News from Belton ISD

February 9, 2018

Our Fine Arts Department gave another tremendous performance during this year's musical, South Pacific. So much hard work goes into these productions, and this year's show was excellent!

On Tuesday our elementary students celebrated the 100th day of school with special activities such as making hats with 100 stickers, counting and stacking 100 items, and dressing up as 100-year-olds. The day was a milestone of the school year and a celebration of all that has been accomplished in our classrooms and schools. As I reflect on our 100th day of this 2017-2018 school year, I feel a tremendous amount of pride because I know that the work that we are doing for our children is focused on meeting our mission of providing an education that challenges all of our students to excel.

The Superintendent Scholars ceremony was held in January to recognize students in grades 8, 9, and 10 with the highest achievement on the PSAT. It was my honor to recognize 92 students for their academic success. I challenged the students to continue to reach their full potential by identifying areas to improve their results. My team and I are committed to helping these students move to the highest levels of achievement so that they can attend the university of their choosing and receive generous academic scholarships.

Over the last two weeks our Career and Technical Education (CTE) students participated in the District 10 SkillsUSA competition. Over 40 students qualified for the state competition to be held in Corpus Christi in April. Students will showcase their skills and compete in areas such as construction, automotive technology, engineering, culinary arts, photography, and forensic science. We are excited about what these students are learning and know that they will use these skills to obtain employment upon graduation. They can also advance their skills in post-secondary technical programs.

Recent noteworthy accomplishments of our fine arts students included large numbers of students achieving regional honors in band, choir, and orchestra. Four students have qualified for the state orchestra contest - Elizabeth DeVault, Antoinette Lynne, Mariah Montgomery, and Celia Bowen. Two students' performances qualified them for the All-State Choir. Rachel Wohleb and Kara Fish were selected to participate in the prestigious choir on February 17 at the Texas Music Educators Association (TMEA) conference in San Antonio. They will also make a special performance during our Public Schools Week Luncheon on March 6. You won't want to miss that!

The annual musical by our Fine Arts Department highlighted the many talents of our high school students. The props, sets, acting, and singing in "South Pacific" were truly remarkable. I expect to see some of these students in Broadway productions one day!

It's also great to celebrate the accomplishments of our student athletes. Our girls swim team were District Champions with the boys coming in second. Nearly 20 swimmers advanced to the Regional event where there was stiff competition from schools in the Dallas area. Senior student Noah Henry qualified for the state swim meet to be held in Austin next week. Noah's times in the backstroke and the butterfly are among the top in the state. We look forward to hearing the results of the meet and expect him to medal. Noah is an All-American swimmer and has signed to attend the University of Arizona.

This week several students also signed letters of intent to continue in athletic programs at various colleges and universities in sports such as track and field, golf, softball, soccer, and football. I enjoyed hearing them thank their families, friends, and coaches for their contributions to their success. It does take a support system to do great things!

Our students are truly remarkable. Thank you for helping us celebrate their many milestones and accomplishments.

Sincerely,

Susan Kincannon, Ed.D.

Superintendent

The Board of Trustees and Administration joined the faculty, students and community leaders for two groundbreaking ceremonies. First was Lakewood Elementary to celebrate the addition of two music classrooms, restrooms, and a standard gymnasium at the campus. This was the first groundbreaking for one of the four projects supported by voters in the May 2017 bond program. The Lakewood Elementary Honor Choir performed and students from Lakewood helped turn the dirt.

Ground was also broken for Charter Oak Elementary. The school was named after a historic live oak tree that was the location of the first election in Bell County. It will open in the fall of 2019. The Leon Heights Elementary Honor Choir performed and students from Pirtle and Sparta Elementary Schools participated.

Belton ISD celebrated 8th, 9th and 10th grade students for their high achievement on the PSAT at the Superintendent Scholars Ceremony. The scores achieved by these impressive students represent the top 3% of their grade level. In honoring these students with the important distinction of being a Superintendent Scholar, Dr. Susan Kincannon also challenged and encouraged them to commit themselves to raising the bar on their performance as they continue on their path of academic success.

Message from the School Board President:

Our Schools, Our Community!

Our community came together recently to celebrate with our students at the groundbreaking for the music rooms, restrooms and gymnasium addition at Lakewood Elementary School, and for the new Charter Oak Elementary School, located near the Carriage House subdivision on Poison Oak Road. These fun ceremonies allowed our students and community to celebrate our growth and say thank you for a wonderful partnership between our community and our schools.

We have planned together as a community for how to manage our growth and continue to provide the quality education we want for our children. We know that investments in our public schools pay huge dividends in opportunities for our children, and in the economic growth of our community. We also know that it takes a supportive community to have strong schools, and strong schools to have a great community. And we know that a community's public schools are a key element in the quality of life that determines where people choose to live, work and play. We are growing together!

The Bell County Youth Fair this week has been a wonderful opportunity for many of our students to compete in a variety of events. Community volunteers and partnerships have made it possible for our students to excel. We are especially thankful that our community has been able to provide the Belton FFA Ag Barn for our students to raise their animals. Without that resource many of our students would not be able to have this great learning opportunity.

Many of our students' recent successes are due in part to the great community partnerships and opportunities available to them. We are thankful that we enjoy this high level of support as we prepare our students for careers and/or college after graduation. And we are thankful for a supportive and engaged community that is committed to investing in public education. Our Big Red Community is making a difference for our kids!

I Love Belton!

Randy Pittenger

President, Board of Trustees

The Bell County Youth Fair, Livestock Show and PRCA Rodeo kicked off Saturday and continues through tomorrow. Over 90 FFA and FCCLA students participated as well as countless others throughout the District. The entries range from animal projects to family consumer sciences. This annual week-long event demonstrates the Belton spirit of hard work and dedication. We are proud of the work by our students!

Winter sports are winding down as spring sports get underway. For the sixth year in a row, the Belton girls swim team are 12-6A District Champs! Noah Henry took first place in two events and qualified for state competition. Boys basketball will play in Copperas Cove this evening with hopes of gaining a playoff spot!

At a ceremony this week, eight Tigers signed their National Letters of Intent to continue their athletic and academic careers at the collegiate level. Shown here are Lady Tiger Soccer player Tiarra Hodges who signed to play for University of Arkansas Little Rock, and Tiger Football player Marshall Fish who signed to play football for Trinity University. Congratulations to all!