Extra Credit

Colleyville changes direction on cheerleading squads

Update:

Bowing to pressure from angry parents who saw their daughters' high school cheerleading dreams tossed aside, Grapevine-Colleyville district administrators reversed an earlier decision based on tryout results at Colleyville Heritage High School that some parents claimed were aimed at creating a smaller squad that would do better in cheerleading competitions.

Read more about the controversy here.

Cheerleaders took their complaints about the tryout process to trustees last month.

Rewas
Read more here: http://www.star-telegram.com/2012/05/08/3945328/administrators-reverse-ruling.html#storylink=cp

Read more from at here.The students had taken concerns over the tryout procedures to the Grapevine Colleyville school board in April.

--Shirley Jinkins

Read more here: http://www.star-telegram.com/2012/05/08/3945328/administrators-reverse-ruling.html#storylink=cpy

Grapevine-Colleyville and Mansfield cheerleading squads win firsts at contest

Cheerleaders from Grapevine High, Colleyville Middle and Mansfield High jumped and flipped their way into first place wins at the national cheerleading competition in Dallas over the weekend.

Results from the Garland-based National Cheerleaders Association here.

Grapevine High School took first place in the intermediate/medium high school category, besting 22 other teams from as far as New Jersey, Arkansas and Idaho.

From the same school district, Colleyville Middle School won first place in the large advanced junior high/middle school category, with an award for innovative choreography.

Mansfield High School won the intermediate junior varsity/freshmen category, with specialty awards for innovative choreography and best use of jumps and best use of partner stunts.

Keller High School took second place in medium advanced high school, with an award for best use of tumbling. A team from the school also took third place in the novice junior varsity/freshmen, with awards for superior showmanship and best use of tumbling.

 

Jessamy Brown

Southlake Carroll cheerleaders to showcase skills before national championship

Cheerleaders want need support, too! Cheerleaders from Carroll Senior High School are inviting the community to a "Show Off" event Thursday evening as they get ready for this weekend's national championship in Dallas.

The ladies posted a Facebook video asking their Southlake neighbors to check out a sneak peek behind months of work.

Squads from several Tarrant County area high schools will compete in the National Cheerleaders Association Senior and Junior High School National Championship at the Dallas Convention Center on Saturday and Sunday.

Teams include Keller High, Eagle Mountain-Saginaw's Boswell and Saginaw Highs, Arlington Seguin High, Arlington HIgh, Keller Central High, Mansfield High, Arlington Martin High, Kennedale High, Grapevine High and Southlake Carroll High. Students from Cross Timbers and Colleyville Middle Schools from Grapevine-Colleyville school district are also signed up.

Parents and supporters of the Carroll cheerleaders formed a new Dragon Cheer booster club this year. Tonight's varsity event starts at 6 p.m. at the Carroll Senior High School gym, 1501 W. Southlake Blvd., Southlake.

Southlake Carroll Cheerleaders from Nickolas Grisham on Vimeo.

 Jessamy Brown

 

 

Gospel Fest to raise funds for Dunbar cheerleaders

Tonight's Gospel Fest 2010 will raise funds for the Dunbar High School cheerleaders to participate in the annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York and the New Year's Day Parade in London. The school had six of its cheer squad selected as All American-All Star Cheerleaders this summer to qualify for the events. For the first time, the school also had its mascot ranked as an All American, making student Jawon Hunter eligible to perform at the 2011 Capital One Bowl pre-game show in Orlando.

The free concert will be at the Ebenezer Missionary Baptist Church, 1901 Amanda St., where a collection will be taken up for the squad. The school sent letters to Stop Six area churches inviting them to participate. Various youth choirs and praise dancers will be showcased.

Cheer sponsor Gloria Peppers said the squad has participated in the parades since 2006. This year's cheerleaders qualifying for the various events are Asia Odhams, Allison Stinnett, Shelby Williams, Jasmine Washington, Jardyne Parker and Rachel Kincaid.

“I would ask everyone to rally behind them to achieve their goals,” Peppers said.

For more information on how to help, contact Dunbar High School at 817-496-7400.

-Eva-Marie Ayala

Haltom High students hosting multicultural celebration

Nearly 1,000 Haltom High School students are expected to gather this weekend where students will celebrate the diverse culture at the campus.

At Buffalo Nation Celebration III on Saturday, students of various ethnic groups will set up in rooms to display clothing and pictures, and even serve food. Plans are to have several rooms showcasing students' cultural backgrounds, including African American, Chinese, Vietnamese, Laotian, Hispanic and African cultures, said Haltom High assistant principal Leonard Cousins.

There are students representing 14 ethnicities at Haltom High School, Cousins said.

Students will also be provided information about college, career and technology options, military service and health information. They will also hear from motivational speaker Jerry Tello. Later, a basketball game between faculty and students is scheduled, with halftime performances by campus cheerleaders, a step team and other campus organizations, a Birdville school district news release said.

Jessamy Brown

Northwest High's homecoming fireworks rescheduled to October

Northwest High School's homecoming festivities have been rescheduled. The homecoming parade was canceled on Thursday because of bad weather. The pep rally and fireworks show will now be held the evening of Oct. 29, but the time has not been finalized. And officials are still deciding whether the parade can go forward.

The homecoming game, however, is still on. It's at 7:30 p.m. tonight, when the Texans take on South Grand Prairie High's Warriors. A post-game dance event called Party on Main Street will follow the game at the high school and end at midnight.

Jessamy Brown

Cheerleaders fundraise for Komen breast cancer group at Central vs Keller football game

Next month's friendly football rivalry between two Keller school district campuses is expected to draw a large crowd. And supporters from both teams are hoping to capitalize on full stands to help support a cause.

 

Before the Oct. 2 varsity matchup between Central High's Chargers and Keller High's Indians, cheerleaders from both teams will be selling pink t-shirts to fans, resulting in a sea of pink in the stands.

 

The second annual "Pink Out" Play for the Cure event is to raise awareness and funds for breast cancer research. At halftime, reps from the Susan G. Komen for the Cure organization will accept a check from the cheerleaders.

Jessamy Brown

Mansfield school officials reach out to parents

Administrators at Mansfield's Summit High School want to get parents and the community more involved in the school this year. So, they started the semester off by going to them.

Faculty, staff and school cheerleaders went to Rush Creek Apartments in Arlington, where many students live, on Friday with free school supplies and refreshments.

Assistant Principal Kendria Davis-Martin said the school hopes to expand the program to other apartment complexes.

She wrote in an e-mail: "The event was a huge success and it was great to see our students and staff come together to kick off a great school year!"

- Traci Shurley

Carroll to debut online show on Dragon's football season opener

Carroll football fans will be able to tune into a new Internet-based show featuring football highlights after home games. The "Official Dragon Post Game Show" will launch with the season opener at SMU's Ford Stadium on Friday, Aug. 29, and the show is to be available by noon on Saturday. The show will feature the band, drill team and cheerleaders and include interviews with students, teachers, coaches and administrators. Plans are to create an online television show for the Southlake-based school district next year called "Inside Carroll."

Jessamy Brown

Texas cheerleaders charged in hazing incident

Today seven Morton Ranch High School varsity cheerleaders were indicted on misdemeanor charges for an alleged hazing incident that happened this summer. The Katy students are accused of binding several junior varsity cheerleaders' hands and blindfolding them before pushing them into a swimming pool. This is believed to be the first of such cases in Harris County since the state enacted an anti-hazing law in 1995. Read the full release here Download cheer_hazing.pdf . Katy is just west of Houston.

-Eva-Marie Ayala