Maverick Monthly: March 2026

In March, EISD continued our pursuit of excellence across all of our campuses. Our staff and students focused on preparing for the upcoming testing season in April and are now well prepared for their STAAR and EOC exams. Every year, we see steady improvement in our testing scores, and we take great pride in how seriously our staff and students take these tests.

Outside of the classroom, our middle school and high school athletes are making major strides in track, while the Baseball and Softball teams have been getting some solid victories. Our One-Act Play cast and crew advanced to the Bi-District competition, and our academic UIL students had some good results from the Comanche meet. FFA has also been showcasing Eastland across the state at various competitions. It has been a great month to be a Maverick!

As testing begins, we advise eating a nutritious meal with your student and ensure they get a good night's rest prior to any test day. The support students receive at home is a major component in their academic achievements, and we thank parents, guardians, and community members for their efforts to make sure students' needs are met. It truly is a blessing to be in a community that prioritizes the success of our students as much as Eastland does.

Jeremy Williams
Superintendent
Eastland ISD

At the School Board meeting on March 16th, Kaydi Royall, Heidi Huddleston, and Addyson Plowman were selected by 5th Grade teachers to represent Siebert Elementary and lead the pledge!

These students were selected by their 5th Grade teachers for their leadership skills, outstanding character, high grades, and their outgoing personalities!

Congratulations to our 5th Grade students of the month!

At the School Board meeting on March 16th, Lillie Meyer and Kyle Koch were named as Students of the Month for February!

Lillie Meyer is an exceptional student at Eastland Middle School. Her teachers note that she is great at everything she does, and that she has a good sense of humor and outgoing personality. Mr. Rodgers says that she is always positive and has a smile on her face. She is active in athletics, cheer, and FFA. She plans to become an Ultrasound Technician after attending Texas Tech. Her favorite teacher is Mrs. Jones at Siebert.

Kyle Koch is noted by his teachers for his great work ethic, his respectful attitude, and his excellent manners. He is active in athletics and FFA. Mr. Rodgers notes that Kyle has been a great example for others as he has matured into a well-rounded young man. Kyle would like to become a Police Officer after he graduates. His favorite teacher is Mr. Simmel.

Congratulations to both of these outstanding students!

At the School Board meeting on March 16th, Greenly Johnson and Miguel Hernandez were named as Students of the Month for February! Evelyn Williams, one of our Students of the Month for January, was also presented her award this month, as she was unable to attend the February school board meeting.

Greenly Johnson is one of Eastland's outstanding student athletes. She has been a part of the Lady Mavs Softball team for four years and Varsity Basketball during her Junior year. She received Honorable Mention in softball her Freshman and Junior years, Honorable Mention Bi-District during her sophomore year, alongside Player of the Week, and Academic All-District her Junior year. She states that she plans to keep the awards going. She plans to attend Cisco College in pursuit of a Cosmetology degree. Her favorite teacher is Mrs. Tori Payne, her Fashion Design teacher.

Mrs. Payne noted Greenly's unwavering resolve that sets an example for her fellow students: "Greenly is the definition of resilience. Despite facing significant personal adversity this year, she has remained fully present and active in our school community. She meets every challenge with grace and a smile, proving that her character is as strong as her work ethic. I am so proud to see her recognized as Student of the Month!"

Miguel Hernandez is one of the fastest students at Eastland High School, mentally and physically. He has been active in Beta Club for two years, has participated in Ag Mech for all four years, and has run for the Varsity Cross Country team all four years. He qualified for regionals all four years, even making his way to state one year. He is also a Junior Ambassador and is part of the dual credit program. He will graduate from Cisco and Ranger with his Associate's in Arts and Science this May. He plans to attend Tarleton State University in pursuit of a degree in Mechanical Engineering. His favorite teacher and coach is Coach Lewis, his Cross Country coach and U.S. History teacher.

Evelyn Williams is another example of our bright student athletes. She has been active in Cross Country for two years, Track all four years, and is a Junior Ambassador this year. After graduating, Evelyn plans to attend Weatherford College in pursuit of a degree in nursing. Her favorite teacher is Mrs. Amy Lopez, her Culinary teacher.

Mrs. Lopez noted Evelyn's excellent character: "Evelyn is an outstanding student and an even better person. I am honored to have had her in my class and representing the Culinary Department for the past three years. She is exceptional, hard-working, kind, and definitely a leader! She's one of those students you wish you could keep for a few more years."

Congratulations to all of these outstanding students!

At the School Board Meeting on March 16th, Dena Simmel was selected as Teacher of the Month, and Christie Smith was selected as Employee of the month! Congratulations!

Christie Smith is the EMS Receptionist. As the first point of contact for the community, Christie is a huge help to all of the office staff. Her professionalism and ability to quickly organize, relay information, and to make order out of chaos has been greatly appreciated. Her approachability helps her to calm upset children, to keep parents informed, and to collaborate with fellow members of staff to find solutions to problems in a timely manner.

Mrs. Simmel is a 4th Grade Teachers, and a leader on the Siebert campus. She maintains high expectations for students and guides her students to exceeding their goals and to greater learning. She has a natural ability to focus her classes' attention and to maintain that attention for her lessons. The students respect her methods, and in turn the results she is able to achieve helps set the standard of what is expected of not just students, but for Siebert teachers and staff as well.

Congratulations to both of these outstanding members of EISD staff on your well earned award!

Blake Fulenwider of Eastland gave an additional gift to Mrs. Simmel and Mr. Simmel (last month's Teacher of the Month). They were given two Jeeps sporting Maverick colors to drive for a week, as well as gift baskets!

Thank you, Blake Fullenwider of Eastland, for your support for our teachers and students!

At the 8-3AAA North Zone Meet in Millsap on March 27th, the 8th Grade Girls and 7th Grade boys placed 2nd overall! 8th grade girls scored a total of 145 points and our 7th grade boys scored a total of 198 points. Thirty nine Eastland Middle School athletes qualified for the District meet this Thursday (April 2nd)!

Congratulations to the following track & field team members who will be advancing to the District 8-AAA Championships next Thursday at Comanche:

7th girls

Kennedy Constancio

Isabella Gomez

Harley Wright

Eliana Flores

Rebecca Mendoza

Helena Martinez

Aaliayah Holland

7th Boys

Anthony Ojeda

Landon Jackson

Liam Pena

Brantley Carlton

Mario Pacheco

Colby Bolt

Asher Vargas

Hudson Landers

Ben Crum

Waylon Bradshaw

Hunter Seaton

Breiden Ortiz

8th Girls

Lucy Brewster

Karley Robertson

Tatum Palmer

Shantal Beltran

Natalie Blankenship

Kambri Sattarphia

Kayleig Hutyra

Alexis Sheffield

Joleena Cook

Lexi Guillen

Lily Meyers

Addison Nelson

Avery Wells

8th Boys

Micah Hays

Aiden Senn

Giovani Moreno

Jack Hallmark

James Hatton

Cayden Soto

Austin Ochoa

Come out to Comanche on April 2nd to cheer on our young student athletes! Field events start at 4 PM!

At the Albany Roaring Lion Relays on March 26th, EHS Track teams walked away with major victories! The Varsity Girls, JV Girls, and JV Boys won their divisions, and the Varsity Boys team (consisting of ten athletes) was 2nd place at the meet!

Coach Lewis states that this is one of the biggest victories he's seen the EHS Track teams achieve, and that this is a major indicator that the hard work the boys and girls teams have been putting in is paying off. While there is still room to grow and improve before the District meet, this is a huge victory and worthy of praise.

Colby Nichols competed in the Glen Rose Golf Tournament and came in first out of over 70 golfers!

Colby has been a golfer since his 8th grade year. When asked what his thoughts were as he was getting this medal, Colby humbly said, "I was in disbelief, to be honest. I never thought that I would win the tournament."

We asked what he considered his biggest challenge he's had to overcome when golfing. "Getting out of my own head and letting go," Colby said. "If you hit a bad shot, there's always the next shot. You can't hold on to those mistakes and let it shake you up."

His advice for others looking to golf is to recognize the mental aspect of the game on top of building skill. "You have to build your skillset, but golf is a mental game." He went on to cite the movie Happy Gilmore as an inspiration for his mindset on golfing. "The advice they give in the movie is pretty true! You just have to walk up to the ball, go to your happy place and clear your head. Tell yourself to hit good, and let go."

March 24th was a great day for the Maverick Baseball and Lady Mavs Softball teams!

Varsity Mavericks played in Early and won 6 to 0. Coach Morphew praised the team for great teamwork against a tough team. "They did a great job, jumped ahead in the first inning and didn't look back." He went on to praise some individual achievements from the game. "Kelby Mendoza and Trey Ishmael led the way on offense with three hits each. Michael Gomez went to work on the mound and threw a complete no-hitter game, only allowing four walks with six strikeouts. The defense behind him was stellar as well, letting us complete the shutout. Our team continues to make strides in the right direction, and I look forward to watching them continue to grow."

In Millsap, the Lady Mavs won 32 to 15 in a hard-fought game. "The Lady Mavs have made tremendous progress at the plate by making slight adjustments and staying patient," Coach McClellan noted. She went on to praise some great achievements on the field. "Lauryne Hobbs and Julissa Carrialez led offensively, each batting 1.000. Hobbs had two home runs (bringing her total to nine for the season) and 6 RBI's, while Carrialez brought in five runs in her five plate appearances. Adyson Carrol also brought in five runs in her four plate appearances while batting. Kassidy Hutrya, Jadie Johnson, and Greenly Johnson all battled hard in the circle. There were challenges, but the Lady Mavs overcame them together, and I'm proud of their tenacity."

On March 27th, the EHS Mavericks Baseball team hosted a Staff Appreciation Night! Students were asked to select staff to honor for their contributions. Congratulations to the following staff members for your recognition!

Alaina Thompson

Clarissa Flores

Jennifer Williams

Melissa Wilson

Officer Josh Nichols

Brandon Chesser

Brian Perry

Kevin West

Photos from the event can be found here: https://photos.app.goo.gl/CrgQobHb62P8qoY57

On March 25th, Eastland High School's One-Act Play team performed "Alice in Wonderland" in Graham, and they will advance to the Bi-District competition!

Mrs. Wells praised the students for their efforts and for advancing. "A lot of hard work goes into the shows, both on and off the stage" she noted. "I'm proud of how they continue to improve after every practice and every performance!"

The following individuals were also recognized:

Outstanding Technician:

• Mariana Del La Rosa, Stage Manager

Honorable Mention All-Star Cast:

• Jrayden Veloz as Narrator 1 and March Hare
• Reed Whittlesey as Narrator 2 and Mad Hatter

All-Star Cast:

• Adelyn Ray as Alice
• Aaden McNeal as the White Rabbit

Congratulations on a great performance, and good luck in your future competitions!

EHS Students competed at a UIL Academics Meet in Comanche on March 25th. Congratulations to the following students for placing!

Ivan Madrigal - 1st place - Current Issues and Events

Ivan Madrigal - 4th place - News Writing

Kiera Hendrick - 1st place - Spelling

Shelby Hatton - 6th Place - Biology

Siebert's 4th Grade class performed Disney's The Lion King Kids on March 4th and March 5th for the public. Both shows had an amazing turn-out, and the kids loved performing for family and friends! Thank you to everyone who came out to support our young performers, and congratulations to the 4th Grade class on your highly successful shows!

We would also like to extend a special thank you to Mr. and Mrs. Whiddon, who represent The Nancy Seaberry Frost Arts Endowment, for the donation that made the play possible, as well as all of the parents, businesses, and members of the community that helped out with everything from props to choreography!

Photos from the Lion King Kids performances (as well as some behind-the-scenes photos from earlier rehearsals) can be found here: https://photos.app.goo.gl/8nkRPZFKtuLW47By7

STAAR Testing across all campuses begins in April!

Siebert's STAAR testing dates are as follows:

• APRIL 16: STAAR RLA, 3rd, 4th, 5th Grades
• APRIL 23: STAAR SCIENCE, 5th Grade
• APRIL 29 STAAR MATH, 3rd, 4th, 5th Grades

Eastland Middle School's STAAR testing dates are as follows:

• APRIL 15: STAAR RLA, 6th, 7th, 8th Grades
• APRIL 21: STAAR SOCIAL STUDIES, 8th Grade
• APRIL 23: STAAR SCIENCE, 8th Grade
• APRIL 28: STAAR MATH, 6th, 7th, 8th Grades

Eastland High School's STAAR EOC testing dates are as follows:

• APRIL 7: ENGLISH II
• APRIL 14: ENGLISH I
• APRIL 21: U.S. HISTORY, BIOLOGY
• APRIL 22: ALGEBRA I

Please ensure your student has a full night's rest and comes to school prepared to test on these dates!

Next Regularly Scheduled Board Meeting: April 13th @ 6 PM

Good Friday (Student and Staff Holiday): April 3rd