Spring Hill ISD

Life starts all over again when it gets crisp in the fall ~ F. Scott Fitzgerald

Happy October!

I hope you are ready for brightly colored trees, breezy football games, and excited students anticipating all of the activities that go along with the month of pumpkin spice! Autumn provides a wonderful backdrop for engaging students in instructional lessons they will forever remember.

Students connect with real-world projects. This was the thought behind my choice for the new Campus Spotlight award presented at the September board meeting. The Intermediate campus, under the leadership of Mrs. Robertson, produces digital, student-led announcements each day. Every student has the opportunity to participate in the production of the announcements at least one time during the year. The announcements are shown daily on interactive TVs in all classrooms. I believe this project promotes the following positive outcomes:

• Builds school community as students are introduced to peers across grade levels

• Fosters student leadership

• Engages students

• Grows technology skills

• Builds public speaking skills

• Introduces students to broadcast media potentially leading to future career interests

Congratulations Mrs. Robertson, Mrs. Caron, Mrs. Malloy, Mr. White, tech team, and maintenance department for working together to create a student project that is educational, relevant, and engaging for the entire campus! And congratulations students for bringing Intermediate news to your classmates and teachers with confidence and flair! Job well done!

Thank you to all SHISD staff for bringing instruction to life in your classrooms on a daily basis. We see you!

Sincerely,

Penny

#AttitudeOfGratitude

I hope you had an awesome October 5th, World Teachers’ Day, in recognition of the central role teachers play in guiding children, youth, and adults through the life-long learning process!

At a recent school board meeting Superintendent Penny Fleet recognized students Lexi Grubbs, Jack Lynch, Titan Strong and Samaria Fields, as well as staff members Dana Robertson and Jenny Caron for their work in the production of the Intermediate Campus Announcements.

Spring Hill audio/video production students are behind the cameras and behind the big screen, helping produce football games on Friday nights.

The student game day production crew, PantherVision, is in charge of running the live feed cameras on the scoreboard at home football games, as well as running music and graphics. PantherVision is under the leadership of audio/video teacher and sponsor Seth Welborn. Approximately five students work each varsity football game played at Panther Stadium.

Students learn the basics of filmmaking and film editing in audio/video technology and communication and audio/video production classes. They also have the opportunity to receive certifications in Adobe Premiere Pro, a professional video editing software.

“I try to tailor my lessons and projects to students of varying skill levels and leave it open to creativity,” said Welborn. “These kids constantly surprise me with what they come up with.”

In addition to producing football games, PantherVIsion also supports audio/video requests from around the school district. From producing the daily announcements at Spring Hill High School to recording special events, PantherVIsion students are learning and applying skills that position them for success in future careers.

The Spring Hill varsity tennis team defeated Bullard this week to claim the 16-AAAA team tennis district championship!

"This was an impressive accomplishment for our team," said coach Will Stewart. "We lost 10 players off of last year's roster, but the younger players have stepped up and worked hard. Our upperclassmen have been great leaders this season, and it paid off big against a strong Bullard team. We are looking forward to playoffs."

A classroom at Spring Hill High School has recently been transformed into a Practical Assessment Exploration System (PAES) lab. The PAES lab is a unique, hands-on learning environment that assesses the current abilities and skills of students, enhances their job skills, and provides insight into possible career paths that they may not have previously considered.

“This program allows students to explore 264 jobs spread through five different industry types,” said Kathleen Woodard, lead special education teacher. “This is an opportunity where students become employees and teachers become supervisors.”

The PAES program creates a pathway for successful employment after graduation. “Preparing, investing, and caring about the future of all students is the heart of this program, and I fully believe this will make a huge difference in the lives of many students,” Woodard said.

Spring Hill schools took part in National Start With Hello Week, September 20 - 24. Start With Hello Week encourages students to make a difference with their peers through small but powerful actions that promote a connected community of learners so that no one ever feels alone.

“Start With Hello Week activities are designed to make students feel important and to create a sense of belonging among classmates,” said Amy Doron, Spring Hill Primary Student Services Coordinator. Activities included decorating name tags, saying hello to every person on the playground at recess, and wearing green as a reminder to go out and help make other students feel special by calling them by name, waving or smiling.

Start With Hello Week is organized by Sandy Hook Promise, a national nonprofit organization based in Newtown, Connecticut.

Accelerated Reader (AR) is a program that Spring Hill uses in first through fifth grades to help students strengthen their reading skills. Twice a year, students take a computerized test that indicates their reading level. This level, known as the Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD), is what the students use to find books in the library on their level. They read these books and take AR tests over them to make sure that they are comprehending what they are reading, and they also earn points on the tests that they take.

"AR is an important program that motivates and allows students to select books that are right for them," said Jena Wayt, librarian. "It also improves their reading, vocabulary, and comprehension."

Teachers set goals for how many points a student should get as well as what their test average should be for each grading period. When the students demonstrate mastery on a level, teachers can increase their ZPD so that they will have more challenging books to read. "The goal of using this program is to motivate students to read and in the process, become stronger readers," Wayt said.

Parents and students may visit this website to search AR books and check book reading levels.

Students met at their campus' flagpole before school on Wednesday, September 22, as part of See You at the Pole. See You at the Pole is a nationwide, student-led opportunity for students to gather and pray for the school, students, teachers, and nation.

Monday, October 11 & Tuesday, October 12

Student and Staff Holiday

Friday, October 15

Pink Out Football

Spring Hill vs Liberty Eylau

Panther Stadium

7:30 p.m.

Tuesday, October 19

Pink Out Volleyball

Spring Hill vs Cumberland

SH High School Gym

9/JV/V • Games Begin at 4:30 p.m.

Monday, November 1

Student Holiday / Staff Professional Development Day

Thursday, November 11

Veterans Day Program

Auditorium

10 a.m.

Spring Hill ISD would like to thank the following sponsors for their continued support through the marquee partnership program. Proceeds help support:

• Classroom technology
• Fine arts exposure and experience
• Support athletic programs
• Innovative classes for sports marketing and game day production
• Scholarships

For advertising information, please contact the superintendent's office at 903-323-7740.

Email: contact@shisd.net
Website: shisd.net
Location: 3101 Spring Hill Rd, Longview, TX 75605
Phone: 903-759-4404
Facebook: facebook.com/Facebook
Twitter: @SpringHill_ISD