Brownsville Independent School District

Four Teachers Earn Rotary Award

2013-05-16T15:12:00.003-05:00

For over 20 years, the Brownsville Rotary Club has honored BISD teachers for their teaching excellence. Selected teachers each receive a check for $1,000 to be used to continue their education or any other educational use which will enhance their classroom skills. The 2013 recipients of the Brownsville Rotary Endowment for Teaching Excellence are Rosalio Garcia and Francisco Sanchez from Veterans Memorial High School, and Antonio Padilla and Martina Rubio from Stillman Middle School. Congratulations to these outstanding educators and thank you to the Brownsville Rotary Club for its support of our educators.

Pace Choir to Perform at Carnegie Hall

2013-05-16T15:12:00.001-05:00

The Pace High School Select Choir, consisting of 31 members, will travel to New York City on May 16-19 to participate in the Manhattan Concert Productions’ Octavo Series. Three days of rehearsals and sightseeing will culminate in a performance at the world-renowned Carnegie Hall. Dr. Edith Copley, Director of Choral Activities at Northern Arizona University and Music Director of the Master Chorale of Flagstaff, will direct the performance. Other trip highlights include attending a Broadway performance of “The Phantom of the Opera” and visits to the Julliard School, Central Park, Times Square, the Statue of Liberty, and other iconic New York City landmarks. The Pace students have been preparing for the trip in their classes by reading and writing about the history and culture of the city as well as Andrew Carnegie. On their return, the choir students will share their experiences with their peers in a final project.

BISD in the Spotlight

2013-05-16T15:11:00.003-05:00

Brownsville ISD and Hanna, Pace, and Lopez High Schools have been selected to participate in the Texas Accountability and Intervention (TAIS) statewide video series. The Texas Center for District and School Support (TCDSS), in conjunction with the Texas Education Agency, is producing this series to highlight effective districts and campuses across our state that have demonstrated outstanding progress in implementing components within the TAIS framework. The BISD videotaping is scheduled for May 21-22.

Local Faulk Teacher selected for LiftOff Summer Institute

2013-05-16T15:11:00.001-05:00

Claudia E. Cortez, a teacher from Faulk Middle School in Brownsville Texas, has been selected from across the nation for the prestigious LiftOff Summer Institute to be held at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas this summer. For the first time, the program is partnering with NASA Johnson Space Center Office of Education and the Middle School Aerospace Scholars project. Teachers from across the U.S. will increase their knowledge of space education through the LiftOff Professional Development Summer Institute. LiftOff is a collaborative effort of Texas Space Grant Consortium members and affiliates, NASA, and industry. Teachers apply for LiftOff and are selected competitively. The workshops are organized around an aerospace or space science theme drawn from NASA’s diverse engineering and scientific research programs. The theme for LiftOff 2013 is Rockets to Robots. The program combines the strengths of collaborators to enrich teaching and learning of science, mathematics, technology and engineering.

Outstanding Porter Business Students to Participate Leadership Conference

2013-05-08T14:06:00.004-05:00

Top students from Gladys Porter High School will be attending the Business Professionals of America (BPA) 2013 National Leadership Conference, “Uncover Your Magic,” in Orlando, FL, May 8-12, 2013. Gladys Porter High School chapter members, Aolani S. Coello, Herbie B. Eckersley, Jr., Jesus B. Guerrero, Juan J. Moreno, and Jacob R. Benavides will join over 5,000 other conference delegates from across the nation to participate in national level business skills competitions, workshops, general sessions, and the national officer candidate campaigns and elections. Besides having the opportunity to excel, they’ll experience the city of Orlando, FL.

A College-Going Culture

2013-05-08T14:06:00.002-05:00

Brownsville ISD high school seniors are applying to colleges in record numbers using the APPLY TEXAS APPLICATION. They are also completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) in large numbers. Check out the BISD counts below. The Brownsville Learning Academy, Lincoln Park School, and Brownsville Academic Center are included in the numbers. Current student enrollment numbers are used in the calculation. FAFSA counts are updated every Friday by the Department of Education and Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board.

Three BISD Seniors Named Gates Scholars

2013-05-01T13:42:00.001-05:00

Three BISD students have been selected for the 2013 Class of Gates Millennium Scholars (GMS). Congratulations to Eduardo Chavez, Veterans Memorial High School; Franco Estrada, Brownsville Early College High School; and Keila Rodriguez, Rivera High School; on this outstanding academic achievement. GMS selects 1,000 students nationwide to receive a good-through-graduation scholarship to use at the college or university of their choice. Recipients are also provided with personal and professional development through leadership programs along with academic support throughout their college career. The GMS Program, established in 1999, was initially funded by a $1 billion grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Porter High School to Host Rachel’s

2013-04-26T08:39:00.009-05:00

LITTLETON, CO – An hour out of the regular class schedule could spawn a lifetime’s worth of change for students and educators, as well as the communities they touch over the course of their lives. Such is the potential impact of the Rachel’s Challenge student assemblies that will take place on May 2nd. Rachel Scott was the first person killed at Columbine High School on April 20, 1999. Following her death, Rachel’s dedication to kindness and compassion toward others – a legacy that spread rapidly through anecdotes and her own private writings – led her family to found Rachel’s Challenge. “Schools can be incubators for creating and disseminating great ideas, however, we are confident our new partnership with Porter High School will have a positive ripple effect beyond the campus and throughout this community as well.”

Training on New Time System

2013-04-26T08:39:00.007-05:00

BISD and TimeClock Plus have scheduled training sessions for the new TimeClock Plus System that will be implemented district-wide. The training sessions will be for the department and campus administrators/timekeepers who will oversee the TimeClock Plus system at their respective locations. If you have any questions, please call the Payroll Department at 548-8391.

Hanna Earns Spot in National Top Ten

2013-04-26T08:39:00.005-05:00

The Hanna High School Boys Soccer Team has been included in a national top 10 list in the Elite Soccer Report by Sheldon Shealer on April 23, 2013.

Improving Service

2013-04-26T08:39:00.003-05:00

KBSD TV, the district’s instructional television station, will be off the air on Thursday, April 25 to perform necessary maintenance which will enhance transmission. The station will resume broadcasting early Friday morning, April 26.

Summer Schedule

2013-04-26T08:39:00.001-05:00

Brownsville ISD offices will follow the following abbreviated summer administrative work schedule beginning on Monday, June 17, 2013 and ending on Friday, August 2, 2013. 7:30 am – 5:30 pm – Monday through Thursday 8:00 am – 12:00 noon – Friday BISD offices will be closed the week of July 1, 2013 through July 5, 2013.

Historic Highs for 2013 BISD Bands

2013-04-26T08:38:00.007-05:00

Brownsville ISD secondary bands broke records in participation and awards earned during the 2012-2013 school year. A total of 36 bands competed with 30 receiving UIL awards and 22 earning UIL Sweepstakes awards. In all, 14 bands improved their UIL ratings over last year. BISD secondary band programs consistently earn respect across the state each year with this year being the best to date.

Authors Visit Schools

2013-04-26T08:38:00.005-05:00

Twelve BISD elementary and middle school libraries will host three well-known children’s authors on May 6, 8, 9 and 10. The authors are Tom McDermott, a sought after first generation Irish-American story teller, singer, musician, percussionist and author of “The Ghouls Come Haunting One by One;” David Bowles, author of “Mexican Bestiary;” who resides in the Rio Grande Valley with his wife and children and writes a book review column that appears each week in The McAllen Monitor; and Claudia Villareal, an elementary teacher, who has made a splash in elementary schools and libraries across central and South Texas with her book, “The Alphabet Thief Who Stole the Vowels.” The authors’ visits are sponsored by the UTB/TSC Sabal Palms Writing Project, Brownsville ISD, and BISD Library/Media Services.

BISD Students Excel in Art

2013-04-26T08:38:00.003-05:00

The Brownsville Fire Department has announced the winners of the 2012-2013 District Fire Prevention Poster Contest and the local Brownsville Fire Department contest. Several BISD artists placed in both competitions. The BISD Department of Fine Arts will host an awards ceremony on Friday, May 17 at 4:30 in the Central Administrative Building (CAB) auditorium to recognize the winners.

Middle School Choir Students Dominate

2013-04-26T08:38:00.001-05:00

BISD students won 222 chairs or 75% of the total number of chairs available at the Texas Music Educators Association (TMEA) middle school auditions held in Donna, Texas on Saturday, April 20. In fact, BISD swept every first chair in the competition. Congratulations to these fine young musicians and their directors.

BISD Hall of Honor

2013-04-26T08:37:00.008-05:00

BISD recently inducted a group of middle school coaches and athletic coordinators into a new Hall of Honor designed to recognize coaches with 15 or more years of service. The first year coach inductees with over 30 years of service are Carol Muller, Stillman Middle School; Arminda Treviño, Vela Middle School; Guadalupe Abete, Cummings Middle School; Rey Garnett, Garcia Middle School; and Rolando Garcia, Perkins Middle School. The athletic coordinators include Art Cantu, Faulk Middle School; Charlie Alaniz, Perkins Middle School; Gilbert Garces, Garcia Middle School; Robert Lopez, Oliveira Middle School; Cornelio Landin, Stell Middle School; and Ruben Martinez, Vela Middle School.

A College-Going Culture

2013-04-26T08:37:00.006-05:00

Summer Programs

2013-04-26T08:37:00.004-05:00

The BISD schedule of summer academic programs is already available. Find out dates, times and locations for 14 different programs that will be available to students this summer.

Live television, webcast coverage set for UIL boys and girls soccer state championships

2013-04-26T08:37:00.002-05:00

Time Warner Cable SportsChannel will provide live television coverage of UIL boys and girls state soccer championships this week from Birkelbach Field in Georgetown, while FOXSportsSouthwest.com will offer live webcasts. Tournament semifinals and finals will be televised live on Time Warner Cable’s SportsChannel and streamed on FoxSportsSouthwest.com. Time Warner Cable SportsChannel is available to Time Warner Cable digital cable customers in Austin (Channel 888), Corpus Christi (Channel 888), Dallas (Channel 185), El Paso (Channel 24), Laredo (Channel 888), the Rio Grande Valley (Channel 888), San Antonio (Channel 888), and Waco-Temple-Killeen (Channel 888).

Summer Programs

2013-04-26T08:36:00.009-05:00

The BISD schedule of summer academic programs is already available. Find out dates, times and locations for 14 different programs that will be available to students this summer.

Hanna Makes List

2013-04-26T08:36:00.007-05:00

Hanna High School has earned a spot on this year’s Washington Post list of the most challenging high schools in America.

BECHS Students Tapped for Scholarships

2013-04-26T08:36:00.005-05:00

The Greater Texas Foundation (GTF) has selected 22 Brownsville Early College High School seniors to participate in its Scholars Program at the University of Texas at Brownsville in the upcoming Fall semester. Only 30 GTF scholarships were available in the entire Rio Grande Valley. The GTF Scholars Program selection committee was so impressed with the BECHS model which prepares students for the rigors of higher education that the majority of the scholarships were awarded to BECHS students. GTF scholars receive supplemental funding for expenses that are not covered by any other financial aid up to $4,000 per year for two years. Additionally, recipients receive individualized academic support and personalized professional guidance.

Garden Park Destined for Globals

2013-04-26T08:36:00.003-05:00

The Garden Park Elementary “Ram-a-tors” Destination Imagination (DI) team placed third at the state tournament held on April 12-13 in Katy, Texas. This earned the team an opportunity to advance to the DI Global Finals which will be held at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville on May 22-25. The Ram-a-tors will compete with 2,000 talented students of all ages representing the United States and 14 countries. This is the second time that a Garden Park team has competed globally in Destination Imagination in recent history. A total of 11 BISD teams participated at the state tournament. These BISD students and their coaches are to be commended for advancing to state and global Destination Imagination competition.

Four BECHS Seniors Named Dell Scholars

2013-04-26T08:36:00.001-05:00

Four Brownsville Early College High School seniors, Franco Estrada, Andrea Martinez, Samantha Olvera, and Roy Resendez, have earned coveted Dell Scholarships in the amount of $20,000 each. The Dell Scholars Program, an initiative of the Michael and Susan Dell Foundation, recognizes students who have overcome significant obstacles to pursue their educations. In turn, these scholars serve as positive role models and change the trajectories for their siblings, friends and communities. In addition to $20,000, the Dell Program provides its scholars with technology, a private scholar networking community, resources, and mentoring to ensure they have the resources they need to achieve their college degrees.