John Horn's Speech and Debate Team, competing against 22 other high schools across the state, took home the second place Sweepstakes trophy from the Ferris High School Invitational. Individual results are as follows:

Public Forum Debate, Second Place: Jeremy Villanueva and Brock Applenizer
National Forensic League Lincoln Douglas Debate, Sixth Place: Mubina Tuklinic
U.I.L. Lincoln Douglas Debate, First Place & Top Speaker: James Rudelinger
Informative Extemporaneous Speaking, Third Place: Hudson Harris
Persuasive Extemporaneous Speaking, Third Place: Jeremy Villanueva
Poetry Interpretation, Third Place: Jeremy Villanueva
Poetry Interpretation, Sixth Place: Dean Sifuentes
Prose Interpretation, Second Place: Hayden Austin
Prose Interpretation, Third Place: Sarah Nosche
Dramatic Interpretation, First Place: Eunice Akinoea
Dramatic Interpretation, Second Place: Sarah Nosche
Humorous Interpretation, First Place: Marc Webb
Duo Interpretation, First Place: Marc Webb and Shayleigh Ward
Spelling and Vocabulary, Second Place: Katy Hancock

"The students are preparing for the UIL Policy Debate Tournament in order to qualify for the state contest and the National Forensic League Tournament Qualifier, which determines who will make it to the national level," said Josh Hamilton, the school's UIL academic coordinator and forensics and theater teacher. "I could not be more proud of all the hard work these students have put in during these past few months."

Students from all five MISD high schools competed at the recent Region 9 Academic Decathlon Meet, said Administrative Officer of Instruction Susie Court, who oversees the district's academic decathlon program. "John Horn is advancing on to state and will represent our district at the meet Feb. 24-26 in Aldine, Texas," she said. Horn placed sixth in Region 9 and placed 32nd out of 40 state teams. More

Five Mesquite ISD students were recently selected as All-State musicians, announced District Director of Fine Arts John Kline. The students are:

• David Cavozos, Percussion Player, Horn High School Band, Sophomore
• Savannah Ervin, Trumpet Player, North Mesquite High School Band, Junior
• Cathy Hinkley, Soprano 1, Horn High School Choir, Senior
• Micah Krajca, Tenor 2, Mesquite High School Choir, Junior
• Dashon Moore-Guidry, Percussion Player, Poteet High School Band, Junior

“All-State is the most prestigious recognition that a high school music student in Texas can achieve,” said Kline. “It also can open up college scholarship opportunities to them.”

Recently Channel 23 (Univision) interviewed some outstanding Spanish-speaking Mesquite ISD students for the station’s Student of the Week feature. They include (top row, left to right) Guillermo Gerardo of Mesquite Academy and Martin Valenzuela of Mesquite High and (front row, left to right) Ana Salazar-Azuara, West Mesquite; Mariana Gonzalez-Berrocal, Poteet; and Janet Varela Ramirez of North Mesquite. Students were chosen for the following criteria: conversational Spanish; scholarship; citizenship; leadership; attendance; and school and community involvement. Their interviews will air in the coming weeks.

Poteet High School is one of the 125 schools nationwide selected as GRAMMY Signature Schools semifinalists for 2012. Finalists will be announced in mid-March 2012, and the selected schools will receive a custom award and a monetary grant ranging from $1,000 to $10,000 to benefit their music program. More

The John Horn High School varsity cheerleaders competed at the National Cheerleaders Association (NCA) High School National Championship, hosted by the Dallas Convention Center, recently after winning the State Championship title last month. Competing against 32 teams from all around the U.S., they earned seventh place in the Fight Song division, fourth in Time-out Dance and third in Game Day Cheer. "Along with nationals, we experienced many things for the first time, like the DART train, Mediterranean pizza and life around the city," said junior Katy Hancock.  "Their coaches, parents and supporters could not be more proud of what these young ladies accomplished," said Cheer Coach Alicia Upton.

Competing against 25 other high schools across Texas, Horn High School’s Speech and Debate Team won the Runner-Up Sweepstakes Championship at the recent Athens High School Invitational Meet.

“This was the hardest tournament for Horn thus far,” said Josh Hamilton, the high school’s UIL academic coordinator for forensics and theater. He said many of the participants were from UIL state championship schools. “I’m very proud of these wonderful kids for their hard work and accomplishments.”

Individual results were as follows:
Congressional debate:  third place, Hudson Harris.
Dramatic interpretation:  first place, Sarah Nochese.
Humorous interpretation:  third place, Eunice Akinoua.
Informative speaking:  sixth place, Sabrina O.
Original oratory:  third place, Hudson Harris.
Poetry interpretation: first place, Brittney Campbell; second place, Moriah Claiborne.
Prose interpretation:  first place, Rachel Franco; fourth place, Eunice Akinoua.

Mesquite ISD’s annual Holiday Art Contest was open to all students in the district’s eight middle schools, and here are the winners:

First place: Kim Huynh, eighth grader at Vanston Middle School; Art teacher: Neely Burnside
Second place: Sharon Mathew, eighth grader at Terry Middle School; Art teacher: Kasey Bueltel	Third place: Lauren Heard, eighth grader at Vanston Middle School; Art teacher: Neely Burnside

“The top three winners’ artwork is included in the district’s official holiday card, with the first place winner’s work featured on the cover,” said District Art Facilitator Laurie Huff.
 
Besides a printed card, the district devised an e-card this year.

The annual contest rotates between elementary, middle school and high school students.

Horn High School Thespian Troupe 6292 took top honors at the recent Texas Thespian Festival in Houston featuring approximately 3,200 theatre students. Troupe 6292 qualified to attend the International Thespian Festival next June in Lincoln, Neb.

Students competed against their peers from across Texas in several individual events, group events, scholarship auditions and All-State Show auditions.

“I am overjoyed with the success of our students and the dedication they put toward this endeavor,” said Horn’s Director of Theatre Brandon Goodman. “To make these types of accomplishments in only our second time to attend this festival is astounding.”

Individual results:

• Out of 120 entries, Mariah Claiborne and Rachel Franco qualified in Duet Musical with "The Dark I Know Well" from Spring Awakening
• Out of 130 entries, Marc Webb and Shayleigh Ward qualified in Duet Acting with "Greater Tuna" and placed in the top 10 finals round.
• Team Costume Design placed third overall in the state for costume design.
• Team Techie placed 12th overall with their team efforts in the Texas Techie Team Relay.
• Impressed by their auditions, 30 colleges from across the United Stated called Mariah Claiborne and Rachel Franco back for private interviews. Colleges included USC, New York Film Academy, Texas Wesleyan, University of Minnesota, Texas Women's University, A&M Corpus, Stephens, St. Mary's, Pepperdine, Loyola, California Baptist, University of Miami, Lindewood and University of Texas Musical Theatre.
• Shayleigh Ward was the recipient of a $1,000 Theatre Educator Scholarship from the International Thespian Society toward the school of her choice.  

On September 24th the students competed at the North Lamar High School Invitational. The individual results were as follows:

• Novice Policy Debate - 1st place Marc Webb and Aaron McClure
• Prose Interpretation - 4th place Sarah Noschese
• Poetry Interpretation - 6th place Mariah Claiborne and 4th place Hailee Draughon

On October 8th the team competed against 43 other schools over the weekend at the Princeton High School Invitational Tournament: The team ended 10th place overall out of 43 schools and the individual results were as follows:

• Semi-Finalist in Oral Interpretation: Rachel Franco, Hailee Draughon , Sarah Noschese, and Sabrina O.
• Placing 3rd in Dramatic Interpretation: Sarah Noschese
• Placing 1st in Poetry Interpretation: Mariah Claiborne
• and the Top Speaker in Policy Debate was Marc Webb

Congrats to all these students for a job well done - please give them your congrats if you have any of them in class - we are looking to keep building on these successes and currently have 24 students on the active competition roster so Upton and I are REALLY excited - thanks for your continued support!

Zakary Schmidt, senior at Mesquite High School, was chosen to receive Top Honors as the Number One student during the 2011 Youth Leadership Conference (YLC), held at Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas, this summer. One of Zak’s classmates, Lorenzo Puente, received a similar award for his selection by the students attending the YLC aboard the USS Lexington, in Corpus Christi, Texas.

Zak and Lorenzo were two of 330 students who attended the week long conferences held at five different Texas Universities, throughout the state.  The students were sponsored by members of the Dallas Chapter of the Military Order of the World Wars (MOWW) and a number of other veterans’ organizations.

They received a Patrick Henry award for patriotic achievement from the Military Order, which consists of a bronze medallion and an embossed gold seal citation for Superior performance.  The Patrick Henry medallion is the highest award presented by the Chapter to high school students.

The award ceremony was held during a Luncheon at the Park City Club in Dallas, that included ten  (10) distinguished students, from high schools in the Greater Dallas area.  The students were accompanied by their parents, Principals, Counselors, and school instructors.

“Students may feel uncomfortable talking face to face with a teacher, coach or administrator about a problem they are experiencing,” said Superintendent Dr. Linda Henrie.  “Through ‘Talk About It,’ students can express their concerns to a trusted adult without feeling embarrassed or exposed.”

Students may log on to the service from any computer with internet access and have the ability, on or off campus, to create positive connections with adults by messaging about topics of concern. Students can also use the service through cell phone texts.  Faculty recipients are alerted in real-time to new messages and have the opportunity to respond and safely bring resolution to student issues through an ongoing dialogue.

For more information about the “Talk About It” system, visit www.ancomm.com.

• Talk About It Program for Agnew, Berry, Kimbrough, and McDonald Middle Schools
• Talk About It Program for A.C. New, Terry, Vanston, Wilkinson Middle Schools