A New Beginning for Two Schools

I am so excited to announce the completion of several 2003 bond referendum projects including the opening of the Nancy H. Strickland Intermediate School and LaVillita Elementary. I am so grateful to live and work in a community that supports public education and our school district.

Nancy H. Strickland Intermediate School, 3030 Fyke Road in Farmers Branch, and LaVillita Elementary, 1601 Camino Lago Way in Irving, are state of the art facilities that offer our students unlimited learning opportunities.

I want to invite everyone to the official dedication of the Nancy H. Strickland Intermediate School, 3030 Fyke Road, Farmers Branch on Tues., Oct. 14 at 7 p.m. The ceremony will include remarks by Mrs. Strickland, Principal Tracy Smith, Superintendent Annette Griffin and Board President John Tepper. Students will also be a part of this very special event. Fifth-grade students will be available to take visitors on school tours after the ceremony. The dedication ceremony will be held in the school cafeteria.

Later this spring, we will dedicate La Villita Elementary. Both of these campuses are representations of our district’s commitment to providing quality, learning-focused facilities where we offer unlimited choices for students.

Our Vision: College Ready

C-FB ISD’s vision is to prepare all students to be college-ready. Every day, in every classroom, we – as educators in C-FB ISD – seek to do just that. We want our students to leave C-FB with the skills they need to be ready to enter post secondary education. We want our students to be successful when they leave our halls and our schools.

Across this district, teachers and staff members diligently work to make dreams possible for our students. It makes me so proud to work in a district that understands what’s important. It’s not about just one test. It’s about learning. We want our students to leave C-FB wanting to learn more. We desire our students to be life-long learners.

This week we are hosting a College Night for high school students on Thurs., Sept. 25 from 7:00 – 9:00 p.m. at Ranchview High School, 8401 Valley Ranch Parkway E, Irving (map). I encourage all of our high school families to attend. This is one small way we are preparing our students to be college-ready.

A Day of Remembrance

September 11, 2001 is a day that we will never forget. I can picture exactly where I was the moment I found out about the attack on our country. I can remember the rush of feelings that came over me - fear, sadness, anger... It was a very, very dark day in America.

When I think back on that day, I also remember the brave men and women who selflessly sacrificed themselves. They gave of themselves to protect our country. I am so grateful to them.

As leader of the Carrollton-Farmers Branch ISD, I rely upon the courage, bravery and expertise of our public servants to keep the children in our school district safe. I want to thank the police officers, firefighters, soldiers and other public servants who work diligently everyday to protect our future - our children.

We Must, We Can, We Will

As we begin this new school year, I am confident of continued success for our district. We are innovative leaders in learning and our innovation leads to success...

The Texas Business and Education Coalition (TBEC) just announced that 298 public schools across the state had earned recognition on the 2008 TBEC Honor Roll. The TBEC Honor Roll is the most prestigious award for sustained, academic excellence in Texas. Four Carrollton-Farmers Branch Independent School District (C-FB ISD) schools made the Honor Roll. The schools named were Blalack Middle School, Kent Elementary, McCoy Elementary, and Rainwater Elementary. This is an exceptional achievement for our district.

C-FB ISD high school seniors continue to excel on the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) which includes a writing section with a multiple choice and an essay portion. Overall, the seniors in our district out-scored students in the state and nation. The combined score for C-FB ISD seniors was 1530 compared to 1511 for the nation and 1473 for the state. I am so proud of the determination and will of our students and staff to help accomplish this goal.

I am serious about this district's commitment to success. I expect high academic achievement; I expect rigor in the classroom; I expect unparalleled quality in every department; I expect phenomenal results. We must, we can, we will. That’s what I keep saying every day. We must, we can, we will.

An Innovative Leader in Learning

On May 2, 2008, eSchool News published an article called "Study: Creativity is important but neglected" featuring a report called "Ready to Innovate: Are Educators and Executives Aligned on the Creative Readiness of the U.S. Workforce?," released by the Conference Board and Americans for the Arts, in partnership with the American Association of School Administrators (AASA). In that report, researchers surveyed 155 superintendents and 89 business executives about creativity and innovation.

In the eSchool News article, Meris Stansbury writes, "Educators and employers agree that creativity is increasingly important in U.S. workplaces, according to a recent report. Yet, the report suggests a disconnect exists between what survey respondents say they believe and how they act: In fact, findings indicate most high schools and employers provide creativity-conducive education and training only on an elective or 'as needed' basis" (2008).

I am happy to say that this report doesn't reflect the culture of C-FB ISD.

C-FB ISD is "An Innovative Leader in Learning." We, as a district, are continually seeking new strategies to teach through innovation and creativity. We believe that when teachers model and use innovation in their teaching that students are more engaged and are encouraged to be creative and innovative themselves.

How are we accomplishing this task, you might ask...well, here's how:

• Innovation and creativity are an integral part of the culture of C-FB. They are interwoven into the organization as a whole as well as the curriculum and teaching. For example, our Student Nutrition Department created the very first Virtual Cafeteria.


• The district was named for the third time to the Best 100 Communities for Music Education. With 23,000 students participating in fine arts activities, C-FB ISD continually sets a high standard for developing creativity and innovation through fine arts education.


• Students use, experience and learn with the latest technology including iPods, laptops, wikis, blogs, video conferencing, our virtual campus (vCampus) and more. Check out our video series called "Living in a Dot Com World" to see exciting examples of innovation.


• Teachers are using Web 2.0 tools like wikis to share innovative ideas with one another and encourage creativity.

I truly believe that C-FB ISD is "An Innovative Leader in Learning" through a culture and vision that actively engages students.

A New Year Begins

Every year, I look forward to the start of school. I just love the feeling a new school year brings - excitement, anticipation, and a fresh start. I love seeing all the school supplies at the store this time of year!

I know that this will be a great year. Our teachers have been working diligently getting ready for our students on Monday, August 25.

This week has been filled with great excitement. Our Convocation on Tuesday, August 19 was such a wonderful time for the staff of C-FB ISD to come together and celebrate our accomplishments and plan for this year. I also celebrated with the PTA at their First Annual Kick-Off event on Wednesday, August 20.

I wish each and every student a wonderful year. Let make this the best year yet! See you at school on Monday, August 25.

Back to School for the 2008-2009 School Year

I am so excited about the beginning of this new school year. I know this is going to be an incredible year!

In C-FB ISD, we value each child, embrace innovation, believe in the richness of diversity, create a caring learning environment and celebrate every achievement. We are an innovative leader in learning. From videoconferencing to our virtual campus, we are finding innovative ways to make learning rigorous and relevant for every student.

I hope you visit our website, www.cfbisd.edu, and see it's new look. You will find all the latest back-to-school information including registration, school supplies, bus routes, and much, much more.

This year will be filled with innovation, rigor, learning and fun. Throughout the year, remember to check out our accolades section of the website to see the amazing accomplishments of our students, campuses and staff.

I wish you and your family a great school year. Let the learning begin!