Core Essential of the Month: Patience

This month's essay was written by Melanie Rangel, an 8th grader at Jarrell Middle School. She was not present to read her essay. Instead, JMS Principal Daniella Ogundare read it to the Board of Trustees and the community. Click on the attachment below to read her essay.

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

- Jarrell Elementary: Precious Paye (Student), Kate Lynch (Staff)

- Double Creek Elementary: Geovanny Cruz (Student - not present), Deidre Nicholes (Staff)

- Igo Elementary: Trent Nguyen (Student), Evelyn De Jesus (Staff)

- Jarrell Middle School: Kooper Hernandez (Student), Keila Butler (Staff)

- Jarrell High School: Ihtzel Hernandez (Student), Catherine Little (Staff)

Drew Sumner for his work as a High School Athletics Coach, earning 20 consecutive years in the UIL Basketball State Playoffs. We thank you for your outstanding work and loyalty to the Jarrell ISD athletics program.

Nick Spinetto, Communications Director, for earning four awards from the Texas School Public Relations Association (TSPRA) for Distinguished Achievement in Writing and Digital Media for his work at Jarrell ISD. Mr. Spinetto has been recognized more than twenty times by TSPRA for his outstanding work.

Fort Cavazos Adopt-A-School program. COL Lakicia Stokes and Kristine Caparco accepted the award. We're grateful for their support.

Jennifer Gadison was sworn in as the new Jarrell ISD Board of Trustee for Place #3. Below are more details about Mrs. Gadison. Join us in welcoming her to the school board.

*All presentations are attached below*

Communication and Informational Items:

- Superintendent Dr. Toni Hicks presented monthly student outcomes

- Athletic Director Marty Murr presented his monthly updates

- 4th Quarter Demographic Report

- Sledge Engineering presented the monthly 2021 Bond Update

- Sledge Engineering presented the monthly 2023 Bond Update

-Overview of the Gifted and Talented Program presented by Laura Buckley and Pennie DeAugustineo

Action Items:

- Approved the consent agenda

- Approved the 2024/2025 TEKS Recertification

- Approved the 2023 Bond PA System replacement at Igo ES, JES, and JMS

- Approved the 2023 Bond Elementary School #4 Guaranteed Maximum Price #2

- Approved the 2023 Bond Elementary School #4 Commissioning Agent Agreement with McKinstry

- Approved the 2023 Bond Elementary School #4 Construction Material Testing Agreement with Raba Kistner

The Jarrell Independent School District Board of Trustees has appointed Jennifer Gadison as the new Place 3 Trustee. She replaces Bruce Epstein, who resigned in January.

Mrs. Gadison was sworn in at the April 17th Board of Trustees Regular Meeting. She took the Oath of Office with her husband, Gary Gadison, and her son, Jordan, by her side. "This is such an honor. My kids have graduated from Jarrell High School. I have one son who is still attending. I have a servant's heart and believe joining the Board of Trustees is my opportunity to make a difference. Now more than ever, we need to support our public schools," Mrs. Gadison said.

Place 3 represents parts of Sonterra along the east side of I-35, near Jarrell Elementary School. Mrs. Gadison and her husband, Gary, have been married for twenty-four years. They have four children. Three have graduated from Jarrell High School, and one is currently a junior.

"We're thrilled to welcome Jennifer Gadison to the Board of Trustees. She's an advocate for public education, and as our community grows, we know she will work hard to continue our goal of making Jarrell ISD a destination district," said Crystal Phalen, President of the Jarrell ISD Board of Trustees.

Jennifer Gadison will serve as the Place 3 Trustee until the November 2024 election, when she will have to run for the position formally.

Congratulations to our students who participated in the Special Olympics. Students competed in relay races, softball throw, running long jump, and more athletic events.🏅🏆

Gracie Lopez is joining Jarrell ISD as the district's new Director of Finance. Ms. Lopez most recently worked at Austin ISD.

"Gracie comes to us with an excellent background in school finance. As the district continues to grow, having her on our team will assist us to ensure we continue our strong record of financial accountability to our taxpayers," said Chief Financial Officer Robert Navarro.

While at Austin ISD, Gracie Lopez most recently was the district's Grant Accountant Lead. Before that, she was the district's Accountant, Budget Coordinator, ESSER Budget Coordinator, Business Manager, and Grant Accountant Lead. Her experience and unique skill set will ensure the district maintains its Superior Rating from the School Financial Integrity Rating System of Texas (FIRST).

"Fiscal responsibility is crucial to the school district's success. I'm delighted to work with the Business and Finance team to continue managing the district's finances. It’s an honor to be trusted with that responsibility," said Gracie Lopez.

Gracie Lopez earned her Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) from Texas State University and her MBA from Concordia University. She joins the Cougar Family this month.

📢Cougars📢
The JHS yearbook purchase deadline is April 23rd *not* April 30th. Click on the link to order your copy. https://www.treering.com/purchase?PassCode=1016916208542855

Passcode: 1016916208542855

We invite you to participate in the JISD Youth Career Expo and Fair. It's an incredible opportunity for local companies to visit our high school juniors and seniors to discuss job opportunities and more. Click on the link for more information and to fill out the sign-up form. https://shorturl.at/qvR24

The enrollment window for new students in grades PreK - 12th is open. Visit www.jarrellisd.org/enrollment to start the process. Appointments to meet the campus registrar are not required but are strongly recommended.

For the summer of 2024, Jarrell ISD is partnering with the YMCA to offer Adventure Academy Summer Camp at Jarrell Elementary School.

Additional Camp Opportunities

• Raise the Bar Fit Kids Camp
• Summer Adventures at the Jarrell Community Library & Resource Center
• Cooking, Sports, Dance, and additional camp opportunities
• Jarrell ISD Theatre Camp: June 3rd - 8th from 1:00 - 8:00 pm. The cost is $40.00. Email Tara Granberry for more information.

Jarrell ISD Basketball Camp - More Details to Follow

There's a week-long Game Design Camp at the Jarrell Community Library and Resource Center. The fliers below have more information and links to sign up for the camp. If you have questions, call 512-541-1036

Jarrell ISD now has a mobile app. The app is a centralized platform for students, parents, teachers, and the community to stay connected and informed with real-time announcements and important notifications. The app is available to download in the Apple App Store and Google Play. Search "Jarrell ISD" to download the app and join the digital hub of your child's campus and district information.

Each one of our campuses has a PTO. Joining the PTO is an excellent way to participate in what's happening on your child's campus. The PTO supports teachers, hosts campus events, and many more activities that make a difference.

Use the link the learn more about the PTO.

Did you know missing 2 days a month means a student misses 10% of the school year? Being in school every day is critical to a student's success. To learn more about why attendance matters, watch the videos below.

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

Got celebrations to share? Send them to Nicholas.Spinetto@jarrellisd.org.

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 3,700 students. Enrollment is projected to double in the next 10 years.

Email: communications@jarrellisd.org
Website: www.jarrellisd.org
Location: 108 East Avenue F, Jarrell, TX, USA
Phone: 512-746-2124
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JarrellIndependentSchoolDistrict
Instagram: @Jarrell_ISD

Twitter: @Jarrell_ISD