Trustees will hear results of the high school grade configuration surveys during a special called meeting on Monday, Nov. 5. The meeting will begin with a closed session at 6 p.m., followed by an open meeting at 6:30 p.m. The deadline to participate in the written survey was October 31st. Representatives from NCS Pearson in Irving will be present to share results of the written surveys given to CISD registered voters and to CISD professional and paraprofessional employees. Representatives from Raymond Turco and Associates, Arlington, will be present to share results of the scientific telephone survey. All survey results will be posted to the district's web site the following morning. Trustees are expected to make a final decision on high school options at the November 12 meeting. Both meetings will be held at the school administration building, 1201 N. Carroll Avenue. The vote will bring to close a multi-tiered community input process that involved town hall meetings, an interactive web site and several surveys. On Oct. 28th Trustees met with school employees to discuss the three options. About 75 employees dialogued with Trustees on the topic. E-mail correspondences sent to jthannum@cisdmail.com by Nov. 8 will be shared with each School Board member prior to a final vote.

A Special Invitation

You and your family are invited to join the students and staff of CISD as they celebrate the opening of three new facilities. A ribbon cutting ceremony at Old Union Elementary School is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. on Thursday, November 8. Throughout the day, students at Old Union will be engaged in activities that celebrate the unique history of a one-room schoolhouse of the 1900's. Students and staff at OUES will dress in early 1900's attire and enjoy family photographs, lunch in tin pails and a variety of classroom activities. The following day, students and staff of Cleburne Eubanks Intermediate School will honor the dedication and memory of former Board member and school custodian Mr. Eubanks during a ribbon cutting ceremony in front of the school. The ceremony will begin at 1:30 p.m. on Nov. 9. Citizens of Carroll ISD and the City of Southlake are invited to celebrate the opening of the new aquatics center at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Nov. 10. School officials will mark the opening of the new pool with a celebration honoring the Class 4A Boys State Swim Team. A free open swim for all CISD residents will follow until 6 p.m.

Zoning Reminder

It has recently come to our attention that some parents, students and employees might be confused about plans for middle school students in 2002. Our middle schools currently operate under east/west zones between Carroll Middle School and Carroll Junior High. Last fall, however, the CISD School Board approved new north/south middle school attendance zones that will take effect in August 2002. All students who reside north of FM1709 will attend Carroll Middle School. All students who reside south of FM1709 will attend Dawson Middle School. Plans to ensure a smooth transition for students and parents are underway. Details will be forthcoming. Zoning questions may be referred to the CISD Communications Department or you may visit our web site at www.southlakecarroll.edu.

Articles Contain School Rankings

School rankings were recently released in two different magazine articles. D Magazine's newest issue ranks Carroll High School second among the best high schools in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. The campus was bested only by Dallas' Highland Park, according to the magazine. School officials say there are any number of ways to use statistics for ranking schools. CISD concentrates first and foremost on meeting the needs of individual children. Rankings, they say, are helpful in identifying areas to improve, but they often concentrate on limited criteria and do not necessarily provide a complete picture of the overall education a child is receiving. D Magazine looked specifically at the number of students taking Advanced Placement courses compared to total student enrollment. On the other hand, Texas Monthly magazine recently published an article that ranked area schools based on demographics and the percentage of students who master all objectives on the Texas Assessment of Academic Skills. The standards used by Texas Monthly are different than those used in the state's ranking system by the Texas Education Agency. The state uses passing rates to determine campus ratings. In the Texas Monthly article, comparison groups were identified by the organization Just 4 Kids. A school was compared to the highest performing school. The difference between a school's performance and the performance of the highest-performing comparable school was called the "opportunity gap." Most CISD campuses fared well in the ranking, but questions arose from Durham Elementary parents when that school ranked lower than others in its comparison group. Durham Principal Kim Lawson said even though the school maintained the state's highest ranking of Exemplary, the administration and teachers had already identified several areas for improvement based on spring TAAS results. Student scores were high enough to earn the Exemplary rating, but not high enough to satisfy the faculty at DES. Steps are being taken to address the proficiency levels, and Lawson said she believes Durham teachers and students are up to the challenge. She plans to discuss the article with parents in an upcoming PTO meeting. "This is not new information, just another way to rank schools," she said. "I want parents to know that we have a plan and we will work diligently to address any gaps that might exist. Durham is the same great school they know and love." Campus Improvement Plans are available at each CISD campus, and test scores are sent home to parents as part of the state's annual School Report Card. Questions about the academic performance of any CISD campus can be directed to individual principals.

Employees Participate in Training

Carroll office employees were trained Monday in safety precautions for opening and handling district mail. The training was just one small portion of a two-hour course on campus safety. Although no public school system has been targeted in the highly publicized anthrax cases, CISD school officials say they want to ensure that employees know what to do if they come across a suspicious package. The information and precautionary steps shared with employees can be found on the United States Postal Service web site at usps.com.

CHS Band Earns State Bid

Congratulations to Ron Behrends and the CHS Dragon Band for an outstanding performance at the University Interscholastic League Band Competition at Pennington Field Oct. 27th. The band took first place among the 4A bands competing to earn a berth at the state competition on Nov. 5 in Waco.

Demographer Says Growth Rate Slowing

Dr. Dennis Harner presented his annual update on school enrollment projections during the Oct. 22 Board of Education meeting. Dr. Harner told Trustees the number of new students per new single-family housing unit has declined steadily over the last few years. His report states *the attraction of the Carroll Southlake area is still very strong.* However, he says families are beginning to move from the district, and building permits are down compared to past years. The new report projects 7,315 students in 2002, and 9,431 by 2011. This number is significantly under projections of several years ago, when it was thought that CISD could have as many as 13,000 to 14,000 students by 2010. Dr. Harner reports that CISD will likely never reach 10,000 students. Of great interest to CISD Trustees were high school enrollment projections as they face the pending decision on grade configurations. Dr. Harner said his projection of 3,280 high school students in grades 9-12 by buildout is *intentionally high* to allow for growth. He said he doesn't anticipate CISD will ever reach that total. A complete copy of Dr. Harner's report is available on the district's web site at www.southlakecarroll.edu.

Durham Elementary Earns Grant

Congratulations to Durham Elementary School, winner of a Keep Texas Beautiful Environmental Excellence grant for $250. Special thanks to Suzie Craney and Debra Heath for their efforts on Durham's behalf.

Touch of Nature: America the Beautiful

Carroll ISD, the City of Southlake and Keep Southlake Beautiful are calling for student, staff and parent entries for this year's Touch of Nature Anthology. The 2002 edition will feature the theme America the Beautiful. The deadline to submit original artwork or writings is December 7th. Forms are available at each CISD campus or on the district's web site.

CHS Students Share Open Mike

Students in Amy McNay's class at Carroll High School will participate in an open mike night at Barnes and Noble at 7 p.m. Nov. 6 The topic is Stomp Out Hate. The students wrote speeches, gave them during class time and selected individuals to participate in the event at Barnes and Noble Bookstore.

CHS Students Attend Model UN Competition

Seven Carroll High School students attended the North Texas Invitational Model United Nations on Saturday, Oct. 20th. The students earned five awards. NTIMUN is a volunteer/non-profit organization that simulates today's activities within the actual United Nations and allows students to come together representing actual nations and debate actual issues. CHS proudly represented the nation of Mali at the UNT campus in Denton. There were well over 200 students from the region in attendance from about 20 competing schools. CHS participants who won the award of Distinguished Delegation included Jason Sigler, (who also won Outstanding Resolution within the Security Council), Henry Jim, Megan Mulholland, Laura Sook (Outstanding Delegate); Santiago Diaz, Phillip Flick (Outstanding Delegate), and Ananya Majumder (Outstanding Resolution for the Eco-Soc Committee). This was the first year for CHS students to participate, and they had an excellent showing. Congratulations also to their sponsor Derek King.

2nd Annual Poetry Coffee House

The second annual poetry coffee house for Carroll Middle School eighth graders is scheduled from 2:30 to 3:40 p.m. in the CMS cafeteria on November 2. Participants will enjoy cookies, hot cocoa and live jazz music!

Art Student Earns State Honor

Lauren Walden earned a second place finish in the statewide Bus Safety Poster Contest. She is a sixth grader at Durham Intermediate. Congratulations to Lauren on this excellent showing at the state competition!

CJHS Singer Earns Honor

Congratulations to Kellie Prusse for being selected as third chair alto for the 2001-02 9th grade District Choir!

Fall Break

Don't forget that CISD schools and offices will be closed for fall break Nov. 19-23.

Purespunk.com Artist To Visit

Purespunk.com recording artist and songwriter Radney Foster will be speaking to students at Carroll Junior High School on Nov. 13 at 1 p.m. He will discuss the use of history in his music, among various other topics.

Welcome To Our Newest Carroll Dragon

Congratulations to Jason Stelzer (CJHS) and his wife Jennifer. They are the proud parents of a new baby girl named Madelyn Brooke. She weighed seven pounds, 13 ounces and was 19.5 inches long. Congratulations also to Julie McCurley (CJHS) and her husband Ryan on the birth of a son, Garrett. He weighed 5 pounds and 13 ounces.

With Sympathy

Our sympathy is extended to the family of Lizzie Higgins. She retired at age 84 after working in the Carroll school cafeteria for 45 years. She had recently turned 100. Our thoughts are also with Barbara Budnick (CJHS) on the recent death of her father-in-law.

Durham Students To Celebrate Veteran's Day

Durham Elementary and Durham Intermediate students will celebrate Veteran's Day with separate assemblies and flag raising ceremonies on Nov. 12th at 9 a.m. The public is invited to attend. Students will raise the flag, say the Pledge of Allegiance, sing the National Anthem, and lay roses at the base of the school flagpole in honor of relatives who have served the United States Armed Forces.

Students Earn All-Region Choir Honors

Congratulations to members of the CHS choir who earned All-Region honors at a recent competition. The students will now audition for Round 3 on Nov. 16th, one step closer to the All-State Choir in February. They are Megan Shiff, senior, first chair alto1; Zack Thompson, junior, bass 1; Cole Grissom, junior, bass 2; and Sissy Tate, senior, soprano 1 (1st alternate).

Need A Great Holiday Gift?

The Carroll High School Emerald Belles drill team has a great idea for those who would like to do their holiday shopping early. The Belles are offering poinsettias for holiday decorating and gift giving. The beautiful plants are $10 each with a delivery date of Nov. 28-30. For more information, contact an Emerald Belle or call Melissa Bartosh at 817-949-5800.

Three Cheers For The Lady Dragons

Congratulations to Wyvonne Walling and her Lady Dragon volleyball team for defeating Crowley for the Area Championship on Tuesday. The Lady Dragons will now play Cleburne in the Regional Quarterfinal round Saturday, Nov. 3rd at 6:30 p.m. at Mansfield High School.

Revenue Enhancement Committee Forming

If you are interested in serving on the district's new Revenue Enhancement Committee, contact Donna Hosea at 817-949-8222 by Nov. 15th. This committee of citizens and school officials will look for ways to increase revenues sources for the CISD budget. It will operate as a subcommittee of Budget & Finance.

DAC Meets Nov. 5

The District Advisory Committee will meet Monday, Nov. 5 at the Administrative Annex, 3051 Dove in Grapevine. The meeting will take place from 4 to 6 p.m. featuring discussion of school calendar scenarios for 2002-2003. The DAC is led by John Bailey, Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction.

Dragon Runners

Congratulations to the CHS Dragon Cross Country Teams. Both boys and girls advanced to the regional meet in Lubbock this Saturday, Nov. 3. The girls placed first at the district meet, and the boys placed second.

Students Teach Students

Carroll Junior High teachers Jeremy Trojacek and David Allison had their Animal Science classes present information to Rockenbaugh Elementary second graders recently. More than 130 RES second grade students visited Carroll Junior High to observe 10 topics of interest, including lessons on invertebrates, amphibians, turtles, lizards, snakes, poisonous snakes, birds, mammals, endangered species, and saltwater environments. Junior High students taught the lessons, allowing limited interaction between the RES students and over 60 different animals.

An Update On Your PALS

The Carroll Middle School PALS participated in a training session Oct. 12 with two trainers from Austin - Greg Aguilar and Farrah Greg. About 40 CMS students participated in this fun and educational experience. The PALS are also involved with Keep Southlake Beautiful, and have their own street to clean on Dove beginning at Carroll to the city limits. Thanks to the CMS PALS for making our community a better place to live, learn and work.

CJHS 8th Graders Earn All-Tournament Honors

The Carroll Junior High 8th grade volleyball team won first place out of 16 teams in the Allen Tournament recently. Amy Glazier, Kate Brady and Megan Osborne were selected to the All-Tournament team. Congratulations to these talented students and their coach, Renae Osborne.

CHS Fall Craft Fair

Don't miss the Carroll High School PTSO Fall Craft Fair from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Nov. 10th.

Results of the spring drug and alcohol survey results will be detailed in next week's edition of School News Online. The report is available on the district's web site at http://www.southlakecarroll.edu. Don't miss this month's featured web site by the Drug and Alcohol Awareness Committee.