Boys are Reading at Eubanks!

The last round of grants from the Carroll Education Foundation (CEF) saw Eubanks receive funding for a Boys Book Club...and we are in full swing. Under the direction (or maybe under the supervision) of our librarian, Mrs. Lucy Drenka, the Eubanks Boy's Book Club meets over lunch to have fun and listen to "Book Talks." Over 100 boys have been a part of the club at some time this year. I am so happy to be involved with this terrific club.

At a recent meeting we gave the boys five "Guy Approved" stickers to place on the spine of their favorite five books we purchased with our funding from CEF. The boys were quite excited about it.

Drop by the library and ask about our 'Guy Approved Section."

Dawson Band Preview Last Night

I had the pleasure of watching some of our former Eubanks students who are now in the DMS Wind Ensemble last night. The concert was one for those in fifth grade interested in band. Wow! The student's were amazing! It is always enjoyable to see our kids as they progress through the upper grades. There growth and excellence is a great testament to the impact our teachers have and a good indication of the wonderful parenting you perform.

Today's rain plus expanding road construction plus the rush to go to work caused us headaches in the front this morning. I have had plenty of suggestions on how to make it work more efficiently. Just some items about which you may not be aware: Dawson parents with only a DMS student are asked to use the rear of DMS for drop-off and pick-up (more and more are using the front which clogs the traffic in front of DMS). The walk in front if Dawson is Dawson's. I don't have the manpower to man their walk and keep folks moving. On a rainy day, I don't make kids wait for a group before crossing as they would be soaked. And, the longest I observed anyone waiting was six minutes.

I appreciate your patience in the front and would ask that you not cut in front of folks who are following the published directions.

Technology's great....when it works.

As most of you know, we have been experiencing problems with our e-mail system. It has been a district-wide problem. Should you not receive an answer to an e-mail message you may have sent to the school, please call us to verify that we have received your message. Most communication has been sent...eventually. My compliments to the technology department for their efforts.

In other news, we have a band concert in the Dawson gym tonight and our fifth graders are invited to attend. It is important for them as they begin the process of deciding whether to 'give band a shot' next year. It is really the first elective that they'll be choosing the next few years as they begin the secondary schooling experience.

Various News Items

It is surprising how the semester is flying by as we head to the Thanksgiving Holiday! Here are a few items missed:

Hooray! Eubanks Intermediate received notification that we have earned recognition as a "Higher Performing School" by the National Council of Educational Achievement (NCEA)! What an honor for our kids, our faculty/staff, and for our parents.

Shave or not shave ~ the votes are in. The students voted $354.27 to $354.09 for Mr. Terry to "not shave" his goatee. So it will stay at least through the 2011. I had fun and judging from the many questions from the kids, they did, too. It was certainly cute to hear kids ask me, "Does Mrs. Terry like it?"

Boys Book Club ~ Today we held our first Boys Book Club in the library. I did a book talk on Shoeless Joe and Me by Dan Gutman. We had a number of boys who'll be giving their own book talks that will include mysteries, war, fantasy, sports, and more. Hopefully, our club will grow.

Finally, another thank you to our students who represent their classes by being members of the Eubanks Student Council!

Crazy Hats and Go Rangers!

Students had a great time with our Crazy Hat Day during our Carroll Education Foundation Week. Students dressed up each day which had a specific theme. The students also collected coins all week to support CEF. Our students collected about $700.00, although we haven't completed the tallies. The CEF has helped Eubanks out on numerous occasions as our teachers have consistently garnered instructional funds through the Foundation. Pictured here are some of our 'crazy-hatted' students.


Yesterday, we had Rangers Day...just for fun! Eubanks students and staff members could be seen wearing their Texas Ranger gear (along with a few with Tigers, Cardinals, and Yankees jerseys). Sometimes it helps to make school fun just because....

Mix-it Up Day and Honors

It was another exciting week at Eubanks Intermediate School! We started off the week with the EIS Student Council-sponsored 'Mix It Up" Day. Kids and teachers wore mixed up clothes...just for fun. Here are a few of our 'mixed up' teachers.

Last Friday evening, while working the Dragon football game (Go Dragons!) I was notified that Eubanks was named a Texas Business and Education Coalition (TBEC) Honor Roll School for the sixth year in a row. This is an exciting achievement as more and more schools are dropping off the list. Each year the standards for inclusion have increased in difficulty while at the same time the state tests have increased in complexity.

A cadre of teachers will attend the TBEC Honor Roll Gala in Dallas this December. Kudos to the students, teachers, and parents of Eubanks for their efforts in making this a great school in which to work and to learn.

Fun times at Eubanks Intermediate

The 2010 - 2011 Eubanks Student Council, under the direction of Mrs. Katie Bonnette and Mrs. Lisa Gilbert, were recently named as a NAESP National Honor Council. The current StuCo was presented their award during a StuCo meeting. Also, Mrs. Bonnette and Mrs. Gilbert received plaques recognizing their contributions to student leadership. Thanks, StuCo!

Pictured are Mrs. Lisa Gilbert, Mrs. Bonnette, and the 2011 - 2012 Eubanks Student Council Officers.

It was great to see so many Eubanks 'grads' at the Dawson Middle School Dragon Bash. Thanks to Mrs. McKeel and Mrs. Bullock for taking turns in the dunking booth. Our own PTO President, Mrs. Neda Khalilian, assisted at the dunking booth...I think she had a little too much fun watching our teachers taking dunks.

Here I am enjoying my visit with former students of Eubanks Intermediate. I was so glad to see the growth of these young Dragons!