Cougar Community Newsletter

💐We can officially say goodbye to winter! The first day of spring was March 20, 2025.🌸

Haylee Moncayo, an eighth grader at Jarrell Middle School wrote and presented this month's essay. In her essay, Haylee wrote about how cooperation and working together makes learning fun and easier. Attached is a copy of her essay.

Our Cougar Champions of the month were recognized for their outstanding work.

Double Creek Elementary: Sadie Uballe (Student), Kathleen Barkley (Staff)

Igo Elementary: Colton Koehler (Student), Heather Koehler (Staff)

Jarrell Elementary: Avery Cavender (Student), Diane Rising (Staff)

Jarrell Middle School Haylee Throneberry (Student), Shawn Lance (Staff)

Jarrell High School: Camille Murphy (Student), Shanna Jones (Staff - Not Present)

Jarrell ISD teachers who the Texas Education Agency officially designated for the Teacher Incentive Allotment were recognized. The district had 15 teachers who were designated by the state. These fifteen teachers will receive the Teacher Incentive Allotment payment plus their salary for the next five years. TIA is part of the Texas Education Agency's plan to recruit and retain teachers in public schools. Our teachers will have earned a combined $845,000 by the end of the five years.

The Texas School Public Relations Association (TSPRA) recognized Jarrell ISD's Communications Department as the best in the state for achievement in Video Marketing for the district's Welcome to Jarrell ISD video. Additionally, TSPRA recognized the communication department in advertising, its weekly Monday Memo newsletter, and more. Nick Spinetto leads the communication department. Congratulations.

Jarrell Ranch Middle School principal Josh Curtis was welcomed to the district and officially introduced to the school board and the community. You can learn more about Mr. Curtis by reading our article.

Jarrell ISD Police Officer Stephanie Herring was also recognized and officially introduced to the school board and the community. You can learn more about Officer Stephanie Herring by reading our article.

*All presentations are attached below*

Communication and Informational Items:

- Superintendent Dr. Toni Hicks presented monthly student outcomes

- Assistant Superintendent Laura Buckley presented this month's Student Voice, which is a video of the Double Creek Elementary Kids Newscast

- Chief Financial Officer Robert Navarro presented a Finance Update

- Sledge Engineering presented the monthly 2023 Bond Update

Action Items:

In addition to approving the consent agenda, the Board of Trustees:

- Approved a Jarrell High School Championship Sign (NOTE: the rendering of the sign in the presentation is an example)

- Approved the Superintendent of the Year Resolution

Congratulations to Jarrell High School junior Leslie Galindo for placing third and advancing to the Regional Academic Contest in UIL Prose Interpretation.

The Jarrell Middle School Wind Ensemble earned a sweepstakes award by getting a superior performance rating both on stage and in the sight-reading room.

The Symphonic band also earned a superior rating today in the sight-reading room, and the concert band earned excellent ratings on stage and in sight-reading yesterday. Congratulations!

Congratulations to our high school theatre art students who won second place at the UIL One Act Play Competition. They are now advancing to the Bi-District Competition. The play is called, “The Ballad of Maria Marten.” Several students won individual awards. Earning All Star Technician is Devin White on projections, Honorable Mention All-Star Cast is Kaliyah Winters for her role as Ann Marten, and All Star Cast members are Camille Mercado as Lady Cooke and Ashley Delgado as Maria Marten. The Bi-district competition is this Saturday, March 29 at Waco-Connally High School.

For the third year in a row, students won this competition. Next, they will compete in the state championship in Austin on May 16th and 17th. The Theatrical Design contest requires students to create mock-ups of marketing materials (pictured left), make-up designs, and set designs. Congratulations.

Jarrell ISD has students competing in the Special Olympics Track and Field event on April 5th. Opening ceremonies are at 8:15 am. The event is at Bible Stadium at Leander High School, 3303 S. Baghdad 78641. Our students were practicing on the track earlier this week. The event is open to the public. Go Cougars!

We're hosting a job fair this weekend at Jarrell Middle School from 9:30 - 11:30 am.

Address: 101 E. Ave. F, Jarrell, TX 76537. For more information about our job openings, visit www.jarrellisd.org/employment

There are a few updates to the Spring Events Calendar.

What's new?

Double Creek Elementary School updated the times of the Kindergarten Graduation Ceremony and the 5th Grade Awards Ceremony.

Click on the tab below to download the updated calendar.

Have you signed up for our 5k Fun Run and Egg Hunt? Click on the link to register:
https://docs.google.com/.../1FAIpQLScAk6ZUwNOm.../viewform

There will be a Beginner Band Parent Meeting and Instrument Selection Night this Thursday, March 27, 2025 at 6:00 pm in the Jarrell Middle School Cafeteria!

The Sonterra MUD is hiring for summer positions.

If you're 15 years or older, email michelle.weydert@sonterramud.org for more information.

Attendance zones for Jarrell Ranch Middle School have been finalized. If you're unsure about which middle school campus your child will attend, use are new attendance zone map. Click on the tab below to access the map.

At Jarrell ISD, we strive to create an innovative education environment that meets the needs of all students. State funding is critical to achieving that goal. Our legislative priorities for the Texas 89th Legislative Session call on our state leaders to invest in public education to enhance educational equity and increase teacher compensation and support. More of our priorities are outlined below and can be downloaded.

Texas school districts haven't received an increase in the basic allotment since 2019. Below are facts and figures of how it's impacting Jarrell ISD.

For more information about the Jarrell Education Foundation go to their website.

In the event of an emergency, it's vital that we have your up-to-date contact information. 15% of our parent population has incorrect contact information on file. It's critical we have your correct address, email address, and phone numbers. Please log in to the Ascender - Parent Portal to verify that your information is accurate.

In addition to having your correct information on file, filling out a Parent Reunification Card is vital for an emergency. Click on the link below to learn more about our Parent Reunification Plan.

You can also contact the Jarrell ISD Police Department for assistance or to report concerns and criminal activity.

Below is a link to a series of videos by the Smart Tag team. Each video highlights the different features/functions of Smart Tag.

Jarrell ISD is located in northern Williamson County. The mascot is The Cougars. It has five campuses: Jarrell High School, Jarrell Middle School, Igo Elementary School, Double Creek Elementary, and Jarrell Elementary. The district is home to more than 4,200 students. Enrollment is projected to double in the next 10 years.

Email: communications@jarrellisd.org
Website: www.jarrellisd.org
Location: 504 N 5th Street, Jarrell, Texas 76537
Phone: 512-746-2124
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JarrellIndependentSchoolDistrict
Instagram: @Jarrell_ISD

Twitter: @Jarrell_ISD