New Courses, Leaders To Greet County’s Students

Six Van Zandt County school districts will welcome its students to the 2008-2009 school year beginning Monday.

While much will remain the same for returning students, there will be a few new faces and some new course offerings at some schools.

Grand Saline ISD is starting a new health science technology program at the high school. Superintendent Mark Keahey said the goal is to provide high school students with an opportunity to gain certification in one of several health science career fields before they enter college or a nursing program.

"We are not certain at this point about being able to provide certifications for this first year of the program because the kids have to take a series of classes," Keahey said. "But we are working toward a program that would provide certification as a nurse’s assistant.

"We also plan to offer an EMT (Emergency Medical Technician) certification, and possibly offer a way toward a pharmacy technician certification," he added. "We are providing the base classes this year."

The district hired Carla Milliorn as its health science technology instructor. There also is a new counselor at the high school, Kathy Clanton.

Another new program at the high school is a work-based learning program, with new ag teacher Robert Reynolds in charge of that.

First bell for Grand Saline high school and middle school students is 8 a.m, as well as for intermediate school students. Elementary school students will begin their school day with a 7:50 a.m. morning assembly.

Keahey said the district’s theme this year is "Putting The Pieces Together."

"We have many tools and many resources…We are trying to involve all of our curriculum, testing data, community resources, partnerships, parents, involve all those pieces to produce the most successful students we possibly can," he said.

At Fruitvale ISD, most of the new school year buzz surrounds the high school’s T-STEM (Texas Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) program.

Among its many components, the "T-STEM Academy" at Fruitvale will offer a robotics course, anatomy and physiology, and collegiate-level dual credit courses in English, U.S. History and Government through Trinity Valley Community College.

"We’re very excited this year with our new leadership in (Superintendent Bill) Boyd and the opening of the T-STEM Academy. It is going to have a big impact for our students and the community, and we can’t wait to get the ball rolling," Fruitvale High School Principal Matt Tyner said.

Fruitvale High students will begin each day at 8 a.m.

At Fruitvale Elementary, Principal Peggy Brumit touted the new LUAU — Learning, Understanding, Acceptance and Unity — theme for this year and encouraged parents to "be part of your child’s education."

"We will have a luau theme at our awards program and all the classrooms will be decorated in a luau theme," she said.

Brumit also noted the school has new math material this year as approved by the Texas Education Agency. "Math is our focus," she said.

The first bell at Fruitvale Elementary rings at 7:55 a.m. and the tardy bell is at 8 a.m.

Martins Mill High School welcomes a new principal in Jennifer Jones, who spent one year previously at the school as a counselor in 2001-2002.

"I am real excited. Martins Mill is one of those places you should never want to leave and I wanted to serve in the community I lived in. It is such a family-oriented school and they are rare to find sometimes," said Jones.

She holds a Doctorate in Education Administration from Texas A&M-Commerce. Originally from Carrollton, Jones returns to Martins Mill ISD after several years with Dallas ISD, most recently as an associate principal at the Booker T. Washington Arts Magnet School.

Jones said updating the school’s technology will be a focal point this year.

"We will be working on locating resources to increase our on-campus technology, being able to have teachers and students do things using updated technology," she said. "We are going to continue working at the high school at the exemplary level we’ve achieved in academics and athletics.

"My goal is to lead as a servant-leader with a servant’s heart, helping others achieve the best they can," she added.

The first bell for both the high school and elementary school at Martins Mill is 8:10 a.m.

Martins Mill Elementary School Principal Suzzette Stringer said her campus enrollment has "definitely increased from transfers and move-ins."

"Our goal this year is student success, as always, and making sure the success is not just with testing but that the whole child is taken care of," she said.

Edgewood ISD Superintendent Jack Shellnutt said he has hired additional fifth grade and sixth grade teachers — an extra fourth grade teacher may be needed — in preparation for a very large class about to start its fourth grade year.

Shellnutt said one of the big goals of the district this year is to improve test scores among its economically disadvantaged students.

"We’re going to concentrate heavily on them to get those kids’ scores in line," he said. "We are going to offer different things in the hope that it will help them."

At the high school, Edgewood is offering a new psychology course this year. Shellnutt said he also noted a huge enrollment increase in the school’s dual-credit college course offerings in the second year of that program.

The first bell at all Edgewood ISD campuses is 8 a.m. Wills Point and Canton schools also begin their respective new years on Monday.