Greetings Cadets!
We survived the threat of severe winter weather last week! The area superintendents had a great deal of communication with the National Weather Service for the north and central Texas area. Beginning last Tuesday, we were able to join webinar meetings three times a day to receive the most up-to-date information on how the wintery weather front was progressing. They also provided us with a dashboard to pinpoint the specifics of the front (temperature, wind chill, rain, snow, sleet, freezing rain, wind, etc.) and when it was expected in our specific districts. The information they can now afford school leaders considerably assisted when planning for school. As we all know, Texas weather can be unpredictable from one side of Waco to the other. The area superintendents appreciated the information and dashboard the National Weather Service provided during the weather event. I also want to thank all of you for your patience and for sending your students to school in the cold, wet weather we experienced.
Our campuses will conduct mid-year assessments using the Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) assessment. This provides information on each child's growth from the beginning to the middle of the school year. The results are a measure to ensure students are making progress and on track to achieve a full year of academic growth in reading and math. The individual student information will help determine who needs to attend intervention Fridays beginning in February.
Our campuses have been busy over the past few months preparing for academic UIL competitions. Our high school students have participated in invitational meets to hone their academic skills. Connally High School has also hosted two invitational meets this school year. One of the meets we hosted was this past Saturday. We had around 25 schools from all around Texas and 600 entries for various academic competitions on Saturday! We did have a few last-minute cancellations due to the road conditions in the area where they were from. The day was a tremendous success because the students, parents, and staff volunteered to assist with the competition on their day off. The students love seeing the familiar faces of their primary, elementary, and junior high teachers who helped with the invitational meet! The district academic UIL meets are as follows
Grades 2-5 compete on Friday, February 21, 2025 @ China Spring Elementary
Grades 6-8 compete on Friday, February 7, 2025 @ Connally High School
6-8 One Act Play on January 24-25, 2025 @ Connally High School
Grades 9-12 compete on March 28, 2025, @ Connally High School
9-12 One Act Play on March 6-7, 2025 @ China Spring Performing Arts Center
Our band students are also entering their spring concert season. They are attending a clinic in Groesbeck on Saturday, January 18, and another at Tarleton in January. The UIL Solo & Ensemble competition is scheduled for February 8, 2025, at University High School.
This week, the high school cheerleaders will also compete in the UIL State Spirit competition. On Friday, they will travel to the Fort Worth Convention Center to compete against other 4-A schools from throughout the state. This is only the second year to compete in the state spirit competition. We wish them luck as they travel to Fort Worth to demonstrate their Cadet pride!
Connally also has several athletes currently in season. Our basketball teams are currently in district play. They will play at La Vega on Tuesday and at home against Gatesville on Friday. Our junior high basketball teams will play Robinson on Thursday. The boys' teams will play at Robinson, and the girls will play at home. The boys and girls soccer teams will also start district play this week. Their first district game will be played on Tuesday at Meyer. The soccer teams will play La Vega at home on Friday. Powerlifting, baseball, and softball are also getting warmed up for their seasons. Therefore, several very busy Cadets are involved at this time of year!
The Senior Citizen Valentine’s Luncheon is scheduled for Wednesday, February 12, 2025. The invitations were mailed out last week and should arrive in mailboxes this week. We invite community members age 65+ to join us for a meal prepared by our Culinary Cadets and to see what our students are doing in school. This is an excellent opportunity to connect with our 65+ community members!
Tonight is our January regular board meeting. The meeting will begin at 6:30, and there will be quite a list of recognitions and graduates from the first semester.
As a reminder, every Friday in January is an instructional day for ALL students. Intervention Fridays will be assigned for February. Also, Monday, January 20, 2025, is a student and staff holiday in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. The Flyover newsletter will be sent out on Tuesday, January 21st.
Have a great week Cadets!
Warm regards,
Jill Bottelberghe
Superintendent
