Week of February 3

Celebrate Excellence

This week is National School Counselor Appreciation
Week.  Please join me in thanking our amazing
counselors for all that they do for the students,
staff, and families of CISD.

Pictured from Top
BK - Melanie McCormick  JH - Candace Johnson
CHS - Shannon Royce & Rhonda Gradberg
 Primary - Sherri Smith Libby - Sonya Shelton

In the January board meeting, the Carthage ISD board of trustees called for a bond election to be held on May 2, 2020.  The bond is a maintenance bond that is for a total of $12 million that will NOT INCREASE TAXES.  There are 2 propositions in the bond.

• Proposition 1 - $9M for general maintenance and improvements to our existing buildings, maintenance staff, school buses and vehicles, security updates, and preventative maintenance to our existing building
• Proposition 2 - $3M for technology including Chromebooks for our students
• As a reminder, the bond will cause NO TAX INCREASE.

This maintenance bond is the same bond program that Carthage ISD has had in place for the last 12 years. The purpose of the bond program is to ensure that we reduce the amount of tax dollars that are sent back to Austin due to recapture (Robin Hood).

If you have questions about the bond, please feel free to give me a call or send me an email.

Formative Assessment 4 Coming Up 

Pictured here are some of the many JH
students who showed growth on Formative
Assessment 3.

The 4th 6 Weeks Formative Assessment will be coming up during the week of February 10.  For tested areas of 4 & 7 Writing, 5 & 8 Reading, 5 & 8 Math and EOC English 1 & 2, they will be taking a Mock STAAR test that will be similar to the format of STAAR.  Your child's performance will tell us where they currently would perform if they took the real STAAR test.  For the other grades, they will take their final smaller formative assessment during this week before they take their Mock Test during next 6 weeks.

To motivate your child to do their best, please ask them what their +10 goal or growth goal is for each tested area.  Encourage them to push themselves to meet or exceed their goal, and finally, talk to them about their game plan or the strategies they will use to reach their goal.  If you need to know more info on your child's performance, please remember that you can always contact your child's teacher or campus principal.



Bulldogs of the Week

Bulldogs of the Week are:

Staff - Nancy Dominguez

Community - Nancy Langford

Student - Kelby Glass

Transportation - Jena Van Winkle

Upcoming Events

• Fri, Jan 31 - G/B BB vs Hudson
• Fri, Jan 31 - Girls Soccer at Gladewater
• Fri, Jan 31 - Boys Soccer vs Pleasant Grove
• Sat, Feb 1 - Softball vs Tyler Lee/Elysian Fields
• Sat, Feb 1 - UIL Academics at Marshall
• Week of Feb 3 - FFA at Ft. Worth Steer Show
• Mon, Feb 3 - State Football Celebration 
• Mon, Feb 3 - SB at White Oak
• Tue, Feb 4 - Soccer vs Waskom
• Tue, Feb 5 - BB at Center
• Fri, Feb 7 - Girls Soccer vs Sabine
• Fri, Feb 7 - BB vs Jasper (Girls Senior Night)
• Fri, Feb 7 - Boys Soccer at Spring Hill
• Sat, Feb 8 - UIL Academics at Canton

Click Links below to each School Calendar

Mrs. Jones’ and Mrs. Fitts’ First Grade classes
taught us all about Community Helpers during their
play last week.

Carthage HS Calendar
Carthage JH Calendar
Baker-Koonce Calendar
Libby Elementary Calendar
Carthage Primary Calendar

Your Input Matters
If you have a question, suggestion, or comment, please leave a comment below. Comments are not published immediately. Please do not leave negative comments about individual people. If you have a negative comment, please email the principal, superintendent or call 903-693-3806.

Week of January 27

In the Board Meeting

January is Board Appreciation Month, and the Board was honored for their service to Carthage ISD.

Teacher representatives are met this week  to give their input on the 2020-2021 school calendar.

The CISD Board of Trustees are Ben Donald (President), Ken Andrus (Vice President), Mary Ella Sherman (Secretary), Elzie Hicks, Truman Shirey, Frank Willis, and Paul Beatty. The board has a service record of 115 total years of service collectively with an average of 16 years of service per board member. We are very blessed to have these dedicated volunteers leading our district.

The Carthage ISD Board of Trustees met on Tuesday, January 21 and conducted the following business:

• The consent agenda was approved as presented.
• The State Champion Football Team was honored and there will be a community celebration on Monday, February 3 at the PAC
• The All-State Band and Choir Members were honored
• Hope Ratley (Senior) Flute, Will Jackson (Junior) French Horn, Nathan Strauss (Senior) All-State Choir member for the third year in a row. 
• The board approved TASB Policy UPdate 114.
• The board heard Financial Audit for Fiscal Year 2019
• The board discussed capital improvement projects for summer 2020
• The board called a School Board Election
• The board agreed to hold a joint election with the City on May 2
• The board called Bond Election for a $12 million Maintenance Bond with 2 propositions 

• 

  Mrs. Ratcliff is doing a fantastic job teaching Expository Essays to her English 1 students and showing them how to earn a rating  of a 4 on the EOC.  

  Proposition 1 - $9M for Maintenance, School Buses, Security updates, and preventative maintenance
• Proposition 2 - $3M for Technology including Chromebooks for our students
• The bond includes NO TAX INCREASE.
• The board discussed Formative Assessment 3 Results
• The board approved an increase to adult meal prices which is required by the state.
• The board approved the Superintendent Contract and Evaluation
• The next school meeting will be on Monday, Feb 17, 2020.

Celebrate Excellence
If you haven't heard about our 2020 vision for excellence in Carthage ISD, please watch out our Video on our  Vision for Carthage ISD (Click Here)

Bulldogs of the Week

Bulldogs of the Week include the following:

Teacher - Belinda Parker

Student - KaDein Howe

Community/Parent - Harriet Huff & Lana Overton

Technology - Terry Caudle

Upcoming Events

CHS Spanish students are shown using Chromebooks
in an activity to master pronouns and verb conjugation

• Fri, Jan 24 - FFA at Ft. Worth Heifer Show
• Fri, Jan 24 - G/B BB vs Huntington
• Fri, Jan 24 - G Soccer vs. Captain Shreve
• Fri, Jan 24 - B Soccer at Atlanta
• Sat, Jan 25 - UIL Academics at Whitehouse
• Tue, Jan 28 - Boys Soccer vs Texas High
• Wed, Jan 29 - UIL CX Debate at SFA
• Thu, Jan 30 - Boys JH BB vs Center
• Fri, Jan 31 - G/B BB vs Hudson
• Fri, Jan 31 - Girls Soccer at Gladewater
• Fri, Jan 31 - Boys Soccer vs Pleasant Grove
• Sat, Feb 1 - Softball vs Tyler Lee/Elysian Fields
• Sat, Feb 1 - UIL Academics at Marshall
• Mon, Feb 3 - State Football Celebration at PAC

Click Links below to each School Calendar
Carthage HS Calendar
Carthage JH Calendar
Baker-Koonce Calendar
Libby Elementary Calendar
Carthage Primary Calendar

Your Input Matters
If you have a question, suggestion, or comment, please leave a comment below. Comments are not published immediately. Please do not leave negative comments about individual people. If you have a negative comment, please email the principal, superintendent or call 903-693-3806.

Week of January 20

Celebrate Excellence - 
Safety is our Number 1 Priority

This past week, an anonymous message was sent to one student telling the student not to come to school. The anonymous message created concerns about the safety of our students. Currently, this is an ongoing investigation by the Carthage Police Department that will continue until the identity of the person who sent the message is revealed, and we will continue to support them in their investigation. If anyone has information about this incident, please contact the Carthage PD.

Carthage ISD will continue to provide an increased security presence to ensure that every campus is a safe place for all students and staff. Your child's safety is our first priority, and we will not tolerate any behaviors that jeopardize any child's safety. If you have questions or concerns, please know that you can always call your school's principal. We appreciate your support.

CISD will be closed on Monday, January 20 in honor of 

Martin Luther King Jr. Day

Congratulations to our ALL STATE Band and Choir Members!
Hope Ratley (Senior) and Will Jackson (Junior) earned a position
in the All-State band. Nathan Strauss (Senior) became an All-State Choir
member for the third year in a row. 

#BeTheLIGHT - CISD Establishes Record-Setting Behavior

1st Grade enjoyed their trip to Sci-Port

For the first semester of the 2019-2020 school year, Carthage ISD set a record for the best behavior for the last 4 years.  Our entire district experienced the lowest number of referrals for disciplinary infractions.  The accomplishment speaks volumes about the great kids we have, the excellent rules and supports our students receive from our teachers and leaders, and the tremendous job our parents do every day to expect the very best from their children.  Congratulations to everyone!






Bulldogs of the Week

Bulldogs of the Week are:

PACE - Linda Brooks

CHS - Parent - Sarah Burns

CHS - Student - D.J. Hicks

Upcoming Events

• Fri, Jan 17 - Cheer at UIL State Competition

  

  BK students are helping one
  another reach their +10 Goals

• Fri, Jan 17 - B&G BB vs Center
• Fri, Jan 17 - G Soccer at Marshall
• Sat, Jan 18 - UIL Academics @ Lindale
• Mon, Jan 20 - MLK Jr. Day (No School)
• Tue, Jan 21 - CISD School Board Meeting 
• Tue, Jan 21 - G Soccer at Tatum
• Tue, Jan 21 - G & B BB at Jasper
• Wed, Jan 22 - Tennis at Longview
• Thu, Jan 23 - FFA at Ft. Worth Heifer Show
• Fri, Jan 24 - G/B BB vs Huntington
• Fri, Jan 24 - G Soccer vs. Captain Shreve
• Fri, Jan 24 - B Soccer at Atlanta
• Sat, Jan 25 - UIL Academics at Whitehouse
• Mon, Feb 3 - State Football Celebration at PAC

Click Links below to each School Calendar
Carthage HS Calendar
Carthage JH Calendar
Baker-Koonce Calendar
Libby Elementary Calendar
Carthage Primary Calendar

Your Input Matters
If you have a question, suggestion, or comment, please leave a comment below. Comments are not published immediately. Please do not leave negative comments about individual people. If you have a negative comment, please email the principal, superintendent or call 903-693-3806.

Week of January 13

Celebrate Excellence - #my13th

CISD Staff spent January 7 making plans
to build strong interventions and
extensions in the 2nd semester.

Now that 2020 is here, we have our sights set on one goal, becoming the Premier District in the entire state of Texas. In order to accomplish this goal, our teachers, leaders and support professionals have reaffirmed their commitment to making sure that every child receives a first-class education in every classroom every day.

Here is why this is such an important goal. Your child has a limited amount of time to punch his or her golden ticket to their pathway of success. In fact, they only have 13 years, and each year is critical because this year sets the stage for next year. If you think about it, this school year represents 1/13 of your child’s life. Let me explain a little further.

Your child will be in public school for 13 total years. Whatever he or she learns in these 13 years of public school will lay the foundation for success that he or she will experience in life not only as an employee and member of society but also as a mother or a father. Whatever he or she learns or better yet fails to learn today will have a huge impact on how much he or she will be able to learn tomorrow. Every school day matters a lot if you really think about.

To ensure that your child learns each and every day and earns their 1/13th this year, our district teachers, leaders, and support professionals worked to commit to the five plays that research proves will help your child learn the most in this year’s 1/13th.

CISD's 5 Plays for Success

National Speaker, Ken Williams, spent January 6 speaking to our
teachers in the morning and administrators in the afternoon, helping
us taking our great district to the next level.

1. Mastering the 8 to 12 essential standards in every subject they take,
2. Ongoing professional learning from every staff member in Carthage ISD,
3. Ensuring that every student is provided with a high-quality lesson in every classroom and every day,
4. Our teachers having strong consistency with one another in their high expectations for both learning and behavior,
5. Building a strong response to every student when he or she fails to learn.

We believe in these five plays and we know that they will make your child successful. To support us in helping

your child learn the most he or she can this year, you can help us with these three actions.

3 Ways Parents can Support CISD & Their Child

1. Please make sure that your child has great attendance each and every day. Research proves that when your child has high attendance, he will perform at a high-level in learning.
2. Join me in supporting our hard-working teachers and principals by contacting them whenever you are concerned about your child’s learning or even frustrated with the education your child is receiving. Your questions and feedback are critical to helping us best meet the needs of your child.
3. This is the most important thing you can do. Tell your child every day why their education is important. This year represents 1/13 of your child’s life, and their education is their ticket to a bright and prosperous future.

In the year that I have been a part of Carthage ISD, I can tell you this is the proudest community in the state of Texas where everyone expects Carthage to be the best. I invite you to be a part of our team and be our partner in ensuring that we guarantee on our promise that your child will become a champion. Happy New Year, and I look forward to 2020 being an amazing year. Thank you.

January is School Board Appreciation Month
Every year across the state, school districts across the state celebrate their school board members.  The theme for 2020 is "Launching the Next Generation".  This theme is perfect to honor our board as their collective number one priority is guaranteeing that every child is prepared to be a successful and contributing member of society in the future.  Please join me in thanking our board members.

The Carthage ISD Board of Trustees are pictured above.
Top:  Truman Shirey, Frank Willis, Elzie Hicks, Ben Donald
(President), and Paul Beatty.  Bottom:  Ken Andrus (Vice - President),
Mary Ella Sherman (Secretary), and John Wink (Superintendent).

Bulldogs of the Week

Our Bulldogs of the Week are:

Teacher - Schelice Reyes

Student - Mary Katherine Smith

Community/Parent - Kathryn Barber

Maintenance:  J. D. Strawn

Upcoming Events

Former CHS Bulldog and current University
of Texas Longhorn, Keontay Ingram, stopped
 by to show his support for Kensley Dickerson.
 
We thank him for taking time to support
his fellow Bulldog!

• Fri, Jan 10 - Boys BB vs Pleasant Grove
• Fri, Jan 10 - G Soccer at Waskom Tournament (also on Saturday)
• Fri, Jan 10 - B Soccer at Huffman Tournament (also on Saturday)
• Sat, Jan 11 - Band and Choir All-State Auditions
• Sat, Jan 11 - UIL Academics at Hamshire Fannett & Chireno
• Mon, Jan 13 - JH Boys BB vs Nacogdoches
• Tue, Jan 14 - G BB at Hudson
• Tue, Jan 14 - B BB vs Texas High
• Thu, Jan 16 - G Soccer @ Marshall Tournament
• Thu, Jan 16 - B Soccer @ Hudson Tournament
• Fri, Jan 17 - B&G BB vs Center
• Fri, Jan 17 - G Soccer at Marshall
• Sat, Jan 18 - UIL Academics @ Lindale
• Mon, Jan 20 - MLK Jr. Day (No School)

Click Links below to each School Calendar
Carthage HS Calendar
Carthage JH Calendar
Baker-Koonce Calendar
Libby Elementary Calendar
Carthage Primary Calendar

Your Input Matters
If you have a question, suggestion, or comment, please leave a comment below. Comments are not published immediately. Please do not leave negative comments about individual people. If you have a negative comment, please email the principal, superintendent or call 903-693-3806.