AISD Insights: Jan. 2024 Vol. 3

Three Abilene ISD students were recently recognized for their superior efforts in the UIL State Congress competition, where the top debate students from the state compete in a model legislative process of democracy, specifically the United States Congress. Within the mock legislative assembly competition, contestants draft legislation (proposed laws and position statements) submitted to the tournament, and they research the docket of bills and resolutions dealing with real-world social and political policies before the contest to prepare their speeches.

At the tournament, students caucus in committees, deliver formal discourse on the merits and disadvantages of each piece of legislation, and vote to pass or defeat measures they have examined. Parliamentary procedure forms the structure for the discourse, and students extemporaneously respond to arguments throughout a session.

The three AISD students recognized this year are ATEMS seniors Gavin Hail and Tristan Reyna and Abilene High School senior Mo Carroll. Hail finished third in the Super Congress state finals and finished his high school career as a four-year state qualifier. Reyna reached the Super Congress state finals and was named Outstanding Presiding Officer and will graduate in May as a two-year state qualifier. Carroll, president of AHS Speech and Debate, will graduate as a two-year state qualifier. She finished eighth in the preliminary round this year, two spots from advancing to the finals.

Hail and Reyna also teamed up to win the District 8-2A CX debate contest and will compete at the state meet in that event in March. The CX Debate topic has already been selected and is on economic inequality.

Can you believe it is time to begin preparations for Summer Professional Learning 2024?! We are looking forward to a summer of great learning and collaboration. To provide the best learning experience for you, please take a few minutes to complete the following survey for your current assignment:

• Survey for Campus Leadership: CLICK HERE or visit bit.ly/leadersspl
  • for Principals & Directors
  • for Assistant/Associate Principals & Assistant Directors for Instructional Coordinators/Facilitators & Deans of Instruction

• Survey for Staff: CLICK HERE or visit bit.ly/staffspl
  • for Counselors
  • for all Teachers
  • for Instructional Support Staff (includes positions such as Library Associate, Computer Lab, Instructional Paraprofessional, and Teaching Assistant) for Clerical Support Staff (includes positions such as Secretary, Data Clerk, Attendance Clerk, and Parent Coordinator)

• Survey for Early Childhood Staff: CLICK HERE or visit bit.ly/earlyspl
  • for Long ELC Staff for Crockett ELC Staff

This survey assists the Professional Learning and Curriculum & Instruction Departments in developing plans for upcoming professional learning opportunities. Your input is valued! Submissions will be accepted through Friday, Jan. 26.

Three Abilene ISD coaches were selected to participate in the Texas High School Coaches Association (THSCA) Rock Coaches Mentoring Program. Trenton Pearson (Abilene High), Chance Pierce (Cooper), and Heath Koop (Madison Middle School) have all been selected for the ROCK program. The R.O.C.K. (Rare, Outstanding, Compelled, and Knowledgeable) program was created to meet the needs of and retain Texas high school coaches and administrators. Data shows that many first through fifth-year coaches and teachers are leaving education. Cultivating and assisting these professionals to find their passion – and to prepare them as coaches, teachers, and leaders – is critical. We will have more information on these three coaches in an upcoming issue of the Abilene ISD newsletter.

Fine Arts update: Cooper and Abilene High each have three more presentations of their respective musicals. Cooper will present Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella on Jan. 26-27 at the CHS Auditorium. Shows are scheduled for Jan. 26 at 7 p.m. and Jan. 27 at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Tickets to the show are $10 apiece (adults and children). … Abilene High will present Meredith Willson’s Music Man the same weekend at the AHS auditorium. Shows are scheduled for Jan. 26 at 7 p.m. and Jan. 27 at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Tickets to the show are $10 apiece (adults and children).

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.

Abilene ISD Basketball Roundup: The Cooper girls basketball team pulled off one of the biggest upsets of the District 4-5A season Tuesday night with a 66-60 win over third-place Wylie at Bulldog Gym. That win pushes the Lady Coogs to 12-17 overall but, more importantly, gets them right back into the thick of the race for one of the four playoff spots in the district. With three games left in the regular season, the Lady Coogs are one game behind Abilene High (4-5) for the final playoff spot in the district. Cooper lost to Abilene High, 79-46, at home last Friday night. Cooper will host league-leading Lubbock Monterey on Jan. 30, and close the season against sixth-place Lubbock High in Lubbock on Feb. 2 and last-place Lubbock Coronado at home on Feb. 6. The Lady Coogs will need to win at least two of those games and have Abilene High lose its final three games to leapfrog the Lady Eagles for the fourth spot. … The Lady Eagles have a one-game lead over Cooper and the tiebreaker advantage because of a season sweep of the Lady Cougars. After an 81-30 setback at eighth-ranked Lubbock Monterey on Tuesday, Abilene High returns to Eagle Gym tonight (Jan. 26) to host Lubbock High before closing the season on Jan. 30 at Lubbock Coronado and home on Feb. 2 against Lubbock Cooper. An Abilene High win Friday against Lubbock and a Cooper loss Tuesday would secure a playoff berth for the Lady Eagles, their first since 2019. … The Abilene High boys, meanwhile, lost their first District 4-5A game Tuesday night, dropping a 70-55 decision at defending district champion Lubbock Monterey. The Eagles – 20-7 overall and 6-1 in district play – are tied atop the district with Lubbock Cooper (17-9 and 6-1), two games ahead of Wylie (14-13 and 4-3) and Monterey (12-16 and 4-3). The Eagles will be back home tonight (Jan. 26) to take on Lubbock High (6-23 and 0-7) at 7:30 p.m. in Eagle Gym before going back to Lubbock next Tuesday to take on Coronado (17-9 and 2-4). The Eagles don’t have to leave Abilene for their final three games of the season as they are home against Lubbock Cooper on Feb. 2 for a showdown that could determine the district champion before closing the season on Feb. 9 at Wylie and Feb. 13 at home against Cooper. … The hard-luck Cooper boys dropped a pair of heartbreakers in the last two games: losing at home to Abilene High, 45-44, last Friday, despite having three shots at the game-winning bucket inside the final five seconds. The Coogs then lost 51-49 Tuesday at Wylie, leaving them at 9-17 overall and 2-5 in district play. Seven of Cooper’s losses this season have been by five points or less, with six losses by three points or less. Cooper is off on Friday before hosting Lubbock Monterey next Tuesday (Jan. 30) and then going to Lubbock High next Friday. The Cougars are two games out of fourth place with five games to play in the regular season, so a playoff berth is still within their grasp.

Abilene ISD Soccer Roundup: All four Abilene ISD soccer squads start District 4-5A play next week, but only one team – the Cooper girls – is in action this weekend. … The Cooper girls – off to a solid 5-2-1 start – will play at Andrews tonight (Jan. 26) and will then open district play next Tuesday (Jan. 30) by hosting Lubbock Cooper at 7 p.m. at Shotwell Stadium. They will then take on Abilene High at 7 p.m. next Friday at Shotwell Stadium. … The Lady Eagles of Abilene High have struggled to start the season, taking a 1-3-2 overall record into the first district contest, set for Tuesday at 7 p.m. at Wylie. The Lady Eagles will take on Cooper next Friday at 7 p.m. at Shotwell Stadium.  … On the boys’ side, Abilene High has started the season 7-2-1 and will play Wylie next Tuesday at 7 p.m., before returning to Shotwell Stadium on Feb. 2 to take on Cooper at 5 p.m.  … The Cooper boys are 3-7 on the season and will open District play next Tuesday (Jan. 30) at 7 p.m. when they host at Lubbock Cooper before returning home next Friday (Feb. 2) to take on Abilene High at 5 p.m. at Shotwell Stadium.