Annual MLK essay contest on Jan. 30

The Denton Area Alliance of Black School Educators will host its 11th annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Essay Contest from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Jan. 30 at Fred Moore High School, 815 Cross Timbers St.

The focus of the morning discussion and the afternoon writing workshop will be the student freedom rides and King’s “Statement at a Rally to Support the Freedom Rides,” delivered on May 21, 1961. The essay writing experience will adhere to all Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills testing criteria.

The contest is open to all Denton County middle and high school students attending classes in public, private or home schools. Students must attend the discussion and writing workshop to submit an essay. The top three winning essays will earn U.S. savings bonds worth up to $200.

The registration deadline is Jan. 28. For contest guidelines and more information, visit www.dentonisd.org/mlkessaycontest  or register directly at www.dentonisd.org/mlk

DENTON ISD

Two students earn all-state band spots

Two Denton school district students have earned spots on the prestigious Texas Music Educators Association all-state bands.

Denton High School student Dylan Stiles has been selected to the Class 4A all-state concert band. Stiles earned the honor after winning first chair trumpet at the area competition and being selected by state judges.

Ryan High School student Fernando Yanez has been selected to the Class 5A all-state concert band. Yanez opted to compete for a spot in the higher classification band and was one of only 14 oboe players in the state to earn this honor.

Sixteen students in the district auditioned for the all-state band. Stiles and Yanez will participate in a clinic and perform with their bands at the annual TMEA state convention in San Antonio, Feb. 10-13.

Eighth-grade meetings scheduled for Feb. 1

Special transitional meetings for all eighth-grade students and their parents will start at 6:30 p.m. Feb. 1 at Denton, Guyer and Ryan high schools.

The meetings are intended to help parents and eighth-graders learn more about high school programs.

Presentations on enrollment procedures will start at 7 p.m. for parents.

Participants will be able to talk to teachers, organization sponsors and coaches.

School counselors, teachers and administrators will be available to answer questions. Various clubs and organizations will have booths and information available.

The event is part of the district’s “Education: Go Get It” initiative. For more information, contact the counseling offices at Denton High at 940-369-2000; Guyer, 940-369-1000; or Ryan High, 940-369-3000.

Ryan High School

Strutters to host Pizza Inn fundraiser Thursday

The Ryan High School Strutters are slated to host a fundraiser from 5 to 9 p.m. Thursday at Pizza Inn, 501 W. University Drive.

Pizza Inn will donate a percentage of all sales during that time to the Strutters Booster Club, helping offset competition and show costs for the award-winning drill team.

To participate, patrons must drop a copy of their receipt into the bucket near the register and say “Strutters” when they place or pick up their order.

The Strutters perform at varsity football games, pep rallies, basketball games and community events.

For more information, e-mail team representative Phyllis Klein at pklein@dentonisd.org

KRUM ISD

Wii games engage students in tutorials

Educators in some Krum schools have recently begun to use technological devices such as video games to engage students in classwork.

Students at Krum Middle School have begun to use Nintendo Wii game systems in math classes as an instructional tool. School officials said the use of the Wii has tripled the number of students attending math tutorials after school.

“Our students often use concepts learned in the classroom when strategizing a win on their video games and they don’t even realize it,” Principal Michelle Pieniazek said in a news release.

The school has also started using SMART Slates in every instructional classroom. The pen-based wireless tablets allow students to interact with teachers. Students can respond to questions or work as a group from their seats in class.

SMART technology is being used in the classrooms of all core teachers and is expected to be put in classrooms of elective teachers next year. Technology systems such as the Wii are funded partially by the National Junior Honor Society and are used during tutorials.

“Architectural Graphics” students at Krum High School are using AutoCAD — the computer-aided design and drafting program — to design 2-D and 3-D models.

In Krum elementary schools, students are beginning to use the SMART Board, a large whiteboard device that acts as an oversized touchscreen.

Krum clarinet player makes all-state band

Krum High School senior Natalie Robbins has been selected to the all-state band.

The clarinet player participated in area auditions Jan. 9 to make the band. She is the first Krum student selected to play in the all-state ensemble since 2004.

Robbins will participate in a clinic and concert band performance at the Texas Music Educators Association state convention Feb. 10-13 in San Antonio.

Robbins was one of four students from Krum to compete in area auditions for a spot on the all-state band.

TEXAS ACADEMY OF MATHEMATICS AND SCIENCE

Student makes finals for TCU scholarship

Texas Academy of Mathematics and Science student Sohail Prasad was recently named one of 24 finalists up for the Texas Christian University Texas Youth Entrepreneur of the Year Awards scholarship. Eighty high school students from around the state applied for the honor.

Prasad founded The Pirate Box as one of many services of his umbrella company, SDP Networks. The Pirate Box provides each customer with a personal server. To differentiate from other server companies, Prasad created a new way to allocate and distribute server resources, enabling adequate quality of service for each customer.

Finalists are invited to attend TCU Young Entrepreneur Days Feb. 21-22 to learn about TCU, its business program and to meet with entrepreneurs.

The finalists will meet with a panel of judges, and six will be chosen to receive scholarships up to $5,000. The scholarships will be distributed in an awards banquet at 5:30 p.m. Feb. 22.

The Youth Entrepreneur of the Year program is sponsored by BBVA Compass Bank. Award recipients who decide to attend TCU will have their scholarships doubled.

For more information, visit www.nec.tcu.edu  

ARGYLE ISD

Argyle High School

Six students advance to all-state band

Six Argyle High School students competed in the Association of Texas Small School Bands area auditions Jan. 9 at their home campus and advanced to all-state band and a performance at the Texas Music Educators Association state convention Feb. 10-13 in San Antonio.

More than 9,000 students statewide auditioned for a spot on an all-region band and the opportunity to advance to area auditions. Students from 54 schools came to Argyle High on Jan. 9 for all-state auditions.

Argyle High students earning all-state honors were: junior Courtney Klapp, flute, first chair for her second consecutive year; junior Jaxson Taylor, trumpet, first chair for his second consecutive year; junior Key Bennett, trombone, first chair; senior Aaron McLaughlin, bass trombone, first chair; sophomore Jon Clark, tuba; and sophomore Kate Walker, percussion.

Students will audition in San Antonio for chairs in the ATSSB all-state band and to participate in a clinic and concert. All-state band performers will present a concert at 2 p.m. Feb. 13 at San Antonio’s Grand Hyatt Hotel.

For more information, call band director Kathy Johnson at 940-262-7777, ext. 2633.