The Historian Winter Edition Vol. XII No. 5

EdgEwood of San antonio

5358 wESt CommErCE StrEEt

San antonio, tExaS 78237-1354

* * * * ECRWSSPOSTAL CUSTOMER

U.S. POSTAGE PAIDNON-PROFIT ORG.SAN ANTONIO, TXPERMIT NO. 715

THIS ISSUE: This holiday season many of us will sing “O Christmas Tree” as we put

up our Christmas trees in our homes. We will also hang our ornaments with care as they may have special memories attached to them.The same can be said for the Texas House of Representative Christmas Tree in the State Capital. Each year, House Members are invited to create a visual representation in the form of an ornament of what makes their Texas House District special. House Members then turn to their constituents to create the ornament. This year the honor was bestowed to Rubi Rios, a 4th year academy art student and Memorial Senior. It was Rubi’s second year being selected by Representative Justin Rodriguez, District 125 to work on the project. Depicted on the ornament is a three dimensional San Antonio skyline and tourist boats floating

along the San Antonio Riverwalk.Now in its seventh year, the district ornament project has proven to be a delightful and informative experience for the Capitol’s thousands of holiday visitors, who enjoy seeing the artists’ depictions of what makes communities throughout Texas unique.On November 12th State Representative Justin Rodriguez made a special visit to the Edgewood Fine Arts Academy to visit with Rubi Rios and to pick up the ornament that will hang on

the Christmas tree at the State Capital. Rubi plans to attend college and major in Art and upon completion of her degree she would like to return to the Fine Arts Academy to be an art teacher. Rubi’s artistic endeavors will decorate a majestic 20- foot, Texas-grown Christmas tree that stands in the Capitol’s House Chamber during the holiday season. This year, the tree will be on display from December 4th through January 3rd.

HAPPY HOLIDAYSAdministrative Team Message........2Families Helping Families...............3Lions Club Dictionary Give Away....4Compadres for Scholarships..........4Dia De Los Muertos Gallery...........5Salsa Bowl VII................................6School News .................................8Conserving Energy Pays off.........10Student Spotlight..........................10Holiday Giving..............................10Innovative Teacher Grant..............11Music Bridges Around the World..11New Public Information Officer.....12

Winter Edgewood Historian | Page 2

Message from the Administrative Team

A Message from Anna Nieto

My Dearest Edgewood Community,

At this joyous time of year, I try to take time to appreciate the simple things in life for which I

am grateful. As educators this is our time to reflect on those simple gifts. In efforts to always advance literacy, I enjoy giving books during this season. One of my all time favorite books is The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein. To me, the story is one

that reminds us, to be joyful in life when you give. It is the giving that returns to us many times over that gives us joy. No matter what it takes, if we are doing what we choose; we are rewarded with happiness.

This year, the book is more significant than ever to me. As I visit classrooms, I am able to see the dedication that our teachers have as they work to provide excellent instruction to their students. I appreciate the leadership that our administrators provide as they guide their staff to success. Campus support personnel have enhanced the instruction of our students. The services provided by the operational staff ensure that our students have clean, safe facilities, the materials to do their work, timely arrivals and departures, and healthy meals. I see our staff members work to provide for our students. We are rewarded with the appreciation of our students as we give to our students’ education.

During these winter holidays, I want all of you to stop to take time to enjoy those in your life that give to you and to enjoy the memorable times as you continue to give to those around you everyday. Rest and enjoy your family and friends. I know that we are blessed by having each of you as an essential component of Edgewood.

May the joy of the season be with you always!Anna C. Nieto

Edgewood ISD Community,

During this festive time of year and as we begin to prepare for the New Year, I am happy to say

that our focus on supporting the most important factor of our community, the students, continues to be my unwavering commitment. The District will continue to invest in all areas that impact student learning and the wellbeing of our children. The decisions we make today are

preparing our students for a better and brighter tomorrow. We want to ensure all parents that Edgewood ISD schools are a place where students can envision a bright future and realize their potential goals. I am committed in helping our students, staff and the community.

I wish everyone, not only during the holiday season but throughout the year, health and happiness and remember when we work together anything is possible.

Happy Holidays!Chief Kenneth Jacobs

December ****** NO REGULAR BOARD MEETING *****

January 12, 2016 Edgewood Fine Arts Academy 607 S.W. 34th Street February 9, 2016 Perales Elementary 1507 Ceralvo

March 8, 2016 Brentwood Middle School 1626 W. Thompson

April 12, 2016 Memorial High School 1227 Memorial St.

May 10, 2016 T-Stem 1018 N.W. 34th Street

June 14, 2016 Edgewood Fine Arts Academy 607 S.W. 34th Street

July 12, 2016 Edgewood Fine Arts Academy 607 S.W. 34th Street * This schedule is subject to change. Board Approved: June 9, 2015

Board of TrusTeesdr. eddie rodriguez PresidenTVelma Pena Vice PresidenTTina morales secreTarysonia elizondo TrusTeemary lou mendoza TrusTee Johnny Perez TrusTee

adminisTraTiVe Team

KenneTh JacoBsanna nieTo

2015-2016 School Board Meetings

For the latest EISD school board information please scan the QR Code with your mobile device.

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Fami l ies He lp ing Fami l ies

Thanksgiving is a time for us to reflect on what we are most

thankful for. On November 13, 2015 Families Helping Families held their annual meal of Thanksgiving. The program was designed for grandparents, aunts, uncles, or cousins, who are caring for children from their own biological families due to loss of parental custody or other hardship, to come together to enjoy a dinner in their honor and to spend an evening together. In 2006, constituents approached the office of State Representative Joaquin Castro (now Congressman Castro) with the need to honor and thank grandparents and relatives for their care and commitment to children who had been affected by the loss of a parent. Congressman Castro agreed and together with his staff and other families, this initiative formally began in 2007. Castro attended the dinner and commented, “It’s incredible to listen to the stories of the grandparents who are raising their grandkids and the courage and tenacity that they demonstrate everyday being parents for the second time in their lives.” Founder

and Family Consultant, Mary Moreno stated, “The students and their families deserve the highest acknowledgement for their courage, humility, strength, and love for each

other. They are an example of what genuine love and caring is all about. The families are true servant-leaders in answering the call to take care of these children, they are a measure of true human success.”Senator Jose Menendez who also

attended the dinner mentioned, “We need to all come together as a community and support them and help them in any way we can.” State Representative Justin Rodriguez

commented,” I represent most of Edgewood in the legislature so any time I’m there at the capital I’m always thinking about the kids at Edgewood and what can we do to provide a better platform for them for success.”

Prior to the dinner being served, the audience was treated to live mariachi music and dances from students from the EISD Fine Arts Academy. Also in attendance was Judge Charles Montemayor and other local attorneys, and various community leaders.Every year this celebration has continued to grow in spirit and support. It has also evolved into a dialogue among families to support one another and to discuss issues that are important

to them.


L i o n s C l u b D i c t i o n a r y D r o p O f f

Dictionaries in a time of computers, Why not? For many generations

children turned to dictionaries to learn a new word or definition of

one. In this day and age the common phrase is “just google it” if you want

to learn the meaning of a word or its pronunciation. Well for the Lions Club

of Edgewood they wanted to give the students of the district something they

would be able to have around for many years…a dictionary. The Edgewood

Lions Club distributed one thousand dictionaries to every third grade student

at all elementary campuses at Edgewood ISD. Their purpose is to make sure

students have reading material at home.

Compadres for Scho larsh ips Embraces the Sp i r i t o f G iv ing

Compadres, as they are most

commonly known in the

community, have been known to

provide scholarships for graduating

seniors, shoes and coats for students

and Thanksgiving Dinners for

families. Most recently, Compadres

for Scholarships - made a donation of

$1,500 towards the food pantry to the

Edgewood Family Service Center, which

provided Thanksgiving Dinners for 33

families of Edgewood. Compadres

for Scholarships was founded by the

Edgewood High School Class of 1967.

The purpose of the organization was

to honor their fellow classmates who

served in the military, but especially those who made the ultimate sacrifice during

the Vietnam War. The organization saw a tremendous need to help families in

Edgewood, which is why they are dedicated to helping as many people as possible.

Compadres for Scholarships is open to anyone in the community who would like to

become part of the organization. For more information please call Ruben Rendon,

President 210-382-9256.


DIA DE LOS MUERTOS CELEBRATION

On October 29th, the Fine Arts Academy held their

annual Dia de Los Muertos altar reception and contest. The Edgewood Academy Mariachi group, under the direction of Mr. Joel Porras, performed at the event. Mr. Don Nunez created an altar at the campus entrance, and the Fine Arts Academy Department (under the direction of Ms. Anabel Toribio and Mr. Enrique Martinez) created large

paper mache skulls for the event. Elementary campuses, middle schools, and the high schools participated in the altar display competition. Altars were judged by Mary Lustri, art teacher at NISD and Dr. Charlsey Chumley, NISD Art Supervisor. Winners and runner ups were presented with trophies by Dr. Emma Dromgoole, fine arts coordinator.

Altar WinnersHigh School Winner:

Edgewood Fine Arts Academy Anabel Toribio, Art Teacher

High School Honorable Mention: Memorial High School

Daniel Hernandez, Art TeacherMiddle School Winner:

Wrenn Middle School Sandra Garcia, Art Teacher

Middle School Honorable Mention: Brentwood Middle School Diana Valdez, Art Teacher

Elementary School Winner: Stafford Elementary

Jeannette Waid, Art TeacherElementary School Honorable Mention:

Henry B. Gonzalez ElementaryTeresa Gutierrez, Art Teacher


2015 SALSA BOWLand salsa cook-off

And the Salsa Contest winner is?.....

The Seventh Annual Salsa Bowl Tailgate Party

and Football Game has come and gone,

but that doesn’t mean community members and

students that assisted in the festivities aren’t still

talking about the music, food and fun that were

enjoyed that cold and rainy day.

The pre-game events kicked off with the annual

Salsa Cook-Off, fourteen teams competed, they

were made up of various Edgewood ISD teachers

and staff. Some of the salsas were hot and spicy,

while others were mild yet full of flavor. After

several taste tests from curious spectators and

cheers from the crowd, the judging began. The

three judges had the difficult task of selecting

the Edgewood Salsa Challenge winner from the

14 teams that had entered the competition, and

after sampling was done they voted on the best

salsa. Winners of the Edgewood Salsa Challenge

were: 1st place – Gus Garcia Middle School (Ms.

Searles); 2nd place – Stafford Elementary (Susie

Armenta & Irene Deleon); and 3rd place – Perales

Elementary (Cynthia Pena).

A big “THANK YOU” to the judges who

participated in the Salsa Challenge, Paco

Fuentes (Univision), Darrell Balderrama (UTSA),

and Ronald Rocha (Linebarger Goggan Blair &

Sampson, LLP).

Also during the pre-game festivities the Kennedy

High School and the Memorial High School bands,

cheer, and dance teams were featured during the

KENS 5 Live sports segments at 5pm and 6pm.

Then it was time for the anticipated Salsa Bowl

Football game to get underway. The threat of rain

and chilly weather did not deter the over 9,000

attendees from coming to cheer on their team

at the Salsa Bowl which took place at

Veterans’ Stadium. Umbrellas and coats

could be seen throughout the stadium

while Fans huddled together to keep

warm during the game. The high energy

halftime show featured the Kennedy and

Memorial high school bands performing

together along with the dance team, and

cheer squads.

It was an exciting game with both teams

playing hard, but at the end and with a

final score of 17-14 the Kennedy Rockets

won the game and the coveted Salsa

Bowl trophy. Congratulations to all of the

students that made Salsa Bowl 2015 a

memorable event.

We would like to thank the local

businesses for their participation in the

tailgate party, Firstmark Credit Union,

AETNA, South Texas Vocational and

KENS TV.



SCHOOL NEWS. . .

Congratulations to the John F. Kennedy

High School Marching band for

receiving a Superior Rating at the UIL

Marching Competition. The competition

was at Gustafson Stadium on October 17,

2015. After months of preparation, even

during the summer while most students

were still enjoying their summer break, all

of the bands hard work and dedication paid

off. In what appeared to be an eternity, the

announcer finally announced the scores….

John F. Kennedy High School, Division 1 (Superior). Upon hearing the announcement the Kennedy band erupted into cheers and even some tears were shed. There were 11 bands in the 5A region that received a Division 1 rating, they went on to participate in the area contest. This is the first time since 2009 that Kennedy advances to the area competition. The band is under the direction of Roy Martin and Assistant Band Director, Jonathan Wright. The John F. Kennedy Drum Majors are Isaiah Zaragoza and

Naomi Barboza

Rocket Band Marches to Superior Rating

B r i n g i n g H o m e t h e G O L D

SAPD Flies In For Career DayOn November 12th, the Blue Eagle

landed at Gardendale Elementary for Career Day. The students were excited to not only hear about this thrilling career, but to also see the helicopter. SAPD officers discussed their job duties with students. This exciting start was only the beginning to the wonderful presenters who volunteered their time to present their careers to the students that day. Other notable presenters

were: Justice Pulliam with the 4th Court of Appeals, USAF flying & medical personell, Southwest Dairy demonstrated how to milk a real cow and how the milk is pasteurized. Agent Mendez with the FBI, Dr. Perkins of Methodist Children’s Hospital and others presented. This was organized by the School Counselor, Trudy Brister.

EISD Special Olympics Athletes competed in the

Special Olympics Area 20 Bowling Competition on Friday, November 6, 2015.The competition was held at Bandera Bowling Center. A total of 69 athletes competed winning 62 medals and 7 ribbons for their effort. Schools that were represented included JFK, Memorial, ETC-STEM, Gardendale, Las Palmas, Cisneros, LBJ, Winston, Roosevelt, Loma Park, Brentwood, Hoelscher, Gus and Wrenn. A big thank you goes out

to all of the support team (staff) as well as the transportation department. Area 20 Special Olympics takes athletes 8 years old and up. Students must have a current medical form on file with the Special Olympics office. If you are interested, a medical form can be found on the District website under Special Education or you may contact Coach Sherri Mell, 444-8103 X 1041 to get a copy of the mandatory form. Volunteers and volunteer coaches are always welcome.


On October 10th Edgewood Fine Arts Academy students

participated in ArtPace’s Annual Chalk it up event. This annual event is a celebration of contemporary art and empowers the community by providing free access to creative activities. The activities were designed to encourage youth to be more active in the arts. Chalk It Up is a hands-on introduction to art and art making. Each year, Artpace Chalk It Up transforms down-town Houston Street into a canvas

for professional and student artist of all ages. Over 22,000 people turned out to watch artists create beautiful chalk art. Visitors to Chalk It Up were also encouraged to create their own masterpieces during the event. 19 Feature Artists were each given a 4’ x 6’ piece of sidewalk to create their original work of art. This was the 13th year that the event took placeand was Curated by Contemporary ArtMonth Director/Co-Chair, Roberta “Nina” Hassele.

CHALK IT UP

It’s never too early to start thinking about

college, with this mindset Edgewood ISD

students from all campuses attended College

Night. The event was held at Memorial High

School on November 3, 2015. The students that

attended received valuable information from more

than 50 different colleges, universities and other

educational programs from all over the United

States. Many of the students were accompanied by their parents who also

had lots of questions to ask.

College Night at Memorial High School

The San Antonio Fire Department along with “Sparky the Dog” paid

a visit to students at Las Palmas Elementary School. The purpose of the visit is to inform students on the importance of fire safety and prevention. Students participated in several interactive demonstrations where they were reminded of the dangers of a fire. According to its website, SAFD is committed to providing life

safety education for the citizens of our community – even the youngest citizens. “Our experience shows that when you reach out to the kids, it reaches the entire family-and ultimately raises the level of health and safety for all.” - SAFD

If you would like more information on fire prevention and safety tips visit www.sanantonio.gov/SAFD

Sparky Vis i ts Las Palmas


Clayton Kruse with City Public Service presented a check

in the amount of $282,659.00 to Edgewood ISD at the November board meeting for participating in the “Demand Response Program”. CPS Energy’s Demand Response Program is a voluntary program. The results are three-fold: the district saves money, lowering its CPS Energy bill; reliability of the state grid increases during peak demand. The district earns an incentive from CPS Energy for participating in conservation events, which ultimately, helps all CPS Energy customers.

The program is limited to commercial and industrial customers and incentive payments are calculated based on the customer’s overall curtailment of energy use. Each curtailment is measured and verified by CPS Energy and at the end of the program customers can chose to receive an incentive payment as check or credit. If you would like to learn about the many options CPS Energy offers to help you save energy and money at home, please visit https://www.cpsenergy.com/en/my-home/ways-to-save.html.

C o n s e r v i n g E n e r g y Pa y s O f f

School Board President Dr. Eddie M. Rodriguez and Vice-President Velma Pena accepting the CPS Energy Incentive Payment.

As the Thanksgiving holiday approached many families began

to prepare for an abundant feast to celebrate the day of thanks. However, for many, the holidays often mean a struggle to provide a Thanksgiving dinner for their families. In what has become an annual tradition in Edgewood ISD, the Compadres for Scholarships, remember that the holiday season is about a time of helping struggling

families prepare for their own holiday traditions with a Thanksgiving turkey basket. On Saturday, November 21st the Compadres for Scholarships provided 33 families with a turkey basket and all the trimmings. The distribution was held at the Edgewood Family Service Center, with over 30 volunteers were on hand to help package and distribute the baskets.

Student Spotlight

Scan the QR code above with your smart phone to view the student spotlight video

“Ivan’s Story” hosted on the EISD youtube channel

Holiday Giving

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A handful of lucky district teachers and campus administrators

were recipients of this year’s Innovative Teaching Grant. The Innovative Teaching grant is in its fifth year of being funded by the Edgewood Education Foundation (EEF). The EEF provides $25,000 to the district to provide teachers and campus administrators with this great opportunity. The EEF is composed of Edgewood alumni that are committed to serving and giving back to the district. Throughout the school year the EEF will host various activities to raise money to fund the Innovative Teacher Grant. Teachers and campus administrators are encouraged to apply with innovative projects that will enhance their students learning environment. Mrs. Catherine Bernstein of Memorial High School was awarded for her JSTOR Database project. With this project students at Memorial High

School will have the opportunity to utilize a great research database that is offered at many college campuses. These students can conduct research with the database by accessing thousands of scholarly articles and journals to help them write research papers. Another innovative project that was funded, was Mrs. Sandra Garcia’s Literary Lockers at Wrenn Middle School. Mrs. Garcia’s project will allow for lockers to be painted that look like library books. Students whose interest is piqued by a certain title will be able to go to the library and check the book out to read. The Innovative Teaching grant is offered every year at the beginning of the school year and awards are offered up to $1,000. Be on the lookout for this year’s award winner’s projects at the various campuses and get inspired to apply next school year.

Mr.Kallam of Lyndon B. Johnson Elementary receiving 1 of 28 Teacher Innovative Grants from the Edgewood Education Foundation

2015 Teacher Innovative Grants

Music Bridges Around The World

On November 19th, Music Bridges Around the World

showcased three musicians: violinist Mark Cheikhet and pianists Anya Grokhovski and Alena Gorina. The concert was performed for strings magnet students from Stafford and Fine Arts Academy students. Mark Cheikhet earned his master and doctorate degrees in violin performance from Moscow Conservatory. He is touring widely as a soloist and in chamber ensembles throughout Russia, Germany, Italy, France, Mexico, and the U.S. His recent performances include Brescia-Festa Internazionale Della Musica, a festival of Russian Art in Marseille, France, along with The Promenade festival in Oldenburger, Germany and RAMA in Boston, MA.

Musical Bridges is an organization that produces one-of-a-kind

multicultural performances by the finest musicians from around the

globe. Their mission is to “unite, educate and inspire through culturally

diverse programming.” One of their concert series is the “Kids to Concerts”

(KtC), which is a free educational outreach program for San Antonio Title

One schools. This year, Musical Bridges has brought three performances to

the Edgewood Fine Arts Academy.

Fine Arts Academy Theatre

February 16 - 19th

for more information

Call 210.444.7925

Visit our Website: www.eisd.net

Notification of Non-DiscriminationIt is the policy of the Edgewood Independent School District not to discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, gender, handicap, or age in its employment practices, educational programs, services or activities, as required by law.For information about your rights, you may contact the Title IX Coordinator Donald Walheim at (210) 444-4569.Notificación de Anti-DiscriminaciónEs norma del distrito escolar de Edgewood no discriminar por motivos de raza, color, origen nacional, sexo, impedimento o edad, en sus procedimientos de empleo, o en sus servicios, actividades o programas educativos, como se requiere la ley. Para mas información sobre sus derechos se puede comunicar con los Coordinador del Tituto IX, Donald Walheim al (210) 444-4569.

Keyhla Calderon-LugoPublic Relations [email protected]

Marivel [email protected]

Office Of cOmmunicatiOns & Public RelatiOns5358 West Commerce St. San Antonio, Texas, 78237Phone: (210) 444-7955Fax: (210) 444-7962www.eisd.net STAFF

Marvin JimenezMulti-media [email protected]

George GarnicaBusiness Community [email protected]


New Public Information Officer for Edgewood ISD

Keyhla Calderon-Lugo became the new Public Information Officer for Edgewood ISD in October 2015 after a successful 15 year career in media. “I really do appreciate all of the kindness and support I have received

since I became a member of the EISD family. Everyone has been so warm and welcoming and that has made my transition so much easier.” Keyhla worked for almost ten years at KWEX Univision 41 starting as a Weather Anchor then during the latter part of her career as the weekend news anchor for the 5 pm and 10 pm newscasts. Keyhla is an Emmy winner for the health campaign “Únase al Reto” and has received several other nominations for stories she has worked on over the years as a reporter. Keyhla also worked for KLDO Univision in Laredo Texas. Keyhla’s family is from Monterrey Mexico but she grew up in San Antonio Texas where she graduated from John Jay High School and The University of Texas at San Antonio. She is a big supporter of the arts, loves animals and has ran two half marathons. She is married and says “the best thing about life being a mother to my two daughters ages 3 and 5.” En octubre de 2015 Keyhla Calderon-Lugo se unió al Distrito Escolar de Edgewood como vocera del distrito después de una larga carrera en los medios de comunicación. “Agradezco todo el apoyo que he recibido desde que me uní a la familia de Edgewood ISD. Todos me han dado tanto cariño. Eso ayuda con esta nueva transición en mi vida”. Keyhla trabajo diez años en KWEX Univision 41 donde empezó como presentadora del tiempo, luego como reportera y en los últimos meses en Univision como conductora del noticiero del fin de semana. Keyhla ha recibido varias nominaciones para el Premio Emmy, ganado por la campaña de salud “Únase al Reto”. Keyhla comenzó su carrera en Laredo, Texas con KLDO Univision 27. La familia de Keyhla es originaria de Monterrey, Nuevo León, (México) pero creció en la ciudad de San Antonio, donde se graduó de la preparatoria John Jay y posteriormente de la Universidad de Texas en San Antonio. Keyhla apoya las bellas artes, es defensora de los animales y ha participado en dos medios maratones. Es casada y dice “Lo mejor de la vida es poder ser mama de mis dos hijas, de 3 y 5 años de edad”.

Keyhla Calderon - Lugo EISD Public Information Officer

Now an option in the Edgewood ISD Mobile Appavailable for iphone and Android Devices

Edgewood Alert is an easy to use mobile app that allows students, parents, staff, and community members to report

bullying, threats, vandalism, crime, and personal concerns.

Have a safe and joyful holiday season from all the administration, teachers, and support staff of the Edgewood Independent School District.

Documents

The Historian Winter Edition Vol. XII No. 5