C-FB Bilingual Program Receives National Recognition

I want you to think of the number 11, 632. What does that number mean to you? Well, it is the number of current students who are or were part of the C-FB ISD Bilingual-ESL program.

Here is another number: 68.
There are 68 different languages spoken in C-FB ISD. Here are some of the top languages:

• English 51.30% 
• Spanish 39.44% 
• Vietnamese 1.67% 
• Korean 1.42% 
• Telegu 1.18% 

Did you know? The Center for Applied Linguistics recognized C-FB ISD’s Newcomer program in our secondary schools as one of the top in the state and nation. We were one of eight programs recognized in Texas.




Facts about C-FB ISD Bilingual and ESL programs:
C-FB ISD offers two types of Bilingual programs.

• One-Way Dual Language - Fluent Spanish speakers receiving instruction in two languages 

• Two-Way Dual Language - English & Spanish Fluent speakers receiving instruction in two languages; offered at Thompson, Stark and McWhorter 

The Two-Way Dual Language Program was extended this year to Field Middle School. These students will take 6th grade English Language Arts, 6th grade Spanish Dual Language and 6th grade Social Studies in Spanish. As these students move forward, they will take 7th grade Spanish Dual Language (Pre-AP) and then 8th grade Spanish II AP. The students have the opportunity to earn college credit in Spanish while in Middle School.

Watch the Bilingual/ESL Board presentation

The Heart of Team C-FB

When I read the poem “Heart of a Teacher” by Paula Fox, I was reminded that every member of Team C-FB is a hero for working diligently to positively impact the lives of students each day. It reads,

“All because a hero was there...

in the HEART of a teacher who cared

enabling the child to become much more...

than he ever imagined...or dared” 

Team C-FB – you are heroes for your commitment to high achievement and for the caring way you take care of the children in our community. Thank you for the gifts you give every day. Your gifts of talent, time, attention, encouragement, knowledge, service, support and your heart are invaluable. We are C-FB ISD because of you. Without Team C-FB we could not achieve the outstanding accolades we have received. You – our caring staff – go above and beyond. I am forever grateful for your commitment to our students and district.

During this holiday season, I want to encourage everyone to thank an employee of C-FB ISD for the gifts they give each and every day to our students and community.

Take time to rest, reflect and enjoy your break with friends and family. Happy Holidays!

Read Heart of a Teacher by Paula Fox

C-FB Students Care

If you listen to the news today, you might be frightened of the future. From falling off fiscal cliffs to high crime rates, we are bombarded by negativity in the media. But I want to reassure you that our next generation of leaders is caring, thoughtful and articulate. Rest assured – the students graduating from C-FB ISD schools are prepared to lead our nation and to tackle the challenges ahead.

John M. Richardson, Jr. said, “When it comes to the future, there are three kinds of people: those who let it happen, those who make it happen, and those who wonder what happened.”

I want to tell you a story of students exhibiting true character. They are making it happen. I was at Ranchview High School this week visiting their Coffee Shop. Students run a coffee shop each day learning about business and customer service. Students at Ranchview come in each morning and enjoy coffee and hot chocolate. And more importantly – they interact. As I observed the coffee shop, I was inspired. What makes this story unique? There were no barriers, boundaries, cliques, or groups. All students were treated with respect, kindness, and friendship. The day I visited, the class sold about 30 cups of coffee and hot chocolate. There were all kinds of students interacting with one another. What I saw in the coffee shop was a family. Each student in that coffee shop exhibited friendship and care for one another. I am convinced that most adults could learn a few lessons from our C-FB ISD students.

The students in C-FB ISD are making our future bright through their positive attitude, care, concern and empathy for others. I am so honored and proud to serve our students as their superintendent. Our students inspire me every day.

Take time this holiday season to encourage a C-FB ISD student. Thank them for being leaders now and in the future.

Here are a few of the inspiring stories of how C-FB ISD students are making a difference in their schools and communities:

• Freeman Elementary and Ranchview High School Partner to Feed the Homeless 
• Blanton Elementary Donated over 1,700 Cans/Boxes of Food to the North Texas Food Bank
• McCoy students cheer after they made 1126 peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for the Dallas Union Mission. This project was led by Mr. Mango and the McCoy Student Council. 
• Smith Baseball Team Cleans Up Carrollton
• Ranchview Vocational Experience class volunteers every week at Irving
• NSHS & Lady Trojan Basketball Teams Help Joe’s Pizza Feed Carrollton Community
• RHS Wolves Volunteer at Riverchase Fall Carnival
• Creekview Cross Country Team Collected Items for the Austin Street Homeless Shelter
• Turner and Smith Basketball Supports Kacie’s Run
• McCoy Elementary Wins the District Pluck A Plastic Bag Challenge
• RLT Holds Pep Rally for All Stars Special Olympics Athletes
• Creekview Softball Team Members Serve Foster Kids Charity
• Perry Middle School NJHS Surpasses Food Drive Goal

Let's Connect

You might be surprised to know that Albert Einstein was wrong, and not about E=MC2 but when he said,

‘I fear the day that technology will surpass our human interaction." We should not fear this day.  His words reminded me of a truth – everyone wants to feel connected to something. Our children especially want to feel connected.

We live in a world of technology. From iPods and iPads to cell phones – we can’t escape our connected world. And it fills our already busy lives. That is why it is even more important now to connect face-to-face and one-on-one with each other.

As technology increases our lives seem to get busier and busier. Sometimes we think technology makes our lives simpler. But we still get busier. During this holiday season, I encourage you to take time to connect with those around you – especially our children.

What does this mean? Spend time together. 

Parents: Grab a cup of hot cocoa with your child and talk about their day, their dreams, and their worries. Maybe you don’t have children at home: you can connect with a neighbor that you haven’t talked to in awhile, or over the phone with a relative that lives miles away. Or maybe you want to begin mentoring a teen in one of our schools.

Spend time with one another. We need to slow down our busy lives and refresh our souls.

You might be asking, “Why does the superintendent care about us connecting?” Research shows that our students need to feel valued, appreciated and connected. Connection is a key to student achievement. And we need the help of every parent, staff member and community member so we can achieve our goal.

I encourage you to share with me what you are doing to get connected. Send me an email to Cfbinfo@cfbisd.edu, send me a tweet to @CFBISD or post a comment on our Facebook page. Let’s connect and begin a conversation about helping our students achieve at high levels.

Happiness is in Your Choices

I recently saw a sign in Starbucks that read “Happiness is in your choices.” Everyone likes to have choices from coffee to music to the clothes we buy.

Today, I want to talk to you about a different choice.
But with the same variety of options: Your child’s education!
Your child’s education is one of the most important choices you will make as a parent.

The choices today are plentiful. And the level of excellent education is the greatest it has ever been. The same can be said about the Carrollton-Farmers Branch School District.

C-FB isn't just an ordinary school district. We pride ourselves on offering an abundance of choices to meet the needs of all our students. Your child will receive a world class education – you can count on it.

 If you haven’t considered C-FB as an educational choice for your child – come explore your many options at one of our parent previews. Each campus will be holding events specifically designed for parents to explore the opportunities available and see how your child will benefit from an education in C-FB.

Our menu of campus Parent Previews is available at www.cfbisd.edu/preview. Kindergarten Registration information is also available.

Come get a taste of the best education choice you can make for your child at C-FB ISD. Your child’s education deserves nothing less than the best. Remember “Happiness is in your choices.”

Visit our WHY C-FB section of our website for more information. 

Thanksgiving Message from Dr. Burns

Just Do It!

Today, I want to give you a pep talk. And I am going to use an often over-quoted saying, “Just Do It”. But there is no better way to talk about parent involvement.

November 15 is nationally noted as a day to celebrate the importance role parents play in their child’s education. But I challenge that our children need their parents involved in their lives and especially their education every day. So, in C-FB, we proclaim that every day is Parent Involvement Day.

Judy Molland writes in the national PTA article, Tips on Getting Involved in School, “The research is in, and the results are conclusive: students whose parents are actively involved in their education do better at school, regardless of their family income and background. Specifically, students with involved parents have greater academic success, better attitudes about school, and fewer behavioral problems. This makes sense, since parents are the central figures in the lives of their children.”

As a parent, I want what is best for my own two sons. I know that most parents feel the same way but sometimes you don’t know how to become involved. The award-winning Parent Teacher Association (PTA) in C-FB ISD exists to help parents connect to their child’s education. The national PTA has provided tips to help parents become partners with the school in their child’s education. The pamphlet “100 Ways to Help Your Child and School Succeed” provides valuable tips. I encourage you to read the brochure and try a few. Here are some:

• Share your child’s strengths, talents, and interests with teachers. 
• Share expectations and set goals for your child with his or her teacher. 
• Attend parent-teacher conferences with specific questions you want to ask. 
• Ask teachers or school counselors about how to talk with your child about tough topics. 
• Seek out classes or information on child development, learning styles, discipline, etc. 
• Attend parent education fairs and other special events at school. 
• Start a parent book club to discuss current publications. 

I encourage you to join the PTA on your child’s campus and get involved. As the commercial says, “Just Do It!”

100 Ways to Help Your Child and School Succeed

Living History

As we celebrate Veterans Day on November 11, students and staff across C-FB ISD honor the men and women who have served and are currently serving our country.

Some of our students had the remarkable opportunity to hear from the last living original Navajo Code Talkers, Chester Nez. On Oct. 13, R. L. Turner High School welcomed the last remaining Navajo Code Talker from World War II, Chester Nez. Nez explained to the students that he was one of the original 29 Navajo young men recruited in the U.S. Military’s top secret program.

The Code Talkers used the unique Navajo language to create a code for the U.S. Military to get messages to soldiers in battle. Throughout the war, no attempts by the Japanese government were successful at cracking the code. The program remained top secret until it was declassified in 1968. Until that time, Nez and the other Code Talkers were unable to tell their families what they had done during the war. Nez’s story has now been published in the book, Code Talker: The first and only memoir by one of the original Navajo code talkers.

Mr. Nez is a real-life history and character lesson of bravery, intelligence and problem-solving. High achievement in C-FB ISD is just not about scoring well on a state test. It is more than that. It is about providing our students with a rich learning environment to develop valuable knowledge and skills as they prepare to become contributing members of our society. That is the ultimate measure of high achievement.

In C-FB, we pride ourselves on instilling character in our students. One of the young men or women who heard Mr. Nez speak could be the very individual responsible making changing history like Mr. Nez and his fellow Code Talkers.

We invite you to come to one of our Veterans Day celebrations to experience learning in action in our schools.

Check out the photos from some of the Veterans Day activities across the district:

• R. L. Turner Hosts Veterans Day Celebration 
• Field Middle School Celebrates Veterans Day

Information regarding remaining Veterans Day activities:

• Nov. 12 , 2:00 p.m. , Blalack Middle School Gym: There will be a Salute to Veterans and members of the Armed Services, Police and Fire Dept. 
• Nov. 12 , 5:30-7:30 p.m. , Landry Elementary: There will be an art show and a choir concert, the choir will sing Veterans Day songs. Afterwards, parents and children can enjoy a dance in the gym with concessions to buy. This is a PTA event. 
• Nov. 13 , 6:30 p.m. , Bush Middle School Cafeteria: Orchestra and Choir Program honoring Veterans 

Local news affiliate, CBS 11, visited Turner to interview Mr. Nez. The video can be viewed on their website here.

Living Examples of Service

I often talk about the character values - pride, cooperation, responsibility, respect, integrity, service, and citizenship - that C-FB teaches to our students. Today, though, I want to give you a living example of those values.

Last Tuesday night, our district honored 271 team members for completing 10, 15, 20, 25, and 30, 35 and yes … 40 years of service with the Carrollton-Farmers Branch School District. Combined, these employees have served C-FB ISD families for 3,145 years. Their years of service have touched tens of thousands of students helping them to achieve their dreams. Amazing!

There was one really special moment for me, though. We paid a special tribute to our employees with 30, 35 and 40 years of service.

Our 30 year recipients are:

• LaDonna Conner 
• Bun Lim 
• Chip Melara 
• Sue Thompson 

Our 35 year recipients are:

• Glenda Brooks-Tidwell 
• Terrie Grimes 
• Kathy Hurley 
• Kathy Lanigan 
• Ben Priddy 
• Janet Truett 

And we recognized Jo Luttrell for 40 years of service. She has given four decades of service to our district helping us accomplish our goal of high achievement for all students. To Jo and the other honorees – Thank you. There are not enough words to express our gratitude for your commitment to C-FB.

List of honorees 

Photos of Service Awards Dinner

Talk, Talk, Talk

We believe that for high achievement to take place, our schools must be safe and focused on learning.

What do C-FB ISD parents say about student safety?Our 2012 spring parent survey shows that 91 percent of parents responding feel that "their child's school provides a safe environment".

Our teachers, principals, counselors, and other educational team members use many great strategies to ensure that our schools are positive learning environments.

How do we accomplish this task? We teach students to talk.  That might sound strange.  Many schools want students to sit quietly.  In C-FB ISD, we know that learning to talk and express feeling, thoughts and ideas appropriately is crucial to social and emotional development.

We also teach our district's character values of integrity, pride, respect, responsibility, service and citizenship in our classrooms. Our students learn extensively about the ideals on which our country and community were founded. Also, the C-FB ISD District Improvement Plan includes action strategies to address bullying, dating violence, conflict resolution, and suicide prevention.

You might have heard about our elementary program called R time.  This program is about talking.  It also emphasizes C-FB ISD's long-established character values as well as promoting courtesy and good manners. Our elementary teachers find R time helps our students build stronger relationships with one another and adults.  The weekly reinforcement of courtesy, respect, good manners and listening skills helps our elementary students not only with their academic achievement but also with their emotional and behavioral well being.

Here is an example of students learning to talk in appropriate ways. In a third grade classroom at Davis Elementary, students were discussing different strategies to solve a math problem.  Two students used two different methods to solve a problem and they came up with different answers.  "I disagree with Susie because..." one student remarked in a polite manner.  The discussion was focused on finding a solution to the problem while still encouraging students who might not have had the "right" answer.  This type of classroom environment encourages risk-taking and allows students to explore and learn without feeling demeaned or isolated.  Across our district, students are learning to talk in appropriate ways with one another and adults.

An extension of R time, Negotiate is a program C-FB ISD is using at our six middle schools. Negotiate provides a forum in which the students explore and share their views on a complete range topics, including how to make and maintain friends, how to resolve conflicts and problems, how to plan and work cooperatively. Through the sessions, we want to students learn that they may not always agree with their partner's viewpoint, but they can talk about ideas and learn to respect and value differences.

Teens face challenging issues at school, at home or in their neighborhood. C-FB ISD has a staff of qualified counselors who help students deal with pressures around them.  Our counselors will visit every classroom in the district this year to talk about age-appropriate issues.  At the middle and high school levels, they will talk about suicide prevention, grief, loss, drug use, conflict resolution, bullying, dating violence, and making healthy choices.

In C-FB ISD, we offer an anonymous online and texting program called Talk About It.  Talk About It allows campus staff to meet students where they are - online and with text messaging - to help solve issues. More about Talk About It.

What can a parent do to help? Talk with your child - often. Ask them about school work, homework, and their friends. Talking helps you stay connected.

Charles Dickens said, "Electric communication will never be a substitute for the face of someone who with their soul encourages another person to be brave and true."

We believe to meet our goal of high achievement for all students, the schools and classrooms must be safe and promote learning.  By having a variety of strategies in place to promote safety, cooperation, respect and conflict resolution, we are teaching our students valuable tools for life during and after their public school days.

It Isn’t Just a Week – It’s about Healthy Choices All Year Long

Did you know? The Red Ribbon Campaign was started when drug traffickers in Mexico City murdered DEA agent Kiki Camarena in 1985. This began the continuing tradition of displaying Red Ribbons as a symbol of intolerance towards the use of drugs. The mission of the Red Ribbon Campaign is to present a unified and visible commitment towards the creation of a drug-free America.

This year, we are celebrating Red Ribbon Week October 22-26 with a Kick-Off Breakfast on October 19 hosted by our local Chambers of Commerce. Red Ribbon Week is a time dedicated to teach and encourage students across the nation to make healthy choices.

But in C-FB ISD, we focus on this more than just one week out of the year – we are always modeling and teaching our students about living a healthy life. C-FB ISD encourages healthy choices all year but we dedicate one week a year to teaching our students to say “no” to drugs and to live a drug free life.

So how do we do it? Well, it comes down to helping students develop character. Roy Disney once said, “It's not hard to make decisions when you know what your values are.” In C-FB ISD, we live the character values of cooperation, integrity, pride, respect, responsibility, service and citizenship. We are deliberate in teaching students to respect themselves, their health, and others around them. Saying “no” to drugs is just one way that students respect themselves. Students, who are healthy, are prepared to learn. More than that, students who live a healthy life can accomplish their dreams. And in C-FB, that is what we are about. We want students to have high achievement so they can reach their full potential.

Link to Red Ribbon Week activities

Inspiring a Generation

Texas Governor Rick Perry has proclaimed October 2012 as “Principals Month” in Texas.  We want to thank our principals and assistant principals for providing valuable leadership and helping our district reach our goal of high achievement for all students.

John Quincy Adams once said, “If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.” Our principals inspire their students to dream big and they give them the tools to fulfill those dreams.

When I think of the principals and assistant principals in this district, words like exceptional, selfless, strong, brilliant, resourceful, driven, caring, compassionate and leadership come to mind.   School leadership is vital to the success of all students. 

Please join with me during the month of October in recognizing the positive contributions our secondary and elementary school leaders have made on student achievement by thanking them.  Do you have a story of how a principal inspired you or your child?  Share it with me at www.cfbisd.edu/testimonial.

Texas Governor’s “Principal Month” Proclamation is linked here.

Six Flags Isn’t Just a Theme Park

This time of year offers us the opportunity to reflect on the rich cultural diversity in Texas and in C-FB ISD. Each fall, I think about corny dogs and folkloric dancers. You might say – I understand Folkloric dancers because we are celebrating Hispanic Heritage month, but why corny dogs? Well, both corny dogs and folkloric dancers are memories I have of the State Fair of Texas. As we get ready for our Fair Day campus holiday on October 8, I am reminiscing about our fantastic state fair. I have always enjoyed eating a corny dog and visiting the exhibits at the fair showcasing our cultural diversity in Texas. Texas has a rich history and our diversity is a valuable asset.

Forgive me as I give you a quick refresher on Texas history. Did you know Six Flags isn’t just a theme park? According to the Texas State Library and Archives Commission, the flags of six nations have flown over Texas. They are:

• Spain (1519-1685; 1690-1821) 
• France (1685-1690) 
• Mexico (1821-1836) 
• Republic of Texas (1836-1845) 
• Confederate States of America (1861-1865) 
• United States of America (1845-1861; 1865-present) 

Each year from September 15 to October 15, we celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month. Our students on campuses spend the month studying our rich diversity in Texas. Here is a sampling of the many ways that our students celebrated our rich diversity and Hispanic Heritage Month. 

• Newman Smith High School has an extensive display in the Media Center of books relating to Hispanic Culture and History! Media Center Webpage
• McWhorter Elementary hosted a multicultural celebration during their October 9 PTA night. 
• Early College High School students participated in a Celebration of Cultures with Brookhaven College. 

Texas’ history has helped to create a rich culture of diversity. I am reminded of the district’s “Positioning Statement” which summarizes our beliefs – our brand. One line says, “We respect and honor the diversity of our families.” Maya Angelou once said, “It is time for parents to teach young people early on that in diversity there is beauty and there is strength.” In C-FB ISD, we agree that our diversity in culture, languages, ethnicity, and backgrounds adds to the strength of our educational community.

Delighting, Teaching and Inspiring Student Expression

Did you know that C-FB offers art and music education to all students kinder through fifth grade? Did you know that C-FB offers orchestra, band, visual arts, jewelry making, theater, speech, debate, drill team, dance, and choir to our secondary students?

Poet and National Endowment for the Arts Chairman Dana Gioia said during his 2007 Com­mence­ment Address at Stanford Uni­ver­sity, “Art is an irre­place­able way of under­stand­ing and expressing the world ... There are some truths about life that can be expressed only as stories, or songs, or images. Art delights, instructs, consoles. It educates our emotions.”

In C-FB ISD, we value Fine Arts and its lasting impact on the lives and education of our students. The arts are an integral aspect of the well-rounded education our students receive in Carrollton-Farmers Branch. 

One of our C-FB parents says it best,

"The Fine Arts program at Perry Middle School is second to none! This is our third year at Perry and I continue to be amazed at what the students accomplish each year. We are so fortunate to have these teachers in our district! Their passion for what they do is evident in the results they achieve each year. We attended the Fine Arts Extravaganza and as a parent it was refreshing to see so many students shine in so many areas. From Orchestra, Choir, Theatre, Karate, Art and Band there are so many choices for our students to find their place in middle school."

What is amazing - is that this is true across our district from elementary through high school. And we are fortunate to have a committed, passionate staff who pour their lives into our students.

Stories fill tv screens and newspapers about schools cutting fine arts programs completely. But that is not the case in C-FB. Despite cuts in our funding for the state legislature, the C-FB School Board and administration have focused our resources on meeting our goal of high achievement for all students including academics, fine arts and athletics. We will continue to provide fine arts education - delighting, teaching and inspiring - our students and our emotions.

Come check out our amazing students at an upcoming Fine arts event. 

Visit the Fine Arts Calendar for dates, times and locations.

C-FB ISD Students Out-Perform State on College Entrance Exams

Try to solve this:
If a and b are positive integers and 9 (3a) = 3b, what is a in terms of b?
A. b - 3
B. b - 2
C. b - 1
D. b
E. b + 2

Made you think, right? Well, in C-FB, our students are excelling at this type of question.

C-FB seniors taking the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) and the American College Test (ACT) in 2012 out-performed students taking the exam throughout the state.

The overall composite score of 22.1 for C-FB ISD seniors taking the ACT in 2012 was higher than both the state (20.8) and the national (21.1) scores. The district combined score for 2012 on the SAT is 1476 compared to 1434 for the state.

You might ask why college entrance exams are important.  The SAT and ACT are like a barometer of success for college readiness. C-FB students are choosing to attend college at Harvard, Princeton, Yale, Cornell, West Point, University of Texas, Texas A&M, and other prestigious universities.  Scores on the SAT and ACT are an important aspect of college admittance. High scores show that our students are college-ready with such skills as problem-solving, mathematical reasoning and literary comprehension.  
I am so proud of the hard work of our students and staff but we have more work to do. Our district is focused on high achievement for all students including college readiness. We will continue to prepare and equip our students with college readiness skills.
 
SAT Results for 2012    Critical
                     Count         Reading    Math    Writing     Combined
Nation    1,664,479          496            514       488           1,498
Texas         172,802         474            499       461           1,434
District 963 487 512 477 1,476

ACT Results for 2011
                      Count English     Math Reading Science Composite
Nation     1,666,017 20.5          21.1 21.3            20.9 21.1
Texas         110,180 19.6          21.4 20.8            20.8 20.8
District              443         20.8          22.7       22.4            22.0             22.1

We Have Lowered The Tax Rate in C-FB

"I shall never use profanity except in discussing house rent and taxes." Mark Twain

Did you know? According to the Energy Information Administration, on July 27, 1992 the price of gas was $1.13. Can you imagine paying that at the pump now? Well...

The Board of Trustees in the Carrollton-Farmers Branch School District approved the 2012-2013 Budget with the lowest tax rate since 1992. Yes, you read that right, our tax rate is lower than it has been in twenty years. The 2012-2013 tax rate is $1.3306. During times when the cost of everything, especially gas, is soaring, our school district has worked diligently to be an efficient, effective system reaching our goal of high achievement for all students.

The lower tax rate will save a homeowner $3.28 a month for a home valued at $165,000.

The Board of Trustees recognized the outstanding job our teachers and staff have done to continuously increase student achievement and approved a one and a half percent raise for all staff members.

At a Special Board Meeting in August, the School Board approved a budget and tax rate for the 2012-2013 school year. To find out more, visit www.cfbisd.edu.

Sorting, Unloading and Organizing

Sorting, unloading and organizing – sounds like doing laundry, right? Well, it’s not about laundry. It is about service.

In C-FB ISD we believe it is imperative that we teach our students character values of pride, cooperation, responsibility, respect, integrity, service, and citizenship. It goes beyond that, though. Across this district, our C-FB team members live out our character values every day.

The staff at Perry Middle School modeled the character trait of service during their first week back when they divided up into teams and went into our community to volunteer at various non-profit organizations. Sorting books at the Farmers Branch Manske Library, unloading food at the Metrocrest Social Services Food Pantry and organizing clothes at the Goodwill Store were just part of the ways that the staff at Perry helped our community. Principal Brooke Puricelli explained, "These organizations give so much to the students at Perry that we wanted to give back to them.."

I encourage you to volunteer your time at a non-profit organization or even at one of our campuses. Find out more about volunteering at www.cfbisd.edu/volunteer.

Reading is Fun(damental) - Part 2

“The more you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you'll go.” Dr. Seuss, I Can Read With My Eyes Shut! 

Reading is an important life skill. Our goal in C-FB ISD is high achievement for all students. And in regards to reading – we want our students to be excellent life-long readers.

I encourage you to read with or to your child every day for at least 20 minutes. If you have a high school student, read a book that he/she is reading and talk about it. Model reading for your children – when they see you reading, it will encourage their own love for books. As a side benefit to you, a recent report from the Harvard Business Review by John Coleman states, “Finally, an active literary life can make you more personally effective by keeping you relaxed and improving health. For stressed executives, reading is the best way to relax, as reading for six minutes can reduce stress by 68%.” So read - it helps you and your child.

To find more ways to encourage reading in your children, check out our blogs Blogabilities and Future C-FB.

Celebrate Good Times

In her book Lead with LUV, Colleen Barrett reminds leaders to celebrate the big and little accomplishments in life. So let’s celebrate!

On Monday, nearly 25,000 students began the 2012-2013 school year in the Carrollton-Farmers Branch Independent School District. And next Tuesday, we expect to reach over 26,000 students when our Pre-kindergarten students start school. This has been a great start of school and I am confident that we will reach our goal of high achievement for all students.

Did you know?

• This week, our employees welcomed all our smiling faces to school, helped wipe the tears of the moms and dads dropping off their kindergartners, made sure our facilities were in perfect condition, prepared delicious food, and helped enroll our new students. Our 3,000 employees are the best! They are committed to our students and our goal. 
• We hired over 200 new educators for this school year. And I believe this is our best recruiting class ever. 
• When school started this year, the 500 students at Good Elementary School walked into a brand new 82,000 square foot building. The original building was built in 1957 and had several renovations. The new building was built last year adjacent to the old building. Over the summer the old building was completely demolished and replaced with a new parking lot and landscaping. 
• Through Dallas County Schools, our 110 buses transported over 3,750 students a day traveling 1.2 million miles during the year. Thank you to our great bus drivers! 
• Our phenomenal Student Nutrition department serves over 4,400 nutritious breakfasts and 15,850 nutritious lunches per day. This year, we launched four restaurants in each of our high schools. Our students have excellent choices for healthy meals. Find out more on our new blog called Food for Thought. 

Please feel free to share the great things you see in our district with the Strategic Communication Services office. When teachers do a great job -- tell them. When your kids experience success -- celebrate! Let’ s celebrate our success!

A Race for Support

Have you ever trained to run a race or a marathon? It takes consistent, steady practice and hard work. And it takes support. Many runners have trainers or training partners.

The race for high achievement in education is the same. We need supporters cheering us on and helping us reach our goal of high achievement for all students. Our finish line might look a little different than at a marathon. Imagine a stage at graduation with our students walking across as they earn their diploma. Our students and staff have the same feeling of pride and accomplishment that a runner feels when they cross the finish line when our students earn a diploma, learn how to read for the very first time, or solve a complicated calculus problem on their own. We need the strong community support in order to reach our goal of high achievement for all students.

Here’s one story of support in C-FB ISD:

Riverchase is a school community recognized for high academic achievement. Research shows that the support of the community is a crucial component to high achievement. Schools cannot accomplish their goal of high achievement for all students without the support of parents and the community.

Recently, the staff of Riverchase Elementary competed in an “Amazing Race” through the community of Coppell as they prepared for the school year. Staff members “raced” through Coppell (not breaking any speed laws – I assure you) in order to identify and meet various businesses owners and employees in the community. As the staff members interacted with the businesses, they built stronger relationships. Our staff members were even able to meet new faces and begin new relationships with the businesses. For example, teachers met leasing agents at several apartment complexes and learned about how they could work together to help the students who live in the complex.

Schools in the Carrollton-Farmers Branch ISD, like Riverchase, value partnering with local businesses in the communities we serve. If you would like more information on how you or your business can be involved in shaping the lives of students in C-FB ISD, contact the Strategic Communication Services Office at cfbinfo@cbfisd.edu.

Welcome New C-FB Staff Members

Urgent Message: Today’s message is to our new educators and staff members in C-FB ISD. However, even if you are not a new staff member, feel free to read on and “listen in” to my message of gratitude and encouragement.


Welcome new C-FB team members! Thank you for choosing the Carrollton-Farmers Branch Independent School District. You know in many ways a successful school district is like a successful college football program, in that our success depends on our personnel and on the quality of our new recruiting class – that’s you. I am extremely excited to say that we have assembled the best recruiting class ever. Our administrators and principals tell me repeatedly that our new employees are the best they have ever seen. They chose well.

However, you need more than great personnel to have a successful season. You need focus.. a goal. We have that ingredient in C-FB because we share one goal: High Achievement for All Students. Our goal is your charge – the charge of the whole C-FB Team – educate all students at high levels.

All great programs focus on the practice of continuous improvement. The secret to success is practice, practice, practice! It is the difference between average performers and great performers. There is no substitute for practice. As educators, we must continually improve our instructional practice to help our students achieve at the highest levels.

These are the ingredients to a great district: great personnel and great recruiting class, goal focus, and continuous improvement. All successful organizations share these ingredients. And in C-FB, we have these ingredients. We have the best staff – Team C-FB. We have one goal – high achievement for all students. And, make continuous improvement a habit.

To you, our new employees: Welcome to a great school district, and thank you for choosing C-FB. Now go forth and accomplish our goal of High Achievement for all Students.

Thank you, Ambassadors!

C-FB graduated a room full of adults.  Sound strange? Well, the first cohort of Community Ambassadors completed their training sessions this past Thursday and graduated from the program.  Over ninety parents, business leaders, and community members have attended sessions this summer to learn more about C-FB ISD and public education.

We thank our first group of Community Ambassadors.  They are pioneers.  In C-FB, we are reaching out to our community sharing the good news about our district.  Did you know that C-FB students outperform over 3.7 million other Texas students? Find out more. 

Interested in being a Community Ambassador? The next Community Ambassador Program sessions will be September 11, October 30, and December 4 from 11 am - 1 pm at the Technology Learning Center, 2427 Carrick Street in Farmers Branch. Email cfbinfo@cfbisd.edu to find out how to become involved.

For more information, visit: www.cfbisd.edu/ambassador

Come Join Us and Build a Future Together

The Board of Trustees approved their School Board meeting and Work Study schedule for the 2012-2013 school year. We invite you to join us at any or all or our meetings. Find the schedule here.

Architect Daniel Libeskind once said, “Life it is not just a series of calculations and a sum total of statistics, it's about experience, it's about participation, it is something more complex and more interesting than what is obvious.” As the district seeks to reach its goal of high achievement for all students, we invite you to participate with us on the journey. In C-FB, we know we cannot accomplish our goal alone. It requires all us – parents, students, staff, and the community – working together to help our students achieve at high levels. 

Together we can build a bright future for our students. Come join us in the journey.

2012-13 Board Regular and Work-Study Meeting Dates

Knocked it Out of the Park? Our Summer School Did!

What do words, music, movement service and high achievement have in common? Summer learning in C-FB ISD. Click here to find out more.

Assistant Superintendent Tracy Smith presented information about our 2012 Summer School programs at the August 2 School Board meeting. Our summer program included 4,151 students which is larger than entire enrollment of 800 districts in Texas.

Did you know that summer school is for all students? In C-FB ISD, we offer exceptional summer programs for a variety of students meeting their specific needs. Quality teachers provide a variety of classes for students who choose to continue their learning in the summer through extra enrichment-type classes as well as programs to help students make up credits in order to graduate on time.

Check out the great success of our summer programs:

Bright Spots in C-FB ISD

Check out the great things happening in C-FB ISD. We have many bright spots to celebrate. Together, we are reaching high achievement for all students.

Bright Spots, a set on Flickr.

Reaching High Achievement for All Students.