AISD Insights: Oct. 2023 Vol.4

In case you missed the news, Stafford Elementary School fifth-grade teacher Taniece Thompson-Smith was named last week as the Texas Teacher of the Year and will represent the state of Texas in the National Teacher of the Year competition. Thompson-Smith – the AISD and Region 14 Elementary Teacher of the Year – was also selected as the Texas Elementary Teacher of the Year.

Thompson-Smith was honored last Friday (October 20) at the Texas Association of School Administrators awards ceremony in Round Rock. Thompson-Smith – the first Abilene ISD to ever be recognized as the Texas Teacher of the Year – also received a cash award and a commemorative trophy. For more coverage of Thompson-Smith’s win, click here.

Congratulations to three Abilene High cross-country runners – Andruw Villa from the boys’ team and Marin Murry and Zoe Vann from the girls’ team – for qualifying for the Class 5A state championship meet by virtue of their finishes earlier this week at the Region I-5A championship meet at Mae Simmons Park in Lubbock.

Villa – a senior who will be making his third trip to the state championship meet – was second at the regional meet, covering the 5000-meter course in 15 minutes, 08 .8 seconds, finishing 10 seconds behind the individual champion, North Richland Hills senior Ethan Gonzalez (14:58.3). El Paso High won the boys’ team title with 104 points, followed by Colleyville Heritage (119), Argyle (125) and Aledo (135). Abilene High – which captured the District 4-5A team title earlier this month – was fifth (163) — just missing the cut for a state team berth.

On the girls’ side, Murray led the Lady Eagles with a 15^th-place finish in 19:27.1 over 5000 meters, while Vann took the final at-larger berth, finishing 17^th in 19:30.3. Cooper freshman Lila Murillo finished 23^rd in the individual standings in 19:55.2. Aledo won the girls’ team title with 45 points, followed by Colleyville Heritage (82), Grapevine (115), and El Paso Chapin (190). Abilene High – which finished second at the District 4-5A championship meet last week – finished sixth as a team (216 points).

Villa, Murray, and Vann will compete at the Class 5A championship meet on Thursday, Nov. 2, at Old Settler’s Park in Round Rock.

The Abilene High and Cooper High School bands – which each received a Division One rating last Monday at the University Interscholastic League (UIL) East Zone Marching Contest at Shotwell Stadium – will be competing Saturday (Oct. 28) in the area contest at Lowrey Field in Lubbock. Both bands have advanced to the area round in four straight years. Beginning this fall, all bands can advance to the state contest. The UIL has moved away from the every-other-year model that has been in place since 1992.

The AISD Memorial Park honors the memory of deceased AISD students and staff who honorably served in the United States Armed Forces. The park is located on the grounds of Dyess Elementary School and includes a Veterans Memorial Wall commemorating the names of those who served. If you want to nominate a loved one who has passed away for memorialization on the district’s Veterans Memorial Wall, please click here to submit their information. If you’d like to search the AISD database for the 77 names that already have their names etched onto the wall, click here.

Fine Arts Roundup: Abilene ISD parents and community members are invited to attend feedback sessions regarding the qualities desired in the district’s next Executive Director of Fine Arts. Please join us in person from 6-7 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 26, in the Abilene High or Cooper High auditorium. You do not need to attend both meetings; registration is not required. If you do not prefer or are not able to attend one of the in-person meetings, please click here to submit your feedback. Thank you for your support of Abilene ISD and AISD Fine Arts students, staff, and programs. … The Madison Middle School Orchestra Fall Concert is tonight (Friday, Oct. 27) at 6 p.m. at the Madison Auditorium. … The Craig Middle School Theatre Department presents “Rotten Apples” on Thursday, Nov. 2, at 6:30 p.m. at Taylor Elementary School.

The Marine Corps Toys for Tots program is currently accepting applications for their program. Applications will be accepted through Sunday, Dec. 10. The program is for children 14 and under. Distribution to the community is planned for Dec. 19-Dec. 21. If you have any questions, email abilene.tx@toysfortots.org. The Toys for Tots program distributed 18,425 toys last year, supporting 4,411 children in Abilene and the surrounding area. If parents need assistance with the application, they can call Abilene ISD School Social Worker Diana Hall at 325-677-1444, ext. 7123. The application can be found here. If you would like to make a financial donation, click here. If you would like to donate a toy, click here to learn where to drop off your donation.

Cooper High School will host a Mini Cheer Camp on Saturday, Oct. 28, from 9-11 a.m. at the Cooper Gymnastics Gym and is open to all kindergarten through fifth-grade students. The cost is $30 per child and includes a T-shirt if the form is returned today (Friday, Oct. 20) with payment. Campers will perform on the field during the first quarter of the Cougars’ home football game on Friday, Nov. 3.

Ortiz Elementary School will host its first Trunk or Treat on Monday, Oct. 30, from 5:30-7 p.m. in the circle drive in front of the school at 2550 Vogel Street. If you can donate a bag of candy, please drop it off in the front office at Ortiz by Friday, Oct. 27.

The Cooper Cougars officially clinched a berth in the state football playoffs for a 17^th straight season with Thursday night’s victory over Lubbock High. The win pushes Cooper to 4-5 overall and 3-1 in District 2-5A Division II and sets up next Friday night’s Southtown Showdown against Wylie in the regular-season finale at Shotwell Stadium in a game that will have a huge impact on playoff seeding. The Coogs are getting hot at the right time, having won back-to-back games to move into a tie for second place in District 2-5A. Two weeks ago, Cooper went to Amarillo and knocked off Palo Duro, 28-21, and then beat upstart Plainview, 31-14, last Friday night at Shotwell Stadium. The Cougars will carry a three-game winning streak into next Friday’s game against the Bulldogs at Shotwell Stadium. The playoffs will begin across the state on Thursday, Nov. 9.

The Abilene High Eagles can clinch the football program’s first outright district championship since 2016 with a win Friday night over Amarillo High in the Eagles’ regular-season finale at Shotwell Stadium. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. The Eagles have already clinched a playoff berth for the fourth straight time and 21^st time in the last 25 seasons but must beat the Sandies to win the district title outright. The Eagles enter the game having won five straight games by an average score of 51-16, including last Friday afternoon’s 63-10 mauling of Lubbock Coronado at Lowrey Field in Lubbock. At 7-2 overall and 5-0 in the league, the Eagles are 1 ½ games ahead of both Lubbock Cooper and Amarillo High – both 3-1 in the district – in the standings. Lubbock Cooper – which lost to Abilene High 38-35 two weeks ago in Abilene – beat Amarillo High 49-14 earlier this season. The Sandies lead the all-time series 11-10, including last season’s 17-10 win in Amarillo. The Eagles are off next week and will know their first-round opponent and other game information sometime Friday night or Saturday. You can watch and listen to Abilene High’s game against Amarillo here or here.

Suppose you’re looking for a way to get into shape, shed a few extra pounds, or just a place to work out. In that case, the AISD’s insurance provider – BlueCross BlueShield of Texas – is offering a special deal that eliminates the $19 enrollment fee for new members who sign up for its Fitness Program in October. Members will be asked to enter a coupon code OCTOBERWAIVED at checkout to qualify for the waived fee. The Fitness Program offers four flexible gym options from $19 to $99, convenience, and access to a nationwide network of participating facilities so members can work out whether traveling, at home, or work:

Members can select a plan option that suits their lifestyle based on location and facility access.
Once they join, they’ll have access to all locations within the purchased plan and in any of the lower-priced options.
Access thousands of digital fitness videos and live classes through an online platform, including cardio, boot camp, barre, yoga, and more. Digital access is included with Base, Core, Power, and Elite memberships.

For more information on enrolling in the program, please see the flyer here.

Abilene ISD Sports Roundup: The Abilene High volleyball team has clinched the No. 3 seed out of District 4-5A and will be in the playoffs for the second straight season under head coach Caroline Cleveland. The Lady Eagles (14-22 overall) dropped their regular-season finale last Friday evening against Lubbock Cooper but had already clinched third place before the match. Lubbock Cooper (12-0 in district) is the district champion, followed by Wylie (10-2), Abilene High (7-5) and Lubbock Monterey (5-7). Abilene High will play Amarillo Tascosa (27-14 and the runner-up in District 3-5A) in the bi-district round on Tuesday, Oct. 31, at 6 p.m. at Lubbock Estacado High School. The winner of that match will play the winner of the bi-district match between El Paso Ysleta and El Paso Burges. The Lady Eagles reached the Region I-5A championship tournament last season. … Cooper – which had a chance to get into a fourth-place tie and force a one-match playoff to determine the district’s No. 4 seed – was eliminated from the race for a playoff spot last Friday with a 3-0 road loss against Lubbock High. The Lady Coogs closed out their season Tuesday with a home win against Lubbock Coronado to finish the season at 13-29 overall and 3-9 in district play (sixth place). … Basketball season is just around the corner, and each of the district’s four teams has begun practice on their respective campuses. The Abilene High and Cooper girls’ teams will each start their regular seasons on Friday, Nov. 3, with Cooper hosting Odessa High at 6 p.m. at Cougar Gym and the Lady Eagles playing at L.D. Bell at 6 p.m. The Cooper boys – under first-year head coach Michael Bacon – will host Odessa High at 7:30 p.m. at Cougar Gym on Friday, Nov. 10, and the next day (Saturday, Nov. 11), Abilene High will play Del Rio at 12 p.m. at San Angelo Lake View.