2018 Performing Arts Teaching Chairs Announced
Brandi Waller - Pace, general music teacher at Fort Worth ISD’s Bruce Shulkey Elementary School, has been selected as the 2018-19 Bayard H. Friedman Chair for Teaching Excellence in Performing Arts. Julia Worthington, theater teacher at Western Hills High School, has been selected as the Broadway at the Bass Chair for Teaching Excellence in Performing Arts in Theater and Dance.
Ms. Waller-Pace and Ms. Worthington were chosen following a rigorous three-part evaluation process based on a written application and narrative; a recording of classroom instruction; and an interview session with a distinguished panel of judges.
“There were many strong candidates for the awards this year,” said Sue Buratto, Education Director at Bass Hall and Performing Arts Fort Worth. “We were so excited to see so much talent in the music, theater and dance programs throughout the school District.”
In 1999, Performing Arts Fort Worth established the Bayard H. Friedman Chair for Teaching Excellence in Performing Arts, which annually recognizes and rewards an exemplary Fort Worth Independent School District teacher. The Chair carries the title for one year and receives a $5,000 honorarium. In 2016, an additional Performing Arts Chair was established as the Broadway at the Bass Chair for Teaching Excellence in Theater and Dance in order to also recognize excellence in these areas.
Ms. Waller-Pace has been teaching for 10 years, eight years in Fort Worth ISD. Her students have consistently won awards, including several of her students being accepted into the Texas Girls’ Choir. Principal Vanessa Tritten states, “Mrs. Waller-Pace continually seeks out trainings, workshops, and professional development to increase her level of expertise. She has brought excitement to the music program.”
View this video of Ms. Waller-Pace's surprise visit.
Ms. Worthington has 40 years of teaching experience, all in Fort Worth ISD. Her students have earned scholarships and awards in multiple programs. Her principal, Keri Flores, states, “She has a passion for Theater Arts, and it comes out in her every day teaching. When I need to get out of my office and just see good teaching and students captivated, Mrs. Worthington’s class is where I like to go. Her love of teaching is evident in everything she does. The students and parents adore her and request to be in her class.”
View this video of Ms. Worthington's surprise visit.
The Chairs for Teaching Excellence program was established in the Fort Worth ISD in 1994. It is modeled after the university-level Chair program and is designed to recognize and reward exemplary teachers. This program is unique because of its role in a public secondary school setting and for its rigorous selection process.
The remaining 14 Chairs will be announced in the fall. All recipients will be recognized at the annual awards luncheon later in November.
Applications may be submitted through 5 p.m. Friday, June 29, for Academic Chairs for Teaching Excellence in visual arts, acquisition of language, health and physical education, secondary English, career and technical education, secondary science, special education, elementary reading, elementary math and or science, middle school STEM, secondary STEM, humanities, secondary mathematics and early childhood education. Click here to apply.
Nation Will pause to remember fallen soldiers Monday
This Monday, May 28, the nation will pause to observe Memorial Day and remember the service men and women who died serving in the U.S. military.
All Fort Worth ISD schools are closed on Monday. However, Monday is a workday for the District’s 240- and 245-day employees.
Originally observed as Decoration Day, Memorial Day’s origins date back to the 1868 when Americans would visit the graves of fallen soldiers to decorate them with flowers. Since 1971, Memorial Day has been a federal holiday observed the last Monday in May.
Today, the holiday is observed across the country with parades, ceremonies and visits to military memorials, national cemeteries and the graves of fallen soldiers.
The City of Fort Worth will observe the holiday at its 89th annual Memorial Day Service, taking place at 6:30 p.m. at Mount Olivet Cemetery, 2301 N. Sylvania Ave. Click here for more details on the ceremony.
FWISD To Recognize Nearly 250 Retirees at Evening Reception
What: Retirees Recognition Reception
When: Thursday, May 31, 2018
Where: North Side High School Culinary Arts Facility
Who: Retirees and their guests, Board of Education members, Superintendent Dr. Kent P. Scribner.
Summary: Fort Worth ISD will recognize nearly 250 employees who are retiring this year at a reception, Thursday, May 31.
This year’s Fort Worth ISD Retirees Recognition Reception is slated for 5 p.m. at the North Side High School Culinary Arts Facility.
Northside Mariachi Espuelas de Plata, under the direction of Ramon Nino and Corina Cantu, is the featured entertainment for the evening.
Superintendent Kent P. Scribner will be in attendance to recognize employees retiring from the District.
EDITOR'S NOTE: In the latest edition of Fort Worth Snapshot, we share photos of some recent events hosted across the District within the last week.
Under the Sea with Fort Worth ISD
Boulevard Heights Graduation
Transition Center Graduation
See more images from this week and this school year here.
Trustees Elect Board Officers
On Tuesday, May 22 the board re-elected District 2 Representative Tobi Jackson as president; District 4 Representative, Dr. T.A. Sims, as first vice president; Dr. Ann Sutherland from District 6 as second vice president; and District 8 Trustee Anael Luebanos, as secretary.
Mrs. Jackson is a lifelong resident of East Fort Worth who attended Eastern Hills Elementary, Meadowbrook Middle School, and graduated in 1978 from Eastern Hills High School. She attended The University of Texas at Arlington where she received a B.A. and an M.S. from the University of North Texas. She began her Board service in 2010.
Dr. Sims, Fort Worth ISD’s longest serving trustee, was first elected to the Board in 1983. He was the District’s very first African-American school board president and has also previously served as a board vice president and secretary. In 1989, the District named an elementary school in his honor. Dr. Sims represent District 4.
Dr. Sutherland was first elected to the Board in 2010 to represent District 6. and her current term expires in 2019. She most recently served as the Board’s first vice president.
Mr. Luebanos was first elected to represent District 8 in 2017 to a term that will expire in 2021. Born in Fort Worth, Mr. Luebanos spent his formative years in rural Mexico. At 15, he returned to Fort Worth where he graduated with honors from Paschal High School. He received his bachelor’s and MBA degrees from Texas Wesleyan University. This is Trustee Luebanos’ second consecutive term as Board secretary.
Working on Well-being: FWISD Blue Zones Project Ambassadors Make Healthy Choices Easier on the Job
EDITOR'S NOTE: Thank you to Blue Zones Project Fort Worth, which is providing fresh content to Inside FWISD on health and wellness and their work on Fort Worth ISD campuses throughout the spring
Dr. Lisa Langston, Fort Worth ISD’s interim athletic director, spends a lot of time working in her office, but she’s not always sitting at her desk. That’s because she makes a point to get up and move.
“During the course of my day, I walk outside and get some fresh air,” said Dr. Langston. “That’s something I recommend to everybody in the office.”
Taking “microbreaks” to stretch and get active is one way Dr. Langston embraces the life-lengthening principles of Blue Zones Project, a community-led well-being improvement initiative that is making healthy choices easier across Fort Worth. Dr. Langston is a Blue Zones Project ambassador, incorporating principles for better well-being into her own life and helping her coworkers make small changes that add up to a big impact on their health.
Blue Zones Project partners with worksites, schools, restaurants, grocery stores, and faith-based organizations to optimize the environment in ways that support longer, better lives. So far, 32 Fort Worth ISD campuses have become Blue Zones Project Approved, incorporating movement into lessons throughout the day, adding more fresh produce to the lunch menu and teaching children techniques to reduce stress. The District is also in the process of becoming a Blue Zones Project Approved Worksite.
“Blue Zones Project is giving our students the foundation for a healthy future,” said Fort Worth ISD Superintendent Kent P. Scribner. “We want our employees to reap the benefits as well and have the tools they need to live their best lives.”
Worksites can choose from a menu of options that support well-being, such as providing healthy snack options, encouraging walking meetings and hosting workshops that allow participants to identify their purpose. Dr. Langston is one of more than a dozen Fort Worth ISD employee ambassadors helping implement those practices across District worksites—with the goal of improving individual well-being and creating benefits for the workforce such as improved productivity, decreased turnover, and reduced healthcare costs.
“Blue Zones Project aligns with my personal philosophies about life,” said Dr. Langston, who first heard about the project as a judge for a high school cook-off featuring Blue Zones-inspired recipes. “It just made sense.”
To support healthy choices at work, Dr. Langston displays Blue Zones Project’s essential Power 9 principles in the Athletic Department conference room. She also brings nutritious snacks to share and educates her administrative colleagues on the many ways to enhance well-being at work.
“It’s easy to promote something that you live by,” said Dr. Langston. “It’s just sharing my lifestyle and the benefits I see from eating well and living well. It’s something that’s doable.”
Find more information on Blue Zones Project at LiveLongFortWorth.com.
#ThankYouThursday: Performing Arts Fort Worth
Thank you to local nonprofit Performing Arts Fort Worth, sponsor of the Fort Worth ISD’s Bayard H. Friedman Chair for Teaching Excellence in Performing Arts and the Broadway at the Bass Chair for Teaching Excellence in Performing Arts in Theater and/ or Dance.
On Friday, May 18 and Monday, May 21, Performing Arts Fort Worth surprised the 2018 teaching chair honorees.
Performing Arts Fort Worth hosted its 20th annual awards luncheon, Thursday May 17. At the event, the nonprofit recognized the 2017 Bayard H. Friedman Chair for Teaching Excellence in Performing Arts recipient Adam Kramer, a band director at Wedgwood Middle School and conductor of the Southwest High School Jazz Ensemble. Rachel Wade, director of dance at Arlington High School and the Broadway at the Bass Chair for Teaching Excellence in Performing Arts in Theater and/ or Dance recipient, was also honored.
FWISD performers at the event included the B Sharp Youth Music Chamber Strings from the Leadership Academy at Como Elementary School conducted by Randy Lyle; the Southwest High School Jazz Ensemble under the direction of Mr. Kramer and the Arlington Heights High School Repertory Dance Company, directed by Ms. Wade.
Performing Arts Fort Worth established the Bayard H. Friedman Chair for Teaching Excellence in Performing Arts in 1999. Annually, the award recognizes and rewards an exemplary Fort Worth Independent School District teacher. The Chair carries the title for one year and receives a $5,000 honorarium. In 2016, an additional Performing Arts Chair was established as the Broadway at the Bass Chair for Teaching Excellence in Theater and Dance in order to also recognize excellence in these areas.
The nonprofit’s contribution to Fort Worth ISD does not stop at sponsoring teaching chairs.
View this video to learn more about the District’s partnership with Performing Arts Fort Worth.
EDITOR'S NOTE: Ask Elsie is a column where Chief Financial Officer Elsie Schiro tackles employee queries, or in areas outside her purview, asks other District leaders to answer them.
Dear Elsie,
When are contracts coming out this school year? Are they going to be sent to our emails again or on paper like a few years ago? Thanks!
Mrs. Lyndsey Bartlam M.Ed.
Dear Mrs. Bartlam,
Thank you for your question. I reached out to Cynthia Rincón, chief of Human Capital Management, and she had this to say on the matter:
“Thank you for asking about the 2018-2019 Contracts. Chapter 21 Contracts for 2018-2019 and Letters of Reasonable Assurance were distributed electronically to applicable staff on Tuesday, May 22, 2018. The District’s online contract distribution system sent employees a system-generated email including instructions on how to access the Chapter 21 contract, or the Letters of Reasonable Assurance. Employees are instructed in the email to accept or decline the offer for continued employment within 10 business days from May 22, 2018.
If you believe you should have received a Chapter 21 contract or a Letter of Reasonable Assurance, check your email clutter account. The subject line in the email states, ‘Link for 2018-19 Contract or Letter of Reasonable Assurance of Employment.’ Please contact the Employee Relations Department at 817-814-2790 with any questions.”
Again, thank you for your question, Mrs. Bartlam, and thank you for your response Ms. Rincón.
Elsie
Dear Ms. Schiro,
I’m hoping that you can find an answer to the following question. I’m going to provide a little background knowledge first. I am in need of dental work and could not afford it. Through hard work and saving money I was able to go up a level in dental insurance only to find out that I must wait an entire year to get any major work done. WHY? If I am paying the premiums why can’t I take advantage of the dental insurance? I have contacted the insurance on two different occasions because I just knew this was a mistake; I was told by two different claims agents that FWISD made the decision to have the one-year waiting period. Having to wait an entire year I may not be able to save my teeth. Please advise. Thanks for listening!
Michelle Sterner
Dear Ms. Sterner,
Thank you for your question.
I reached out to Felicia Mouton, director of employee benefits, and she had this to say on the matter: “Please accept our apology for the information you previously received regarding dental covered services.
For the 2017-2018 plan year you are enrolled in the Humana (Advantage) dental plan.
There are no waiting periods for Humana (Advantage) dental plan members.
Members may select any participating general dentist in the Humana Dental’s Advantage network for services.
For assistance with locating a dentist, please call Humana Dental at 1-800-979-4730 for inquiries regarding providers and covered services.
The group number for the Humana (Advantage) dental plan is – Group # 573701.
Should you require any further assistance, please do not hesitate to contact me.”
Thank you again for your question, Ms. Sterner, and thank you Ms. Mouton for your response.
Elsie
Direct your questions to Inside@fwisd.org and put the words "Ask Elsie" in the subject line. Please close your letter with your preferred signature as you wish it to appear in the column. When there are multiple queries on the same subject, we will select the one that is most representative of the subject. We will try to answer as many questions as possible.
FARRINGTON FIELD HOSTS FORT WORTH ISD’S SPECIAL OLYMPICS
The District’s Special Education Department hosted approximately 250 children with exceptionalities from the Preschool Program for Children with Disabilities (PPCD) and about 350 general education students from Arlington Heights High School who have served as a “buddy” to the younger students throughout the school year. Other participants in the event included 30 PPCD teachers, 10 adaptive physical education teachers and multiple special education staff members.
Participating PPCD students marched into Farrington Field at the May 18 event holding banners indicating the school they represented. The 3- to 5-year-old students participated in physical activities including ring tossing and soccer. The students rotated through four to five stations throughout the day.
Dalton Hill, a representative with North Texas Special Olympics, said that Fort Worth is one of only three districts in the area hosting an event like this. He added that he’s hopeful that Fort Worth ISD can be an example for other districts to host similar events.
View photos from the event here.
Learning Model Awareness Sessions
May is Asian/ Pacific American Heritage Month
2018 Graduation ceremonies, continues through Wednesday, June 13
Fort Worth Invitational, continues through Sunday, May 27
Memorial Day, Monday, May 28 (No school. This is a workday for 240- and 245-employees)
89th annual Memorial Day Service, Monday, May 28
Critical Conversations: Connecting with Our Community, Wednesday, May 30
Retirees Recognition Reception, Thursday, May 31
Last Day of School, Friday, June 1
Teachers, please share information with your students about the Summer Reading Incentive
Dallas Wings Teacher Appreciation Night, Saturday, June 2
ELITE (Excellent Literacy Instruction to Empower) Summer Institute, Session 1 is June4-21 and Session 2 is July 9-25
Ram Readers Summer reading Clinic for K-5 Students, Session 1 is June4-21 and Session 2 is July 9-25
Elementary Literacy Professional Learning Opportunities
Secondary Literacy Professional Learning Opportunities, Register in Eduphoria
FWISD Summer Food Program, Wednesday, June 6-Wednesday, June 27
2018 Fort Worth ISD Career Fairs, Thursday, June 7. Interviews for auxiliary candidates will take place from 9 a.m. to noon, and teacher interviews are scheduled from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Apply to www.fwisd.org/careers to be considered for an invitation.
Professional Learning Opportunities for Sixth-Grade Literacy, Social Studies and Music Teachers and Campus Librarians
Elementary Math Summer Learning Opportunities
Fort Worth ISD’s 2018 Academic Chairs for Teaching Excellence application deadline, Friday, June 29
AAIL Summer Academy, Monday, July 23- Thursday, July 26
The Advanced, Accelerated, and Innovative Learning department will be hosting their annual summer academy and renewal opportunities for gifted and talented certification July 23-26, 2018. The event will be held at the Applied Learning Academy on Camp Bowie, and participants may register on Eduphoria.
Visit the Inside FWISD blog on Mondays for a look at The Week Ahead.
Share your story ideas, successes, calendar items, photos, questions and feedback with us at Inside@FWISD.org. Check the Inside FWISD blog, www.fwisd.org/insidefwisd, regularly updated throughout the week with additional content and features.