All Boerne ISD schools earned the top designation in 2016 accountability ratings released by the Texas Education Agency this week. All nine campuses and the district earned the Met Standard rating, according to a report shared with the Boerne ISD Board of Trustees at its August 15 regular meeting.

Schools and districts across the state are evaluated by TEA based on four indexes that measure a broad and comprehensive set of performance criteria. Those include:

• Student Achievement, a snapshot of performance across subjects.
• Student Progress, which separates measures of student progress (growth) from student achievement to provide an opportunity for diverse campuses to show the improvements they are making independent of overall achievement levels.
• Closing Performance Gaps, which emphasizes academic achievement of the economically disadvantaged student group and the two lowest performing race/ethnicity student groups at each campus and district.
• Postsecondary Readiness, which includes measures of high school completion and STAAR performance at the postsecondary readiness standard. This index emphasizes the importance of attaining a high school diploma that prepares students with the foundation necessary for success in college, the workforce, job training programs, or the military.

Campuses are also eligible for distinction designations based on achievement of performance indicators compared to a group of 40 campuses similar in type, size and student demographics. Distinction designations will be released in September. Boerne ISD campuses received a total of 10 distinctions last year.

"We are proud of our students for their collective performance, which produces these kinds of results," said Boerne ISD superintendent David Stelmazewski. "We also commend our teachers and our families, who place a priority on education and seeing to it that our students are equipped to achieve success both during their time in BISD schools and after they graduate.

"These ratings are not the only measure of the successes and achievements of our students. But they are another indicator of the district's success and validation that we are moving together in the right direction to fulfill our mission, that of educating the children of our community and preparing them for a future of success."

Detailed information on state accountability, including the district's report to the board of trustees, is available at www.boerne-isd.net/accountability.

A new school year opens with so much anticipation. In my mind's eye, I still see my own children preparing for the first day of school. Excitement. Eagerness. Some butterflies perhaps. Though long ago, those are treasured memories that do not fade.

Like those early mornings of years gone by, we open the new academic year in Boerne ISD with a high level of excitement. I am not aware of any butterflies, but I certainly sense the eagerness on the part of our faculty and staff to start off on a high note and continue to build momentum as the year progresses.

With the opening of the new Fabra Elementary campus, we officially christen a new season in the district, a focused time of expanding our physical capabilities in order to meet rapid enrollment growth. Between now and the fall of 2019, we will open five new campuses, including Fabra, two additional elementary schools, one middle school and a new, expanded alternative school. This period of time is unprecedented in the life of Boerne ISD.

The opening of Fabra represents the highly anticipated conclusion to a very successful 2013 bond initiative that included significant upgrades and expansions to some of our older facilities, including Middle School North, Curington Elementary and Boerne High School. That bond proved to be a successful combination of addressing growth plus stewarding our older facilities and extending their useful life.

Many readers will recall that the projects in the 2016 bond that was approved in May focus largely on continued enrollment growth in our communities. Site work on the new elementary school in the southern part of our district is well underway. The school will be patterned after the Fabra design and will open fall 2018. This will afford significant relief for a very crowded Fair Oaks Ranch Elementary campus.

Soon, we will announce the site of our third middle school. I am very excited about the positive impact this acquisition will have for our district. The district's seventh elementary school, to be built on donated property in the Esperanza subdivision, will begin construction soon after we start turning dirt on the middle school. Both of those campuses currently are scheduled to open fall 2019.

Our alternative school and academy will make its new home in the former Fabra building. Thanks to bond support, that building is undergoing a makeover and will serve the students of the Academy while also housing district-wide services including a teacher professional development center, a technology hub and administrative offices. The building may open as soon as the latter part of 2017.

The 2013 and 2016 bonds are transformative initiatives for your district, approved by 73 percent of voters in both elections. This further validates the importance our community places on public education for our children and grandchildren.

Watch them go off to school in these earliest days of the 2016-17 school year. Sense their excitement as they learn new things, make new friends, achieve new heights. Cherish the memories. And know that those of us who are privileged to work in the district share their excitement as we do our parts to help them define and fulfill their dreams.

Boerne ISD superintendent David Stelmazewski is a public school education leader who has devoted his career to teaching, coaching and serving as administrator in Illinois and Texas.

For the third consecutive year, Boerne Samuel V. Champion High School has been named among the top 500 public high schools in the country by Newsweek magazine.

"America's Top High Schools 2016" ranks Champion High School 495^th on its list. The magazine reviewed data from more than 16,000 schools across the nation in developing a short list of 4,800. The top 500 schools were evaluated based on criteria that included students' college readiness, graduation rates and other factors. The study was based on the 2013-14 academic year, the most recent year data is available from the National Center for Educational Statistics database.

"We are so proud of our students, or faculty and our staff, all of whom share in this honor," said Boerne ISD superintendent David Stelmazewski. "We look at this as a validation of our entire district and our approach to educating students, because the majority of the high school students whose results were part of this study moved up through our elementary and middle schools. So this is great news to start the school year. We continue to set high standards and help our students achieve their goals."

Champion is among 26 Texas schools on the Newsweek list; others include Highland Park, Alamo Heights and Prosper. Full results of the study are available online at http://www.newsweek.com/high-schools/americas-top-high-schools-2016

Boerne High School students visit Germany's Neuschwanstein castle.

The Boerne community celebrates its rich German heritage year-round.

That heritage was brought to life recently for a group of Boerne High School students, who spent part of their summer in Germany as part of a revitalized student exchange program at the school.

Ten Boerne students, traveling with school chaperones, stayed with host families for two weeks in Oberstdorf, Germany, in June. The students attended classes with their host partners at the Gertrud-von-le-Fort Gymnasium Oberstdorf; students from the German school had been in Boerne attending classes and experiencing local culture in March.

"There is extraordinary value in this exchange program," BHS German teacher Jennifer Christianson said. "Our students went on multiple field trips to places such as Neuschwanstein, Dachau, München, Kempten, and Berlin. They also served as ambassadors for Texas, presenting multiple classes at the German school about life in Boerne, our schools and cultural stereotypes.

"In Berlin, students had the opportunity to tour the German Parliament, see historical places of interest that they've only read about in history books, and enjoy the culture surrounding a major European capital. It is an enriching experience."

The exchange program with German schools dates back to at least 1992, when students from Gesamtschule Mettlach-Orscholz engaged in a bi-annual exchange program with Boerne High School. The organization German American Partnership Program (GAPP) facilitated the exchange, a relationship that continues today. Currently, German classes from both Boerne High School and Champion High School take part in the exchange program.

Students traveling from German are immersed in local culture by their host families. Visits to the Alamo, Enchanted Rock, a working cattle ranch, a rodeo, Cibolo Nature Center and a San Antonio Spurs game all might be part of a typical itinerary for visiting German students.

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Boerne ISD Trustees have approved the purchase of a tract of land that will serve as the site of the district's third middle school.

The 142-acre site is located on the eastern edge of the district, southeast of the intersection of Highway 46 East and Farm Road 3351. Access to the property will be off Highway 46.

"This is a very forward-thinking move on the part of our board," said Superintendent David Stelmazewski. "This site is positioned to serve the district in the near-term as home of our next middle school. It also offers us flexibility 10 years or more into the future when the district grows to the point of considering a third high school.

"There is ample land on this site to accommodate a high school that would serve the neighborhoods in the rapidly growing eastern part of our district."

Land acquisition and construction of the district's third middle school were approved by voters in the district's 2016 bond election. Two new elementary schools also are part of that bond package, which focused on addressing enrollment growth in the district.

Boerne ISD closed the 2015-16 school year with over 7,800 students. The official enrollment for 2016-17 won't be recorded by the state until late October; however, enrollment is beyond 8,200 after the first week of school. The district's enrollment is projected to reach 9,800 student within the next five years and to surpass 12,300 students by 2025-26. Boerne ISD is one of 76 rapid growth school districts from among Texas' 1,100 districts.

Contract price for the property is just under $3.7 million, approximately $26,000 per acre. The district must complete its due diligence process before the transaction can be completed.

"This site will help relieve some of the congestion and transportation challenges we face with our current school configuration and help us serve our students and families better," Stelmazewski said. "Just as previous school boards are to be commended for purchasing the tract on Dietz-Elkhorn that is to be the site of our sixth elementary school, this school board will be remembered for its foresight some day when the doors open on new school facilities on this beautiful site."

The district's third middle school is tentatively scheduled to open for the 2019-20 school year.

Click here for enlarged view.

The Boerne ISD Board of Trustees set a combined tax rate of $1.316 per $100 valuation for 2016-17, reflecting the increase necessary to support debt payments on the first phase of recent voter-approved 2016 bond. This increase represents a 0.022 rise in the combined rate that previously was set at $1.294.

The action took place at the Board's regularly scheduled meeting, Monday, September 19.

The average taxable value of a residence in the school district this year is $333,369, according to statistics compiled by assistant superintendent Tish Grill. The tax rate increase would add $128.71 to the annual tax on a residence of that value.

The combined rate is composed of two parts: The Maintenance and Operations tax rate (M&O), which supports day-to-day operations of the district including payroll, is set at $1.04. The Interest and Sinking tax rate (I&S), which supports debt payments on district bonds, is set at 0.276.

Last month, the Board passed a general operating budget of $70.1 million for 2016-17 which included a 2 percent pay increase for district employees.

Engineers Appointed for 2016 Bond Projects

In other business, the Board authorized the appointment of a number of engineers and consultants to assist with construction projects in the 2016 bond package. The firm Commissioning Solutions was selected to conduct mechanical building commissioning for the district's Elementary #6 (Dietz Elkhorn). Raptor Engineering was selected to perform a district-wide energy management assessment.

The district also will engage Food Service Design Professional and Robert Simpson & Associates as consultants in the area of food service construction. LNV Engineers will be engaged to conduct water and waste water design on Middle School #3.

AP Testing Results Improve

The Board received a report showing that advanced placement testing among district high school students increased in the past year. In 2015-16, 743 students took exams; in 2014-15, the number of students taking exams was 689. The total number of exams taken last year was 1,691 versus 1,562 the previous year.

It is estimated that the AP exam success rate in Boerne ISD translates to a savings of $3.4 million in college tuition costs for families sending children to a state university. The savings in terms of private school tuition is estimated at $6.9 million.

German Student Exchange Program Highlighted

High school German teachers Simone Bergmann and Jennifer Christianson were joined by their students to present a review of last year's student exchange program with schools in Germany.

Students reported on their experiences in Germany with the families they met and the flexible itineraries they were allowed to develop. The also spoke about the visits of their German student partners to Boerne last spring, noting that they were able to dispel some popular myths about Texas and showcase some of the German heritage in our community.

Enrollment Continues to Climb

Superintendent David Stelmazewski presented a brief comparison of student enrollment data based on numbers for the Friday after Labor Day, typically a point in time when enrollment begins to stabilize.

Numbers on the accompanying chart show that enrollment for the entire district is up 372 students from Sept. 11, 2015 to Sept. 9, 2016, a 4.7 percent increase. The total enrollment of 8,252 is just 20 students more than was projected as part of the district's ongoing planning to accommodate growth over time.

The official enrollment for the year as recorded by the Texas Education Agency will not be taken until the end of October. However, as shown on the chart, last year's Week 3 number and the October "snapshot" number were very similar.

Click here to see enlarged chart.

Trustees Assigned to Board Committees

The board committee list for 2016-17 was revealed by Board president Donna Sharp:

Budget: Friar, Rich, Tidwell

Boerne Education Foundation: Gonzalez-Cooper

Dyslexia: Friar

Entrepreneurship: Adams

Hispanic Advisory: Gonzalez-Cooper

Legislative: Friar, Sena, Tidwell

Bond Oversight: Adams, Gonzalez-Cooper

The Boerne ISD School Board's next regularly scheduled meeting is Monday, October 17, 2016.

Five Boerne ISD student athletes have been selected to play in the San Antonio Sports All-Star Football Game, presented by H-E-B.

Selected athletes include Chayce Bolli, WR/KR, Boerne Champion; Zach Duncan, TE/WR, Boerne Champion; Hayden McMurrey, WR, Boerne Champion; Hayden Levada, safety, Boerne High School; and Nick Novak, RB, Boerne High School.

The game will be played Saturday, January 7, 2017, following the U.S. Army All-American Bowl in San Antonio's Alamodome. The game showcases top local high school players; 108 student athletes representing 60 area schools will take part in the game, slated to kick off at 5 p.m.

# # #

Boerne ISD's seventh elementary school, to be built in the Esperanza neighborhood east of the Boerne city limits, will feature a central rotunda to help move students between levels and will draw on elements of the historic Spanish missions' architecture.

The schematic design for the school was approved unanimously by the Board of Trustees at its October 17 regular meeting.

The school in Esperanza is one of three new campuses approved by voters in the 2016 bond and is scheduled to open in August 2019. A new elementary school will open August 2018 in the Fair Oaks Ranch area and a new middle school is slated to open August 2019 near Bergheim.

Schematic design for Elementary #7. To see more of the architect's presentation, click here.

In other bond-related activity, the Board approved a $1.78 million package of roofing and repair items on seven existing campuses, appointment of a building systems commissioning agent for two of the new schools, and approved pricing on a $300,000 package to build softball batting cages at both high schools.

New School Name Recommendations

The Board received the report of the School Naming Committee, which earlier in the year developed a list of recommended names for the three new schools. Per board policy, trustees can review the submitted recommendations and select one or they can determine a school name of their own choosing. Submitted names included the following:

Elementary School #6 (Dietz Elkhorn): E.L. "Boots" Gaubatz Elementary School, Van Raub Elementary School, Capt. Mark Tyler Voss Elementary School.

Elementary School #7 (Esperanza): Esperanza Elementary School, Dr. Ferdinand L. Herff Elementary School, Capt. Mark Tyler Voss Elementary School.

Middle School #3: Bergheim Middle School, Andreas Engel Middle School, Capt. Mark Tyler Voss Middle School.

Trustees now have the opportunity to review and discuss the submitted names and may make a decision at their discretion.

In Other Business ...

Also during the meeting, assistant superintendent Tish Grill reported that for the sixth consecutive year Boerne ISD has received the highest possible rating for financial integrity from the Texas Education Association. Under the TEA's Financial Integrity Rating System of Texas (FIRST), BISD received an "A-Superior" rating.

TEA evaluates public school financial management based on a series of 15 criteria. The evaluation is based on financial data from the 2014-15 academic year.

In other business, the Board heard a department update from David Boggan, director of communications. One of the key focuses was the positive impact of the use of social media communications channels for the district. Also, the Board head a report from Fair Oaks Ranch Elementary 3rd grade teacher Julie Gardner on the monarch butterfly conservation program that has been taking place at the school for several years.

The Board will convene again November 14, 2016, for a special audit review meeting. The next regularly scheduled meeting is December 5, 2016.

# # #

For the sixth consecutive year, Boerne Independent School District has received the highest possible designation for its financial accountability and management practices from the Texas Education Agency, according to information shared with the Boerne ISD Board of Trustees on October 17.

Under its Financial Integrity Rating System of Texas (FIRST), the TEA has designated Boerne ISD as a top-rated district, based on data from the 2014-15 fiscal year. The TEA reviews 15 financial indicators in evaluating a district's fiscal management practices.

"It is very important that the district be known as a good steward of public funds," said Boerne ISD superintendent David Stelmazewski. "It is pleasing to learn that we have again received the highest rating. As I have said in the past, both as superintendent and as a taxpayer, I would expect nothing less. Our finance team is fully committed to integrity and solid fiscal management. The TEA's rating is affirmation of that."

# # #

Boerne High School principal Natalie Farber announced this week that Ryan Rice has been named a National Merit Semi-Finalist and that Blake Barton, Johnathan D'Spain, and Taylor Teague have been named Commended Students in the 2017 National Merit Scholarship Program (NMSP).

In addition to the National Merit-recognized students, Mrs. Farber announced that students Austin Elguea and Emily Williams have been selected as 2016-17 National Hispanic Recognition Program (NHRP) Scholars.

Several thousand Semi-Finalists and Commended Students throughout the nation are being recognized for their exceptional academic promise. These student placed among the top five percent of more than 1.6 million students who entered the 2017 competition by taking the 2015 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test.

The NHRP was initiated in 1983 to identify outstanding Hispanic/Latino high school students. This year, the NHRP is recognizing nearly 5,300 students selected from a pool of over 250,000 who took the 2014 PSAT/NMSQT/PAA and identified themselves as Hispanic/Latino. Students recognized by the NHRP are at least one-quarter Hispanic/Latino (based on the program's definition) and have achieved a minimum PSAT/NMSQT score for their region. Students with a GPA of 3.5 or higher are designated as Scholars, and those with GPAs of 3.0 to 3.49 are designated as Honorable Mentions.

National Merit honorees include (from left) Johnathan D'Spain, Emily Williams, principal Natalie Farber, Blake Barton, Taylor Teague and Ryan Rice.

Eleven members of the Boerne High School Choir were named to Region 29 choirs following recent auditions. Avery Rogers was selected to the Region 29 Region Women's Choir. Callie Bryant, Mary Luevano, Cheyenne Allen, Samantha Negrete, Hannah Jordan (first chair), Mason Acock, Louie Ramos (first chair), Isaac Haworth (first chair), Gavin Kelly and John Hodge (first chair) were selected for the Region 29 Mixed Choir and named Area Choir candidates.

Region Choir concert will be at Marshall High School on November 12. Area candidates will compete for chair placement on November 29 and for State on January 7, 2017.

Front row from left: Hannah Jordan, Avery Rogers, Mason Acock, Mary Luevano. Back row from left: Louie Ramos, Callie Bryant, Isaac Haworth, Samantha Negrete John Hodge, Cheyenne Allen, Gavin Kelly.

Boerne-Samuel V. Champion High School Principal Dr. Jodi Spoor announced today that nine students will receive national recognition for their academic achievements and performance on the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Semifinalist Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT).

Anna Norman, National Merit Semi-finalist, was chosen from the approximately 1.6 million participants who take the PSAT each year. As a semi-finalist she will qualify for additional corporate- and college-sponsored scholarships. Norman is a member of Champion's cross country team, and takes classes in Chinese in her spare time.

Phoenix Pittman, Morgan Burgett, Josiah L'Antigua, Brandon Daugherty, Max Klaunig, and Diego Gonzalez are also being recognized as National Merit Commended Students. Compared to their peers nationally, these students performed in the top quartile on the PSAT.

Dr. Spoor also announced the recognition of Abigail Escobar, Ethan Aldrich, and Diego Gonzalez (also a Commended student), as National Hispanic Scholars. This select group of seniors meets the minimum Selection Index score, which varies by region, state, and territory each year, and must maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or higher by the end of their junior year. This designation is utilized by universities and post-secondary schools to identify academically exceptional Hispanic/Latino students.

From left, CHS principal Jodi Spoor, Morgan Burgett, Brandon Daugherty, Diego Gonzalez, Abigail Escobar, Ethan Aldrich, Phoenix Pittman, Josiah L'Antigua, Anna Norman, Max Klaunig.

Boerne ISD schools join the entire nation in celebration of Veterans Day, Friday, November 11.

BISD elementary schools will host veterans and their families on campus, where a variety of programs are scheduled. Fair Oaks Ranch Elementary begins a musical tribute at 8:15 a.m. Curington Elementary and Cibolo Creek Elementary both have programs beginning at 8:30 a.m. Fabra Elementary and Kendall Elementary honor veterans with programs starting at 9 a.m.

Boerne Middle School South will host programs for veterans at 9 a.m. and 9:45 a.m. Middle School North's musical tribute begins at 10 a.m.

Musical groups from Boerne High School and Champion High School will take part in the city-sponsored ceremony, which begins at 11 a.m. at Veterans Park on South Main Street. Throughout the day, student members of the BISD Air Force Jr. ROTC will participate as color guards in various ceremonies.

# # #

Boerne Middle School North has announced its Outstanding Student Award recipients for the recently completed first 9 weeks. This honor is bestowed upon students who exhibit outstanding character qualities in and out of the classroom.

Sixth grade, front from left: Kayuki Warren, Joe Ballenger, Trevor Agarwal, Megan Hansen, Jordan Hoover, Amber Stavinoha, Madison Mock, Lauren Roberts, Vanessa Huerta. Back from left: Kayla Bowman, Emilee Baker, Jamie Ruede, Clare Stauber, Cole Gentry, Jeffrey Brown, Andrew Trip.

Seventh grade, front from left: Ashley Clingman, Sophia Norwood, Annalie Scheidt, Mya Alexander, Victoria Niemeier, Aslyn Pfeiffer, Aracely Gonzalez, Abigail Curoe. Middle from left: Taylor Santos, Trey Perales, Mia Bevier, Faisal Esmail, Amber Clark, Colby Brown, Samuel Theiss, Ornina Shneker, James Tom, Lacey Harris, Conner Brown, Tenley Jackson. Back from left: Samuel Kennel, Devin Styles, Layton Middleton.

Eighth grade, front from left: Megan Darling, Anna Wyle, Ellie Waters, Mya Olson, Jessica Mahan, Wyatt Wolff, Caleb Downard, Jack Holland. Middle from left: Emily Goad, Taylor Gidley, Kayla Cardwell, Jackson White, Charlie Zehr, Seth Tullos, Johann Sanchez, Kennedy DeLuna, Aliyah Harris. Back from left: Pollo Rocha, Chase House, Korbin Wolff, Cooper Ellis.

Two Champion High School students are going to state and two are positioned as alternates following the UIL Region 20 Congressional Debate Tournament at Fox Tech High School in San Antonio on Thursday, November 3.

Noah Gipson finished first in the competition among 19 participants. He and Addison Knight, who finished third, will participate in the state tournament in Austin, January 9-11, 2017.

George Stephens finished fourth and Jacob Hardin finished fifth. Both are alternates to the state competition.

From left, Noah Gipson, Jacob Hardin, George Stephens, Addison Knight

Students at all grade levels participated in mock elections leading up to Tuesday's general election.

Results of mock elections held in government classes at Boerne ISD high schools trended along the lines of Kendall County results and produced the same result as the national electorate, according to a review of the returns.

In the week leading up to Tuesday's general election, students at Boerne High School and Boerne-Champion High School took trips to local polling sites to watch democracy in action. Upon returning to the classroom, they took part in mock elections patterned after the national presidential contest.

At Boerne High School, 66 percent of students voting cast their ballots for Donald Trump. Just over 16 percent voted for Hillary Clinton while third party candidates received almost 8 percent of the vote. Unnamed other candidates received 10 percent of the vote.

"I look at this election as an exciting way to show students that voter turnout is exceptionally important and being informed before you vote is necessary," said BHS government teacher Elizabeth Wolff. "Students have discussed this election more than I can remember in previous years. It has been a great opportunity to discuss what can be difficult concepts, such as the Electoral College and primary elections versus general elections.

"I hope this serves them well in becoming informed and civically responsible citizens."

At Champion High School, Mr. Trump received 65 percent of the student vote while Mrs. Clinton earned 21 percent. The remaining 14 percent was split between third party candidates and others. Government teacher Kim Grosenbacher emphasized that the mock election offered numerous teachable moments.

"My goal as an educator is to foster good citizenship and instill civic participation within my students," Grosenbacher said. "I emphasis the importance of voting.

"The mock election was an opportunity for all students to participate. True to our national election, the students were able to choose and several chose not to participate. Overall, the students were excited to participate and anxious to see the results. They wanted to see how closely they aligned to the Kendall County voter turnout."

Unofficial results for Kendall County show that 77 percent of voters supported Mr. Trump while 18 percent voted for Mrs. Clinton.

Grosenbacher said comments from her students following Tuesday's election echoed themes heard at the national level: "Don't believe the polls." "Every vote counts! Stick to your opinions, and don't let media sway you."

Middle School North students cast their votes 64 percent for Mr. Trump, 19 percent for Mrs. Clinton. At Middle School South, 71 percent of student voters favored Mr. Trump, 18 percent voted for Mrs. Clinton.

Mock elections also were conducted at all five BISD elementary schools, where young voters gave 59 percent of their support to Mr. Trump, 28 percent to Mrs. Clinton.

"The students were excited to be voting and kept asking who was winning," said Boerne High School government teacher Bret Bunker. "They seemed to enjoy being part of the process, even if it was only a mock election. I hope they learned that it is important to do a little research before coming into the ballot box. I also wanted to get the students involved in the process so that they hopefully will become educated voters in the future."

# # #

Congratulations to the members of the Boerne High School and Champion High School choirs for their recent accomplishments.

Congratulations to members of the Boerne High School choir who performed as part of the Texas Music Educators Association Region 29 Choir on Saturday, November 12. Choir members include (front row from left): Mixed Region Choir members and Area Candidates Louie Ramos, Isaac Haworth, John Hodge, Gavin Kelly, (back row from left) Region Treble Choir member Avery Rogers, Mixed Region Choir members and Area Candidates Samantha Negrete, Callie Bryant, Mason Acock, Mary Luevano, Cheyenne Allen and Hannah Jordan.

Congratulations to members of the Champion High School choir who performed as part of the Texas Music Educators Association Region 29 Choir on Saturday, November 12. Choir members include (from left) Madison Bruns, Cassie Gieser, Annabel Maciolek, Hope Young, Casey Black, Kathy Bacuta, Xavier Vargas, Jackson Eades, Miles Wehrmann, Sam Duncan, and Andrew Stoelzing. Maciolek, Vargas, Duncan and Stoelzing advance to compete at Pre-Area on November 29.

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Boerne ISD is now accepting nominations of entering kindergarten for the district's Gifted/Talented Program. Nomination deadline is Friday, December 2.

The G/T program serves students identified as gifted in the specific subject areas of language arts/social studies and/or math/science. Identification criteria include test scores, student product ratings, and teacher ratings.

Students gifted in language arts have extensive vocabularies, read widely, elaborate well when speaking, and see relationships in literature. Students gifted in the area of social studies are sensitive to social issues, ask questions that are open-ended or philosophical, and are interested in social themes and complex public issues, explanations, or theories.

Students gifted in math learn mathematical concepts and processes faster than other students, are interested in number and quantitative relationships, analyze mathematical problems, and reason effectively. Students gifted in science are interested in scientific topics, have science hobbies or collections, and are good at exploring, questioning, and investigating.

Parents who think their child exhibits these characteristics and might be overlooked in the identification process may nominate their child to be screened for the G/T Program. Nomination forms may be found on the Boerne ISD G/T Program website www.boerne-isd.net and on each campus G/T Program website.

Parents may also contact their child's campus G/T Coordinator to obtain a nomination form. Contact Shelly Brewster, Fair Oaks Ranch Elementary, at 357-4807; Linda Laymon, Kendall Elementary, at 357-4607; Marcie Warner, Curington Elementary, at 357-4007; Elizabeth Stroman, Cibolo Creek Elementary, at 357-4407; or Jennifer Howell, Fabra Elementary, at 357-4207.

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Boerne High School teacher Jennifer Christianson was one of eight educators to receive the Goethe‐Institut/AATG Certificate of Merit at the recent annual convention of the American Association of Teachers of German (AATG).

The Certificate of Merit recognizes teachers across the nation for their achievements in furthering the teaching of German.

Christianson has taught German in Boerne ISD schools 10 years. From 2010 to 2013, she took a break from teaching while she served on the Boerne ISD Board of Trustees. Christianson currently teachers 90 students in five different German classes. She is a graduate of Southwestern University, where she majored in Music and German.

The AATG annual convention, held in Boston, November 18-20, recognized a total of 21 teachers and four German programs for contributions to teaching the German language.

Jennifer Christianson

Members of the Boerne High School choir are celebrating successful performances in the recent Region Chair Placement evaluations, which saw 10 BHS students earn chairs on the Region choir.

First chair candidates include Callie Bryant, Soprano; Hannah Jordan, Alto 1; Isaac Haworth, Tenor 1; Louie Ramos, Tenor 2; and John Hodge, Bass 2. Ramos and Bryant were the only students in the small choir division to receive perfect scores in Sight Reading.

Additional placements include Samantha Negrete, 4^th chair, Soprano 2; Cheyenne Allen, 3^rd chair, Soprano 2; Mason Acock, 2^nd chair, Alto 2; Gavin Kelly, 2^nd chair, Bass 1; and Mary Luevano, 2^nd chair, Soprano 2.

The ten students will represent Boerne High School at the state choir auditions in January.

From left, Louie Ramos, Samantha Negrete, Isaac Haworth, Callie Bryant, John Hodge, Mason Acock, Cheyenne Allen, Gavin Kelly, Hannah Jordan, Mary Luevano.