Volume 18 Edition 3 February 2014

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Superintendent’s Message

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Lloyd and DollyBentsen Elem.

John H. Shary Elem.

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Olivero Garza, Sr. Elem.

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Jessie L. Jensen Elem.

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B.L. Gray Junior High School

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Sharyland High School

Sharyland North Junior High School

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Donna Wernecke Elem.

Sharyland News

SISD News

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Harry Shimotsu Elem.

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Ruben Hinojosa Elem.

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Romulo D. Martinez Elem.

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Table of Contents

Sharyland Independent School District1106 N. Shary RoadMission, TX 78572-4652 956-580-5200 www.sharylandisd.org

School BoardSuperintendent - Dr. Virginia N. RichterBoard President - Fernando RamirezVice-President -Dr. Noel O. GarzaSecretary - Ricky LongoriaAssistant Secretary - Rolando PeñaMember - Eddie MontalvoMember - Dr. Noe OliveiraMember - Juan F. Zuniga

Published by SISD’s Public Information Offi ce. If you have comments or sug-gestions, please call Rocio Landin at 956-580-5200 ext. 1018.

Sharyland ISD is an AWESOME place to be!! We are happy to have your child(ren) in our schools and we are here to partner with you to ensure your child(ren) receive the best education possible! So, please let us know how we can better serve you and your children. To keep you informed of the many great things happening in our district… First, I encourage you to visit the new Pioneer High School webpage. We are updating this page weekly. On this webpage, you will fi nd a link to view pictures of the construction progress of the new high school. The pictures depict the initial construction and current progress of this project. I am pleased to inform our community this project is on schedule and on time as planned. James Heath was approved as the fi rst principal of Pioneer High School in late December. The head

counselor, Trisha Guerrero, was approved in January and the head football coach, Jason Wheeler was approved in early February. We are collaborating with high school teachers and the administration to determine which ones will be moving to Pioneer and which ones will remain at Sharyland High School. This process will be completed no later than the fi rst week in March. We will be hosting a job fair in March where we hope to complete the staffi ng for both high schools as well as any other district vacancies. We have received many questions regarding the attendance zones for Pioneer High School and Sharyland High School. The attendance zones will remain the same and we will continue to adhere to the current school boundaries. We are utilizing a true feeder pattern system in Sharyland ISD. So, if your children attended B.L. Gray Jr. High, then they will attend Sharyland High School. If they attended Sharyland North Jr. High, then they will attend Pioneer High School. If you have questions about the attendance zones, please visit the Pioneer High School webpage and select the link, “High School Attendance Boundaries” for more information. Additionally, we will be opening the doors of an Early College High School, Sharyland Advanced Academic Academy, in August of 2014. This school will begin with 125 freshmen and will continue to add 125 freshmen each year. The purpose and priority of this campus is to aff ord

fi rst generation college students the opportunity to earn a high school diploma and up to 60 college credits. However, all students who would like the opportunity to earn college hours by the time they graduate from high school are encouraged to apply. We met with all eighth grade students last week and have scheduled parent informational meetings this week to explain the purpose of the campus and answer questions. If you have a current eighth grade student, I encourage you to attend a session or contact the Curriculum Department for more information. This time of year, your child(ren) are very busy with extracurricular activities! We have several students who advanced to compete at the State level in UIL events, Chess, Band, and Mariachi. Congratulations to the students and parents! We thank you for sending us your talented children!In athletics, this is our busiest time of the year. There are numerous sporting events scheduled just about every day of the week. So, if you have some free time, we’d love to see you out supporting the Rattlers!! As always, if you have any questions about anything with your child’s education, our doors are always open. Feel free to visit your child’s school at any time. We are happy to be working in partnership with you to provide your child(ren) a well-rounded educational experience. Thank you for choosing Sharyland ISD …. where we are Simply the BEST!

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Superintendent’s Message

Dr. Virginia N. Richter, Superintendent

Rattler Review Designed by Rocio Landin

Public Information Specialist

Sharyland ISD Community E-Newsletter, is the district’s new external e-newsletter, which is distributed monthly throughout the school year to help SISD families, staff and friends stay informed about what’s going on in the district. This publication will inform the community about district news, upcoming events and students and staff who are doing great work. This month’s Sharyland ISD Community E-Newsletter is now available online at www.sharylandisd.org.

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THE RATTLER REVIEW AT LLOYD AND DOLLY BENTSEN ELEMENTARY

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Ms. Boyd Thank You Home Depot!

Awards Assembly

AR Dance Party Bus Safety

Golden Rattler

State Farm Arena Solar Film Glasses

Pre-K Carolers

Perfect Attendance

Fundraiser

PrincipalCecilia Boyd

Bentsen Elementary welcomes Ms. Boyd, our new Principal!

Community in action! Thanks to Home Deport for donating a much needed water heater to a Bentsen family!

Dr. Richter, SISD Superintendent and the SISD administration offi ce were treated to the beautiful voices of our PK carolers.

Students receive Golden Rattler award for exhibiting excellent behavior.

Thanks to all the students who participated in the fall fundraiser. They were treated to a limo ride to Chuck E. Cheese!

Students are recognized for their academic performance and attendance during the third reporting period assembly.

Students were able to cheer on the La Fiera soccer team thanks to a donation from the State Farm Arena.

It pays to be at school every day! Students who have perfect attendance have a chance to win a variety of prizes including a bike! The students pictured won prizes for the third reporting period.

Ms. Luna’s 5th grade Science class are preparing for the STAAR test by investigating the sun using NASA provided Solar Film glasses. Normally, a person can go blind by looking at the sun but the students were able to have a direct viewing of the sun as a natural yellow orange image throughthese special glasses.

A big THANKS to the transportation department for providing the students with bus safety lessons.

Dancing the afternoon away at the AR dance revolution celebration!

PrincipalJanie M. Gomez

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THE RATTLER REVIEW AT OLIVERO GARZA, SR. ELEMENTARY

Rock and Roll

Adopt an Angel

Techies

ELKS Hoop Shoot Competition

Perfect Attendance

Super Star Parade

Veterans

Intramural Volleyball and Flag Football

Rattlers Guiding Rattlers Guidance

O. Garza had their 1st Annual Adopt an Angel in December. Each Angel representeda real child in our school. Thank you staff for making this day a huge success!

Congratulations to our 2nd & 3rd six weeks Attendance Champs!!

Attendance Champs3rd 6 Weeks

Second graders had a wonderful time dancing to the 1950’s Rock and Roll for the Board Members Luncheon. The Civil Rights Movement began in the 1950’s and during this time the government did not always protect everyone’s rights. African American’s fought to gain the same civil rights as Whites. However, our second graders showed how everyone was able to come together with Rock and Roll.

4th grader Jon Mendez recently won his age group in the local ELKS Hoop Shoot competition held at Castleman Gym. He advances to the upcoming regional event. If successful, he will advance to the state level in Dallas. Way to go, Jon!

Hooray for Guidance Lessons!! Sixth grade students role play diff erent ways of dealing with peer pressure. The 6th graders participated

in Intramural Volleyball and Flag Football this fall. The competition was outstanding with the Heartbreakers taking the championship for the girls. In flag football, Trevor Heath looks downfield for an open receiver as Jaime Perez Plays defense. The kids look forward to playing intramural basketball and soccer as well.

On Friday, November 1st, the Rattlers Guiding Rattlers presented to our 5th & 6th grade students about the importance of good decision-making and resistance skills.

Hooray for our Super Stars! These are the O. Garza Super Star students for the 3rd six weeks. They received lots of praise and recognition from their peers, parents and teachers as they walked down the parade.

Sixth graders at Garza use the computers in the library to create a travel brochure using Microsoft Publisher. The brochure is part of a social studies project. The students are also using email to send their projects to the teacher. Way to go, techies!

Thank you Veterans! O. Garza had a fantastic Veterans Day program to celebrate the service of all U.S. military veterans on November 11th. Our fi rst grade students performed songs and read poems to honor our veterans. Thank you to Commander Ruben Moya with the United States Coast Guard Reserve for an informative presentation.

PrincipalDr. Debra Arce

THE RATTLER REVIEW AT RUBEN HINOJOSA ELEMENTARY

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Game On

Food Drive

Get Your Head in the Game

Red Diamond Cheerleaders

Chess Royals

PJ Day!

The Student Council at Ruben Hinojosa held a food drive and encouraged the student body to bring in non-perishable foods in order to donate to the less fortunate and make food baskets for families in need.

Dr. Arce reading Too Many Tamales to our students before the holidays. Students and staff enjoyed tamales and hot chocolate while listening to the story wearing their favorite pajamas!

Students who met their AR goal were celebrated for their eff orts!! Our librarian had games ready for them; they could also bring their favorite board games and devices.

The Red Diamond Cheerleaders would like to shout a loud and proud THANK YOU to the Sharyland ISD School Board Members. Thank You School Board Members from Hinojosa Elementary, RHE Go Big Red!

Dr. Richter showing her support to the Ruben Hinojosa Chess Royals in their fi rst Chess Tournament.

Students with perfect attendance enjoyed play time with their friends in the cafeteria wearing their favorite team jersey. They brought their favorite board games and they were also encouraged to bring their devices and play educational games as well.

PrincipalCuahutemoc Paz

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THE RATTLER REVIEW AT JESSIE JENSEN ELEMENTARY

The Commissioner

Visit

Nutrition Classes

Santa’s Workshop

Mini In-Service Sessions

Career Day

UIL Pep Rally

Mr. Cuevas’s Student Program

Bingo with the Principal

Thanksgiving Program

Staff Christmas Party

Christmas ProgramFall Festival Fun

Red Ribbon Week

Jensen Parents attended a 7 week discussion on the importance of a healthy plan meal, setting limits in sodium, fat and sugar intake classes and were provided with healthy recipes. Iris Villarreal from EFNEP Hidalgo County was the presenter.

On November 8th Michael Berry, Texas Education Deputy Commissioner for Policy and Programs, visited Jensen Elementary, one of two schools visited in the Sharyland school district. Mr. Berry was welcomed by Jensen students and Sharyland staff at a reception held in the school library. Mr. Berry toured classrooms and spoke to teachers and students about education and curriculum.

Jensen UIL students participated in a pep rally to motivate them to score higher. Mr. Paz, principal at Jensen, agreed to shave his head if the school won fi rst place at the next UIL meet. Students who had previously placed were selected to shave balloons with shaving cream in preparation for the “real thing”. The Jensen cheerleaders cheered them on.

Students participated in several activities the week of October 28th to reinforce the importance of “Saying No to Drugs!” The Mission Police Department, McGruff and DEA presented to the students. Each day was tied to a drug-free theme. Students dressed in superhero costumes and held a parade to emphasize “Superheroes don’t do drugs!”

The last week of December Mr. Cuevas’s second grade class performed their own Christmas play titled “Our Christmas” to Kinder, First and Second Grade Students. They wrote the script, made the scenes and created their own props!

On December 19th, a Christmas painting party was held for the Jensen staff . Each participant was given step-by-step directions on how to paint a special Christmas tree with ornaments. A great time was had by all present!

Jensen’s fi rst Santa’s Workshop was a huge success! Invitations were sent to campus families to come and shop for toys. Parents were able to choose a toy for each child, wrap it at the Workshop, and leave with gifts ready to put under the tree. Donations were made from the staff and community.

All students with perfect attendance for the 2nd six-weeks played Bingo with the principal on November 18th. Everyone had a great time and was motivated to keep coming to school every single day!

First graders at Jensen performed a very special “Winter Wonderland” play to celebrate diff erent cultural traditions around the world. The play was presented for students during the day and for parents at night during the December SPTSO meeting.

Jensen’s annual Fall Festival was held October 24th. Food, games, booths, costume contests and fun activities were enjoyed by students, parents and the community. This yearly festival benefi ts Jensen Elementary students by supplying additional resources and much needed items for the school.

The kinder classes at Jensen presented a Thanksgiving Program about colonial times, Pilgrims and Native Americans. The students dressed the part, danced, sang and performed for all students and staff .

On January 7th, Jensen and Martinez Elementary combined their talents and resources to provide a full day of mini in-services for their teachers. Teachers from both campuses selected curriculum based trainings throughout the day to meet their individual needs.

Great presenters from our community came to our school to encourage our students about making good healthy choices. Police Offi cers, Firemen, Border Patrol, Nurses, Karate instructors and more came to Jessie L. Jensen Elementary to empower our students!

PrincipalLori Ann Garza

THE RATTLER REVIEW AT B.L. GRAY JR. HIGH SCHOOL

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Career Day at B.L. Gray = SUCCESS!

Science is BOOMi ng

at B.L. Gray!

B.L. Gray’s Annual Talent Show = Success!

Welcome Mrs. Garza

Sharyland High School prepares B.L. Gray for the future!

“I LOVE Reading” Night

Student Council Gives Back!

B.L. Gray held its annual Career Day on December 4, 2013. Professionals from our local community and businesses graciously informed our Rattlers of their future opportunities. Creating future professionals is what is happening at B.L. Gray!

Hosting their 6th annual talent show, B.L. Gray brought out all kinds of talents – from singing to dancing, piano to hip-hop. Our holiday entertainment left no room for boredom! This year’s winners were 1st place: Freddie Garcia, 2nd place was Alyson Kelley and 3rd place was Paula Mestre-Canet.

Our 8th graders are loving their Science classes! From stations learning about the rotation of the moon creating day and night, to making paper airplanes and testing them, science is the place to be!

B.L. Gray welcomes one of their very own to lead us to continued success. M rs. Lori Garza was named as B.L. Gray Jr. High Principal this past January. Looking forward to continued success at B.L. Gray!

Giving has become a tradition at B.L. Gray. Student Council, under the direction of Michelle Hinsley and Katie Koeneke, held a toy drive collecting over 1,500 toys to the Vannie E. Cook Oncology Clinic.

On our third extended reading night, our B.L. Gray Science Department held their “I LOVE READING” night, which brought in hundreds of students along with their families to enjoy an evening of reading, AR testing and snacks. Great Job!

Sharyland High School students visited B.L. Gray students to talk to all 8th graders about the various opportunities available to them at SHS. Students presented about their passions such as Agriculture, Nursing, Technology and all programs that create college ready individuals at SHS students. This helped 8th graders to see what courses to take, and what career pa th best fi ts their likes. SHS students did a phenomenal job!

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THE RATTLER REVIEW AT B.L. GRAY JR. HIGH SCHOOL

Lady Rattler Basketball Up For the Attack!

Singing that Holiday Cheer!

B.L. Gray’s Jewel!

Soccer Success

What does the fox say?

B.L. Gray Cheerleaders honor Mrs. Reyna as a hero!

Ugly Sweater Festivities

This year’s Homecoming theme was Superhero. There was no doubt that B .L. Gray wanted to honor one of their own. Mrs. Janie Reyna who’s battling breast cancer was the one person the girls wanted to honor as their hero. Their spirit and enthusiasm earned them the Most Spirited Award.

Jewel Ybarra entered her 7th grade year with spunk and a passion for cheerleading. As captain of her 8th grade squad, Jewel earned the only title of All American Cheerleader among her team at UCA’s summer cheer camp. As the result, she was invited to participate in the Macy’s Day Parade in Houston, Texas. Way to make us proud Jewel!

Our RED teams dominate d this season! Our 7th grade and 8th grade RED teams defeated Shary North awarding them the prestigious title of District Champs! We are so proud of you!

Our B.L. Gray Choir traveled to local businesses to sing their good cheer for the holidays. Under the direction of Ramon Banda, our choir has made this a tradition. Shown is the group of students that traveled to sing Christmas Carols. Our B.L. Gray Choir also held a beautiful Christmas concert November 19th. Great Job Mr. Banda and our Mighty Rattler Choir!

The Tradition continues at B.L. Gray as our Might Rattlers earned great success this season. Our 8th grade team earned third place honors, while our 7th grade team placed 2nd. Great job to o ur Mighty Rattlers, Coach Gutierrez and Coach Cerda!

In honor of our Christmas holidays, B.L. Gray held its fi rst annual Ugly Sweater contest. Students and staff enjoyed the festivities as all participants enjoyed the Ugly Sweater Parade around the school. Always fun at B.L. Gray!

Shown is the Meet in the M iddle group performing at B.L. Gray’s Annual pep rally. Their performance to “What Does the Fox Say?” stole the show.

PrincipalCynthia Wilson

THE RATTLER REVIEW AT SHARYLAND HIGH SCHOOL

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Coach Ron Adame Wins 2nd Place on My Plates Coach of the Year Contest

Mariachi Nuevo Cascabel Earns Division 1 Rating and 4th Place at State

Mock Trial Students Earn 4th Place

HOSA State Qualifi ers

Coach Ron Adame received thousands of online votes to win 2nd Prize among more than 300 entries in the My Plates Coach of the Year Contest 2013. The prize of $10,000 goes to Sharyland High School in Adame’s honor. Phillip Escamilla’s essay of Coach Ron Adame won for the region of South Texas.

Mariachi Nuevo Cascabel received a Divs ion 1 at the Mexican American School Board Association High School Mariachi Competition for the South Area on January 25, 2014. This took place in Edinburg North HS. This is the fi rst time that Sharyland enters a Mariachi Competition! Mariachis receiving a Division 1 competed at the State Finals in San Antonio February 8. Mariachi Nuevo Cascabel received 4th Place at State. Congratulations!!!

Nine SHS students, under the direction of Frank Elizondo, competed in the 2014 Texas High School Mock Trial Competition on January 18. They advanced to the semi-fi nals(fi nal four) for the school’s fi rst time. They earned a 4th place trophy and two students received additional awards. Carlos Hernandez (Best Advocate Speaker), Ryan Montalvo, Asher Chia, Diana Gomez, Marianna Acosta, Ivana Melendez (Best Witness-twice), Cheyenne Watson, Kayla Ruiz and Claira Garcia.

Mariachi & Folklorico concert “Noche de Gala”

Students who advanced straight to state placing in the top three in the following categories are: Gabriel Gomide, Medical Math, 2nd place; Jeanette Perez, Medical Math, 1st place; Maria Fernanda Lopez, Pharmacology, 1st place & Jaime Peña, Pharmacology, 3rd place. These students will be competing at the State level on March 27-30 in San Antonio Texas. They will be competing with the top 3 students in each area in the State in their respective fi elds. They also advance to area competition in multiple areas such as clinical nursing, nursing skills, dental science, sports medicine, veterinary medicine, creative problem solving, healthy lifestyles, parliamentary procedure and these students will be competing at area competition on Feb 21 and 22, 2014 in McAllen, TX.

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THE RATTLER REVIEW AT SHARYLAND HIGH SCHOOL

Health Science Clinical Rotations students prepare to begin hospital rounds at Rio Grande Regional in McAllen.

Clinical and HOSA students attended the career fair at South Texas College and learned about EMT certifi cation.

Criminal Justice students competed in the Texas Public Service Association Regional Criminal Justice competition held at P.S.J.A North high school on January 24-25. Sharyland won 5 fi rst place, 4 second place, and 3 third place trophies by 18 students. This now qualifi es the following students for the state meet in San Antonio, Texas on April 11-12, 2014 to represent Region 4. Criminal Investigation-2nd place team: Cynthia Hernandez, Michelle Hernandez, and Andrea Martinez. Swat/Hostage Negotiation-3rd place team: Carlos Delgado, Elsa Maldonado, Marcos Arias, Daniel Bautista, Harry Reyes, and Edgar Garcia. Criminal Justice Brain Bowl- 2nd place team: Marianna Acosta, Leillani Coronado, Claire Garcia, and Claudia Gomez. Criminal Analysis-1st place team: Marianna Acosta, Carlos Hernandez. Fingerprint Lifting- 1st place: Michelle Hernandez. Opening Statement- 3rd place: Carlos Hernandez. Police Foot Pursuit- 1st place: Sean Landez. Police Obstacle course- 1st place: Ryan Montalvo. EMS First Responder- 2nd place: Vanessa Escobedo. Firefi ghter Obstacle course- 2nd place: Claudia Gomez. Firefi ghter Search & Rescue- 1st place: Jeremy Gomez. Firefi ghter Protective Gear race- 3rd place: Daniel Bautista. Criminal Justice Advisors- Orlando Garcia and Frank Elizondo.

H-E-B played host to its 23rd annual Feast of Sharing Celebration on Sunday, November 17th, 2013, handing out 12,000 plates of food to families in the McAllen area. Celebrating the Feast with H-E-B was Sharyland Family, Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA) volunteering for their 8th consecutive year serving the food to families.FCCLA members helped behind the scenes by fi lling plates of food on the serving lines. Although they were not seen, they contributed with a smile on their face. Happy to be a part of the annual H-E-B Feast of Sharing. Other members served plated to attendees.Sharyland High School FCCLA Offi cer Camila Da’Conceicao’s entire family helped with the serving; parents, Mr. and Mrs. Marcio Da’Conceicao; past FCCLA member sister, Jade Da’Conceicao and younger brother Luccas Da’Conceicao. FCCLA is the only CTE organization with the family as their central focus.

Shary PAWS collected over 400 used towels and blankets that will be donated to local recues and foster organizations in our county.

The CHAMPIONSHIP Division team took 5th Place Team and the JV TEAM took 6th Place Team. Students who took individual awards were: Sharyland High School Championship TEAM - 5th place team consisted of the following members:Jonas Cuang, 25th place; Luis Jimmenz, 35th place; Joshua Sanchez, 39th place & Hyuk Jun Choi, 45th place.Sharyland High School JV TEAM - 6th place team consisted of the following members:Samuel A. Garza - 12th place; Brandon Ballenger - 14th palce & Noah Galloso - 24th place.

Sharyland’s varsity treble choir performed in November at the South Texas Choral Festival (hosted at McAllen Memorial HS) and received superior ratings and even won the Best In Class for female choirs. The contest required each group to perform 2 songs (1 a cappella and 1 accompanied). They received straight 1s on their performance. The performance order was – Great Getting’ Up Mornin’, and Shenandoah/He’s Gone Away.

HEB Feast of Sharing Service Given by Sharyland FCCLA

Shary PAWS

Sharyland’s Contest Choir Receives Superior Rating at South Texas Choral Festival

Sharyland High School Earns 5th & 6th in Chess Competition

Clinical Rotations

Criminal Justice students competed in the Texas Public Service Association

Regional Criminal Justice Competition

HOSA EMT Certifi cation

THE RATTLER REVIEW AT SHARYLAND HIGH SCHOOL

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LEO Club Offi cers Tejas Star Book Donation

Student Directed

Junior College/Career Fair

All juniors participated in the Junior College/Career Fair organized by the Go Center on January 24. The students had very positive feedback about their participation in this event. Six juniors won a free $500 graduation ring raffl ed by Luis Garza of Herff Jones Company. “The Go Center Staff greatly appreciates all the support we received today from all the diff erent SHS departments so that our Seniors 2015 can continue their journey towards graduation,” said Maria Gloria Ramirez, Go Center Counselor.

The LEO Club offi cers and Julissa Sanchez, sponsor, traveled to San Antonio in November to meet other Texas LEO clubs and discuss community service, community awareness, and fundraising. They also participated in the down town San Antonio’s Veteran’s Day parade and had some friendly competition. Of the 3 competitions held, they received fi rst and second place for two of them. “I am very proud of our LEO offi cers and members and am looking forward to fi nding more ways to serve all of you and our community,” Sanchez said.

The drama department decided to have student directed plays, where three senior students got to pick their play and choose who the actress and actors were. It’s something that Sharyland High School did for the very fi rst time and was very successful.

There are three plays performed for the public that were directed by the following senior students: Mackenzie Fertig directed You can’t take it with you, Jacob Ramon directed Doubt, and Diego Gonzalez directed Romeo and Juliet.

SISD Lead Librarian Nicole Cruz donated twenty bilingual books to the Shimotsu Elementary Library. Mrs. Cruz serves as the Vice Chair on the Tejas Star Book Award Committee. The Tejas Star Book Award was started in 2007. It began as a way for Region One librarians to recommend and acknowledge excellent bilingual literature to parents and students. The committee and book list has now been adopted by the Texas Library Association. Mrs. Cruz received the books by publishers.

Publishers send committee members their books in hopes of getting their title on the Tejas Star Book List. She chose the Shimotsu Library as the benefactor of the donation because Mrs. Bewley, campus librarian, has been an active participant in the Tejas Star Book Award by sharing the titles with her students through her library lessons for several years and instructing them on to vote for their favorite book. In fact Mrs. Bewley was recognized for having the most participation in terms of voting of any school campus in the state of Texas.

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THE RATTLER REVIEW AT SHARYLAND HIGH SCHOOLnal

Three Band Students Earn All State Band Recognition

Wrestling Team Earns 3rd Place in District

Three Football Players Receive Academic All-State Award

Winter Fest Hosted by LEO Club

Tennis Varsity Tournament

Boys and Girls Tennis TeamCongratulations to Nick Martinez, Edgar Ortiz, and Mario Perez. They were named All-State Band Students at the Area Band Tryouts in Alice. Each of these students competed at 3 diff erent competitions to achieve this honor. This is the second year that Edgar Ortiz has earned this honor. They will be traveling to San Antonio to play with the Texas All State Bands at the Texas Music Educators Convention in February.

Seniors Sergio Talavera, Oscar Gonzalez, Jr. and Fernando Fernandez received the Academic All-State 2nd Team Award. They were nominated by their coach. To be nominated, student must be an athlete, student trainer or manager in good standing with the team, of good moral character, and a senior with an overall grade point average of 92 or above.

Organizing the donations, Leo Club offi cers Dominic Chau, Casey Stephens, George Espinoza, and Laura Garcia take a break after purchasing $400 worth of donations. “It was all worth it in the end. I know that whoever get these donations will enjoy them very much,” Laura said.Wood Wind Director Beth Van Epps prepares to kiss a pig provided by FFA for Winter Festival. Students at the high school could donate a dollar to vote for a staff member to kiss a pig; As the winner, Beth Van Epps had a total of 141 out of 400 votes.

Congratulations to the Rattler Wresting team for a great eff ort at the District 16-5A tournament. They fi nished in 3rd place out of 17 schools and 7 boys qualifi ed for the Region IV tournament.106lb Isaac Cavazos 4th, 113lb Luis Hinojosa 4th 2-time Regional Qualifi er, 120lb Isaac Bazan 4th 2-time Regional Qualifi er, 138lb Ruy Troche 3rd 2-time Regional Qualifi er, 152lb Shane Foley DISTRICT CHAMPION!!!! Finished the regular season with a perfect 32-0 record for his second district championship in a row!, 160lb Vicente Gamez 2nd 2-time Regional Qualifi er and district Medalist. 285lb David Rodriguez 4th.

Congratulations to the Boys and Girls Tennis Team for winning the Harlingen Tournament. Individual results were:Team Overall Champions-Sharyland High SchoolBoys SinglesJoaquin Delgado- 2nd PlaceBoys DoublesSebas Arizola and Carlos Ramones - 1st PlaceJorge Garza and Hector Ronquillo - 2nd PlaceMixed DoublesJose Ronquillo and Ana Hernandez - 1st PlaceGirls Doubles Fernanda Armendariz and Fernanda Garcia - 2nd Place

Sharyland Varsity Tennis wins 1st Place at the PSJA Varsity Tennis Tournament. This is the second Team Trophy they have won this season.

PrincipalLeticia Leal

THE RATTLER REVIEW AT SHARYLAND NORTH JR. HIGH SCHOOL

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Custodian Appreciation

8th Grade Diamondbacks of the Month for DecemberCanned Food Drive

UIL 2nd Place at fi rst meet of the year

High School students present during Career and College Readiness Day

Family Reading Night Donating to United Way

Chess Team 1st Place at Cathay Middle

School Tournament

North Donates Toys

RGV LEAD Teacher of the Year

Sharyland North Students Perform at Region One

Every year Sharyland North Jr. High holds a canned food drive to donate food items to the Mission Food Pantry. Math classes held a competition to see which class was able to raise the most amount of items. This year our students did an outstanding job by collecting a total of 1,817 items.

Mrs. Mendez’ class extended an assignment by making posters and presenting them to the custodians during our Live Morning Announcments.

Students and parents had a surprise visit from Santa Claus at Family Reading Night in December . The Math Department was in charge and chose the theme, “Chill out with a good book at the North Pole”.

Students from Sharyland North Jr. High participated in a toy drive and donated over 350 toys to the Vannie E. Cook Clinic in McAllen, Texas. Students from Ms. Salinas’ 7th grade ELA classes donated 205 toys.

The Piano II students went to Region I to perform for a huge conference with almost 200 people. Sharyland ISD is the only district that off ers Piano class in Region One.

Mr. James E. Boyle, 7th grade History Teacher at Sharyland North Jr. High, was awarded the Rio Grande Valley LEAD ( Linking Economic and Academic Development) Teacher of the Year. He was presented his award at LEAD’s annual conference on December 12, 2013 at South Padre Island.

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THE RATTLER REVIEW AT SHARYLAND NORTH JR. HIGH SCHOOL

7th Diamondbacks of the Month for September

Dia de los Muertos

Dazzlers Dance Team 2014

7th ELA Project

Art Class Red Ribbon Banner

7th Science Biome Project

Sharyland North Students Make All-Region Band

Cross Country District Champs

Students were asked to choose one historical event, item, or monument that has impacted the world, certain beliefs systems, or various cultures. They were required to write a research paper, provide two visuals: a diorama, piece of artwork, an iMovie, video, power point, and present to the class.

On Dec. 7, middle school musicians from Roma to PSJA gathered to compete for a spot in the All-Region Bands. Making the All-Region Band is the highest honor a middle school musician can earn. Twenty-two students from Sharyland North Junior High earned this privilege.

All four Sharyland North Cross Country teams won the District Championship! The Top 5 fi nishers count toward the team score. The top fi nishers in each division were as follows: 7th girls – Nicole Aguilera 1st, Yanelly Garza 3rd, Nydia De La Garza 4th, Olivia Vasquez 5th, and Kayla Rodriguez 10th; 7th boys – Henry Guerra 2nd, Wilberth Soberanis 3rd, Oscar Petralia 6th, Jacob Garcia 8th, and Daniel Garcia 9th; 8th girls – Nadia Gutierrez 1st, Lauren Garza 2nd, Maria Varela 3rd, Kelsie Bazarte 4th, and Karla Becerra 6th; 8th boys – Rudy Aranda 2nd, Marcos Garza 5th, Cesar Zapata 6th, Raymundo Centeno 11th, and Fernando Valdivia 12th.

The Sharyland North Junior High Dazzlers Dance Team is committed to representing Sharyland ISD with a high caliber of school spirit, personal integrity and dance talent. The group has executed exhibition performances for Sharyland ISD, PalmFest and Palmview Family Night Out.

The Spanish classes made t-shirts and painted pictures of skulls for Day of the Dead.

PrincipalRosa O’Donnell

THE RATTLER REVIEW AT ROMULO D. MARTINEZ ELEMENTARY

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Veterans Day

Career on Wheels and Career Day

SPTSO Meeting

“Reading Buddies”

“Two Pigs & a Wolf”

Professional Development Sessions

Martinez Elementary honored over 40 veterans from the community and student family members. Guest speakers included State Representatives Sergio Munoz and Bobby Guerra. Special Guests included Mr. Romulo D. Martinez, George Myers President & CEO and Rob Neagle, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Greater Mission Chamber of Commerce. Students lined the hallways thanking the Veterans with thank you cards, letters, and banners. “Two Pigs and a Wolf” Storybook Theater brought many smiles, giggles, and

fantastic morals to a very famous children’s story. It’s all in the perspective of the character! Interaction with students and dialogue addressed moral values, honesty, and hard work. Performance was funded through a grant Mrs. Baca, school librarian, had applied for.

Mr. Huerta coordinated a fantastic Career on Wheels and Career Day for our students and staff ! Career on Wheels and Career Day presenters included a variety of professions that “Wow’d” out students. Comedian Raymond Orta gave students an insight on voices, sounds used for commercials, and lots of laughs. Other presenters and professions included Texas Ranger Vela, Channel 5 Sportscaster Vince Erickson, US Marshal J. Quintanilla, Pediatrician, Dr. Eraña, Artist Ilea O’Donnell, Border Patrol Offi cer R. Vela and many others.

In collaboration with Jensen Elementary, a wide variety of professional development sessions were available for teachers, para-professionals and administrators to pick from. Topics varied from Math, Science, Capturing a Kid’s Heart, GRIT, Cross-Curricular Connections and many more. Presenters included teachers, administrators, and Mrs. Gonzalez from Central Offi ce.

Parents and family packed the cafeteria on December’s SPTSO meeting. 6th Grade students performed Christmas music to family and friends. The 6th Grade Band played traditional Christmas selections while the 6th Grade Choir rocked the house with singing Christmas songs.

6th and 1st Grade students shared a Thanksgiving meal together with their “Reading Buddies”. Students dressed up the part of Pilgrims and Indians after receiving lessons on the history of Thanksgiving and being thankful for their buddies.

PrincipalNayeli Carriaga

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THE RATTLER REVIEW AT JOHN H. SHARY ELEMENTARY

Going to State!

Privileged Participation

Post It Creatively!

It’s the 100th Day of School!!! Veterans Day Celebration

Career Day Excitement!

Got Milk?

Chill Out and READ! Great Geckos!

New Year Fun Run

Winning Artwork !

Hoop It UP!

Ms. Roger’s kindergarten students make a 100 on the hundredth day of school! We know they have learned more than 100 things to prepare for 1st grade!

Several parents and community members shared their knowledge and expertise with our students on Career Day. The younger students got a fi rsthand look at some careers on wheels and a helicopter, too. Thank you to all that helped out with this great event!

How can you stay warm on a cold winter day? Answer: Snuggle up with a good book at the library with your friends. That’s what these young girls and their olde r sisters did!

Education in nutrition was made fun through the Southwest Dairy Farmers’ Mobile Dairy Classroom. Students enjoyed learning about the benefi ts of milk and getting up close to Angel .

Say hi to Katniss and Phoenix, two Leopard Geckos purchased through a “Pets in the Classroom” grant. Ms. Monica Garza’s fourth grade students can study these incredible creatures and learn about habitats, food chains, and many other related topics.

Congratulations to Allyson Knobel , Aarianah Iglesias, and Miguel Angel Gonzalez for representing our school in the sectional Hoop Shoot contest held at Sharyland High School. Allyson placed second in the 8-9 year old girls’ division. Both Aarianah and Miguel Angel captured the championship in their respective divisions. This will be Miguel Angel’s fourth time to compete for the state championship!

Thanks to our Elementary Coaches for organizing the New Year Fun Run! Here are two of our staff members’ children who competed in the race/walk. On the left is Anastasia Cruz and on the right is Sophia Carriaga. Way to go!!!

Congratulations to our fourth grade teacher, Mr. De La Rosa, for winning $1,000 in the Scholastic & Post It Teacher Contest. He will receive products to be used in his classroom for submitting one of the best lesson plan ideas using Post It notes creatively!

Arwen Chornopyski, Daniela Martinez, Anastasia Cruz, Sebastian Guajardo, Abdiel Rivera, and Leo Ibarra were selected as part of a privileged panel to participate at Region 1 with Dr. James Delisle, a distinguished author for the Gifted and Talented. These students and others from Weslaco and Laredo school districts shared their perspectives on being gifted with administrators, counselors, and teachers.

Artwork from Jennifer Olivarez, Victoria Ramos, Allyson Knobel, Yvette Gonzalez, and Jorden Hernandez were selected from entries across the Rio Grande Valley as winners of the 2014 RGV Water Awareness Summit Art Calendar or Poster contest. We have such talented 4th graders!

We would like to congratulate our Shary Knights Chess Team on their amazing performance at the State competition. Primary Championship placed 3rd, Primary JV tied 1st place but due to tie breakers came in 2nd, Elementary Championship placed 114th and K-1 division placed 12th. Way to go!!!

A special program was held at Shary Elementary to honor family members who have or are serving our Armed Forces. Students and staff showed pride for these men and women’s service to our country.

PrincipalAnthony Limon

THE RATTLER REVIEW AT HARRY SHIMOTSU ELEMENTARY

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Walk for Breast Cancer Awareness

Bike Club

Pumpkin Contest

Shimotsu Cheerleaders

Drug Free at Shimotsu

Book Character Parade

Christmas Caroling

Veteran’s Day Program

Bike Club members from Shimotsu participated in the Homecoming Parade.

Staff and students dressed up as a favorite book character for a parade through the school grounds.

Second graders brought cheer to nursing home residents as they shared a time of song during the holidays.

Students participated in a variety of activities to show their support for being drug free… Sock it to Drugs and Hats Off to Being Drug Free.

There were many creative entries for Student Council’s Pumpkin decorating contest. Winners are pictured with teachers and Contest Judge, Mr. Ruben Plata.

Shimotsu cheerleaders won BEST FLOAT for the Homecoming Parade! Way to go!

Shimotsu fi fth grade students performed a patriotic medley for visiting veterans and family members. Sixth grade students presented the colors for the ceremony.

Ms. Lopez’s Kinder class participated in the school-wide walk for Breast Cancer Awareness during the month of October.

PrincipalKaren Meadors

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THE RATTLER REVIEW AT DONNA WERNECKE ELEMENTARY

Chess Teams

Cards for Veterans Drug Free

Family Reading Night

New Staff Members

Sharyland ISD Education Foundation Grant Winners

Student council members wrote personalized Christmas cards to the Wounded Warriors and their families at the Brooke Army Medical Center. Mr. Michael Bueno, from the Department of the Army, responded to the students with a thank you letter, telling the students that this service project was indeed successful in bringing joy and good cheer to the wounded soldiers and their families that were unable to go home for the holidays. Thank you StuCo!

Way to go Wernecke Chess Team! Congratulations to our Wernecke Chess Team!!! Our primary JV team placed 7th, our Elementary championship team placed 8th, and our Elementary JV team tied for 1st place at State.

We elect to be Drug Free Texans!

Congratulations to our Sharyland Foundation Grant winners!

Welcome to our new staff members: Christine Roach, Monica Salinas, Gracie Rodriguez, and Maria Jaime. We are so glad they’ve joined us. Welcome to Wernecke!

Our library had a family reading night with Santa!

Maria Jaime

Christine Roach

Monica Salinas Gracie Rodriguez