Tech showcase Thursday
It’s here! The 5th Annual Hays CISD Tech Showcase is set for Thursday, May 20, 6-8 p.m., at the Performing Arts Center. The event is designed to allow teachers and students the opportunity to share with the community, fellow teachers and students the amazing technology projects that are happening in the district. In an effort to relieve overcrowding, elementary guests are encouraged to attend from 6-7 p.m. and secondary guests from 7-8 p.m. For more information, email techshowcase@hayscisd.net.
Barton hosts talent show
Barton Middle School invites the public to its talent show this Friday, May 21, at 6:30 p.m. Admission is $2 for students, $3 for adults and refreshments will be sold at the event, which features 20 acts, among them singing, guitar-playing, instrumental music, a magic show, skits and dance numbers. Faculty member Lynn Fitchner is coordinating a group of Bobcat teachers in one number. Money raised goes to the Barton theatre department and the student council. For more information, contact Stephanie Townley at townleys@hayscisd.net.
Hays offers theatre camp
Registration closes this Friday, May 21, for the 18th annual Hays High School Theatre Day Camp, set for Monday through Friday, June 7-11, 8 a.m.-5 p.m, at the Burdine Johnson Theatre. All materials, costumes, supplies, and t-shirts are provided for the $170 registration fee. Additional family members are $80. Enrollment is limited to 20 students. For information, contact theatre director Dana Naughton at 268-2911, ext. 6247, or naughtond@hayscisd.net.
HHS Band does community service
Members of the Hays High School Band recently mounted a series of community service projects in the Buda/Kyle area, including collecting, loading and transferring large quantities of food to local food pantries. Other projects included mentoring and working in Environmental Science classes at Kyle Elementary and building garden beds at the Central Texas Children’s Home. The band thanks Warren Ketteman of Buda Economic Development, HEB’s Debbie Strychalski and Kyle Elementary’s Kerri Jones, among others, for support of the first-ever effort.
Last calls for Project Grad’ donors
Cathy Clevenger writes that, “Project Graduation saves lives. The goal of Project Graduation is to provide a safe, alcohol and other drug-free evening for the graduating class of 2010 on graduation night June 3, 2010. Your support and commitment can make this a reality.” Amy Rivera expresses the same thoughts for Lehman’ High’s Project Graduation for the Lobos’ graduation night, June 4, 2010.
Local businesses can help these projects with a tax-deductible donation in any amount and expect to be acknowledged in a variety of ways. Send Hays High donations to Hays Project Graduation, P.O. Box 634, Buda, TX 78610, or call Clevenger at 512-565-4266 for information. Send Lehman High donations to Lehman HS Project Graduation, P.O. Box 2742, Kyle, TX 78640 or call Rivera for at 512-799-0887 or Grace Brauchle at 512-633-0279 for information.
Blanco Vista bustling
Recent Blanco Vista Elementary activities have included 4th-grade Mystery Day and Cinco de Mayo observances. The school’s dual language classes celebrated Cinco de Mayo by performing ballet folklorico and traditional dances and songs in tribute to La Batalla de Puebla (the Battle of Puebla). Mystery Day included early reading of J. Lowry’s “Shadowman”, then searching for hidden pictures, duplicating fingerprints, making movie posters, and creating “Most Wanted” posters of their favorite characters.
Hemphill piles pennies
Hemphill Elementary teacher Diana Villalobos reports students at that campus raised $813 during their “Pennies for Patients” program, Janine Vinet’s pre-kindergarten class raising almost $120 of the total. The funds support the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society and the project is designed for students to learn to work as a team, develop team spirit and pride, to care for others and to enhance self-esteem through service to their community.
Rangers donate books
The Wallace Middle School Student Council recently headed up a drive to collect books for Dell Children’s Hospital. Collected through advisory classes, the drive eventually netted 1,015 books for the mass donation, winning incentive donut parties for Kim Schultz’s sixth grade class (171 books), Amber Pesek’s seventh grade class (140 books) and Deborah Jacobson’s eighth grade class (99 books). Close runners-up included the classes of Dee Michalewicz (143), Magda Flores (107) and Teresa Hrabal (95). The Wallace Student Council is sponsored by Erin Drees.
Attendance awards announced
Camino Real Elementary posted Hays CISD’s highest attendance rate (96.98 percent) for the 2009-10 school year, winning the competition for its level along the way. Dahlstrom Middle School’s 96.17 percent rate was highest among the district’s secondary schools. Negley Elementary earned honors with the district’s “Most Improved” attendance rate over the 2008-09 school year. Maggie Ortunio, district director of special services, offers special thanks for the strong showing to “administrators, teachers, attendance clerks, counselors, attendance officers and all other campus personnel who work directly with students and parents in improving attendance. Good job!”
Mustangs donate locks
The student council at Dahlstrom Middle School recently hosted a hair-cutting party, with students, staff and community members making 11 donations to Locks of Love, a non-profit organization that provides hairpieces to children who have experienced hair loss. The group plans to repeat the event next school year, noting that anyone with 10 or more inches of hair to donate is welcome to participate.
Fundraiser Forecast
• Texas Bombers will host a BBQ Saturday, May 22, 11 a.m.-2 p.m. at 805 Old US 81 N. Kyle (Tenorio Village).
• The Hays Thunder softball team is collecting donations for entry into the Platinum Nationals tournament in Round Rock in July. Donations can be sent to Hays Thunder, 915 Goldenrod Street, Kyle, Texas 78640.
