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April, 2008

PICKLE HAS A FINALIST FOR AISD TEACHER OF THE YEAR!  Click for KVUE video story.

Austin ISD surprised three teachers Wednesday as finalists for the district's Teacher of the Year award.

The teachers represent the top teachers at the elementary, middle and high school levels. Superintendent Pat Forgione surprised each one with a bouquet of roses in front of their classes, and said they are exceptional educators.

The finalists are Eric Cruzan, an English teacher at Austin High School, Shamaa Lakshmanan, a 7th grade math teacher at the Ann Richards School for Young Women Leaders, and Catherine López, a 1st grade Bilingual teacher at J.J. Pickle Elementary School.

They were selected from more than 100 nominees.

"These three finalists represent the exemplary teaching that goes on every day across the Austin School District," Forgione said in a news release. "I congratulate them on their selection, and thank them for the dedication they bring to their classrooms."

AISD will name one of the teachers Austin Teacher of the Year on May 14. That teacher will also serve as the district's nominee for Texas Teacher of the Year.

March 2008

Congratulations to Pickle Elementary School

Austin Partners in Education Salute 2008

PICKLE NOMINEE AND FINALIST

Campus Spirit of the Year --------  Joel De La Garza, Principal

 

January, 2008 

St. Johns Neighborhood Receives National Youth Award - Austin American Statesman

Foundation lauds alliance of school and neighborhood leaders for youth programs.

By Matt Presser
AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF
Tuesday, January 29, 2008

The St. Johns community in Northeast Austin is more accustomed to being criticized for its efforts to serve youths than being praised for them.

So when it was named one of America's "100 Best Communities for Young People" for the second year in a row last week, the neighborhood had cause to celebrate. On Monday, residents did just that, with a spread of tamales, rice and beans and appearances by community leaders and activists at Reagan High School.

The honor came from America's Promise Alliance, a children's advocacy group co-founded in 1997 by former U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell. The recognition is especially significant because it comes a year after Austin school district Superintendent Pat Forgione recommended closing Webb Middle School after it failed to meet state standards three years in a row. Since then, the neighborhood has worked to help improve Webb's performance.

Neighborhood and school leaders formed the St. Johns Community-School Alliance to serve Webb, Reagan and Brown and Pickle elementary schools. The group created an English-language learning program that uses iPods and organized family support services for area residents, many of whom are immigrants. Students' scores on the 2007 Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills improved, earning Webb an "academically acceptable" rating under the state's accountability system, the third of the four ratings categories.

"A year ago, Webb was under siege. ... But this community stepped up to the plate," Forgione said Monday.

"There is so much hope. There is so much promise. There is America's promise for this community," said state Rep. Dawnna Dukes, D-Austin, a Reagan graduate.

Other Texas winners of the award include neighborhoods in Arlington, Houston. Winners were cited for having caring adults, emphasizing health and safety, and providing effective education.

"I think other communities in Austin can gain hope from us," said Allen Weeks, president of the St. John Neighborhood Association.

mpresser@statesman.com; 445-3601

Wednesday, March 28, 2007 - Austin American Statesman

AMD open music institute

The Austin Area Urban League and Advanced Micro Devices Inc. have collaborated to create the AMD Music and Arts Institute to provide free musical training to low-income students in Central Texas. The first participants will come from eight Austin schools.

The goal of the AMD Music and Arts Institute at the Austin Area Urban League is to increase the opportunities for disadvantaged young musicians to receive musical instruction in such areas as piano, music theory, digital media, music production, recording and composition. The program also expects to provide musical instruction for adults for a fee.

Student participants will be selected from Andrews, Blanton, Harris and Pickle elementary schools, Dobie and Pearce middle schools, and LBJ and Reagan high schools.

Call 478-7176, ext. 208, for more information.

100 Best Communities Logo

February 7, 2007 - America’s Promise – The Alliance for Youth has selected Austin’s St. Johns community and schools as a winner of a national competition to identify the 100 Best Communities for Young People. The area’s schools – Reagan High School, Webb Middle School, and Pickle Elementary School – are partners in community-wide efforts to address the needs of students and families in the area, especially for their after-school network of programs.
The 100 Best Communities competition honors communities for their commitment to provide healthy, safe and caring environments for young people. Hundreds of communities took part in the competition. Of these, AISD was one of two school districts in the nation recognized.  
 
Submitted as St. Johns Tri-School area, the community was recognized, in part, because it has an after-school network that began in 2004, consisting primarily of the 21st Century Learning Centers (21st CCLC), Smart Start, Austin Parks and Recreation and the Travis County Collaborative after-school Program (TCCAP). This network is managed by AISD and has brought more than $560,000 to the schools, providing for at least 10 full-time and over 40 part-time staff, 45 volunteers, and 30 vendors and collaborators to provide services for more than 1,000 students in grades K-12.  
 
100 Best Communities for Young People was first launched in 2005 by General Colin Powell in partnership with Capital One Financial Corporation. Other members of America’s Promise Alliance include United Way of America, U.S. Conference of Mayors, Big Brothers Big Sisters, National Association of Counties and the American Association of School Administrators.  
 
The 2007 100 Best Communities for Young People competition opened in September 2006. St. Johns Tri-School applied for the honor and was chosen by a distinguished selection panel of civic, business and nonprofit leaders, including United Way of America President Brian Gallagher, U.S. Chamber of Commerce President Tom Donohue, NBC News Washington Bureau Chief and Moderator of Meet the Press Tim Russert, CEOs for Cities’ President and CEO Carol Coleta, and former Denver mayor Wellington Webb.  
 
The selection panel evaluated 100 Best entries that required detailed information about each community’s efforts to fulfill the Five Promises, the fundamental resources our children and youth need to succeed:  
 
1. Caring adults who are actively involved in their lives.  
2. Safe places in which to learn and grow.  
3. A healthy start toward adulthood.  
4. An effective education that builds marketable skills, and  
5. Opportunities to help others.  
 
 
The AISD after-school programs at Reagan High School, Webb Middle School, and Pickle Elementary School are made possible by federal 21st Century Community Learning Center grants. In addition, Travis County provides support for programs at Webb Middle School.  
 
For additional information about the 100 Best competition and the winners, contact Shirlene Justice at 414-0542, or Sabine Foster at 414-0179; or visit www.americaspromise.org.  Click HERE for a list of the Texas winners and congratulations, Pickle!!

2006-2007 Teachers of Promise

During the 2002-2003 academic year, Professional Development initiated a recognition program for novice teachers. The department sought novice teachers (zero years experience) who were demonstrating "promising practice" in their classrooms.

Principals or Lead Mentor Teacher Contacts nominated a teacher from their campus. Any teacher in her/his first year of teaching who demonstrated an overall grasp of the components of good teaching was eligible. The criteria used in making the determination was pulled from the Professional Development and Appraisal System instrument and/or the Texas Beginning Educator Support System (TxBESS) framework.

Recognized teachers received a certificate from the Superintendent , Dr. Pat Forgione, a small monetary award for classroom supplies, and were recognized at a reception in their honor.

We are proud to announce the 2006-2007 AISD Teachers of Promise:

Pickle Elementary

    Evette Bishop

kids cafe logo PICKLE HAS A KID'S CAFE'



Many children in low-income neighborhoods do not receive well-balanced evening meals because their caregivers work late hours or cannot afford nutritious food. Children must receive appropriate nutrition in order to develop properly and perform well in school.

Kids Cafe serves as a direct partnership between the Food Bank and existing after-school programs.

An official program of America’s Second Harvest, there are more than 1,600 locally operated Kids Cafes across the nation. The Capital Area Food Bank (CAFB) currently operates 30 Kids Cafes in Central Texas, serving more than 25,000 meals to more than 2,800 children in need per month.

Kids Cafes are safe, nurturing places where neighborhood children can go after school and receive a hot dinner, as well as help with homework from caring individuals.

 
 

 

 

 

 

Kids Cafe sites are chosen based on:
- Availability of after-school enrichment programs,
- Percentage of free or reduced subsidized lunch recipients in an area, and
- Proximity to low-income neighborhoods where children are most in need.
 

Younger siblings of Kids Cafe participants are invited to join them at Kids Cafes. Furthermore, by volunteering for the program, siblings and parents or guardians can dine with their children. This joint participation in Kids Cafe helps strengthen communities, as families and friends come together to share a meal.

Foundation and corporate financial contributions and grants support Kids Cafes. Additionally, CAFB partners with local food manufacturers to provide "kid appropriate" foods.

Nationally, Kids Cafe is a trademarked program of America's Second Harvest -The Nation's Food Bank Network. Nationwide, more than 1,600 Kids Cafes are operated by member food banks of America's Second Harvest.

Continuing and long-term financial support can help us to open additional Kids Cafes and to sustain the program into the future. Funding is especially needed for staff and equipment. Volunteer tutors and food servers, as well as appropriate food donations are also needed for each site.

Kids Cafe Sites:

  • Barrington Elementary
  • Becker Elementary
  • Blackshear Elementary
  • Campbell Elementary
  • Dove Springs Recreation Center
  • Govalle Elementary
  • Hillcrest Elementary (Del Valle ISD)
  • Jordan Elementary
  • Linder Elementary
  • Montopolis Recreation Center
  • Mission Waco
  • Ortega Elementary
  • Pecan Springs Elementary
  • Pickle Elementary
  • San Marcos Housing Authority — CM Allen
  • San Marcos Housing Authority — Allen Woods Homes
  • Sims Elementary
  • Wooten Elementary
  • Zavala Elementary
  • Boys and Girls Club of the Capital Area:
    South, East, Bedichek Middle School, Burnet Middle School, Kealing Middle School, Lanier High School, Mendez Middle School, Pearce Middle School, Porter Middle School, Reagan Middle School, Webb Middle School

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