Dragon Tribune December Issue

My favorite seasonal story in this issue is about the competitive Gould children competing in their family's own yearly Gingerbread Championship. And I recommend the story ranking Christmas light displays around Southlake and the Metroplex.


Check out what these students see as the important events of the last ten years (since we're just days away from beginning a new decade). Keep in mind, given their current age, these writers were not quite 8 years old when the decade began. How's that for a wake-up call?

There are sports stories about girls and boys varsity basketball and wrestling. And a news story about class rank. A story written about this generation, the Millennials and a story about a young staff writer who sat down to watch 13 continuous hours of Star Wars movies. (I don't begin to know why, but that story has its moments, as do many others.)

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CHS/CSHS Battle of the Boxes Champions

2009 BATTLE OF THE BOXES RESULTS

Southlake Carroll Dragons: 2444
Grapevine Mustangs: 1401
GRAND TOTAL: 3845 !!!

Congrats to our Dragons, 2009 champs!

Our special congratulations go out to our wonderful Student Council members and an excellent CHS teacher Brandi Hunt for helping to ask our English Department to truly take on this amazing task.  I believe the last I looked CHS had raised close to 2000 boxes on our own.  Great job Dragons.

4th Annual College and Career Transition Expo

This wonderful event will be hosted by the CISD Special Education department on January 21, 2010 at CSHS from 7 to 9 PM


The program will help high school students with learning differences gain knowledge about: colleges, applications, career opportunities, department of disabilities services and transition needs when pursuing post secondary education. All students and parents are encouraged to attend.

Dragon Drama Amazing

First and foremost I want to congratulate all of our CISD students and staff on an amazing performance of Irving Berlin's "White Christmas."  The number of wonderful performances cannot be pointed out individually, everyone was amazing. There are very few late night plays I can take my daughter to and expect her to leave excited and happy about all that we saw.  Thank you for a great night.

If you haven't purchased tickets yet please do so in the near future at http://www.dragondrama.net/

Rachel's Challenge and Relay for Life

Relay For Life is Coming to Southlake! In the spirit of Rachel's Challenge, we are proud to announce that this community-wide event will be held May 21, 2010 (times and location to be forthcoming.) Relay For Life is the signature fund-raising activity for the American Cancer Society. At the event, our community will have the opportunity to celebrate the lives of those who have battled cancer, remember loved ones lost, and empower individuals to fight back against this disease. Our schools and businesses are encouraged to form "relay" teams to help raise funds that go toward the fight against cancer through research, by raising awareness of cancer treatment and prevention, and by providing support services and resources for cancer patients in our area. Special recognition will go to the schools and businesses with the most teams and donations and to teams with the most creative/original theme. For more information about the event go to www.relayforlife.org. Want to form a team for your neighborhood, business, or church group? Contact Kristie Millican, Team Chairperson, at themillicans@verizon.net. Are you a cancer survivor and want to be an honorary participant in Relay? Contact Paige Buck, Survivorship Celebration Chairperson, at buckp@cisdmail.com.

One of Many Holiday Projects

Carroll High School is continuing its holiday tradition of raising money for Heifer International. Last year Carroll High School raised over $500 for Heifer International. Our goal this year is to DOUBLE last year’s contribution by raising $1000 for needy families in famine-stricken areas of the world!


If you or your school would like to make a tax-deductible contribution to this worthy cause, please send your check made out to Heifer International in care of Kathy Prado at Carroll High School.

Campus Excellence Committee Today

Please remember our Campus Excellence Committee will meet after school today at CHS.  While we are finally getting close on satisfying our membership we're still missing a community business member to serve on the committee.  If you know of someone that will serve please have them contact CHS ASAP.

Congratulations for Lady Dragons

Good luck to the Lady Dragon Cross Country runners for their advancement to the  Nike Nationals this weekend.  The girls advanced after winning the regional competition 2 weeks ago at The Woodlands.  While these ladies are no longer running as Carroll teams they do represent the talents and achievements from their work in the Dragon program.

We hope you achieve miracles in Portland.

Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design

Another college visit at CHS in room A111, one of the art rooms, on Tuesday, December 8th from 6-8 PM.

An admissions representative will be giving a talk to parents and students about the school (RMCAD) which is in Denver, CO. Afterwards, he will be reviewing portfolios for prospective students and possible scholarship awards for Seniors.

More information can be found about the school at: www.rmcad.edu

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You might be interested in knowing that vinyl records are making a comeback (according to the students on staff, we actually did something right...all those years ago).

There's a spirited debate on the relative merits of the Twilight series.

A follow-up story about a student dedicating himself to getting all the free stuff he can from the coupons his parents received when they re-roofed their home. There's a feature story on a freshman girl who has released her first album. A delightful and heart warming story about a student's much-loved grandmother. And there's an equally great story of a student who spent a portion of her summer in Manilla to get a better understanding of her family's history.

In addition, if you missed the October issue of The Dragon Tribune, just select Archives in the Navigation Bar.

Dragon's Fire Run

Please join CISD supporters for a Digging For Dragons Family Event this Friday, December 4th, 2009 6:00PM at the Shops of Southlake (Central Market) 5K Dragon's Fire Run for education and 1 mile Decorated Stroller and Parade Contest.

Hornorable Mayor John Terrell, will be the emcee, and a fantastic panel of judges for the contest!

Volunteers needed!  (Community service hours for high school students)
Wednesday & Thursday after school 4-7 & Friday 3-10

For packet pick up Thursday 10-3 at Kelley's Athletics (by Central Market) and late registration on Friday 4PM Central Market.

For more information contact Echo Klatt echollage@aol.com

Congratulations DRAGONS

Thank you to all of the students, faculty, parents, and community members that supported our wonderful students at Cowboys Stadium tonight. 

The Dragons pulled out an amazing double overtime game over Allen HS tonight.

The Dragons will next compete on Friday 7:30 PM at SMU against Arlignton Bowie.  While we hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving we hope to see just as many fans on Friday night at SMU.

WAY TO GO DRAGONS!

Report Cards Going Home Today

Please remember CHS distributed all report cards today to our students.  While we know and understand that everyone has amazing access to grades daily we do want you to know when the official reports come home.

Ready for a Break?

Please remember CHS will be closed next week as everyone prepares to spend some time with their families.  Please remember if you have any questions you may always email Mr. Giamanco and he'll do all that he can to find a solution.

The CHS staff wishes everyone a wonderful break and hopes that each of you has an outstanding time and a safe trip to visit your families.  We look forward to seeing our outstanding students once again on November 30, 2009.

Good Luck Students

CHS would like to wish each of our students good luck this weekend on their wonderful events.

Cross Country students will be competing near mid-day Saturday in Round Rock at the state tournament.

Saturday evening the Dragon Football team will begin their playoff quest at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington.  There will be plenty of seat available and we hope to see everyone there.

Good Luck Dragons and all fans in attendance at both events.

Potential Alert

Please be aware of an organization contacting CHS families in a request to purchase a plaque.  This organization has not been in contact with the district and is not associated with the CISD in anyway. 

If you're ever aware of a situation please feel free to contact the school at your convenience and we'll be happy to communicate with you.

Thank you Veterans

CHS students and staff would once again like to thank our amazing Veterans for their service to our country.  Your amazing accomplishments provide us a vast amount of freedoms that we enjoy daily.

Thank you to the amazing Veterans for your attendance at our cermony on Veterans Day.  It is truly amazing to speak with each of you and learn about your service.  You're each our heros on a daily basis.

College Fair for CISD

The annual CISD College Fair is scheduled for Wednesday, November 4, 2009. On behalf of all staff at CHS we would like to encourage all of our students to attend this amazing event. Over 100 colleges/universities from locations throughout the country will be at this event, including our military academies. This is a great time for students to browse, "meet and greet", and get some great information about colleges and universities. The time is from 6:00 - 8:00 p.m. in the Student Activity Center (SAC) at Carroll Senior High School. This is a "come and go" event - so, everyone may attend as their schedule permits.

FB Service Project for Game at Lewisville

The District 6-5A schools will band together to host a one night can food drive during the last football game of the year.  The Dragons will be playing in Lewisville on Friday, November 6, 2009.  Please consider supporting this endeavor as you arrive for the Dragon football game.

Volleyball Playoff Site Posted

Congratulations to the Lady Dragon Volleyball players and coaches on a wonderful 2009 season so far.

The Lady Dragons will play Keller Central on Tuesday, November 3rd at 7:00pm at Keller Timbercreek HS (Keller's new high school) in the Bi-District round of the state playoffs. All tickets will be sold at the door and prices will be $5 for adults and $3 for students.

Theatre Department Fundraiser

Please join the CSHS Theatre Department at Southlake IHop any time tonight 4:00 - 10:00 PM.

IHop will donate 20% of all sales to Dragon Drama.

Thank you for your help in making this a successful venture.

Interested Engineering Students

The Engineering Expo Sunday, Nov. 15th, is a FREE event for all students in the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex and is an opportunity for students to visit with engineering companies and universities to explore education and careers in engineering fields. Please know the list of 40 schools, including MIT, Cal Berkeley, Stanford, Purdue and other schools from all over the country, and of course all the great schools from our region coming to visit students. There are also engineering companies coming to provide the students with insight into careers in engineering.

FOR A MAP & MORE INFORMATION GO TO

http://www.chsengineeringboosters.com/expo.htm

Sunday, Nov. 15th 1-3:30 PM
at Coppell High School
FREE and Open to the Public

FB Parking Update

Although there have been several reports of Carroll fans being charged for parking at Flower Mound tomorrow night for the football game, we have communicated with FMHS and they have informed us that this will not be happening for the game.

Thank you to everyone that has communicated with us on this situation. GO DRAGONS!

Digging For Dragons...SAVE THE DATE

The next Digging For Dragons Family Event

Friday, December 4th, 2009 6:00PM
5K Dragon Deer Run and 1 mile Decorated Stroller Parade Contest

College Planning Workshop

How to Navigate the College Research/Planning/Admissions

How Your CHS/CSHS Counselor Can Help

Please mark your calendars for Wednesday, October 14, 2009. From 6:00 – 7:00 PM, the CHS/CSHS counselors will present a college planning program that will be very helpful to all high school students. We will discuss how to utilize information and resources from your counselors as you research colleges and begin the college planning and application process. Then, from 7:00 – 8:00 PM, James Walsh, one of our community members and parent of a CSHS graduate, will present a program titled, “De-Mystifying the College Admissions, Planning, and Funding Processes”. If you have any questions, please contact the CHS Guidance Office at 817.949.5620 or the CSHS Guidance Office at 817.949.5813.

Fall Choir Concert

Please don't forget to join our wonderful choir's tonight at 7:00 PM in the CSHS Auditorium.

In addition, please join others at the Southlake IHOP in supporting Dragon Choir today from 4-11 PM.

Southlake I-HOP will donate 20% of all sales to Dragon Choir!

Stop in before or after our Fall Choir Concert for fun, food, and fundraising!

Tickets for Friday

Just to remind everyone planning to attend the Homecoming football game tonight. If you do not have a ticket please obtain one prior to attending the game. At this time the Senior High is sold out and the High School only has student tickets left to sell.

Last we heard, again they could be sold out now, a couple of the elementary campuses still had a few adult tickets left.

If the parking lot is full you may ride a shuttle back and forth from Dawson Middle School/Eubanks Intermediate School tonight.

Please consider attending the game if at all possible and help support our wonderful students.

Sophomore Scholarship Available

We have recently been informed of a wonderful opportunity for our Sophomore students. The Texas~Oklahoma Kiwanis Organization is sponsoring a Sophomore of the Year Scholarship.

Please notice the due date that the students should have their completed application back to the school is November 13th. This would be an absolutely wonderful opportunity for our students to take part in a outstanding event.

The application and instructions can be downloaded from http://www.tofoundation.org/ .

Campus Site Based Team

Due to a few minor problems with some individuals schedules CHS is once again in need of 2 members of our Campus Excellence Committee. We need a community business representative and a parent for a 9th grade student. We will meet 1 time every other month (1st Wednesday) for the remainder of the year to guide the decision making process at CHS.

Please notify Mr. Giamanco (GiamancP@cisdmail.com) immediately if you're interested in serving in this volunteer position.

Pink Out Soon

Each year the Dragons rally together to support the fight against cancer. This year, join the Dragons at the PINK OUT volleyball game Tuesday, October 6 or the football game Friday, October 16.

All donations, contributions and matching funds will be given directly to Komen Tarrant County, local affiliates of Susan B. Komen for the Cure.

Be part of the Cure.

Undy 5000...Join Our CHS Staff

In memory of one of our amazing former faculty members, Kelly Williams, the staff at CHS has joined forces for the Undy 5000 walk.

The 5K is at Winfrey Point at White Rock Lake, October 31. Registration opens at 7:30 AM and the race starts at 9:00.

If you are unable to walk with us, it is never too late to make a donation. No amount is too big or too small! We are currently in 4th place for the most money raised!

Go to www.tinyurl.com/undy5000 to donate or join our team.

Student AUP's

I have recently received a report of at least 100 students that have still not turned in their Acceptable Use Policy paperwork from the 1st day packet earlier this year. Parents and students need to be aware beginning on Friday the students will no longer have any computer access at CHS. While this is definitely not something we want to happen to any student at CHS it is necessary as our staff must maintain proper legality for all of our students.

All students have been given additional paperwork and should be aware if there is a problem. If you have additional questions please feel free to contact the school

CEF Culinary Celebration

We would love to encourage everyone to consider participating in the Carroll Education Foundation Culinary Celebration 2009. The event will take place next Sunday, October 4, 2009 from 6-10 p.m. at the Hyatt Regency DFW.

Please remember this money comes back into all schools as grants provided to CISD staff. We encourage each and every person to continue to support our students, teachers, and staff by participating in this event.

For tickets you may view the CEF website link provided below and purchase tickets directly off of the website.

CEF Culinary Tickets

Teacher Web Sites Back Up

CHS is sincerely sorry for the problems that showed up yesterday requiring parents to try to login to the teacher web pages to view information. This was a minor problem that took us a little while to identify but it should be corrected now.

If you have additional problems please continue to notify us and we'll do all we can to make sure the sites work correctly.

Moms In Touch

On behalf of the staff at CHS and myself, I would like to thank this wonderful organization for welcoming us to another successful school year earlier today.

The CHS/CSHS groups meet either on Thursday or Friday mornings and have encouraged others to join them at their meetings.

If you are interested in this group please feel free to contact me here at CHS and I'll be happy to direct you to one of our wonderful parents.

Dragon Alumni

We are extremely excited about the launch of our new website for Carroll graduates. Never before has there been a better opportunity for you to get reconnected with former classmates, keep up-to-date with Carroll ISD news and share your personal and professional success stories with your alma mater. Whether you were a part of that first graduating class so many years ago or a recent college freshman, we want you to know how proud we are of the legacy you have left our little Dragons. For the updated information please click on the link below.

Dragon Alumni

Curriculum Night Successful

We would like to thank all parents for their wonderful attendance at our Curriculum Night on Tuesday, November 8, 2009. While CHS may sometimes be a little busy to find your way, it appeared you were all very successful and had it figured out at the end of the night.

I'd also like to thank our wonderful staff members for spending the evening with us and helping to educate our parents on what will be discussed in class.

If you have any questions please feel free to let us know. We'll be happy to direct you or the question to the correct individual.

GuestAssist at Dragon Stadium

As we approach the upcoming athletic season our athletic director Kevin Ozee and his staff will be putting into place a new GuestAssist System at Dragon Stadium.

This system will enable immediate two way communication with patrons and event administrators as it relates to weather, emergency weather alerts, school updates, or other concerns.

If you have any concerns please contact a staff member and they'll be glad to assist you.

Curriculum Night Tuesday

Please remember Tuesday night at 6 PM will be our CHS Curriculum Night. We look forward to seeing everyone at CHS. We will start our classes at 6 PM with 8 minute classes and 4 minute passing periods.

While our counselors will be available to hand out schedules I would encourage everyone to gather the information from your child earlier for speed at school.

We look forward to seeing you at school. If you have any questions please contact us at your convenience.

Please Help Our Campus Excellence Committee

CHS is currently in need of parents to assist our site based decision making committee.

We need a parent from each grade level to meet and a local business owner to participate for CHS.

The committee will meet every other month on the first Wednesday at 3:45. The meetings will gather for a close to an hour. The committee will gather data and help guide the campus as needed with various decisions.

If you need specific information please contact the school and we'll be happy to provide specific information.

Traffic Changing

The City of Southlake and CISD are finalizing a change to the traffic pattern at CHS beginning on Tuesday, September 8, 2009.

There should be at least an announcement sent from each party once a final decision is made.

Again we thank every parent and staff member for working through this change and will do all we can to make sure it is finalized in a way that will serve our students best.

President's Speech to be Archived by CISD

CISD/CHS plans to provide Dragon families with a link to the archived copy of President Barack Obama's speech to school children Tuesday. This is an unprecedented event in our nation's history, and we applaud any and all attention our elected officials can give to the topic of public education. However, CHS will not interrupt our planned scope and sequence to show the speech live in classes Tuesday. Our teachers are already deep into the instructional delivery of the district's curriculum content, and we want to do whatever we can to protect the lessons and activities they already had planned for that day.

We look forward to hearing this message from our President, but we are choosing to allow parents to decide when and where to deliver that message to their children. Once the video has been archived and provided in a format for replay, we'll provide parents with access to the link on our CISD website. Information about the speech, along with lesson plans for parent-student discussion are already available from the US government at

http://www.ed.gov/admins/lead/academic/bts.html.

Another New Dragon

Congratulations to Coach Stephen Langford and his wife Jackie on their baby girl, Caroline, born last night/early this morning. We have been told everyone is doing wonderfully. We look forward to seeing our new baby Dragon soon.

H1N1 Updates *Please Read*

With our return to school the H1N1 virus is starting to find its way around the community and schools.

If you will follow the link below it will direct each individual to the district's most recent updates for the virus. Please take the time to review the information ASAP. While we continue to do all we can to help students at CHS we do ask all students and families to continue to take precautions as necessary.

Link to Carroll ISD H1N1 information

Week 2

It is my hope that many of our kids enter week 2 with the belief they will be successful at CHS and excited to feel welcomed here.

Please remember if you have any questions regarding a class please first and foremost contact the teacher to discuss the concerns. Remember we value and treasure everyone's honesty and willingness to appropriately discuss our students. If you need help to set something up please contact the office and we'll do all we can to help direct this venture for you.

This will be another exciting week on campus as our students continue to prepare for the opening to their district and competition seasons. If you have any questions please let us know and we'll be happy to address those with you.

Way to go Dragons!

Traffic Update

Obviously we're several days in and it appears traffic is starting to hit the regular system based on all of our students now beginning to get used to the new setup. Obviously what we're seeing right now is not what anyone expected last year when this was discussed last January. I can assure everyone we'll continue to meet to update and adjust as needed.

Thank you to all of you for working through this right now. While it has been a joint venture with the district and the city, I am willing to admit the parents are the ones working through it the most. I truly do appreciate each of you and can assure you I will not stop until we have a situation that is successful for everyone.

Good Luck Freshmen and JV Tonight

I'd like to wish our student athletes a wonderful evening tonight as they begin their play for the new football season. The 9th Grade will be here in town at Dragon Stadium with the JV heading over to play in Plano. Good luck and we'll expect victories later tonight.

Keeley Lowery Named State Teacher Finalist

Please congratulate our very own Keeley Lowery for being named one of 3 secondary Finalists for Texas Teacher of the Year. The next stop for Keeley will be a committee meeting in Austin, during September, where she'll have the chance to truly communicate her amazing accomplishments to a wide group of people. We're extremely proud of Keeley and wish her nothing but the best on the road to becoming the top teacher in Texas.

The link form T.E.A. can be found below:

Keeley Press Release

Way to go Keeley Lowery you're an amazing teacher and we appreciate all that you do for our kids.

Tickets for 1st Football Game

Please don't forget tickets are now on sale for the first Football game this Saturday at SMU against Plano West. You or your child may come by the main office and purchase a maximum of 10 tickets from our staff. Adult tickets are $8 with student tickets costing $6.

Let's GO DRAGONS! See you Saturday.

Wonderful First Day

First and foremost I would like to congratulate our Students, Staff, and Parents on a wonderful first day at CHS. Please remember no matter what else happens I ask that you continually remember we always get the first choice to cherish each and every day.

With this having been said let me point out the one major problem we faced at CHS currently...Traffic Flow!

Please remember there are 2 turn lanes once you turn onto the CHS property. Once driving on the property please remember from the gym to the commons we have about 2 hundred yards to drop kids off in the inside lane. We ask that everyone continue to pull forward as much as possible to drop students off for the day. If this is the case we will continue to do a better job of driving in the outside lane to our point of exit. In addition, I apologize for some doors not all being open for kids to walk in before school starts, this will be done throughout the rest of the year. This is a new process and we ask that everyone continue to focus on the wonderful things that will happen each day as we continue to evaluate this new procedure.

Having touched on our major issue let me point out how excited we were to see each and every kid come to school with a smile and an interest in learning. To go with this thank you let me also point out the wonderful job I saw from our staff as I entered each classroom today showing respect and appreciation to have students on campus.

Again thank you to everyone and I ask that if you continue to have questions feel free to email me or our staff at your convenience and we'll do all we can to make sure everyone is taken care of promptly and with appreciation.

I truly Love to be at CHS and look forward to continuing to meet more and more of you each day.

Region XI Teacher of the Year

Please congratulate our very own Keeley Lowery for being named Region XI Education Service Center Teacher of the Year. The next stop for Keeley will be the state competition in the next couple of weeks. We're extremely proud of Keeley and wish her nothing but the best.

Traffic Information on SRO Smith's Blog

Please click on the link below for traffic update information and a quick little video for you to see what it looks like.

Traffic Information

Assistant Principal Changes

Please be aware as we start this year our Assistant Principal and Counselors have been changed up slightly.

CHS now has 4 full time counselors and 1 new Assistant Principal.

The data for all of the information is on the campus website. If you have any new questions please feel free to phone the office and we'll do all we can to help you out.

New Traffic Flow at CHS

Who knows what a summer does to a Principal at CHS. I have just realized I forgot to also post on here the Traffic Change at CHS.

Last Friday Carroll ISD and the City of Southlake completed a process to change traffic at CHS so that it would now be one way. While it is apparent to me everyone is having zero problems getting on the campus in the right lanes now I figured I'd remind people again.

Please remember there are two lanes around the building. Please do not drop any students off on the outside lane while circling the building it is for driving only. All students may be dropped on either side or in the back of the building. The front of the building is for visitors and busses only.

If you click the link below it will take you to a webpage that will show you a map to explain the flow.

Bus Map Link

Another New Dragon

Congratulations to Coach Brandon Rogers and his family on bringing another Dragon into the world.

Ileigh Grace Rogers was born this morning weighing 6 lbs 3 oz and 19 inches long.

It appears all are doing well and we're looking forward to seeing the baby soon.

Lady Dragon Volleyball Tryouts Next Week

Lady Dragon Volleyball tryouts will be Monday, August 3 through Thursday, August 6 at Carroll High School, 800 White Chapel Blvd. Times are below.

Times:Varsity & JV: 7 - 10 a.m. and 1 - 3 p.m.Freshmen: 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. - 5 p.m.

All of the necessary forms must be filled out before any athlete will be allowed to participate in tryouts. If you are not sure of what you need please contact coach Arthur Stanfield at 214-533-9209 or stanfiea@cisdmail.com.

Make-up Physicals Scheduled Saturday

Athletic physical examinations have been rescheduled for Saturday, August 1 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Physicals were originally cancelled during the H1N1 (swine) flu situation. Examinations will be done by Mihills and Webb Family Practice at 1001 W. Southlake Boulevard. The cost is $25

Another Dragon Added this Morning

Congratulations to the Coach Royer and his family on bringing another Dragon into the world.

Grant Hayes Royer was born this morning weighing 7.7 lbs.

It appears all are doing well and we're looking forward to seeing the baby soon.

Fall Kick-Off Coming Up Soon

August 14 at CHS

CHS students make plans to attend the CHS Fall Kickoff in the school cafeteria from 1:00-3:00 p.m.

Pick up your schedule, get a locker, locate your classrooms, and visit with friends!

Transition Seminar

Parents from across Northeast Tarrant County are invited to a free seminar on student transitions from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, August 8 in the 24:7 Youth and Conference Center at Richland Hills Church of Christ.

The seminar will explore the transition of students into middle and high school, which for many students, can be a scary and uncertain journey. This is not a faith-based event, but rather a collaborative community-wide effort of the 24:7 staff, along with counselors from Birdville Independent School District, Keller Independent School District, Carroll Independent School District, Northwest Independent School District, Fort Worth Christian School and Teen Lifeline, Inc.

The seminar is open to any parent, but is specifically geared for those who have adolescents who will transition from elementary/intermediate into middle school and from middle school into high school for the 2009-2010 school year. The 24:7 Youth and Conference Center is located at 6300 NE Loop 820.

All parents must register for the event. To register, download the form below and follow the directions on the bottom of the form to submit it.

Registration Form

New Baby Dragon

Carroll High School is proud to announce the arrival of a new Baby Dragon, born to Mr. Ken Johnson and his wife, Kathryn. According to the information I have had shared by Mr. Johnson both baby and mom are wonderful and ready to head home.

Enjoying Your Summer

As we have hit the halfway point of this wonderful and hot summer, I wanted to drop a little note to everyone and say as we begin to prepare for this wonderful school year I hope everyone is having a great time and enjoying their relaxation.

If you have any issues please feel free to call the office. While there is such a small contingent of people here on a daily basis I can assure everyone we'll do all we can to make sure we can answer your questions ASAP.

Schedule Request Deadline Extended 1 Day

Due to our need to close CHS for a period of time on Thursday to attend a funeral we have extended the deadline for final schedule request changes to be submitted to Monday, June 15 at 5:00 PM..

If you need assistance with this task please contact the school so we may be able to assist you

Star-Telegram Article

The star-telegram published a wonderful article outlining Kelly's amazing fight against Colon cancer. Please click on the link below to view the on-line version.

Kelly Williams in Star-Telegram

Funeral Arrangements

According to the information published in today's Star-Telegram newspaper the arrangements for Kelly Williams' services are as follows:

***Updated***
Visitation- 6 to 8 PM Wednesday night at Ted Dickey West Funeral Home 8011 Frankford Rd. in Dallas

Funeral- 11 AM Thursday at Messiah Lutheran Church 1801 W. Plano Pkwy. in Plano

For all individuals interested in carpooling to Plano on Thursday morning we will have a group leaving the school at 9:45 AM.

Carroll High School will be closed from approximately 9:30 AM to 2:00 PM on Thursday for our office staff to attend the funeral.

Heavy Hearts at CHS

It is with a heavy heart that I type this post.

CHS social studies teacher Kelly Williams passed away tonight following her courageous battle with cancer.

On behalf of many I would like to thank the entire community for supporting Kelly in a variety of ways throughout her battle.

CHS will be open tomorrow with staff available for anyone needing assistance.

As we receive details regarding services we will promptly distribute them.

Faculty Concern

As many of you have come to realize the faculty and staff at Carroll High School has remained very close throughout the school's existence. While we have seen teachers come and go one thing has always remained steady, a love and appreciation for each other.

By now it is my sincere hope that the community and family around CHS is well aware of the battle one of our teachers has been facing. Kelly Williams, one of our most beloved and appreciated members of the faculty has been battling cancer for some time now. While the cancer continues to attack her she has never lost hope and continues to fight tooth and nail for her survival.

Recently her fight has gotten harder and she has had to return to the hospital for medical care. While she may not be able to take visitors right now she can use your thoughts and prayers.

Although she is not able to update it regularly, her blog does occasionally provide updated information. You may visit it from the link below.

http://youcantcontrolrandom.blogspot.com/

Program: "Texting, Drug Use and Alcohol Issues in our Schools"

Carroll ISD, The City of Southlake, and S.P.A.R.K. have joined forces to present their final parent education program of the year at 6:30 on June 4th in the CSHS auditorium.

Our school resource officers will present a program aimed at providing parents information relating to: current drug trends, texting issues/acronyms, and teen alcohol use.

Hear what is really going on and prepare your teens for a safe summer.

*All middle school and high school students are encouraged to attend with their parents.

Contact City Council Member Laura Hill for additional information at 817-980-5011 or place1@ci.southlake.tx.us

*Community service hours will be offered for students in attendance.

Email Problems @ CHS

We have been made aware there are some technical issues impacting our email service at CHS. This particular issue has led to a variety of emails not being received by CHS staff.

While we are continually working with the district and outside agencies to solve the problem we also want to alert our students, parents, and community members to this issue. If you have not received a response to an email you may have sent recently please try to resend the email or feel free to phone the school to speak directly with someone.

Again we are very apologetic that this has happened and hope to have the problem solved quickly.

Final Exams

First let me thank everyone for a wonderful year at CHS. I couldn't dream of being in a better place than I am now.

Obviously at this point we're well into our first day of final exams. Today our students will take their 1st, 2nd, and 4th Block exams. Tomorrow they will be working on 5th, 6th, and 8th Block exams. Our year will conclude on Friday with our 3rd and 7th Block exams.

Let me remind everyone we will not be offering any early exams to protect the integrity of each and every test we give. If a student is unable to make an exam time they will need to contact their counselor regarding the make up date and time. In addition, unless it is an emergency we will not be calling students out of class for any reason. Students are expected to remain in their classroom for the entirety of the exam period.

Thank you again and please let us know if we may help you in any way.

Parent Survey Open

Carroll ISD is receiving "Stimulus Funds" under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) to be used to enhance services and programs for students with disabilities under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Specifically, the funds must be used to provide additional support for students who have an ARD Committee and an IEP/Accommodation Plan. This could include students who receive speech-only services and/or are in content mastery, resource, and life skills programs, among others. Students with 504 Plans are not included in this particular group, under ARRA and Texas guidelines.

If you have a child (or children) who meet the above criterion, we would like your input in the development of a Needs List. CISD staff members are also being asked to respond to the survey. Dr. Friar, the Executive Director for Special Programs, has convened an advisory committee which will review and prioritize all of the input provided and submit the list to the administration for consideration.

In order to access the survey, please click on the link below. The deadline for you to access the survey is June 7, 2009. We ask that you only submit one survey per family.

Stimulous Fund Survey

Thank you so much

Summer Assignments Now Posted

As of noon today the summer assignments for the 2009-2010 school year have been posted on the CHS website. I would like to encourage all of our future freshmen and sophomores to check the website, link provided below, early to identify the tasks they will be expected to accomplish prior to the start of the new school year.

If you have any questions please don't hesitate to ask.

Summer Assignments

Game Over

The Southlake Department of Public Safety, in conjunction with the city and Carroll ISD, are hosting Game Over May 21-22 at Carroll High School. This drug and alcohol awareness initiative, geared toward teens approaching driving age, is sponsored by Baylor Regional Medical Center at Grapevine. Game Over is a true-to-life voyage that begins with a mock, horrific car accident as the result of teen alcohol and drug use. CHS students and community leaders will partner for the accident reenactment from 10 to 11 a.m. May 21 at CHS. A special assembly for freshman and sophomore students will take place at 10 a.m. May 22 in the campus gymnasium.

Thank you to all of our volunteers for helping to make this a successful experience for our students.

Digging for Dragons - Final Push

The Digging for Dragons 2008-2009 "Final Push" check writing campaign is now underway. Please help our students continue to receive a world class education with the best programs and teacher support available through your tax deductible donations!

For more information please visit their website: http://www.diggingfordragons.com/

Congratulations Abound for CHS Staff

Special congratulations go out today to two of our wonderful staff members who received special awards yesterday afternoon during the CISD Staff Recognition Ceremony.

Keeley Lowery- District Secondary Teacher of the Year

and

Karen Terry- Special Paraprofessional Award

We're so very proud of these wonderful individuals and all that they do for CHS Students.

Dyslexia, Discover The Answers

The following information was passed on to me by a community member and I felt that it might provide our parents and staff a wonderful opportunity to expand their knowledge regarding Dyslexia.

The International best selling author, Ron Davis who wrote the books, The Gift Of Dyslexia and the Gift Of Learning is on a lecture tour and will be coming to the Dallas area as well as Southlake. He will be speaking in Southlake on Saturday, June 13, 2009 from 2:00 - 4:00 p.m. at Johnson Elementary School. Please come and learn more about dyslexia, the talents that these individuals share, and the challenges they face everyday. Learn more about how these challenges can be overcome and corrected.

For more information please contact Dorothy Owen, Accelerated Comprehension Center, at dorothy@acomprehensioncenter.com

Student Recognitions TONIGHT!

Attention Parents

Please remember tonight beginning at 6 PM we will be inducting our newest National Honor Society members at a ceremony in the CHS cafeteria.

Following the National Honor Society ceremony at 7 PM we will hold our annual CHS student Awards Ceremony to recognize students for their academic accomplishments this year.

Invitations for both events were sent out previously. If you have any questions please contact the Counseling office for NHS questions and the Assistant Principal's office for awards questions.

We look forward to celebrating many outstanding students tonight and hope you will be joining us in our celebration.

Another State Championship

Congratulations to the Lady Dragon Golf team on their successful defense of the UIL 5A State Golf Championship. These remarkable young ladies finished the tournament 3 strokes ahead of their nearest competitors. The team members included:

Brynn Donovan, Elizabeth Stone, Kailey Glenn, Lindsey Alexander, and Alexa Park

Again congratulations to these student athletes and their coaches, we're extremely proud of you.

CHS Volunteer of the Year

While CHS is blessed with a large number of parent volunteers each and every day, we are charged to select a Volunteer of the Year each year for special recognition. Our winner along with those selected at other campuses will be recongized at the May 18, 2009 Board of Trustees meeting.

Please help me in Congratulating our CHS Volunteer of the Year....Barbara Mundlin! Barbara has volunteered each Friday for the past 3 years in our Counsleing office where she always knows exactly what needs to be done. In addition, Barbara has been seen volunteering in our Spirit Shop and with the PTO Hospitality Committee.

Again thank you to all of our volunteers. We could not keep things running daily without your help.

Bond Proposals Pass

According to election results released this evening, the 3 CISD Bond Proposals on the ballot received voter approval.

On behalf of the students and staff at CHS we would like to thank all voters, both those voting for and against the proposals, for turning out in droves to vote in the election. It is a pleasure to work in a district where the community takes such an active interest in our schools.

Teacher Appreciation Week Concludes

Now that our teacher appreciation week activities have concluded at CHS I would like to take the opportunity to thank everyone for recognizing our wonderful staff for all that they do to help our students.

Most importantly though I would like to once again thank our TEACHERS. The work you do on a daily basis is amazing. Your passion is wonderful and very much appreciated.

Whopping Cough Identified

We were contacted recently by a staff member regarding a diagnosed case of pertussis, also called “whooping cough” (in our school). Pertussis is caused by bacteria infecting the mouth, nose and throat. It is spread through the air by coughing and sneezing. Pertussis is usually mild in older children and adults, but often causes serious problems in infants.

The Tarrant County Health Department recommends that CISD notify parents of Carroll High School students; we are notifying all CHS parents and staff as a precautionary measure. Health officials have indicated those with prolonged contact with an affected student might be at risk of infection. CHS has one confirmed case of a staff member. Due to privacy laws, CISD cannot elaborate on the specific name of the staff member diagnosed.

We do not believe this is in any way related to the recent North American Influenza (H1N1 Flu) outbreak and at this time we still do not have any confirmed H1N1 cases.

If you have any questions please feel free to contact the school at your convenience.

Flu Response...Update

CISD has recently update the response to the recent flu outbreak. Please click on the link below to be taken to the districts updated information

Swine Flue Update

TAKS Day 2...Done

As we complete our 2nd day of TAKS testing at CHS I wanted to thank all of our Dragon families for helping to make sure the students are on time and prepared for testing. We have been able to start quickly each morning which has in turn allowed us to complete testing on time.

We also want to give a BIG Thank You to our PTSO for scheduling Parents, Einstein Bagels, Bread Haus and Central Market to contribute goodies for our teachers. We appreciate your support!

Southlake Youth Art in the Square Winners Announced

WOW what a performance by our CHS students. CHS art students swept the awards at the Youth Art in the Square this past weekend. While students from various NE Tarrant county schools entered the competition our students found a way to win each and every category open to them.

For pictures from the event please click on the link below

Youth Art in the Square

TAKS Day 1 Over

Thank you to everyone for making our 1oth grade math TAKS day go so smoothly. Everything went off without a hitch.

Remember Thursday will find all 9th and 10th grade students testing. 9th Grade students will be taking their math test while the 10th grade students will be working on their science test.

In addition, remember with the exception of last block athletics, CHS students will not be going to CSHS this week.

Quest Fest 2009, In the Books

Thank you to all of the students for their performances at our Bi-Annual Quest Fest tonight and to their parents for providing refreshments.

Our students performed a wide variety of original sketches and musical performances in the CHS cafe. I was impressed by the level of talent and understanding exhibited tonight.

Additional thanks go out to our Senior High Quest students for attending the performances as characters from the many books they've studied this year.

Finally I would like to send out a very special thank you for organizing this event to our wonderful Quest teachers, Deann Barta and Misty Fowler. Your dedication to such a wonderful evening is very much appreciated.

Girls Golf State Bound

Congrtulations to the Dragon Girls Golf team for qualifying for the UIL State Golf tournament earlier today in Lubbock. The girls will now be headed to Austin in 2 weeks to take on the state.

Congratulations and Good Luck Ladies!

Sophomore Wins Newspaper Accolades

Congratulations to 10th Grade student Madison Manning on being recognized for "Outstanding Investigative Reporting" recently. Madison was 1 of only 11 students nationally to be recognized as a whole and 1 of 2 in this category.

In addition, the Dragon Tribune was recognized with a First Place acknowledgement. Congratulations to the entire staff for this accoplishment.

Forensics Heading to Nationals

Congratulations to members of the Carroll Speech and Debate Team for competing at Westlake High School April 16-18 for the right to attend the National Forensic League national tournament to be held in Birmingham, Alabama in June. By winning the District Tournament Championship the following students have qualified to participate:

Ryan Bennett - 2nd in Lincoln-Douglas Debate
Winston Berg and Stephen Hurt - 1st in Public Forum Debate
Bryan Campanello - 1st in Congressional Debate
Parker Burns - 2nd in Congressional Debate

Special thanks go out to our coaches for guiding these wonderful students throughout the year and good luck at nationals.

TAKS on the Horizon

Just a reminder the week of April 27 through May 1, CHS will be administering the state TAKS test.

10th grade- testing on Tuesday (Math), Thursday (Social Studies), and Friday (Science)
9th grade- testing on Thursday (Math) with a 2 hour delayed arrival on Tuesday and Friday

We will be working on an alternative schedule throughout the week. This schedule should be posted to the website so0n and is available from all CHS teachers.

If you have any questions please feel free to contact CHS and we'll do our best to answer your questions quickly.

Good Luck to all of our Dragons as they participate in this testing process.

One Act Play Advances

Congratulations to the One Act Play students and staff on their performance at Coppell High School this past Saturday. This phenomenal group of students and staff members has qualified for the Regional Competition based on this performance. Good Luck to all of the participants as they continue in their quest for a state championship.

Important Reminders

I would like to remind our Dragon community our students will have the day off Friday, April 10th.

In addition, we will be in session on Monday, April 13th when we will make up our "Bad Weather Day."

Enjoy your long weekend.

4th Annual Dragon's Fire 5K/1Mile Fun Run

PLEASE join the Digging for Dragon's Foundation, in their 4th Annual Dragon's Fire 5K/1Mile Fun Run ~ Burn up the Road For Education ( ... in memory of Frank Cornish ~) on May 2nd, 2009.

The 1 mile "Fun Run" starts at 9AM.
The 5K begins at 9:30AM.

The event will also feature a Health Fair from 9 AM to 4 PM at Central Market/Shops of Southlake

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED RACE DAY ... Adults & HS Students for Community Service Hours.

If interested, Contact Echo Klatt at DFD@CISDMAIL.COM
To obtain a race form click the link below.
Entry Form

One Act Play Successful

Congratulations go out to the Carroll Theatre Department's One Act Play "Chemical Imbalance: A Jekyll and Hyde Play". The performance this past Monday in the District Competition at Hebron High helped the student advance to the Area Competition. The next competition will take place on April 11 at Coppell High School.

OM Students Qualify for World Competition

Congratulations to the following list of CHS students and future student for finishing second in the drama division at the state Odyssey of the Mind competition. The students will now be competing at the OM World competition in Ames, Iowa. Again congratulations for their efforts and good luck to all of these students as they take on the world.

Katie Dachniwsky - 10th
Tsengal Myagmarjav - 10th
Spencer Rainbolt - 10th
Emilie Featherston - 9th
Annie Newman - 9th
Lindsey Weiss - 9th
Nico Scalzo - (future CHS student)

Thank You Future CHS Parents...2

I want to take the opportunity to thank the CMS PTO for inviting Dr. Rollins and myself to answer questions this morning at their regular meeting. For those parents that were unable to attend the meeting please feel free to contact us via email if there are any specific questions we might be able to answer for you.

In addition, I will remind everyone of the final registration Q and A session that is scheduled for April 2nd from 3 to 6 at CHS. We would love to have the opportunity to answer any questions you may have regarding your child's registration for the 2009-2010 school year.

Thank You

On behalf of my wonderful secretary, Tracy Herzik, her family, and the entire CHS family. I would like to thank everyone for their support at The Feedstore last night. It is awesome to be able to witness the way the community supports one of their own when they need assistance. While this is a long process for Tracy and really only just beginning I know she is very grateful for your support and encouragement along the way. If you were unable to attend the fundraiser and would still like to make a donation please consult the CHS homepage where information is posted. Thank you again and I can't express more how proud I am to be a Dragon.

CHS Teacher of the Year

Carroll High School is proud to announce our 2008-2009 Teacher of the Year

The CHS staffed concluded the nomination process prior to Spring Break and identified the following teachers as candidates for this honor:
Keeley Lowery, Science Teacher and Department Chair
Donna Lucas, Math Teacher and Department Chair
Kathy Prado, Social Studies teacher and Department Chair
James Stueart, Science Teacher

The staff had the opportunity to vote for the teacher of their choice earlier this week and identified, in the closest of votes possible, Mrs. Keeley Lowery. We would like to congratulate Mrs. Lowery on this honor and thank her for her dedication to the community and most importantly to our students.

Summer School Information Posted

While we still have some time left in this fast moving school year, I wanted to make sure everyone was aware the secondary summer school information is now posted. You may follow the link below to investigate our summer offerings. As more information is released we will pass on the information.

Summer School Information

Congratulations Dragon Soccer

We would like to congratulate both the boys and girls soccer teams on their hard fought bi-district play-off victories last night. The boys won their match following an 8 round shoot-out with Keller Central. The girls battled to a 1-0 victory over Colleyville Heritage.

I would like to encourage you to get out this weekend to support either the boys or girls teams as they take on Jesuit and McKinney Boyd respectively. Go Dragons!!!!!!

CHS Biology: To Hatch or Not To Hatch

Over the next few months, CHS Biology students will be studying organisms in the animal kingdom. As part of this unit our Biology teachers are considering the possibility of incubating eggs for hatching. In the past various ducks, chickens, and other birds have been hatched from the eggs.

Prior to finalizing their decision to incubate, the teachers must confirm there are permanent homes for all of the animals. If there are not enough homes for the animals, the activity will be postponed until another year. If you're interested in serving as an adoptive home for one or more of these animals, please click on the link below.

Adoption Form

Feed Store Benefit Planned for Tracy Herzik

The Feed Store Barbecue has agreed to donate a portion of their proceeds on Thursday, March 26th to benefit the National Transplant Assistance Fund and more specifically my secretary, Tracy Herzik. The benefit will run from 4:30-8:00 at the restaurant. In addition to donating a portion of the proceeds that evening there will be tip jars around for those who would like to make donations towards her medical expenses. While Tracy has every intention of being there that night we do hope that she is already on her road to recovery from the transplant and resting back home. I look forward to seeing the community turn out and help an amazing woman through this battle.

Belles Steal the Show in San Marcos

Congratulations to the Emerald Belles on the conclusion to their successful competition season in San Marcos over the weekend. These wonderful ladies brought home numerous awards including team, officers, and individual. We're extremely proud of all of your hard work and dedication throughout the year. Congratulations again and good luck as we head toward tryouts for next year's team.

Tarrant County Health Dept. Immunization Clinic

The Tarrant County Health Department Immunization Clinic will be at CSHS on Friday, April 3, at 9 am, and at CHS on Tuesday, April 7, at 9 am.

Please check with your campus nurse if you have questions:

CHS Nurse Teresa Riggs at riggst@cisdmail.com or 817-949-5610
CSHS Nurse Karen Flexer at FlexerK@cisdmail.com or 817-949-5810.

Dragons Successful at TFA State

Congratulations to all our Carroll students that competed at the TFA state competition this past weekend in Houston. Special congratulations go out to the 13 students that achieved "All-State" recognition. Your hard work, dedication and many hours of preparation show.

Congratulations Dragon Hockey

Congratulations to the Dragon hockey program on their 2 NTXHL Division Championships this weekend. Both the Varsity and JV programs secured their wins over the weekend in fine fashion.

Thank You Future CHS Parents

I want to take the opportunity to thank the DMS PTO for inviting me to answer questions on Wednesday afternoon at their regular meeting. For those parents that were unable to attend the meeting please feel free to contact me via email if there are any specific questions I might be able to answer for you.

For our wonderful future parents at CMS don't despair, I have been asked by the PTO to speak at your meeting later this month (March 27, 10:00 AM). Until then the offer mentioned above stands for you as well. I'll be happy to answer your questions before our meeting if you feel it is necessary.

CHS Rocks on TAKS day #1

Thank you to all students, staff, and parents for making our first TAKS day of the school year run flawlessly. Our staff did a phenonmenal job of keeping tabs on everything that needed to be done. Our students seemed to work hard throughout the test and adjusted to the change in schedule quickly. Parents we'd love to thank you for getting your students here early and ready to perform. While we will not recieve our actual numbers until late May, based on what I saw today I believe we will get good news.

Odyssey of the Mind Students Qualify for State

Congratulations to our Odyssey of the Mind team as they have qualified for the state finals in Houston on Friday March 27, 2009. These students finished in 1st place this past weekend at their regional competition. If you see these students please congratulate them on a job well done.

Emilie Featherston - 9th
Katie Dachniwsky - 10th
Annie Newman - 9th
Lindsey Weiss - 9th
Tsengal Myagmarjav - 10th
Spencer Rainbolt - 10th

Jazz Bands Wow UTA

Carroll's Jazz Bands I and II joined 30 other bands in competition at the UTA Jazz Festival on Friday. Jazz Band I won 1st place in the 5A division and Jazz Band II placed 3rd in the 5A-II division. As this year's sweepstakes winner, Jazz Band I will receive the honor of performing as a featured guest at the festival's evening concert next year. Way to go Jazz Bands.

TAKS Incentives Finalized

CHS students will have the opportunity to earn the following incentives via their performance on the upcoming TAKS test. Incentives will be based on entire grade level's performance on the tests. If the overall percentage of students passing each test increases 1% over the previous year then the students will recieve a 5% bonus on the 2nd semester final exam in that area. If the percentage of commended students increases 5% over the previous year then the students will recieve an additional 5% bonus on their final exam in that area. An example is listed below.

The 2008 10th Grade had a 90% passing rate on the math test. If the 2009 10th Grade has 91% or higher passing rate on their math test then the 10th graders will recieve a 5% bonus on their final exam in the math class they're currently enrolled in. The commended rate was 43% thus the 2009 rate will need to increase to 48% for the 10th graders to get an additional 5%.

Again this will be a group effort as we may not provide TAKS incentives for individual performance on TAKS alone. Good Luck CHS students and I truly hope you achieve your goals.

HEB Parent University

The HEB school district Special Education Department will be sponsoring a "Health and Wellness" parent university on Tuesday, March 10 at 8 AM. All CHS parents are welcome to attend.

The event will take place at the Pat May Center 1849 B Central Drive, Bedford.

For more information please feel free to contact me and I'll be happy to send you the flyer with specific information.

Game Over Volunteers Needed

Any student who would like to participate in the Game Over program should stop by the Assistant Principal's office no later than April 7 to sign up.

If you have any questions please see Officer Smith.

TAKS Tuesday

Please remember CHS will be administering the English Language Arts TAKS test this Tuesday. We will be on a different bell schedule throughout the day and we will not be running shuttle buses between campuses, with the exception of the last block athletics shuttles. If you have any questions please check the campus web page or contact the school directly.

Dragons Busy in Austin

Congratulations to CSHS Junior Stephen McPeek. Stephen brought home another state title for the Dragons earlier tonight at the UIL state wrestling chapionships.

Earlier in the day the boys and girls swim teams both placed 7th in Austin at the UIL state swim meet.

PTO Board Nominations

CHS/CSHS PTO General Board Openings for 2009-2010

The CHS/CSHS Nominating Committee has been formed, and we're ready to begin working on next year's PTO Board. Nominating Committee members include: Lisa Mlinac, Grace Dotson, Kathy Smith, Jill Cogen and Beverly Hottois.

The CHS/CSHS PTO Board is a great way to be involved at the high schools. Please review the PTO positions and their descriptions on the CHS Homepage (posted now). Then, fill out the form and send it, by Friday, February 20th, to the name and address listed at the bottom of the form. Or it you'd rather, send the same information via e-mail to Beverly Hottois at bdhottois@verizon.net. Board positions will be assigned on a first-come, first-serve basis so don't delay...let us know your first choice today!

2009-2010 Course Selection

Online registration is available for all students, current grades 8 - 10.

Students and parents, please remember that online course selection for next year's 9th, 10th, and 11th grade students must be completed no later than Friday, February 22, 2009. You received information about how to select these courses during an earlier meeting with the counseling staff. Please select your courses for the 2009-10 school year now. Thank you.

Congratulations Abound

Congratulations to the Carroll Lady Dragon Basketball team on their hard fought victory over Northwest last night. The Lady Dragons will continue their play-off march this Friday night in Coppell vs. Plano West at 6:30 PM.

Congratulations also go out to Mitch Spradlin on his performance in the Ft. Worth Science Fair last night. Mitch won 1st place in the "Energy and Transportation" 1st division and brought home a 1st place sponsor prize from the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers.

A final note of congratulations goes out to the Lady Dragon Softball team as they began the Coach Stuewe era in a big way by short gaming our neighbors from Colleyville 11-0 in 5 innings. Way to go ladies and congratulations on a successful start to Coach Tim Stuewe.

Staff Inservice/Student Holiday

Students will have Monday, February 16 off. Our staff members will be working on a variety of staff developments based on departmental needs. The sessions will include specific training on the new Promethean interactive instructional boards, questioning strategies, departmental horizontal alignment and vertical alignment with the Senior High teachers.

We hope our students enjoy the day off and we look forward to seeing everyone again on Tuesday.

Facility Planning Survey

In March 2008, the Carroll School Board appointed a Long-Range Facility Planning Committee to assess district facility needs and consider all options available for managing current and future student enrollment. The committee was comprised of 41 local citizens and campus employees representing each of the district's attendance zones. The committee recently submitted its recommendations to the district, and the School Board would now like your input. They would like to hear your thoughts on the projects identified by this committee before taking any formal action. The survey takes just a few minutes to complete. If you are unable to complete the survey in one sitting, revisit the link and you will be taken back to the place where you left off. Each respondent is permitted to complete only one survey. If a hard copy is needed, contact 817-949-7080.

Click here to take the survey

College Information Workshop

The Carroll Counseling Department will be sponsoring their annual College Workshop Wednesday, February 11 at CSHS.

The night begins with a Financial Planning session, from 5:30 - 6:30 pm. The actual Collge Workshop begins at 6:30 pm and consists of four 30 minute sessions for the the students to attend covering a wide variety of information.

Cheerleading Parent Meeting

Attention parents of current 8th and 9th grade students interested in trying out for cheerleading. There will be a parent meeting tonight at 7 PM in the CHS cafe. Attendance at a information meeting is a requirement to tryout for the cheerleading squad. Please contact Coach Lyndee Hayes at CHS if you have any questions.

JV Emerald Belles Performance

JV Emerald Belles will hold a competition dress rehearsal tonight at 6pm in the CHS gym. This is a great opportunity for the girls to show off their hard work for their friends and family before their first competition. It will only last about 30 minutes. Hope to see you there!

CHS Recognized

Just for the Kids has selected CHS as a 2008 Just for the Kids Higher Performing School. The organization chose CHS as higher performing based on analyses conducted by the National Center for Educational Achievement, sponsor of the Just for the Kids Campaign. We were recognized as "Higher Performing" in Mathematics, Reading, Science, and Social Studies.

Thank you to the students and staff for this honor.

Channel 11 Visits Rachel's Challenge

During our Wednesday morning Rachel's Challenge presentations CHS was visited by CBS 11. While on campus several students had the opportunity to be interviewed and comment on their experiences thus far with the new impactful program. You can view the story on their website. The link is found below.

Rachel's Challenge on CBS

Flu Season has ARRIVED at CHS

Parents, Flu season is alive and well at CHS! Please remember that standard CISD policy states that students may not return to school until 24 hours after a fever of 100. Influenza (flu) is caused by a virus and is very contagious, especially in the school setting. It is spread by coughing, sneezing, and nasal secretions. Symptoms include fever over 100, muscle aches, cough, chills, fatigue, sore throat, and headache. Students with a fever should not be sent to school with over the counter medications to mask their fever. Their illness will be prolonged and they are directly exposing other students and staff to their illness. Getting plenty of rest, eating lots of fruits and vegetables, plenty of fluids, frequent hand washing, and not sharing food and utensils are all helpful in preventing illness. And it is not too late to get a flu shot!

Rachel's Challenge Off and Running

CHS concluded our student presentations and training yesterday for Rachel's Challenge. A big thank you goes out to our presenter Cody Hodges (former Texas Tech QB). Cody was phenomenal and spoke very passionately to the students about the programs goals and the changes that can be made in a school when students are willing to accept Rachel's Challenge.

Parents don't forget the parent training tonight at Johnson Elementary school at 6:00 PM. Cody will be on hand one last time as he helps to spread the message of Rachel's Challenge.

Cell Phone Ban

Another reminder:
The City of Southlake has recently passed a new ordinance banning the use of handheld devices while driving a car in a school zone. Thus if the light is flashing you need to put your phone down and avoid a $200 ticket.

Rachel's Challenge

A reminder to students and parents:

We will have our Rachel's Challenge student Assembly this Wednesday, February, 4th.

In addtion, there will be a parent information meeting on the evening of the 5th for all High School and Senior High School parents at Johnson Elementary.

PTO Board Nominations

If you're interested in serving in a leadership position for the PTO board for the '09-'10 school year please see a current PTO board member.

Blood Drive

The CHS staff is sponsoring a community blood drive on Friday, February 13 to honor CHS staff member Tracy Herzik. Carter Bloodcare will be bringing at least 2 busses to CHS to facilitate the process. Please follow the attached link to sign up for a time to donate blood.

Click here to sign up for the CHS Blood Drive

**Rescheduled** Parent Registration Meeting

**Update**
The 8th and 9th grade parent registration meeting has been rescheduled for Wednesday, February 4 from 6 to 8 PM in the CHS cafeteria.

Due to the inclement weather and the decision to close school on Wednesday. We decided to postpone the parent registration meeting scheduled for the cafe.

The Sound of Music

The Dragon Drama program will begin their presentation of the Rodgers and Hammerstein classic, The Sound of Music this Friday evening at 7:30.

Cick here to purchase tickets

**CHS Closed**

CHS/CISD will be closed on Wednesday, January 28.

Early Release

CHS students will be released at 2:30 today, Tuesday, January 27, due to inclement weather predictions. For students riding the bus our school busses will be running at their regular times. Students not able to leave campus immediately will be expected to report to the cafeteria until they are able to leave campus.

PTSO Meeting

Just a reminder the next CSHS/CHS PTSO meeting will take place at 9 AM on Monday September 2, 2009 on the CSHS campus.

Parent Meeting

Parents of current 8th & 9th grade students are invited to a meeting on January 28th, 2009 at 6:00 p.m. in the CHS Cafeteria. The CHS counseling staff will be discussing a variety of information regarding registration for the 2009-2010 school year.

A Student to Celebrate

Congratulations to CHS freshmen Katie Unkle. Katie will be featured on the Channel 11 morning news on Friday, January 30. The segment called "Texans with Character" will be broadcast between 6 and 7 am. Katie recently founded Cakes 4 A Cause, Inc. Through this organization Katie bakes and sells chocolate velvet tortes to raise money for autism research. Katie's inspiration for this effort is her brother Ben, a CSHS junior. To investigate and or support her efforts please visit the organization website at www.cakes4acause.com

CHS Concern

We are asking everyone in the Dragon family to keep our wonderful secretary Tracy Herzik in their thoughts and prayers as she recovers from her recent double transplant. While the surgery did not conclude as well as we hoped, we know Tracy will continue her fight daily until she can return home and eventually to CHS. For information on how to best assist Tracy please see the information in another post concerning "Transplant Assistance."

Pink Out a Success

We would like to once again thank our Lady Dragon soccer program for their efforts toward Breast Cancer awareness by hosting their "Pink Out" Monday. The most important result to remember from the night isn't the scores on the field but the message these ladies sent. Thank you ladies and coaches for shedding light on this battle.

Let's Start the Second Semester

Students, please remember to report to the cafeteria before your first class to pick up your official second semester schedule. You must have this copy of your schedule to report to class.

Transplant Assistance

Many of you know that Tracy Herzik is a Carroll graduate (1986) and now works at Carroll High in Southlake as the principal's secretary. She is also active in her church, Gateway in Southlake, Texas.

As you may know, transplantation is very expensive. Even with health insurance there are significant non-reimbursable costs. A fundraising campaign has been established with the National Transplant Assistance Fund (NTAF) to help defray uncovered expenses such as deductibles, co-payments and prescriptions. NTAF is a nonprofit organization that has been assisting the transplant community for over twenty years. All contributions are administered by NTAF exclusively for uninsured transplant-related expenses. Donations are tax deductible to the full extent of the law. To support this cause:

Make checks payable to: NTAF South-Central Kidney/Pancreas Transplant Fund

Note in memo section: In Honor of Tracy Herzik

Send to: National Transplant Assistance Fund
150 N. Radnor Chestor Road, Ste F-120
Radnor, PA 19087

To make a credit card donation, please call NTAF at 800-642-8399 or visit www.transplantfund.org.

It’s never easy to ask for help and now is certainly no exception. Tracy has touched the lives of many and we deeply appreciate the support she has received. At times like this, the assistance of family, friends and the community is crucial to help ensure a positive outcome. Thank you to all of you who generously lent your love and comfort to Tracy and her family during this very difficult time. Your prayers and support are greatly appreciated.

On behalf of Tracy and her family, thank you for your kindness and generosity.

Sincerely,

Christie Francis
817-379-3369
msf4717@verizon.net

Contributions are tax deductible to the extent allowed by law. This campaign is administered by the National Transplant Assistance Fund, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit providing fundraising assistance to transplant and catastrophic injury patients. Information: 800-642-8399.

Gift of Life

Thanks to the kind and caring heart of an individual out there, CHS secretary, Tracy Herzik will be undergoing a kidney and pancreas transplant this morning.

Please keep Tracy in your thoughts.

On behalf of Tracy and many like her we would like to encourage everyone to register as an organ donor. You may follow the link provided to investigate further:

www.donatelifetexas.org

Welcome our Newest Dragon

We would like to congratulate Amelia Trojacek and her husband, Jeremy (a CSHS teacher/coach) on the latest addition to their family. The Trojacek's have been going through the adoption process since August of 2007. Yesterday they received the wonderful news that they have been blessed with a new baby boy.

Parker Reid Trojacek
6 lbs. 14 oz.
19 1/2 in.
Born in Kileen, TX at 9:22 am

Pink Out

Don't forget the Lady Dragon soccer program will be sponsoring a "Pink Out" on Monday, January 19 at Dragon Stadium versus LD Bell. Games will take place at 4:30, 6:00, and 7:30. Please come out and support this wonderful endeavor.

As many of you know cancer has impacted our campus in so many ways over the last couple of years. It is our hope that events such as this will help shed some additional light on a great battle and promote awareness.

Good Luck Ladies.

School Board Appreciation Month

On behalf of the many people at CHS I would like to take this opportunity to thank our very dedicated CISD Board of Trustees.

The CISD Board of Trustees includes: Sue Armstrong, Trustee; Bernie Ausdenmoore, Trustee; Danny Gilpin, Trustee; Craig Rothemeyer, Secretary; Erin Shoupp, President; John Thane, Trustee; and Sherri Williams; Vice President.

We will officially honor the board at a campus lunch with our Executive Council on January 28th. If you run into any of these outstanding individuals please be sure to let them know how much you appreciate the work they do for the students at CHS.

Final Exams

Good Luck to all CHS Dragons on their 1st Semester Final exams this week. Please remember Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday will be half days for our students. The schedule can be found by clicking on the following link:

http://www.southlakecarroll.edu/carrollhigh_finalexamsched.aspx

Students will also have a long weekend as Monday, January 19 and Tuesday, January 20 will be student holidays. All staff will be off on Monday as well.

Long Range Planning

Are you interested in the future of CHS? Don't pass up the opportunity to hear directly from the Long Range Facility Planning committee. The next meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, January 14 at Carroll Intermediate School.

Parent University is Coming

Don't forget to investigate the wonderful offerings available to parents on Saturday, January 31 at Dawson Middle School. You can find additional information on the district website (http://www.southlakecarroll.edu/) under the parent tab.

Parent Volunteers

With the introduction of Rachel's Challenge on the horizon, we have a new opportunity for parents to volunteer to help our students and serve on a Parent Advisory Council for Rachel's Challenge. We will need somewhere in the neighborhood of 5 to 8 parents to sign up to serve our students. If you are interested in this opportunity please contact your child's counselor.

Dragon Condolences

Please keep Annie Abner, one of our amazing counselors, in your thoughts over the next couple of days. We were informed earlier today that Annie's mother passed away last night. Services will take place this Saturday in Temple.

25th Annual Dragon Choir Variety Show

Mark Your Calendars

Variety Show Performances are Friday and Saturday, February 20th and 21st.

Audition submission deadline is Friday, January 23, 2009 and can be submitted on line at http://www.dragonchoir.net/

Thank You Dragon Families

On behalf of all of the staff members at CHS I'd like to thank everyone for the wonderful gifts and well wishes that were distributed prior to our leaving for winter break. Your love and appreciation for our staff is AWESOME! Please take every opportunity you get to let our staff members know how much you appreciate them, they are phenomenal.

Happy Birthday to our Dragon Teachers

Dragon Birthday wishes go out to a couple staff members this week

Annie Tam- Thursday, January 8th

Sandra Sobocinski- Saturday, January 10th

Don't forget to stop by and congratulate these ladies this week

Rachel's Challenge is Coming

CHS along with the rest of CISD is on the verge of begining an exciting new program, "Rachel's Challenge." Please click on the link to the right to preview this community changing program.

Welcome Back Dragons

As we approach our return to school on Monday, January 5, 2009 I hope everyone has had a wonderful Winter Break. I would also like to wish everyone a Happy New Year. In so many respects the past year has been difficult for our Dragon Family, without forgetting the past let's focus on the positives and begin the new year with renewed hopes and dreams.

If I can assist anyone please feel free to let me know.