15
June 2006 Summer time… enjoy and relax! Another school year is in the books and I want to thank everyone for a job well done. Summer time is a great opportunity to relax and most of all de-stress. Stress is the body’s response to pressure and change. A lit- tle stress can sharpen your senses and your perform- ance. But too much stress can harm your body and mind. Do your best to manage stress. Here are some tips I have to start you off on the right foot. 1. Plan and prioritize. Stay in control of your time and deciding what has to be done; then do the most important things first. 2. Stay positive. Use your resources to figure out how to resolve difficulties and keep on track to accomplish your goals. 3. Don’t sweat the little things. When problems occur, ask yourself if they’ll really a make a difference tomorrow. 4. Talk out your problem with a trusted friend, co-worker, or relative. 5. Avoid your stress triggers. Keep from overloading, procrasti- nating, or visiting with people who cause you stress. Most of all, do things that make your happy. Spend time with your family, pick up a new hobby, or travel. Whatever you do, enjoy your summer. Daniel Garcia, Jr., Ph.D. Superintendent’s Message 2006-2007 BOARD MEETING DATES - CLICK HERE FOR COMPLETE LISTING Nearly 4,400 votes were cast in favor of the Laredo Independent School District’s $57 million bond election. As a result, the bond brings the district’s total construction invest- ment to $368 million. “This was a critical elec- tion for the entire community,” said superintendent of schools Dr. Daniel Garcia, Jr. “Passage of this bond issue will help us complete the long range plan begun in 1999, when Laredo ISD promised to provide students will facilities that are comparable to other continue pg. 3 Teachers to receive $2,000 pay raise Property tax relief, high school allotment funds, and teacher compensation were dis- cussed in detail at a legislative briefing held recently at Santa Maria Elementary School. Host by members of the Laredo Independent School District Board of Trustees and Superintendent Dr. Daniel Garcia, Jr, the two-hour roundtable discussion was led by State Representatives Richard Raymond and Ryan Guillen. State Senator Judith Zaffirini was unable to attend. Representatives from United ISD also attending the briefing. In April, Texas Gov. Rick Perry called state legislators into Special Session to address public school finance. The result was the approval of House Bill 1. “The bill provides a $2,000 salary increase for all teachers, counselors, nurses, and librari- ans,” stated Mr. Raymond. “It (HB 1) also gives educational employees the option to set aside an employee-determined portion of their salary tax free each year to cover health insurance premi- ums.” Both provisions take effect in fall 2006. Additionally, HB 1 calls for a combined 33 percent reduction in property taxes (11 percent in 2006-2007, 22 percent in 2007- 2008). The bill also establishes a High School Allotment at a rate of $275 per student in grades 9-12 to be spent on initiatives to decrease dropout rates, promote graduation, and prepare for post-secondary education. Click here for more highlights to HB1. Legislators discuss impact of HB 1 $57M bond approved, trustees elected Sworn-in. Pictured from left to right, newly- elected board of trustees include John Peter Montalvo, Guillermina Montes, and Daniel Rigal standing with Dr. Daniel Garcia.

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June 2006

Summer time…enjoy and relax!

Another school year isin the books and I want tothank everyone for a jobwell done.

Summer time is a greatopportunity to relax andmost of all de-stress. Stressis the body’s response topressure and change. A lit-tle stress can sharpen yoursenses and your perform-ance. But too much stresscan harm your body and

mind. Do your best to manage stress.

Here are some tips I have to startyou off on the right foot.

1. Plan and prioritize. Stay in control of your time and deciding what has to be done; then do the most important things first.

2. Stay positive. Use your resources to figure out how to resolve difficulties and keep on track to accomplish your goals.

3. Don’t sweat the little things.When problems occur, ask yourself if they’ll really a make a difference tomorrow.

4. Talk out your problem with a trusted friend, co-worker, orrelative.

5. Avoid your stress triggers.Keep from overloading, procrasti-nating, or visiting with people who cause you stress.

Most of all, do things that make your happy. Spend time with your

family, pick up a newhobby, or travel.

Whatever you do,enjoy your summer.

Daniel Garcia, Jr., Ph.D.

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Nearly 4,400 votes were cast infavor of the Laredo IndependentSchool District’s $57 million bondelection. As a result, the bond bringsthe district’s total construction invest-ment to $368 million.

“This was a critical elec-tion for the entire community,”said superintendent of schoolsDr. Daniel Garcia, Jr.

“Passage of this bond issue willhelp us complete the long range plan begun in 1999, when Laredo ISD promised to provide students willfacilities that are comparable to other

continue pg. 3

Teachers to receive $2,000 pay raiseProperty tax relief, high school allotment

funds, and teacher compensation were dis-cussed in detail at a legislative briefing heldrecently at Santa Maria Elementary School.

Host by members of the LaredoIndependent School District Board of Trusteesand Superintendent Dr. Daniel Garcia, Jr, thetwo-hour roundtable discussion was led byState Representatives Richard Raymond andRyan Guillen. State Senator Judith Zaffiriniwas unable to attend. Representatives fromUnited ISD also attending the briefing.

In April, Texas Gov. Rick Perry calledstate legislators into Special Session toaddress public school finance. The result wasthe approval of House Bill 1.

“The bill provides a $2,000 salary increasefor all teachers, counselors, nurses, and librari-ans,” stated Mr. Raymond. “It (HB 1) also giveseducational employees the option to set aside an

employee-determined portion of their salary taxfree each year to cover health insurance premi-ums.” Both provisions take effect in fall 2006.

Additionally, HB 1 calls for a combined33 percent reduction in property taxes (11percent in 2006-2007, 22 percent in 2007-2008). The bill also establishes a HighSchool Allotment at a rate of $275 per studentin grades 9-12 to be spent on initiatives todecrease dropout rates, promote graduation,and prepare for post-secondary education.

Click here for more highlights to HB1.

Legislators discuss impact of HB 1

$$5577MM bboonndd aapppprroovveedd,,ttrruusstteeeess eelleecctteedd

Sworn-in. Pictured from left to right, newly-elected board of trustees include John PeterMontalvo, Guillermina Montes, and Daniel Rigalstanding with Dr. Daniel Garcia.

The Laredo Independent SchoolDistrict has been selected to receivethe Meritorious Budget Award fromthe Association of School BusinessOfficials International for excellence inthe preparation and issuance of the dis-trict’s 2005-2006 annual budget.

“Budget preparation is a meticu-lous and rigorous process,” said JesusJ. Amezcua, chief financial officer. “Ithank my staff for their hard work anddedication to the budgeting process.We are accountable to our taxpayers,and we will continue to work vigor-ously in preparing and presenting abalanced budget.”

The Meritorious Budget AwardsProgram was designed by ASBOInternational and school business man-agement professionals to enable school

business administration to achieve excellencein budget presentation. The program helpsschool systems build a solid foundation in theskills of developing, analyzing, and presentinga budget.

“The Meritorious Budget Award is onlyconferred to school systems that have met orexceeded the Meritorious Budget AwardProgram Criteria,” states Michelle Williams,professional development coordinator withASBO International. “No other organizationor award program is specifically designed toenhance school budgeting and honor aschool system for a job well done.”

ASBO International, founded in 1910,is a professional association that providesprograms and services to promote the high-est standards of school business manage-ment practices, professional growth, andthe effective use of educational resources.

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page 2

Barbara Flores Cigarroa has always been an avid reader,so it’s only appropriate that the new library at CigarroaMiddle School was dedicated in her honor.

Cigarroa, wife of local physician Dr. Joaquin G.Cigarroa and mother of 10 children, beamed with pride dur-ing recent ribbon cutting ceremonies.

“The students and staff were anxiously awaiting thislearning facility,” said CMS principal Gerardo Cruz.“Cigarroa Middle shared a library with our neighbor CigarroaHigh School for 25 years. Fortunately, LISD taxpayers voted‘yes’ for bond monies. It was money well spent.”

Ashley, Humphries and Sanchez Architects designed the9,371 sq. ft. building. Leyendecker Construction built thenew facility.

Towards the end of the ceremony, Cigarroa’s 29 grand-children, nieces and nephews—children of the late Drs.Leonides and Margaret Cigarroa—took turns presenting newbooks for the library. Dr. and Mrs. Joaquin Cigarroa also pre-sented the school with a set of World Book Encyclopedias,two dictionaries, and an atlas.

“The volumes given by the Cigarroa family are welcomeadditions to our collection,” said CMS head librarian JuliaCasso Muller with gratitude.

Muller said the new library is stocked with 12,500books, 24 computers, and an additional lab with 20 comput-ers. All of the computers will be connected to the Internet.The library is equipped with wireless capabilities so the stu-dents can use their laptops without having to plug in. A peri-odical section has 30 different titles of magazines and news-papers.

“Since the doors have opened, we have been floodedwith students who come in to read, conduct research, and dohomework,” Muller added.

The library’s regular hours are Monday through Friday,from 7:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The library stays open until 5:30p.m. on Wednesdays.

The Cigarroa Middle School cheerleaders presented theCigarroa family members with stuffed animal bulldogs, theschool’s mascot. Following the program, a ribbon cuttingfollowed at library’s front doorway. The Cigarroa MiddleSchool Orchestra and Band added to the festivities.

“Our students have been taking advantage of the library.As a matter a fact it, we can’t keep them out,” Cruz said.“This library will serve our students for many years to come.”

LLiibbrraarryy ddeeddiiccaatteedd iinn BBaarrbbaarraa CCiiggaarrrrooaaÕÕss hhoonnoorr

June 2006

Your source for AdministrativeNews... Plus a whole lot more!Produced monthly for district employees by the Office ofCommunications and the Printing/Creative ServicesDepartment. Information may be submitted by calling theOffice of Communications at 795-3295.

Board of TrusteesJohn Peter MontalvoPresidentJesús J. GuerraVice PresidentGuillermina MontesSecretaryJorge L. RodríguezParliamentarianJosé A. ValdezTrusteeGeorge M. BeckelhymerTrusteeDaniel RigalTrustee

Dr. Daniel Garcia, Jr.Superintendent of Schools

Office of CommunicationsMarco A. AlvaradoDirector of [email protected] Castillón, APRPublic Information [email protected] “Roni” CantúCommunity Relations [email protected] G. MartinezITV [email protected]

Mario PerezPrinting [email protected] ArcosPublications [email protected] GarzaSecretary/[email protected]

It is the policy of the Laredo Independent School Districtnot to discriminate on the basis of race, color, national ori-gin, gender, religion, limited English proficiency, or hand-icapping condition in its programs.

NEWSHeights Elementary Schoolbreaks new ground

What was originally used as a fire-house and then converted into a schoolby the Laredo Independent SchoolDistrict in the early 1900’s, will soon be anew campus for students of HeightsElementary School. A groundbreakingceremony was held May 9, 2006 to for-mally commence construction of the newcampus. Heights Elementary Schoolstudents, teachers, and parents attendedthe special ceremony that included com-ments from members of the LISD Boardof Trustees and Superintendent ofSchools Dr. Daniel Garcia, Jr.

“The construction of new campusesat LISD have been great, and we’re look-ing forward to the building of our newschool,” said Imelda Murillo, HeightsElementary School principal. The schoolwas displaced to a temporary campusbehind Milton Elementary School for the2005-2006 school year. The school willremain there until the new campus iscomplete in 2007.

Located at 1208 Market Street inthe historic Heights area, the architectsfor the school are Turner, Hickey andAssociates while LeyendeckerConstruction is charged with building thestructure.

Upon completion, HeightsElementary School will be a state-of-the-art facility, with additional classrooms, anindoor gym, full-service cafeteria, andconvenient drop-off and pick-up zones,among other amenities.

“The construction of newcampuses at LISD have beengreat, and we’re looking forwardto the building of our new school,”said Imelda Murillo, HeightsElementary School principal.

For more information on con-struction of Heights Elementary School,please call ext. 3619

$57M boand approved, trustees electedcontinue from pg.1

school districts in the state such as Dallas,Houston, and San Antonio. Our childrendeserve the very best,and we will continue to work towards pro-viding them with the very best.”

Additionally, voters elected boardtrustees in districts three, five, and six. InDistrict Three, John Peter Montalvo ranunopposed and was elected to a third term.Daniel Rigal was victorious in District Five.He will replace Dr. Dennis D. Cantu whoserved 16 years on the board of trustees.Guillermina Montes was elected to a sec-ond term in District Six. “I congratulate Mr.Montalvo, Mr. Rigal, and Ms. Montes,” saidDr. Garcia. “We have lots of work ahead of

us, and I am confident we will continue tobuild a team that will maintain the best inter-est of all students in mind. I also thank Dr.Cantu for his years of dedicated service tothis great district. He will always be a mem-ber of the LISD family, and I invite and wel-come his input and participation in our dis-trict any time.”

As for the approved bond, projectsinclude the construction of classrooms forthe Prekindergarten Age 3 program; a newJ.C. Martin Elementary School; the district’sfifth middle school; a facility for the LaredoEarly College High School at Texas A&MInternational University; science labs atCigarroa, Martin, and Nixon high schools; astudent support center; a parental involve-ment center; and an alternative educationcampus.

• Kudos to the Mustang, Tiger, and Toro Teams for hosting a successful district-wide science fair.

• Congratulations Argelia Duarte, Wal-Mart Teacher of the Year & Angie Valverde, Sam’s Club Teacher of Year.

• A+ News congratulates all Golden Apple award nominees. Keep up the great work!

• The LISD Transportation Departments thanks its bus drivers who transported over 4,300 students to the Laredo Entertainment Center for the Disney on Ice Show May 7. Sixty bus drivers were utilized for this special event. Director of Transportation Arthur Raymondand Field Supervisor Rick Gonzalezthank all bus drivers as well as the teachers and teacher aides who made this field trip a successful one for students.

• Congratulations to the schools who participated in AT&T phone book drive. The results of the city-wide contest are as follows:

Leyendecker Elementary School First Place

Tarver ElementaryFourth Place

Lamar Middle SchoolSixth Place

Sanchez/Ochoa Elem. School13th Place

Milton Elementary School 16th place

Martin High School 17th place

• The Office of Communications thanks all employees who partici-pated in our A+ News employee survey. The following individuals received a prize for their valuable input:

Melba Gonzalez,Martin High SchoolJessica Rocha,Human Resources DepartmentEfrain Garza,Staff Development

Extra Creditpage 4

The Border Counselors Association recently presented a check for $1,000 to thelocal food bank. The association is comprised of counselors from both school dis-tricts and surrounding areas. LISD’s Ana Montemayor, Gear-Up counselor at MartinHigh School, serves as this year’s president.

Campus administratorsnow using Nexteltwo-ways

Campus adminis-trators are “stayingconnected” with new

Nextel radiotelephones.

Click herefor a revisedlisting of Nextelnumbers.

Smile for the camera andshow us your summer vacationphotos! A+ News would like tofeature your vacation photos inour August edition. Please sendyour photos to Paola Arcos,Publications Designer, by July27, 2006 via email [email protected] Photosshould be sent in a jpeg formator can be delivered to theOffice of Communicationslocated at 904 Juarez Ave, 2nd floor.

10 Sunscreen TipsEvery walker should wear sunscreen every time they walk.

"Welcome evidence suggests that more people are becoming awareabout the dangers of UVA and UVB rays," says Ray Richardson,Technical Operations Director for Calypso sun care products. "Butthere are still too many ignoring the advice and taking unnecessaryrisks by underestimating the potential harm." He offers these tips:

1. PUT ENOUGH ON: The recommended application for ade-quate protection is 35 to 40 ml per person per session (a handful)."So someone may think they are applying SPF-15, say, but if they don't use the correct amount then it may only be equivalent toSPF-8," says Richardson.

2. BUDGET BRANDS: They are just as effective as the moreexpensive brands.

3. APPLY CORRECTLY: Sunscreen should be applied to clean,dry skin 30 minutes before exposure to the sun which allows ittime to absorb properly.

4. TAKE TIME OUT IN THE SHADE: Do so between 11 a.m.and 3 p.m. when the sun is the strongest, but still apply sunscreen because sand, concrete and water can reflect harmful rays.

5. REAPPLY: Perspiration, exercise, swimming and towel-dry-ing removes sun creams from the skin so you should reapply aftertaking part in any of these activities, even if the product is water-proof.

6. EVERYDAY USE: Regular use of sun lotions on your faceand back of the hands will limit the chances of developing dryleathery skin, wrinkles, mottling and other signs of prematureaging and skin cancer.

7. COVER UP: Protect yourself with loose cotton clothing, awide-brimmed hat and sunglasses with UV protection.

8. USE A "Broad Spectrum" SUNSCREEN: with a sun protec-tion factor of at least 15 to protect against harmful UVA and UVBrays.

9. OVERCAST WEATHER: You should apply sunscreen any-way because 80% of ultra-violet radiation is still present oncloudy days.

10. CHILDREN AND BABIES: need greater protection so usespecially formulated kids ranges with gentler ingredients andhigher SPFs.

June 2006

Sam’s Club names “Teacher of the Year.” Angie Valverde, a math teacher atCigarroa High School was surprised by her principal, co-workers, and studentswhen Sam’s Club of Laredo paid a visit to her school and awarded her the annual “Teacher of the Year.” Pictured from left to right is Vanessa Leal, Sam’s Business Manager; Angie Valvalde, honoree; and Araceli Mata, Sam’sCommunity Involvement Coordinator. Valderde was given a Sam’s Polo Shirt and a $100 gift certificate to use at Sam’s Club. A check for $1,000 was alsogiven to the school. Valverde has been a teacher with LISD for 20 years. Oneof her former students, J.J. Solis and currently a teacher at Cigarroa MiddleSchool, nominated her for the award.

CCaalleennddaarr ooff EEvveennttssJune

6 Payroll Deadline

6 Finance Committee Meeting

7 New Employee Orientation

15 Regular Board Meeting

20 Pay Day

27 Finance Committee Meeting

28 New Employee Orientation

July

3-7 Summer Vacation

4 Independence Day

10 Payroll Deadline

11 New Employee Orientation

13 Regular Board Meeting

20 Pay Day

The Risk ManagementDepartment, located at 1702Houston Street, is headed byAlvaro Perez. Mr. Perez hasbeen with the Laredo IndependentSchool District for 20 years. Hefirst began with the district as abudget department administratorand was later assigned as RiskManager where he has been since1996.

What is the function of yourdepartment?

“The Risk ManagementDepartment provides the dis-trict with the necessaryaction plan, and/or insuranceproducts necessary for theidentification, categorization,evaluation, and managementof risk exposures.”

What is the mission of thedepartment?

“The mission of the Risk ManagementDepartment to implement sound fiscal risk manage-ment planning and practices in order to maximize allavailable resources and thus support the mission andgoals of the district.

Our objectives include the insurance of productson at timely basis as well as the maintainance of aneffective loss ratio on all insurances based on premi-um paid, claims/utilization, risk exposures, and mar-ket trends.

What are some of your highlights?

“We were able to obtain a health insurancerefund premium of $698,143 based on the districtloss ration of 70 percent. We also obtained an esti-mated saving in the Life and AD&D insurance pro-

gram of $30,000 or 30 percent for the second year ina row. We also reduced the cost of premiums in theProperty and Casualty Insurance by 3 percent or$16,165.”

What are some of the insurances your departmentoversees?

“We oversee a variety of them. These includehealth insurance, life, accidental death, and dismem-berment insurance, rolling owner controlled insur-ance program, student accident insurance, workers’compensation insurance, property and casualty insur-ance, facilities and contents, general liability, profes-sional liability, law enforcement liability, vehicle lia-bility, crime, employee assistance program, and IRSsection 125 “Cafeteria Plan”

For more information about district insurances,contact the Risk Management Department at ext.4112.

Risk Management Departmentpage 6

Graduation is a happy milestone forhigh school seniors and their families. Butit’s also a celebration for the educators whomade their graduation ceremonies possible.

At LISD’s commencement exercises,many teachers expressed their emotions asstudents crossed the stage one by one toreceive their diplomas. This was the fourthyear that LISD’s graduations were held at theLaredo Entertainment Center. Nearly 1,200students comprised the LISD Class of 2006.

Band conductors Francisco Sosa,Carlos Luna and Jose Almazan didn’t miss abeat in directing Sir Edward Elgar’s “Pompand Circumstance.” As Superintendent Dr.Daniel Garcia, the LISD Board of Trustees,and school administrators filed into the arena,the crowd roseto its feet withcheers. Theloudest applausewas saved forthe arrival of thegraduates wear-ing caps andgowns in theirschools colors.In the audiencewere proudmoms and dads,many wipingtears from theireyes. Camerasflashed, andvideo cameraswere turned onas the processionpassed by.

The ROTCfrom Martin,Nixon andCigarroa highschools beganthe occasionwith the presen-tation of theU.S. and Texasflags at theirrespective cere-monies. Col.ThomasBrown, Lt. Col.William Azbill,and Lt. Col. Joseph Pelto made sure the uni-formed cadets handled the formality withsharp military precision.

Students listened attentively as LISDBoard President John Peter Montalvo, Dr.Garcia and the high school principalsaddressed them. Dr. Garcia stressed theimportance of honesty, integrity, convictionand devotion.

CHS special education teacher Rene DeLa Viña helped his students get on stage.While he shared their jubilation, De La Viñarecognized that the journey through highschool was a bigger challenge for studentswith special needs.

Weeks before the event, the LISDGraduation Committee prepared for gradua-tion rehearsal and graduation day details.Guillermo Pro, J.J. Rodriguez and RandyHooper, vice principals at Martin, Nixon andCigarroa High Schools, assigned seniors toLISD buses with accompanying faculty mem-bers. They planned security screenings whichwere conducted in the gym. LISD policedepartment patrol cars escorted the buses tothe LEC. Transportation schedules were stud-ied by Arthur Raymond and Rick Gonzalez

to make sure thatseniors would bearriving on time fortheir ceremonies.

Additionally,homemaking teachersGinger Bueno andMeva Saenz com-pared menus for thereception in the hos-pitality suite. MartinHigh School artteacher Anna Garciaonce again ensuredthat the stage wasbeautifully decoratedwith the assistance ofher able committee.Ceci Dabdoub andSylvia Barrerashowed up with boltsof blue and silverfabric to embellishtheir stage. DebbieGoldberg, VeronicaAlmazan, and JoeOlivares from theMighty Green andGold added theirtouch as well.

Something newthis year was thegraduation webcast.For the benefit ofthose who couldn’t

be at the LEC, each of the commencementcermonies was broadcast in real time via theInternet on LISD’s website. District webmas-ter Ambrose Gomez reported that 858 per-sons watched the ceremonies from their com-puters. He and Rick Garcia, Roy Lanier,along with Global Data Systems workedbehind the scenes to get the webcast fed fromthe ITV cameras manned by Esteban Borjas,Ruben Vela, Joaquin Costilla, MiloVasquez, and David Flores.

LISD graduations cap year with much fanfareJune 2006

Did you know…?The famous song that we hear at

graduation ceremonies is titled, “Pompand Circumstance March” composed bySir Edward Elgar. The title is taken fromAct III of Shakespeare’s “Othello.”

It had its premiere in London inOctober 1901. In 1902 the tune was recy-cled for the Coronation of King Edward VIIof the United Kingdom.

In the United States, is simply "thegraduation song", and is associated withgraduation ceremonies. It was first playedat a ceremony on June 28, 1905 at YaleUniversity where Professor of MusicSamuel Sanford had invited his friendElgar to attend commencement exercisesand receive an honorary Doctorate ofMusic. Elgar accepted, and Sanford madecertain he was the star of the proceedings,engaging the New Haven SymphonyOrchestra, the College Choir, the GleeClub, the music faculty members, and NewYork musicians to perform Pomp andCircumstance. The tune soon became derigueur at American graduations.

page 8

Notes fromHuman Resources

The Human Resources Department

would like to recognize the most recent

graduates of the district’s GED to Ph.D.

program. The following individuals recent-

ly obtained a Master’s Degree in various

fields from Texas A&M International

University:

Sara B. BalliMS ED/PSY

Veronica “Roni” Cantu MPAdm.

Veronica Judith Cavazos MPAdm.

Efrain GarzaMPAcct.

Nora Cristina Gonzalez MS Spec. Ed.

Melissa Leza MS ED/ADM

Zelma Lopez MS ED/PSY

Susana E. Martinez MS Spec. Ed.

Eduardo A. Molina MS ED/PSY

Elsa G.Morales MS ED/PSY

Ana Laura Perez MS Spec. Ed.

Juan Jose Perez MS ED/ADM

Maria De Lourdes Soto MS ED/ADM

Belinda Zuniga-Silva MS ED/ADM

Veronica Costilla MS Library

Science

Congratulations to all. The Human

Resources Department would also like to

remind you to submit the GED to Ph.D.

Scholarship application and required

documents by the June 16th deadline.

For questions, call Margie B. Chavez

or Jessica Rocha at ext. 3235

Building BlocksRyan and Daiches Elementary Schools will be heading

back to their new campus while others will be relocating to atemporary campus for the 2006-2007 school year. A+ Newswould like to remind you of the following moves that will occurthis summer.

• Buenos Aires Elementary School will berelocated to former Ochoa Elementary School at 310 W. Locust St.

• D.D Hachar Elementary School will berelocated to former Lamar Middle School, 2502 Galveston St.

• Leyendecker Elementary School will berelocated to the portable campus located at the former air base, 1810 Bustmante Street.

• Heights Elementary School will remain at the portable campus located at Milton Elementary School, 2500 Ash St.

• Christen Middle School - Sixth Grade will be relocated to portable classrooms at Christen Middle School, 2001 Santa Maria Ave.

Buenos Aires, D.D. Hachar, and LeyendeckerElementary Schools will begin construction this summer.Construction also continues at the Cigarroa Middle andHigh School, Heights Elementary School, and the NixonField House.

For more information on these and other projects,contact the Construction Department at ext. 3619.

Answers for last month’s quiz1. Boxing.

2. Niagara Falls. The rim is worn down about two and a half feet each year because of the millions of gallons of water that rush over it every minute.

3. Asparagus and rhubarb.

4. Ten times (not eleven, as most people seem to think, if you do not believe it, try it with your watch, it is only 10 times).

5. Baseball.

6. Strawberry.

7. Dwarf, dwell, and dwindle.

8. Period, comma, colon, semicolon, dash, hyphen, apostrophe, question mark, exclamation point, quotation marks, brackets, parenthesis, braces, and ellipses

9. Lettuce.

10.Shoes, socks, sandals, sneakers,slippers, skis, snowshoes, stockings, and so on.

A Quiz f

or People That Know Everything

000090 000150 000110

June 2006

Art students of the Vidal M. Trevino School of Communications and Fine Arts werecommissioned by the district’s Tax Office do a painting for their customer receivingarea. Pictured from left to right are the proud artists in front of their patriotic paint-ing. They are Albert Gonzalez, Nixon High School, Jorge Vasquez, VMT ArtTeacher, Nancy Guevara, Martin High School, and Rudy Sanchez, TaxCollector/Assessor. Both Gonzalez and Guevara will be attending the University ofTexas at Austin in the fall to pursue their studies.

Congratulations to Jessica Rocha with the

Human Resources Department. Ms. Rocha was

the first to submit her A+ News survey.

Take the A+ News Survey

The Laredo ISD Tax Office reminds taxpayers of the following:

AVOID PAYING ADDITIONAL PENALTYAND INTEREST CHARGES

on your 2005 property taxes.

Pay by Friday, June 30, 2006.

CALL ext. 3300 FOR MORE INFORMATION

On February 1, 2006, all 2005 taxes were assessed penalty, interest, and attorney collection charges.

A lawsuit will be filed on all delinquent accounts.

Month Percent of Taxes Due P & I Attorney TotalPenalty Amount Fees - 15% Amount

& Interest (if lawsuit is filed) Due

June 2006 15% $500.00 $75.00 $86.25 $661.25

July 2006 18% $500.00 $90.00 $88.50 $678.50

Each month starting in August 2006, the interest charges will continue to increase at the rate of 1% per monthon unpaid balances of 2005 taxes and will continue to accrue until all taxes are paid.

904 JUAREZ AVENUE

Pay your taxes on-line at www.laredoisd.org

What do you want out of life?

LISD employees are invit-ed to continue their post-gradu-ate education at Texas A&MInternational University. Dr.Jeffrey Brown, Director of thenewly-formed Office ofGraduate Studies and Researchstates TAMIU has over 25 mas-ters programs and select Ph.D.programs. These programsallow LISD employees theopportunity to enhance theirfuture employment optionswhile also pursuing a field ofstudy that they find interesting,challenging, and fulfilling.

TAMIU is also offeringscholarships for these programs.“Recently at the dedication ofthe new Lamar Bruni VergaraScience Center andPlanetarium, the LBV trusteesannounced one of the largestphilanthropic gifts in Laredo’s

history—$10 million,” Brownsaid. “This gift to TAMIU leadto the creation of an EducationFund which will support vari-ous financial and educationalopportunities for graduate stu-dents working towards a mas-ters or doctoral degree atTAMIU. This educational fundwill allow OGSR to offer schol-arships up to $1,500 per yearand research assistantships upto $9,100 per year. We willalso offer GRE/GMAT reim-bursements for those studentsfully admitted to a graduateprogram.”

For more information,please call Dr. Brown at (956)326-3020. Margie Chavez,LISD Human ResourcesCoordinator, also has informa-tion on the TAMIU GraduateStudies Program. She may becontacted at ext. 3215, or [email protected].

TAMIU offers mastersand Ph.D. scholarships

page 10

Humberto Garza, a Careerand Technology Educationteacher at L.J. Christen MiddleSchool, was one of 36 teachersselected from across the nationfor the prestigious LiftOffSummer Institute to be held atNASA’s Johnson Space Center inHouston, Texas this summer.

The year 2006 marks the17th consecutive year that teach-ers from around the countryincrease their knowledge ofspace education through theLiftOff ProfessionalDevelopment Summer Institute.

The Institute is a collabora-tive effort of Texas Space GrantConsortium members and affili-ates, NASA, and various indus-tries. Workshops are organizedaround an aerospace or spacetheme drawn from NASA’sdiverse engineering and scientif-ic research programs.

The weeklong conferencewill allow participants to tourfacilities, and network with otherteachers, and share innovativelesson plans and ideas. Garzahas been employed with the dis-trict for 11 years and currentlyteaches Business SupportServices.

Christen Middle Teacherready for “Lift Off”

June 2006

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BBOOAARRDD MMEEEETTIINNGGSS DDAATTEESS FFOORR 22000066--22000077

Finance Committee Meeting Regular Board Meeting17

PPBoard Approved

5/29/06

$

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5

The direct connect numbers need145*3* before the number.

Martin242-9596 58938 Bobby Gonzalez242-9607 58949 Jackie Spring242-9618 58960 Guillermo Pro242-9629 58971 Mario Gonzalez242-9640 58982 Cyndee Ramirez242-9702 59044 Perla Rodriguez

Nixon242-9651 58993 Sylvia G. Rios242-9662 59004 Gerri Arredondo242-9673 59015 Priscilla Muñoz242-9683 59025 J.J. Rodriguez242-9598 58940 Darleen Villafranca242-9597 58939 August Herbeck Jr.242-9599 58941 Laura Flores242-9703 59045 Sylvia Gamez

Cigarroa242-9600 28942 Mario Guzman242-9601 28943 Clarissa Rodriguez242-9602 58944 Randolf Hooper242-9603 58945 Mario Guzman242-9604 58946 Omar Gonzalez242-9704 59046 Terry Adams

VMT242-9605 58947 Jose M. Cerda242-9705 59047 Cecilia Sanchez

Christen242-9610 58952 Clementina Cuellar242-9611 58953 Sara Appling242-9612 58954 Luis Munoz242-9613 58955 George Gutierrez242-9614 58956 Robert Chaney242-9707 59049 Sandra Arreguin

Cigarroa Middle242-9621 58963 Gerardo Cruz242-9620 58962 Carlos Cruz242-9622 58964 Sylvia Rodriguez242-9623 58965 Alfredo Vergara242-9709 59051 Laura Garza

Lamar242-9615 58957 Virgina Salinas242-9619 58961 Rosario Perusquia242-9617 58959 Ernesto Guajardo242-9616 58958 Margarita Tobuada

59050 Norma N. Cortez

Memorial242-9624 58966 Adriana Padilla242-9625 58967 Andrea De Hoyos242-9710 59052 Diana Laurel

F.S. Lara242-9606 58948 Pat De la Cruz242-9608 58950 Raul Cisneros242-9706 59048 Hector J. Garcia

F.S. Lara Annex242-9609 58951 Hugo De la Vina

Bruni242-9626 58968 Lucy Flores242-9627 58969 Nora V. Santos242-9711 59053 Sandra Salazar

Buenos Aires242-9665 59007 Margie Coronado242-9666 59008 Trina Bralton242-9697 59039 Elizabeth Deleza

Daiches242-9628 58970 Adriana Lombrana242-9712 59054 Gloria Saldana242-9630 58972 Jose A. Salinas

Dovalina242-9667 59009 Guadalupe Cortez242-9668 59010 Loretta Cisneros242-9698 59040 Sara Alicia Lopez

Farias242-9631 58973 Sam Sanchez242-9632 58974 Ana M. Gonzalez242-9633 58975 GuadalupeBenavides242-9684 59026 Olga Martinez

D.D. Hachar242-9658 59000 Connie Vela242-9659 59001 Hector Gomez242-9694 59036 Belia Campa

Heights242-9685 59027 Laura De Luna242-9634 58976 Imelda Murillo242-9635 58977 Gilberto Rios

Kawas242-9669 59011 Sandra Munoz242-9670 59012 Ana Campos242-9699 59041 Melba Medrano

Leyendecker242-9638 58980 Maria Oveida242-9639 58981 Sylvia Moreno242-9687 59029 Sylvia Ortiz

Ligarde242-9700 59042 Clementina Valadez242-9671 59013 Jacobita Laurel242-9672 59014 Olga Trevino242-9674 59016 Not assigned yet

Macdonell242-9641 58983 Leticia Reyes242-9642 58984 Jesus J. Garcia242-9688 59030 Diana Ochoa

J.C. Martin242-9660 59002 Cordelia Cantu242-9661 59003 San Juana Garza

242-9695 59037 Alma G. Gutierrez

Milton242-9643 58958 Elsa Flores242-9644 58956 Jeni Ratliff242-9645 58987 Mario Guzman Jr.242-9689 59031 Griselda Gonzalez

Alma Pierce242-9646 58988 Josefina Torres242-9647 58989 Miguel Castillo242-9648 58990 Janie Ramos242-9690 59032 Georgia Alaniz

Ryan242-9649 58991 Lorenia Torres242-9650 58992 Yolanda Perez242-9652 58994 Melissa Shinn242-9691 59033 Esmeralda Martinez

Sanchez/Ochoa242-9675 59017 Dr. Sonia Sanchez242-9676 59018 Eduardo Martinez242-9677 59019 Juan J. Flores242-9701 59043 Sylvia Davila

Santa Maria242-9653 58995 YolandaMontemayor242-9654 58996 Delma A. Ramos242-9692 59034 Bertha A. Torres

Santo Nino242-9655 58997 Sam Gise242-9656 58998 Martha Villarreal242-9657 58999 Idrogo242-9693 59035 Sandra Ugarte

K. Tarver242-9636 58978 Myrtala Ramierz242-9637 58979 Sara Montemayor242-9686 59028 Laura Duarte

Zachry242-9663 59005 Albert Garcia242-9664 59006 Rosalinda Castro242-9696 59038 Juan Hernandez

Toro Team242-9679 59021 Guadalupe Perez

Mustang Team242-9678 59020 Blas Martinez

Tiger Team242-9680 59022 Virginia Flores

Cigarroa Magnet242-9681 59023 Alfredo Perez

Cantu Magnet242-9682 59024 Adriana Guzman

Nextel Numbers by CampusJune 2006

page 14

June 2006