With great pride and thankfulness, Sherman High School Principal, Peggy Van Marter introduced the 2008-2009 National Merit Finalists and their parents at the February board meeting. Superintendent, Dr. Al Hambrick, and the entire SISD School Board offered congratulations to these three outstanding students, Caleb Cosper, Matt Frazier, and Emma Whitfield.

Shown here are Matt Frazier and mother, Dr. Sue Frazier and Emma
Whitfield with parents, Dr. and Mrs. Charles Whitfield and grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Charles Whitfield.

Piner Students Excel

Piner students and teachers have bragging rights as their choir, band,
Latin club and One Act Play received top awards in recent competition.

Piner JCL

Nineteen Piner Middle School eighth grade Latin students recently
traveled to Garland High School to compete in the Texas State Junior Classical League’s Area C convention. They returned home victorious with first, second and third place ribbons. Piner Latin teacher, Frank Kelland was ecstatic.

“This was an overwhelming surprise for me. I did not expect this, but the Latin Club delivered, and I am proud of them,” commented the proud teacher. Each student competed in at least two academic competitions in graded levels according to Latin experience.

Award winners include: Ryan Williams, Anthony White, Laurin Patin, Cia Arias, Jacob Thetford, Jonathan Kim, Arielle Castro, Ellie
Gundersheimer, MacKenzie Plyler, Kaylee Coffman, Jessica Christiansen, Monica Mathis and Tyler Shearer. The Latin Club volleyball team earned a respectable third place ribbon, but the real story was the Cinderella basketball team that came from nowhere to defeat all comers until it lost in the finals to John Paul II High School.

Piner’s champions will be taking their talents to SMU on March 27 and 28 to represent Area C at the State Convention.

Piner Choir Students Participate in All-Region

Eighteen Piner choir students auditioned for the Region 25 choir at
Evans Middle School in McKinney where they sang two songs and sight-read for a panel of five judges. Students who participated in the audition portion of the contest include, Sopranos-Taryn Beauchamp, Annie Dunn, Krista Edwards, Lauren Fanning, Ellie Gundersheimer, Abby Percell, Kelsey Jarvis, Stacia Jones, Jordan May, Lexy McMillan, Julia Murray, Madison Seisemore, and Presley Solano, Altos-Nicolette Carver, Rachel Fair, Courtney Howell, and Edith Lopez, and bass-Thomas Clarkson. Three of these students received an invitation to perform in the All-Region choir clinic and concert at Plano East Senior High School.

The annual Sherman Solo & Ensemble Contest was recently held at SHS. Approximately 300 Piner and Dillingham band and orchestra students participated. The Piner Band had 123 solo entries. Each soloist performed the solo with a piano accompanist for a judge, who then gave a rating for the performance.

Piner band students received ninety first division superior ratings. Way to go Wildcats!

Superior One Act

Piner Middle School theater students attended the UIL One Act Play
Festival at Ryan High School. They were awarded a superior rating for the first time in Piner's history! The play performed was titled,
“Competition Piece.”  Jessica Christiansen and Taylor Garland earned All Star Cast honors. Saxon McTee earned Honorable Mention All Star Cast honors. Lakelin Pharego earned Outstanding Technical Theatre honors.

Shown here is the entire cast and teacher/director, Sharon Ward.

Can you spell precipice?

Jesse Noblet can and that is the word she spelled to win the Piner
Spelling Bee last week. Allison Lopez, Cristian Soltero, and Sara Walker held a close second, third and fourth place while spelling difficult words such as ostentatious, colloquial, and magnanimous. The test is administered each year by former Piner principal, Mike Mitchusson who said that he was impressed by the high number of students who continued in the competition past the first 100 words.

“This is confirmation that our teachers are doing a great job,” he said.

Shown here is Mitchusson administering the spelling test.

The first place winner, Jesse Noblet stands with the competitors seated around her. Noblet will compete in the Grayson County Spelling Bee on February 25 at Grayson College.

Energy Efficiency Award

Sherman I.S.D. received congratulations and a monetary boost from Oncor Energy at the February school board meeting. Clearesult consultant, David Goett praised Superintendent, Dr. Al Hambrick and Chuck Edwards for utilizing energy efficient equipment that reduces utilities operation costs.