 for toys from funds donated by local businesses and Jay students and staff. After the shopping spree, the students will enjoy lunch provided by Jay's Family Consumer Sciences Department.

The shoe and toy drive is one of the oldest school-based holiday charity traditions in San Antonio. The event has been an annual tradition for Jay since the school opened in 1967. Calvin Buchholtz, Jay science teacher and Student Council sponsor, has organized the event for the past 44 years.

Drama teachers from nine NISD middle schools have organized a performance of Micheal Jackson's "Thriller" that will be performed downtown on Main Plaza from 5:30-6:30 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 3.

This performance is being called "Thrill for a Mill" with the hope of raising one million pounds of donated canned goods for the San Antonio Food Bank. Everyone is invited to come downtown to see the performance and to donate any canned food item. 

Schools participating this year are Briscoe, Connally, Jefferson, Luna, Neff, Pease, Rudder, Stevenson, and Zachry middle schools.

For additional information on the performance, contact the NISD Fine Arts Department at 397-8814

What: Public hearing on boundary change proposal

When: 7 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 20

Where: Pease Middle School, 201 Hunt Lane, 78245

Why: The Board of Trustees is considering a proposal to move students living in the Trails of Westlakes, Westlakes Villas, and Gardenbrook Duplexes from Hatchett ES to Meadow Village ES to relieve overcrowding at Hatchett ES. The proposal also includes associated boundary changes at the middle and high school levels. For maps and details about the proposed boundary changes, visit the District’s boundaries website.

What: Public hearing on boundary change proposal

When: 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 13

Where: Rayburn Middle School, 1400 Cedarhurst, 78227

Why: The Board of Trustees is considering a proposal to move students living in the Sunset neighborhood from Fisher ES to Michael ES to relieve overcrowding at Fisher ES. The School Boundary Advisory Committee will make a recommendation to the Board of Trustees, which is expected to vote on the proposal Oct. 25. For a map and details about the proposal, visit the District’s boundaries website.

What: Kickoff for the Safe Routes to School program, funded by a $1.2 million TxDOT grant

When: 9 a.m., Wednesday, Oct. 5

Where: Powell Elementary, 6003 Thunder Drive, 78238

Who: Mayor Julian Castro will join dozens of NISD elementary and middle school students, Superintendent John Folks, School Board President Karen Freeman, and Powell Principal De''Ann Upright.

What: Remember that 80s song called the "Safety Dance?" Well, in NISD, they''re doing the Safety Walk and the Safety Bike Ride thanks to a $1.2 million grant from the Texas Department of Transportation.

The grant money will be used at four campuses to make sure that students who walk or bike to school get there safely. The campuses are: Neff Middle School , Glass Elementary School , Glenoaks Elementary School , and Powell Elementary School.

The grant will fund sidewalk improvement projects at Neff and Glass, and all four schools will see improvements to crosswalks and traffic signs. Funds also will be used for activities such as bike rodeos and "walking school buses."

Visuals:

Bike show - Teachers will bring their bikes to school to promote bike safety and to encourage students to ride their bikes to school. The bikes will be on display and will include "bios" so that students can learn more about cycling.
Bike give-away - Grand prize winners of a poster contest will be awarded brand new bikes from Walmart
The Walk - The kickoff event will culminate with a short walk to encourage all students to get moving!

More info: Northside ISD's Safe Routes to School website, http://www.nisd.net/safe-routes/

Agricultural lessons will make math and science come to life for more than 1,400 NISD fourth grade students when O'Connor High School holds the Ag in Action fair Oct. 4-6.

Ag in Action runs from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday (Oct. 4, 5, and 6) at O'Connor High School, 12221 Leslie Road, 78023. The fair will run continuously from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. except during lunch, which is 10:30 to 11:15 a.m.

Over the course of the three-day event, fourth graders will visit various stations where O'Connor students will give them hands-on lessons in wildlife and aquatics, soil and water conservation, nutrition and fiber research, plant and animal growth, animal production, and plant systems and germination. About 300 high school students will serve as presenters and tour guides.

The purpose of Ag in Action is to help students connect their classroom experiences with real-world applications, and this year's focus is on math and science. Since 1998, more than 27,400 fourth graders and 6,100 high school students have participated in this annual event and raised $424,000 in scholarships.

What: Diez y Seis de Septiembre
Celebration at Wanke Elementary School
When: 8:30 to 10 a.m., Friday, Sept. 16
Where: Wanke Elementary School, 10419 Old Prue Road, 78249
Who: Mexican Consulate Sr. Armando Ortiz Rocha, La Banda de Guerra from Jaurez, Mexico, and Ballet Folklorico from Pease Middle School will help commemorate the beginning of the war for Mexican independence

The campus of Stevens High School will come alive with ambulances, sirens, screams, and (fake) blood during an enactment of "Shattered Dreams" on Wednesday, March 9 at 10:30 a.m.

Sponsored by the Student Council, members will take the roles of the dead, injured, and drunk driver taken to jail.

With Spring Break next week and many accidents involving teenagers occurring around Bexar County, the Shattered Dreams program is a timely and relevant event according to Harold Maldonado, Stevens principal.

Shattered Dreams, a school-based program sponsored by the Bexar County DWI Task Force, promotes responsible decision-making by high school juniors and seniors, with the emphasis on the dangers of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

Shattered Dreams features a mock auto crash with responses from Air Life, EMS, SAPD, Fire Rescue and the DPS. In addition, the "drunk driver" will be arrested and processed at the Bexar County Women's Correctional Center. The "fatalities" will be placed in body bags and transported to the morgue. And, the other participants in the "car accident" will be transported to hospitals.

Very visual event for media...timely with Spring Break happening next week.

186 Northside ISD teachers will be deemed "Simply the Best" at the district's Educators of the Year celebrations, to be held at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday nights at Marshall High School.

Every year, all NISD schools nominate a first-year educator of the year and a veteran educator of the year who are recognized by the superintendent and the Board of Trustees at a special ceremony.

The ceremony has been dubbed "Simply the Best," because the campus winners enter the Marshall Auditorium movie premier-style to Tina Turner's famous song by the same name.

The highlight of the ceremony will be the announcement of the district-wide Educators of the Year and the Northside nominee for the Trinity Prize for Excellence in Education.

Because of the popularity and high attendance of the event, the ceremony has been divided into three nights:

• Middle & high school teachers will be honored at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 8.
• First year elementary teachers will be recognized at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 9.
• Veteran elementary teachers will be recognized at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, March 10

All three ceremonies will be held at Marshall High School, 8000 Lobo Lane. For a list of all the campus educators of the year, go to this link

With Spring Break next week, students might be thinking of taking off a day or two early. But, Holmes High School is hoping to entice students to stay in school by offering a full week of "Fun in the Sun" activities and prizes.

"Holmes students are already doing great with their attendance," says Martha Singleton, Journalism teacher and coordinator of the event. "This will be something fun to add a little color and excitement to the week before break."

The week-long contest is based on a point system based on attendance, participation, and game contests.

Each day has a theme, such as:

• Monday is "School Rocks" day so students can dress up like the 50's & 60's and play "soda Shop Shuffle" at lunch.
• Tuesday is "Every Day Counts," where students dress up like a kid, or a character from a kids show.
• Wednesday is "Here, You're Someone," and students can dress like a famous person and try to amass a fortune to go with the game in lunch time games.
• Thursday, the "Invest in Your Future" theme means to dress as someone from the future, or outer space. Students can sign up for the planet orbit relay at lunch.
• Friday is "Viva Great Attendance," when students dress for a Fiesta.

Grand prizes will be awarded at the end of school on Friday.

More than 1,000 Northside ISD athletes will go for the gold at this week's annual Special Olympics Track & Field Meet.

The Special Olympics meet will be held 9:45 a.m. to 1:30 p.m Monday through Friday (March 7-11) at Gustafson Stadium, located in the Hardin Athletic Complex at Culebra Road and Loop 410.

Events include: 50-meter dash, 100-meter dash, 200-meter dash, 400-meter relay, softball throw, Turbojav, and standing long jump.

Here's the schedule:

• Reddix Center athletes: Monday, March 7
• High school athletes: Tuesday, March 8
• Middle school athletes: Wednesday, March 9
• Elementary athletes: Thursday and Friday, March 10 & 11

  Each day, the Parade of Athletes and opening ceremonies will begin at 9:45 a.m. Competition and the awards ceremony will wrap up by 1:30 p.m. each day.

What: Art Walk
When: Tuesday, March 8 from 6-7:30 p.m.
Where: Carnahan Elementary School, 6839 Babcock

Almost 50 professional and amateur artists representing visual arts, music, literature, and photography will showcase and work with students to let them explore the world of fine arts. This free event gives Carnahan students the opportunity to see beautiful art, and create a lot of "make and take" projects. Areas of art include mask painting, anime cartooning, folk art dolls, weaving, bottle cap art, sumi painting, pottery, fiber art, and many others.

Lots to do, very visual. Reporter could get his/her hands dirty and participate!

What: Hundreds of students, alumni, and former employees will gather together to celebrate the opening of a new auditorium in the oldest Northside High School
When: Tonight (Thursday, March 3) at 7 p.m.
Where: Marshall High School auditorium, 8000 Lobo Lane (on Eckhert between Bandera & Huebner Rds)
Who: In an inaugural performance on the new stage, drama, music, dance, choir, band, and orchestra students will dedicate the new fine arts facility.

• Five former principals will be in attendance.
• Northside High School (renamed Marshall High School in 1960) opened in 1950.
• The auditorium was paid with funds from School Bond 2007

What: Jr. Duel in Ol' San Antonio competition
When: 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Saturday, March 5
Where: Northwest Vista College, Cypress College Center

APR? Refinancing? Loan Rates? Northside ISD high school students could probably teach grownups a thing or two about these complicated financial terms. Fortunately, the students will be competing against each other at the finals for the Jr. Duel in Ol' San Antonio on Saturday at Northwest Vista College.

In the competition, teams of four to six students essentially serve as financial planners for a make-believe family with real-life financial challenges. The teams will make presentations to a panel of local finance experts from 9:15 to 11:30 a.m. Lunch and an awards ceremony will follow.

The competition was developed by the CPA Society, Randolph-Brooks Federal Credit Union (RBFCU), and the Financial Planning Association with resources from the National Endowment for Financial Education. Students will showcase their financial acumen for goal-setting, budgeting, investing, debt, insurance, and career planning.

Of the 12 high schools in the finals, 10 are Northside ISD schools. They include: Brennan, Business Careers, Clark, Holmes, Jay, Marshall, O'Connor, Stevens, Taft and Warren high schools. Students from San Antonio ISD's Brackenridge High School and Southwest ISD's Southwest High School also will compete in the finals.

"With the financial uncertainties of the past year, the students I teach are more eager than ever to learn to manage their money properly," said Elda Olvera, RBFCU Financial Education Supervisor. The financial education students receive through the training program is a free resource provided to the districts by RBFCU's financial education team.

About Randolph-Brooks Federal Credit Union Established in 1952, Randolph-Brooks Federal Credit Union is a full-service financial institution whose mission is to improve members' economic well-being and quality of life. With assets exceeding $4.2 billion, RBFCU serves more than 345,000 members from 37 branch locations throughout South Central Texas.

About Northside ISD Northside ISD is one of the largest and most diverse school districts in Texas to be rated Recognized by the Texas Education Agency. With 109 schools and 94,702 students, NISD is the fourth largest school district in Texas and the 31st largest in the nation

What: Walter Gerlach Livestock Show and Auction
When: Thursday, Jan. 27 through Saturday, Jan. 29 (swine judging begins 8 a.m. Thursday; judging contest begins 10 a.m. Friday, and auction opening ceremonies begin at 10:30 a.m. Saturday)
Where: Walter Gerlach Livestock Show Barn, Babcock Road, 3.2 miles north of Loop 1604
More information: Click Here.

Since 1973, the Walter Gerlach Livestock Show has taught FFA and F-H students about agriculture production and important lessons about responsibility, work ethic and money management. Over the past 35-plus years, the show has raised more than $8 million in college scholarships for students. About 300 to 350 students and their families participate.

Middle school drama teachers from across NISD have organized a performance of Micheal Jackson's "Thriller" that will be performed downtown on Main Plaza from 5:30-7 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 4.

This performance is being called "Thrill for a Mill" with donations of canned goods being solicited for the San Antonio Food Bank. Everyone is invited to come downtown to see the performance and to donate any canned food item.

For additional information on the performance, contact the NISD Fine Arts Department at 397-8814.

What:	Construction Careers Academy dedication
When:	6:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 28
Where:	Construction Careers Academy, on the Warren High School campus, 9411 Military Dr. West
Visuals:	Students, staff and specialized classroom/labs designed for hands-on learning

Construction Careers Academy, Northside ISD's fifth magnet school, now has a home. A 42,000-square-foot building on the Warren High School campus was completed this summer and will be officially dedicated Thursday night.

Almost 300 students currently attend Construction Careers, which prepares students for employment in construction-related occupations. The curriculum is geared to students who want to attend a four-year college, start a career, or both.

Construction Careers Academy began offering classes to students last year at Warren High School. Students will continue to take core classes and participate in extracurricular activities at Warren but now head to the new CCA building for construction-related classes.

In their junior year, students will choose from one of six areas of interest, called strands: construction, electrical trades, HVAC, plumbing/pipe fitting, architecture, and engineering.

Students can to earn industry-recognized credentials and college credit through course work emphasizing math, safety, print reading, the use of tools, construction methods and materials, and project management.

Funding for the CCA building comes from School Bond 2007. CCA is the brainchild of the 2007 Citizens' Bond Committee, which recommended NISD establish this one-of-a-kind school to meet the need for highly skilled workers and to provide a launching ground for advanced studies in college.

NISD's other magnet schools include Business Careers High School, Communications Arts High School, Health Careers High School and Jay Science and Engineering Academy.

What:	Dedication of Jim G. Martin Elementary School, Northside ISD's first official environmentally-friendly school
When:	6:30 p.m., Wednesday, Oct. 13
Where:	Martin Elementary School, 730 Canterbury Dr., 78228
Who:	Namesake Jim Martin; Evelyn Cobarruvias, school principal; district officials; and Martin staff, students and families
Visuals:	Numerous environmentally-friendly features including native landscaping, recycled flooring material and energy-efficient windows, lighting and plumbing. In addition, students will perform a musical tribute to namesake Jim Martin.
On the web:	The dedication ceremony will be streamed live on the web at http://nisd.net/schools/info/189

Northside will dedicate its first "green" school Wednesday, also marking the first time the district has opened a new school inside Loop 410 since 1980.

The dedication ceremony will honor namesake Jim Martin, who dedicated his career to public education even though he was never a classroom teacher. An engineer by trade, Martin spent 30 years working for San Antonio area school districts, making sure children were educated in safe, durable, and energy-efficient schools.

After working for North East ISD and Judson ISD, Martin joined Northside in 1991, and throughout his two decades with the district, he oversaw the construction of more than 40 new schools and facilities. Martin's personal integrity and transparent building and bidding policies earned him the respect of architects, contractors and engineers across the region.

One of Martin's final projects was to push for construction of San Antonio's first official "green" school, to be built following the strict protocol established by the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) guidelines. The Board of Trustees then honored Martin's commitment to the environment by naming the school after him soon after he retired in 2008. For a list of what makes Martin Elementary a green school, please go to http://www.nisd.net/news/articles/872.

Martin Elementary School was built for 660 students and was constructed for $19.5 million with funding from School Bond 2007. It is one of five new Northside schools to open this year to accommodate enrollment, now at 94,702 and growing by about 3,000 students a year.

What:	Culinary Institute of America visits Jay High School
When:	10 a.m., Wednesday, Oct. 13
Where:	Jay High School, 7611 Marbach, 78227

What's cooking at Jay High School? The better question is who's cooking at Jay High School?

Three ambassadors from The Culinary Institute of America (CIA) in Hyde Park, NY and San Antonio will give NISD culinary students a taste of the real world when they visit Jay High School Wednesday, Oct. 13.

Certified Master Chef Fritz Sonnenschmidt, Pastry Chef Paul Prosperi, and Entrepreneur Arnym Solomon will share insights about careers in the foodservice and hospitality world and will also give cooking demonstrations for the students. They'll meet with about 400 students from Brandeis, Brennan, Clark, Holmes, Marshall, Taft, Warren and Jay high schools.

The cooking demos, which begin at about 10 a.m., will be the best, most visual time for media coverage.

Chef Sonnenschmidt is one of 60 Certified Master Chefs in the United States. He retired as culinary dean in 2002 after 34 years with the CIA. As one of the three longest serving faculty members in the history of the college, he was named a CIA Heritage Professor in 2006. Fritz is a member of the Hall of Fame of the American Academy of Chefs and was the 1994 American Culinary Federation Chef of the Year.

Before his 17 years of teaching at the CIA, Chef Prosperi was a pâtissier in Paris and in London, and pastry chef and manager at the Essex House in New York City.

Arnym Solomon is a trustee emeritus of the college, with more than 35 years experience in executive level foodservice management. In addition to teaching at the CIA and in Switzerland, he has worked for Hilton Corporation, Carlson Resorts Worldwide, Radisson Hotels, and others.

San Antonio is one of three CIA campuses in the United States. For more information, visit their website.

What:	Dedication of Dr. Pat Henderson Elementary School
When:	6:30 p.m., Wednesday, Oct. 6
Where:	14605 Kallison Bend, 78254
Who:	Namesake Pat Henderson; Thomas Mackey, school principal; district officials; and Henderson staff, students, and families
Visuals:	Students will perform a musical tribute to the namesake, and Pat Henderson and Principal Thomas Mackey will exchange special gifts.
On the web:	The dedication ceremony will be streamed live on the web.

Northside will dedicate its 66th elementary school Wednesday and will honor the District's former Director of Guidance and Counseling, who is recognized nationally and internationally as a trailblazer in her field.

Pat Henderson pushed for guidance counselors to play a much more critical role in the lives - and futures - of students. To that end, she developed the Comprehensive Guidance Program, which today is the model for state and national counseling guidelines.

Henderson served as Director of NISD Guidance and Counseling from 1982 to 2001, and during that time, the District was named one of the top 10 elementary guidance and counseling programs in the nation by the U.S. Department of Education.

Henderson has authored more than a dozen books and has received lifetime achievement awards from the American School Counselor Association and Texas Counseling Association. Later this fall, she'll also receive a lifetime honor from the Association for Counselor Education and Supervision.

What:	Eleven high-energy back-to-school pep rallies, aka "Convocations 2010"; theme: Positively Northside
When:	Aug. 17-20; 11 a.m. best time for media—come 30 minutes early for best visuals
Where:	Brennan High School auditorium, 2400 Cottonwood Way (outside 1604 near Alamo Ranch area)

About 13,000 teachers and staff members will gather at 11 pep rally-style Convocations to hear Superintendent John Folks' "charge to the troops" and to get revved up for the 2010-11 school year. Each Convocation will last about 90 minutes, but the most visual part is at the beginning.

These back-to-back convocations are an opportunity for Superintendent Folks to get "fact time" with all employees. Also, these rallies are designed to kick off the new school year, which begins Aug. 23.

Great visuals, loud music, lots of color, great interview opportunities!

Note to media: Parking is limited. Look for an NISD police officer and let him/her know that you are with the media.

On site contacts: Pascual Gonzalez (cell: 240-2108) or Monica Faulkenbery (cell: 846-4584).

Who:	Deaf dancers performing to live music
When:	Friday, July 30 at 7 p.m.
Where:	Clark High School Auditorium

Dancers from the San Antonio Deaf Dance Company (SADDC) will present "I Am Who I Was Born to BE," a choreographed dance performance with 55 middle and high school students from across San Antonio who are completing a four-week leadership camp. .

The show's performers and their teachers are hearing impaired and use mostly hand movements to communicate.

Though they cannot hear the music, it is not a barrier for the dancers. The students can feel the vibrations of the bass in the music, and use cues to know when to begin. Choreographers teach the steps to counts, and then repeat them over and over so that they can memorize the routine.

Admission is free, but donations are accepted. Clark High School is located at 5150 DeZavala Road.

For additional information on the performance and the SADDC program, refer to our news story about the performance.

Northside ISD's graduations come to a close on Friday with the 11th high school taking to the stage at the Alamodome.

This completes the graduations for over 5,400 seniors in NISD.

But here's a twist: when Louis Brandeis High School graduates, it will the school's first commencement. The school opened last year and this year's senior class of 450 students is the first to graduate, making this an historical event.

Graduation is Friday, June 11, 2010 at 4:00 p.m. at the Alamodome.

Walking and biking to school will soon be made easier thanks to the "Safe Routes to School" grant awarded to Northside ISD by the Texas Department of Transportation. The District received over $1.2 million for Glass Elementary, Powell Elementary, Glenoaks Elementary, and Neff Middle School.

Northside ISD was the only district to receive funding in San Antonio. The money received from this grant will be used for projects such as new or upgraded sidewalks, improved crosswalks and traffic signals and new or improved bicycle lanes at the designated schools.

"It's important that routes to schools in communities be safe for students," says Superintendent Dr. John Folks. "Those funds will help us do just that."

The "Safe Routes to School" program encourages children to walk and bicycle to school by making commuting safer and more appealing. The projects allow for improvements on safety and reduced traffic, fuel consumption, and air pollution near elementary and middle schools.

The Texas Transportation Commission approved 200 new federal Safe Routes to School projects, totaling more than $54.1 million to be used by local communities in Texas.

Warren High School

Warren's 2010 graduating class includes two sets of twins!

Three of the four girls hold the rank of one, two, and three.

(Salutatorian) Andrea and Adriana Zamora, ranked number two and three respectively, have the ability to understand and encourage each other that few can comprehend.

They have played soccer together since age four and have had almost identical class schedules throughout high school, including involvement in Academic Decathlon.

Both want to go on to medical school, but they will go their separate ways - one to Texas A&M in College Station; the other will enter the Air Force Academy.

(Valedictorian) Jennifer and her twin Jessica Singleton's story is noticeably different.

While one has been active in volleyball, pole-vaulting, and Academic Decathlon, the other is more into band and cross-country running.

Although Jennifer holds the number one spot in their class, Jessica is not far away, still within the top six percent.

They both want to pursue careers in the medical field, and will both attend Texas A&M in College Station in the fall.

Business Careers High School

Diana Pereda, valedictorian at Business Careers HS, has parents who have taught her about the spirit of possibilities and opportunities found in this country.

Her father was born in Guam and raised by his mother while the father served in Vietnam.

Her mother was born in Cambodia, and when she was nine years old, Pol Pot came to power and had over two million of his own people killed in what history has named "The Killing Fields."

She came to America as a refuge to escape the genocide.

Both parents wanted better things for their children, and have worked hard to ensure that their children gain a good education.

They both work in the school district too-her mother works in the cafeteria at Raba ES, and dad is a librarian at Westwood Terrace ES.

And now, their daughter is valedictorian of her class.

Clark High School

Clark High School has a couple of stories of potential interest.

• Their salutatorian, Won Guen "Johnny" Lee grew up in Korea.
• They have a Katrina student that will be graduating after overcoming a lot of obstacles.

For more information or assistance with setting up the stories, contact Monica Faulkenbery or Pascual Gonzalez at 397-8550.

When:	8 a.m. to noon, Monday, May 24
Where:	Helotes Elementary School, 13878 Riggs Road, 78023

Justin Olsen, a member of the four-man bobsled team that won the gold medal at the Vancouver Olympics, is coming home to San Antonio to help motivate students.

The 2005 O'Connor High School graduate will spend Monday morning at Helotes Elementary speaking to students about setting goals and the importance of teamwork.

Olsen, who also attended Braun Station Elementary School and Stevenson Middle School, helped bring home the first four-man bobsled gold medal for the United States in 62 years.

When:	6 to 7:30 p.m. Wednesday & Thursday (May 19-20)
Where:	Brandeis High School, 13011 Kyle Seale Pkwy, San Antonio, TX 78249

Hundreds of tech-savvy students will compete for a "Digi Award" at NISD's Digital Media Fair 2010. The Digital Media Fair recognizes and celebrates student work created through the use of technology including Web 2.0 tools, website design, and many video formats. Students from all over the district have submitted 1,100 entries in 14 multimedia categories. The top three projects in each category will be showcased at the award show.

The elementary fair will take place 6 to 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 19, and the middle and high school awards will be 6 to 7:30 p.m. Thursday, May 20, also at Brandeis High School. For more information, visit the Digital Media Fair webpage.

A major component of School Bond 2010 is student safety and school security.

The increased security measures are part of a $535 million bond proposal that will go before voters May 8. Early voting is April 26 - May 4.

A detailed list of proposed projects and more information is available online at the School Bond 2010 web site.

Early voting for Northside ISD's $535 million bond proposal continued through May 4, and Election Day is May 8.

Registered voters who live in Northside ISD can vote at any early voting site throughout the county. A list of early voting sites in Northside is posted on the School Bond 2010 informational web site. A complete list of early voting sites throughout the county is posted on the Bexar County Elections Department web site.

Polls also will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Election Day, May 8. However, on Election Day, voters must vote at their specific polling location.

School Bond 2010 would fund both new schools to manage the District's continuing growth as well as improvements to existing schools. The bond web site offers a detailed explanation and list of proposed projects.

The bond web site also includes information about the potential tax impact of the bond and a video about the bond proposal.

When:	7 to 8 p.m. Saturday, May 1, 2010
Where:	Paul Taylor Field House, 7001 Culebra Road (at Loop 410)

About 1,000 sixth, seventh, and eighth grade choir students from all 17 Northside ISD middle schools will sing and dance together in a special collaborative performance Saturday evening.

"Together We Sing" will feature popular Motown songs, and a live band, Soul Grammar, will accompany the students. NISD choral directors and teachers will serve as backup singers for the students.

Choreography is being provided by internationally recognized choral music educator John Jacobson.

The students will arrive at the Paul Taylor Field House 9 a.m. Saturday to rehearse in groups throughout the day. A full rehearsal with all 1,000 students is scheduled at 4:15 p.m.

Onsite contacts: David Cain, NISD Supervisor of Vocal Music K-12, or Bette Fisher, Stinson Middle School Choir Director

What:	Annual Texas Solar Car Races at Northside ISD
When:	9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, May 8
Where:	Gustafson Stadium, Loop 410 and Culebra Road

The public is invited to watch as 50 elementary school teams - who have spent weeks building miniature solar-powered cars - compete at the CPS Energy 14th Annual Texas Solar Car Races.

This year, adults can get in on the action by test driving a Ford vehicle and help raise up to $9,000 for science education in Northside ISD. Ford Motor Co. and six local McCombs Ford dealerships will donate $30 to the Northside Education Foundation for every person who test drives a vehicle. The opportunity is limited to the first 300 people. Those who test drive vehicles must be 18 or older and have a Texas driver's license and proof of auto insurance.

Sponsored by CPS Energy and Northside ISD, the Texas Solar Car Races are the brainchild of NISD Trustee Bobby Blount, who founded the event to give students hands-on lessons in teamwork, renewable energy, problem-solving, and science and engineering.

When:	5 p.m. every Tuesday
Where:	Stevenson Middle School
Who:	Stevenson students and Taft High School JROTC cadets

Since the beginning of the year, Taft High School Air Force JROTC cadets head to Stevenson Middle School at 5 p.m. every Tuesday to lead an hour of physical fitness, Raider-style.

Senior cadets work with participating middle school students along with Stevenson teachers and volunteers on a host of warm-up exercises, calisthenics, and team sports to generate and encourage active lifestyles through weekly rounds of physical conditioning.

The results, they hope, are a commitment to physical activity and a leaner student body.

Bond project:	Renovations and improvements to existing schools
Estimated cost:	$272.3 million
Location:	Campuses throughout the District

More than half of the funding proposed in School Bond 2010 would be used to pay for renovations and improvements at existing NISD schools.

About half of Northside's schools are more than 20 years old, and some were originally built as early as the 1950s and 1960s.

The renovations and improvements are part of a $535 million bond proposal that will go before voters May 8. Early voting is April 26 - May 4.

A detailed list of proposed projects and more information is available online at the School Bond 2010 web site.

Bond project:	New schools
Estimated cost:	$227.6 million
Location:	Explosive growth areas outside Loop 1604

About half of School Bond 2010 would provide funding to construct four elementary schools and two middle schools outside Loop 1604.

These new schools would provide 300 additional classrooms to meet the needs of Northside ISD's steadily growing enrollment. Enrollment, now at 91,578, is expected to hit 100,000 within three years.

It's been 25 years since a Northside ISD bond issue funded less than six new schools; recent bond issues have funded the construction of up to a dozen new schools. But because of the aggressive classroom construction schedule over the last decade, NISD finally is keeping pace with growth.

The new schools are part of a $535 million bond proposal that will go before voters May 8. Early voting is April 26 - May 4.

A map of where the new schools would be located, along with a detailed list of proposed projects and more information, is available online at the School Bond 2010 web site.

What:	Members from the Marshall HS class of 1980 open time capsule buried 30 years ago
When:	4:15 p.m., May 7
Where:	Marshall High School, 8000 Lobo Lane, 78240

After viewing the items in the time capsule, student leaders from the Class of 2010 will place their own items in the capsule and re-bury it for the next 30 years.

According to a newspaper photo taken 30 years ago and posted on the Marshall Class of 1980 web site, the capsule contains tapes, game films, T-shirts and 100 pennies, among other items.

Bond project:	Swim Center
Estimated cost:	$7 million
Location:	Dub Farris Athletic Complex (Loop 1604 & Hausman Road)

A swim center is part of Northside ISD's $535 million bond proposal that will go before voters May 8. Early voting is April 26 - May 4.

Northside's two existing aquatics facilities are used by thousands of students and community members. The pools serve as both practice and competitive facilities for swimming, diving and water polo athletes and are available to the community for swim lessons and fitness programs for all ages

If approved, School Bond 2010 would provide $7 million for an outdoor diving and warm-up pool and an outdoor competition-sized swimming pool. Both facilities would be built adjacent to the existing Northside Natatorium to create a full-service swimming complex.

The District developed this project after being asked by Bexar County to apply for a portion of the county's visitor tax on hotel rooms and rental cars. In May 2008, Bexar County voters approved a tax referendum to generate funding from the visitor tax for the swim stadium, along with dozens of other sports, cultural, and public improvement projects throughout the county.

The Bexar County visitor tax will provide an additional $7 million to fund stadium-style seating, an electronic scoreboard and other amenities to upgrade the outdoor swimming pool into a swim stadium that would draw regional, national and international swim meets to San Antonio.

Northside already is limited on pool space for its high school swim programs. Northside's two existing pools - the George Block Aquatics Center and the Northside Natatorium - each can support the practice and competitive needs of four high schools, or a total of eight high schools. Next year, the District will open its 11^th high school (including Health Careers). The long-term plan is for NISD to have 14 comprehensive high schools plus Health Careers competing in UIL aquatics.

Keep in mind that while the District has centralized football fields and tracks for games and competitions, all high schools have practice fields on campus. However, each school does not have a practice pool, so therefore the two aquatics facilities are used for both practices and competitions.

An additional aquatics facility would help NISD meet the needs of aquatics athletes and community members, and Northside students would benefit by having access to a nationally-rated swim facility. In addition, the District would rent the facility to state, regional, national and international swim associations for competitions.

For a detailed list of proposed projects and for more information about School Bond 2010, visit NISD's Bond 2010 web site.

Students who start kindergarten in August should pre-register NOW

Once again, Northside is expecting record-breaking kindergarten enrollment for the upcoming school year, making it all the more critical that parents register their children now in order to secure a seat at their neighborhood school. Almost 7,300 kindergarten students are expected to enroll for the 2010-11 school year.

Northside's annual Kindergarten Round-Up will be held April 12-16 to give next year's kindergarten students and their parents an opportunity to pre-register for school, meet teachers, tour classrooms, and to help ensure there is a space for the child at the neighborhood school.

To be eligible for kindergarten in 2010-11, children must be 5 years old on or before Sept. 1, 2010. To pre-register a child in kindergarten, parents must bring: a certified (original) copy of the child's birth certificate, an updated immunization record, and proof of residence (such as an electric bill or apartment lease). A social security card is optional.

Most elementary schools throughout the District will hold special Kindergarten Round-Up events so that children and their parents can tour the school and meet staff members. The District's Kindergarten web site has a complete schedule of events school-by-school for the Round-Up.

"If the children have never been in a school setting before, it's a great opportunity to visit the school," said Pat Mesquiti, Instructional Specialist for Pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten programs.

Students will not be assigned to a class until the summer, but parents will have plenty of opportunities to ask questions.

Many schools hand out packets of information to let parents know what they need to do to prepare their children for school.

Parents who can't attend Kindergarten Round-Up can register their child anytime during school hours through the end of the year, Mesquiti said. However, Northside is expecting 7,292 kindergarten students for the 2010-11 school year, so it's important parents register their children as soon as possible to help ensure a spot in their neighborhood school.

No more than 22 students can be assigned to each classroom, and once all the classes in a school are filled up, children may be sent to another campus, Mesquiti said. Transportation will be provided for these children.

"By participating in Kindergarten Round-Up, parents can assure a seat for their child when school starts in August," she said. "And all their paperwork will be done and ready to go."

For more information about Kindergarten Round-Up, call your neighborhood elementary school.

What:	Presentation of check by District 7 Councilman Justin Rodriguez
When:	3:10 p.m., Monday, March 29
Where:	Elrod Elementary, 8885 Heath Circle
Notes:	Interview opportunities with Councilman Rodriguez, and Daniel Murray, 3rd grade teacher who will be implementing SAGE. There is a small garden that could be used for visuals.

Elrod Elementary will be the recipient of a $9,954 award by District 7 Councilman Justin Rodriguez that will be used to implement a distinctive after-school tutoring program.

The current after-school tutoring program has a long waiting list of students wanting to participate. The grant monies will be used to fund more certified teachers so that an additional 48 students will be able to be served. Funds will also be used to construct the "Students Academic Garden and Enrichment (SAGE) program." In the garden, SAGE students will apply reading and math skills as they plant and cultivate an actual vegetable garden on campus. Examples of activities will include calculating water and soil volumes, producing and performing theatrical readings, and participating in outdoor reading workshop centers.

"SAGE is hands-on learning at its best," said Principal Daisy Whisenant. "Wireless capability will also allows this generation's 'digi-kids' to incorporate computerized activities in this exciting garden project, where they can apply what they learn in concrete ways."

What:	Open House of the newly renovated SSFCU Student Service Center at Clark HS
When:	11:30 a.m., Friday, March 26
Where:	Clark High School, 5150 DeZavala Road
Notes:	Visuals/sound bites include students working as tellers, and interviews with students, including a graduate of the program.

Did you know that Clark High School has a student-run bank on campus? The Security Service Federal Credit Union (SSFCU) Student Service Center, in operation since January 2002, has recently received a new facelift thanks to SSFCU, and the students will hold an Open House of their newly renovated space.

Clark HS students enrolled in the Banking and Financial Systems class learn about the importance of money management, as well as how to run an actual financial location. Skills learned include cash handling, member service skills, conducting transactions, regulatory compliance, security and fraud prevention, products and services and selling skills.

Students working in the Student Services Center learn actual job skills that can be applied in the real-world workforce. Since its inception, Security Service has trained about 240 students, and three graduates currently are employed with SSFCU.

The Clark service center has recently been remodeled with new furniture and teller equipment, including new laptops and printers. In addition, SSFCU implemented its newest teller system technology called Quick Connect for student training. SSFCU employees from nearby locations come to the school twice a week to help train and oversee students operating the Student Service Center.

The service center is open twice a week during lunch hours for students and faculty to make financial transactions including deposits, withdrawals, open new accounts, etc.

Northside ISD is the fourth largest school district in the state of Texas with an enrollment of 91,578 students. It is one of the largest and most diverse districts in the state to earn a Recognized rating from the Texas Education Agency. For more information about NISD, visit NISD's web site.

Security Service Federal Credit Union is the largest credit union in San Antonio, the largest in Texas and the 8th largest in the nation. The credit union currently has more than 740,000 members in Texas, Colorado and around the globe. With more than $5.5 billion in assets, SSFCU operates 36 locations in Texas and 14 in Colorado. For more information about Security Service's products and services, visit www.ssfcu.org.

Almost 180 Northside ISD teachers will be deemed "Simply the Best" at the district's Educators of the Year celebrations, to be held at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday nights at Brandeis High School.

Every year, all NISD schools nominate a first-year educator of the year and a veteran educator of the year who are recognized by the superintendent and the Board of Trustees at a special ceremony.

The ceremony has been dubbed "Simply the Best," because the campus winners enter the Brandeis auditorium movie premier-style to Tina Turner's famous song by the same name.

The highlight of the ceremony will be the announcement of the district-wide Educators of the Year and the Northside nominee for the Trinity Prize for Excellence in Education.

Both ceremonies will be held at Brandeis High School, 13011 Kyle Seale Parkway. A complete list of all the campus educators of the year is available online.

About 1,100 Northside ISD athletes will go for the gold at this week's annual Special Olympics Track & Field Meet.

The Special Olympics meet will be held 9:45 a.m. to 1:30 p.m Tuesday through Friday (March 9-12) at Gustafson Stadium, located in the Hardin Athletic Complex at Culebra Road and Loop 410.

Events include: 50-meter dash, 100-meter dash, 200-meter dash, 400-meter relay, softball throw, Turbojav, and standing long jump.

Each day, the Parade of Athletes and opening ceremonies will begin at 9:45 a.m. Competition and the awards ceremony will wrap up by 1:30 p.m. each day. On Thursday, March 11, San Antonio's own U.S. Olympic medalist, Josh Davis, will lead the Parade of Athletes and the torch run.

Looking for a feel-good story early Saturday morning? Check out the "Warren Goes Green 5K Run/Walk," which begins at 8:30 a.m. (Feb. 27) at Warren High School, 9411 W. Military Drive.

All proceeds from the event will benefit the Nature Conservancy and Warren Student Council's Energy and Environment Committee.

After the race, head to the "Go Green Fair" for earth-friendly vendors, health and exercise experts, refreshments, games, and entertainment.

Visit Warren High School's web site for more information.

Looking for a sweet story this Valentine's Day weekend? Head to Chocolate Day at the San Antonio Botanical Garden from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 13.

Award-winning students from Jay High School's Culinary Arts Program, under the guidance of Chef Timothy Kelly, will offer chocolatey-fun activities for children and treats to sample. The Jay Culinary Arts Program provides students hands-on classroom experience so that they can successfully transition to careers in the food service industry.

Chocolate Day at the Botanical Garden celebrates the history, scent and taste of chocolate. There will be plenty of cooking demonstrations, samples, informational displays, tours of the tropical plant areas and real cacao tree pods.

For more information, visit the Botanical Garden web site or call Dianne Powell, marketing coordinator for the Botanical Garden, at 824-9474 (office) or 887-8777.

What:	Benefit concert to raise money for the American Red Cross Haiti earthquake relief fund and Afghan Women's Mission Sponsor a Teacher fund
When:	3 p.m., Sunday, Jan. 31
Where:	Our Lady of the Lake University, Thiry Auditorium
Who:	Our Lady of the Lake University Choir, the Raba Rattlers Choir, and the Regency Jazz Band led by George Prado and featuring noted Jazz trumpeter Al Gomez

Annually hosted by the Our Lady of the Lake Music Department, this musical community event first was organized in 2002 by OLLU alumna and Raba music teacher Linda Gomez Richter in response to the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. In recent years, money has been raised to sponsor teachers in Afghanistan, and this year, proceeds also will be donated to the San Antonio chapter of the American Red Cross to aid Haiti's earthquake victims.

For more information contact Richter via email or by phone at 397-1350 ext. 3110 (work) or 724-2365 (mobile).

At Burke Elementary in Northside ISD, reading has gone to the dogs.

Pell's PAWSitive Reading Club, started by special education teacher Chris Pellegrino, helps at-risk students gain confidence in reading by having them practice with stuffed animal dog pals. The students finally are ready for a live audience.

Students will show off their reading skills from 12:30 to 2 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 10. Several special guests will be in the audience, including Walker, Pellegrino's golden retriever.

The event will take place in the library at Burke Elementary, 10111 Terra Oak, 78250.

For more information, watch the PAWSitive Reading "Video Moment."

When:	10:45 - 11:45 a.m. Friday, Dec. 4
Where:	Lewis Elementary School, 1000 Seascape Dr., 78251

Need a story to warm you heart on what is expected to be a super cold day?

About 20 Lewis Elementary School students will gather over hot chocolate and cookies to create special holiday cards for either their mom or dad who currently is deployed in the Middle East.

"Mail Call" is the idea of Lewis art teacher Lila Owens, whose own husband has previously been deployed. Three instructional assistants, who also have had deployed husbands, are assisting Owens with the project.

The purpose of Mail Call is two-fold: Send homemade greetings to moms and dads far away, and give students who have a deployed parent a chance to bond with each other.

Operation Mail Call will continue for Valentine's Day, Easter, Mother's Day and Father's Day.

Lewis Elementary is one of six Northside ISD campuses that received a Department of Defense grant to provide support for schools that have had significant enrollment growth of military-affiliated students.

What:	Unveiling of special mural depicting six pillars of character
When:	8:30 a.m., Friday, Nov. 20
Where:	Passmore Elementary School, 570 Pinn Road, 78227

Passmore ES will unveil a special mural tomorrow, made possible by a $10,000 team grant received from the Northside Education Foundation. Part of the unveiling of the mural will be the revealing of 30 students chosen by each level classroom teacher, who demonstrated the traits of the Pillar of Respect during the month of October. Their pictures will be placed in the stars of the mural. Which students were chosen is a surprise to the students.

What:	Alamo curators give students an up close look of what life was like during Texas' frontier days
When:	8:30 to 11 a.m. and 1 to 3:40 p.m. Friday, Nov. 13
Where:	Jefferson Middle School library, 10900 Shaenfield Road, 78254

Onsite contact is Renee Gonzalez, Jefferson MS Texas History teacher.

The Texas Department of Agriculture's "Bring It!" tour is visiting Rayburn Middle School from 9 a.m. to noon on Thursday, Nov. 12.

The Bring It! Tour includes a massive interactive exhibit that is aimed at raising student awareness about the 3 E's of Healthy Living: Education, Exercise and Eating Right.

Rayburn Middle School is located at 1400 Cedarhurst, 78227. The school's phone number is 397-2150.

Ceremonies will be held at campuses all over Northside ISD to celebrate Veterans Day and honor those who have fought and served to protect our country.

Here's a few events that promise to be very special because of the school's connection with a veteran:

Where:	Villarreal Elementary School, 2902 White Tail, 78228
When:	8 a.m. Wednesday

David Avila, a parent of two students, will present an American flag that traveled everywhere with him after he was deployed to Iraq in February 2004. In May 2004, the Army corporal was seriously injured by a car bomb and spent more than two years recovering at Brook Army Medical Center. More information about Avila is available on the Salute Heroes web site.

Where:	Zachry Middle School, 9410 Timber Path, 78250
When:	8:45 a.m. Wednesday

Zachry students and staff will honor and remember one of their own - Marine Reserve Sgt. Cesar Ruiz, who was killed Oct. 31 when he stepped on a land mine in Afghanistan. Members of the Zachry and Taft grad will attend the ceremony, which include renditions of "Amazing Grace" by San Antonio Pipes and Drums, and "Taps" by Taft High School freshman Justin Raymond.

Where:	Brandeis High School, 13011 Kyle Seale Parkway, 78249
When:	8 a.m. Wednesday

NISD employees (from all over the district) who are veterans will be individually honored by the Brandeis High School AFJROTC in a special ceremony that also includes the members of the high school's choir, band and orchestra.

What:	Dedication of John Hoffmann Elementary School
When:	6:30 p.m. today, Wednesday, Nov. 4
Where:	12118 Volunteer Parkway, 78253
Who:	Family members of John Hoffmann; Levinia Lara, school principal; district officials; and Hoffmann staff, students and families
Visuals:	Students will perform a country musical tribute to the namesake, and the family of John Hoffmann and Principal Levinia Lara will exchange special gifts.
On the web:	The dedication ceremony will be streamed live on the web

Elementary school named for Northside pioneer

Northside will dedicate its 64th elementary school today and will honor a rancher who played an integral role in the education of children who lived in Northwest Bexar County at the turn of the 20th century.

In the late 1800s, Hoffmann and his wife purchased a 1,600-acre ranch on Culebra Road. The ranch already was home to an established one-room school, and Hoffmann donated four acres to the school so that it could expand. Hoffmann and his wife served as the major benefactors to the school, providing water, wood to heat the school, and room and board for the teacher.

The school, called Culebra, eventually became one of the original 11 schools that consolidated in 1949 to create Northside ISD. Hoffmann Elementary School was built on what was once one of the Hoffmann ranch pastures.

John Hoffmann Elementary School was built for 800 students and was constructed for $18.9 million with funding from School Bond 2007. It is one of four new Northside schools to open this year to accommodate enrollment, now at 91,578 and growing by about 3,000 students a year.

A 250-member Citizens' Bond Committee will meet for the first time tonight from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the Northside Activity Center, 7001 Culebra Road.

The committee is tasked with tackling the District's classroom and facility needs to develop a proposal for a possible bond election in May 2010. The committee's recommendation will be presented to the Board of Trustees, which ultimately will vote whether to call a bond election.

Members of the bond committee represent 100 schools as well as neighborhood associations, community groups, businesses and previous bond committees. The committee is expected to meet every Thursday night through Dec. 10.

NISD enrollment, currently at 91,578, is growing by about 3,000 students a year. The District opened four new schools this year and will open five new schools in August 2010, including three elementary schools, a middle school and a high school.

For more information, call Pascual Gonzalez at 397-8552 (office) or 240-2108 (cell).

Student artists will exhibit and sell their original artwork and limited edition prints at the 14th Annual Los Leones Student Arts Festival Saturday, Nov. 7, at Leon Valley Conference and Community Center, 6427 Evers Road.

A partnership between Northside ISD, the City of Leon Valley, and Jefferson Bank, the free indoor/outdoor festival is from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. and includes dance and musical performances, hands-on art activities, food, and professional artist demonstrations.

Inspired by former Leon Valley Mayor Marcy Meffert, the event attracts thousands in search of unique holiday gifts and family fun. Los Leones ("The Lions" in Spanish) teaches students about "the business of art," while also working to establish an active arts community.

All Northside ISD high schools, middle schools, and elementary schools participate in Los Leones. More than 2,500 pieces of quality student artwork will be on display.

Admission is free, and there will be a free shuttle bus running continuously to and from available parking at Leon Valley Elementary School, 7111 Huebner Road (near the intersection with Evers Road), from 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. No parking is available onsite at the Community Center.

Two dozen judges representing area businesses will select their personal "pick of show," awarding $25 prizes in the categories of elementary, middle, and high school art. The awards ceremony will be held at 8:30 a.m.

This year's Los Leones poster and other publicity materials feature the artwork of Morgan Escamilla, a sophomore at Taft High School. Her grand prize-winning piece was picked from record number 268 total pieces of artwork submitted in the competition.

For more information, call the Partnerships office at 397-8599.

Sandra Camerena, the sister of slain DEA Agent Kiki Camerena - in whose memory Red Ribbon Week was established - will be an honored guest at events at Jay High School and Mary Hull ES this week.

A district-wide Red Ribbon Rally will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 29 at Jay High School, 7611 Marbach. Camarena will give the keynote address.

She will then serve as the Grand Marshal of Mary Hull's 18th annual Red Ribbon parade, scheduled for 1 p.m. Friday, Oct. 30 at the school, 7320 Remuda. A rally will follow at 2 p.m.

For more information about Kiki Camerena and the history of Red Ribbon Week, visit the web site for the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.

What:	Dedication of Ralph Langley Elementary School
When:	6:30 p.m., Wednesday, Oct. 21
Where:	14185 Bella Vista Place, 78253
Who:	Family members of Ralph Langley; Brenda Farias, school principal; district officials; and Langley staff, students and families
Visuals:	Students will perform a theatrical and musical tribute to the namesake, and the family of Ralph Langley and Principal Brenda Farias will exchange special gifts.
On the web:	The dedication ceremony will be streamed live on the web at http://nisd.net/schools/info/187

Elementary school named for the father of Texas school law

Northside will dedicate its 63rd elementary school on Wednesday and will honor a man who was committed to public education, public service and the legal profession.

Langley began his law career in 1937 at a San Antonio law firm that eventually became Langley & Banack. In 1970, was one of eight attorneys who crafted the school law section of the State Bar Association. Soon after, he became one of Northside ISD's first district lawyers and was instrumental in helping the rural school system transition into a large, urban and suburban district.

Langley was equally dedicated to the city of San Antonio, serving at various times as chairman of the San Antonio Chamber of Commerce and the San Antonio Public Library. Langley continued practicing law until shortly before his death in 2003 at the age of 88.

Ralph Langley Elementary School was built for 800 students and was constructed for $19.5 million with funding from School Bond 2007. It is one of four new Northside schools to open this year to accommodate enrollment, now at 91,578 and growing by about 3,000 students a year.

Campuses will be holding celebrations for staff members next week to deliver "bonus" checks funded by the state's teacher incentive pay programs.

Teachers and staff at a total of 29 campuses are receiving anywhere from $100 to more than $5,000, depending on the subject and grade level they teach. The total amount of incentive money NISD campuses are receiving is about $3.8 million.

The grant money comes from the District Awards for Teacher Excellence (DATE) and the Texas Educator Excellence Grant (TEEG) and is earmarked for schools whose students received high scores or showed significant improvement on the TAKS test.

Recipients must have high percentages of economically disadvantaged students, and all schools must be rated Recognized or Exemplary under the state's accountability system, or show strong performance gains in math and reading.

What:	Dedication of Dr. Hector P. Garcia Middle School
When:	6:30 p.m., Wednesday, Oct. 14
Where:	14900 Kyle Seale Parkway, 78255
Who:	Family members of Hector Garcia; Eric Tobias, school principal; district officials; and Garcia staff, students and families
Visuals:	Students will perform a patriotic musical tribute to the namesake, and the family of Hector Garcia and Principal Eric Tobias will exchange special gifts.
On the web:	The dedication ceremony will be streamed live on the web

Middle school named for civil rights pioneer

Northside officially will dedicate its 17th middle school on Saturday and will honor a man who dedicated his life to fighting for justice and equality for Mexican Americans.

Following graduation from medical school - at a time when few Hispanics became doctors - Dr. Hector P. Garcia joined the army during World War II. Upon returning home, he was frustrated by the lack of health care and financial resources for Hispanic veterans and substandard schools for Mexican American children. He subsequently founded the American GI Forum, which successfully pushed for social and political reform.

In 1984, President Reagan awarded Garcia the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian honor given by a U.S. President.

Garcia died in 1996.

Hector Garcia Middle School was built for 1,500 students and was constructed for $38.8 million with funding from School Bond 2007. The 192,725 square-foot school sits on a 27.3-acre site on Kyle Seale Parkway outside Loop 1604.

Hector Garcia Middle School is one of four new Northside schools to open this year to accommodate enrollment, now at 91,578 and growing by about 3,000 students a year. The rest of the dedication schedule is as follows:

• Ralph Langley Elementary School, 6:30 p.m., Wednesday, Oct. 21
• John Hoffmann Elementary School, 6:30 p.m., Wednesday, Nov. 4
• Charles L. Kuentz, Jr. Elementary School, 6:30 p.m., Wednesday, Nov. 11

What:	Mariachis, dancing, special guest speakers
When:	8:15 a.m., Thursday, Oct. 15
Where:	Villarreal Elementary School, 2902 White Tail, 78228
Why:	To celebrate the rich Hispanic heritage of San Antonio and the Villarreal community

Check out Villarreal's grand finale of Hispanic Heritage month! Students will be wearing traditional Latino and Fiesta clothing for the special celebration. The event will be held outside, weather permitting.

Agricultural lessons will make math and science come to life for hundreds of NISD fourth grade students when O'Connor High School holds the "Ag in Action" fair Oct. 6-8.

Ag in Action runs from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday (Oct. 6,7, 8) at O'Connor High School, 12221 Leslie Road, 78023. The fair will run continuously from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. except during lunch, which is 10:30 to 11:20 a.m.

Over the course of the three-day event, about 1,300 fourth graders will visit various stations where O'Connor students will give them hands-on lessons in wildlife and aquatics, soil and water conservation, nutrition and fiber research, plant and animal growth, animal production, and plant systems and germination. About 300 high school students will serve as presenters and tour guides.

The purpose of Ag in Action is to help students connect their classroom experiences with real-world applications, and this year's focus is on math and science. Since 1998, more than 24,600 fourth graders and 5,500 high school students have participated in this annual event and raised $360,000 in scholarships.

When:	10 a.m., Monday, Sept. 28
Where:	Health Careers High School , 4646 Hamilton Wolfe, 78229
What:	The top 10 high schools and the top 5 middle schools and elementary schools in the San Antonio area will be honored

CHILDREN AT RISK, a Houston-based nonprofit organization, has researched and ranked the top public schools in the six counties of greater San Antonio.

For four years, CHILDREN AT RISK has been ranking the greater Houston area high schools, highlighting the successes and failures of its public schools. This year, researchers included San Antonio as part of the rankings study.

Researchers based their methodology on 14 measures of performance to evaluate how well San Antonio public schools are preparing students for post-secondary success. Among them was the four-year graduation rate, participation in advanced course work, and performance on college entrance exams.

What:	Following the "Parade of Cultures," NISD refugee students dressed in native clothing will demonstrate how music is helping them learn English
When:	6:30 p.m., Tuesday, Sept. 15
Where:	Mead Elementary School, 3803 Midhorizon, 78229 (in the Medical Center)

Northside ISD has been awarded a $50,000 grant to support Project Tumaini, a family literacy project for refugee families. Project Tumaini, a Swahili word that means to hope and believe with confidence, will provide refugee families from various countries with intensive and differentiated instruction focused on English literacy.

The performance, called "Declare Your Independence Through Literacy" celebrates the newcomers at Colonies North and Mead elementary schools. Both schools have a large enrollment of Asian and African refugee students who were brought to the United States through a federally-sponsored resettlement program. Most students arrive in the U.S. with little to no formal schooling or English.

The grant for Project Tumaini is provided by the First Lady's Family Literacy Initiative for Texas, a program of the Barbara Bush Texas Fund for Family Literacy. Now in its 14th year, Houston-based First Lady's Family Literacy Initiative for Texas awards grants of up to $50,000 to public and private non-profit organizations that strengthen literacy skills within the family unit.

What:	Kickoff press conference and walk for the San Antonio Sports School Rock Challenge
When:	10:30 a.m., Wednesday, Sept. 9
Where:	Glass Elementary School, 519 Clearview Dr., 78228 (Ph. 397-1950)

Members of Holmes High School's athletic teams, drumline, and cheerleading squad will join Mayor Julian Castro and former NFL and Texas Longhorns running back Priest Holmes to fire the starting gun for the San Antonio Sports School Rock Challenge.

To participate, students in kindergarten through fifth grade Antonio will run or walk 25.2 miles over a 10-week period. Their "marathon" will culminate on Nov. 13, when students will complete their final mile and celebrate their accomplishment. The Rock 'n' Roll San Antonio Marathon will be held two days later on Nov. 15.

About 160,000 elementary students in 19 San Antonio area school districts are being encouraged to go the distance in the School Rock Challenge. For more information, please contact San Antonio Sports at (210) 820-2100 or go to www.SanAntonioSports.org.

What:	NISD Prize Patrol surprises the 90,000th student to enroll in NISD
When:	8 a.m., Tuesday, Sept. 1
Where:	Mead Elementary School library, 3803 Midhorizon Dr., 78229 (phone: 397-1750)

Join us for a "prize patrol-like" event to surprise first grader Michael Gallus and his sister, third grader Victoria Gallus, as the 90,000th and the 90,001 students to enroll in NISD.

The siblings, who recently moved here from Killeen with their mother, think they are going to the library for a "special presentation," but instead they will be showered with gifts donated by local businesses.

This may be a short-lived celebration as enrollment could surpass 91,000 by the end of the September, shattering projections for new students. Northside is the largest school district in San Antonio and the fourth largest in Texas.

Northside's H1N1 Task Force is meeting regularly to review the latest information available from local, state, and federal health and education officials.

The H1N1 Task Force, whose members include district and health officials, is charged with making sure NISD is fully prepared to deal with H1N1 threats.

Northside ISD is now the largest school district in Texas and one of the largest in the nation to become completely wireless.

A network of more than 7,000 access points across 355 square miles has been installed in campuses and facilities, giving students, teachers, and staff access to the Internet anywhere and any time.

The wireless network will be used to augment classroom instruction and increase communication between school staff.

Installing the network cost about $6.7 million, which came from funds approved by voters in School Bond 2004. In the long run, the wireless network will be more cost-efficient than installing cables and hardware every time a campus gets additional computers.

Starting this school year, all middle and high school students will be able to bring their own personal laptops to school and connect to the District's wireless Internet network.

Last year, the personal student laptop initiative was successfully piloted at Brandeis High School and Vale Middle School

Parents must sign a consent form and also accept liability for lost or stolen laptops.

The laptop initiative is one of many programs the district has in place to make sure students and staff maximize their use of technology. Currently, the district is in the process of replacing teacher desktop computers with wireless laptops.

Teachers can use the laptops at school and at home, and those teachers who don't have an assigned desk can access student records and professional resources.

Starting Sept. 1, it will be illegal for anyone operating a motor vehicle to be talking or texting on a cell phone while driving in a school zone in the state of Texas.

The law was passed by the state Legislature earlier this year.

Unless they are using a hands-free device or making a legitimate emergency phone call, those caught using a cell phone in a school zone could be fined by police.

NISD is one of only a handful of districts in Texas outfitting every classroom with a ceiling-mounted digital projector.

The projectors are replacing 27-inch analog televisions that were installed in classrooms more than a decade ago. TV manufacturers no longer make these analog televisions, and replacement parts are unavailable.

The digital projectors are connected to the Internet and will provide teachers another tool to engage students, show videos and other presentations.

The district is about half-way through the process to install projectors in all 6,000 classrooms.

What:	Prize Patrol visits the 90,000th student to enroll in NISD
When:	8:00 a.m., Tuesday, Sept. 1
Where:	TBA

NISD, the largest public school system in San Antonio and the fourth largest in Texas, is once again is expecting record-shattering enrollment this year!

The Northside Prize Patrol will surprise the 90,000th student to enroll in NISD at 8:30 a.m. Sept. 1 at a location to be announced.

Superintendent John Folks and other NISD officials will be part of the Prize Patrol and will come bearing gifts on behalf of the district and local organizations and businesses.

A Citizens' Bond Committee is being formed to study the possibility of a May 2010 bond issue.

The committee will begin meeting Oct. 29 and will issue a recommendation to the Board of Trustees, who ultimately will decide whether to call a bond election.

Though the economy has slowed residential growth in the San Antonio area, NISD enrollment still is continuing to explode by 2,000 to 3,000 students a year and must open 200 new classrooms every year to keep pace.

Wonder what it's like to be a brand new teacher on the first day of school? Contact the Communications Department and we'll find a teacher for you. Of the 450 teachers hired for the 2009-10 school year, about half are first-year teachers right out of college.

What:	Ribbon-cutting for the SSFCU classroom at Business Careers HS
When:	11:45 a.m., Friday, Aug. 28
Where:	Business Careers High School, 6500 Ingram Road, 78238 (on the campus of Holmes High School)

Security Service Federal Credit Union is the first company to participate in the adopt-a-class program at Business Careers High School

Thanks to more than $7,500 in donations from SSFCU, a classroom at Business Careers has been revamped with conference tables and other office furniture to provide a professional setting for students in the Academy of Finance.

Security Service Federal Credit Union has a long-time partnership with Business Careers High School, providing mentors, guest speakers, internship and shadowing opportunities as well as thousands of dollars in monetary donations for materials, supplies, and field trips.

Construction Careers Academy, Northside ISD's newest magnet program, opens Aug. 24 at Warren High School with 120 freshman students.

"During the process to develop the School Bond 2007, construction industry executives told NISD that there was a great need in this area for skilled tradesmen," NISD spokesman Pascual Gonzalez said. "As a result of that feedback and citizen input, the magnet school has become a reality."

Construction is underway on the Warren campus for a 42,000 square-foot facility that will be the home of the new magnet program. The facility is expected to be completed next summer.

The facility will include classrooms and specialized spaces geared toward five strands: construction, electrical trades, HVAC, plumbing/pipe fitting and architecture.

Be there on Day 1 of a brand new school! Northside ISD is opening three new elementary schools and a middle school Aug. 24, bringing the total number of NISD campuses to 104.

Please email Karen Adler if you'd like to set up a live feed, photo or interview on the first day of school.

The new schools, all funded by School Bond 2007, will help handle NISD's continuing enrollment growth. Enrollment is expected to hit 90,556 this school year, an increase of about 2,200 from last year.

In addition, NISD also is opening its fifth magnet program, Construction Careers Academy at Warren High School. (See "New magnet program prepares students for construction careers")

What:	Ten high-energy back-to-school pep rallies, aka Convocations 2009
When:	Aug. 18-21 (see times below)
Where:	Brandeis High School auditorium, 13011 Kyle Seale Parkway, 78249 (behind Stinson Middle School between Hausman and Bamburger Trail)

About 10,000 teachers and staff members will gather at 10 pep rally-style Convocations to hear Superintendent John Folks' "charge to the troops" and to get revved up for the 2009-10 school year. Each Convocation will last about 90 minutes, but the most visual part is at the beginning.

These rallies are designed to kick off the new school year, which begins Aug. 24. Ten rallies are planned back-to-back at 8 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. on August 18 and 19, and at 8 a.m., 10:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. on Aug. 20 and 21.

Note to media: Parking is limited so please find an NISD police officer and they will assist you.

On site contacts: Pascual Gonzalez (cell: 240-2108) or Monica Faulkenbery (cell: 669-6105 or 846-4584)

What:	NISD summer commencement
When:	7 p.m., Wednesday, Aug. 19
Where:	Paul Taylor Field House, 7001 Culebra Road

About 500 students will graduate from all 10 high schools in Northside wearing graduation robes of various school colors. Participants also will include students earning a GED certificate through NISD Adult & Community Education.

More than 4,700 seniors will graduate from NISD high schools next month, and for the first time all the graduations will be streamed live on the Internet.

Those who want watch a graduation ceremony live can click on a link on the front page of the NISD web site under "Announcements" at the days and times listed below.

Graduation ceremonies for the District's comprehensive high schools will be held June 9-12 at the Alamodome. Here is the schedule:

• Warren High School: 4 p.m., June 9
• Stevens High School: 7:30 p.m., June 9
• Holmes and Business Careers high schools: 4 p.m., June 10
• Clark High School: 7:30 p.m., June 10
• Marshall High School: 4 p.m., June 11
• O'Connor High School: 7:30 p.m., June 11
• Taft and Communications Arts high schools: 4 p.m., June 12
• Jay High School and Jay Science & Engineering Academy: 7:30 p.m., June 12

Health Careers High School graduation will be held at 7:30 p.m. June 5 at Paul Taylor Field House.

When:	11 a.m. to 2 p.m., Saturday, May 23
Where:	Gustafson Stadium, Culebra Road & Loop 410

This event, originally scheduled for May 16, was canceled because of bad weather. It has been rescheduled for May 23.

Students from more than 40 elementary schools are hoping for sunny skies on Saturday. That's when the miniature cars they have spent weeks building will be put to the test. One catch - their cars are powered by solar energy and will need help from the sun to go zoom, zoom, zoom.

About 500 fourth and fifth graders who designed and built their vehicles themselves will participate in the 13th annual CPS Energy Texas Solar Car Race Car Event. This year's event will be the largest to date with about 150 cars competing.

NISD Board Member Bobby Blount founded the event as a mentorship project at Rayburn Middle School to give students hands-on lessons in teamwork, renewable energy, problem-solving, and science and engineering.

For more information and to see videos, visit the solar race car event web site.

When:	6:30 to 8 p.m., Friday May 22
Where:	Helotes Elementary School cafeteria, 13878 Riggs Road

One of Northside's oldest existing schools will celebrate 70 years of providing education to the Helotes community. Students will perform a musical revue called "Education Rocks" and three teachers will share the rich history of Helotes Elementary, which opened on its current site in 1939.

When:	8:15 a.m., Thursday, May 21
Where:	Raba Elementary School, 9740 Raba Drive, 78251

San Antonio's own Grammy award-winning trumpeter Al Gomez will perform the National Anthem and Taps at Raba Elementary School's annual Memorial Day assembly. The Raba Rattlers Choir will perform with Gomez.

In addition, the school also will be dedicating its new school flag, designed by student Gabby Castillo and commissioned by retiring third grade teacher Sharon Linnartz.

When:	8:30 to 11:15 a.m., Friday, May 22
Where:	Glass Elementary School, 519 Clearview, 78228

Glass Elementary School will hold its 28th annual Officers in Blue Day to show appreciation and respect for local law enforcement officers.

Units from the San Antonio Police Department, Texas Department of Public Safety, NISD Police and other agencies will visit students at Glass to share information about the job they do to serve and protect. In return, students will perform their traditional musical tribute, "Officers in Blue, We Love You."

When:	Thursday, May 21
Where:	Glenn Elementary School cafeteria, 2385 Horal, 78227

Almost three dozen city and county organizations will be on hand to provide a gamut of helpful information to the public at Glenn Elementary School's first Community Health Fair. Food and entertainment will be provided.

Some of the organizations that will be represented include: San Antonio Food Bank, Bexar County Justice Center, Heidi Search Center, Communities in Schools, Planned Parenthood, Susan G. Koman Foundation, San Antonio Metro Health (WIC & Immunizations), NISD Adult & Community Education, Battered Women's Shelter, South Texas Blood & Tissue, Salvation Army, Big Brothers Big Sisters, and San Antonio Public Library.

Members of the public are invited.

When:	8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., Friday, May 22 (except lunch 11 a.m. to noon)
Where:	Ward Elementary School, 8400 Cavern Hill, 78254

The Ward Wranglers are holding their sixth annual Rodeo Day featuring storytellers, ropers, music, animals, and more.

NISD retirees are paying it forward to brand new teachers who will join the District in August for the 2009-10 school year.

NISD retirees are being asked to box up personally-purchased classroom materials and donate them to new teachers who are starting from scratch. Because of limited funding for education, teachers often use their own money to buy classroom materials.

The effort is called "Passing the Torch" and is being organized by retired NISD teachers.

To participate, teachers simply need to contact organizer Cathy Naiser to schedule a pick up and get labeling instructions and a tax-deductible receipt.

Items will be picked up and stored by NISD over the summer and then made available to incoming teachers at the New Teacher Academy Aug. 4-6.

For more info, check out this flyer about Passing the Torch.

When:	9:30 a.m. Friday, May 15
Where:	Rudder Middle School football field, 6558 Horn Blvd., 78240

Hundreds of Thornton Elementary students will be captivated by real knights, live horses, music and special effects during a presentation from the Knights of the Guild.

The Knights of the Guild, is a character education program that travels to schools all over south and central Texas. The goal of the nonprofit agency is to teach young people to become ethical, community-oriented, and self-disciplined members of society.

Friday's presentation will take place on the Rudder Middle School football field. For more information, visit The Knights of the Guild web site.

When:	6 to 8 p.m. Wednesday & Thursday (May 20-21)
Where:	Warren High School, 9411 W. Military, 78251

Hundreds of tech-savvy students will compete for a "Digi Award" at NISD's Digital Media Fair 2009. The Digital Media Fair recognizes and celebrates student work created through the use of technology, including desktop publishing, web site design, and video animation. Students have submitted more than 1,200 entries in 18 multimedia categories.

The elementary fair will take place 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, May 20, and the middle and high school fair will be 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday, May 21, also at Warren High School. For more information, visit the Digital Media Fair web page.

Northside will salute hundreds of school, business, and community volunteers at the 2009 Partnership Awards reception tonight in conjunction with ArtFest, a showcase of student artwork from across the district.

The event will be held from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at the Paul Taylor Field House, 7001 Culebra Road, 78238. The program begins at 6:10 p.m.

When:	11 a.m. to 2 p.m., Saturday, May 16
Where:	Gustafson Stadium, Culebra Road & Loop 410

Students from more than 40 elementary schools are hoping for sunny skies on Saturday. That's when the miniature cars they have spent weeks building will be put to the test. One catch - their cars are powered by solar energy and will need help from the sun to go zoom, zoom, zoom.

About 500 fourth and fifth graders who designed and built their vehicles themselves will participate in the 13th annual CPS Energy Texas Solar Car Race Car Event. This year's event will be the largest to date with about 150 cars competing.

NISD Board Member Bobby Blount founded the event as a mentorship project at Rayburn Middle School to give students hands-on lessons in teamwork, renewable energy, problem-solving, and science and engineering.

To learn more about solar race car event, watch this NISD-TV story.

When:	3 p.m., Wednesday, May 6
Where:	Clark High School, 5150 DeZavala Road

NISD has become one of the first districts in the nation to reach 1 million views of educational videos provided by local public broadcaster KLRN and Discovery Education. A student or staff member at Clark High School made the millionth view last week of video titled, "Assignment Discovery: An Inside Look at the Flu."

To recognize the milestone, representatives from KLRN and Discovery will make a special presentation to Clark High School. The ceremony will be held during a health class at Clark High School where students frequently utilize videos from the service, called KLRN Connect.

KLRN Connect brings digital video from Discovery Education directly to district classrooms. Districts and schools that subscribe to the service can access more than 5,000 high-quality instructional videos and more than 41,000 video clips correlated to Texas state educational standards.

When:	7 p.m., Saturday, May 2, 2009
Where:	Paul Taylor Field House, 7001 Culebra Road

Sixth, seventh, and eighth grade choir students from all 16 Northside ISD middle schools will sing and dance together in a special collaborative performance Saturday evening.

"Together We Sing" will feature selections from popular Broadway musicals, including A Chorus Line, Grease, Mama Mia, and Hairspray.

In preparation for the concert, students worked with internationally recognized choral music educator, clinician and choreographer, John Jacobson. Jacobson has staged hundreds of music festivals all over the world.

When:	11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Where:	Holmes High School courtyard, 6500 Ingram Road, 78238

Looking for Earth Day story ideas? Check out Holmes High School's first annual Earth Day Celebration, which actually is the brain child of a student. For more information about the celebration, check out this recent edition of the Holmes student newspaper's e-news.

If you're interested in getting interviews, photos, or footage of the celebration, please call the Communications Department at 397-8550.

When:	9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Where:	Scarborough Elementary School, 12280 Silver Pointe (near the intersection of FM 471 and FM 1560)

NISD elementary school students will get hands-on lessons about taking care of the environment at the Eco Challenge Camp, which culminates their year-long study of biomes, or ecosystems.

Gifted and talented students from Blattman, Brauchle, Carson, Colonies North, Leon Springs, Locke Hill and Scarborough elementary schools will participate in the Eco Challenge Camp.

Students in first, second, and third grades will participate in recycling, wildlife rehabilitation, water conservation, and gardening activities. Fourth and fifth graders will get lessons in nature photography, navigation with a GPS device, team building, and reptile appreciation.

Special speakers include NISD's 2008 Pillar of Respect, Dr. Fred Bryant, who is director of the Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute at Texas A&M Kingsville, and Chance Rudder, wildlife ambassador and student scientist/researcher.

The Eco Camp Challenge is funded by a team grant from the Northside Education Foundation.

When:	Thursday, May 7, 2009 (event will run every 10 minutes between 8:30 and 10 a.m., 11:05 and 11:35 a.m., and 12:45 and 2:30 p.m.)
Where:	Lewis Elementary, 1000 Seascape, Room A135 and A134

Travel back in time at the Lewis Elementary School Living Wax Museum.

Third grade students in Andrea Cole and Jean Stone's classes have been studying important figures in U.S. history and want to share what they've learned with the rest of the school.

The students created costumes, props, and a backdrop to represent the era of historical figure they selected. On May 7, they'll pose as "wax figures" in 10-minute intervals while Lewis students visit the "museum."

In the past, students have used Styrofoam to create the Wright brothers' airplane and a refrigerator box to depict Davy Crockett at the Alamo.

Altogether, 44 wax figures will help make history come alive.

NISD high school students may be better prepared to help with the financial crisis facing the nation than their parents.

Since the 2006-07 school year, thanks to House Bill 492, all high school students in Texas receive "Financial Literacy" in their economics classes. The bill requires that personal finance education be a condition for high school graduation.

State Rep. Beverly Woolley (Houston) sponsored the bill "concerned that too many students were graduating high school, attending college, and collecting too many credit cards without understanding the implications."

To comply with the bill, NISD teachers are using innovative approaches to teaching economics, and financial literacy, in their classrooms. Teachers are engaging their students in real-live adventures and practices such as the Stock Market Game. (The Stock Market Game allows students to progress from knowing absolutely nothing about the stock market to learning how to read a stock market report and make fairly accurate predictions of where a particular stock is going.) One Economics teacher began movie nights to view and discuss films that illustrate economics lessons.

If you would like to visit an Economics class, and talk to teachers and students about their thoughts on the economics situation facing them, contact the Communications Dept. at 397-8550.

The "Warren Goes Green 5K Run/Walk," will be held at 8:30 a.m. Saturday, March 21 at Warren High School, 9411 W. Military Drive.

All proceeds from the event will benefit Warren Student Council, Earth Club, and Earth Watchers Institute to help Warren High School become more earth-friendly.

Those who don't want to walk or run are welcome to come and enjoy a day filled with fun, prizes, and entertainment.

Visit the Warren High School web page for more information.

More than 160 Northside ISD teachers will be deemed "Simply the Best" at the district's Educators of the Year celebrations, to be held at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday nights at Brandeis High School.

Every year, all NISD schools nominate a first-year educator of the year and a veteran educator of the year who are recognized by the superintendent and the Board of Trustees are honored at a special ceremony.

The ceremony has been dubbed "Simply the Best," because the campus winners enter the Brandeis auditorium movie premier-style to Tina Turner's famous song by the same name.

The highlight of the ceremony will be the announcement of the district-wide Educators of the Year and the Northside nominee for the Trinity Prize for Excellence in Education.

Both ceremonies will be held at Brandeis High School, 13011 Kyle Seale Parkway.

About 1,100 athletes will help celebrate 40 years of Northside ISD Special Olympics this week when they go for the gold at the annual Track & Field Meet.

The Special Olympics meet is being held 9:45 a.m. to 1:30 p.m today through Friday at Gustafson Stadium, located at Culebra Road and Loop 410.

Events include: 50-meter dash, 100-meter dash, 200-meter dash, 400-meter relay, softball throw, running long jump, and standing long jump.

Each day, the Parade of Athletes and opening ceremonies will begin at 9:45 a.m. Competition and the awards ceremony will wrap up by 1:30 p.m. each day.

Parents, employees, and community members can now have access to late breaking news and events about Northside ISD by signing up to receive text message or email alerts.

Simply go to the SchoolCentral web site and click "sign up for a new account" located on the right.

Messages will include emergency alerts, academic notices, and event reminders. For example, subscribers would receive a text message that report cards are being sent home or that school is delayed because of bad weather.

"We see this as an excellent way to keep our parents and employees informed, especially because most people have a cell phone these days," said Kelly Smith, Assistant Superintendent for Technology Services.

In addition to the District alerts, four schools currently are part of a pilot project for "campus alerts," which enables parents, community members, and students who voluntarily subscribe to receive short, quick messages from the school, teachers, or club sponsors.

Beard and Brauchle elementary schools, Rawlinson Middle School, and Stevens High School are the participating pilot schools. Those who would like to receive alerts about any of these campuses can also sign up on the SchoolCentral web site.

If the pilot is successful, campus alerts may be expanded to other schools in the District next school year.

The alert service is funded by advertisers and is free for the District and campuses. Text messaging fees may apply to those who subscribe to the service depending on service plan.

Get moving and get registered for the Northside Education Foundation's annual spring 5K Run/Walk, which will be held May 2 at Del Webb Hill Country Retreat.

Pre-registration is available until April 26 and is $10 for children up to age 18 and $27 for adults 19 and up. Onsite registration is $35 per person.

Onsite registration and check-in the day of the event will begin at 6:30 a.m. at Del Webb, 4550 Del Webb Blvd. All participants must park at Taft High School, 11600 FM 471 West. A shuttle from Taft to Del Webb will be available starting at 6:30 a.m.

The registration fee includes:

• Race entry
• Competitive chip timing
• Technical running shirt (collectible)
• Refreshments after the event
• Goodie bag

Hundreds are expected to participate in the NEF Run/Walk, including NISD campus faculty teams who will vie for the traveling Apple Eddie Trophy for "most spirited" and NISD departments who will compete for the coveted "Spirit Stick."

To register or for more information, visit the NEF registration web site or call (210) 397-8599.

Proceeds from the Run/Walk will benefit the Northside Education Foundation, which raises funds and provides resources to support innovative educational programs for Northside ISD students.

When:	8:40 a.m., Thursday, Feb. 26
Where:	Zachry Middle School, 9410 Timber Path, 78250

San Antonian Josh Davis, an Olympic swimmer who won three gold medals and two silver medals, will help motivate Zachry Middle School students during a TAKS pep rally at 8:40 a.m. Feb. 26.

Davis was recently in the news when his medals were stolen. The medals have since been recovered and he will share them with students on Thursday.

On March 3 seventh graders will be taking the writing TAKS, and eighth graders will be taking the reading TAKS.

Onsite contacts: Student Council sponsors Terina Heedum or Terri Moreno (phone number at Zachry is 397-7400)

When:	9 to 11 a.m., Saturday, Feb. 21
Where:	Stevens High School cafeteria, 600 N. Ellison Drive, 78251

Middle school science students will have both their creative and engineering skills tested when they race hydrogen fuel cell model cars as part of the Texas Region Science Bowl Saturday.

Students designed and built the shoe-box sized cars themselves and will race them down a 10-meter track.

Also Saturday morning, high school teams will compete in the Academic Bowl, answering questions about math, technology, engineering, and science. Two teams will face off at a time, hitting buzzers to answer questions.

Winners will qualify for the National Science Bowl, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy, to be held April 30-May 5 in Chevy Chase, Md.

Teams will come from as far away as Denton and El Paso to compete. Local teams are from Northside ISD, North East ISD, Alamo Heights ISD, Boerne ISD, and St. Mary's Hall.

Onsite contact: Bobby Blount (cell—573-3112) or Alice Fiedler (cell—381-1413)

Help is available for Northside ISD families who are feeling the effects of the poor economy. The federal Free and Reduced Meal program ensures that children from low income families have access to a nutritious breakfast and lunch.

Families who meet federal income and family size criteria can apply for free or reduced price meals year-round.

Parents or guardians can request an application from their neighborhood school, through Child Nutrition Services, 7520 Mainland Drive, or by calling (210) 397-4517.

For more information, visit the Child Nutrition web site and refer to the Frequently Asked Questions feature.

A whopping 90,556 students are expected to enroll in Northside Schools for the 2009-2010 school year. The projection is almost 2,200 more students than are currently enrolled.

NISD, the largest public school system in Bexar County and the fourth largest in Texas, will open four more schools this summer, bringing the total number of schools opening between 2006 and 2011 to 25.

Hundreds of additional classrooms are under construction throughout the massive 355-square-mile district that is located in Bexar, Medina and Bandera counties.

Just months after the opening of Brandeis High School, Northside ISD is making preparations to open another new high school to provide much-needed relief to Stevens High School.

Brennan High School will open in August 2010 on Cottonwood Way, outside Loop 1604 and south of Wiseman Boulevard.

Stevens High School currently has an enrollment of about 2,900, but since June 2007, large portions of its attendance zone have been capped to Warren and Taft high schools. That means new students who have moved to these capped areas since June 2007 are attending Warren or Taft high schools. Without the cap, enrollment at Stevens would be 3,600.

When Brennan High School opens, it will end capped enrollment at Stevens.

An expected 1,200 students will move from the Stevens zone to the new Brennan zone. Brennan will open with freshmen, sophomores, and juniors.

The School Boundary Advisory Committee, a group of 32 parents representing all the middle school attendance zones, will review the proposed boundary for Brennan High School at a public hearing at 7 p.m. March 16 at Taft High School, 11600 FM 471 West. Members of the public can sign up to speak beginning at 6:45 p.m.

The SBAC will gather community input before making a final recommendation to the Board of Trustees on March 24. The Board will make the final decision on the attendance zone.

For details about the proposed attendance zone and a list of the 34 neighborhoods that are included in the proposal, please visit the Brennan High School boundary page.

About 300 students from more than 30 counties will present their scientific experimental research Feb. 14-15 at this year's Alamo Regional Junior Academy of Science.

The science fair, an annual event in San Antonio for more than 40 years, will be held at the Loop 1604 campus of the University of Texas at San Antonio in the Humanities and Social Sciences Building.

The Alamo Regional Junior Academy of Science is a unique opportunity for middle school and high school students to give formal oral presentations of their experimental research before judges from the scientific, medical, and engineering communities. Students present their research in two formats - written reports of no more than 20 pages and oral reports of no more than 12 minutes. The students are evaluated on their oral presentation, answers to the judges' questions, and on their written report.

Students select their topics from the fields of behavioral/social science, biochemistry, botany, chemistry, earth/space science, engineering, environmental science, math/computers, medicine/health, microbiology, physics, and zoology.

The top winners in each category of the high school division advance to the state level at the Texas Junior Academy of Science at Texas A&M in College Station, where they compete for awards and eligibility to advance to the national level of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Winners of this year's competition will be announced at the awards ceremony, from 2 to 4 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 15 in the Main Building Auditorium at UTSA (Entrance from 1604).

For more information:

John and Rose Perez, directors

(210) 736-2716

Alice Fiedler, publicity

(210) 397-8660

Students at Oak Hills Terrace Elementary School are about to get a medieval-style lesson in ethics, thanks to a revolutionary character education program sponsored by the San Antonio Oak Hills Rotary Club.

Students will be introduced to the EarlyAct FirstKnight program via a live-action presentation featuring armored jousting knights, costumed warhorses, a computerized musical soundtrack, and other Hollywood-like special effects beginning at 9 a.m., Thursday, Feb. 5, at Oak Hills Terrace Elementary, 5710 Cary Grant Drive, 78240.

Developed by the educational service organization the Knights of the Guild, EarlyAct FirstKnight is a program designed to pass on Rotary-like ideals to schoolchildren through in-class curriculum and homework assignments emphasizing tolerance, responsibility, confidence, perseverance, discipline, respect, honesty, compassion, friendliness, and service.

With headquarters in Spring Branch, Texas, Knights of the Guild was established in 1997 by Dr. Randall Parr, a decorated naval officer with more than 20 years of experience in creating acclaimed ethics development programs for young people. Based on the historic theme of noble knights and service above self, EarlyAct FirstKnight allows students to achieve rankings of "Page," "Squire," and "Knight" through schoolwide knighting ceremonies.

For more information, contact David Ives at (210) 492-3531. The main number at Oak Hills Terrace is (210) 397-0550.

More than 350 students and coaches from south central Texas will converge at Northside ISD Jan. 30-31 for the Region IV Academic Decathlon competition.

The meet will be held at Stevens High School, 600 N. Ellison Drive. Academic Decathlon teams from all nine of Northside's comprehensive high schools will compete.

Students from 29 high schools will test their knowledge on "Latin America: A Focus on Mexico," the overarching topic selected for the event.

The Decathlon will culminate at 3 p.m. Saturday with the Super Quiz, which will focus on the theme of evolutionary biology.

"The Academic Decathlon competition is the most rigorous academic contest in the US," said Sara McAndrew, Executive Director of Secondary Instruction. "The students who participate are outstanding young scholars."

Academic Decathlon, founded in 1968, is designed to challenge high school students with rigorous academic competition through participation in team activities. The competition consists of events in 10 different areas: essay, speech, interview, math, music, economics, science, language and literature, art, and Super Quiz.

What makes Academic Decathlon unique is the composition of the teams. Each nine-member team must have three "A" students, three "B" students, and three "C" students.

When:	6:30-8:30 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 19
Where:	13011 Kyle Seale Parkway

Craig Scott, the brother of Rachel Scott who was the first person killed in the tragic shooting at Columbine High School on April 20, 1999, was in the library that fateful day when two of his closest friends were shot beside him. He escaped uninjured and he and his family have devoted their lives speaking to school groups in hopes to motivate students to embrace values of kindness and compassion through a program named for his sister.

Rachel's Challenge is a national campaign and program based on an essay entitled "My Ethics, My Codes of Life" written by Rachel Joy Scott. The program is designed to help school administrators, parents, and students create safer and more productive places to learn and achieve.

Craig Scott and Rachel's Challenge will be presented on Thursday, Feb. 19 from 6:30-8:30 p.m. at the Brandeis High School Auditorium, 13011 Kyle Seale Parkway. Registration is from 6-6:30 p.m. The program is free and sponsored by the NISD Safe and Drug Free Schools and Communities Program.

Parents are invited to get the 411 on resources now available geared toward helping parents learn how to keep their children safe from drugs and alcohol.

The Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities (SDFSC) Department will hold a kick-off meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 17 at 6 p.m. at the Northside Activity Center to view the online training now available through a new community website. Laptops will be available to preview the training and provide immediate feedback and ask questions.

The event is open, free of charge, to the NISD community. For more information, contact the SDFSC Department at 397-1263.

A 9-year-old's birthday party at a local bowling alley was the impetus for a perfect score eight years later.

A.J. Navarro was at a friend's birthday party at the Bandera Super Bowl when he discovered a love for bowling. Afterward, he talked his parents into letting him join a bowling league, and as the saying goes, "the rest is history."

On Jan. 6, the now 17-year-old senior from Marshall High School bowled a perfect game with a score of 300. "I had been working toward that goal for almost nine years," Navarro said. "It was like a relief to be able to finally do it." The previous week, Navarro scored a 299, two highlights for a bowler's career.

Navarro is among the youngest in the area to reach this pinnacle in bowling. "I started out doing it just for fun, but the more I did it, the more competitive I got," Navarro said. Navarro currently has more than $4,000 in scholarships thanks to the sport of bowling. He hopes to eventually attend Trinity University and major in art.

"Bowling is a sport where you don't have to be particularly athletic or special," Navarro said. "Bowling is about opportunities. If you're willing to practice, anyone can do it-it's open to everyone."

Besides the NISD High School Bowling Club League, Navarro is in four other leagues and practices and competes about 20 hours a week, according to his parents Rochelle and Paul Navarro.

The NISD High School Bowling Club League is in its first year, with eight NISD high schools participating with about 130 students. Ashle Reid, a ninth grader from O'Connor High School said that being on the team is fun. "You can do it in any weather, meet students from other high schools, and get to know your classmates," she said. "We may be competitive, but we're doing it for fun."

John Paul Robinson, a student at Clark High School, has been accepted into the People to People Presidential Inauguration program. Robinson will join a select group of returning People to People travelers from around the world to participate in a unique Leadership Conference and attend the celebration activities of this monumental event in Washington, D.C. He will be the only participant to represent San Antonio.

This special delegation will witness the swearing-in of Barack Obama as the 44th president of the United States and listen to his inaugural address. They will also gain insights into American leaders throughout history, during discussions with political experts (Rudy Giuliani, Tom Brokaw and others), access to the U.S. Capitol and National Archives, exploration of the newly reopened National Museum of American History, and visits to Washington D.C.'s treasured monuments and memorials.

John Paul earned an exclusive invitation to this unique program by being a previously successful People to People Student Ambassador, maintaining the academic, leadership and citizenship goals of the program.

This unique opportunity is coordinated by People to People Leadership Programs to fulfill the vision President Dwight D. Eisenhower had for fostering world citizenship when he founded People to People during his presidency in 1956. For additional information, you can visit the People To People web site.

Corbin Hunter, a 5th grade student at Braun Station Elementary, has been invited through the Congressional Youth Leadership Council, to attend the Presidential Inauguration this January. Selected to participate in the Junior Presidential Youth Inaugural Conference (JrPYIC), Hunter will take part in and share firsthand in the excitement and ceremony of the inauguration.

Participants are exclusively invited to attend private Inaugural Conference events and activities such as roundtable discussions with national journalists, meetings with congressional staff, and point/counter point debates with leading political experts, as well as special events with VIP's. Inaugural Scholars also take part in the traditional ceremony of the inauguration itself, as they witness the official swearing-in of the President of the United States, and view the inaugural parade as the President, Vice President and their families make their way from the U.S. Capitol to the White House.

News media can coordinate interviews or coverage with Corbin's mother, Robin Ahlgren at: 548-0925 (cell); 397-3877 (work), 977-0022 (home).

More than 140 underprivileged children will experience the joy of the holiday season, thanks to students and staff at Jay High School.

On Tuesday and Wednesday (Dec. 16 & 17), Jay students will take children from seven nearby elementary schools shopping from 9:15 to 10:45 a.m. at Payless Shoe Source and Big Lots Discount Store, 1777 SW Loop 410.

Each elementary student will get $25 for shoes and $25 for toys from funds donated by local businesses and Jay students and staff. After the shopping spree, the students will enjoy lunch provided by Jay’s Family Consumer Sciences Department.

The shoe and toy drive is one of the oldest school-based holiday charity traditions in San Antonio. The event has been an annual tradition for Jay since the school opened in 1967. Calvin Buchholtz, Jay science teacher and Student Council sponsor, has organized the event for the past 35 years.

• Super visual and high energy event on FRIDAY and you're invited
• Drum line parade pumps up the energy as Clark High School heads to state football semifinals
• Clark High School wants to make San Antonio proud

Almost 3,000 screaming Clark HS students, staff, and parents will cheer on the Cougar football team at 3:15 p.m. Friday, Dec. 12 as Clark gets ready to play in the state semifinals.

Regional champion Clark will play Fort Bend Hightower in the Class 5A Division I state semifinals on Saturday in Austin. Clark is the only team from Bexar County to make it to the semifinals. And it's the first time Clark has made it this far so the energy and excitement level is through the roof!

Students will cheer from outside their classrooms to pump up the team as football players, cheerleaders, and the drum line parade through the school. Parents and supporters also will line the courtyard to cheer on the players as they pass.

Media who would like to attend should be at the school by 3 p.m. Please check in at the front office of the school, located at 5150 DeZavala Road, 78249.

Clark High School's main phone number is 397-5150.

Please call the Communications Dept. at 397-8550 for more information.

The Puerto Rican Heritage Society will bring traditional artisans, music and dancers to Warren High School from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. on Friday, Nov. 21.

About 350 art, social studies and international language students will attend the cultural presentation, which will be held in the auditorium at Warren, 9411 Military Dr. W., 78251.

The event is a preview to the Heritage Society's Festival of Puerto Rico, which is Sunday, Nov. 23 at the Live Oak Civic Center.

Howsman Elementary School has raised more than $1,000 for the San Antonio Food Bank to help families in need during the Thanksgiving holiday. Student Council members will present a check to the Food Bank at 9:30 a.m. Friday, Nov. 21 at the school, 11431 Vance Jackson, 78230.

Staff, students and family members raised the money by buying feathers for 25 cents each to "dress" a turkey at the school.

What:	Dedication of Evelyn Scarborough Elementary School
When:	2 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 8
Where:	12280 Silver Pointe, 78254
Who:	Namesake Evelyn Scarborough, Principal Jeannine Keairnes, District officials, and Scarborough staff, students, and families
Visuals:	Students will perform a tribute to the namesake, and Evelyn Scarborough and Principal Jeannine Keairnes will exchange special gifts.

Northside will officially dedicate its 62nd elementary school on Saturday and will honor a woman who was a longtime special education counselor and coordinator for the District. Evelyn Scarborough was instrumental in the development of numerous services for special education students, including On Job Training and the Early Childhood Collaboration.

Scarborough retired in 2004 after 32 years with Northside and more than 45 years in education.

Scarborough Elementary School was built for 800 students and was constructed for $16.8 million with funding from School Bond 2004. The 102,304 square-foot facility sits on an 18-acre site.

Scarborough Elementary School is one of five new Northside schools to open this year to help accommodate enrollment, now at 88,400 and growing by about 3,000 students a year. The dedication ceremonies already have been held for Louis D. Brandeis High School, Robert L. Vale Middle School, Nora Forester Elementary School, and Peggy Carnahan Elementary School.

Northside ISD students overwhelmingly voted for Barack Obama and Joe Biden over John McCain and Sarah Palin in the Districtwide mock election.

Obama received 66 percent of the vote, compared to 31 percent for McCain. About 3 percent of students voted for Libertarian candidate Robert Barr or write-in candidates.

More than 64,000 students - or almost three-quarters of the NISD student body - voted in the mock election, which was coordinated by the elementary and secondary Social Studies departments and Academic Technology Services.

Voting at most secondary campuses took place last week, and elementary students voted Monday and Tuesday.

With elementary polling locations still open, the Obama/Biden ticket has a commanding lead in Northside's districtwide mock election.

The results for 26 middle and high schools already have been tabulated, and Barack Obama is ahead with 62 percent of the vote compared to John McCain with 34 percent.

For a complete breakdown, please see campus-by-campus results for middle and high schools.

Voting at most secondary campuses took place last week. Elementary students are voting Monday and Tuesday. Connally and Neff middle schools, and Marshall and Stevens high schools also will vote on Election Day.

All results should be available late Tuesday afternoon.

Just one day before Election Day, John McCain and Barack Obama - or at least pint-sized representatives of them - will get a final chance to duke it out at the Howsman Elementary School mock debate at 9 a.m. Monday, Nov. 3.

The debate will take place in front of the entire student body, which will be assembled in front of the school in the parent pickup lane. Howsman is located at 11431 Vance Jackson, 78230.

Students representing McCain and Obama will make campaign speeches, and state representatives Mike Villarreal and Frank Corte also will speak to students. The entire ceremony should last about 45 minutes.

The Northside Education Foundation's annual fall 5K Run/Walk will be held at 8 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 1 at Del Webb Hill Country Retreat.

Onsite registration and check-in the day of the event will begin at 6:30 a.m. at Del Webb Hill Country Retreat, 4550 Del Web Blvd. A shuttle from Taft High School, 11600 FM 471 West, will be available starting at 6:30 a.m. Onsite registration is $30 per person.

Proceeds from the Run/Walk will benefit the Northside Education Foundation, which raises funds and provides resources to support innovative educational programs for Northside ISD students.

What:	Dedication of Peggy Carnahan Elementary School
When:	2 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 1
Where:	6839 Babcock Road, 78249
Who:	Namesake Peggy Carnahan; Lisa Jackson, school principal; district officials; and Carnahan staff, students, and families
Visuals:	Students will perform a tribute to the namesake, and Peggy Carnahan and Principal Lisa Jackson will exchange special gifts.

Northside will officially dedicate its 61st elementary school on Saturday and will honor a woman who has spent her career improving science education for Texas school children. A former science teacher at Jay High School, she became the first (and still only) Northside teacher to be honored by the Texas Education Agency as a statewide Teacher of the Year in 1980. Carnahan spent 20 years at Northside but is still serving the district and its teachers as the director of the Center for Science and Mathematics Education at Our Lady of the Lake University.

Carnahan Elementary School was built for 800 students and was constructed for $15.7 million with funding from School Bond 2004. The 103,025 square-foot facility sits on a 15-acre site that was previously owned by the Steubing Family and served as a dairy farm until the mid-1980s.

Carnahan Elementary School is one of five new Northside schools to open this year to help accommodate enrollment, now at 88,400 and growing by about 3,000 students a year. The dedications for Louis D. Brandeis High School, Robert L. Vale Middle School, and Nora Forester Elementary School were held earlier this month. The dedication for Evelyn Scarborough Elementary School will be 2 p.m. Nov. 8.

What:	Dedication of Louis D. Brandeis High School
When:	Thursday, Oct. 30 9:15-11:25 a.m. and 1-3 p.m. - Brandeis grandchildren tour Brandeis High School 6:30 p.m. - Pep rally, ceremonial ribbon cutting and a Texas welcome for Brandeis grandchildren 7 p.m. - Official dedication ceremony
Where:	13011 Kyle Seale Parkway, 78249
Who:	The three grandchildren of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis (Alice Popkin, Walter Raushenbush, and Frank Gilbert), Brandeis High School Principal Geri Berger, District officials, and Brandeis students and staff

The three grandchildren of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Louis D. Brandeis will help dedicate Northside ISD's ninth high school on Thursday, Oct. 30, and will honor a man who dedicated his life to public service, first as an attorney fighting for the rights of the common man, and later as a U.S. Supreme Court Justice.

Louis D. Brandeis, who was one of the first attorneys to work pro-bono for his clients, was appointed to the U.S. Supreme Court in 1916 by President Woodrow Wilson. As a Supreme Court justice, Brandeis argued for an individual's right to privacy, defended the freedom of speech, and worked to reduce government corruption. He died in 1941.

Brandeis High School was built for 2,800 students and was constructed for $85.3 million with funding from School Bond 2004. The 429,667 square-foot facility sits on a 75-acre site.

Brandeis High School is one of five new Northside schools to open this year to help accommodate enrollment, now at 88,400 and growing by about 3,000 students a year. The dedications of Robert L. Vale Middle School and Nora Forester Elementary School already have been held. The rest of the dedication schedule is as follows:

• Peggy Carnahan Elementary School, 2 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 1
• Evelyn Scarborough Elementary School, 2 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 8

As Northside ISD wraps up its mock presidential election, newly sworn-in Secretary of State Hope Andrade will visit Holmes and Clark high schools from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 24.

Hope Andrade, who grew up in San Antonio, is the first Latina Secretary of State and is the chief elections officer for Texas. She will talk to students about the importance of voting and will entertain questions from students. This is Andrade's first visit to a school since being sworn in as Secretary of State.

Andrade will be at Holmes High School, 6500 Ingram Road, from 1:30 to 2:15 p.m., and at Clark High School, 5150 De Zavala Road, from 2:45 to 3:30 p.m.

Andrade's visit will culminate Northside's districtwide mock presidential election, called Project VOTE, which is sponsored by the Secretary of State's office.

Seventy-five fathers will take part in a new workshop program on Saturday to learn how to bond with their children. "Building the Father Child Relationship through Literacy and Play" will be at 9 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 25 at the Northside Activity Center, 7001 Culebra Road, 78238.

The program is sponsored by Even Start Family Literacy, Early On School Readiness, Precious Minds New Connections, and The School Age Parenting Programs.

Dr. Ron Klinger, from the Center for Successful Fathering, will lead the workshop, during which the participants will learn about the importance of bonding through play. They will also be introduced to the FRED (Fathers Reading Every Day) Program.

After the workshop fathers and their children will go home with new books to read together.

Mary Hull Elementary School will kick off Red Ribbon Week in style with a parade at 1 p.m. Friday, Oct. 24. There will be several vehicles loaded with special guests, music, characters, and participants will include students in preschool all the way up to high school. Mary Hull is located at 7320 Remuda Dr. 78227.

The mock election at Vale Middle School on Thursday, Oct. 23 will be almost like the read deal. Students must register to vote, and the entire school has been divided into "precincts." Their IDs will be checked before they submit their vote electronically.

Students will vote during their social studies class, so voting will be going on the entire school day, from 8:30 a.m. to 3:40 p.m. Results will be announced Friday morning.

All secondary schools in Northside ISD are participating in Project VOTE, sponsored by the Texas Secretary of State. Vale is located at 2120 N. Ellison, 78251.

Brandeis High School will hold a debate for students from 4:15 to 5:15 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 22 in the auditorium. The Democrats will be represented by state Rep. David Liebowitz, the Republicans by Charles Rodriguez, and the Libertarians by Lani Connolly, who is running against U.S. Congressman Ciro Rodriguez. Students will have an opportunity to ask questions. Brandeis is located at 13011 Kyle Seale Parkway, 78249.

What:	The Priest Holmes Foundation has teamed up with the San Antonio Spurs Foundation to encourage students to stay in school and improve their academics. The incentive program will give Northside ISD 10 tickets and five parking passes to every Spurs home game. Tickets will be awarded to students who exemplify one of the six "Pillars of Character," which are trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring, and citizenship. Judson ISD and the Carver Academy also are participating in the 2008-09 student incentive program. A total of 900 tickets will be awarded, representing a $40,000 investment in education by the foundations.
When:	10 a.m., Tuesday, Oct. 21
Where:	Driggers Elementary School, 6901 Shadow Mist, 78238 (off Grissom & Bandera roads)
Who:	Former NFL running back and Marshall High School graduate Priest Holmes will recognize the first 15 Northside ISD students to be awarded Spurs tickets. Holmes will be joined by NISD Superintendent John Folks, Northside Education Foundation President Rene Garcia, and the Spurs Coyote.
Visuals:	SURPRISE ticket give-a-way to five students for the next Spurs game on Oct. 22 More than 600 elementary students wearing coordinated colors to represent the Six Pillars of Character Spurs Coyote and Marshall cheerleaders and band performing
Contact:	Natalie Silva, natalie@pscommgroup.com, 319-9866 Sarah Phipps, sarah@pscommgroup.com, 246-3295

What:	Dedication of Nora Forester Elementary School
When:	2 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 18
Where:	10726 Rousseau, 78245
Who:	Namesake Nora Forester and her family members; Jeff Davenport, school principal; district officials; and Forester staff, students, and families
Visuals:	Students will perform a tribute to the namesake, and Nora Forester and Principal Jeff Davenport will exchange special gifts.

Northside will officially dedicate its 60th elementary school on Saturday and will honor a woman who was committed to making sure every student in the district learned how to read, no matter their challenges.

Nora Forester worked tirelessly to improve reading instruction and literacy, and made it her mission to get every student in Northside hooked on books. Forester began her teaching career in 1950 and joined Northside in 1961, where she later became the district's first remedial reading teacher. In the 1960s, Forester secured a federal grant to put a reading specialist in every school, making Northside one of the first districts in the nation to do so.

Throughout a career that spanned half a century, Forester received numerous awards and served as President of the Texas Association of Reading. Now retired, Forester volunteers with the Northside School Museum Association. Forester Elementary School was built for 800 students and was constructed for $16.5 million with funding from School Bond 2004. The 99,500 square-foot facility sits on a 15-acre site.

Forester Elementary School is one of five new Northside schools to open this year to help accommodate enrollment, now at 88,400 and growing by about 3,000 students a year. The dedication for Robert L. Vale Middle School was held earlier this week. The rest of the dedication schedule is as follows:

• Louis D. Brandeis High School, 6:30 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 30
• Peggy Carnahan Elementary School, 2 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 1
• Evelyn Scarborough Elementary School, 2 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 8

What:	Dedication of Robert L. Vale Middle School
When:	6:30 p.m., Wednesday, Oct. 15
Where:	2120 N. Ellison, 78251
Who:	Family members of Robert Vale; Erika Foerster, school principal; district officials; and Vale staff, students, and families
Visuals:	Students will perform a musical tribute to the namesake, and the family of Robert Vale and Principal Erika Foerster will exchange special gifts.

Northside will officially dedicate its 16th middle school on Saturday and will honor a man who worked to improve education, health care, and the environment for the working class of Texas.  

During his 20 years representing San Antonio in the state House and Senate, Vale was instrumental in securing funding for the University of Texas at San Antonio, the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, and the San Antonio State School. However, he probably always will be most remembered as one of the infamous "Dirty Thirty," a group that pushed for legislative reform, and also as a member of the "Killer Bees," a group of senators who successfully blocked a bill that would have mandated an early presidential primary in Texas.

Locally, three of Vale's four children graduated from Holmes High School, and he was an active participant in the PTAs of his children's schools. He died from brain cancer in 1992 at the age of 60.

Vale Middle School was built for 1,400 students and was constructed for $32.2 million with funding from School Bond 2004. The 190,915 square-foot facility sits on a 30-acre site across from SeaWorld.

Vale Middle School is one of five new Northside schools to open this year to help accommodate enrollment, now at 88,400 and growing by about 3,000 students a year. The rest of the dedication schedule is as follows:

• Nora Forester Elementary School, 2:30 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 18
• Louis D. Brandeis High School, 6:30 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 30
• Peggy Carnahan Elementary School, 2:30 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 1
• Evelyn Scarborough Elementary School, 2:30 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 8

Staff members at nine Northside campuses will receive more than $1.2 million in "bonuses" this week through the Texas Educator Excellence Grant, also known as the state's teacher incentive program.

Holmes and Jay high schools, Pease and Jones middle schools, and Passmore, Cable, Meadow Village, Powell, and Linton elementary schools were selected as grant recipients because students received high scores or showed significant improvement on the Texas Association of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) test.

The grant money is earmarked for schools that have high percentages of economically disadvantaged students. All schools must be rated Recognized or Exemplary under the state's accountability system, or show strong performance gains in math and reading.

Throughout the week, Superintendent John Folks and other administrators will distribute checks to staff at all nine schools.

Each school will receive between $80,000 and $230,000, depending on the size of the school and the criteria met. Individual staff members will get checks for anywhere from $80 to $4,000, based in part on the subject and grade level they teach.

Here is a schedule of when the checks will be handed out to staff members. For more information, please call 397-8550.

Agricultural lessons will make math and science come to life for hundreds of NISD fourth grade students when O'Connor High School holds the "Ag in Action" fair Oct. 7-9.

Ag in Action runs from 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday (Oct. 7, 8, and 9) at O'Connor High School, 12221 Leslie Road, 78023. The fair will run continuously from 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. except during lunch, which is 10:30 to 11:20 a.m.

Over the course of the three-day event, about 1,350 fourth graders will visit various stations where O'Connor students will give them hands-on lessons in wildlife and aquatics, soil and water conservation, nutrition and fiber research, plant and animal growth, animal production, and plant systems and germination.

The purpose of Ag in Action is to help students connect their classroom experiences with real-world applications, and this year's focus is on math and science. Since 1998, more than 23,000 fourth graders and 5,000 high school students have participated in this annual event and raised $280,000 in scholarships.

"Pack it Light, Wear it Right." That's the message Northside occupational therapists will be sending to students on National School Backpack Awareness Day, Sept. 17.

To help prevent injuries, the NISD occupational therapy program will hold a "backpack check" event from 7:30 to 8:20 a.m. Wednesday, Sept. 17, in the gym foyer at Jefferson Middle School, 10900 Schaenfield Road, 78254.

Northside ISD occupational therapists and students from the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio will weigh students' backpacks and make adjustments to make sure the backpacks are being worn properly. Therapists also will discuss with students how to fill a backpack for safe weight distribution.

Here's a tip sheet for loading and wearing a backpack safely. For more information, call Heidi Schoenfeld, coordinator of the NISD Occupational, Physical & Music Therapy Program, at (210) 397-2428.

At the Northside Education Foundation annual gala, the guests of honor are homegrown.

Six outstanding graduates of Northside ISD will be honored as the 2008 "Pillars of Character" at the NEF black-tie gala, held at 5:30 p.m. Sept. 2 at the Hyatt Regency Hill Country Resort, 9800 Hyatt Resort Dr. The annual gala raises money to fund innovative classroom programs with teacher grants.

This year's Pillars include a composer, engineer, college softball coach, energy executive, U.S. Army major, and an expert on wildlife research, all dedicated to improving the lives of others.

For the last decade, NEF has selected six NISD alumni and living role models to represent a character trait that is taught in Northside classrooms as part of the District's character curriculum. The six Pillars of Character are: responsibility, citizenship, respect, fairness, caring, and trustworthiness.

Teachers weave lessons about the Pillars into activities throughout the year, and the Pillars themselves also make classroom visits. Posters of the honorees are hung in 6,000 classrooms across the District to remind students that everyone has the potential to be a Pillar of Character - and a classroom celebrity.

The following NISD alumni have been named the 2008 Pillars of Character:

• Pillar of Caring: Charles "Chuck" Booker, Jay High School Class of 1970
  Band music composer/conductor

  Years after graduating from high school, Chuck Booker returned to his alma mater to ask his former band directors, Dan Schreiber and Al Sturchio, "Are you a musician or a band director?" They replied, "We are teachers." Chuck Booker is that and more. An educator and former U.S. Army Bandmaster, Chuck Booker is also a musician and published composer. While in the U.S. Army Band program, the UTSA alumnus marched in the inaugural parades of President George H.W. Bush and President Bill Clinton and played trumpet at the funerals of Presidents Truman and Johnson. Today, high school, university, and military bands around the world perform his music. Because Chuck Booker cares about the musicians of tomorrow, he currently shares his talent with students as the Director of Bands at the University of Arkansas at Fort Smith.

• Pillar of Citizenship: Dr. Geoffrey Orsak, Clark High School Class of 1981
  University Engineering School Dean

  Since earning his doctorate from Rice University, Geoffrey Orsak has focused his work as Dean of Engineering at Southern Methodist University on his two great passions: reforming U.S. science and engineering education and applying innovation to the critical problems of global development. In 1999, he founded the Infinity Project, an award-winning national program in engineering education that today operates in 40 states and six countries. This, along with his work in encouraging women to pursue careers in engineering, earned Dr. Orsak the first-ever Educator of the Year award presented by EE Times magazine. Today, in collaboration with international experts on poverty (like Microsoft's Bill Gates), he has developed a new global initiative to create and deliver ultra low-cost solutions to the problems that affect nearly 1.4 billion world citizens surviving on less than $1 a day. A rare combination of scholar and activist, Geoffrey Orsak demonstrates the ultimate in citizenship.

• Pillar of Fairness: Donna Eckert-Fields, Holmes High School Class of 1983
  University Softball Coach/Administrator

  Being fair and being a winner epitomizes Donna Eckert-Fields. As a child with eight brothers and sisters, the only doll she played with was a sports figure. She grew into such an outstanding teen athlete that St. Mary's University offered her a three-sport scholarship in 1983 for volleyball, basketball, and softball. Following graduation from St. Mary's, she continued her winning ways as a coach at Taft High School for 10 years, and is now head Softball Coach - and senior woman administrator - in the St. Mary's Athletic Department. She is the only St. Mary's Rattler to earn a national championship as both a player (1986) and coach (2002). In 2008, she posted her 500th career win as the head softball coach. She was inducted into the St. Mary's Athletics Hall of Fame in 1998 and the Holmes High School Hall of Fame in 1999 in recognition of her dedication to increasing opportunities for women.

• Pillar of Responsibility: Tony Pelletier, Jay High School Class of 1971
  Engineer/Energy Executive/Pilot

  Both a "math geek" and a linebacker in high school, Tony Pelletier today is an oil and gas exploration company co-owner and a pilot who flies Angel Flights missions to transport cancer patients and blood and organ donations. Educated at Lackland City Elementary, Rayburn Middle School, and Jay High School, he was elected class President four years in a row and football captain as a senior. A turning point in his life came his junior year when Texas A&M recruited him for a summer National Science Foundation program, and his high school math teacher encouraged him to forego a dead-end summer job to attend. He later graduated from A&M and now is President of Alamo Resources in Houston. A heart attack survivor, Pelletier rides his bike in long-distance (150 miles) races to raise funds for multiple sclerosis research in honor of a fellow Jay graduate. In his spare time, he speaks to high school and college students to encourage them to take responsibility for their futures.

• Pillar of Trustworthiness: Maj. Steven Gventer, Clark High School Class of 1988
  Wounded Warrior Care Leader

  Steven Gventer, a Clark High School scholar and athlete, graduated from Baylor University and was a high school teacher in north Texas until 1997, when patriotism motivated him to enlist in the U.S. Army Officer Candidate School. By 2004, he was a commander in Sadr City, Baghdad's most dangerous neighborhood. Seriously wounded twice, he was awarded two Purple Hearts and three Bronze Stars. Next, Maj. Gventer was asked to develop and lead the first U.S. Army Warrior Transition Company at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. His attention to the quality of care at Walter Reed and other military hospitals prompted his promotion to Executive Assistant in the Warrior Care and Transition Office of the U.S. Army Surgeon General. America's fighting men and women injured in the line of duty can trust in Maj. Steven Gventer to help them navigate the health care system and get back on their feet - often saving their lives.

• Pillar of Respect: Dr. Fred Bryant, Marshall High School Class of 1966
  Wildlife Research Institute Director

  A true product of Northside, Dr. Fred Bryant recently attended the 42nd reunion of the first-ever state championship team (basketball) from Northside ISD. Prior to attending Marshall High School, he attended Leon Valley Elementary, and Ross and Neff middle schools. Following graduation, he earned degrees from Texas Tech, Utah State, and Texas A&M. To become an expert on wildlife research, endangered species, range management, and environmental issues, Dr. Bryant worked all over the world - from Peru and Bolivia to Morocco and Australia. However, since becoming Director of the Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute at Texas A&M-Kingsville in 1996, he says, "We can be world class without doing research all over the world." Calling South Texas "the last great habitat," Dr. Bryant supervises biological research with respect for the environment: the people, animals, and plants in it.

Gov. Rick Perry and Texas Education Commissioner Robert Scott will be at Lackland City Elementary School at 9:30 a.m. Wednesday, Aug. 27 to present Northside Superintendent John Folks with a check for $5.4 million.

The money will be distributed to teachers at 22 Northside schools as part of the state's District Awards for Teacher Excellence, or DATE.

Lackland City Elementary is located at 101 Dumont, 78227.

Please call Pascual Gonzalez at (210) 240-2108 or Monica Faulkenbery at (210) 846-4584 for more information.

What: Ten high-energy back-to-school pep rallies, aka Convocations 2008
When: Aug. 19-22 (see times below)
Where: Brandeis High School auditorium, 13011 Kyle Seale Parkway, 78249 (behind Stinson Middle School between Hausman and Bamburger Trail)

About 10,000 teachers and staff members will gather at 10 pep rally-style Convocations to hear Superintendent John Folks' "charge to the troops" and to get revved up for the 2008-09 school year. Student musicians, cheerleaders, and "spirit leaders" representing each school will help pump up the audience.

More than 100 colorful school signs and banners will help decorate the high-energy rallies, whose theme this year is "Northside: We Believe." Campus staff will wear creative outfits to show their school spirit, so there will be great photo opportunities and fun interviews available.

These rallies are designed to kick off the new school year, which begins for students on Monday, Aug. 25. So that Dr. Folks can address the staff from every campus, 10 rallies are planned back-to-back at 8:30 a.m., 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. on August 19 and 21, and at 8:30 a.m. and 11 a.m. on Aug. 20 and 22.

Note to media: Parking is limited so please find an NISD police officer and they will assist you.

On site contacts: Pascual Gonzalez (cell: 240-2108) or Monica Faulkenbery (cell: 669-6105 or 846-4584)

About 500 students will graduate from high school at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday/Aug. 13 at a very colorful summer commencement ceremony at the Paul Taylor Field House, 7001 Culebra Road.

Students will graduate from all nine high schools in Northside and therefore will be wearing graduation robes of various school colors. Participants also will include students earning a GED certificate through NISD Adult & Community Education.

Please call (210) 397-8550 for more information.

Roughly 800 newly hired teachers will learn all about Northside at the New Teacher Academy, held Tuesday through Thursday (Aug. 5-7) at Warren and Stevens high schools.

The new teachers will learn about Northside programs and practices, attend staff development sessions, and visit with their mentors.

Altogether, the District expects to hire about 850 new teachers by the time school starts Aug. 25.

The best time for media coverage is during lunch, when teachers will gather in the cafeteria to get an overview of the "Northside Way" from Superintendent John Folks.

Elementary teachers will lunch from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 5 at Warren High School, 9411 W. Military Dr., 78251. Secondary teachers will have lunch 11:45 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 7, at Stevens High School, 600 N. Ellison Dr., 78251.

For onsite information and interviews, please speak with Dr. Folks or Pascual Gonzalez, NISD spokesman. New teachers will be available for interviews. Pascual can be reached on his cell phone at 240-2108.

A helicopter hovering over some NISD middle schools Monday morning will have some folks doing a double take.

A helicopter will be used to assist with the installation of air conditioning units in gymnasiums at Ross, Neff, Connally and Hobby middle schools Monday morning, July 28. (This project originally was scheduled for Thursday but was rescheduled because of weather concerns).

A helicopter is being used rather than a crane because it is cheaper, faster and easier. It takes several hours to set up a crane, which means it probably would take two to four days to place the AC units.

Instead, a helicopter will pick up the AC units from the athletic field at each school and quickly place them on the rooftops of the gymnasium. It is expected to take only about an hour at each school.

Weather permitting, the installation schedule is as follows:

• 8 a.m., Ross Middle School, 3630 Callaghan Road, 78228
• 9 a.m., Neff Middle School, 5227 Evers Road, 78238
• 10 a.m., Connally Middle School, 8661 Silent Sunrise, 78250
• 11:30 a.m., Hobby Middle School, 11843 Vance Jackson, 78230

The air conditioning of middle school gyms is being funded by School Bond 2007.