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