Education

WASHINGTON – Rep. John Ratcliffe (R-Texas) selected Jose Vasquez and Caitlyn Wildey of Pittsburg High School to receive the 2017 “Rising Lone Star” award. 
Ratcliffe’s staff formally presented the awards to the students last month. The “Rising Lone Star” award recognizes extraordinary acts of self-sacrifice or community service demonstrated by high school students in Texas’ 4th District. The recipients are nominated by their principals, administrators or counselors.
Vazquez was nominated for using his talents as an artist to produce artwork for the Pittsburg High School Veterans Day Program. He served actively on the Pittsburg High School Student Council and was president of the Interact Club. 
Wildey was nominated for her inspiring efforts help to make sure that the special education students at her school felt accepted and loved. 

From Staff Reports

The Pittsburg Primary School participated in the American Jump Rope for Heart event. 
The students jumped rope during their regular physical education time at school.  
They raised $2,612.  
“I am so proud of the students, we talked about the importance of eating healthy and exercising daily to take care of our heart.” said Turnette Truitt, the school’s physical education teacher.  “The students worked very hard and were awarded prizes for their participation.”
She added the students  had heart healthy posters hanging in the gym to promote better food choices and the students enjoyed reading the posters. 
“We also had a poster for students to write names of their family or friends that is suffering from heart disease,” Truitt said.
 

Twirlers from Pittsburg Junior and High School brought home several trophies as they competed in the fourth annual Bullard High School Twirling Competition recently.
The ensemble group of Skyler Brown, Julianna Sewell, Jennifer Rodriquez and Hailey McNatt placed first in the multi-baton twirl division.
The group will perform the same routine at the UIL State Twirling Competition in Pflugerville on May 28.
There were also several individual award winners at the Bullard competition.
Rodriguez took third place in 11-12-grade multi-baton twirl. Sewell was second and Brown finished third in the 9-10-grade multi-baton twirl. 
All three girls will perform their solo routines at the state meet.
Sydney Smith placed fourth in the 7-8-grade baton dance twirl.
 

Pittsburg High School  sophomore Gabriel Gutierrez was recognized at the Pittsburg Independent School District school board meeting for his recent win at SkillsUSA Texas Leadership and Skills Conference.
He competed in the Medical Math event in Corpus Christi last month. 
Gutierrez placed first at district competition in Waco prior to being named the state champion on April 9, after scoring 98 percent on his exam. He competed against schools of every size across the state. 
His competition involved answering questions about the SkillsUSA National Organization and calculating medication dosages, measurements, concentrations, solutions and conversions. SkillsUSA is a national organization in 54 states and territories that works to prepare students for careers in technical, skilled and service occupations. 
He will be attending the SkillsUSA National Conference in Louisville, Kentucky, on June 19.

rtheast Texas Community College will host its iCan Kids Discovery College on July 10-20. 
Children ages 8-16 can choose from a variety of fun, interactive classes that will meet Monday through Thursday for two weeks (eight classes total). 
Early registration is currently underway. 
The schedule is as follows:
• Photography: 8:30-10 a.m., NTCC main campus, Ages 8-16
• Robotics I: 8:30-10:30 a.m., NTCC main campus, Ages 8-16
• Cooking with Chef Reeves: 8:30 a.m. to noon, NTCC Culinary Arts School in Pittsburg, Ages 10-16
• Soccer: 9:00-10:00 a.m., NTCC main campus, Ages 8-16
• Graphic Design: 10-11:30 a.m., NTCC main campus, Ages 8-16
•    The Mad Scientist: 10-11:30 a.m., NTCC main campus, Ages 8-16
• Engineering Design Project: 10 a.m. to noon, NTCC main campus, Ages 8-16
•    Comic Book Creation: 10:30 a.m. to noon, NTCC main campus, Ages 8-16

MOUNT PLEASANT -- Alpha Mu Chi, Northeast Texas Community College’s chapter of the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society, successfully campaigned for the Texas Region District III vice president position at the regional convention earlier this spring. 
After the chapter won the position, elections were held within the chapter to determine which member would represent the chapter. 
Chesney Davis won that election and will represent the chapter as vice president.
Davis graduated third in his class from Pittsburg High School in 2016. He is a Presidential Scholar in Honors Northeast.

See complete story in April 27 edition
 

AUSTIN – Commissioner of Education Mike Morath recently announced that the Texas Education Agency (TEA) has established a website tea.texas.gov/iamtxed to feature all educator profiles published in the agency’s successful #IAmTXEd social media campaign.
Launched in December 2016, the #IAmTXEd campaign collects and shares the ongoing success stories of Texas educators whose work is leading to greater student outcomes and achievements. The social media posts are shared statewide each Thursday via the TEA’s Facebook, Instagram and Twitter accounts.
“Social media is a great avenue for quickly sharing stories that spotlight our teachers, but this website offers a place to view our ongoing collection of great work,” said Commissioner Morath. “There continues to be no shortage of great work taking place in classrooms across our state every school day.”

See complete story in April 27 edition
 

By Ellis Knox | reporter@campcountynow.com

Many of the Pittsburg ISD projects from the 2013 and 2017 bonds are either done or are nearing completion, according to Charlie Price of Compass Builders.
Price reported to the board that construction projects across the district for March was all good news.
He said the new agriculture science and technical skills building is completed and that furnishings, electrical hook ups, equipment and machines are being installed. Weather permitting, the final grading, fencing and canopies for the covered walks, will be completed soon. In addition, the ag-science and career technical programs building will be ready for occupation soon, Price noted. 

See April 6 issue of The Gazette for complete story.
 

Twelve Pittsburg Independent School District students and staff will be joining numerous community members in June for a mission trip to Honduras with Emmanuel Baptist Church. They will travel to Jalaca, Honduras and stay at the New Life Children’s Orphanage. 
This orphanage houses approximately 46 children that range in ages 7-18 with the majority of them being teenagers. 
Students will go out into local villages conducting feeding and medical brigades as well as working in the classrooms with the children for one and two weeks. 
Members of the group going are selling Little Caesars Pizzas to help raise money and also taking donations. 
If one would like to make a donation or to find out more information, email Mandy Hobbs at mhobbs@pittsburgisd.net or call the church office at 903-856-3411.

MOUNT PLEASANT -- Northeast Texas Community College and Texas A&M University – Texarkana held a ceremony March 23 to formalize a memorandum of understanding and articulation agreement for the Associate of Science in Business Administration to Bachelor of Business Administration. 
The agreement allows students who complete their associate degree in business at NTCC to seamlessly transfer into the bachelor’s degree program at A&M-Texarkana. 
The two institutions are longtime educational partners and A&M-Texarkana has a full-time office on the NTCC campus. 
Currently, students can choose from 10 bachelor’s degree and three master’s degree programs that are offered through a combination of online and face-to-face classes held on the NTCC campus. 
To learn more, contact the A&M-Texarkana at NTCC office at 903-434-8357.