www.bellsisd.net

December 2014 Volume 1, Issue 2

Bells ISD Newsletter RIGHT PLACE, RIGHT TIME

Inside this Issue . . . . .

Panther Football News

Carlee Shelby—A+ Athlete

Bells ISD Career Fair

Elementary U.I.L.

FFA Competition

SAT and ACT News

BHS 100 Club

PJH Students of the Month

World Cultures Study at PJH

English II Symbolism Project

Veteran’s Day

PALS at BHS

Honor Rolls

PJH Reindeer Run

Volleyball Honors

Parent Survey

What’s Coming Up?

Panther Tracks

For the first time since 1996, the Bells Pan-

ther football team garnered a post-season run.

Anyone who attended a game this season does

not have to “ponder” too long on two crucial keys

to the Panthers’ success. Head Football Coach

Scott Ponder and his son and Panther quarter-

back, Derrick Ponder, provided strong leadership

and talent to the Panther football program this

season. The Panthers ended the season with an 8-

4 record, with only one loss in district play. After

claiming the Bi-District Championship against

the Clarksville Tigers, the Panthers traveled to

Waco to play the Area game at Baylor Universi-

ty’s McClane Stadium. There, they met up with

the Mart Panthers where the season ended in a

hard fought game against a seasoned play-off

team. Excitement and energy permeated the stands

at every game this season where panther fans

came out in large numbers to support these stu-

dent athletes.

Bells Panthers Enjoy Winning Season

Superintendent’s Note

Thank a Board Member

Bells I.S.D.’s Board of Trus-

tees are extraordinary people who

voluntarily tackle the enormous job

of governing the school district.

Their actions and decisions affect

the lives of a number of students,

employees, and the community.

The Board is comprised of seven

individuals elected by eligible vot-

ers within the boundaries of the

school district; board elections are

the second week of May each year.

Local policy dictates board meet-

ings are held the third Monday of

each month while additional meet-

ings may be held when posting

requirements are met. Board mem-

bers serve without compensation.

Upgraded facilities, academic and

extracurricular successes, and a

positive working environment are

the result of past and present board

members working together, hand in

hand, with administration and

school employees. As a team,

boards and employees are deter-

mined to provide an abundance of

learning opportunities for Bells

I.S.D. students and to attract quality

teachers to BISD.

The success of Bells ISD stu-

dents and programs has been well

documented this fall. The Bells

Elementary students added to this

success this past week by winning

the District UIL ACADEMIC

Championship! School success in

any area cannot be achieved with-

out support—unconditional, over

the top support from all involved

from top to bottom at all times!

The support provided by the BISD

Board of Trustees is very evident

and appreciated.

January is recognized across

Texas as “Board Appreciation

Month”; however, in BISD, it is

apparent that every month should

be labeled as such. If you see

board members presently serving

or have served the district, a simple

“thank you” from students, employ-

ees, and community members is all

the compensation they receive, and

very much warranted! Due to this

Board’s “unconditional support”,

Bells Independent School District’s

students and employees are enjoy-

ing a fantastic 2014-2015 school

year! Thank You BISD Board of

Trustees!

Don’t forget, order

your Panther Year-

book NOW! Dead-

line is January 30th.

www.bellsisd.net

Many Bells Panthers

achieved All-District

Honors this season.

Those awards are as fol-

lows: Superlatives—Offensive

MVP—Derrick Ponder;

Newcomer of the Year—

Hunter Hawthorne; Of-

fense—1st Team Wide

Receiver—Noah Straw;

2nd Team Running

Back—Triston Coglon;

2nd Team Wide Receiv-

er—Ethan Sanford; Hon-

orable Mention Offensive

Lineman—JD Shaw;

Honorable Mention Wide

Receiver—Chris Hall. Defense—1st Team Out-

side Linebacker—Hayden

Cobb; 1st Team Defen-

sive Back—Ethan San-

ford; 2nd Team Inside

Linebacker—Jace Lester;

2nd Team Defensive

Back—Noah Straw; Hon-

orable Mention Inside

Linebacker—Aaron

Brown; 2nd Team Kick-

er—Derrick Ponder; 2nd

Team Punter—Derrick

Ponder. The 2014 Academic All-

District Player awards go

to Ethan Sanford, Dylan

Babbitt, Derrick Ponder,

and Josh Melvin. Making up the Bells

Panther Coaching staff

are Scott Ponder, Head

Coach; Ron Steele, Assis-

tant Head Coach and De-

fensive Backs; Clay

Rolen, Defensive Coordi-

nator and Linebackers;

Logan Turner, Offensive

Coordinator and Quarter-

backs; Ricky Rodriguez,

Special Teams Coordina-

tor and Defensive Line;

and Logan Gunter, Wide

Receivers. All BISD coaches and

football players are to be

commended for their hard

work and dedication to

this successful season.

Panther Football continued

A dream doesn't become reality through magic; it takes sweat, determination and hard work. -Colin Powell

Page 2 Bells ISD

SUCCESS

A+ Athlete Award

Congratulations to senior Carlee

Shelby for recently being named a

KXII—TV 2014-2015 A+ Athlete .

Students who receive this honor must

be a senior, and the nomination comes

from the school district. Carlee is

clearly a student leader at Bells High

School, where she participates in

many activities including athletics,

FFA, and Beta Club. After gradua-

tion Carlee plans to attend Texas Tech

University and pursue a career in anes-

thesiology.

Panther fans gathered to send the players and coaches off to Waco .

Bells PD led the Panthers to their game at McClane Stadium.

Congratulations to Ethan Sanford and Derrick Pon-

der for being named to the Class 2A Division 1 & 2 All

State Team. Ethan was named All State Wide Receiver.

He had the 2nd most receptions in a single season in

Texas high school football history (138 catches, ran for

over 1750 yards, and made 17 touchdowns). Derrick

was named Honorable Mention All-State Quarterback.

He had over 4,300 passing yards, 47 passing touchdowns

and 4 rushing touchdowns. Congratulations to these two

Panthers!

www.bellsisd.net

On Wednesday, November 19th,

the campus of Bells High School

was totally transformed. Students

did not attend class as normal. Ra-

ther, they enjoyed the bi-annual Ca-

reer Fair and Expo! Over 23 profes-

sionals from various walks in life

took time out of their busy sched-

ules to come and share with grades

7-12 about exactly what it takes to

succeed in various areas. Earlier in the fall, students took a

survey indicating careers in which

they were interested. The day at BHS began with stu-

dents receiving packets that includ-

ed their individual schedules for the

day, a program with brief biog-

raphies of all presenters, infor-

mation regarding the top ten occu-

pations in the nation, reminders on

how to access Career Cruising and

subsequently create a resume and

conduct job and college searches

with that tool, a thank you, possible

questions they might wish to ask

presenters, and paper on which to

take notes. When the first period

bell rang, all BHS students gathered

in the gym. There, Mr. Weger and Mrs. Ivers

spoke briefly to students about what

the day would hold and then shared

information regarding the difference

between “hard

skills” and “soft

skills” in the work-

place. Mrs. Flores,

Mr. Weger, Mr. Poe,

Mrs. Clark, Mrs.

Fuller, Mr. Rolen,

Mrs. Snyder, and

Mr. Williams then

presented a skit re-

garding job inter-

view skills to stu-

dents. Then, students

began their journey to various break

-out sessions in the high school and

junior high buildings to hear indi-

vidual professionals speak. Students returned to classes dur-

ing 5th period, and the guests on

campus were served lunch and en-

joyed a presentation by the BHS

Senior Chapter Conducting team.

Some of the guests were able to stay

and participate in an expo in the old

gym where participants showcased

some of the tools of their trade. Mil-

itary recruiters and a few colleges

were involved in the expo as well.

The Grayson College nursing de-

partment came and brought one of

their smart mannequins with them. Bells ISD would like to offer a

big thank you to Presco Products of

Sherman. Presco provided a $10

Amazon or Star-

bucks card to each

of the presenters

present that they.

They also provid-

ed an Xbox One!

In total well over $600! Students

could enter their name in a drawing

for the Xbox One by writing thank

you notes to the presenters. Our

winner was Kayla Gowin.

The Career Fair was a wonderful

day! What an incredible opportunity

for PJH and BHS students. It would

not have been possible without our

wonderful presenters giving so gen-

erously of their time. The presenters

at the 2014 Bells Career Fair and

Exp were: Shari Adams, Billy

Skidmore, Brad Gersten, Steve

Reynolds, David Taylor, Dr. Rebec-

ca Dowing, Jackie Melancon, Nikki

Stephens, Dustin Williams, Dr.

Melinda Parker, Amanda Smith, Dr.

Theresa Rockhill, Dr. H.M. Ho,

Matt Washburn, Jeff Heatley, Bill

Weidner, Brandon Poteet, Patrick

Crites, Ted Beaver, Jenny McCar-

ley, Sammi Hicks, Kristi Carter,

David and Tammy Hamrick, Shel-

ley Smith, DeAn Jeffrey, and Brad

Oliver.

Career Fair at Bells High School

Page 3 Volume 1, Issue 2

Thank you to all professionals who took time out of their busy schedule to partici-pate in the Career Fair. Also, many thanks to PRESCO PRODUCTS for their generous financial support of the Bells ISD Career Fair.

www.bellsisd.net

Page 4

Bells ISD

Patrick Crites of Irving FD

Dave Hamrick of Hamrick Photography

Brad Gersten of Ag Power, Inc. Kristi Carter of P31 Fitness

Nikki Stephens, U.S. Probation Officer

Shari Adams speaking on Acting

Ted Beaver speaking on Surgery Tech

Dr. H. M. Ho

Career Fair 2014

www.bellsisd.net

“To catch the reader's attention, place

an interesting sentence or quote from

the story here.”

Bells Elementary School Wins UIL Academic Contest for 2014

Page 5 Volume 1, Issue 2

Kristi Carter of P31 Fitness

Dr. H. M. Ho

Over forty students represented Bells Elementary at this year’s UIL Academic contest in early Decem-ber. Students and teachers have been preparing for many weeks and their hard work and dedication definitely paid off as they scored the highest number of points of any school at the contest. The follow-ing BES students placed in their events:

SECOND GRADE

Chess—Coach Melissa Flyger

Tucker Crites—1st Place, Individu-al and Team

Suzanne Flyger—1st Place Team

Abigail Marsh—1st Place Team

Creative Writing—Coach Karen Hall

Laykin Little—1st Place

Story Telling—Coach Leesa Walk-er

Kenzie Severson—6th Place

THIRD GRADE

Chess—Coach Vicki Russell

Cole Richardson—3rd Place, Indi-vidual and 1st Place Team

Shelton Burden—5th Place Individ-ual and 1st Place Team

Lucas Hamner—1st Place Team

Music Memory—Coach Rob Novak

Kinley Weger—3rd Place Individual and 3rd Place Team

Rachel Metcalf—3rd Place Team

Easton Neal—3rd Place Team

Ready Writing—Coach Vicki Kight

Titan Tillman—4th Place

Story Telling—Coach Lisa Jones

Jacie Kyle—1st Place

Alyssa Hensley—2nd Place

Hayden Nalor-4th Place

FOURTH GRADE

Art—Coach Angela Novak

Kylee Beach—3rd Place Team

Teryn Halliburton—3rd Place Team

Kori Wilson—3rd Place Team

Music Memory—Coach Rob Novak

Ansley Campbell—2nd Place Indi-vidual and 2nd Place Team

Kori Wilson—2nd Place Team

Serrena Gallvan—2nd Place Team

Number Sense—Coach Crissi Sprayberry

Brayden Taylor—2nd Place Indi-vidual and 2nd Place Team

Aiden Neal—5th Place Individual and 2nd Place Team

Jeffrey McKinney—2nd Place Team

Oral Reading—Coach Gina Cooper

Kori Wilson—1st Place

Sarah Cooper—4th Place

Serrena Galvan—5th Place

Ready Writing—Coach LaDonna Stanek

Kori Wilson—4th Place

FIFTH GRADE

Art—Coach Angela Novak

Gracie Simpson—3rd Place Indi-vidual and 2nd Place Team

Eli Taylor—4th Place Individual and 2nd Place Team

Spencer Roberts—2nd Place Team

Chess—Coach Melissa Flyger

Canyon Payne—1st Place Indivu-dal and 2nd Place Team

Chase Polk—2nd Place Team

Jonathan Ames—2nd Place Team

Listening Skills—Coach Janna Melvin

Justine Norris—4th Place

Maps, Graphs and Charts—Coach Tishia Crump

Lisa Sutherland—4th Place

Kaden Pyle—5th Place

Music Memory—Coach Rob Novak

Grace Marsh—4th Place

Number Sense—Coach Janna Melvin

Jaden Nelson—1st Place Individu-al and 3rd Place Team

Lillie Baxter—3rd Place Team

Sophia Al-len—3rd Place Team

UIL Placers

www.bellsisd.net

.

Bells FFA Continues Winning Tradition

Page 6 Bells ISD

The state of Texas can boast that they

have 1,036 Future Farmers of America

Chapters with 106,000 plus members. Each

fall students across the state compete in Leadership De-

velopment Events (LDE). There are 57 district competi-

tions. Students advance from those competitions on to

area competitions. Success at area leads schools to

Huntsville, Texas and the campus of Sam Houston State

University where the state competition has been held

since 1931. Bells High School Greenhand Chapter Conducting

Team, Greenhand Quiz Team, and Senior Chapter Con-

ducting Team departed school on the morning of De-

cember 4th to once again compete in this auspicious

event. Friday afternoon the two chapter conducting

teams competed in the preliminary round. To make it to

this point, the greenhand team had already made it to the

top 20 of 250 teams across the state, and the senior team

could brag that they were in the top 20 of 260 teams

from around the state. By 8:15 PM, both teams could

brag that they achieved placement as a top 10 finalist! Quiz teams must know parliamentary procedure, the

FFA Manual, and a district officer packet. Teams then

take a 100 question written quiz over this material. They

would test on Saturday morning. Texas has 585 quiz

teams and only 20 make it to the state level. Chapter conducting teams prepare by studying par-

liamentary procedure. Not only do students have to learn

the proper way to conduct a meeting, they must also be

able to answer up to 100 questions (senior level) verba-

tim for judges after they have concluded the order of

business set before them. Teams are given a “problem”

that they have to “work” in a mock FFA Chapter meet-

ing using correct parliamentary procedure. Students are

given a sheet of business in a preparation room and three

minutes to study and think about how business should be

conducted in the meeting. During the preparation time

students may not communicate with one another in any

fashion. They then enter the competition room where

they go through the proper opening ceremony for an

FFA Chapter meeting. Each student has very specific

jobs and role descriptions which they must recite word

for word. The students must then “work the problem”

using proper parliamentary procedure. This must be

done within a twenty minute time period.

These students have prepared and worked for months

in order to get this far, starting their school days at 7:00

a.m. for over a month so that they would be ready to go.

Mr. Glen Blount has coached this team and others for

many years. In fact, one could say that competing at the

state level in these competitions is a Bells High School

tradition. The first State Championship in Senior Chap-

ter Conducting was earned in 1993; Greenhand teams

won in 2004 and 2006. Since 1999, at least one of the

two chapter conducting teams has made it to the state

level of competition every year. The top two teams from

district advance to regionals, and the top two teams from

regionals advance to the state

level. Unlike UIL regulated

events where like sized schools

compete against one another, in

FFA LDE competitions, 1A

schools compete against 6A

schools.

Pictured at left: BHS Senior

Chapter Conducting Team Jonathan Ciaccio, Haley

Cathcart, Kyla Pyle, Carlee

Shelby, Anthony Chartier, Zoe

Bankston, Desiree Davidson,

Cassidy Jeffrey, and Tyler

Vance.

Greenhand Chapter Conducting

and Quiz pictures on page 8.

www.bellsisd.net

college and they don’t

require an ACT or Sat

score.” You are correct.

Then why should you take

the exams? The answer is

simple: scholarships!

Nearly every scholarship

application will ask for an

ACT/SAT score. To have

a completed application,

you must have a score!

Don’t forget; you can pre-

pare for these exams by

utilizing Method Test Prep

via Career Cruising 24

hours a day, 7 days a

week, not just during advi-

sory one day a week at

school!

It is time to seriously

begin thinking about the

SAT and ACT! ALL jun-

iors are strongly encour-

aged to take these stand-

ardized exams during the

spring semester of their

junior year. Typically,

students do better on one

test or the other. Nearly

all colleges accept both

exams when determining

admission. Both the SAT

and the ACT are predic-

tive exams; the score one

earns on these exams

helps colleges “predict”

what your GPA will be at

the end of your freshmen

year in college. The ACT tests English

Language Arts, reading,

mathematics, and science.

One can also take the

writing test. It is possible

that taking the writing can

lower one’s score and not

all colleges require writ-

ing. However, if you only

plan to take the test once,

you should take the writ-

ing. The highest score

possible on each section

and as a composite (total

score) is a 36. Students

who do well in English

and History in school typ-

ically perform better on

the ACT than they do on

the SAT. The ACT is

very text heavy and re-

quires a lot of reading. The SAT tests critical

reading, math, and writ-

ing. Most colleges look at

only the combined score

of reading and math and

that minimum score is

what is listed on their ad-

mission requirements and

scholarship requirements.

SAT scores are reported

on a scale of 200-800. A

perfect score would be

2400 with one earning an

800 on all three parts.

Typically students who

are strong math and sci-

ence students perform

better on the SAT than

the ACT. Information about test

dates, costs, and how to

register is located in the

commons right by the

scholarship section.

Please do not hesitate to

visit with Mrs. Ivers re-

garding this. Students

who qualify for free or

reduced lunch may take

each exam up to two

times completely free of

charge. One must see

Mrs. Ivers for a fee waiv-

er. Perhaps you are thinking,

“I’m going to a junior

available after Christmas

break. BUT, students who

plan to participate in the

workshop are strongly

encouraged to register for

and take the February 2,

2015 ACT. The deadline

to register for that test

date is January 9th. You

can pay a late fee and reg-

ister through January 16th.

Bells High School will be

hosting an ACT prepara-

tion workshop on Satur-

day, January 24th. Chuck

Ladd, a Whitesboro

teacher, who has done

extensive research into

the ACT and has conduct-

ed successful workshops

for over a decade will be

working with students

that day. The cost of the

workshop is $40. More

information about signing

up for this event will be

Junior Jabber

ACT Prep Session

Page 7 Volume 1, Issue 2

BHS 100 Club

Bells High School is excited about the new 100

Club program! Students are encouraged to partici-

pate in a minimum of 100 hours of volunteer activi-

ties prior to graduation! Volunteering gives students

many incredible experiences, helps them learn new

skills, practice communication and leadership skills,

and make their community a better place! Both col-

leges and those dispersing scholarship funds look at

how students have been involved with volunteering

activities throughout their high school career. Bells

students who successfully complete at least 100

hours volunteering prior to graduation will be recog-

nized at graduation and at the Senior Awards Ban-

quet. This program is being phased in starting this

year in the following manner: Class of 2015=25

hours, Class of 2016=50 hours, Class of 2017=75

hours, Class of 2018 the first true 100 Club partici-

pants with 100 hours!

New

at B

HS!

www.bellsisd.net

Get off of website

.

PJH Students of the Month

Page 8 Bells ISD

Congratulations to the following PJH Students and

Staff Members for being selected as Student or Teach-

er of the Month.

September

6th - Cole Moore and Callie Lamb

7th—Ben Branam and Courtney Davidson

8th—Sebastian Lopez and Cassie Mulkey

Staff—Shirley White

October

6th - Johan Medina and Cheznie Hale

7th—Braden Oliver and Hannah Gonzales

8th—Eli Norris and Charli Waggoner

Staff—Bill Wheeler

November

6th - Trystan Mallory and Landri Hicks

7th—Mackenzie Robinson and D.J. Olfers

8th—Alyssa Garner and Alex Ramsdell

Staff—Gina Anderson

December

6th Grade—Austin Young and Carson Gafford

7th Grade—Elsie Hooton and Dylan Gard

8th Grade—T.J. Sifuentes and Alexyss Williams

Staff Member—April Bellows

Greenhand Quiz Team

L to R: Drew Taylor, Mackenzie Lewis,

Tyler Van Duser, Jayla Melvin

“FFA makes a positive difference

in the lives of students by develop-

ing their potential for premier lead-

ership, personal growth and career

success through agricultural edu-

cation.”

Greenhand Chapter Conducting Team

L to R: Colby Meek, Drew Taylor, Jayla

Melvin, Tyler Van Duser, Sydney Ste-

phens, Rylie Hicks, Danielle Doggett,

Garrett Baker, Mackenzie Lewis and

Larissa Flores.

www.bellsisd.net

Pictured left to right: Mrs.

Debbie Westbrook, (front

row) Victoria Azevedo, Des-

tiny McKinney, Morgan

Martin, Lauren Cockrill,

Maria Billy, Ella West, and

Tori Pettit. (back row) Isa-

bella Smith, Hattie Powell,

Marlee Martin, Vanessa

Flores, and Jaycee Little.

Steppers Bells Christmas

Parade

acceptance and unity,

using the snowflake as

a symbolism of how we

are all unique. One

snowflake quickly

melts, but if we all stick

together, we can change

the landscape. The

school Christmas Tree

was decorated with

student-made snow-

flakes.

PRIDE Time Fun

at PJH

Pritchard Junior High

has titled their theme

for December as “We

Are All Just A Bunch

Of FLAKES.” Flakes

stands for friendship,

love, and kindness, for

every student. The pur-

pose is to promote

Page 9 Volume 1, Issue 2

Thank You to Buzz Cory for Your Sup-

port of BISD Bells ISD is fortunate to have many generous individu-

als who give of their time and energy to support Bells

ISD students and faculty. One person whose face is of-

ten seen on the sidelines at sporting events is Mr. Buzz

Cory, known to everyone around as “Buzz!” He owns

Buzz Photos, the top photography agency in North Tex-

as, and he has been extremely generous helping the

yearbook staff with equipment and photos. Mr. Cory

has two grandchildren who attend Bells ISD. More in-

formation about Buzz Photos can be found on his web-

site .

http://www.buzzphotos.com/node/78

Christmas Break December 22—

January 2nd Teacher Workday

January 5th

Merry Christmas!

www.bellsisd.net

Get off of website

.

Bells Kindergarten Celebrates Annual Events

Page 10 Bells ISD

BES Uses Real Life Application of Math Concepts

Students in every grade at Bells Elementary are using activities and events happening around campus

to gather data that they then use to apply difficult math skills to real life, high level thinking. One ex-

ample recently used was students across the campus charted the responses to a survey on what reward

they wanted for successful performance in the I-Station Reading Program (1st Grade—chart on left).

The chart on the right shows 5th graders charting school-wide data from the jog-a-thon. Campus-

wide, students, teachers and administrators are working on high priority standards in the math curricu-

lum to help students become better prepared for spring STAAR assessments. Using real-

life data provides a best practice strategy to

help students learn the material.

Above: Scarecrow Day Right: 50th Day of School

www.bellsisd.net

ing their contributions to the

Texas Tuition Promise

Fund®, the state’s prepaid

college tuition plan. The

Foundation will award

scholarships and grants of

up to $2,000 worth of

Promise Fund tuition units

to top scoring applicants.

Dec. 31 — A Date to Re-

member Eligible applicants have

between now and Dec. 31,

2014, to apply for Match

the Promise scholarships.*

Texas Match the Promise

Foundation℠

Fifth through ninth graders

whose families have an in-

come of $100,000 or less can

apply now for matching

scholarships and tuition

grants offered by the Texas

Match the Promise Founda-

tion℠. Match the Promise encour-

ages families to prepay col-

lege tuition by supplement-

Families can also enroll in the

Texas Tuition Promise Fund

during this time if they have-

n’t already done so.

Visit the Match the Promise

website for eligibility require-

ments and selection criteria,

and apply now. If you have

questions, you can contact us

via email or at 1-800-531-

5441, ext. 3-7570. Just re-

member, it's never too soon

to dream big! http://

www.matchthepromise.org/

Don’t forget to by January 30, 2015!

Important News for Parents and Students

Page 11 Volume 1, Issue 2

6th Grade Social Studies World Cultures Project Students in Mrs. Valerie Babbitt’s sixth grade social

studies classes recently studied about world cultures.

During the unit, Mrs. Babbitt invited Claudio Romero

to come and speak to students. Mr. Romero is an art-

ist, musician, and entertainer from Santiago, Chile.

When he was 16 years old, he was an exchange stu-

dent who lived with Mrs. Babbitt and became very

close to her family. While here in October, Mr.

Romero visited 6th grade social studies classes at PJH

and presented a slide show about his culture.

Symbolism Pro-

jects in English II Students in Mrs.

Deanne Clark’s Eng-

lish II classes have

been studying the liter-

ary device: symbolism.

Students had to choose

at least five symbols to

represent themselves

and create a stocking.

Students presented

their stockings to the

class.

Scholarship News from Mrs. Ivers

While there are scholarships avail-

able for students of all ages, the

vast majority are for students who

are completing their senior year.

Each time the Bells High School

office receives new scholarship

information and/or applications

(many applications are now

online), they are posted in the BHS

Commons area. There is a display

that clearly marks each scholarship

along with qualifications for the

scholarship and the deadlines.

www.bellsisd.net

Get off of website

.

Bells ISD Celebrates Veteran’s Day

Page 12 Bells ISD

November 11, 2014 was a special day across campuses in Bells

ISD. Red, white and blue were the colors of choice in clothing

and decorations, but it was also very evident that those three col-

ors were the shades of the heart. Students, parents, visitors, facul-

ty and staff came together to celebrate our country and honor our

veterans.

Bells Elementary School hosted its annual program with many

guests in attendance. Students from every grade level participated

in this special event. Rear Admiral William Retz, who is retired

from the U.S. Navy, gave a lively presentation to those in attend-

ance. In his speech he shared about all branches of the military

and even changed his attire to match the branches during his

speech.

At the close of the program, the Bells Elementary PTO served re-

freshments to guests. BES Student Council sponsors, Mrs. La-

Donna Stanek and Mrs. Tishia Crump worked very hard putting

this successful program together.

Bells High School and Pritchard Junior High had their Veteran’s

Day program in the afternoon. Mr. David Smart spoke to stu-

dents, faculty and guests about his love for the American flag. His

touching speech captured the attention of those in attendance. Mr.

Smart teaches Spanish at Bells High School and is retired from the

Navy.

A special thank you to the Bells High School Student Council and

sponsor Mrs. Jennifer Sewell for organizing this important event.

Above: BES Kindergarten classes sing and sign “If I Could Be An Angel.”

Right: BES Student Council Officers—Landon Morse, Sarah Clapp, Jaden

Nelson, and Quinton Douglas present “Letters From Home.”

www.bellsisd.net

Page 13 Volume 1, Issue 2

PALS—Peer Assisted Leadership at Bells High School

For the past two years, BHS teacher Mrs. Pam Neal has sponsored the PALS program at

Bells High School. PAL students spend one class period each day at the elementary

school mentoring younger students. They also help teachers as needed. Many students

benefit from the wonderful program.

PAL students learn to utilize their leadership skills to make a difference the lives of oth-

ers, their schools and communities. Key focus areas for development in individuals who

become PALS are social understanding, personal well-being, and community participa-

tion. This is a fun and transformational program that is a growing interest in electives for

students.

Recently, BHS PAL students collected and deliv-

ered new coats to students at Bells Elementary

who were in need of a coat for winter.

To be in PALS, students must submit an application and go through an

interview process. Strong character, good attendance, and good behav-

ior are very important qualities for those students selected as PALS.

The following BHS students participate

in PALS: Alicia Arevalo, Jonathan

Ciaccio, Lauren Cockrill, Mason Hall,

Breanna Joyce, Chloe Keating, Morgan

Martin, Derrick Ponder, Kyla Pyle, Brit-

tany Ross, Callie Snyder, Megan

St.Amour, Noah Straw, Garrett Stringfel-

low, Courtney Virgin, and Kenlee Wal-

ters.

www.bellsisd.net

Superintendent’s Honor Roll

3rd Grade Gavin Kyle, Jacie Kyle, Cole Richardson, Titan Till-

man

4th Grade Kylee Beach, Colby Branham, Ansley Campbell, Pres-

ton Carter, Sarah Cooper, Serrena Galvan, Makena

Hartline, Spencer Hinds, Lane Kendrick, Autumn

Lane, Jeffery McKinney, Aiden Neal, Cooper Smith,

Brayden Taylor, Grady Waldrip, Kori Wilson

5th Grade Sophia Blount, Quinton Douglas, Grace Marsh, Jaden

Nelson, Blake Rolen, Raven Smith, Eli Taylor, Keri-

gan Wegley, Brenna Williams

6th Grade

Kayton Arnold, Carl Besario, Saebra Blackburn, Aidan

Brown, Derek Chartier, Ethan Cooper, Carson Gafford,

Cheznie Hale, Maegan Hewitt, Landri Hicks, Carson

Howard, Hunter Howard, Cayden Huffman, Trystan

Mallory, Zoey McCarty, Mia Moore, Landon Nelson,

Tanner Reynolds, Gabriella Smith, Lainie Snavely,

Ben Stephens, Jaiden Tocquigny, Thomas Weaver

7th Grade

Robert Berghian, Ben Branam, Courtney Davidson,

Vanessa Flores, Josselyn Grove, Garrett Kyle, Summer

Lane, Madison Lewis, Braden Oliver, Mackenzie Rob-

inson, Zoe Sprayberry and Matthew Wilson

8th Grade

Morgan Callan, Emma Cobb, Jillian Defries, Kennedy

Derzapf, Garrett Faison, Alysssa Garner, Alexis Grove,

Avery Layton, Sebastian Lopez, Eli Norris, Dylan Por-

ter, Joshua Shaw, Alexi Smith, Christian Smith, Haley

Snavely, Charli Waggoner

Class of 2018 (Freshmen)

Emma Bass, Nicholas Baxley, Savannah Brown, Jake

Bulanek, Nathan Clark, Mikaela Doggett, Larissa Flo-

res, Kinley Garrod, Baileigh Massey, Jayla Melvin,

Piper Simons, Amanda Soza, Samantha Stanley, Ash-

ton Tocquigny, Tyler Van Duser

Class of 2017 (Sophomores)

Zoe Bankston, Kaitlyn Branam, Jacob Cunliffe, Kinley

Ives, Ashley Jette, Mackenzie Lewis, Alexis Powell,

Morgan Rice, Bailey Stowers, Laura Waldrip, Richard

Weaver, Trevor Whitmire

Class of 2016 (Juniors)

Dylan Babbitt, Catie Beall, Heather Conrad, Desiree

Davidson, Cassidy Jeffrey, Josh Melvin, Derrick Pon-

der, Marshall Roesler, Ethan Sanford, Garrett

Stringfellow, Emily Summers

Class of 2015 (Seniors)

Alicia Arevelo, Anna Baker, Matthew Baer, Bailey

Bullins, Anthony Chartier, Jonathan Ciaccio, Hayden

Cobb, Lauren Cockrill, Jailyn Crisp, Kaylee Glatt,

Hannah Griffith, Madelyn Johnston, Morgan Martin,

Kyla Pyle, Ashleigh Strange, Macy Sanders, Carlee

Shelby, Katelyn Shults, Callie Snyder, Megan St.

Amour, Tyler Vance, and Courtney Virgin.

Principal’s Honor Roll

3rd Grade Hector Atchley, Jamie Barnes, Kaison Branham, Shel-

ton Burden, Ryan Bulanek, Hayden Corbin, Drake

Daniels, Bailee Dorris, Gavin Elton, Keltan Floyd,

Tristan Gardner, Jayson Gill, Lucas Hamner, Hannah

Hayes, Alyssa Hensley, Wiley Lastor, Blayze Massey,

Austin Mayhew, Blake McGowan, Malloree Meek,

Rachel Metcalf, Kaiden Mullinix, Easton Neal, Gavyn

Pedigo, Anzley Poe, Jessica Reinschmiedt, Natalia

Robles, Emily Rose, Chloe Russum, Brandon Smith,

Kallie Spindle, Kolby Stubbs, Otto Vandiver, Kate

Waldrip, Devin Weaver, Kinley Weger, Landon Yar-

brough

4th Grade Tyler Allen, Madison Ball, Robbie Ballew, Brady

Bounds, Will Brewster, Kai Brown, Payton Cole, Cier-

ra Garnsey, Teryn Halliburton, Darren Holcomb, Hai-

ley Jacobs, Gunner Largent, Christopher McAdams,

Carter Montgomery, Kaitlyn Norris, Ashlyn Perez,

Andrea Pruitt, Dakota Robinson, Megan Severson,

Fisher Simons, Colt Stone, Ethan Stotesbury, Zachry

Sutherland, Cade Tongate, Alexa Wallace.

Second Six Weeks Honor Rolls

Page 14 Bells ISD

www.bellsisd.net

5th Grade Hunter Allen, Sophia Allen, Kevan Anthony, Sarah

Clapp, Shellby Harwell, Dylan Kinsey, Mandie Kyle,

Kollin Kumler, Ella Liquori, Landan Morse, Lizzie

Motley, Justine Norris, Meaghan Norris, Canyon

Payne, Kaden Pyle, Spencer Roberts, Emily Sanders,

Gracie Simpson, Lisa Sutherland, Tristen Wilson

6th Grade

Armando Carrillo, Eduardo Carrillo, Nathan Conner,

Sasha Lewis, Carson Miller, Mckenzie Poe, Wyatt

Stephens and Hannah Wolf

7th Grade

Victoria Azevedo, Cade Doggett, Dylan Gard, Elsie

Hooten, Stevie James, Rhyan Krueger, Isabella Smith,

and Addison Wegley

8th Grade

Owen Beck, Carson Branham, Chesney Blount, Jayci

Burns, Trevor Cogland, Matthew Conner, Steven

Crawford, Jalen Hartline, Macauley Lamb, Cassandra

Mulkey, Lauren Nichols, Gavin Neasbitt, Bryan Pon-

der, Laney Rice, Daisy Robles and Alexyss Williams

Class of 2018(Freshmen)

Jorge Arevalo, Garrett Baker, Janice Glidewell, Hunter

Hawthorne, Rylee Hicks, David Macrum, Colby

Meek, Chance Morse, Jaden Powell, Wade Rolen, Sa-

rah Smart, Summer Smart, Zachary Sprayberry, An-

drew Taylor

Class of 2017 (Sophomores)

Keisha Arellano, Megan Burgess, Shelbi Burnside,

Bruce Chartier, Cheyanne Connor, Caleb England,

Montana Faulkner, Leeanna Glatt, Heather Jones, Ri-

ley Krueger, Cord Matchett, Layne Murphree, Katlyn

Poindexter, Hannah Ponder, Cara Powers, Brooklyn

Ragan, Cassidy Scott, Jacob Shaw, Sidney Stephens,

Kylie Stubbs

Class of 2016 (Juniors)

Shannon Atchley, Brittani Cunliffe, James Hall, Jace

Lester, Katelyn Metcalf, Audrie Roach, Nicholas Wil-

son, Aaron Zarn

Class of 2015 (Seniors)

Sara Carpenter, Haley Cathcart, Ashly Goggans,

Breanna Joyce, Chloe Keating, Kolton Matchett, Kait-

lin Moore, Breeonna Overman, Caleb Powers, John

Shaw, Sierra Steele, Noah Straw, Kenlee Walters

prior to the event. San-

ta’s Elves were on hand

to monitor laps and

serve hot cocoa to stu-

dents. All students had

fun at this event, and

thus far, the junior high

has raised over

$1400.00 for their An-

gel fund.

PJH held a Reindeer

Run on Friday, Decem-

ber 12, 2014, to raise

money for their annual

Christmas Angels fund

drive. Students gath-

ered at Santa’s Rein-

deer Training Facility

(Panther Stadium), and

walked or jogged based

on pledges received

Page 15 Volume 1, Issue 2

PJH Reindeer Run

Give a Gift that Pays it Forward

Are you having a difficult time finding a gift for

that person who “has everything”? Have you

ever thought of giving a one-time scholarship

in honor or memory of someone? Please give

it some thought. Many Bells families have been

here for generations and love the community

and the folks in it. Why not support future

generations? Often people think a scholarship must be

large amount of money and continue for years

in the future; some are and some do. But, it is

also possible to give a one-time scholarship

for as little as $50-$100; and for students go-

ing to college every little bit helps! $100 will

help purchase a text book! (BISD can even

provide a charitable donation receipt for tax

purposes!)

Perhaps Grandpa and Grandma graduated

from Bells 30 years ago. Five grandchildren

could each donate $20 each and suddenly

your family is able to bless a BHS 2015 gradu-

ate with a $100 scholarship. Your family could

set the criteria and even select the winner!

Should you be interested in doing this, please

contact Yalonda Ivers at Bells High School.

You may call her at 903-965-7315 or e-mail

her at yalonda.ivers@bellsisd.net

www.bellsisd.net

What’s Coming Up?

DISTRICT-WIDE

Early Release—December 19th —12:00 p.m.

Christmas Holiday Break—December 22– January 2nd—NO SCHOOL

Teacher Work Day—January 5th—NO SCHOOL for STUDENTS

Student Holiday/ Teacher Professional Development Day—January 19th

RIGHT PLACE, RIGHT TIME

We’re on the web!

bellsisd.net

Bells ISD

Administration Office

1550 Ole Ambrose Rd.

Bells, TX 75414

903.965.7721

Superintendent

Joe Moore

Administrative Assistant

Heather Waldrip

Assistant Superintendent

Tricia Meek

Business Manager

Marilyn Steger

Business Assistant

Louise Sanford

Bells Elementary

110 Scott Rd.

Bells, TX 75414

903.965.7725

Principal

DeAn Jeffrey

Assistant Principal

Melissa Flyger

Student Advisor

Carla Norris

Campus Secretary

JoAnn Edwards

Pritchard Junior High

1510 Ole Ambrose Rd

Bells, TX 75414

903.965.4835

Principal

Will Steger

Counselor

Kristi Stubbs

Campus Secretary

Cindy Moore

Bells High School

1500 Ole Ambrose Rd

Bells, TX 75414

903.965.7315

Principal

Josh Weger

Assistant Principal/Counselor

Yalonda Ivers

Campus Secretary

Lori Flores

Congratulations to the Lady Panthers on

All-District Honors

Carlee Shelby—District MVP, Academic All District, All Texomaland

Callie Snyder—Setter of the District

Macy Sanders—Libero of the District, Academic All District

Bree Joyce—First Team All District

Katie Moore—First Team All District

Katie Shults—Second Team All District, Academic All District

Bailey Wornhor—Honorable Mention All District, Academic All District

Zoe Bankston— Honorable Mention All District, Academic All District

Keisha Arellano—Academic All District

From: Joe D. Moore, Superintendent of Schools

Subject: Parent Survey

Dear Parent of Bells I.S.D.

As part of our ongoing efforts to receive feedback on important topics, we would

appreciate your participation in a brief survey to rate your perceptions of common

reporting strategies related to student performance. Examples include report card

grades, state assessments, homework, college courses and college prep exams. This

information will help us in our ongoing efforts to engage the community and improve

communication regarding the progress of your child.

The survey is accessible through the web site and phone number listed below. It will

be open until December 31, 2014. Thank you so much and we appreciate all you do

to help your child succeed.

http://bit.ly/reg10survey2014

469-615-2000

Regards,

Joe D. Moore