Lockhart Independent School District Lockhart I.S.D. News March 2012 Lockhart ISD Job Fair April 14, 2012 Inside this issue: Lockhart ISD Human Resources Office is recommended. Please apply by visiting www.lockhartisd.org. Guaranteed Interviews with principals and directors for all attendees. New HR Director 2 Coats for Kids 2 Saturday - April 14, 2012 8:00 a.m. 11:30 a.m. Lockhart Jr. High School 500 City Line Road Lockhart, TX 78644 -Please bring three copies of your résumé for distribution to principals and directors. -A completed online application with the -Representatives from all school campuses as well as Alternative programs, Special Education, Community Education, and Maintenance will be provided to meet you! Come join us for the Job Fair and improve your odds for joining our team you ll be glad you did! Questions: LISD Human Resources 105 S Colorado St Lockhart, TX 78644 Phone: 512-398-0024 Texas Public Schools Week From the Administration Office 3 4 Employee Spotlight 5 Meet the Board 6 Campus Events 6 A Message from the Superintendent of Schools Superintendent of Schools Jose L. Parra, Ed.D. By the end of the 2011-2012 school year, the Lockhart ISD will be a Recognized school district for the fourth consecutive year. For the fourth consecutive year, at least five of the District s seven regular campuses will receive a rating of Recognized or Exemplary, and Pride High School will again receive the highest rating possible for an Alternative Education Campus. Beyond the facts, the figures, the policies, and the procedures that are part of every school system beats the heart of the school system. In Lockhart ISD, that heart is comprised of students, staff, and our community. We work to provide every student with educational experiences and opportunities that will give students options in their lives after high school. Whether a student chooses to pursue college or university coursework, trade and industrial training, military service, or enter the workforce, we strive to ensure that each student has the background educational experiences to thrive in that chosen area. Our students are great young people who, through our joint efforts, will prove to be great adults and great community members. We see the future of the Lockhart community taking shape each day in our students' faces. It is that daily glimpse into the future that drives our faculty and staff to make a positive impact on students' lives each and every day. I encourage you to schedule a visit to one of our campuses and have a look for yourself.
Lockhart I.S.D. News Page 2 Everyone completed one consecutive minute of jumping jacks to beat the world record. New Director of Human Resources Director of Human Resources Daniel Vera We would like to welcome our new Director of Human Resources Daniel Vera to Lockhart ISD. Clear Fork Elementary Breaks Guinness World Record On October 12th, Clear Fork Elementary students and teachers participated in the National Geographic Kids' Guinness World Record attempt for the Most People Doing Jumping Jacks in a 24-hour period. Approximately 400 people joined Clear Fork on their A committee of LISD Administrators and staff met together with the task of finding the perfect candidate to fill the Human Resources Director position vacated by Ms. Jessica Neyman in December 2011. On Monday, February 27, 2012 the Lockhart ISD School Board approved the hiring of Daniel R. Vera with a unanimous vote of 6-0. front lawn October 12, 2011 and did one consecutive minute of jumping jacks. Across the nation, 300,265 people broke the Guinness World Record. A C.F. parent heard about this event and informed Principal Deanna Juarez of the awesome efforts being Mr. Vera comes to us from Austin ISD where he serves as the Assistant Director for Leadership Development. He comes to LISD with experience as a Principal, Assistant Principal, Counselor, and Teacher. His first day here at LISD will begin sometime in late March 2012. We hope you will take the time to welcome Mr. Vera to Lockhart ISD. made to help children be fit and healthy in this country. Mrs. Juarez, along with her P.E. staff, Ms. Cargile, Ms. Aguilar, and music teacher Ms. Schrey, coordinated this event which was a huge success. Congratulations to all those who participated! 500 Coats for Kids Received from the Jr. League of Austin dents and staff sorted the coats. Once the coats were sorted by size and by campus the maintenance staff then delivered the coats to each campus that had requested coats for their students. A big thank you to our Pride students and to our Lockhart ISD was the proud recipient of 500 coats from the Jr. League of Austin s Coats for Kids. We would like to thank Student Transportation Specialists (STS) who provided transportation to Austin to pick up the coats and delivered them to Pride High School where its stumaintenance department for their support with this great project. We thank the Jr. League of Austin for their generous donation as well as the First Christian Church for its efforts through the years in providing the greater Lockhart area with more warm coats.
Page 3 Texas Public Schools Week Since 1836 Texas has seen its share of changes, but a free public education has long been the heart of Texas. From 1840 when the first public school law was enacted and 17.712 acres were set aside in each county for public schools to the 1900s where there were 526 districts. Public schools have been central to each community. Today there are 1,034 school districts in Texas! Texas Public Schools Week was established in LHS VASE State Qualifiers The following students are Visual Arts Scholastic Event (VASE) State Quali- Lockhart High School had 36 members of the Roaring Lion Band compete in the Region 18 UIL Solo and Ensemble Contest. 17 Students received a Superior Rating and 8 were awarded an Excellent Rating. 1950 by the Masonic Grand Lodge of Texas to "show visible support of public education." While the celebration traditionally takes place during the first full week in March each year, to coincide with the March 2, 1836 anniversary of the Texas Declaration of Independence, some districts have chosen to celebrate later in March to avoid conflicts with TAKS testing. This year, the first week of March falls on fiers (with the titles of their art pieces). Leah Rheinlander Transitions Keenen Field See the Forest for the Trees Students advancing to the UIL State Contest are: Flute Trio: Cassie Huckle Abby Ramirez Samantha Balandran Saxophone Quartet: JD Amaya Josh Michna Megan Placke Jessica Simmons Snare Drum Solo: February 28-March 4, 2011. At the February 27, 2012 School Board meeting the Board adopted a Resolution to designate March 19-23, 2012 as Texas Public School s Week. Victoria Maher Stitch Less Heart with Pieces Briannon Trimm TYR Congratulations students and Art Teachers Wellborn and Schulle! LHS Roaring Lion Band Students Advance to State Kai Brewer Connor Huckle Percussion Ensemble: Kai Brewer Shea Brewer James Briceno Amanda Bryant Connor Huckle Kobe Hurt Congratulations to these outstanding Musicians, Band Director, and Instructors! Texas Public Schools Week will be held March 19-23, 2012 Did You Know... In the spring of 2011, Lockhart High School was selected, through a competitive grant process, for a five-year Advanced Placement Training & Initiative Program (APTIP) grant. This AP- TIP grant ($386,750) will fund implementation of the nationally recognized and highly successful Advanced Placement Training & Initiative Program (APTIP), a program that dramatically increases U.S. student achievement in Advanced Placement math and science courses. Securing an APTIP grant is simply one of the ways that the Lockhart ISD helps students become successful and have opportunities that they might not otherwise have.
Lockhart I.S.D. News Page 4 From the Office of Administration/Operations Assistant Superintendent. Larry Ramirez I am excited to share with you what is happening in Administration and Operations for the Lockhart Independent School District (LISD). Under the Administration and Operations umbrella are five (5) departments. Tanya Homann has led the purchasing department for five years. She ensures that the items we purchase are at the most economical price possible. Bill Coleman, along with his maintenance department makes sure that the facilities in our district are as well-maintained as possible for our students. Student Transportation Services (STS) operates and maintains our busses to get our students to and from school. Steven Taylor is the manager of the transportation department. The school nurse is one of the most valuable assets to a cam- pus, and supervising our campus nurses is Julie Hart, our Health Services Supervisor. Kenneth Palmer is the Food Service Manager for Sodexo. This is the first year Sodexo has managed our food services and, along with help from the campuses. Sodexo has implemented some exciting programs across District. I look forward to sharing with you what is happening in our school district. If you have any questions, please feel free to call me at 512 398 0042. From the Office of Curriculum and Instruction Assistant Superintendent Janie Wright The Office of Curriculum and Instruction serves the entire Lockhart Independent School District which consists of ten campuses as well as other programs. LISD has 10 principals serving these campuses in grade levels pre-kindergarten through high school graduation. Community Education and the Cub House come under the auspice of the Office of Curriculum and Instruction as well. Along with the planning, development, implementation and evaluation of all of the LISD curriculum and instruction comes the state accountability of TAKS, STAAR and EOC or End of Course. Special Programs also fall under our umbrella. Special Programs include programs such as; Gifted and Talented, Bilingual/ESL/ Migrant, State Compensatory Programs, Pre-Advanced and Advanced Programs (AP Courses), development and coordination of Federal and State Grants, evaluation and compliance with these same grants, textbook selections, professional development, teacher evaluations (LTAP), technology in the classroom, PEIMS (Public Education Information Management System), parental involvement, Step Up to Success, Summer School and TAKS Camps.
Lockhart I.S.D. News Page 5 District Names and Faces Lockhart ISD Employee Spotlight Virena Rogers Michelle Wylie Jennifer Velasquez Virena Rogers is our LISD Employee Hiring and Retention Specialist. Ms. Rogers has been working with LISD for 9 years. Michelle Wylie is our LISD Accountant and has been with the Lockhart ISD for 22 years. She was a LHS teacher the first ten years. She was also employed for four years with Community Education. Jennifer Velasquez is our Accounts Payable Clerk and has served as a LISD Employee for nine years. She began her service at LISD as the Administration Receptionist in 2002. Assistant Superintendent Secretary of Curriculum and Instruction Amber Dylla Amber graduated from LISD in 2005. In Amber s senior year in high school she began working for the LHS Kids Klub and was in the LHS Co-op Work Program where she worked in the Human Resources Department. After she graduated in 2005 she continued to work as a substitute for the HR Dept. while attending Vogue Beauty College in Austin, TX., in which she graduated in the Spring of 2007. Amber has been working as an LISD employee since 2006, and serving as the Administrative Assistant to Assistant Superintendent Janie Wright since 2008. Do not train a child to learn by force or harshness; but direct them to it by what amuses their minds, so that you may be better able to discover with accuracy the peculiar bent of the genius of each. Plato From the Business Office Chief Financial Officer Tina Knudsen The Lockhart ISD Business Office coordinated a physical inventory of the district s moveable assets that totaled $7.1M. We had been planning since November 2011 and rolled it out with the assistance of the vendor, RCI, the week of February 20-24, 2012. The project ran smoothly with the assistance of the entire LISD staff. We appreciate the assistance of all of the employees to achieve this monumental task. We couldn t have done it without you!
Page 6 Lockhart ISD 105 S. Colorado Street Lockhart, TX 78644 Phone: 512.398.0000 Fax: 512.398.0025 Lockhartisd.org LISD Newsletter published quarterly (March, June, September, and December) Calendar of Events The LISD Board of Trustees typically hold regular monthly board meetings on the fourth Monday of each month starting at 6:30 p.m. The public is encouraged to attend Board meetings, including any Special Called meetings. Meeting agendas and Boardbook packets are located on the district s web-site on the School Board homepage. The Board will hear comments from those persons who have signed up to speak. This portion of the meeting is set aside for parents, students, and community members to speak to the board about any matter of interest to them pertaining to the school program. For more details please visit the School Board web page. We look forward to seeing you at our next School Board meeting. Future Board meetings: March 26, April 23, May 14, June 25. How to Address the School Board President Timoteo Tim Juarez, Jr. March 12-16 Student Testing Dates March 26-30 April 24-27 May 7-17 Student/Staff Holidays April 6th (Good Friday) May 28th (Memorial Day) Pride High School Graduation May 24 LHS Graduation May 25th Board of Trustee Terms District 1 Timoteo Tim Juarez, Jr. District 2 Brenda Spillmann District 3 Susan K. Brooks District 4 Alfredo Munoz (appointed) At-Large Vacant Current Term Expiration: November 2014* At-Large Juan Alvarez, Jr. Current Term Expiration: November 2014 At-Large Tom Guyton Current Term Expiration: November 2014 Vice President Susan K. Brooks Secretary Juan Alvarez, Jr. *The Call for a Special Election On February 27, 2012 the Lockhart ISD Board of Trustees approved a motion for an order calling a Special Election to fill the vacancy on the Lockhart ISD Board of Trustees. The Early Voting will be held at the Lockhart ISD Central Administrative Office located at 105 S. Colorado, Lockhart, TX., Monday Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Early voting begins on Monday, April 30, 2012 and ends on Tuesday, May 8, 2012. The Special Election will be held on Saturday, May 12, 2012. You may find more details on our District website at www.lockhartisd.org.