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Two teams of Magnolia ISD students, one from Magnolia West High School and one from Magnolia Junior High, received a top "Best of Show" prize for their projects at the district's annual science fair, Jan. 12.
Magnolia West High students Samantha Gerthe and Dakota Stormer won for their entry: Scotopic Sensitivity Syndrome: Simple! Magnolia Junior High students Aubrey Frank and Brynn Reynolds won for their project: Feasibility of Pneumatic and Hydraulic Lenses. 
More than 100 projects were entered in the district science fair, and several entries are going to the next level – which means exhibiting their projects in the Science and Engineering Fair in Houston Feb. 28 through Mar. 1 at the George R. Brown Convention Center. Projects are divided into junior high, ninth grade and senior high divisions. It is an honor that 13 high school entries will be represented by Magnolia students at the Houston fair.
Gregory Corradino, the science department chair and campus science fair coordinator at Magnolia High School, explained that most of the MISD students exhibiting in the Houston show are pre-advanced placement (AP) students.
Their projects took months of research, data collection and analysis, and covered several science disciplines. They included experiments on the energy density of different types of fuels, a behavioral study about the accuracy of eyewitness identification, the preference of ants to different types of sugar, effective techniques for oil absorption and an experiment on the effects of music on bacteria growth.
"These students worked hard on their projects and had to maintain their grades as well. The large number of students going to the next level represents the commitment of both the students and their teachers in promoting the highest standards of science education," said Corradino. "This demonstrates to the community why Magnolia ISD is dedicated to being the best district in the State of Texas."
Dakota Stormer, senior high school Best of Show winner, agreed the science fair is hard work, but rewarding.
"Samantha and I worked on our project two hours a day for more than a year," he said. "We showed how a simple colored overlay used for people diagnosed with the visual perception problem Irlen Syndrome can help reduce the harmful effects of fluorescent lighting on the eyes for a high percentage of non-diagnosed students."
Stormer said the project also turned into a benefit for several students.
"The overlay also increased their focus, reading comfort and reading proficiency," he said. "We tested 72 fifth graders, who were all enthusiastic subjects and interested in our results. This took time and dedication on our part, but this research could actually be useful in the future. We not only enjoyed doing it, but the project could help us stand out among other college applicants for acceptance into school. It was a great way to learn how to work on something constructive with real relevance."

A few months ago Magnolia was planning to build a recreation center in Unity Park that would house both tennis courts and a public pool. Since then, plans have been scaled back to only include the tennis courts. But the good news for Magnolia residents is that a new public pool may still be built, just not in Unity Park.

Economic Development Coordinator Deborah Rose Miller explained the change.

"After careful consideration, the city determined that maintaining a public pool is cost prohibitive at this time," she said. "In addition, there is limited land in the part available and it made more sense to use it for the tennis courts. What we hope will happen is to expand the current Magnolia natatorium next to Magnolia High School and create an outdoor pool there."

Terry Jones has been the director of the Michael D. Holland Aquatic Center (the Magnolia natatorium) since it opened in 2003. Under his direction, the center has shaped many high school all-state swimmers and divers and the open-to-the public Magnolia Aquatic Club has produced both state and national champions. He does, however, see a tremendous need to expand the current center.

"We would like to see construction of an outdoor 50 meter pool," Jones said. "With two high schools and a larger population, our district has outgrown the present facility. We are continuing to grow, so we need to get the community behind this effort as soon as possible. We are at capacity for swim events right now and a new larger pool would allow us to accommodate more events and long course competitive swimming events. When you have 300 or 400 people involved in two-day swim events, it is an economic boon to the town."

Like many similar venues, the Olympic-sized "long course" pool could be used year-round, even in cold weather, by maintaining the water at a constant temperature and utilizing a "thermal blanket" to retain heat when the pool is not being used.

"Maintenance on an outdoor pool is actually less expensive than on an indoor one," said Jones.

Jones feels money would be saved by building a new pool next to the existing one.

"The location next to Magnolia High is very central for our district and the existing high school parking lot would accommodate all the cars that would accompany large meets," he added. "Much of the current infrastructure is already in place at the current natatorium, which would reduce operating costs."

He sees a big advantage for the community is the fact the pools would be used by both MISD and Magnolia residents.

"Right now the aquatic center is being used by the public for learn-to-swim programs, junior swim teams, masters' swim programs and recreational swimmers," said Jones. "With another, larger pool, even more people could benefit."

Many residents are excited about tennis courts at Unity Park - especially since four of the courts are planned as smaller "quick start" courts which are used for teaching children under 10 tennis skills.

Randy Ortwine is the citizen co-chair of the Magnolia Community Foundation and a past president of the Houston Tennis Association. He believes there is a great demand for the opportunity to learn tennis in Magnolia. 

"We want to have the courts open by the end of summer," he said. "We plan to have four full-size lighted courts and four 'quick start' courts, which will be some of very few in the county."

Ortwine has heard from kids and their parents who can't wait for courts to be available. And many adults who enjoy playing in tennis leagues have been asking about the courts.  The courts will also provide a great opportunity for Magnolia ISD students to develop tennis aptitude.

"I am confident that in just a short time Magnolia will have its own tennis association, like many larger towns do," he said.

In the meantime, Magnolia ISD and the Community Foundation will share in managing the courts.

Miller stated that bids are going out right now for construction of the Unity Park tennis courts. She believes there will be further opportunities to develop the park in the future.
"Right now we need more land, not only for this park but for others in the community," Miller said. "We hope to uncover land purchase opportunities below market value, which happens if land is less desirable for building, or to locate donors who want to leave a legacy for future generations."

While schools across the nation are struggling with what is best to protect their students, Magnolia Independent School District is taking a hard look at what is already in place including armed police protection on campuses.

"We have had a long-standing agreement with Pct. 5 Constable (David)Hill's office," MISD Director of Student Services Rob Stewart said. "In fact on the day of the Newtown tragedy Constable Hill sent additional officers to all campuses in the district and the week before Christmas he pulled in every officer he had, including reserves, to place an officer at each school."

Since the Dec. 14, 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary school shootings that took the lives of 20 children and six adults in Newtown, Conn., MISD resource officers have been reassigned to be more visible at elementary schools in the district.

"We will never prevent all school violence, but if they are driving by and see an officer, maybe they will drive on," Hill said.

For 17 years MISD and the Montgomery County Pct. 5 Constable's office have had a memorandum of understanding placing resource officers on campuses in the district, making officers already on district campuses official. Currently MISD has eight officers covering its schools. Officials from both entities say the relationship could not be better.

"We want to be highly visible but low-keyed," Hill said. "On the day of the school shootings in December, I was greeted by students on the campus. They thought nothing of my being there; it was normal to them."

This approach to student protection is working, they said.

Magnolia West High School (MWHS) junior Adriana Mendoza, who has grown up in the district, says she is comfortable with officers on campus.

"We have always had them," she said. "In fact MISD upholds its motto that we are the best district, and the officers are part of that."

MWHS seniors Bob Harris and Logan Frenchak agree.

"When I returned to MISD in the seventh grade, I didn't really notice the 'armed officer' at school," Harris said. "My first exposure was with the DARE (Drug Alcohol Resistance Education) officer and it became normal."

"I have always felt safe in MISD," Frenchak said. "I don't really think there is anything the school could do to make it a safer place."

Acknowledging the rare loner who might pose a threat, all three high school students agree counselors are key and would like to see them have more time for guidance rather than scheduling. The three cited school counseling that was made available last November in the wake of a traffic fatality that claimed the lives of two MSID graduates, as a good example of reaching out to students.

"We need to establish more teacher-student relationships," Mendoza said.

District auditing safety of schools:

When school reconvened after the Christmas holidays, MISD conducted a campus-by-campus safety audit, reviewing access points to buildings, procedures, personnel, technology, and traffic flows among other things. Magnolia ISD Superintendent Dr. Todd Stephens summarized the audit.

"The District and Board is working to ensure that every campus has a safe and protective environment in place," Stephens said.

"Working with the Board of Trustees and local law enforcement officers, we are looking at procedures and facility improvements that will help make everyone in our schools feel safe, everyday."

Magnolia ISD Assistant Superintendent Dr. Jason Bullock identified one reinforcement the district has enacted.

"We are making sure that throughout the school day we have personnel and eyes on our public access points," Bullock said. "I think we all agree we still want a school to feel like a school."

Last fall MISD opened the school year with new security initiatives in place in order to improve security and better control visitor access. Changes include expanded and upgraded camera systems at Magnolia High School and Magnolia West High School along with modified main entrances at Magnolia Elementary, Williams Elementary and Bear Branch Junior High.

"We have built these community-friendly campuses and now we are reviewing access, especially appropriate access for parents," Bullock said. "The problem comes with these events that mark time: Columbine, 9/11, now Sandy Hook."

Having schools that are part of the community¾open to visitors and often street accessible¾creates a security challenge for MISD.  Soon keys may be replaced with keypads at strategic exit/entry points, according to Bullock. Like many school districts MISD has had a locked classroom policy for at least five years. Each day every classroom in MISD is secured with a one-way locking door that releases easily from the inside. If a student leaves the classroom, the door is opened from the inside to let her return. Because these doors and other access doors in MISD schools have the one-way locks, they are fire safe but allow for lock-down.

"We learned a lot after Columbine," Bullock said. "Now, unfortunately we may learn more since Newtown."

DPS Officers innovative with aid:

Last year, two Texas Department of Public Safety Officers, Sgt. Derik Leitner and Trooper Eric Lopez, developed Rapid Response Cards for all 16 Magnolia ISD schools.

There is one 5x7-inch laminated card for each school with a clear, full-color aerial photo of the campus on one side and a floor plan on the other. The card sets also list Key Map pages and latitude and longitude coordinates in case additional support is needed. Every Rapid Response Card set is on a ring and can be clipped anywhere for officers' convenience.

"This is an idea that is so simple you think, why haven't other people done this," Stewart said. "In the event of an emergency, it allows us to have all the information needed in-hand."

Rapid Response Card sets are carried in peace officers' service units and are kept by campus and district administrators. When a school emergency happens the constable's office is assisted by the state troopers, the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office, the Magnolia Police Department and even the Tomball Police Department.

What parents can do

Parents are sometimes without the intimate knowledge of their child's school day. What may seem alarming ¾ locked doors, campus officers, procedures ¾ is all a part of the child's norm on campus. Dr. Stephens' advice for parents is straight forward.

"One of the most important things parents can do to help our teachers build a safe protective environment for our students, is to stress the importance of the students knowing the school’s safety procedures and plans,” Stephens said. “Students should be able to explain what’s expected of them during emergency situations. Parents should emphasize the importance of knowing and following school procedures so everyone in the school can feel safe. I would also remind parents to tell their students that it’s important to talk to their teachers or principal about anything that makes them uncomfortable or threatened at school. Students need to know it’s the right thing to do to help keep their school safe."

Officials also advise parents to keep their contact information current by updating at the campus level, immediately sign in at the front desk when visiting a campus and to know campus and district procedures.

"We are trying to find middle ground," Bullock said. "We want to be safe without being overprotective."

Menawhile, Magnolia ISD held its first district-wide safety drill day Friday Feb. 15. Teachers, principals and school officers reviewed campus safety plans with students and every school in MISD did practice runs of the drills.

"I want to ensure that everyone in MISD knows how to appropriately respond to an emergency situation in their school," Superintendent Stephens said.

Led by the Magnolia West High Interact Club members, students at MISD's Williams Elementary are going "green" this spring. For the past ten weeks, the students have been collecting recyclable plastic bottles and aluminum cans and bringing them to school. They collected more than 125 bags of them, which surpassed their original goal of 100. To spur their efforts, they made posters encouraging others to recycle, which were all entered into a contest.

Thanks to counselor Pamela Fairchild and sponsor HEB, on May 28, six students received $10 awards for their winning posters in the school's regular morning assembly. Winners were: Alexa Ramirez - Kindergarten; Natalie Smith - grade 1; Holden Stringer - grade 2; Cole Leonard - grade 3; Rebecca Cartwright - grade 4; and Ally Waid - grade 5. Approximately 160 students entered the Recycle Poster Contest. All participating students received green arm bracelets (with the message "WES makes a difference! WES recycles!") to remind them to continue to "go green" this summer.

Fairchild spearheaded the recycling effort at the school.

"We hope to inspire all the Magnolia ISD schools to recycle as part of a commitment to keep our community clean," she said.

Fairchild was grateful to the Keep Montgomery County Beautiful organization for including her school in the HEB grant, which funded the recycle bins and provided recycled pencils (made out of old currency) for each student.

Going green is nothing new for Williams Elementary students. Earlier this school year they established one of the area's first "butterfly" gardens on the school grounds. The beautiful garden of natural butterfly-friendly plants was planted on the school grounds by students, parents, teachers and volunteers of the US Green Building Council Piney Woods Branch, who helped fund the garden. Plants, garden tools and services were donated by Landology, Elizabeth Austin Landscapes by Design, Nature's Way, and Silversand Services. 

"Our students are learning early about how to preserve our environment, which is sure to make them better citizens when they grow up," said Fairchild. "We members of the school staff are thankful to have this opportunity."

Three little girls at Magnolia ISD's J.L. Lyon elementary have had the burden of coping with Type 1 diabetes all their lives, but all three have managed their illness along with their studies. All are honor roll students and excited about their upcoming summer vacation. And they all receive help handling their medical needs by the caring staff at J.L. Lyon.

Fourth graders Lauren Williford and Lauren Weatherford, along with fifth grader Kylie Wilson, happily displayed their honor roll certificates and talked about managing their diabetes.

"Lauren and I have been in the same class each year and have helped each other," said Williford. "It helps to know you're not alone and Nurse Vickie (Cochran) works with us every day to make sure we are doing okay."

The two fourth graders met Wilson at Diabetes Camp Rainbow in Tomball over the summer.

"We love camp," said Weatherford. "We learn fun things like canoeing and get to share with others what we're feeling."

Wilson agreed.

"Camp has lots of fun activities but we also learn new technologies and how to better control our diabetes," she said.

J.L. Lyon registered nurse Vickie Cochran helps two to three students manage Type 1 diabetes every school year. Their blood sugar levels must be monitored several times a day. For those who take insulin shots, Cochran helps supervise and for those with an insulin pump, she ensures everything is working correctly. If their blood sugar levels get too low, she may need to administer an emergency shot or get emergency treatment.

"We work in tandem with the teachers and the parents, and do whatever we need to do to accommodate the student," Cochran said. "We often work with their doctors as well, since each student has individualized needs. Our goal is to help them through elementary school and get them self-sufficient by junior high."

She also emphasized that every school has a nurse to help with all the types of medical management issues the students face, from cardiac issues to seizures, to asthma to food allergies. All can be life-threatening if no one is watching.

Parent Paula Weatherford is glad that MISD maintains such a caring attitude.

"I have nothing but positive things to say about Nurse Vickie and the staff at this school," she said.

April Williford agreed.

"When they started kindergarten, we were terrified," she said. "We didn't know how it would work out, but they put the two Laurens together in the same class, so they could support each other. And they did – and the staff did, too."

Parent Meredith Fountain is also a fourth grade reading and science teacher at Lyon. Her daughter Kylie has only been in the school a year, but she appreciates how well-educated Cochran is and that she works with the girls to be independent about managing their diabetes.

"Everyone is knowledgeable about this issue at the school, which gives me great peace of mind," she said. 

The help-yourself-to-health program is good for the staff, too. Lyon counselor Jennifer Burnett also has Type 1 diabetes and she has met with the girls throughout the year to talk about handling the disease,  how to tell if their blood sugar is getting low and how to log that information.

"The kids are so good about keeping track that it makes me keep myself on track, too," she said. "We really help each other."

Lyon staffers are prepared to deal with most medical conditions that students might have. Principal Tammy Haley explains that they are prepared to meet students' medical needs.

"Whether they come in with a scrape or a serious medical issue, they are treated for it. We don't take anything lightly," she said. "If the students have a medical issue, we want to know that. We meet with the parents even before they start kindergarten to talk about how we can help."

The Magnolia High School UIL academic team placed second in the 18-4A district meet recently and advanced 21 students to the regional meet later this month. The team scored 370 points and competed in 75 academic events, covering 20 different subjects. 
The accounting team continued its dominance in district, taking first place for the fifth time in the last eight years and advancing to the regional meet. Bethany Mandrell placed first, Blake Hale finished second and Michaela Miller rounded out the top three. The accounting team looks to repeat as regional champions, a title they have held four out of the last six years. The team has also been to the state meet five out of six years and won the state title in 2008-2009.    
Under the direction of new theater arts teacher Rod Sheffield, the One Act Play claimed the district championship and advanced to regionals again, winning for its production of "The Good Woman of Setzuan." Kenny Gregory won best actor, while Rachael Malonson won best actress. Ben Hudson and Luke O'Neal were named all-star cast and Charity Whifield was an honorable mention selection. Joe Dirik was named top technician for the competition.
Andrea Zapata placed third in news writing and advances to regionals for the second consecutive year for the journalism team. Madison Disotell took first place in news writing, while Jordan Goff placed first in feature writing and both advanced to regionals.
Laila Espinoza placed first in computer applications, while Luis Cataldo won first in current issues and third in social studies. Katie Dennington placed third in mathematics, Caspar Stinn won third in ready writing and Amanda Sass was the second place winner in spelling. All will compete at regionals. 
Speech and Debate scored big and advances six to the regional meet. Miranda Sanford placed third in informative speaking, while Eric Gagliano took second in Lincoln-Douglas debate. Blake Bergeron placed first in both persuasive speaking and prose, with Juliana Nicolini in second in the same events. Marcus Sloan placed third in prose and sealed the top three spots to Magnolia High School. Meagan Wilson placed second in poetry.

Six athletes from Magnolia High School recently signed national letters of intent to play college athletics. Pictured are (from left) Cole Williams, Stephen F. Austin State University baseball; Kyle Black, Panola Junior College baseball; Garrett Luna, Texas A&M University baseball; Allison Woods, University of Maryland at Eastern Shore volleyball; Tori Frederick, University of St. Thomas basketball and Chris Barnett, Midland University soccer.

Five students from Magnolia West High School competed in Family, Career and Community Leaders of America’s (FCCLA) 2012 National Leadership Conference. Pictured are (from left) Barbara Gonzales, FCCLA sponsor; Jessica Estrada, Megan Foreman, Bradley Patton, Alex Posey, Lauren Roetzler, Alex Everett, FCCLA Sponsor; Charlie Riley, MISD School Board President, and Matt Clark, Director of Career and Technical Education. Patton, Posey and Foreman earned a silver medal in the food innovations category.

Magnolia Community Foundation (MCF) presented a $500 check to Magnolia Elementary School (MES) at their Summit 2012 meeting. MES won the social media campaign which helped to promote this year's Tailgate on the Stroll event. Pictured are (from left)  Deborah Rose Miller, MCF President; Jennifer Spivey, MES assistant principal and MCF Directors Larry Edwards, Phyllis Stegen and Stephanie Saker. For more details, visit www.magnoliacommunityfoundation.org.

Ellisor Elementary won first place in the Magnolia Educators Scholarship Fun Run, while second place went to Magnolia Elementary and third to Nichols Sawmill Elementary. Approximately 300 students and parents participated in the event, which helps provide scholarships to Magnolia ISD graduates who plan to study education in college.