Extra Credit

Fort Worth seniors can write their way to new wheels in annual Frank Kent Honda contest

A Fort Worth school district senior will have the chance to use their ability to turn a phrase into the turn of the wheel of a new car.

In the second annual Words for Wheels essay contest, students are writing up to 1,000 words on this topic: "In the future, how do you plan on using technology to promote and help your community?" The pieces will be judged on originality, clarity of message and presentation, according to a news release from Frank Kent Honda.

Starting this week, students will get a chance to check out the model as it makes stops at various Fort Worth high schools.

The contest is a partnership between Frank Kent Honda, Fort Worth schools and the City of Fort Worth. Graduating seniors have the chance to win a 2013 Honda Civic LX coupe or sedan - and they can pick the color. The EECU will cover the cost of tax, title and license fees on the vehicle.

The deadline is March 17. The winner will be presented with the car at the Fort Worth-based dealership on April 29. The contest was created by Frank Kent Honda co-owners Will Churchill and Corrie Watson, graduates of Arlington Heights High School.

Jessamy Brown

Latest Fort Worth graduates to get diplomas at summer commencement on Friday

Students wearing multicolored caps and gowns from their representative Fort Worth high schools will gather for a summer graduation ceremony at 7 p.m. on Friday.

About 50 students are expected to make a formal processional, pick up their high school diplomas and turn their tassels, the school district announced in a news release.

Fort Worth ISD Summer School Graduation exercises are scheduled for August 24, at 7 p.m. at Wilkerson-Greines Activity Center, 5101 C.A. Roberson Boulevard, Fort Worth.

(Photo courtesy FWISD)

Jessamy Brown

Mansfield Timberview HS senior wraps up graduation with a nod to old-school rap

Here's Mansfield Timberview High School's salutatorian Kaitlyn Williams sending her classmates out into the world with a rap inspired by Will Smith's Fresh Prince of Belaire. Total awesomeness.

 

 

-Eva-Marie Ayala

Keller parents, students protesting graduation ban after food fight

About 50 parents, students and other community supporters are at the Keller school district administration building Friday protesting officials' decision to ban some students participating in graduation ceremonies following a food fight that got out of control.

On May 25, police were called to Keller Central High School to break up a food fight. That same day police responded calls at Timber Creek High School where students released rats, crickets, snakes and birds and had thrown stink bombs and balloons filled with baby oil. 

Ten seniors from Central High and four at Timber Creek High were prohibited from participating in Saturday's graduation ceremonies because of pranks at the school.

Today's protesters were largely from Central High, including senior Martin Alvarez, one of those banned at Central. He denies he participated in the food fight but said a teacher told officials he did. Alvarez said he was standing near a big group of students at the time.

"There's no video evidence, no proof of any of that," Alvarez said. "I was just standing back observing trying to dodge it all."

Keller officials issued a statement Friday saying that so far, two families have officially filed an appeal with central administrators asking that the punishment be reversed. However, the soonest those appeals could be heard is Monday, after the graduation. Officials said that timeline has been explained to the families involved and their supporters.

School officials said in a release earlier this week that the students "created an unsafe environment through reckless disregard for the safety of other students, and were witnessed by campus staff or administrators doing so."

Vidi Martinez, whose son Jesse Garcia was banned from Central's graduation, said her son denies participating in the food fight. She said he was watching the events unfold with no video evidence of his participation either. 

"He's being accused of doing something he didn't do," she said.

-Sandra Engelland and Eva-Marie Ayala

Senior pranks sideline students for graduation ceremonies at Keller Central, Timber Creek

At least 13 seniors at Keller’s Central and Timber Creek high schools will not be allowed to participate in graduation ceremonies this weekend for the roles they played in end-of-year senior pranks last week.

For their roles in a massive food fight at Central on Friday, nine students from Central will not be able to walk across the stage at Saturday’s ceremonies.

Four students at Timber Creek won’t be able to participate because of their role in a prank in which snakes, rats and crickets were released into hallways and stink bombs were set off throughout the school.

Keller school district and campus administrators met Tuesday to review the situations and determine consequences for those students involved.

 According to a news release, the students punished “were identified as having physically created an unsafe environment through reckless disregard for the safety of other students, and were witnessed by campus staff or administrators doing so.”

Additional students at Keller, Central and Timber Creek high schools will receive lesser punishments for senior pranks.

According to the news release, those students “will still be allowed to participate in graduation ceremonies; however, they will be accompanied by their parents after arriving, be sequestered from the remainder of classmates before graduation, and will be monitored closely during the graduation ceremony.” – Lee Williams

Southlake Carroll teens watch video on drinking and driving tragedy

The Southlake group Students and Parents Against Risks to our Kids (SPARK) has posted a powerful video about drinking and driving that has been shown to high school students.  

Carroll High School principal P.J. Giamanco wrote on his blog that the video has been shown to high school classes. He continues:

"With the end of the school year approaching, CISD with SPARK is providing this video to help families and students discuss the importance of making wise decisions.

Debbie Fresch lost her son the summer before his junior year in a tragic accident that involved students driving while under the influence of alcohol. We hope that you will view the video; Ms. Fresch shares her perspective and her family’s terrible loss."

Jessamy Brown

STAAR end of course exams won't have to count for 15 percent of grade

Texas Commissioner of Education Robert Scott is deferring the requirement that new End-of-Course exams count as 15 percent of a student's final course grade, he said in a statement released Friday afternoon.

The modification of the requirement is for the 2011-2012 school year, Scott said. The end-of-course exams, known as EOCs, are part of the new State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR) program being implemented this year.

"For this school year, the ultimate decision whether to include end-of-course exam scores as part of course grades will be determined locally by school districts and charter schools," Scott's statement said.

End-of-course exams are in these subjects: Algebra I, geometry, Algebra II, biology, chemistry, physics, English I, English II, English III, world geography, world history, and U.S. history. Students in ninth grade will be the first to begin taking these exams. Students in grade 10 and higher will continue with the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS).

Read more in an article by the Texas Tribune here.

Jessamy Brown

Report: lawmakers say TEA can waive high school STAAR requirement this year

Four Texas senators have written to the Texas Education Agency asserting that it has the authority to waive a requirement that new standardized tests count for 15 percent of final grades for high schoolers.

Postponing the requirement would be a way to transition to the new State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness exams, which students will begin taking next month, the lawmakers said.

The Texas Tribune has a report here.

Starting with students currently in ninth grade, high school students will begin taking end-of-course (EOC) tests in certain subjects: Algebra I, geometry, Algebra II, biology, chemistry, physics, English I, English II, English III, world geography, world history, and U.S. history.

Students in grades 3 to 8 will take STAAR tests in the same subjects that are currently tested on the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills exams. But for this year, the STAAR won't be used for promotion of students in fifth and eighth grades. Also, no state accountability ratings will be issued to districts and campuses this year.

Jessamy Brown

Southlake Carroll to feature graduation messages on Dragon Stadium scoreboard

It's not the huge scoreboard at Cowboys Stadium, but this year's Carroll Senior High School graduates will have the chance to see themselves on the big screen at commencement on June 3.

In a new program, parents, grandparents and other supporters of the Class of 2011 can purchase a graduation announcement and photo to be shown on the new Dragon Stadium video scoreboard.

The seven-second messages will be shown in alphabetical order before and after the 7:30 p.m. ceremony. The number of times each message appears will depend on the total number of messages, said Rick Herrin, Carroll's communications and marketing video-webmaster.

The cost is $50 and order deadline is May 20. The money benefits the Southlake-based school district's general fund.

Last spring, extreme heat prompted Carroll schools officials to take steps to move graduation indoors to Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, the first high school graduation at the facility.

Jessamy Brown

 

Haltom High School students gather for Hall of Fame ceremony

Haltom High School students had an assembly Thursday morning for the induction of alumni into the first campus Hall of Fame.

Of the 10 graduates honored, nine were present or sent a representative or family member. Teacher Kelvin Dilks also gave the group a tour of the Haltom campus, which was recently renovated.

The new Hall of Fame is part of the school's 50th anniversary celebrations.

Check out a gallery of 16 photos from the event.

Update: Inductee John Giordano couldn't make the ceremony but he recorded a brief speech, which was played during the ceremony, schools officials said.

Jessamy Brown