DENTON ISD

School board group to honor Braswell

Ray Braswell, who has been superintendent of the Denton school district for the last 11 years, is scheduled to be named one of the top five Texas superintendents of the year by the Texas Association of School Boards on Saturday.

Braswell will be honored at the annual joint conference of TASB and the Texas Association of School Administrators in Houston.

The 2009 Superintendent of the Year for Texas will also be announced at this convention.

“The board knows we have the best superintendent in the state, but it’s a wonderful feeling to know that board members throughout the state have named him one of the top five superintendents in Texas,” school board member Charles Stafford said in a news release. Stafford was president of the school board when members submitted Braswell’s application in May.

“From the inception of his superintendency, Dr. Braswell has demonstrated outstanding leadership for our district,” board President Jim Alexander said. “He has always been focused on student success and achievement.”

Superintendents from the state’s 1,036 local school districts were eligible for nomination by their boards.

The TASB selection committee interviewed the top 16 regional honorees in Austin last month and then selected Braswell and four other state finalists: Oscar Rodriguez Jr. of Mission CISD; Rose Cameron of Copperas Cove ISD; Mark Henry of Galena Park ISD; and Jesus Chavez of Round Rock ISD.

Choir students chosen for state competition

Choir students from Denton’s three main high schools placed high in the first round of the Texas Music Educators Association All State Competition.

Denton High School had 15 students advance in the first round: Emily Pound, Alyssa Dupuis, Nicole Thompson, Kayla Bender, Ashley Wawro, Kylie Richter, Hannah Cheek, Madison Deramee, Abby Bryant, Joanna Ceja, Casey Bachus, Julia Difiore, Kate Morales, Victoria Amadi and Hannah Lane. Liz Gulley was selected as an alternate.

Mark Baker is the choir director and Patti Freeman is the assistant choir director.

Guyer High School had nine students advance in the first round: Erica Laney, Sydney Sitters, Alex Smerdon, Hayley Cogley, Skyanne Hamilton, Hannah Connell, Elisabeth Mallory, Shanna Clark and Brenna Dougherty.

Michael Pricer is the Guyer choir director.

Ryan High School had eight students advance in the first round: Tori Brownlee, Lydia Taylor, Piper Johnson, Nicole Harberson, Emily Mathis, Katie Pritchard, Amanda Clary and Meghan Kajihara.

David Rives is the Ryan choir director and Scott Thompson is the assistant choir director.

Guyer High School

Guyer to celebrate homecoming

Guyer High School’s homecoming festivities are slated for next week, Oct. 5-10.

The events will culminate with a 7 p.m. football game Friday, Oct. 9. The Wildcats will take on the Denton High Broncos at C.H. Collins Athletic Complex, 1500 Long Road.

The homecoming theme is “Yo Ho, Yo Ho, a Wildcat Life for Me!” and will feature various dress-up days including pirate day and Guyer spirit day.

Coronation of homecoming candidates will take place at halftime of the Wildcats-Broncos game.

The week will include a number of pirate-themed activities, beginning with a community homecoming pep rally and canned food drive.

In celebration of the game, the Guyer Student Council is inviting the entire community to its pep rally at 7 p.m. Monday, in the school’s main gymnasium. All homecoming court nominees will be recognized. Admission is a canned good or $1 donation.

The school will also sponsor a schoolwide carnival at the Guyer Fieldhouse from 2 to 4 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 8. Food, entertainment and carnival-style games will be available for students. Admission is $5.

The homecoming dance is set from 8 p.m. to midnight Saturday, Oct. 10, at the Guyer commons area. Tickets are now on sale.

For more information, call 940-369-1000. Misty Chestnut is the Guyer Student Council sponsor.

Ryan High School

Ryan’s homecoming celebration next week

Ryan High School’s homecoming festivities are slated for next week, Oct. 5-10.

The events revolve around the football game, scheduled for 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 8. The Raiders will take on the Lake Dallas High School Falcons at C.H. Collins Athletic Complex, 1500 Long Road.

Coronation of homecoming candidates will take place at 6:30 p.m., before the start of the game.

The week’s themes include several dress-up days, including a superhero day, tie-dye day, nerd day and “Red Out” day.

The annual homecoming pep rally is scheduled for 11:30 a.m. Oct. 8 in the main school gymnasium. The rally is open to parents and alumni.

The traditional homecoming dance will be on Saturday, Oct. 10, at the University of North Texas Gateway Center from 8 p.m. to midnight. Tickets are now on sale.

In celebration of the big game, and to raise community awareness, the Ryan High Student Council will host a rally for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, the renowned pediatric research hospital in Memphis, Tenn.

Anyone wishing to participate is welcome to join Ryan students in the commons area for a letter-writing campaign from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 9.

Participants are asked to bring a list of 10 to 25 names and addresses so letters can be personalized and sent to families requesting support.

“We thought this might [be] a different way to get the kids involved and spread the word about St. Jude,” Stacy Hays, Ryan Student Council sponsor, said in a news release. “This is a different spin on thinking about ourselves and doing something for others.”

Music, pizza and snacks will be provided at the rally, and those wanting to help will need a form to record names and addresses from Ryan High. Those not able to attend are encouraged to make a donation directly to St. Jude.

For more information, call 940-369-3000.

DENTON CHRISTIAN PRESCHOOL

Preschool receives grant from Target

Denton Christian Preschool recently received a grant from Target Corp. in recognition of the school’s efforts in providing early education for at-risk children.

“The funds used to provide books and educational literacy materials will impact the students and families served at this school by creating an environment of enthusiasm for reading,” officials with the school wrote in a prepared statement.

Denton Christian Preschool, founded in 1970, is a United Way agency. The school serves 62 at-risk 3- and 4-year-olds.

For more information, call Judy Royal at 940-383-3332.

LIBERTY CHRISTIAN SCHOOL

School plans open house for Oct. 27

Liberty Christian School in Argyle will open its doors for its fall preview, an opportunity for people to see a day in the life of Liberty students.

From 9 a.m. to noon Oct. 27, Liberty will offer guided tours, classroom observations and informational booths to help attendees get acquainted with programs and opportunities at the campus. For more information or to schedule a private tour, call 940-294-2000.

Liberty is currently the Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools 4-A Overall State Champion. The school is located on a 68-acre campus offering programs for preschool and kindergarten through 12th grade. Numerous academic, athletic and extracurricular offerings including honors, pre-Advanced Placement and AP courses are available for all students.

SELWYN COLLEGE PREPARATORY SCHOOL

Two Selwyn students named AP Scholars

Two students at Selwyn College Preparatory School were recently recognized with earning Advance Placement Scholar awards for their exceptional achievement on AP exams.

Selwyn student Zahra Merchant qualified for the AP Scholar with Distinction Award by earning an average grade of at least 3.5 on all AP exams taken, and grades of 3 or higher on five or more exams. Merchant and another Selwyn student, Camryn deWet, both qualified for the AP Scholar Award by completing three or more AP Exams with grades of 3 or higher.

Merchant and deWet graduated from Selwyn in May. Merchant is a freshman at Brown University and deWet is a freshman at Savannah College of Art & Design.

The College Board’s AP program provides motivated and academically prepared students with the opportunity to take college-level courses while still in high school and to earn college credit, advanced placement or both for successful performance on the AP exams.

TEXAS ACADEMY OF MATHEMATICS AND SCIENCE

3 are semifinalists for national scholarship

Three Texas Academy of Mathematics and Science students were named among 16,000 black American high school seniors designated semifinalists for the 46th annual National Achievement Scholarship Program, according to a recent announcement by National Merit Scholarship officials.

The TAMS students named as semifinalists are Ogheneovie Orieka, Erinma Ukoha and Westin Williams.

Semifinalists in the program have an opportunity to continue on in competing for about 800 Achievement Scholarships worth $2.6 million that will be distributed next spring.