Fern Bluff Named Math Pentathlon National Champion

ROUND ROCK ISD WEBSITE

Posted Date: 6/2/2009

Parents, school officials and community members joined Fern Bluff Elementary students as they celebrated the school winning its first Math Pentathlon National Championship. Only 15 schools across the nation have won the honor since the Math Pentathlon started.

Rene LeBlanc, Associate Director of the Pentathlon Institute, greeted the students and announced that once scores had been counted and confirmed for all schools nationwide, the Kinder —5th grade team at Fern Bluff Elementary took the Championship with 352 points.

“This is truly an incredible achievement for our kids and our coaches,” said Lisa Mack, Fern Bluff Elementary Math Pentathlon campus coordinator. “We know our kids are truly special and now the whole country knows.”

What’s even more astonishing about the win is that this is the first year Fern Bluff Elementary has had a Math Pentathlon club on campus. Mack said she was advised to start the club with a small number of students, but she didn’t have the heart to turn down any child who wanted to participate which resulted in 136 from all grade levels joining the team.

“Clearly the dedication of the coaches, rule experts, and parent volunteers working with the kids each week has made a huge difference on that campus,” noted Mr. LeBlanc. “They have an exceptional program, an exceptional staff of parents running the program, and exceptional students.”

LeBlanc presented the team with a trophy to put in the school’s trophy case and Congressman John Carter’s office presented Mack with a certificate honoring the school’s achievement.

Tournaments have been held for the past 31 years with national championships awarded since 1994. Texas has been hosting tournaments since 1997 and this is only the second time a school in Texas has won the national championship. Thousands of schools around the US have Math Pentathlon games in the schools either in the classroom or as an extracurricular enrichment program. In 2008-2009 there were 219 schools that participated in the national tournament.

http://www.roundrockisd.org/index.aspx?recordid=1564&page=3401

Fern Bluff Elementary celebrates math pentathlon national victory

COMMUNITY IMPACT NEWSPAPER
June 3, 2009

Written by Kelsey Wilkinson

More than 130 students wearing bright red t-shirts marched through the halls of Round Rock ISD's Fern Bluff Elementary School the morning of June 3. Slapping the hands of their classmates, they strutted through the hall and took in the sounds of Queen’s “We are theThe students celebrated their new status as math pentathlon national champions. The mathematics pentathlon is a program of interactive problem-solving games that aims to strengthen basic math concepts and skills, which align with the national and state mathematics standards and stimulates creative thinking and problem solving skills.

This was the first year the campus offered a math pentathlon club on their campus. Students trained with activities after school and many parents volunteered on weekends to learn the rules for coaching and supervising a math pentathlon tournament. “This is not simply an after school program,” said Lisa Mack, math pentathlon campus coordinator and who Fern Bluff Principal Elizabeth Wilson credits with bringing the program to the school. “We are a family of families.” Mack said it is not just the students and teachers who made the program successful, but also the parents’ dedication and commitment to the program and their children.

The Fern Bluff students were named national champions June 1 upon earning 352 points at the tournament’s conclusion. Approximately 219 schools participated in the national tournament. “You guys are rough, tough and smart,” said Dr. Lorenzo Sadun, the University of Texas Professor who addressed the students at the awards ceremony. “You didn’t just learn math, you connected the classroom to the real world and proved the book learning doesn’t end when you close the book and leave school at the end of the day.”

http://impactnews.com/round-rock-pflugerville/recent-news/4688-fern-bluff-elementary-celebrates-math-pentathlon-national-victory

METRO: Students Excel in Math Contest

AUSTIN AMERICAN STATESMAN
June 3, 2009

Fern Bluff Elementary School was named a 2009 Mathematics Pentathlon National Championship school, the pentathlon campus coordinator said.

The pentathalon is a competition in which students compete in five math and problem-solving games. The group has been honoring schools annually since 1994. This year, more than 200 schools from across the country participated.

http://www.statesman.com/search/content/news/stories/local/06/03/0603schools.html

Fern Bluff Elementary Takes National Championship

FERN BLUFF ELEMENTARY WEBSITE
June 1, 2009

There are only 15 Math Pentathlon National Championship schools in the United States. Fern Bluff Elementary in Round Rock ISD is now one of them.

Yesterday, Rene LeBlanc, Associate Director of the Pentathlon Institute, announced that once scores had been counted and confirmed for all schools nationwide, the Kinder —5th grade team at Fern Bluff Elementary took the Championship with 352 points.

"This is truly an incredible achievement for our kids and our coaches," said Lisa Mack, Fern Bluff Elementary Math Pentathlon campus coordinator. "We know our kids are truly special and now the whole country knows."

Tournaments have been held for the past 31 years with national championships awarded since 1994. Texas has been hosting tournaments since 1997 and this is only the 2^nd time a school in Texas has won the national championship. Thousands of schools around the US have Math Pentathlon games in the schools either in the classroom or as an extracurricular enrichment program. In 2008-2009 there were 219 schools that participated in the national tournament.

What's even more astonishing about the win is that this is the first year Fern Bluff Elementary has even had a Math Pentathlon club on campus. "Clearly the dedication of the coaches, rule experts, and parent volunteers working with the kids each week has made a huge difference on that campus," noted Mr. LeBlanc. "They have an exceptional program, an exceptional staff of parents running the program, and exceptional students."

At 8:00 AM on Wednesday, June 3^rd, the campus will celebrate their victory with a presentation by Mr. LeBlanc and reception.

SPORTS: Fern Bluff free throw queen earns spot at state

Central District champ finishes 5th in Carrolton

ROUND ROCK LEADER
February 26, 2009

Staff Reports

Local student Jennifer Molis of Fern Bluff Elementary School participated in the 2009 Texas Elks Association Hoop Shoot free throw contest in Carrollton on Feb. 21.

Molis earned the spot by winning a local competition sponsored by Chisholm Trails Elks Lodge and then the Central District Shoot-Off held in Georgetown January 31.

Competing against eight other district champions Molis - the Central District champion in the 8-9 year-old girls division - made 16 of 25 attempts to take fifth place.

This year more than 220,000 kids across Texas competed in the contest. Nationwide more than 3.5 million boys and girls will compete in the contest this year.

http://rrleader.com/main.asp?Search=1&ArticleID=21059&SectionID=2&SubSectionID=2&S=1

Group names Round Rock ISD schools to tops list

ROUND ROCK LEADER
February 20, 2009

Seventeen Round Rock ISD schools were named Higher Performing Schools in 2008 in Texas by education database Just for the Kids.

The group selected schools across the state based on analyses conducted by the National Center for Educational Achievement, sponsor of the Just for the Kids Campaign, and were chosen based on performance in mathematics, reading, science, social studies and writing as well as college and career readiness.

RRISD schools named to the list were:

• Brushy Creek Elementary for science

• Cactus Ranch Elementary for mathematics and reading

• Canyon Creek Elementary for mathematics and reading

• Canyon Vista Middle School for mathematics, reading, science, social studies and writing

• Cedar Valley Middle School for mathematics, reading, science, and social studies

• Fern Bluff Elementary for mathematics and reading

• Forest North Elementary for science

• Great Oaks Elementary for mathematics and reading

• Kathy Caraway Elementary for mathematics and reading

• Laurel Mountain Elementary for mathematics and reading

• Live Oak Elementary for reading

• McNeil High School for science and social studies

• Pond Springs Elementary for mathematics

• Spicewood Elementary for mathematics and reading

• Stony Point Ninth Grade Center for mathematics and reading

• Union Hill Elementary for mathematics

• Westwood High School for mathematics, reading, science, and social studies

There are two ways to be designated as a 2008 JFTK Higher Performing School in Texas. First, schools whose students perform better than predicted for schools with similar demographics were included. Secondly, schools whose student performance was in the top five percent in the state as measured by NCEA's College and Career Readiness Benchmarks in math, reading, and science, or TEA's Commended Standard in social studies and writing were highlighted as a 2008 Just for the Kids Higher Performing School.

Just for the Kids, sponsored by the National Center for Educational Achievement, is aimed at providing school, district, and other education leaders with essential system performance and best practice information they need to make sound decisions.

For more information, go to just4kids.org.

http://rrleader.com/main.asp?Search=1&ArticleID=21006&SectionID=1&SubSectionID=1&S=1

NEWS: RRHS, Berkman teachers take top honors in school district

ROUND ROCK LEADER
May 31, 2008

LAURI ZACHRY
Education Reporter

Sandra Husty of Berkman Elementary and Peggy Mica of Round Rock High School were surprised recently as they were selected as Round Rock ISD's Elementary and Secondary Teachers of the Year May 6 at the annual Teacher Excellence Awards reception.

Husty has taught third-grade English as a Second Language at Berkman for three years. Before teaching at Berkman, Husty taught fifth-grade reading, math and bilingual classes in Georgetown ISD for six years.

Husty attended the Sawyer College of Business in California and worked in the Silicon Valley in the marketing field. Because of her passion for life-long learning, Husty returned to school and received a bachelor of arts in English and history at the University of Texas in Austin. She later went on to complete her master of education in multicultural special education at UT.

"Teaching seemed to be it for me, so I changed careers," Husty said. "It's been a great experience and quite fulfilling. It's great to be able to share my love of learning with the students. I have such great students and work with such great teachers. This award was so gracious and kind and I'm proud to represent Round Rock ISD."

Husty and her husband, Cameron, have two daughters and one granddaughter and have lived in Round Rock for 14 years.

Mica's teaching career began 21 years ago at Round Rock High School.

While at Round Rock High, Mica has taught math, Advanced Placement computer science, technology classes and education academy classes. She has also conducted technology trainings for Round Rock High teachers and worked as a technology coordinator for the school.

"I hope the kids see you always have to learn new things, but I also hope they realize we don't want to ever give up on them," Mica said. "This has been a great 21 years."

Mica's former students, on occasion, make surprise visits to her classroom such as former student and Austin Community College sophomore Alex Speasmaker. Mica taught Speasmaker in his Introduction to Information Technology class. Because of her class, his first job in high school was working at a computer repair shop.

"I've learned many things from her class that I'm going to use for life," Speasmaker said.

Mica grew up in Flatonia, near Houston, and received her bachelor of math and computer science from the University of Houston and then education certification from the same school. Mica and her husband, Darrell, have one daughter, Natalie, who will attend McNeil High School as a freshman in the fall.

This year's Teacher Excellence Awards reception was held on National Teacher Appreciation Day during Teacher Appreciation Week. The RRISD Education Foundation and State Farm Insurance Companies sponsored the reception. The foundation provides cash prizes of $100 for each campus Teacher of the Year, and $500 for each of the district's Teachers of the Year.

All schools in Round Rock ISD selected a Teacher of the Year. Round Rock ISD's Teacher of the Year program is affiliated with the state and national Teacher of the Year programs.

RRISD campus

winners include:

Anderson Mill Elementary - Lisa Adams

Berkman Elementary - Sandra Husty

Blackland Prairie Elementary - Kristi Haskins

Bluebonnet Elementary - Magui Laredo

Brushy Creek Elementary - Katie Maybaum

Cactus Ranch Elementary - Jessica St. John

Caldwell Heights Elementary - April Sweet

Canyon Creek Elementary - Laurie Neuman

Canyon Vista Middle School - Cindy Fleming

Caraway Elementary - Carla Naylor

CD Fulkes Middle School - Robin Mounts

Cedar Valley Middle School - Julie Johnson

Chisholm Trail Middle School - Tim Lowke

Deep Wood Elementary- Kelly Tuxhorn

Deerpark Middle School - Catherine Gutierrez

Double File Trail Elementary - Joanne Sanford

Fern Bluff Elementary - Deidra Floyd

Forest Creek Elementary - Sandy Harper

Forest North Elementary - Casey Koester

Gattis Elementary - Johanna Friedel

Great Oaks Elementary - Nancy Valdez

Grisham Middle School --Kasandra Hughes

Hopewell Middle School - Ron Goins

Jollyville Elementary - Dina Mensing

Laurel Mountain Elementary - Jessica Trejo

Live Oak Elementary - Lorita Beeler

McNeil High School - Larry Vinklarek

Old Town Elementary - Monica Baldini

Pond Springs Elementary - Michelle Peter

Purple Sage Elementary - Katie Balagia

Ridgeview Middle School - Jennifer Ricks

Robertson Elementary - Marnie Rundquist

Round Rock High School - Peggy Mica

Round Rock Opportunity Center - JoAnn Nash

Spicewood Elementary - Eunice Marrero

Stony Point 9th Grade Center - Marie Douglass

Stony Point High School - David Hailes

Union Hill Elementary - Jeff Telle

Voigt Elementary - Esther Benedetto

Wells Branch Elementary - Jaime Castillo

Westwood High School - Mickey White

In addition to the campus and district Teachers of the Year, RRISD teachers who have received grants and/or other state or national recognition were recognized during the May 6 ceremony.

Contact Lauri Zachry at 255-5827 or by e-mail at education@rrleader.com .

http://rrleader.com/main.asp?Search=1&ArticleID=18895&SectionID=1&SubSectionID=1&S=1