Author: Montgomery ISD

Montgomery JH expands #BearsDontHate initiative into new school year with Student Heritage studies

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Establishing and growing strong campus culture is a task at Montgomery JH that Principal Angie Chapman finds very important. During the 2020-2021 school year, the campus took ownership of the #BearsDontHate motto and this year the campus theme follows that initiative with the slogan, “Together everyone achieves more.”

Throughout the school year, Montgomery JH staff from every department will be coordinating together to teach culture lessons, highlighting the uniqueness of each heritage and how together, we really can achieve more. To start the year, students in grades 6 through 8 have performed a heritage study on their own family’s history and each Social Studies class is dotting a world map to show that representation and answer the question, “Where is MJH from?”

“This is the first application to an entire school year’s worth of Heritage study,” eighth grade Social Studies teacher and Student Council Sponsor Pegi Morgan said. “We started in August with ‘Bears come in all shapes, sizes and abilities’ and after we complete our Culture and Heritage Mapping, each month will highlight one heritage through cross-curricular activities and discussions.”

“Our students learning about their family’s heritage and culture is so important to campus unity,” 7th grade Social Studies teacher Allison Mittag said. “I really enjoy seeing how they take pride in what they learn about their family and understanding that we aren’t really all just ‘from Texas’ or ‘American’. Learning how to own their history and learning about the heritage of their classmates helps them show respect to others.”

In October Hispanic Heritage will be studied through Mrs. Ladd’s Spanish classes creating a Hispanic Wax Museum offering representation from all departments, including historical Hispanic figures from social studies, the arts, literature and more.

“It’s about developing a culture of respect on our entire campus,” 6th grade Social Studies teacher Phyliss Teasdale said. “They are learning that we are all unique and our heritage is the history that creates all of us.”

Campus “Hustle Projects” continue to be completed with support of local businesses

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Montgomery ISD continues to be so very thankful for the commitment our local business partners have to supporting the students and staff in our district!

In April 2021, the Montgomery ISD Education Foundation hosted the first Together We Grow Community Fundraiser and presented each campus with the opportunity to win a campus grant to pay for a “hustle project” of the principal’s choice. A fun competition took place between the campuses selling hustle tickets to their campus families and community members in order to have their campus’ hustle project funded.

Oak Hills JH and Lone Star ES were the two grant winners at the event, earning grants from the Montgomery ISD Education Foundation to fund an outdoor learning space (OHJH) and a book vending machine (LSE). After attending the event and seeing each campus’ wish, local Montgomery businesses began to work with the Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce to help fund the wishes of other campuses. Six of the eight other hustle projects have been completed or funded by local area businesses.

A delivery of gravel to the garden at Stewart Creek ES happened over the summer, thanks to a generous donation of labor and supply from Hauser Land Services.

In August, Keenan ES and Montgomery ES both received donations for their hustle project wish. Woodmen Life Insurance donated beautiful benches for the garden at Keenan ES and Coco Phillips and Pat Prein with Coffee News gave a financial donation for a book vending machine at Montgomery ES.

This month two more campus hustle projects were completed at both Lake Creek HS and Lincoln ES. Dan and Debby Dykes of Network in Action donated a sonic-style ice machine to the faculty and staff of Lake Creek HS and Dr. Mariana Coconu of Lakeside Dental Practice donated money for the purchase of water bottle refilling stations around campus at Lincoln ES.

Montgomery JH has received a donation from Pam Westlake Realty to provide new computers for the students use and that photo will be shared when the computers arrive on campus.

Montgomery ISD wants to thank the Montgomery ISD Education Foundation for the start of the hustle project idea, as well as the Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce for connecting our business partners with our schools and helping to get these gifts for our students and staff. Montgomery ISD is on #onepathtogether with our community partners!

Lincoln ES kicks off Bear-ista delivery service for 2021-22 school year

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Ms. Cole and Ms. Kraus’ life skills and functional academics students are making Fridays fabulous at Lincoln ES. Students collect orders for beverages and homemade cookies and deliver to the teachers one Friday per month. For the first Bear-ista delivery this school year, one generous teacher purchased a cookie for every staff member, giving the students even more opportunities to make deliveries and bring a smile to all.

“The Bear-ista program offers many learning opportunities and different ways for kids who may learn differently to shine,” teacher Julia Cole said. “This program allows every student to participate and practice essential social skills while giving more opportunities for growth within the school community, which encourages self-motivation and involvement with peers.”

Wearing their aprons made by Ms. Cole herself, the students were very proud to walk with their peers and make these deliveries. Each item was $1 and students worked to tell the teacher their total, accept their money and make change when needed.

“At Lincoln, we are excited to provide this opportunity for our students to practice financial literacy through real-world experiences,” Lincoln ES Principal Kerri Ashlock said. “Bringing activities like our Bear-ista cart into the school setting motivates our students and provides practical, cognitive, and self-management skills that will extend beyond our students’ time at Lincoln ES.”

As the students are able to make a profit with this program, they hope to use the income to purchase more cooking equipment to help their students learn many valuable life skills, while incorporating academic skills at the same time. The equipment purchased would not just serve the Bear-ista, but would become an integral part of their daily educational program.

Montgomery ES Bodacious Bearcat Awards

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Each month, Montgomery ES recognizes students that show amazing Bearcat P.R.I.D.E. on a daily basis. Teachers look to recognize kids that show Purpose, Respect, Integrity, Determination and Excellence. One Bearcat is chosen from each class to represent their peers as the Bodacious Bearcat! Here are some of the September award winners.

Way to go Bearcats!

Montgomery Madrigals Selected as National Winners in Annual Competition

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Montgomery HS named a National Winner in the Mark of Excellence National Choral Honors Project

Montgomery High School Madrigals Choir Program students and Director Heather Orr have once again been recognized on a national level. The Foundation for Music Education announced the results of its Mark of Excellence National Choral Honors Project last week and the Montgomery Madrigals were selected as a National Winner.

Montgomery ISD Superintendent Dr. Heath Morrison visited the Madrigals during their practice on Friday, Sept. 17 to inform them of their award, congratulating them on this remarkable achievement.

 “I am humbled and honored that our Montgomery HS Madrigal choir students have earned this National honor,” MHS Choir Director Heather Orr said. “I am beyond proud of their grit and passion. They gave a stunning performance and one that they will remember for a lifetime.”

The Mark of Excellence is a competition, entered by recordings, in which the top quarter are selected as National Winners and the second quarter receive Commended Honors. This year 236 of the finest musical ensembles in the nation entered the competition, with entries coming from 38 different states.

“Despite the many COVID-19 restrictions, so many musical ensembles still made amazing musical performances,” Managing Director of the Foundation for Music Education Rick Yancey said. “These directors and their communities should be very proud of their outstanding accomplishment!”

This is Heather Orr’s 21st year as choir director at Montgomery HS. Choirs under Orr’s direction consistently earn Sweepstakes at UIL Competitions and have been recognized with First Divisions and Best in Class awards at several festivals. MHS choirs have been selected for seven Convention performances and the Texas Music Educators Association Convention has featured the Chorale Women in 2018, 2010, and 2005. In addition, they have performed at the National ACDA Conferences in 2021 and in 2011, as well as the SWACDA Divisional Conference in 2018. In 2022, the Madrigals will present their first Convention invited choir performance in Little Rock, AR.

“We share this recognition with our amazing elementary music teachers, first class junior high choir directors, and our incredible administrative support,” Orr said. “Our kids can reach amazing heights due to their musical foundation and the encouragement and support of the arts from our district.”

Montgomery ISD Board Meeting Video and Recap: Sept. 21, 2021

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The Montgomery ISD Board of Trustees met for their monthly board meeting on Tuesday, September 21. You can watch the meeting in its entirety and read the recap below.

This school year, during each regularly scheduled board meeting, Montgomery ISD district departments will give an update on their department improvement plan and share their progress of their objectives and strategies that are in line with the district’s Pathway to Premier Strategic Plan. At the September meeting, the Technology Department, under the leadership of Director Amanda Davis-Summerville, was the first to present to the board.  September 21 is also National IT Professional’s Day. The Technology Department was highlighted and recognized for the role they play in our district.

The video below was shown during the meeting and the technology team was praised for the work they have done to enhance the district’s technological capabilities.

During the meeting, Montgomery ISD’s Benefits and Employee Relations Coordinator Teresa Tipton presented the district’s new Culture of Respect Initiative: Be ONE Team Montgomery. 

The Be ONE Team Montgomery initiative aligns with district goal four: Human Capital. To lead this work, a task force committee has been formed consisting of 3-4 members of each department and campus to assure that all employee groups will be well represented. This committee will define what “culture of respect” means for Montgomery ISD. 

The Culture of Respect task force committee will hold campus meetings to complete a SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats) analysis, giving all MISD employees the opportunity to be a part of this initiative. The information collected at these meetings, will identify areas of strength and growth as it relates to our district workplace culture, helping the committee create our district’s first Culture of Respect Policy and Procedures Handbook. 

The expectation will be set for all Montgomery ISD employees to feel respected and appreciated in their role in our district, and procedures will be put in place to give all employees a safe way to share any concerns without fear of retribution. Montgomery ISD wants to recruit and retain the best employees and this initiative will build our district culture to one that provides security and focuses on the amazing work our employees do, and the way they are made to feel while doing it. 

You can watch a video about the Be ONE Team Montgomery initiative below.

The Montgomery ISD Communications department also gave an update this evening, sharing that third-party district-wide surveys were sent to all district employees, parents and secondary students earlier today. The district has partnered with the national education firm K-12 Insight to conduct the survey and ensure confidentiality of responses in an effort to gather the most authentic and genuine data from its staff and district families. 

Many of the results from the survey will serve as baseline data for several of the key performance indicators in tracking the district’s Pathway to Premier strategic plan progress. In order to know what we are doing well and have an understanding of areas in which we can grow, it was a priority to the district to give our students, families and staff a safe way to report their honest feedback. A second survey to track the district’s progress will be issued in May 2022.

The Communications department has also implemented the district’s first two-way communication platform for students, parents, staff and community members to reach district-level employees with questions, suggestions, comments and concerns. The Let’s Talk platform went live on Tuesday, September 7 with the roll-out of the district’s new website and has already answered over 70 customers with an average approval rating of 9.7 out of a possible 10. We hope that this communication platform creates an atmosphere of accessibility and gives our district community one place to get their questions answered and share their insights freely. 

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, which has impacted schools across Texas and the nation, each school district and campus in the state would receive a letter rating (A-F) from the state of Texas under the state’s accountability system. For the 2020-2021 school year, all districts were not-rated due to a declared state of disaster. Montgomery ISD Assistant Superintendent of Secondary Education Duane McFadden reported Montgomery ISD’s STAAR results to the board, explaining and charting what is called the “COVID Slide,” which is defined as the anticipated drop in STAAR scores from the 2018-2019 (pre-COVID) school year to the “post-COVID” scores in the 2020-2021 school year. McFadden presented data showing that MISD students outperformed the state in every category for the 2020-2021 school year and experienced minimal decreases in academic achievement when compared to the rest of the state. Montgomery ISD scored within 3 points of our district’s own pre-COVID scores in 15 of the 22 categories, and even surpassed our pre-COVID scores in 2 categories. 

Finally, the MISD Board of Trustees authorized compensation for district staff for work missed due to the districtwide closure on September 14 because of Hurricane Nicholas. Students will not need to make up the school day.

Montgomery ISD to close ahead of Tropical Storm Nicholas

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Due to the uncertainty regarding Tropical Storm Nicholas, and to ensure the safety of all students and staff, all Montgomery ISD facilities and schools will be closed tomorrow, September 14th.  District facilities are scheduled to reopen on Wednesday, September 15th, pending road and weather conditions.

Please be safe, remain alert to weather conditions, and follow the advice of local officials. More updates will be provided as we receive information from the National Weather Service and city and county authorities. Follow our social media and continue to monitor your emails for updates. 

The MISD Minute – September 3, 2021

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A special message from MISD Superintendent Dr. Heath Morrison

New district website coming Tuesday, September 7

Our new district website is officially created and will be LIVE by Tuesday, September 7. We believe this is a critical form of communication with our community and we look forward to the resource it will be as we continue to grow.

Let’s Talk! platform going LIVE with new website rollout

In addition to our new website, Montgomery ISD is also introducing an online customer service solution that will make it easy for our community to reach out to us any time and ensure they receive a timely, accurate response. Let’s Talk! is available wherever and whenever -24 hours a day, seven days a week- from any computer, tablet, or smartphone.

Communication with families in our district is and will always be a huge priority to the administration in Montgomery ISD. When a parent, student or staff member has a concern, question, or even a suggestion, we want to hear from them. Unlike sending an email, and the time it takes for them to find the email address they think will get them the answer they need, the Let’s Talk! platform will automatically route an inquiry to the person or team at district office that is best suited to respond.

This platform is not just for parents, but is intended for use by students and staff as well. As staff members, you can even share a story of something great going on that you believe we need to know about. When you start a conversation on Let’s Talk!, you will select the category or interest area that best fits your need, and each of them will be assigned to the appropriate staff member or team that can get an answer or response to you quickly. If you want your response to remain anonymous, that’s an option too. We would encourage you to please let us know who you are so that we can respond to you directly, but we understand that some circumstances may help our community of customers to feel more secure when reaching out anonymously. 

When you use Let’s Talk! you will immediately receive a thank-you message upon submission, as well as an email documenting your sent message. As the right person receives your response and takes time to respond accordingly to you, you will be able to carry on a back and forth dialogue with the person or team assigned to your inquiry. Upon completion of that discussion, you will receive an additional email that will ask you to rate your customer experience. This feature of Let’s Talk! is very important to the Montgomery ISD administration team. District leaders will be using this tool to track dialogue responses, evaluate satisfactory ratings given by users, and have access to a real-time dashboard that provides key metrics for understanding and improving the customer service given throughout Montgomery ISD. We want to know that we are serving our community, and serving you well.

Local businesses continue to step up for campus “hustle projects”

In April 2021, the Montgomery ISD Education Foundation hosted our district’s first Together We Grow Community Fundraiser with the support of local businesses and the Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce. For a fun intra-district competition, each principal presented a campus wish, or “hustle project”. Campuses sold “hustle tickets” benefiting the Education Foundation as part of a competition for a grant intended to fund their project. Oak Hills Junior High and Lone Star ES were the winning campuses in April. Following the event, local Montgomery businesses began to fund other some of the other eight campus hustle projects.

Over the summer, several campuses wishes were granted including water refill stations at Linclon ES, a delivery of gravel to the garden at Stewart Creek ES, and a commitment to purchase a book vending machine at Montgomery ES was made. This week, Dan and Debby Dykes of Network in Action donated a sonic-style ice machine to the faculty and staff of Lake Creek High School!

Montgomery ISD continues to be so very thankful for the commitment our local business partners have to supporting the students and staff in our district.

The MISD Minute- Friday, August 27, 2021

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Be ONE Team: Culture of Respect campaign being created for MISD staff

In order to be successful in becoming The Premier School District in the state of Texas, we must make sure that Montgomery ISD is a place where our employees not only want to work, but also feel like their contributions to the district matter. Whether working on a campus, or in a district building or facility, our employees should always feel that their role is valued and that they are respected. Employees should have confidence that when the need arises, they have a safe place to share concerns and speak openly when doing so.  They should also know that district administration wants – and even expects – them to share, because we cannot make continuous improvements to how we operate without the input and voice of all district employee groups.

Many of you might be asking why a Culture of Respect campaign has become a priority . Through interactions with staff, many employees have brought up the culture within the district, with many of the concerns being centered on respect. The different responses varied from how employees treat and speak to each other, as well as how individuals feel that their role in the district is valued. While most felt that the culture in Montgomery ISD is good, it’s important to make sure that we don’t become complacent, especially as we continue to grow at the rate we are currently experiencing. In Montgomery ISD, as we strive for Premier, “good” is not good enough. We want to be “great”. When employees have concerns, they need to feel comfortable sharing them, and confident that their concerns will be received with empathy, understanding and action. We need our district culture to be one that provides this level of respect that every employee is deserving of receiving.

Our administration knows that there are employees who directly teach, and those who directly support the teaching that takes place in MISD. Our goal in this campaign is to make sure that the culture in Montgomery ISD provides security and affirms that the work our employees do, and the way they are made to feel while doing it, is always valuable. 

Finally, to show that we truly must confront challenges on One Path, Together, due to the increasing demand for substitutes on campus, staff at the district office will begin to serve campuses as subs one day a week, when needed. I am proud of how eager the district office staff was to help when asked, being willing to serve campuses at this capacity.

-Dr. Heath Morrison

Montgomery ISD health protocol update

We want to thank all staff who are working extremely hard each day to ensure our students are remaining healthy and that quality academic instruction is occurring in the classroom. As we aim for this to continue, we are working to implement increased safety measures, including directional hallways, additional lunch periods, increased physical distancing in classrooms, and more. While we watch the numbers closely, we have made some efforts that we believe will serve and support you as we continue to be impacted by this pandemic and we are continuing to explore options that can keep our students and staff healthy, and in attendance.

In an effort to make sure that all staff and students are able to get free COVID testing when the need arises, Montgomery ISD will be hiring additional staff to expand our capabilities to offer testing. We are working to increase our testing schedule to every weekday from 8:00 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Please continue to use this link to sign-up for an appt.

Montgomery ISD is encouraging our district employees to wear a mask or face-covering when in close contact with employees and students. We want to keep our focus on personal responsibility with self-screening, hand washing and physical distancing when possible, but it’s important to add one more layer of protection, when physical distancing is not possible. Additionally, should you come in close contact with a positive person in your household, please report this information to your supervisor, monitor yourself for symptoms, and consider testing daily.

Our Education Support Center served as a location for a local COVID-19 vaccination site on Thursday and Friday of last week. Nearly 100 individuals chose to receive a dose of the vaccine. We are planning to open our facility again as a vaccination site on September 9 and 10. Please watch for communication regarding how to sign up to receive the vaccine on either of these days in the coming days. We will continue to explore how we can support the community during this challenging time.

As previously reported, the Board of Trustees approved an extension of COVID leave days for all Montgomery ISD employees at the August board meeting earlier this month. Each staff member now has a total of 10 COVID leave days. Employees may use these days if they have tested positive for COVID-19 or if they have come into close contact with an individual in their household who has tested positive for COVID-19. We hope that this decision demonstrates the level of support that we are trying to provide Montgomery ISD staff as we navigate our way through this uncertain time.

In order to use these days, staff will need to contact Teresa Tipton at teresa.tipton@misd.org or 936-276-2045.

Friday Night Lights starts tonight

It’s the end of August in Texas, and that can only mean one thing… it’s time for some high school football! Both of our MISD football programs kick off their seasons this weekend on the road. Lake Creek will play at Dayton at 7:30 p.m. tonight, and Montgomery will play at Porter at 6 p.m. tomorrow. Mark your calendars with the schedule below to support our Lions and Bears.

For those of you that would prefer supporting our Bears and Lions in air-conditioning, here is the home schedule for Varsity volleyball teams at both high schools.

Child Nutrition Department recognized by Texas Agriculture Commissioner

The Texas Agriculture Commissioner, Sid Miller, announced this week that the nutrition team at Montgomery ISD has successfully completed the Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) 2021 Spring Farm Fresh Challenge.

MISD joined schools and childcare providers across Texas in “Eat Local, Teach Local and Be Social” from April 12 through May 14. The children at Montgomery ISD ate local foods and learned about Texas Agriculture.

Read the entire news article by clicking here.

MISD Child Nutrition Department recognized for achievements in the Farm Fresh Challenge

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The Texas Agriculture Commissioner, Sid Miller, announced today that the nutrition team at Montgomery ISD has successfully completed the Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) 2021 Spring Farm Fresh Challenge.

MISD joined schools and childcare providers across Texas in “Eat Local, Teach Local and Be Social” from April 12 through May 14. The children at Montgomery ISD ate local foods, learned about Texas Agriculture, and the nutrition staff shared their success on social media. The challenge is part of Commissioner Miller’s Farm Fresh Initiative created to connect farmers and ranchers with operators of nutrition programs administered by the TDA. 

“We are honored to have received this award again for the special Spring Farm Fresh Challenge,” Child Nutrition Director Lena Neugebauer said. “We will always strive to serve high quality, Texas-grown products to the students of Montgomery ISD.”

The Spring Farm Fresh Challenge reflects TDA and its partners’ commitment to introducing Texans to local foods and supporting Texas farmers and ranchers. TDA delayed the start of the challenge to allow agricultural producers a chance to assess product availability after Texas’ winter storms. Schools and childcare centers were encouraged to use these current events in their lessons about the hard work and dedication required to bring food to the table. Prioritizing agricultural education and Texas foods during the challenge was a great way for partners to strengthen local economies and recognize the efforts of Texas farmers and ranchers.   

“The Farm Fresh Challenge plays a critical role in connecting Texas farmers and ranchers directly with school children, child care providers and local communities,” Commissioner Miller said. “Texas agriculture has a real impact on students and their daily lives. I want to challenge our kids to make healthy lifestyle choices for every meal they eat by filling their plates with locally sourced produce from right here in the Lone Star State.”