Issue #11

Fall 2014

Brahma Newsletter
Hallettsville ISD

Constructing Our Future in HISD

HISD continues to focus on building champions as the Hallettsville
community celebrates academic and extracurricular achievements
of the Brahmas and Lady Brahmas!
District enrollment is the highest that it has been since 2001 with
1,030 students enrolled in grades Pre-K through 12. With the
elementary and junior high construction and renovation projects
well underway, campus leaders and architects have designed
classrooms and campuses for student safety and future growth. See
page 2 for renderings of new facilities.
Teachers and staff members continue to strive for academic
excellence and appreciate parent and community support as we
move forward in developing productive, motivated, and moral
citizens through educational excellence.

Jenna Allen 2014

Cross Country
State Qualifier

Continued on
HES Brahma Pride

HHS Brahmas

Curriculum Corner

HJHS Yearlings

Brahma Athletics

Tech Talk

Page 3

Page 4

Page 5

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Issue #11

Fall 2014

Enclosed Hallettsville
Elementary School
designed by Singleton
Zimmerman
Haliburton Architecture
Projected completion
date: December 2015

Hallettsville Elementary Main Office

The elementary office will be the main
entry for parents and visitors who will
need to check in via the Raptor visitor
management system prior to entry to the
elementary campus. The existing main
office space will be used to expand the
existing elementary library.
Hallettsville Junior High School
New Cafeteria and Library
The existing HJHS cafeteria will
be demolished in the late spring of
2015, so that a new cafeteria and
library can be constructed just west
of the gymnasium.
Projected
completion date: August 2015.
Interior View of Hallettsville Junior High
School Library
Additional space and design of the library
will allow for reconfiguration of shelving and
seating arrangements to meet campus needs.
The new library will also be used for grade
level and staff meetings as well as campus
and class programs, assemblies, and events
including National Junior Honor Society
inductions and spelling and geography bees.
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Issue #11

HES Brahma Pride

Its that time of the year. School is back in
the swing of things, and the holidays are
just around the corner. Speaking of that,
the first signs of the new construction
project have begun. You may notice the
parent parking lot looking a little different.
In the next several weeks, you will see the
portable classrooms arrive. This will be
our home for at least a year until the new
campus is completed.

Fall 2014

community involvement, and excellent

communication. I feel honored to have
worked with your child and will continue
to create a nurturing but challenging
environment of learning.
Jason Harris,
HES Principal

The new campus will be fully enclosed

and will include larger classrooms, a stateof-the-art computer lab, an expanded
library, new administration office, and all
the security safeguards to provide a safe
environment for learning.
With all the changes to the campus one
thing will remain the same; our desire to
provide a safe learning environment for
your child. HES is committed to fostering
an atmosphere that promotes a learning
community characterized by student
centered instruction and decisions,
academic excellence, trust, respect,

HJHS Yearlings
The 2014-2015 school year is under
way, and the HJHS staff and students
are ready to make this an outstanding
year of academic and athletic success.
HJHS students are putting their efforts
into improving student character, test
scores, and overall interest in learning.
Not only are students encouraged to get
involved in clubs/organizations or
athletic programs on campus but also
participate in UIL Academic
competitions.
HJHS 5th through 8th grade students are
fortunate to have the latest technology
available to aid in learning. Students
and teachers hit the ground running
exploring what technology has to offer
to make the educational experience
more relevant to todays world.

In order to ensure that all students are

successful, tutoring is available Monday
Thursday from 3:30 4:00 p.m., and
students are encouraged to attend as
needed.
Parents are also encouraged to participate
in Family Access to monitor his/her
childs grades at all times. Students and
parents are also invited to subscribe to
teacher class pages. Subscribing will
enable interested persons an opportunity
to be notified of important upcoming
assignments and projects.
HJHS staff is looking forward to working
closely with students and parents to
ensure that every opportunity for learning
is used to Construct a Future of success!
Sophie Teltschik,
HJHS Principal
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Issue #11

HHS Brahmas

Fall 2014

The 2014-2015 school year at Hallettsville High School

will bring continual moments of excellence. Our
students exemplify integrity and honor as they enter our
classrooms each day. Teachers at HHS create lessons
that engage and empower students in the learning
process. Active and connective learning engulfs our
campus each day as we strive to inspire students to
inquire beyond the normal scope of the material. For
more extensive enrichment, we offer tutorials every day
before and after school in order to ensure each student
has the skills necessary to face the challenges of the
classroom and high stakes testing. Furthermore, we
strive daily to have a positive, progressive, and safe
culture at HHS.

for excellence. Through these experiences, our students

develop and demonstrate skills that form them to be
leaders of the future.

Our extra-curricular activities are in full force with fall

sports, clubs, organizations, and service groups
continuing a rich tradition of success. It is through fine
arts, sports, spirit groups, and other student
organizations that our students have an opportunity to
represent our school and community and plant the flag

We are excited about the tradition of excellence our

campus will uphold this school year. Go Brahams!

At HHS we understand that excellence in schools

requires a partnership with our community. We
encourage parent volunteers and quality relationships
with the businesses of the Hallettsville area, and we are
encouraging school-community relations including an
emphasis on clear communication with parents and all
stakeholders. We understand that parents most prize
possession is their children and the communication
process between teachers, administrators, and parents is
vital to student success.

Darrin Bickham,
HHS Principal

Brahma Athletics
Once again, the Brahmas and Lady Brahmas have been
working extremely hard. Many of our athletes have
gone the extra mile towards giving our TEAMS a
chance to be successful. Whether it is weight training,
speed training, agility training, or general conditioning,
the majority of our athletes have been involved heavily.
Many of these same athletes were able to also take
advantage of community involvement that allowed our
athletes to participate in core training and endurance
training. A special thank you goes out to those in our
community that have made this training available to
our athletes. This is a very special community as it
takes an ALL IN attitude to give our TEAMS this
atmosphere to prepare for upcoming challenges.
Hallettsville High School has been blessed to enjoy the
accomplishments of our athletic programs during its
many years of participation in UIL activities. Our
athletes, coaches, teachers, and administrators are
continuously seeking ways in which we can improve
our overall standings amongst the State of Texas both
academically and athletically speaking. During the
2013-14 school year our high school finished ranked

8th in the States Lone Star Cup competition. And for

the upcoming year, we will continue to fight towards
carrying on the tradition of being one of the best extracurricular schools of the Texas 3A division.
This fall the Volleyball, Football, and Cross Country
teams have represented us whole-heartedly. We
predict that the TEAMS representing HISD will
continue to give their best efforts in striving for
victories. We look forward to watching our teams
compete with the best character and class possible
while representing our community.
Our athletic program boasts large numbers of
participation within the student body from grades 7
through 12. We invite everyone to join the ALL IN
efforts of these athletes by coming out to support them
during their games, tournaments, and meets.
TOGETHER, WE CAN FIND A WAY TO BE
SUCCESSFUL! Go Brahmas and Lady Brahmas!!!
Let us make many lifetime memories for 2014-2015!!!
Tommy Psencik- Athletic Director

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Curriculum Corner

Issue #11

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We are excited about our focus on engaging

students in learning and using strategies that
make learning last.

curriculum and instruction. Pictured to the left and

below are recipients of innovative teaching grants
in the spring and fall of 2014.

This year our math teachers in grades

Kindergarten through 8th have new Texas
Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) to
follow when teaching our students. Therefore,
we will meet every six weeks to ensure that we
are aligning our curriculum and using the best
strategies that will help students learn these new
standards.

In the Career and Technology Education program,

we have enhanced our curriculum to offer online
certification programs and the possibility to earn
the following certificates: Meat Evaluation
Certification, Equine Evaluation Certification, and
Principles of Livestock Selection & Evaluation
Certification. The number of online certification
courses available is expected to increase during the
school year. This is another way we are preparing
all students for success beyond HISD.

In addition to the new TEKS, we have new

textbooks for both math and science. These new
materials are better aligned to the more rigorous
State of Texas Assessments of Academic
Readiness (STAAR). Thus, students and parents
may notice that the curriculum is more
challenging this year; we appreciate your support
in increasing the rigor and helping our students
reach a higher level of learning.
The HISD Education Foundation awarded grants
to teachers to help them reach their goals in

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As we pursue our goals for this year, we will

continue to provide quality curriculum and
instruction to all students and quality professional
development for all
faculty and staff.
Dr. Mandy Bucek,
HISD Curriculum
Director

Claudette Demel
Amy Powell
Theresa Brewer
Suzanne Rabke
Scott Cottenoir

Tech Talk
i
ie M
hrist

Fall 2014

Theresa Stangel

Hallettsville ISD has been partnering with Insight during the past two weeks to provide
more seamless and timely integration of current and new technology in the district.
Some of the major areas of support from Insight include customer support services,
technology innovations, network support services, information management support
services, technology standards and compliance and project management. Among the
other services Insight may provide are organizing and leading monthly vendor meetings
and conducting quarterly onsite meetings. Campus instructional technologists will
continue to work with administration to develop
long-term sustainable technology plans for the
future. We appreciate your continued support for
innovative technology in HISD!

Denise Henk,
HISD Technology Director

HALLETTSVILLE ISD
EDUCATION FOUNDATION
MISSION STATEMENT
Hallettsville ISD Education Foundations mission is to provide opportunities for excellence
in education, promote innovation in teaching, and partner with the community to enhance
the quality of education for all students.

Foundation Goals

HISD EDUCATION FOUNDATION

BOARD MEMBERS
Rev. Herb Beyer, President
Dick Nance, Secretary
Kris Allen, VP Finance & Governance
Darrell Herring, VP Development
Diane Pruett, VP Marketing & Events
Christine Brown, VP Programs
Amy Amsden
Audrey Barrera
Susan Seay
Billy Gerke
Jo Ann Bludau

Please contact
Rev. Herb
Beyer at tccm@cvctx.com or 361-7980155 if you are interested in contributing
to the foundation fund. Contributions
may also be mailed to the HISD
Education Foundation at P.O. Box 368,
Hallettsville, TX 77964. All
contributions to the Foundation are tax
deductible.

PROGRAMS/FUNDING
PRIORITIES

Innovative Teaching Grants

Recognition of Academic Achievement
Recognition of Teaching Excellence

The Hallettsville ISD Education

Foundation will achieve its mission
by directing resources toward the
following goals:

Enhance and enrich educational

opportunities for students
Support staff for innovative efforts and
recognize staff for exemplary teaching
Involve the community in assuring a
quality education for the leaders and
workers of tomorrow

ATTENTION
Former Students of HHS
We are in the process of developing a
database of HHS Alumni, and we want to
stay in touch!

Please email your information below

to hisdef@hisdbrahmas.org
Name and Year of Graduation
Home Address, E-Mail Address
Additional Education-School(s)/Degree(s)
Employer, Title
Any news you would like to share with the
HISD Education Foundation
Please encourage your classmates to send in their
updated information and visit our Facebook page
at Hallettsville ISD Education Foundation.