2025-2026 Bearcat Blast
August 12, 2025
Bearcat Blast • aledoisd.org • February 5, 2026
I-30 Full closure starts Friday, Feb. 6 @ 9 p.m.
I-30 Full closure starts Friday, Feb. 6th @ 9 p.m.
Motorists should use I-20/I-820 as the primary alternate route, I-30 frontage roads open for local access
WHEN:
9 p.m. Friday, February 6th through 3 p.m. Sunday, February 8th (weather permitting)
WHERE:
Eastbound and westbound I-30 main lanes closed from I-820 West Loop to Chapel Creek Boulevard (see DETOUR MAP)
Eastbound I-30 ramp closures: (1) Spur 580 entrance ramp; and (2) Chapel Creek entrance ramp.
Westbound I-30 ramp closures: (1) northbound I-820 to westbound I-30 direct connector; (2) southbound I-820 to westbound I-30 direct connector; (3) Alemeda entrance ramp; and (4) Cherry Lane and Las Vegas Trail entrance ramps (periodically closed depending on traffic flow).
** All I-30 frontage roads will be OPEN **
*** I-20 and I-820W are the designated alternate route for I-30 thru traffic during this closure ***
WHAT:
The I-30 project is scheduled to close the eastbound and westbound full closure of I-30 from I-820 West Loop to Chapel Creek Boulevard from 9 p.m. on Friday, February 6th to 3 p.m. on Sunday, February 8th for demolition of the existing RM 2871/Longvue Avenue bridge over I-30. Eastbound and westbound through traffic on I-30 will be encouraged to use I-20 and I-820 as the primary alternate route. Eastbound and westbound I-30 local traffic will be able to utilize the frontage roads during this closure. Motorists should seek alternate routes and expect delays during this weekend closure.
Celebrating CTE Month: Teaching & Training at Aledo High School
This Career & Technical Education Month, we’re shining a spotlight on the Teaching & Training Career Cluster at Aledo High School! This program empowers students who feel called to lead, inspire and educate the next generation.
Through hands-on learning, students explore careers in teaching and education by learning how to recognize diverse student needs, develop and coordinate curriculum, create engaging instructional materials, and coach both individuals and groups. The Teaching & Training program builds a strong foundation for students who plan to pursue college degrees in education and go on to become teachers, instructional leaders, and school administrators.
By investing in future educators today, Aledo ISD is Growing Greatness for tomorrow’s classrooms.
Graphic created by AHS student and Aledo ISD Communications intern, Macy W.
Bearcat News Update
Aledo High School moves to District 3-6A
Aledo enters 6A for the first time in its history in District 3-6A after the UIL Realignment was announced Monday morning! This will be the official district for football, basketball and volleyball for the 26-27 and 27-28 school years.
- Aledo High School
- Arlington High School
- Arl. Bowie High School
- Arl. Houston High School
- Arl. Lamar High School
- Arl. Martin High School
- Granbury High School
- Weatherford High
Nutrition News
Harvest of the Month: Berries!
Taste a harvest of fresh, healthy BERRIES at all Aledo ISD campuses!
Thanks to all students who participated in the recent taste test to choose some new menu items for next year. The big winners were:
- Frito Chili Pie
- Whole-grain Breaded Steak Bites
- Pizza Krunchers
Celebrations: We're excited to recognize these AISD students & staff members!
January Bearcats of Character Recognized!
The Aledo ISD Board of Trustees recognized this latest group of students named Bearcats of Character for the 2025-2026 school year on Tuesday, January 20, 2026 for the character trait KINDNESS.
According to the Positivity Project, kindness is correlated with desirable developmental outcomes. It is related to other-oriented emotions, like empathy and sympathy. In addition, the character strength of kindness is indicative of an individual’s moral reasoning capacity and level of social responsibility. That means people who develop kindness possess a strong personal ethical responsibility to care for other people. And, their acts of kindness towards others lead to additional acts of kindness by those who have been helped.
Congratulations to the following students, Aledo ISD's January 2026 Bearcats of Character!
Aledo High School: Savannah Lanphier, 11th Grade
Savannah is overall just a great person to be around. She always makes sure that she is spreading kindness to the people around her through her actions and words. Personally, she has been a huge example to me on how I should act and treat other people. She includes everyone, she compliments people regularly, and she acts selflessly always. I couldn't think of another person I would nominate for this, she is a great person that is the best example of kindness.
Aledo Learning Center: Brielle DePauw, 11th Grade
Brielle consistently demonstrates kindness through her words, actions, and positive attitude, creating a welcoming and supportive environment for everyone around her. She treats classmates, teachers, and staff with respect and empathy, always willing to help, share, or offer encouragement, and she is known for her polite manner, warm smile, and soft-spoken demeanor. She truly exemplifies what it means to care for others, being quick to compliment and slow to criticize in every interaction.
Daniel Ninth Grade: Orson Henry, 9th Grade
Orson helps me see the beautiful even through stressful times through his kindness. He brings a tone of peace by the way he treats others, always leading with compassion and care. His kindness is shown in how loving he is and how he makes everyone feel valued and accepted.
Aledo Middle School: Harper Holloway, 8th Grade
Harper is one of the kindest students in my class. He helps classmates when they are struggling and often volunteers to be a partner so no one feels left out. Without being asked, he stays after class to help clean up simply because he noticed it needed to be done. He also takes time to check in and ask how my day is going, which always brings a smile. Harper’s quiet kindness and genuine care for others make a meaningful difference in our classroom and truly reflect the character celebrated by the Bearcat of Character Award.
McAnally Middle School: Piper Lode, 7th Grade
Piper truly represents the character strength of kindness. She is always sweet to her peers and makes the people around her feel comfortable, included, and supported, especially on the basketball court. Piper is empathetic, takes the time to listen to others, and genuinely cares about how people are feeling. She comes in every day with a positive attitude and encouraging words, whether we are in the classroom or at practice. Piper’s kind heart and steady positivity make our team and our class a better place.
Aledo ISD Early Childhood Academy: Liberty "Birdie" Ruse, Pre-K
Birdie exemplifies the character trait of kindness in our classroom each day. She is consistently helpful and caring toward her peers, always looking for ways to support others. Over the past year, Birdie has shown tremendous growth, transforming from a quiet, shy student into a confident, social leader. She has built strong friendships and serves as a positive role model for her classmates. Her kindness and leadership make a lasting impact on those around her.
Annetta Elementary School: Eliana Frias, 5th Grade
Eliana consistently goes out of her way to help classmates, offer encouragement, include others, and show compassion. She approaches each day with a positive attitude and never complains, even when things are challenging. Her caring heart helps make our classroom a welcoming place, and I'm so proud of her for the positive choices she makes every day!
Coder Elementary School: Ledger Pennington, 2nd Grade
Ledger shows kindness on a daily bases by helping students out in the classroom, whether it be picking up a fallen book box or helping a friend on an academic task. He is always quick to realize when someone is not feeling themselves and offers kind and encouraging words to make them feel better. Ledger is not only kind but also selfless and will do whatever it takes to make a friend's day get better.
McCall Elementary School: Julian Cancino, 5th Grade
Julian stays late after everyone is dismissed to pick up after people, push in chairs, and make sure that all of his classmates remembered to take home their belongings. In the cafeteria, he collects all of the lunch trays and neatly stacks them in the window to help our cafeteria crew with clean-up. He holds all doors open for his classmates and teachers to pass through and closes them behind him to ensure they are locked. Julian does all of this on his own without having ever been asked or assigned a classroom job. His classmates call him King Julian because he truly looks after everyone and their wellbeing - it comes so naturally to him! They nominated him saying "Julian, it has to be Julian, because he is always looking for ways to help even when no one is asking or watching," and "Julian is the nicest person and will do anything for everyone even without getting any credit."
McKinney Elementary School: Hudson Hatfield, 3rd Grade
Hudson is a kind and considerate student who consistently shows compassion in all that he does. He treats classmates with respect, offers help without being asked, and is thoughtful in both his words and actions. Hudson makes an effort to include others, encourages his peers, and responds to challenges with patience and understanding. His genuine kindness creates a welcoming classroom environment and sets a positive example for those around him.
Stuard Elementary School: Marley Rose, 5th Grade
She treats her peers and teachers with genuine respect. She chooses joy even when things are hard. Her words and actions encourage and inspire others. Her daily choices reflect her true character and heart. In a world where you can be anything, Marley always chooses to be kind.
Vandagriff Elementary School: Ellie Kerr, 4th Grade
Ellie is an absolute joy to have in class. She is quick to help others, and her compassionate heart makes classmates feel valued. I love how Ellie makes an effort to include everyone, and she goes out of her way to care for others. Ellie is such a bright light in our classroom because of her big heart for kindness! Whether it’s offering a helping hand, giving a friendly smile, or using encouraging words, Ellie makes our school a happier place.
Walsh Elementary School: Emery Simicek, 5th Grade
Emery constantly demonstrates kindness inside and outside of the classroom. She holds herself to a high standard and consistently encourages those around her to show kindness no matter the circumstance. Great job, Emery!
AHS Varsity & JV Bearcat Dance Teams Crowned Grand Champions!
Varsity Dance Team
JV Dance Team
Varsity Dance Officers Awards:
- Best in Class Contemporary
- Best in Class Lyrical
- Best in Class Pom
- Grand Champions: Medium Select Officers
JV Sergeants Awards:
- Best in Class Contemporary
- Best in Class Hip Hop
- Best in Class Pom
- Grand Champions: JV Officers
Varsity Team Awards:
- Best in Class Hip Hop
- Crowd Pleaser Award for Hip Hop
JV Team Awards:
- Best in Class Jazz
- Best in Class Contemporary
- Best in Class Pom
- Artistry Award JV Jazz
- JV Grand Champions
AHS Wrestling Heads to Regionals!
Girls Wrestling
3rd Place Overall
Boys Wrestling
District Runner-Up
Aledo girls and boys wrestling are heading to Regionals in Lubbock this weekend after a great showing at the district tournament last weekend! The Varsity Girls battled all day to finish 3rd overall as a team, and the Varsity Boys powered their way to a 2nd-place team finish.
Boys Wrestling District Medalists:
- 🥇 Charles Anderson – 1st Place
- 🥇 Brady Powell – 1st Place
- 🥈 Ben Hungerford – 2nd Place
- 🥈 Cameron Robbins – 2nd Place
- 🥈 Ollie Tatro – 2nd Place
- 🥉 Cam Becera – 3rd Place
- 🥉 Dylan Chandler – 3rd Place
- 🥉 Ian Crosby – 3rd Place
- 🥉 J.D. Neff – 3rd Place
- 🥉 Mason Opsahl – 3rd Place
- 🏅 Brice Bohn – 4th Place
- 🏅 Cooper Kiwior – 5th Place (alternate)
- 🏅 Grayson McNeal – 5th Place (alternate)
Girls Wrestling District Medalists:
- 🥈 Grace Beasley – 2nd Place
- 🥉 Lillian Carruthers – 3rd Place
- 🥉 Milena Prole – 3rd Place
- 🥉 Joy Stephens – 3rd Place
- 🥉 Braylin Wiggins – 3rd Place
- 🥉 Piper Wheeler – 3rd Place
- 🏅 Madison Elliott – 4th Place
- 🏅 Morgan Sanford – 5th Place (alternate)
AHS-DNG Counseling Team Named Crest Winners!
It's National School Counseling Week and there's no better way to kick that off than to shout from the rooftops - WE ARE CREST WINNERS!
Congratulations to the AHS-DNG counseling crew - Maggie Alexander, Annie Walker, Lindsay Fuller, Tricia Hackfeld and Chandler Kurth - on the amazing accomplishment of being named Texas Counseling Association CREST (Counselors Reinforcing Excellence for Students in Texas) Award winners!
CREST schools demonstrate excellence in areas like introduction to the school and the counselor's role, program implementation cycle, foundational components, four service delivery components, and program curriculum. AHS-DNG is one of only 300 campuses - out of nearly 9,000 campuses across the state - to receive this award.
Thank you for all the ways you are All in Aledo!
10 AHS Student-Athletes Sign a National Letter of Intent!
Congratulations to these awesome Aledo High School student-athletes for signing a national letter of intent this morning to play their respective sport in college!
- 🏈 Lincoln Tubbs - Football - Air Force Academy
- 🏈 Cooper Cyphers - Football - University of Montana
- 🏈 Ryan Campbell - Football - Trinity University
- 🏈 Casen Miller - Football - Hardin Simmons University
- 🏀 Elizabeth Griffin - Basketball - St. Mary's University
- 👟 Molly Garrison - Cross Country/Track - University of Texas
- ⚾️ Kyle Poindexter - Baseball - Rose State College
- ⚾️ Dylan Duran - Baseball - San Jacinto College
- ⚽️ Trapper Davis - Soccer - Texas Lutheran University
- ⚽️ Mark Graham - Soccer - Centenary College of Louisiana
Coming up in Aledo ISD - Mark Your Calendars
Parenting University Rescheduled to March 2
Join us for Raise Them Strong: Parenting Resilient Kids with Brooks Gibbs. This virtual presentation is an engaging and practical conversation focused on helping parents equip their children with confidence, character and resilience in today’s world.
- 📅 March 2, 2026 (rescheduled date from Jan. 29)
- ⌚️ Doors open: 5:30 PM
- ⌚️ Presentation: 6:00 - 7:00 PM
- 📍 Aledo High School Lecture Hall
- 🍕 Pizza will be served!
- Childcare by our AHS National Honor Society students is available!
Don’t miss this impactful parenting opportunity!
Get it at the Bearcat Store!
It's officially the start of Bearcat Baseball season! Show your All in Aledo spirit with your Aledo + Cody Bradford themed Texas Rangers jerseys in adult sizes. Get them while they last!
The Bearcat Store is open Monday - Friday from 8:30 a.m. - 4 p.m. in the Administration Building Lobby. The Aledo ISD Bearcat Store follows the Aledo ISD schedule for closures.
Give the Bearcat Store a like and follow to stay up-to-date on all of our new merch!
You are cordially invited to this year's Bearcats 'n Boots!
Bearcat's N Boots is the Aledo Education Foundation’s annual spring fundraiser, to raise community support for AISD's immediate teacher and student needs. Last year's event allowed us to give back over $150,000 across our schools. This districtwide initiative brings together the greater Aledo Community in support of the high-quality education we all work so hard to provide for our kids.
Sold out over the past two years, your Bearcats N Boots sponsorship empowers our future by strengthening education & investing in teachers across our 12 schools. Come support the Aledo Education Foundation with a night of dinner, dancing, and endless fun with Aledo parents, grandparents, friends, and longtime AISD supporters.
We cannot achieve this year's goal without our community's continued investment. Sponsorships will be available soon!
Thank you 2025-2026 Bearcat Backers!
We appreciate your support!
Aledo ISD and the Aledo Education Foundation are partnering once again for the Bearcat Backer program, and we'd love your support!
As our district is #GrowingGreatness through exceptional experiences that empower learners for life, we are committed to fostering relationships and partnerships with our outstanding businesses and organizations to help support our Bearcats. Your partnership provides a direct investment and benefit to our Bearcatstudents and staff.
If your business is interested in joining our Bearcat Backers program, please visit our Bearcat Backers webpage that includes sponsorship levels as well as a commitment form to fill out.
Gold Level Sponsors
Christi James - TWFG Insurance Services
First Financial Bank
Institute for Hormonal Balance
Nothing Bundt Cakes
P1 Roofing and Solar
Redwood Financial
Silver Level Sponsors
Bearcat Financial Network
Brookshire's
Kisselburgh Law Firm
The Little Gym of Aledo
One Rock Carwash
SBK Electrical
Bronze Level Sponsors
Aaron Valencia, The A GAME Agent, Realtor
Aledo InterBank
Bigfoot Ink
First Bank
NBT Financial Bank
Paradigm Wealth Management
Rebecca DeLuca, Compass, Realtor
Turquant Builder Services
🔎 Important Links 🔍
Attendance Matters
As a reminder, we have streamlined absence reporting for all of our campuses for this school year. It is very important that we have documented reasons for absences so that we can ensure your student is given an excused absence when needed. Click here or the button below for the Absence Reporting Form!
Employee Recognition - Circle of Greatness
There are many Aledo ISD team members who are doing great work every single day! You can nominate any employee serving in the district for the Circle of Greatness Award.
We are looking for employees who are bringing Aledo ISD #GrowingGreatness to life, positively impacting our community, and helping us grow each and every Aledo ISD student. Click here or the button below to recognize a staff member today!
In Aledo ISD, BELL TO BELL, NO CELL!
The intent behind House Bill 1481 is to limit distractions in the classroom and across campus so students can stay focused on learning. As a public school district, our Board of Trustees must adopt a policy that implements the law. Click here or the button below to learn more and check out common frequently asked questions!
Campus breakfast & lunch menus all in one place!
Each Aledo ISD student has access to nutritious and delicious meals prepared by our amazing Child Nutrition staff. Breakfast and lunch are served everyday throughout the school week. Click here or the button below to view this month's breakfast and lunch menus.
Did you know that Aledo ISD has a Flickr account? And it's free!
Aledo ISD is capturing Bearcat pride all year long on our official Flickr account! From Friday night lights and fine arts performances to classroom moments and community events, you’ll find photos that showcase the heart of Bearcat Nation. Take a look, relive the memories, and find yourself on Flickr!
Find fulfillment in Aledo ISD - Become a Bearcat!
Aledo Independent School District
The Bearcat Blast E-Newletter is managed by the Aledo ISD Communications Department. To submit news items, email communications@aledoisd.org.
https://www.aledoisd.org/
1008 Bailey Ranch Road, Aledo, TX • Phone: 817-441-8327
Facebook: facebook.com/AledoISD • Twitter: @AledoISD