Be part of a success story

Attend a J.J. Pearce Excellence In Education Fund

Mane Event Party  

Learn how the Fund impacts learning for all students

These informational meetings are a great opportunity

to learn more about the Pearce Excellence Fund

Freshman and Sophomore parents are especially encouraged to attend!

Please try to go to one of these informal, short gatherings

to meet Principal Karen Neal and find out more about future plans

to enhance classroom activities and extra curricular programs

Mane Event party dates and locations--All parties are from 7:30- 8:30 p.m.

 Mon. October 22 - Pam and Greg Cooney, 423 Fall Creek Drive, Richardson

 Wed. October 24 - Lisa and John Coyle, 7622 Carta Valley Court, Dallas

 Mon. October 29 - Pearce High School Corral, 1600 N. Coit Rd,  Richardson

Please RSVP to Lisa Dunne or Lisa Albert or call 972-407-1969 to leave a message regarding the event you will attend

Pearce Excellence in Education Fund Board of Directors

Lisa Albert, Judy Baker, Peggy Beil, Trisse Brown, Jill Button, Lisa Dunne, Sally Field,Tricia Gold, Leslie Kring, Nancy Knudsen, Laura Meeks,Tomi Morris, Margo Murphy, Connie Presley, Cris Sellers, Beverly Thoes, Cathy Wills

ACADEMIC NEWS

FINE ARTS

ATHLETICS

STUDENT NEWS AND OTHER ORGANIZATIONS

PTA NEWS

COMMUNITY NEWS

COMING UP

quick links - Pearce Web site    RISD Web site    Excellence in Education Fund 

2007-2008 RISD CALENDAR  Click here

RISD LISTSERVE "SCHOOL TIMES NOW!" Subscribe here

national honor society news

ATTENTION PROSPECTIVE NATIONAL HONOR SOCIETY MEMBERS--If you received an application for NHS last week, all applications are due to Ms. Hooper NO LATER THAN 4:15 on Tuesday, October 23!!  If you have questions or need more information on completing the form or the selection process, you have one more opportunity to attend an informational meeting on Monday, October 22, at 4:15 p.m. in Room A209.

CURRENT MEMBERS OF NHS--Meeting at all lunches in Room A209 this Wednesday, October 24.

11th grade AP US History students in Mrs. Martell's class recently acted out "Causes of the American Revolution"

      Shelby Baker, Zubin Teherani and Johnny Windley                        Alexa Brown and Steven Miller

Drew Albert and Sam Stein

counselors' corner

Did you know?

James Madison University in Harrisonburg, VA received more than 18,600 applications for 3,850 openings in the 2007 freshman class?  3,409 students were offered admission through their Early Action program.

quick links - Pearce Band  Pearce Choir  Pearce Orchestra  Pearce Theater

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mighty mustang marching band advances to uil area competition 

Congratulations to the Mighty Mustang Marching Band who received all 1^st division ratings at  the UIL Region  III 4A Marching Competition this past Wednesday and will now advance  to the Area Competition on Saturday, October 27^th!  Special thanks to the Mustang Football team members and others who came to cheer for the band.

Come show your support at their 4:30 performance on the 27^th at Mesquite Memorial Stadium as they compete to advance to the State 4A Marching competition in San Antonio.

Letter from a Band Parent

Dear Friends,
Last night I chaperoned the Pearce band to UIL marching contest.  There was a buzz on the buses that some of the Pearce football team might show up to watch the competition - WOW!  For the performance I was on the opposite side of the field from the audience so I could see people in the stands and right as the Pearce band was announced I heard loud male cheers - these were not parents - it WAS the football team.  I do believe that the presence of those guys gave the band extra motivation to do the show to the best of their ability - to make the football team proud as well as the school!  When the band left the field the football players stood on either side of the sidewalk and made an arch for the kids and parents to walk through!  It was AMAZING - it really brought tears to my eyes as well as many others - to see their support and enthusiasm.  To top that off the band received all 1s!  I was so proud to be a part of the Pearce community!  THANK YOU FOOTBALL TEAM - WE ARE PULLING FOR YOU ALL THE WAY!
Holly Croley

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what's happening in choir?

Congratulations go to 15 JJ Pearce Choir students for making the All-Region Choir.  Making the All-Region Treble Choir :  Jenna Beron, Hannah McGary, Matille Torres, Alice Wyatt and Natalie Zachary.  Making the Mixed Choir: Lauren Bull, Shelby Button, Drew Cotten, Greg Cotten, Clint Kimmel, Amy Lanford, Daniel Shnider, Zach Sutton, Shelby Thiedeman and Karen Zabarsky.  Placing in the top 10 chairs and moving on to the Pre-Area contest in November are:  Lauren Bull (1st), Shelby Button (7th), Greg Cotten (2nd), Clint Kimmel (10th), Amy Lanford (2nd), Daniel Shnider (7th) Zach Sutton (2nd), Shelby Thiedeman (7th) and Karen Zabarsky (7th).  All of these students will participate in the Region Choir Clinic and Concert in November.

 Forte’ Premiers “Texas Blue” our fall show with music and dance on Nov 1 & 3 at 7:30 PM in the auditorium.  Look for music from Texans like Lonestar, Nora Jones, and the Dixie Chicks.  Listen for “the blues” and songs on the blue theme.  This year we have a special appearance by the Mustang Stampede and some surprise guests as well.   There will be wonderful music of all genres, dancing (choreographed by our own Kim Quirk), and some surprises.  This is our one show of the year and we hope you will join us.  Tickets are $5 general admission and $8 reserved.  Check out all the details at www.pearcechoir.com.

 

     All of the choirs (pictured here) are selling seasonal poinsettias, wreaths, and greenery for delivery

in early December and preparing for our Fall Concert on November 12^th.    

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Pearce Students and orchestra Director, Melissa Livings, are among "The Best"

Pearce Orchestra Director Melissa Livings shared her views in a recent Dallas Morning News article about the importance and impact of the Fine Arts programs in public schools. It is a proven fact that Fine Arts students are also among the best students academically.

Pearce Chamber Orchestra

Pearce Philharmonic Orchestra

photos by Francis Celli Photography

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little shop of horrors opens this week

                

Tickets will be on sale in the Black Box Ticket Office on Tues.Oct. 23 during lunches from 11:15 - 1:15, Wed. Oct 24 from 4:00 - 6:00 and Thurs. Oct 25 11:15 - 1:15. The box office will open 1 1/2 hours before showtime. Showtimes are Thurs. Oct 25 at 7:30 pm, Sat. Oct. 27 at 7:30 pm and Sun. Oct. 28 at 2;00 pm. Reserved seats are $12 and $10 and General Admission tickets are $7.

Cast members for Little Shop of Horrors are: Anna Dirx, Avery Hurst, Clark Jones, Elizabeth Judd, Kathy Kasrai, Gibson Marx, Steven Miller, Tyler Miller, Jaid Nelson, Sarah Noland, Jonathan Paul, Reagan Rowland, Daniel Shnider, Zach Sutton, Karen Wilkerson,Brendan Williams, and Karen Zabarsky, Assistant Director is Kathryn Soloweij and Publicity is Meredith Hanna and Stephanie Pritchett.
 

scotland yard sale

 

Do you have something to sell? Purchase a space in J.J. Pearce's south parking lot near Coit for The Scotland Yard Sale, 

October 27th from 8am to 3pm. Contact Fran Williams. 

$25 bring your own table, $30 table provided by Pearce, Carry your own stuff away when done.

J.J. Pearce theater will cover the cost of advertising and getting the signs out.

Do  you have anything you'd like to donate to the sale? Furniture, art, sporting goods, electronic equipment, clothing, etc? 

Contact Fran or Stephanie Rose to arrange a time to deliver them to the school. We will store and price them for sale! 

Help us get the word out whether a buyer or seller. The Scotland Yard sale will help send 34 students, directors,

and chaperones to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in Scotland.

More updates will follow as we move along on the road to Scotland!

 

quick links - PTA MEMBERSHIP & DIRECTORY FORM Click here 

VOLUNTEER HOURS  Submit here 

Pearce PTA    RISD Council of PTAs    Area 15 PTA    Texas PTA    National PTA   PTA Newsletter

RISD Drug Prevention Presentation – October 25

The following is offered as a Parent Ed program through the RISD.  PLEASE remember that even is you are a parent of a kindergartner, this is information that is important to ALL parents no matter the age.  You never know, when or how your child will come into contact with drugs or other young kids using drugs.  Arm yourself with knowledge............. NOW!!!

Cheese Heroin and Other Drugs: Let's Stop It Before It Begins!

Presentation by Jill Darling, RISD Student Assistance Programs Director

When: October 25, 2007    Time: 7 p.m.  Where: Administration Building Auditorium
400 S. Greenville Ave   Richardson, TX 75098    This program is open to the public.
Description of the program: Participants will learn about Cheese Heroin and other drugs. Signs and Symptoms as well as where students hide drugs will also be discussed. This is an adult only presentation.
The program is co-sponsored by the RISD Student Assistance Programs and the RISD Council of PTAs

“recycled art contest” deadline this week!

do you like to help the earth?  do you like to make stuff outta stuff?

The Texas PTA, along with the Pearce Environmental Club and the Pearce PTA, are sponsoring a Recycled Art Contest.  All entries must be three-dimensional, no larger than 9”x9”x17”, and made from items that are found and recycled material.  Winners from Pearce will go on to the Texas state level competition. This program offers students the opportunity to create works of art for fun, recognition and to bring awareness to environmental education.

Entry forms are available in the Pearce library, Ms. Schoenrock’s room A222 and Mr. Longo’s room A205.

Deadline for ALL entries is Friday, October 26, 2007. All entries MUST follow the guidelines and rules as outlined in the entry form. An entry form must be submitted with each entry.

Please contact Trish Lawson if you have any questions.  

"I can make a difference by..." last week to enter!

Time to think outside the box!    2008 Reflections Program

The 2008 Reflections Program Theme is:  "I can make a difference by..."

The Pearce PTA, along with the National PTA, believes all children deserve a quality arts education and encourage students to pursue artistic expression through participation in its annual arts Reflections Program. The program offers students the opportunity to create works of art for fun, recognition and an opportunity for a culturally rich education.

Students are encouraged to create and submit works of art in:

Literature

Musical Composition

Photography

Visual Arts (which includes art forms such as drawing, painting, print making, and collage). 

Dance Choreography

Film

Entry forms will be available in the Pearce library and from several teachers involved in the appropriate categories listed above.

Deadline for ALL entries is Monday, October 29, 2007. All entries MUST follow the guidelines and rules as outlined in the entry form. An entry form must be submitted with any entries in order for them to be judged. Winners will be announced in the first weeks of November. Good luck and be creative!

Please contact Julie Spanos  or Amy Gutmann  if you have any questions.   

Tips for Parents

A pain in the backpack

Back-to-school time means back to pain time for some kids who carry too much weight in their backpacks.  When that happens, they tend to hunch over and the mid- and lower-back muscles can become overworked.  The weight can cause pain in the neck, back or shoulders and even tingling in the arms and hands.

• Don’t let your student carry more than 10 percent to 15 percent of his or her body weight.

• Encourage your child to wear both shoulder straps, instead of just one.  Help adjust the straps so the weight of the pack rests against his or her body.

• Choose a well-designed backpack with thick, padded straps, a padded back and a waist belt if necessary.

• Help your student learn to pack the heaviest items in the center of the bag and to carry only what’s essential.

RECORD YOUR VOLUNTEER HOURS NOW! 

Simply go to the PTA website at www.jjpearcepta.org and click on 'Volunteer Hours' OR email your name, the dates and hours you worked and the activity to one of the email addresses below.  Volunteer Hours include attending meetings, baking, and helping with any school event—anything that you or your student does for Pearce that does not result in a grade. Always include 15 minutes driving time to and from school—and keep track of the time you spend running errands on behalf of a school event. You may record your hours in a combined total and enter a general description of your activities. If you signed in at the event, those hours have already been submitted and should not be duplicated. Thank you!

Renee Stone   972-735-0758  Diane Fleschler  972-931-3090

Don’t throw those books away!!! 

We’ll be collecting books for the RISD Council of PTA’s Used Book Fair to be held Feb. 7-10 at Valley View Mall next semester.  Please hold on to any book that you want to donate, children’s, teens and adults! - we’ll start collecting in January. Any questions please contact Lisa Coyle or Donna Leibow.

quick links -

THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS

Richardson Neighbors Press releases should be emailed (preferably as Microsoft Word files) to  richneighbors@dallasnews.com (news briefs) or mmacesich@dallasnews.com (stories and ideas)

Guidelines here.

ask officer orton

Pearce's own Officer Orton has a new column in the weekly Enews. You may submit your questions regarding teenagers and the law each week by sending an email to PearceNews. Officer Orton will answer questions ranging from curfews to truancy to drugs and alcohol.

This week's question comes from a parent regarding MICs and MIPs:

Dear Officer Orton,

I keep hearing the terms "MIC and MIP" in relation to alcohol related tickets being given to teenagers. Can you please tell me what these mean?

Yes an MIC/Minor in Consumption is when a minor consumes or admits to consuming. An MIP/Minor in Possession is when a minor possesses an alcoholic beverage. T.A.B.C. (Texas Alcoholic Beverage Code) 106.41 Officers may "detect" alcohol on a minor and could issue a citation..

The Student Assistant Team is Alive and Well

Today’s high school student faces many challenges.  Academic, social, or emotional problems impair a student's ability to learn and reach his or her fullest personal potential. Break ups with friends or sweethearts , family difficulties , depression, divorce, alcohol, tobacco, and drugs, are a few examples that might block a student's success. 

The Student Assistance Team (SAT) looks for ways to help students overcome academic and social problems that hinder their learning and success in school.  This is accomplished by connecting the student to existing on-campus services (such as counseling, mentoring, mediation, etc.) and/or community resources.

Kim Bayer, Lynda Calderwood, Pamela DeVoll, Miranda Gilliam, Nona Killgore, Kathleen Powell and Brad Skaggs are the 2007-2008 team members of the student assistance team. Look for the orange helping hands on their doors.

Students can be referred by fellow students, staff, parents, community members and staff.  All referrals are kept strictly confidential.  No permanent records are kept.  Referrals are located in every classroom and there is a mailbox outside of the counselors’ office to drop off completed referrals.

If you know someone experiencing problems that could interfere with their learning ability, please let a member of the SAT know your concerns.  Kathy Powell RN, BSN, MS, NCSN, Pearce School Nurse, 469-593-5098

From the RISD concerning staph infections

Each year, various issues arise in our community and our schools that could affect the health of our students.  The Richardson Independent School District will always attempt to provide parents with timely information about these and other matters so you can take appropriate steps to ensure your students remain safe and healthy.

From time to time, we receive reports that one or more students have been diagnosed with Staphylococcus aureus (staph) infections.  While staph is a very common germ that many people carry with no ill effects, if a staph infection is not properly treated, it can spread and become very serious.  In addition, there is a strain of the infection called Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA) that is particularly difficult to treat.   MRSA is a type of staph that has developed antibiotic resistance, which means that certain antibiotics are unable to kill the bacteria. Prompt attention and proper care of any suspected staph infection is important to avoid adverse health effects to the infected person and spreading the infection to others.

Staph infections usually begin abruptly and sometimes are confused with a spider or insect bite. Symptoms may include a large area of redness on the skin, swelling and pain, followed by an abscess or carbuncle (red, lumpy sore filled with pus). Untreated infections can lead to severe illness and may require hospitalization.

Staph germs, including MRSA, are not spread through the air.  The germs are spread primarily by direct (skin-to-skin) human contact or with direct contact to wound drainage of someone who is carrying or infected with the bacteria.  A person with a break in his or her skin could be at risk of contacting the infection if the person comes in contact with the staph germ.

Students and their family members should take the following precautions to help prevent skin infections:

§         Encourage frequent hand washing with soap and warm water.

§         Encourage students to keep their fingernails clean and clipped short.

§         Avoid contact with other people’s sores or wounds or anything contaminated by a wound.

§         Avoid sharing personal items such as razors, towels, deodorant, or soap that directly touch the body.

§         Wash dirty clothes, linens, and towels with hot water and laundry detergent. Using a hot dryer, rather than air-drying also helps kill bacteria.

§         Encourage students who participate in contact sports to shower immediately after each practice, game, or match and keep gym bags and sports equipment clean and disinfected.

§         Keep open or draining sores clean and covered. Anyone assisting with wound care should wear gloves and wash their hands thoroughly with soap and water after dressing changes.

If your child exhibits symptoms of staph or other infection or illness, please contact your health care provider and school nurse, athletic trainer, or coach.  These infections should be evaluated by a health care professional and treated according to your physicians’ recommendations.

The Texas Department of State Health Services has developed guidelines to assist you with the prevention and spread of MRSA. Additional information about staph and MRSA can be found at http://www.mrsatexas.org/. 

If you have questions, please contact your school nurse or campus principal. 

Huffhines Art Trails
Huffhines Art Trails will be held Oct. 27-28 from 10 a.m.- 6 p.m. in Huffhines Park. The event features 180 exhibiting artists and craftsmen. Traditional crafts, contemporary crafts and fine art will be on display. www.huffhinesartrails.com.

save the date!

Brentfield Elementary is having their 1st ever golf tournament, Tuesday, November 6th at Canyon Creek Country Club.  Click here for tournament information and registration.

(NOTE - SUBJECT TO CHANGE)

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