UTB Announces Names of BISD University Scholars

Great news! A total of 61 BISD seniors from all 7 district high schools have been awarded spots in the University Scholars Program at the University of Texas at Brownsville. This renewable scholarship covers tuition, most fees, and $500 for books each semester. Housing is awarded to students based on distance and circumstance. The estimated value of each scholarship is $42,000 for the entire 4 years of college. Of the total number of University Scholars, BECHS earned 1, Porter earned 12, Hanna earned 13, Pace earned 6, Rivera earned 11, Lopez earned 14, and Veterans Memorial earned 4. View the 2014 BISD University Scholars recipients.

Porter Business Students Travel to Indiana for National Conference

Top students from Gladys Porter High School attended the Business Professionals of America (BPA) 2014 National Leadership Conference, “Accelerate Your Future,” in Indianapolis, Indiana, April 30 - May 4, 2014. Gladys Porter High School chapter members, Jacob R. Benavides (12th), Jesus Castillo (12th), Gilbert Renteria, Jr. (12th), and Juan Jose Vela (12th), joined over 5,200 other conference delegates from across the nation to participate in national level business skills competitions, workshops, general sessions, and the national officer candidate campaigns and elections. Besides having had the opportunity to excel, they experienced the city of Indianapolis, Indiana. Brownsville ISD is proud of these four young men who represented their school district and campus at a national level. Alberto Velez is the chapter sponsor.

Better Hearing and Speech Month

Governor Rick Perry has proclaimed May 2014 to be “Better Hearing and Speech Month.” View the Governor’s proclamation.

Art is Alive in BISD

On Saturday, May 10, BISD middle school art students earned the highest number of awards at the Region One Jr. Visual Arts Scholastic (VASE) Event. BISD artists earned a total of 172 medals, 32 silver, the highest award available. A total of 175 BISD students attended the competition and exhibits and participated in activities and workshops. Congratulations to our art students and teachers! View the results by campus.

Giving Hope

Brownsville ISD employees contributed a total of $11,393.95 to support this year’s March for Babies and Blue Jeans for Babies Campaign. Thank you for your generous donations.

Three Teachers Selected for NASA Program

Della V. Benavidez from Besteiro Middle School, Claudia Cortez from Faulk Middle School and Fabian Salcedo from the Brownville Early College High School have been selected from across the nation for the prestigious LiftOff Summer Institute to be held at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas this summer. This program between Texas Space Grant Consortium and NASA JSC Middle School Aerospace Scholars program, selects teachers from across the U.S. who will increase their knowledge of space education through the LiftOff Professional Development Summer Institute.

BECHS Teacher Selected for NASA Program

Fabian Salcedo, a teacher at the Brownville Early College High School, has been selected from across the nation for the prestigious LiftOff Summer Institute to be held at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas this summer. View the media release.

School Nurses Are the Best!

Governor Rick Perry has declared Wednesday, May 7 as School Nurse Day. All Texans are urged to recognize school nurses for their unwavering dedication to our children. School nurses are an important part of a child’s health support network, working in collaboration with families, schools, and communities. These health care professionals have to be ready for almost everything, from dealing with a child’s chronic condition to filling the role of first responder in an emergency situation. View the Governor’s proclamation.

5 Names Gates Scholars

Five BISD students have been selected for the 2014 Class of Gates Millennium Scholars (GMS). Congratulations to Jorge Rocha, Brownville Early College High School; Lucero Estrella, Hanna High School; Sherry Hurtado, Pace High School; Priscila Garcia and Abigail Sanchez, Rivera High School. View the story about these Gates recipients and a past recipient who is now a BISD band director in The Brownsville Herald.

One Last Heath Screening Session

The final session for health screenings for full-time employees will be held on Monday, May 5 from 7:30 – 11:30 am in the BISD Boardroom. Anyone who was unable to participate at a campus or department is encouraged to attend. To date, 74% of all full-time BISD employees have participated.

BISD Celebrates El Día de los Niños

Brownsville Independent School District will be celebrating El Día de los Niños on April 30, 2014. Celebrations of El Día de los Niños recognize the tremendous value our young children have in our community and in our collective future. Children represent the hopes and dreams of every community and family. On this day, BISD will celebrate childhood and continue to recognize the importance of ensuring each child in our community has what is needed to succeed. In order to accomplish this, BISD is committed to partnering with other agencies and organizations in our community that can support young children and their families.

NFL Champion!

Congratulations to the Castañeda Elementary Patriots for winning the NFL Championship Game. Castañeda played Benavides Elementary on Saturday, April 26 at Veterans Memorial High School. Way to go Patriots! Thank you to all the students, parents, and employees who made this a spectacular NFL season.

Appreciating Our Internal Auditors

Governor Rick Perry has officially proclaimed May 12-16 as Internal Audit Week in Texas. Internal auditors provide invaluable expertise and contributions. The Governor encourages all Texans to recognize and appreciate the role they play within their respective organizations. View the proclamation.

Students Earn Duke Notice

Congratulations to eighteen BISD 7th grade students who qualified for State Recognition in the 2013-2014 Duke University Talent Identification Program. The program identifies and supports talented students who demonstrate exceptional academic ability and stellar performance on the SAT and ACT by earning scores that match the scores of seniors on a national level. Congratulations to: Priscilla Mayorga, Stell Middle School Vanessa Millot, Stell Middle School Abigail Rocha, Stell Middle School Michelle Campbell, Vela Middle School Majd Abusalim, Oliveria Middle School Kayla Pineda, Perkins Middle School Carlos Soto, Perkins Middle School Tristan Alaniz, Stillman Middle School Katilyn Carr, Stillman Middle School Roberto Delgado, Stillman Middle School Jose Garibay, Stillman Middle School Javier Hinojosa, Stillman Middle School Gerardo Lopez, Stillman Middle School Marisol Lujan, Stillman Middle School Justin Medina, Stillman Middle School Juan Amieva, Manzano Middle School Rodrigo Caraveo, Manzano Middle School Eyne Palacios, Manzano Middle School

BECHS is the BEST!

The Brownsville Early College High School (BECHS) has been recognized as one of the best public high schools in the U.S. News and World Report survey. BECHS was ranked 30 out of 375 Texas schools and was labeled a Gold Medal school. View the rankings.

Funds for Libraries

Four BISD school libraries received 2014 grants from the Laura Bush Foundation for America’s Libraries. Congratulations to Benavides, Paredes, and Garden Park Elementary Schools and Hanna High School. The schools received grants of $5,000 each to expand, update and diversify their library book collections. View the media release and list of recipients.