Mission Staycation Day - August 2012

Breakfast at Diaz Diner

Having a breakfast taco before taking on the day.

Mission CISD 2012 Season Football Ticket Information

Document Attached

How many Whataburgers does Mission, Texas Have

Whataburger is undoubtedly a fixture of the Mission, Texas community. Sitting here having a breakfast on a bun, I find myself wondering how many Whataburgers there are in town.

The answer depends on what you consider to be Mission. In the official city limits, there is this one here on Griffin Parkway and Conway, the one on Business 83 and Mayberry,  and the one on Expressway 83 by the Tinseltown.

If you include Palmhurst as a part of Mission, then there is a Whataburger on 3 Mile and Conway. Palmview also has at last one.

I think we have all wound up at Whataburger late at night, at some point. Great place to hang out to chat. I say this on a Saturday morning as I am surrounded by many boisterous retirees having breakfast.

Mission CISD Board Highlights for the meeting of June 7

Greetings,

Here is your link to the Mission CISD Board Highlights audio podcast for the meetings of June 7, 2011.
http://www.mcisd.net/mcisddev/docmgr/docs/departments/publicrelations/boardhighlights/podcast_versions/June_7_2011.mp3

Here is your link to the pdf version of this Board Highlights
http://www.mcisd.net/mcisddev/docmgr/docs/departments/publicrelations/boardhighlights/pdf_versions/June_7_2011.pdf

Here is your link to the Board Highlights archive page Board Highlights
http://www.mcisd.net/Departments/PublicRelations/BoardHighlights.aspx

From here you can select a folder to view your pdf options or a folder for podcast options.

Craig Verley

Director of Public Relations and Marketing

Mission CISD

1201 Bryce Drive

Mission, TX 78572

956-323-5530

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Mission, Texas should start developing mobile marketing

Image via WikipediaA small city the size of Mission, Texas, while the 4th largest in the Rio Grande Valley, can benefit greatly from an organized mobile marketing campaign. I've been giving the whole idea a lot of thought recently.

What is most exciting is the recent addition of Android phones to the prepaid markets via Boost, Virgin Mobile, Cricket, and others. Even non-Android smartphones benefit from such a campaign. But, what we can expect to see is a larger user base of people who use their phones to get information prior to purchasing.

The smartphone used to be exclusively for tech heads and the affluent; however, with the introduction of these products into affordable rate plans and forms, you will see a democratization of these technologies.

I want to help Mission become the top tech city in the Rio Grande Valley.

Related articles

• "Android To World: Over 1 In 3 Smartphones Now Belong To Us" and related posts (901am.com)
• Virgin Mobile brings out $20, 500MB prepaid data plan (electronista.com)

Expanding Web: Mission Chamber of Commerce connects with surge of new members The Monitor

Danny's Mexican Restaurant: where the locals eat

One of the first things you ask when you visit a small town is where all the locals eat. You can eat fast food anywhere, but you're only in town for a limited time.

Danny's Mexican Restaurant is one of those places where the locals eat. This is not one of those places on the Food Network with exotic dishes. This is where you find food you would eat at home, if you were Mexican like me.

One of my favorite features about this Danny's is their good selection of traditional Mexican music; it compliments the meal nicely.

You can expect a good crowd on Sundays when everybody brings their family after church.
Check it out when you're in town.

La Lomita Park

Find more photos like this on RGV Life

Mission High School Alumni Site Redone

Hi, everybody. I've taken steps to move the Mission High School reunion site to a community site. A few years back, I had created a similar site on my own host. It got hacked at one point and I never got around to rebuilding it. Instead, I moved the community into Yahoo groups. This splintered the community until it finally just died out.

If you are looking for Mission High School alumni for your reunion, I urge you to join http://missioneagles.ning.com and start interacting with others from your home town in Mission, Tx. We can rebuild the community. Soon, I'll move the domain name http://www.missionhsreunion.com to the new site, but missioneagles.ning.com seems simple enough to me.

See you all at Mission Eagles!

View my profile on Mission Eagles

Video of No Border Wall Rally at La Lomita

This is a video of various groups gathering at La Lomita to protest the construction of a border wall on the Texas-Mexico border.

No Border Wall Event at La Lomita

There will be a No Border Wall event tomorrow at La Lomita. There will be a rally, but it won't be a pure political event. Families are encouraged to attend. The Riverside Club will be providing pontoon boat rides. It should be a fun and educational experience for all who attend.

Steve Taylor has more details at the Rio Grande Guardian.

Looking for Mission High School Alumni

I have created a new, FREE website for Mission High School Alumni. It is called Mission Eagles and is hosted on Ning. You can visit http://missioneagles.ning.com to join.


Visit Mission Eagles

Construction at Mission Jr High School

Mission Junior High School
Originally uploaded by shainelee

Yesterday, I went for a walk around Mission to see what is going on. While passing by the Mission Jr. High School, I saw that there is a lot of construction going on. As you can see here, all the concrete walkway has been removed. The same has happened to the parking lot on the South side of the campus. Due to all the construction, there are large portions of the fence that are missing, so access to the campus is unimpeded.

RGV Life Weekend Chat

I'll be doing a live show, RGV Life - Weekend Chat, on BlogTalkRadio today, July 28, at 5 PM. You are welcome to call in and chit chat. I'll try to throw together some talking points. English or Spanish is welcome. Give me a call at 646-716-8227 when the show starts so that you can be on the air with me.

Follow the link below so you can bookmark.

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/hostpage.aspx?show_id=41720

Invitation to New Media types in the Rio Grande Valley

If you are into producing video, audio, or other New Media content for the web and live in the Rio Grande Valley, you are welcome to join the RGV New Media community at Ning. Simply go to rgvnewmedia.ning.com and sign up. The benefit of joining us on Ning is that the site is open and accessible to people outside of Ning. So, if somebody is thinking about maybe joining but isn't too sure, they can at least read our discussions and posts to determine if joining such august company is worthwhile.

Another advantage is that Ning provides RSS feeds for the forums and blogs. This allows you to keep up with the latest within the group without having to visit the site. You can simply check your RSS reader for updates.

Ning also provides options for uploading media like videos, photos, and widgets. You never know what's going to be cool through the course of the group's history.

The absolute most important reason to join is that you will get to meet and interact with other people in the Rio Grande Valley who are into New Media. The greatest value you will get out of this are the relationships you can forge. We look forward to meeting you.

Shaine

Ice Cream the Old Fashioned Way

Mission, Texas has a local ice-cream sales shop that outfits employees with a cooler and ice-cream to sell around town. When you drive around town, you will frequently see these young men making the rounds through neighborhoods selling cool treats to the public.

The World Birding Center

The Texas Country Reporter has a segment on the World Birding Center in the Rio Grande Valley. One of the centers is located in Mission, Texas. It is one of the main attractions in the Rio Grande Valley. Bird watchers from all over come to enjoy the birds that pass by here during their annual migrations. Here is the video.

mountain biking at mission trail

Here is video of some local bike riders who frequent the Mission Bike Trail. You'll witness a few falls, but that's to be expected from mountain biking. The point is, they had a good time.

The hike and bike trail started off as the Mission Nature Park, which it still is officially. There were trails made by illegal aliens that bike riders used to frequent. After the bike riders expressed a desire for the City of Mission to develop the trails, the city paved about 5 miles from the Nature Park to Bentsen Park. It was a great job. Unfortunately, many of the existing dirt trails were torn up in the process.

Over time, and with some work, bike riders have made new trails and found new places to practice their mountain biking within the park. Enjoy the video.

La Lomita: South Texas Haunting

Here is a video by Las Milpas Productions about the St. Peter's Novitiate in Mission, Texas. There is sparse information online about the novitiate built by the Oblate priests. We do know that they settled in the La Lomita area around 1877 as a stop between Brownsville and Rio Grande City. For a while, the novitiate was used as a mental health center. There are still priests alive who attended the novitiate when it was still in operation by the Oblates.

The second half is at La Lomita Chapel, not far from the Novitiate, which was the first structure built by the priests. The Chapel is small and open to the public. It stands very close to the Rio Grande river. The chapel is where our city gets its name. Originally, the founders wanted to name it La Lomita, Texas; but, there was already a Lomita, Texas and the U.S. Post office would not take the name. They then settled on naming the town Mission.

As with any old structures, there are always rumors of hauntings. The crew of Las Milpas Production investigates.

Skateboarding in Mission, Texas

I recently came across this video of a group of skaters performing their skills in Mission, Tx. One of the skaters gets hurt on a stunt where he is sliding down a light post, but that's part of the sport. Enjoy.

Heavy Rains in Mission

Flooded Movie Parking Lot
Originally uploaded by shainelee

Mission has had heavy rains this week, with more expected. Today's news tells us that we are still under a threat of flash floods. City officials were giving out sandbags to residents just in case any more heavy rains grace us.

A quick drive by the Sharyland Golf Course shows that it is mostly water hazard at this time. There are a few fallen branches here and there, but not as bad as when there have been violent storms.

Crews are busy pumping water out of low-lying areas and into drainage ditches and street gutters to help dry the flooding sooner. Most of the flooding in Mission is due to slow drainage. Yesterday, for instance, Conway Ave. was flooded and effectively closed to through traffic. Given time, the water flows into the county's drainage system.

Generally, city workers and county workers are quick to respond to get standing water moving. This is both good for convenience of residents and good for combatting the spread of mosquitoes.

Cheap Gas in Mission

Cheap Gas in Mission
Originally uploaded by shainelee

While other stores have raised prices to $2.79, Aziz and HEB on FM 495 (Griffin Parkway) in Mission have remained at $2.64, today.

Flooded Street

Flooded Street
Originally uploaded by shainelee

We had some heavy rains here in Mission, Texas for a short period yesterday. It was enough to flood our street. It drained in a few hours. This is why hurricanes and heavy rains upstream on the Rio Grande are a concern around here. This is why it was so important for Congress to appropriate money to strengthen the levee system that protects. us.

The Snow Hut

The Snow Hut
Originally uploaded by shainelee

We stopped for snow cones and a marranada at the Snow Hut in Mission yesterday. The snow cones are self-explanatory. A marranada is corn, a form of powdered chile, lemon, white cheese (Mexican), and Fritos.

Drive Down Conway

Here is a video of driving down Conway Avenue through the middle of Mission, Texas. We start from Palmhurst and finish in the community of Madero, a small community South of Mission. Madero is less than 1 mile away from the Mexican border. Unlike Palmhurst, Madero is a part of Mission.

Play Windows Media version

Video About Mission

I've been experimenting with video lately. I think I'll be posting video about Mission soon as I live here. Don't expect high production quality yet as I'm still in the learning curve. Keep visiting for the latest.

Starting a Podcaster or Blogger Meetup Group in the RGV

An Idea

I am doing some preliminary planning to start a Podcaster and/or Blogger Meetup group in the Rio Grande Valley. I know that there is interest in some kind of Internet or technology group in the area. Thus far, nobody has moved to organize a group. I have really enjoyed the friendship and information sharing that I experienced briefly with the San Antonio Podcasters. I would like to bring that to the Rio Grande Valley.

Precautions

Instinctually, I am against putting money into a meetup group without first knowing if people will show up. However, it's a Catch 22. If I don't pay up, how will others know? So, before I do that, I need to contact potential members and ask them about their level of interest in such a group. As in business, you should find the customers before you commit resources. That is not to say that the group would be a money-making venture. Simply, I should know how popular the idea is before spending my hard-earned money.

Benefits of an RGV Meetup

One thing I have asked myself is, why would I undertake such a project? Why would anybody care? Well, there are some obvious benefits that I have seen with my friends in San Antonio.

• Friendship and Community. It is always great to know people who share your interests. If you play a sport, it's fun to hang out with other players. If you collect stamps, it's good to hang out with other stamp collectors. Similarly, if you are a blogger or podcaster, it makes sense to hang out with other bloggers and podcasters. That's what I want, to hang out with other bloggers and podcasters locally.


• Recognition. As an individual podcaster, you have to work pretty damn hard to get recognition from the online community or even locally. As a part of a Rio Grande Valley Podcaster/Blogger Group, it sounds really official and professional. You get some frakin' respect.


• Knowledge and skill trading. This is perhaps the best benefit of all. Members of a Podcasting or Blogging group can trade knowledge and teach each other skills to help each other improve.


• Networking. You never know if one of the other Podcasters/Bloggers in the group might be a great connection for you in the job market. You're in the group because you have skills or want to get skills. Who better than a fellow podcaster or blogger to recognize your skills and recommend you for a project of job?


• Link trading. This is vital to get your podcast or blog off the ground. You are more likely to link to people you know than somebody you don't. As a group, you can easily spread link love to give each others sites more exposure.

I am sure that there are more compelling reasons to organize a group; but this is all I could think of at this time.

Looking Ahead

I am slighlty apprehensive at the undertaking because I don't know how it will turn out. I have a rough idea, but no detailed plan. All I can do is what Jack Welch said about strategy, "pick a general direction and implement like hell."

Coming Back

I've been busy with work and other projects. I will be coming back to keep MissionTexas.net alive. In the meantime, you can find me over at Shaine: Life Without a Manual.

IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT

Tonight, I was archiving Rep. Peña's website at A Capitol Blog. Blogger used to let you do this without losing you subdomain. However, while the blog was offline, it got taken over by a spam site and I am unable to get it back. The blog is still viewable at http://www.aaronpena.com/acapitolblog if you want to see his latest posts.

I'm working on getting back his subdomain. If you could, temporarily, disable the link because there is a porn ereaser website that pops up. Obviously, it's not something Mr. P wants associated with his name.

Board Highlights for November 13

 

Greetings,

 

Sorry this was delayed getting out to you...

 

Here is your link to the Board Highlights Podcast for their meeting of November 13

http://www.mcisd.net/ComRel/mp3/brdhilits/111306hilits.mp3

 

Here is your link to the traditional pdf version of Board Highlights

http://www.mcisd.net/ComRel/brdhilits/111306hilits.pdf

 

Here is your link to the Board Highlights archive page

Mission CISD Board Highlights

 

Board Highlights pdf is best viewed with Adobe Acrobat Reader version 5.0 or higher.  It is a free download from www.adobe.com.  If you would like more information on Mission CISD Podcasts and how to subscribe to the RSS feeds of the Podcasts, use the following link

MCISD Public Relations Podcasts

 

 

Craig Verley

Director of Public Relations and Marketing

Mission CISD

1201 Bryce Drive

Mission, TX 78572

cverley@mcisd.org

www.mcisd.net

956-323-5530

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Board Highlights for meeting of October 31

Greetings,

 

Here is your link to the Board Highlights podcast for October 31, 2006

http://www.mcisd.net/ComRel/mp3/brdhilits/103106hilits.mp3

 

Here is your link to the traditional Board Highlights pdf

http://www.mcisd.net/ComRel/brdhilits/103106hilits.pdf

 

Here is your link to the Board Highlights archive page

Mission CISD Board Highlights

 

If you would like more information about podcasts available from the Mission CISD Public Relations Department, use the following link

MCISD Public Relations Podcasts

 

 

Craig Verley

Director of Public Relations and Marketing

Mission CISD

1201 Bryce Drive

Mission, TX 78572

cverley@mcisd.org

www.mcisd.net

956-323-5530

Staff Inservice Day is October 9

Mission CISD students have a long weekend coming soon. Students get to stay home on Monday, October 9. District staff, however, will still report to work. Normal school hours resume for students the following day, Tuesday, October 10.

VMHS choir students advance

The choir directors at Veterans Memorial High School (VMHS) say they are seeing their strongest year yet, since the school officially became a high school a few years ago. They have nine students that have advanced out of recent district competition with seven of those students advancing out of regional competition. Those seven have qualified for the pre-area Texas Music Educators Association audition to be held in November. That is the most ever for the school.

The district and regional competitions were hosted by VMHS this past weekend. Over 200 students from several school districts participated.

Advancing to the pre-area auditions are: Elisa Rangel, Lauren Garcia, Sara Martinez, Krystal Cavazos, Juventino Hurtado, Hiram Chavez, Salomon Lopez. Danny Lopez and Jacob Gaitan advanced out of district to the regional audition.

The VMHS choir will hold their first concert of the school year on October 15 at the First Presbyterian Church in Mission at 7:30 p.m. It will be a joint concert with the Mission Junior High School choir.

Pictured on the front row from left to right are: Elisa Rangel, Lauren Garcia, Sara Martinez, Krystal Cavazos. On the second row from left to right are: Danny Lopez, Juventino Hurtado, Hiram Chavez, Salomon Lopez, Jacob Gaitan. On the back row from left to right are: Pat Masso, principal; Linda Holkup, Mission Junior High choir director; Leticia Rodriguez, VMHS choir director; Vanessa Villarreal, Mission Junior High student teacher; Stacy Gonzalez, VMHS assistant director.

Mission CISD Schools are NOT releasing early

Greetings,

 

Some of our campuses are calling in saying parents are calling them, indicating they heard on the news and/or radio that Mission schools are releasing students early today.  This is not true.  At this time all Mission CISD schools are observing a normal school day schedule.  For those of you with radio stations in the building, I would appreciate it if you could check with them to make sure they are not sending out wrong information.  I am hoping this is just a case of parents hearing something incorrectly. :)  Your help is appreciated.

 

Craig Verley

Director of Public Relations and Marketing

Mission CISD

1201 Bryce Drive

Mission, TX 78572

cverley@mcisd.org

www.mcisd.net

956-323-5530

 

Mission High School Class Of 1987 Reunion Homepage

Here's the link to the updated homepage.....you've probably already got
all this info but..... better safe than sorry :)

http://hometown.aol.com/mhsclassof1987/20threunion.html

Please remember to RSVP and get your money in as soon as possible!

Mindy

Mission CISD Board Highlights for September 11

I got the following from Craig Verley. Please read for more info about the MCISD School Board.

Greetings,

 

Here is your link to the Board Highlights podcast for the trustees meeting of September 11

http://www.mcisd.net/ComRel/mp3/brdhilits/091106hilits.mp3

 

Here is your link to the pdf version of Board Highlights

http://www.mcisd.net/ComRel/brdhilits/091106hilits.pdf

 

Here is your link to the Board Highlights archive page

Mission CISD Board Highlights

 

The pdf version of Board Highlights is best viewed with Adobe Acrobat Reader version 5.0 or higher.  It is a free download from www.adobe.com.  For more information on any of the district podcasts, click this link MCISD Public Relations Podcasts.

 

 

Craig Verley

Director of Public Relations and Marketing

Mission CISD

1201 Bryce Drive

Mission, TX 78572

cverley@mcisd.org

www.mcisd.net

956-323-5530

 

CORNYN ANNOUNCES $1.25 MILLION FEDERAL GRANT FOR VALLEY

McAllen and Mission Receive Funding to Help Boost Economic Development, Develop Water Infrastructure in Valley 

WASHINGTON—The Cities of McAllen and Mission will receive a federal grant of $1,250,000 to develop water infrastructure for border station facilities at the proposed Anzalduas International Crossing, U.S. Sen. John Cornyn announced on Tuesday. The funding, provided through the Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration (EDA), is expected to generate dozens of jobs in the area and provide a strong boost for local economic growth.

“This funding is good news for the future of economic development in the Valley,” said Cornyn, a member of the Senate Small Business Committee. “The investment will give a boost to the local economy by creating new jobs, and I applaud the local leaders who worked to secure this funding.”

The EDA will invest the grant funding towards the area’s water infrastructure construction, including the proposed border station facility. This project is expected to expand commerce and industry in the lower Rio Grande Valley by adding new jobs and generating private investment. The grant comes through EDA’s Public Works Program.  

The Public Works Program is a program administered by the U.S. Economic Development Administration, a part of the Department of Commerce. The EDA was established to work with states and localities to generate new jobs, retain existing jobs, and stimulate industrial and commercial growth in economically distressed areas and regions of the United States.

Sen. Cornyn is a member of the following key Senate Committees: Armed Services; Judiciary; Budget, Small Business and Entrepreneurship; and Joint Economic. Cornyn was previously Texas Attorney General, Texas Supreme Court Justice and Bexar County District Judge.

 

Deadlines for Mission High School Class of 1987

Hi All!

Some of you may receive this in triplicate - I apologize in
advance :) I am posting here, Classmates, and emailing direct.

Tentative schedule for the 20th Reunion (I freak every time I type
that...) The only thing set in stone so far are the dates - We are
95% certain that this is the way things will run for the weekend.

Friday Night - October 6th
Homecoming Football game and hangin' out afterwards at Pepe's,
Hotties, or SOMEWHERE..... Can't imagine the football tickets will
be more than 10 bucks.... Steve is in charge of this and we will have
more info soon.

Saturday Night - October 7th
7 - 9 PM BBQ at The Zone
9 - ? Fun and games and catching up at The Zone
(BRING THE KIDS!)

Will let you know more on cost a little later but we are trying to
work it so things will be 20 bucks per adult (trying to keep kids
free but we need to put the pencil to things) This money will cover
food, sodas, and a VERY small charge for The Zone. This night is
going to be a BLAST!!!

DEADLINES - Just One :)

SEPTEMBER 22nd - Please let me know your plans ASAP if you can - the
earlier the better! I just need to know what you plan on attending
and how many you'll bring.

If anyone has any questions at all, don't hesitate to email or post!

Min

AYP ratings released for Mission CISD

The Texas Education Agency (TEA) has released data that includes preliminary ratings that are part of the federal No Child Left Behind laws. According to the TEA’s preliminary data, most Mission CISD (Consolidated Independent School District) campuses met Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) guidelines. Final ratings will not be released by the TEA until December.

The AYP ratings, as they are commonly referred to, are similar to the state’s accountability system in many respects. However, the AYP rating system requires that levels of performance be met by more sub-groups of students than the state system. This can actually result in schools and districts performing well in the state accountability system, but still receiving a status of "Missed AYP" in a particular area, whether it is in the area of performance or participation.

According to the preliminary AYP results, all but two Mission CISD campuses met AYP in all areas. Mission Junior High School missed AYP for Reading performance. K. White Junior High School missed AYP for Math performance. As a district, Mission CISD missed AYP in Reading performance.

"In each case it looks like it was just a small percentage of students in a subgroup that we need to address," said Oscar Rodriguez, superintendent. "The rules used in determining the AYP status are very complex and in some cases unclear. Consequently, we are studying the data provided by the state very carefully. Based upon what we know so far, we plan to file an appeal."

Districts have until September 20 to file an appeal of the preliminary AYP status with the TEA.

"Overall, our schools and students continue to make gains in all their academics," Rodriguez said. "We just need to tweak a few things. I commend the hard work going on by our students and staff. I am convinced that with everyone working together, we will continue the positive momentum that is building in our schools."

MCISD General Assembly

Hi folks,

Just an FYI.  The district will be holding its general in-service this Thursday morning beginning at 8:30a.m. at the Mission High School Neuhaus Gym.  During the first part of the program we will be honoring our teachers of the year, honoring our exemplary and recognized campuses and honoring our 8 campuses that qualified for the Governor’s Educator Excellence Award.  You are more than welcome to join the 1400 or so staff members that will be present. 

Craig Verley

Director of Public Relations and Marketing

Mission CISD

1201 Bryce Drive

Mission, TX 78572

cverley@mcisd.org

www.mcisd.net

956-323-5530

First day of school brings a change for Mission CISD elementary students

In a break from tradition, the first day of school for Mission CISD (Consolidated Independent School District) elementary students will be a regular/full-day of school. The first day of school for Mission CISD students will be Monday, August 21. For many years, the first day for district elementary students was a half-day, with junior high and high school students, attending a full-day.

 

“We are looking at every aspect of our operations to make sure we are maximizing classroom instructional time,” explained Oscar Rodriguez, superintendent. “This year, we have moved elementary registration activities to dates before the first day of school to allow teachers to get into their instructional routine quicker.” Rodriguez added that since the district is changing a long standing tradition, there will likely be some confusion this first year. “Everything we have sent out regarding registration and the first day of school has included the change in schedule, but there are always some who just miss the message or will forget and fall back on the old practice.”

 

District officials say they will address any problem areas that crop up this year as plans are made for the beginning of the 07-08 school year.

$57 bond issue program passes important hurdle

The projects involved in Mission CISD’s (Consolidated Independent School District) $57 million bond issue program jumped a major hurdle today. The Texas Education Agency (TEA) has notified the district that its application for Instructional Facilities Allotment (IFA) assistance will be funded. Through this program, the state helps school districts with lower property valuations pay for construction of instructional facilities.

 

“We had early indications that we would be funded,” explained Oscar Rodriguez, Jr., superintendent. “However, until you get the official notification, you just never know. Consequently, we proceeded with our plans with some caution. Now we can move forward with selling our bonds and construction planning.”

 

Rodriguez also indicated the formal approval from TEA was needed in order to make final adjustments to the district budget and proposed tax rate for the coming school year.
Under the state IFA program, the state will pay 77% of the $57 million with Mission CISD taxpayers responsible for the other 23%. District taxpayers overwhelmingly approved the bond issue and increases in property taxes this past May.

 

Mission CISD plans to increase property taxes two cents this coming year, two more cents the second year and then possibly three cents the year after that for a potential total tax increase over three years of seven cents. District officials are hoping all seven cents won’t be required.

 

District officials say they plan to sell the bonds later this month and actually receive the money from the sale in September. The funds will then be invested until needed to pay for the upcoming construction projects. Interest earned from the bond money will allow Mission CISD to address additional facility needs in addition to what was a part of the official bond proposal.

 

The bond program approved by voters included: construction of a new elementary school; construction of a new middle school; construction of a performing arts facility for each of the district’s two high schools; renovations/additions to Mission High School, Cantu Elementary, Leal Elementary, Mims Elementary, O’Grady Elementary; and air conditioning system renovations for Waitz Elementary and K. White Jr. High.

 

Architects/engineers have already been selected for the projects. The district is now in the process of finalizing contracts with those firms so that project designing can begin as soon as possible.

Mission CISD campus ratings show improvement

The Texas Education Agency (TEA) has released its ratings for schools and school districts under the state accountability system. According to the TEA, Mission CISD (Consolidated Independent School District) has two campuses that have earned the highest rating of “exemplary” for the first time under the current accountability system. Seven campuses have earned a rating of “recognized” with nine earning an “academically acceptable” rating.
Mission CISD Superintendent Oscar Rodriguez, Jr. said he was very pleased with the progress being made. “The TEA continues to raise the bar in many areas, including TAKS passing rates,” Rodriguez said. “So for us to have campuses now earning an exemplary rating is quite an accomplishment. We are prepared to continue improvements throughout the district to make sure we build on the momentum being created.”

 

The campuses earning an “exemplary” rating are Cavazos Elementary and Mims Elementary Schools. District officials are hoping to add one more to this list when the TEA makes their final ratings announcement in October. “We think certain aspects of data used for the “recognized” rating given to Midkiff Elementary School need to be addressed by the TEA,” said Rodriguez. “We are preparing an appeal of their rating with the hopes that it will be raised to “exemplary”.”

 

Not only did ratings improve at Cavazos and Mims Elementary Schools, but so did the rating for Cantu Elementary School which earned a “recognized” rating this year.

 

Mission CISD campuses earning a “recognized” rating are: Alton Elementary, Bryan Elementary, Cantu Elementary, Leal Elementary, Midkiff Elementary, Salinas Elementary, Waitz Elementary. The campuses earning an “academically acceptable” rating are: Castro Elementary, Marcell Elementary, O’Grady Elementary, Pearson Elementary, Alton Memorial Junior High School, K. White Junior High School, Mission Junior High School, Mission High School, Veterans Memorial High School.

 

The current state accountability system is based on the TAKS (Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills) and includes the high school completion rate and the 7-8 grade annual dropout rate. For each major area, the state not only looks at figures for the student population as a whole, but also looks at the following sub-groups: Hispanic, African-American, White, Economically Disadvantaged. Test score subjects included in the ratings system are Reading, Writing, Math, Science and Social Studies.

 

Mission CISD received a rating of “academically acceptable.”
To be considered “exemplary” a district/campus needs: TAKS passing rates of at least 90% in all subjects tested and for the all-student group and subgroups, SDAA (State Developed Alternative Assessment) passing rate of at least 90%, high school completion rate of at least 95%, 7-8 grade dropout rate of 0.2% or better.

 

To be considered “recognized,” a district/campus needs: TAKS passing rates of at least 70% in all subjects tested and for the all-student group and subgroups, SDAA passing rate of at least 70%, high school completion rate of at least 85%, 7-8 grade dropout rate of 0.7% or better. A district can also meet the criteria for a recognized rating by meeting a level of “required improvement” for the base indicators.

 

To be considered “acceptable,” a district/campus needs: TAKS passing rates of at least 60% in Reading/English Language Arts, Writing and Social Studies; TAKS passing rates of at least 40% on math; TAKS passing rates of at least 35% on science; SDAA passing rates of at least 50%; high school completion rate of at least 75%; and a 7-8 grade dropout rate of 1% or better. A district can also meet the criteria for an “acceptable” rating by meeting a level of “required improvement” for the base indicators.

Mission CISD earns state's highest fiscal accountability rating

Mission CISD (Consolidated Independent School District) officials have
received preliminary word that the district has qualified to receive a
rating of "Superior Achievement" under Texas' School FIRST financial
accountability rating system. Final ratings will be issued to school
districts in mid-August.

The superior achievement rating is the state's highest, demonstrating
the quality of Mission CISD's financial management and reporting
system. This will be the fourth year in a row the district has
received the highest rating since they were first started.

The School FIRST (Financial Integrity Rating System of Texas) was
developed by the Texas Education Agency (TEA) in response to Senate
Bill 218 of the 77thTexas Legislature in 2001. The primary goal of
Schools FIRST is to achieve quality performance in the management of
school districts' financial resources, a goal made more significant
due to the complexity of accounting associated with Texas' school
finance system.

"We are very pleased with Mission CISD's School FIRST rating," said
Mission CISDSuperintendent Oscar Rodriguez, Jr., "as it shows that our
district is continuing to make the most of our taxpayer dollars. The
superior achievement rating shows that Mission CISD is accountable not
only for student learning, but also for achieving these results using
cost-effective and efficient practices.

The School FIRST accountability rating system assigns one of four
financial accountability ratings to Texas school district, with the
highest being "Superior Achievement," followed by "Above-Standard
Achievement," "Standard Achievement" and "Substandard Achievement."
Districts with serious data quality problems may receive the
additional rating of "Suspended Data Quality."

To arrive at the School FIRST ratings, the TEA looks at 21 different
indicators, including: cost ratios, student to teacher ratios, fund
balance information, operating expenditures, tax collections, and
annual financial reports. The 2006 rating is based upon an analysis of
staff and student data reported for the 2004-2005 school year and the
budgetary and actual financial data for the 2005 fiscal year.

The TEA has proposed additional refinements to the School FIRST
process effecting ratings beginning in 2008. TEA indicates these
adjustments include the addition of several new indicators and
"raising the bar" for several other indicators. As required by the
TEA, district officials will hold a public hearing and make a
financial management report available for parents and taxpayers after
the final ratings notification has been received from TEA officials.

Changes made to district immunization clinic schedule

Unforeseen circumstances have resulted in a few changes to a schedule for immunization clinics in the district. Mission CISD traditionally arranges to host these clinics to help parents as they prepare to register their children for school.

All children must have all the necessary protection against the following diseases before the child can attend school: diphtheria, polio, measles, rubella, mumps, Hib, Hepatitis B, Hepatitis A, and varicella. All are required before entering pre-k and returning students must complete any immunizations that are due or pending before registration. The student’s immunization records must be available at the time of registration to avoid any delays in admitting their children.

The updated schedule for immunization clinics hosted by Mission CISD is listed below:

August 1, 8:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m., Alton Elementary

August 1, 8:30 a.m.-3:00 p.m., Castro Elementary

August 2, 8:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m., Waitz Elementary

August 2, 8:30 a.m.-3:00 p.m., Marcell Elementary

August 8, 8:00 a.m.-3:30 p.m., Veterans Memorial High School

August 9, 8:00 a.m.-3:30 p.m., Veterans Memorial High School

August 9, 8:30 a.m.-3:00 p.m., Mission High School

August 10, 8:00 a.m.-3:30 p.m., Veterans Memorial High School

August 10, 9:00 a.m.3:00 p.m., Mission High School

August 11, 8:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m., Veterans Memorial High School

August 21, 1:00 p.m.-4:00 p.m., Cantu Elementary

August 21, 8:30 a.m.-3:00 p.m., Waitz Elementary

August 22, 8:30 a.m.-12:00 p.m., Mission High School

August 22, 1:00 p.m-4:00 p.m., Salinas Elementary

August 23, 1:00 p.m.-4:00 p.m., Salinas Elementary

August 23, 8:30 a.m.-3:00 p.m., Mission High School

August 31, 1:00 p.m.-4:00 p.m., Veterans Memorial High School

Costs for immunizations will range from $5-10 per shot, depending upon the organization responsible for the immunizations given at each clinic.

Other sources for immunizations in the Mission CISD area include: Nuestra Clinica Del Valle Memorial Health Center in Alton, 519-1800; Nuestra Clinica Del Valle in Mission, 580-3303; Nuestra Clinica Del Valle in Alton, 581-7585; Hidalgo County Health Department in Mission, 585-2461; Southwest Lab in Pharr, 866-496-5227; Health Shots in McAllen, 668-8366; or your family physician or clinic.

Mission CISD Football Season Ticket Sales Announced

Mission High School and Veterans Memorial High School football season ticket holders may purchase their tickets for the 2006 season beginning on Monday, August 7 through Friday, August 18.

Mission High School will have five home games ($25.00) and Veterans Memorial High School will have six home games ($30.00).

Tickets may be purchased in the Mission CISD Athletics Office, located at the Mission High School Neuhaus Gym. Office hours are from 8:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.-4:00 p.m., Monday through Thursday, and 8:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m. on Fridays.

The general public will be able to purchase their tickets beginning on Monday, August 21.

For more information, contact the Mission CISD Athletics Office at 323-5745.

Reunion Meeting

I got the following message, but I'm not aware what graduating class it is.

 

Reunion Meeting

A class reunion meeting has been scheduled for Saturday, July 15, 2006 at 2 pm at Angelitos Day Care in Downtown Mission (1020 N. Conway Ave.). Please join us in planning this great event. Thanks.

Marla Munoz

Quick Reminder

Hi folks,

Just a quick reminder that tomorrow (Thursday 29th) will be our last
day in the office before our vacations start. After tomorrow, Central
Office will be pretty much shut down for two full weeks. We will
return to the office on Monday, July 17.

Craig Verley
Director of Public Relations and Marketing
Mission CISD
1201 Bryce Drive
Mission, TX 78572
cverley@mcisd.org
www.mcisd.net
956-323-5530

New curriculum coming this next school year

Mission CISD (Consolidated Independent School District) will begin to
phase in a new curriculum for almost every grade level this fall.
Students may not notice a difference, but administrators say teachers
should see an improvement in the manner in which they plan for and
deliver instruction.
The curriculum is being purchased from the Region One Education
Service Center and is for grades K-12. The curriculum is actually a
collaborative effort involving several regional service centers from
around the state and numerous experts in the field of curriculum
development.
"This is the first time we have found a truly comprehensive curriculum
for K-12 in the four core content areas that is so well aligned with
everything the state expects at each of the grade levels," said Oscar
Rodriguez, superintendent. "They were able to tap into a level of
expertise that we would never be able to afford on our own."
In the past, curriculum development was done piece by piece, using
district staff members during the summer. Administrators say the
complexities involved in aligning all the aspects involved in
curriculum writing had become more than staff members could accomplish
during the summer months.
"All the needed curriculum documents are aligned not only from grade
to grade, but also within the four content areas of Language Arts,
Math, Science and Social Studies," Rodriguez explained. "Assessments
will be better aligned with what is being taught during the school
year and many materials will be available to teachers online. One of
the things I also like about this is it does a better job of defining
what to teach, while still giving our teachers the creativity to
decide how to they want to teach the material."
Training on the new materials will begin this August and district
officials hope to have enough of the training completed for full
implementation of the curriculum by January.
A Spanish curriculum and additional subjects are currently being
developed and can be added by the district once they are complete.

Architects selected for $57 million bond issue projects

Only a month after voters in Mission CISD (Consolidated Independent School District) overwhelmingly approved a $57 million bond issue, the Board of Trustees took a major step toward beginning construction. During their meeting Monday, June 12, board members selected architects for the major projects.

"The Board of Trustees has made this a priority," said Oscar Rodriguez, Jr., superintendent. "They have committed themselves to moving the bond issue projects along as quickly and efficiently as possible in order to meet the needs of our students while making sure the district is spending taxpayer money as wisely as possible."

The firms MB-ARC, Inc. and EGV Architects, Inc. were approved for additions and renovations to Cantu Elementary, Leal Elementary, Mims Elementary and O’Grady Elementary. Mata Villarreal Garcia Design Group, LLP was approved for additions and renovations to Mission High School. Gomez Mendenz Saenz, Inc. was selected for the new middle school. ERO International, LLP was chosen to design a new elementary school and the new fine arts facilities for Mission High School and Veterans Memorial High School. The engineering firm of ACR Engineering, Inc. was selected for HVAC renovations planned for Waitz Elementary and K. White Jr. High. The selection of the firms was handled in separate motions made by board member J.D. Villarreal.

"We hope to have contracts negotiated with each of these firms as quickly as possible," said Rodriguez. "Once that is done, the next big steps will be to sell the bonds and get the projects designs done and approved. We really need to get the two new schools built as quickly as possible so we can provide room for the student growth we are expecting."

The district plans to sell the bonds in mid-August. Proceeds would then likely be available to the district in September.

Now is the time to think about back to school immunizations

For many students and parents, it may seem like school just let out. But it is not too early to make sure your child’s immunizations are up to date. Waiting until registration day or just before registration can result in longer lines at immunizations clinics, and doctor’s offices.

All children must have all the necessary protection against the following diseases before the child can attend school: diphtheria, polio, measles, rubella, mumps, Hib, Hepatitis B, Hepatitis A, and varicella. All are required before entering pre-k, with returning students needing to complete any immunizations that are due or pending are before registration. Please contact your family physician/clinic to make sure immunizations are up to date.

Texas Education Code requires each student to be fully immunized against disease as required by the Texas Board of Health. According to the education code, a student who is not fully immunized and has not begun the required immunizations may not attend school. A student may also be provisionally admitted if the student has proof that he/she has begun the required immunizations and continues to receive the necessary immunizations as rapidly as medically feasible.

Mission CISD strongly urges all parents to make sure immunizations are up to date prior to registration. The student’s immunizations records must be available at the time of registration to avoid any delays in admitting their children.

Change made to 2006-2007 school calendar

A small change has been made in the Mission CISD school calendar for
the 2006-2007 school year. An inservice day that had been scheduled
for February, 19, 2007 has been moved to February 26, 2007. The moving
of the inservice day was required due to last minute changes made in
state testing dates by the Texas Education Agency.

Anyone who received a copy of the 2006-2007 Mission CISD calendar
prior to June 12 likely has the incorrect calendar. The revised
calendar is available on the Mission CISDWebsite, www.mcisd.net. Once
there click on "district news." A link to the calendar is available
there.

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