Tag Archives: Ysleta ISD

Two Tierra Del Sol Elementary School students placed 1st in the RoboRAVE (Robots Are Very Educational) International robotics competition held in Albuquerque.

TDS Sundancers Juanito Murillo and Demetrius Delgado, competed in the a-MAZE-ing event at the elementary level.

The goal is to program a robot to complete the path of an elevated maze in 2 minutes or less. The overall score is based on completing the task and the fastest time of completion.

RoboRAVE International is a Robotics Education program that strives to teach students and teachers how to design, build, program and test robots to perform a variety of tasks.

Their motto is “Today’s Play, Tomorrow’s Pay” and their goals are Fun while Learning, Sharing and Teamwork.

Over 550 teams (1,500 players) from 20 countries in elementary, middle and high school participated at the competition which was held May 10 – 12.

While Saturday was filled with graduations in the Sun City, at Riverside High School one proud Alumnus returned to speak with the next generation.

Former Riverside Ranger Corinna Latorre is making headlines in Nebraska, as she has just been chosen to be the next Head Coach for the Women’s Basketball Program at York College.

Before her promotion, she was part of the coaching staff; Corinna also previously played for York College and in her two years as a Panther, Latorre scored over 1,000 points and was selected to the MCAC All-Conference teams for the 2013-2014 and 2014-2015 season.

Graduating this year with her Master’s degree as well, 2018 has proven to me a momentous year.

In the world of athletics, at only 25-years-old, Latorre becomes one of the youngest to hold the distinct honor of being named ‘Head Coach’ for a college program.

Latorre – whose maiden name is Minjarez –  graduated from Riverside in 2011 and played both volleyball and basketball for the Rangers. ]

Photos courtesy Coach Stephen Solis

It was a special Friday for scores of Ysleta ISD seniors, as they surprised with the news that they are one step closer to a college education.

Ysleta Education Foundation (YEF) board members, YISD Board of Trustees and Superintendent Dr. Xavier De La Torre traveled from campus to campus during the annual YEF “Scholarship Sweep” to announce scholarship awards to over 100 graduating seniors totaling $279,600.

For more than 26 years, with the support of YISD – including generous in-kind support, an  employee pledge drive, funding from the business community and support of YISD alumni – YEF has awarded 1,414 scholarships totaling more than $3.2m to students in the Ysleta Independent School District.

The recipients were selected by the YEF Board of Directors from applications submitted in three categories: academic achievement, personal achievement and community service.

The Ysleta Education Foundation is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, established in 1992 to provide financial assistance to students in the Ysleta Independent School District (YISD).

The 2018 scholarship recipients are:

Loma Terrace Elementary School teacher Carol Love and Riverside High School teacher Stephen Solis were named YISD’s top 2018-2019 Elementary and Secondary Teachers of the Year, respectively, at a special gala Friday, May 4, at the Centennial Banquet & Conference Center at Fort Bliss.

In addition, Sundra Strickland from Dolphin Terrace Elementary School was named the 2018-2019 Support Employee of the Year.
Love, a second-grade teacher at Loma Terrace Elementary School, holds a bachelor’s degree from McMurry College (now McMurry University), and has spent her entire 41-year career in education as a teacher at Loma Terrace Elementary School.

Love said it was her fourth-grade teacher and high-school band director who moved her to pursue a career in education. “It was evident that both of these teachers loved their profession,” she said. Over the years, Love has maintained high expectations for her young students, whom she loves and values. “I want them to shine like little stars!” she added.

Solis, who holds a bachelor’s degree and master’s degree from Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, is a theater arts and computer science teacher and coach at Riverside High School. As a child growing up in Corpus Christi, Solis remembers how his father took night classes and went from working as a middle-school janitor to a P.E. teacher and coach.

“He never let anything stop him from pursuing his dream,” Solis said. “I was inspired to make him proud and lead a life where I could make a difference in the lives of others, just like he did.”

Other finalists for Secondary Teacher of the Year were Alberto Avalos (Ysleta HS), Michele Garcia (J.M. Hanks HS), Selena Granados (Eastwood HS), and Jessica Yildirim (Young Women’s Leadership Academy).

Strickland, who began working 32 years ago at YISD, is currently a P.E. paraprofessional aide at Dolphin Terrace Elementary School. This position was one of the few that afforded Strickland the opportunity to know every student and build relationships with them and their families. Outside of her job duties, she says it is important for her to make herself available for school events, professional development, district initiatives, and parent conferences, even though she is not required to do so.

Other Support Employee of the Year finalists were: Guadalupe Armendariz (Cedar Grove ES); Cindy Esparza (North Star ES); Joann Leyva (Plato Academy); and Ruby Rivera (Vista Hills ES).

Other finalists for Elementary Teacher of the Year were: Roberto Guevara III (Glen Cove ES), Lonny Nava (Ascarate ES), Kristin Podojil (Pebble Hills ES), and Paul Ward (Pasodale ES).

Love and Solis will now go on to compete in the Teacher of the Year competition for Region 19. A list of all 2018-19 YISD campus Teachers of the Year and Support Employees of the Year can be found on the district’s main website.

Ysleta ISD Director of Athletics Michael Williams has been elected to the Sixth Class of the Texas High School Gymnastics Coaches Association (THSGCA) Hall of Honor.

Mr. Williams was honored for his incredible persistent support of three high school gymnastics programs in El Paso.

For more than a decade, Williams has encouraged the growth of gymnastics while supporting plans for dedicated facilities. He has helped gymnastics become visible not only on the local level, but statewide as well with the UIL.

Mr. Williams received the award at the High School State Championships in Rockwall, Texas on April 28.  The award was presented twice, once at the conclusion of the Women’s competition and again at the conclusion of the Men’s competition.

The Texas High School Gymnastics Coaches Association Hall of Honor was established for the purpose of recognizing and appropriately honoring achievements of individuals who have made outstanding contributions to High School Gymnastics in Texas.

Since 2015, the Council on Regional Economic Expansion and Educational Development (CREEED) has not only helped local students, but regional educators as well.

CREEED has awarded $259,000 through its Accelerated Certification of Teachers (ACT El Paso) Scholarship Program to help area high school teachers attain dual credit certifications.

To date, the program has funded 75 high school teachers who have completed certification or are currently studying to teach dual credit or early college courses in our region’s high schools.

Dual credit courses give high school students the opportunity to become acclimated to college coursework and to enroll in courses that earn them college credit while still in high school. CREEED has earmarked a total of $1M for the scholarship program, which aims to increase higher education attainment for El Paso students.

“We know that college-readiness is a clear indicator of whether our students will pursue and successfully obtain a postsecondary degree or certificate. The goal of this scholarship program is to increase college-readiness across the region by exposing more students to the rigor and idea of a college education,” said Richard A. Castro, Chairman of CREEED.

“By investing in our teachers to deliver high-quality dual credit courses, we are not only providing professional development opportunities to our educators, but giving our students a head-start at college coursework and ensuring our region is able to see economic prosperity in the future.”

ACT El Paso scholarships have been awarded to a total of 75 teachers in five El Paso County school districts: Canutillo Independent School District, Clint Independent School District, El Paso Independent School District, Socorro Independent School District and Ysleta Independent School District.

The scholarship funds were used by teachers to help pay for their credentialing process, which requires them to complete 18 graduate semester credit hours in the content area they will teach and successfully obtain a master’s degree.

Thanks to the scholarship program, Clint ISD will have a dual-credit credentialed Spanish teacher at every high school in its district by the end of this year.

“The scholarships help us address our school’s need for more dual credit certified teachers,” Clint High School Principal, Garrett Ritchey. “Although the scholarships go to the teachers, the students are the true beneficiaries.”

Currently, only one in six El Paso students who starts 8th grade earns  a postsecondary credential within 11 years, which places El Paso as the second lowest performing of all Texas regions. Additionally, only 70 percent of students who enter The University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) and 34 percent who enter El Paso Community College (EPCC) are fully prepared for college-level work. CREEED is working to improve these numbers by investing in initiatives that increase college readiness in our region.

Since 2014, there has been a significant increase (53%) of students taking dual credit or early college courses throughout El Paso County. While only 4,750 students enrolled in these courses at the start of 2014, that number jumped to 7,250 in 2017.

“The Ysleta Independent School District is appreciative of the funding that CREEED has dedicated toward THE MASTERS program, which offers our teachers a convenient, affordable, and supportive path for pursuing their master’s degrees and advanced certifications,” said Dr. Xavier De La Torre, YISD Superintendent of Schools.

“As of this spring, we will have 20 YISD teachers successfully complete their master’s degrees and advanced certifications ­through the program in either math, science, social studies, or language arts,” Dr. De La Torre said. “We firmly believe this will help our teachers significantly enhance their classroom instructional practices while positively impacting student achievement.”

Research shows that students who successfully complete 18 hours of dual credit courses are four times more likely to complete a college credential or degree program on time. College credits earned through high school dual credit courses are at no cost to the student, thereby lowering the overall cost of college tuition.

“We are proud of EPCC’s Dual Credit & Early College High School partnerships with our local Independent School Districts,” said El Paso Community College President Dr. William Serrata. “CREEED’s scholarships for educators have increased the number of high school faculty teaching college courses, helping our students earn credit towards college degrees even before while they graduate high school.”

CREEED aims to place teachers certified to offer dual credit courses in every high school in El Paso County.

ACT El Paso is part of the non-profit group’s larger plan to improve educational parity, enhance the quality of instruction, and see more students complete post-high-school degree or certificate programs throughout the El Paso region.

More than 700 school volunteers and staff celebrated their hard work and dedication at YISD’s annual Volunteer Recognition Luncheon.

The annual event honored and recognized volunteers and staff for their generosity and hard work at their individual campuses throughout the year.

More than 4,000 YISD volunteers have logged more than 274,000 volunteer hours so far this school year, resulting in a savings of more than $2 million in labor costs to the district.

The Volunteer Recognition Luncheon was held on April 17.  Awards presented at the luncheon included:

Outstanding Premier Volunteer:

Veronica Gonzales Rios de la Torre, Ramona ES

Outstanding Rookie of the Year:

Claudia Gutierrez, Dolphin Terrace ES

Outstanding Staff Leader of the Year:

Alma Bustamante, Parkland HS

Years of Service Awards:
45 years –

Rebecca Padilla, REL Washington ES

40 years –

Mary McConnell, Eastwood MS

30 years–

Patricia Nevarez, Thomas Manor ES

20 years –

Gaby Ayala, Parkland MS
Cristina Gonzalez, Ysleta Pre K
Diana Patrana, Ysleta ES

Top Achievement Volunteer Hour Awards:

Lorenza Anaya, Hacienda Heights ES
Concepcion Portillo, Pasodale ES
Alma Herrera, Pasodale ES
Sandra Galvan, Hacienda Heights ES
Ricardo Jauregui, Hacienda Heights ES
Margaret Chaffino, Scotsdale ES
Emma Baeza, Eastwood Heights ES

Top Ten School Awards:

Cedar Grove Elementary
Pasodale Elementary
Eastwood Heights Elementary
Dolphin Terrace Elementary
Camino Real Middle
Parkland Middle
Rio Bravo Middle
Del Valle High
Eastwood High
Parkland High

Eastwood Middle School teacher Mireya Perez has been named the 2018 Outstanding Seventh-Grade Texas History Teacher by The Daughters of the Republic of Texas (DRT).

“I am very humbled to receive this recognition,” said Perez, who has taught at Eastwood Middle School for 13 years. “My objective is to change the perception that history is boring through a storytelling approach, and by allowing students to experience engaging and real-life activities.”

DRT officials said Perez was selected as this year’s winner after demonstrating how her instruction has enhanced her seventh-grade students’ interest in the early history of Texas – either by using creative ideas or manipulatives.

As the winner, Perez will receive a $750 award and a special plaque at the 2018 DRT Convention, which takes place May 19 in Dallas. In addition, Eastwood Middle School will receive $1,000 as part of the award.

In her winning application, Perez wrote: “I encourage my students to think like historians. As they uncover the advancements made in the United States, I encourage them to apply (this) to their personal lives by understanding that even through defeat, personal victories can be achieved.

“My calling in education gave me the title of a history teacher,” she wrote. “With that title, it is my responsibility to prepare young boys and girls to become determined, honest, and active participants of the community in which they live, regardless of their future job title.”

To be considered for the award, teachers were asked to submit letters of recommendation; teaching philosophy and instructional method; curriculum vitae/résumé; innovations conceived and executed for seventh-graders; and the response of the students to their local DRT chapter The DRT maintains 106 local chapters, divided in 10 districts.

DRT is the oldest patriotic women’s organization in Texas, and one of the oldest in the nation.

Founded in 1891, the DRT’s mission is to perpetuate the memory and spirit of those who achieved and maintained the independence of Texas; provide educational programs in coordination with school districts and the Texas Education Agency, as well as public programs; encourage research into early Texas records and the publication of these historic records, and preserve historic documents; and secure and memorialize historic sites.

Monday morning it was announced that Bel Air High School is a Vans Custom Culture semi-finalist, along with 50 other schools across the nation.

Now, it’s up to El Pasoans to vote for the Highlander’s Custom Culture design online for the chance to win $75K towards the school’s art program.

The Vans Custom Culture contest was created to support schools across the country experiencing art department budget cuts. Over 2,000 schools submitted customized Vans shoes embodying the Vans “Off the Wall” and “Local Flavor” lifestyle.

Schools also submitted an impact doc explaining how winning this donation would affect their arts programs since they have suffered budget cuts.

After Vans narrowed down submissions to the top 50, it’s up to the public to vote for their favorite pair. The overall winner will receive $75,000 and the four runner-up schools will receive $10,000, all going towards funding their school’s art programs.

Similar to years past, the public vote will help determine the top five finalists who will be in the running for the grand prize of $75,000.

The winner of this year’s competition will receive a visit from Vans for a celebration on their school campus filled with art and music that will be brought to life in partnership with Journeys, Yoobi, Laguna College of Art + Design (LCAD) and Americans for the Arts (AFTA).

Of the contest, Vans officials said, “Custom Culture competition continues to empower high school students and individuals across the country to embrace creativity. With schools already suffering from their art programs being cut, Vans wants to make more of an impact to the community and target the schools who need additional funds the most.”

To vote for the Bel Air Highlander’s design, click here.

The 2018-19 campus Teachers of the Year at the Ysleta Independent School District (YISD) were honored during a reception Thursday evening at Central Office.

At the same ceremony, district officials also announced 10 finalists for the district’s top two teaching awards: the Elementary Teacher of the Year and the Secondary Teacher of the Year.

The top five finalists for the 2018-19 YISD Elementary Teacher of the Year are:

Ascarate Elementary –  Lonny Nava
Glen Cove Elementary –  Roberto Guevara III
Loma Terrace Elementary –  Carol Love
Pasodale Elementary –  Paul Ward
Pebble Hills Elementary –  Kristin Podojil

The top five finalists for the 2018-19 YISD Secondary Teacher of the Year are:

Eastwood High –  Selena Granados
Hanks High –  Michele Garcia
Riverside High –  Stephen Solis
Ysleta High –  Alberto Avalos
Young Women’s Leadership –  Jessica Yildirim

All campus Teachers of the Year, as well as all campus Support Employees of the Year, will be honored at the YISD Teacher and Support Employee of the Year gala that takes place at 6 p.m. May 4 at the Centennial Conference Center & Banquet Hall at Fort Bliss.

Valley View Middle School has been selected to receive a $20,000 grant to implement an innovative computer science curriculum through a partnership between the Verizon Foundation and Project Lead The Way.

According to a news release from YISD, Project Lead the Way is “a nonprofit organization that provides a transformative learning experience for K-12 students and teachers through K-12 pathways in computer science, engineering, and biomedical science.”

The curriculum provides students the opportunity to experience computer science in a relevant and engaging way by empowering them to solve real-world problems using the powerful ideas behind analytical thinking.

In addition, by using a hands-on project-based instructional approach, students will strengthen their critical thinking, collaboration, and communication skills.

The grant will be disbursed over a two-year period, and will also support professional development for teachers and provide schools with equipment including tablets and software.

Valley View Middle School is only one of 72 schools in the country to be chosen for this program.

On Tuesday, Ysleta ISD announced the 2018-2019 Campus Teachers and Support Employees of the Year.

YISD officials said, “These dedicated teachers and support staff were selected by their campuses to represent the hard work and a determination to help all children succeed…they are honored for outstanding leadership, excellence, and inspiration to students, their colleagues and the community.”

The campus Teachers of the Year will be honored at a reception on March 29 where the top ten teachers will be announced. The finalists will undergo another round of interviews to compete for the top spot as Elementary and Secondary Teacher of the Year.

Ten finalists for Support Employee of the Year finalists will be announced at a later date. Five finalists will be named and the Ysleta ISD Support Employee of the Year will be announced at the gala in May.

All employees will be honored at the 2018-2019 Teacher and Support Employee of the Year Gala on Friday, May 4, 2018 at the Centennial Conference Center and Banquet Hall on Ft. Bliss. The program will begin at 7 pm.

Tickets will go on sale on April 2 for $30 per person. For ticket information, call 434-0690.

The 2018-2019 Teachers and Support Employees of the Year are:

Ysleta Independent School District (YISD) Officials announced Tuesday the appointment of Ida Perales as principal of Del Valle Middle School, which will make up part of a new K-8 combination school that is currently under construction in the Del Valle community.

Perales is the current principal of Camino Real Middle School, a position she has held since July 2016. She began her career in education in 2001 as a biology teacher at Ysleta HS, then worked in the El Paso and Socorro school districts for six years before returning to YISD in 2008 to serve as an instructional specialist and assistant principal.

Perales holds a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree from UTEP.

Construction of YISD’s new $87 million K-8 combination school began last year, thanks to the facilities bond measure approved by voters in November 2015.

Students at the existing Camino Real and Valley View middle schools will be consolidated into the new Del Valle Middle School, which will share the K-8 campus with a new Mission Valley Elementary School.

The new Del Valle Middle School is being built to accommodate up to 1,500 students, who will enjoy modern classrooms, state-of-the-art technology spaces, and new athletics facilities.

Del Valle Middle School will share a kitchen, fine arts facilities, and a gymnasium with Mission Valley Elementary School, but each campus will have separate entrances, classrooms, offices, and cafeterias.

YISD officials add, “By sharing facilities, the 300,000 square-foot combo school will maximize the economies of scale and minimize maintenance and operations costs.”

Dr. Xavier De La Torre, Superintendent of Schools at the Ysleta Independent School District, was unanimously elected to serve as the 2019 chair of the Texas Urban Council of Superintendents, a network of the state’s largest urban school districts that meets regularly to discuss governance, leadership, management, governmental relations, and other topics relevant to traditional urban public schools.

“It is my honor and a pleasure to provide leadership to the largest school districts in Texas as the 2019 Chair of the Texas Urban Council of Superintendents,” De La Torre said. “In my new role as Chair, I am eager to lead the discussion on the areas of greatest opportunity and challenge in our school districts, and give El Paso and Ysleta ISD a much-needed voice at both the state and national levels.”

The Council, which was founded nearly 50 years ago, consists of nine school districts in Corpus Christi, El Paso, Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, Austin, and Fort Worth areas that represent nearly 800,000 students and 50,000 teachers.

Because these districts serve large urban communities, their schools share similar interests and challenges, such as second-language learning; increasing college access; and school turnaround.

These urban districts also routinely serve larger percentages of children living in poverty who are less likely to have parents with high levels of education, and are constantly balancing different barriers.

De La Torre, who joined YISD in 2014, has a 30-year history of dedicated service to large, diverse student populations, and a career chronicled by recognized achievements and awards, including an El Pasoan of the Year nomination (2016); two Broad Prize Award finalist nominations (2009, 2010); and the Edgar L. Morphet Award for the nation’s most outstanding dissertation aimed at the educational issues (2005).

During De La Torre’s tenure at YISD, the district’s most vulnerable student groups have seen increased achievement under the state of Texas’ STAAR/EOC accountability system. English Language Learners and Special Education students have routinely outperformed their peers in the region and across the state, while student achievement on the state’s End of Course exams has led the region and the state when considering comparable school districts and demographics.

Coupled with the introduction of El Paso’s first single-gender, college preparatory school for girls; two new Early College High School programs; new STEM programs; and the passage of a $430.5 million facilities bond, De La Torre has emerged as a regional authority in El Paso relative to the American public school system.

“Dr. De La Torre embodies the type of leader we need guiding our school systems,” said Richard Castro, board chairman of the Council on Regional Economic Expansion and Educational Development (CREEED) and CEO of Castro Enterprises. “His desire and willingness to provide creative and innovative education experiences will help push the needle forward for El Paso’s educational attainment.”

Ysleta ISD’s Valle Verde Early College High School National Science Bowl team will be headed to the national championship once again.

The VVECHS Spartans won the El Paso Regional NSB competition, defeating Northwest ECHS 42-0 in the finals.  This marks the fifth year in a row for the Spartans, as they are now headed to the national competition in Washington D.C. in April.

Coached by James Brown, the team members are Samuel Juardo, Angelica Amaya, Juan Vasquez, Jacob Lane, Daniel Lara, and coordinators Gabriel Mendoza and Jesusita Ibarra.

The National Science Bowl, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy, is a national academic competition that tests students’ knowledge in all areas of science and math.

Teams from diverse backgrounds face-off in a fast-paced question and answer format, testing on a range of science disciplines including biology, chemistry, Earth science, physics, energy, and math.

Each year, the National Science Bowl attracts over 17,000 students nationwide, challenging them to expand their knowledge of science and mathematics and their understanding of global energy and environmental challenges.