Huntsville High's The Hive Celebrates Our Champion Athletes, Enjoy Success of Their Own

As you probably already have heard or read, in the last few weeks Huntsville High School athletes have achieved incredible success on the state level!

The Lady Hornets Golf Team and Coaching Staff have a LOT to smile about!
From Front:  Coach Evans, Hannah Valentine, Casey Leatherman,
Paige Weiss, Reece Haralson, Courtney Tibletti, Coach Leatherman.

The Lady Hornet Golf Team won the State Championships, Track & Fielder Audie Wyatt earned first place in the State in the Pole Vaulting competition, and of course Megan Gautreaux rode to a Girl's State Championship in Mountain Biking.  But do you wonder what they would say for themselves?

A View from Over the Camera:  State Champ Audie sits down with The Hive's Chijindu

Megan is a student during school, and mountain bike champion after!

Well, today you can hear from our champion athletes speak for themselves as all of these students will be featured on today's episode of  "That Friday Show," as each athlete shares the excitement and gratitude that their success brings.

You check it out here:



We have become accustomed to tuning to The Hive for announcements or viewing episodes on YouTube- it's our go-to source for all things Huntsville High.

Nathaniel & Kayleigh 

And anyone that visits the High School has no doubt seen students with cameras and microphones in their hands, so it's hard to imagine this is just the first year of these video announcements, and that the program started over the summer under the leadership of Mandy Stewart with a group of enthusiastic student volunteers.

Arturo behind the camera, setting up the shot.

The show airs every day with a special longer edition each Friday.  Teachers, principals, student organizations and clubs of all kinds appreciate being able to get information to the students, and the students appreciate getting the info...and seeing the sometimes ridiculous, always entertaining commercials.

Vic & Kaleigh- The Hive News Team Ready for Action

As Mrs. Stewart explains, when she began teaching here at the High School and took over the The Hive, it was a print edition that cost the school $500.00 for 500 copies.  Not only was it expensive, it came out once a month and therefore it naturally contained some 'old news.'  Around that same time, Huntsville ISD was opening up YouTube for teachers.  With Principal Burt's thumbs up, Mrs. Stewart saw an opportunity to launch.

Sydney & Daniel enjoy The Hive's"sumptuous" set.
It may look a little funky off camera, but it looks pretty darn good on camera.

(By the way, in a later H-Factor post we plan to feature the remarkable collaboration that The Hive has with The Huntsville Item, our local newspaper whereby our students get to write for The Huntsville Item every week- stay tuned!)

Behind the Hive!
Top Row (L-R): Mrs. Mandy Stewart, Kaleigh, Daniel, Christina, Meagan & Arturo
Middle Row: Victor, Nathaniel, Cody & Jonathan
Bottom Row:  Sydney, Jonathan, Sam & Tanner
Not Pictured: Caitlyn ,Chijindu, Elizabeth, Emilee, Garrett, Keona, Laiton & Makayla

As we celebrate the athletic success of our Hornet Family, we can also recognize the success of the program we turn to to keep informed of all things Huntsville High School!!

Our Future Journalists Take a Step Back in Time to Help Visitors in the Here and Now

A few days ago, we caught up with a group of future journalists taking a step back in time, and they are doing it to help visitors in the here and now.

Kayla knows that sometimes you have to get down to shoot up!

Mance Park Middle School Teacher Ms. Petkovsek's students are recreating the walking guide for visitors of Huntsville's historic Oakwood Cemetery.  Ms. "P." explains that this is the culminating project at the end of this semester, and it's done every other year.

History just steps away from the Mance Park Middle School.

Several of her classes are collaborating on the guide,  which will require students to research, fact check, photograph, update and create a downloadable document that anyone interested in Huntsville (or Texas) history can use to guide themselves around Oakwood. Students drew names out of thirty prominent sites to determine their subjects, and these will present to the class on their subject in addition to producing this walking guide.

Eduardo sizes up these gravestones to get the best shot.

Many of us are familiar with the cemetery being the final resting place of Texas Hero Samuel Houston, though here are many other grave sites of note, including those of both Union and Confederate soldiers and various Texas historical figures.

Veronica demonstrating the composition
principle of leading lines.

Alexia finds the right framing.

One of the most photographed areas of Oakwood has to be gravesite of Rawley Powell, a young boy who died and whose parents erected a full size replica of "The Christus" by Danish Sculptor Bertel Thorwaldsen.  This is the statue that is known informally as the "Black Jesus," as the bronze has developed a deep dark patina over the years.

Chelsea goes for an interesting angle. 

Getting in Focus:  Students train their cameras on "The Christus."

Joey finds Oyster Shells embedded in a marker.

Ashley and Amahya on the path to finding
their assigned grave.

Lissett gets a close up of one of the countless
wildflowers growing in Oakwood.

MacKenzie poses for a pic before she snaps one.

The students worked in teams.  Cheyenne gently holds the flower for Ana,
so you can see how having a partner helped out.

Monument to Samuel Houston- Burial site just behind here.

Their fearless leader, Ms. "P."

Matthew Lahey  Huntsville ISD Huntsville Independent School District

City of Huntsville Goes Google, and our District is Here To Help!

Back in the summer of 2012, the City of Huntsville helped our district expand our wireless internet network.  They lent us person power and expertise to get our wireless connectivity ready for our Bring Your Own Technology (BYOT) initiative.

A whole new world for HuntsvilleTx.gov !

And, as we've mentioned in previous posts, last school year, Huntsville ISD "went Google!" Now, it's the City's turn to "Go Google," and our turn to help them out!

Parks & Leisure Administrator Penny Joiner gets down to business.

Teachers, staff and students learned a way to work that can literally transform the way we operate through sharing, collaboration and an integration of cloud-based applications that were unheard of a few years ago. Now, the City of Huntsville is entering the wonderful world of Google and our town's recreation sports managers, technicians and crew leaders (among others) will be putting the Apps to work for them (and, you!)

When we heard that the City of Huntsville was going to "go Google," we were happy to help them with some staff training here at the High School.

Huntsville employees are students for the day!
(And we didn't get any questions about recess, either!)

Last month, a dozen or City employees came back to school (....ah, the memories!) to get some training.

Chris Vasquez and Network Administrator Bill Wavra.

It all began when HISD's Director of Technology Tracie Siemental introduced Chris Vasquez, the IT Director for the City of Huntsville, to Amy Mayer, Director for Staff Development & District Initiatives (and well known & regarded Google Certified Teacher and Trainer).  A date was set, and it was back to school!

Evidence Technician Carla Vasquez takes a break, while Parks Superintendent John Agey (in background) figures it out.

Do you see what they see?
Engineering Design Technician Lisa Hall (dark hair, center) and Planner Rose Kader look at the projector screen
while Permit Technician Jesse Ferguson follows along on the laptop.

Tech Services Coordinator Drew Nevlud and Wastewater Crew Leader Dusty Farquhar
are ready to get their Google on!

City employees learned about Chrome, Mail, Drive, Calendar and other Google Apps.

Help Desk Analyst Kate Smith is getting into it.

Matthew Lahey  Huntsville ISD Huntsville Independent School District

It's all in our Mindset!

It's all in here...and in you.
(click to enlarge, click again to begin slide show)

What if you could change one thing in your life, and by changing that one thing you could change everything?

According to Dr. Carol Dweck's research, that "one thing" is your mindset, as she shares in her book, Mindset:  The New Psychology of Success.

In the book, Dr. Dweck asserts that everyone has either a fixed or growth mindset (or a combination of the two).  These mindsets determine not only how we view ourselves, but how we view our friends, family, coworkers and most importantly for us as educators, our students.

It's an idea so startlingly simple and powerful, it's hard to believe that we don't already know it!

Mance Park Librarian Jean Qualtrough recognizes the Fixed Mindset...

...and Eighth Grade Science Teacher Melissa Hunziker
recognizes the Growth Mindset.

As Publishers Weekly aptly describes in the following review excerpt . . .

"A fixed mindset is one in which you view your talents and abilities as... well, fixed. In other words, you are who you are, your intelligence and talents are fixed, and your fate is to go through life avoiding challenge and failure. A growth mindset, on the other hand, is one in which you see yourself as fluid, a work in progress. Your fate is one of growth and opportunity. Which mindset do you possess? Dweck provides a checklist to assess yourself and shows how a particular mindset can affect all areas of your life, from business to sports and love. The good news, says Dweck, is that mindsets are not set: at any time, you can learn to use a growth mindset to achieve success and happiness."

When our Superintendent Dr. Steve Johnson read this book, he knew that this would be the perfect candidate for our first ever district-wide Huntsville ISD Book Club.  

Mance Park Teachers (and coaches)  Stephanie Dunn (foreground) and Jamie Lorenz (background)
 share their thoughts on Mindset.

Dr. Johnson pulled a group of campus leaders together to read it last fall, and then garnered their experiences and asked our department to create a course to function as a structure for district-wide participation.  

Can you think of a time you faced an important opportunity or challenge with a fixed mindset?  What were your thoughts and worries- about your abilities?  about other people's judgements?  about the possibility of failure?  These discussion topics will make you think, and reflect.

This spring, each employee at each campus and department in Huntsville ISD is participating in reading groups.

Two sides of the same card:
We made these cards so we could all be reminded of the powerful message of (and the vast repercussions of)
each Mindset.  These are meant to remind and inspire us, wherever and whenever we saw these,
long after reading the book. 

Believing the information in this book was too important not to share with the community (and that the people of Huntsville would be curious to know what we were reading :-) HISD iTech Matthew Lahey approached Huntsville City Librarian Linda Dodson with a proposal for a donation of copies to be made available to our community.  

Ms. Dodson not only happily accepted these print copies, but purchased electronic copies of Mindset for eReaders and an audio book version, to boot!  

Mindset Display at Circulation Desk at the Huntsville Library- complete with cards.

For Ms. Dodson, this was a natural fit as the School District and the City of Huntsville Library enjoy the responsibility in partnering to help to educate and provide services to our community.

Did you know that the Huntsville Public Library provides free wireless access?
It does!

The Jane and Charles Monday Computer Room at the Library
has plenty of computers library patrons can use- that means you!

Thanks to the Huntsville Library for their support.  For complete information on the Library, click here. Also, a big thanks to our staff, faculty and administrators for joining Dr. Johnson and endeavoring to continue to change the lives of our children.  After all, it's just a matter of changing your mind!

Student Produced Documentary Takes Third in State!

Last night at the Paramount Theater in Austin, Huntsville High School Seniors (and Student Filmmakers) Sandra Rodriguez and Jomar Pueyo were awarded Third Place in focus: the University Scholastic League's Young Filmmakers Festival  for their film, "A Queen to Be".

Huntsville's own Sandra Rodriguez and Jomar Pueyo (photo by Andrew Stewart)

This was the glamorous and honorific culmination of a journey that began last fall with our student body nominating and crowning Life Skills student and friend to all, Estafania Martinez, as Huntsville High's 2013 Homecoming Queen.  Huntsville High School Principal Beth Burt and Superintendent Dr. Steve Johnson travelled to support our students, as well as their family and teachers Mandy and Drew Stewart.  Many students from the Stewarts' classes helped with the taping in the fall, and Sandra and Jomar accepted the award knowing they didn't "do it alone."

A quick selfie before the show starts! 

 We're especially proud knowing that there were 495 entries in our division.  Haven't seen "Queen to Be" yet?  Check it out here.

Teacher Drew Stewart by their side, award in their hand.   It's a good night!!
(photo by Mandy Stewart)

You can find the complete list with links to the films here.

Oh Snap! The Gator Boys Come to Huntsville ISD Elementaries Live via Video Streaming

Hundreds of Huntsville ISD elementary students learned all about gators and crocs from The Gator Boys today through a video streaming system that was piped into classrooms across Texas.

Some of the important facts The Gator Boys taught included never approaching a live gator, swimming only in (gator free) swimming pools, and learning to respect (not fear) wild animals like alligators.

If you are the parent of a Huntsville ISD elementary student who participated in the Gator Boys event today, remember to ask your child how Native Americans used alligators as a reliable food source.

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"To Start a Fire, To Arouse & Inspire" Kindle E-readers Come to Stewart Elementary

What is everyone looking at????
(Pictured clockwise from left:  Da'Nirrya in aqua sweatshirt, Nicholas  in black & grey sweatshirt,
Brittany in Blue, Angela in pink and Jaden in grey t-shirt) 

Amazon came up with the name "Kindle" for their e-readers, and that term is also very fitting for what Stewart Elementary School Librarian Ms. Johnson is creating with the help of Mrs. Mathiews and Mrs. Miller's students.

Miss Robin Miller's class gets a guided tour.

Ms. Johnson uses her hovercam to project an image of the Kindle so everyone can see her demonstrating.

Ms. Johnson, a recipient of a Huntsville Education Foundation grant, is introducing e-readers to our elementary students, hoping they will "catch fire" and spread throughout our District.  The Kindles come preloaded with everything from National Geographic, to Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Ramona and The Magic Treehouse.

Mrs. Mathiews and Miller's class are familiar with Google Forms, so the sign up is a cinch.
(Ms. Johnson also created a feedback form in Google to get the kids honest opinion- not liking a Kindle is OK!)

As this is a new program, she is piloting with a few classes and making sure that she gets the student input before growing the program or buying a lot of devices.  Checkouts are for a week, and parents must first sign a permission slip.

Claudia waits her turn while Neelam checks it out for herself.

Why is Ms. Johnson smiling?  Well, if you know her she's usually smiling... plus here she's grateful
for the Amazon gift card donated by a parent to help buy books!
(Thank you, parents!)

Matthew Lahey  Huntsville ISD Huntsville Independent School District