Lake Highlands resident Larry Toon, one of the newest members of the Richardson Independent School District board, says he wants to involve more people with our schools, especially in subjects such as discipline.

“The district needs to have a discipline policy that spells out specific actions to be taken for specific behavior,” he says.

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“With that in mind, I want to focus on the classroom environment. The backbone of our schools is the teachers, and I want to do whatever it takes to make their classroom safer and thereby make their job easier.”

Toon defeated incumbent Joel Claybrook for the Place 6 seat. A runoff election between Place 7 incumbent Bettye Stripling and challenger Mark Stone was scheduled May 29.

Forest Meadow Students Win

The students on the seventh and eighth grade pentathlon teams at Forest Meadow Junior High won the Region IV competition of the Texas Academic Pentathlon for the third year in a row.

The competition tests students’ academic skills in a variety of categories, including math, science and history. Written essays also are part of the competition.

Forest Meadow students competed against 18 schools from Richardson, Plano, Highland Park and Waco. Both seventh and eighth grade teams placed second in the Super Quiz, where students answer questions before a live audience. This year’s Super Quiz categories were history and western theater.

Forest Meadow students also took the top three spots in individual competition in the math, science and history categories, and were first in the written essay.

In individual competition, overall winners include Andrew Bell and Jenica Nelan, first; Michael Bourdon and Paul Somodevilla, second; and Nick Bunch and Matt Mitchell, third.

White Rock Elementary Completes Phase I of Playground Renovation

The students at White Rock Elementary School have been spending a lot of time outside lately. They are enjoying a new playground that includes a multi-level play structure, soccer goals, fitness center, picnic tables and benches.

The playground also includes new trash cans and an updated drainage system.

During the past 2 ½ years, White Rock parents, teachers, students, business and community leaders and neighbors have raised more than $30,000 for the new playground. The elementary school’s previous equipment was more than 30 years old and no longer met safety standards.

Fund raising efforts included a 5K neighborhood fun run, the school’s spring carnival, and a golf-athon. The school also received many donations from area businesses.

According to White Rock parent Lisa Hancock, the school is still raising money for Phase II of the playground renovation, which is to include landscaping.

Scofield Students Give $400 to Church Mission Project

Students at Scofield Christian School recently studied mission work. The school is associated with Scofield Bible Church, which supports a number of missionaries throughout the world.

Students at all grade levels displayed their missionary projects along the school’s halls, and they donated more than $400 for mission projects.

The money will be sent to the Association of Christian Schools International to buy curriculum materials for the new ACSI schools in Russia, the school’s 1993 mission project.

The highlight of the month featured missionary Curtis Hail, who shared with the students and parents his experiences while starting churches in Russia.

RISE Foundation Honors LHHS Teacher

The RISE (Recognizing Innovations for Student Education) foundation of the RISD recently honored eight teachers for their contribution to education during the 1992-93 school year.

Among the winners was Lake Highlands High School computer science teacher Sallie Loop. For the honor, Loop received a cash award of $1,500. She was nominated by the math department, where she also teaches.

“I’m thrilled to have won this award,” Loop says. “The award itself is geared specifically for innovation in teaching, and it encourages teachers who are competing to be innovative and try new things. It’s great the RISE foundation awards us for this,” Loop says.

The RISE foundation was created in 1984 to stimulate student and teacher research and to encourage innovation in the classroom throughout the RISD.

The partnership between area businesses and the school system allows money to be distributed to fund innovative projects.

Educators are recognized and rewarded for outstanding performance through the annual teacher award program. Since the RISE foundation assumed sponsorship of this program, 53 teachers have been honored with cash awards totaling $79,500.

Moss Haven Student Wins State Arts Contest

Moss Haven sixth grader Jennifer Hervey placed first for her photograph entered in the state PTA Reflections (cultural arts) competition.

Her entry will be entered in the National PTA Reflections competition to be held in Chicago later this year.

Area Schools Offer Variety of Summer Classes

Although some students will be singing “School’s Out for the Summer,” others plan to head back to the classroom to take advantage of the many courses that will be offered during June and July.

Some area residents were concerned that the defeat of Proposition 1 would prohibit schools from operating during the summer.

Richardson Independent School District chief financial officer Will Jacobs explained the district’s fiscal year begins in August, and money already has been budgeted for RISD’s summer school programs.

The following is a listing of Lake Highlands area summer schools, registration dates, tuition and classes. For more information, contact the school or RISD Administration offices

Hamilton Park Elementary School: For students who have completed kindergarten through sixth grade.

One Session Only: July 5-July 30.

Registration: June 8, 7 a.m.-7 p.m. at the school.

Tuition: $90 for one class, $180 for two classes.

Class times: 8:30-10:10 a.m., 10:10-11:45 a.m.

Bus service will be provided from all elementary schools.

Classes: Language arts, reading, math, pre-1st grade readiness, art, writing, critical thinking, cooking, drama, gymnastics, enterprising entrepreneurs, computer science and writing, sign language, Spanish, study skills and young astronauts, language arts enrichment and mathematics for the inquisitive mind.

Lake Highlands Elementary School: For pre-kindergarten, kindergarten, ESL and bilingual students.

Session I, June 7-July 2; Session II, July 5-July 30.

Registration: June 7, RISD Administration Building, 400 S. Greenville, 8 a.m.-7 p.m.

Tuition: $90 for one session, $180 for two sessions. The school will work with lower income families and adjust tuition based on a sliding scale.

Class times: 8:30-11:45 a.m.

This school is primarily for students who have been retained or non-English speaking students and bilingual students who need to work on language development. Classes are categorized as learner support, ESL and developmental skills.

Forest Meadow Junior High:

One Session, June 9-July 7.

Registration: June 3-5 at the Forest Meadow cafeteria. Students will need RISD identification numbers, out-of-district students need Social Security numbers.

Tuition: $90 for one class, $180 for two classes.

Class times: 7:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

Transportation will be available. Students can receive one year’s credit on any subject passed. The final exam grade determines class grade. Classes are also offered to out-of-district students.

Second-Graders Compete in RE/MAX Art Contest

Devin Corgan-Horner, a second-grade student at Merriman Park Elementary, was the grand prize winner in an art competition sponsored by RE/MAX Associates of Dallas.

The contest asked second-graders from seven Lake Highlands area schools to prepare a drawing or color picture using a theme of balloons or ballooning.

The other school winners were Lameesa Spencer (Wallace Elementary), Terrance Ford (Hamilton Park), Heather Cox (Northlake Elementary), Roland Guzman (Skyview Elementary), Yessenia Sanchez (Lake Highlands Elementary), and Steven Zapata (White Rock Elementary).

The finalists from each school were:

Wallace: Eric Linsky, Robert Cox, Colby Jones, Christie Pile, Meridith Davis.

Hamilton Park: Peyton Stewart, Zachary Owens, Jennifer Rangel, Richard Lubbers, Desi Curtis.

Northlake: Justin McPheeters, Heather Lyytinen, Falan Brothers, Josh Harrison, Joshua Davis.

Skyview: Jonathan Delay, Chasidee Pipken, Kimoni Howard, Illia Constance, Audrey Basse.

Lake Highlands: Mariana Pichardo, Stephanie McCleskey, Jackie Misgina, Patrick Schnell, George Weatherall.

White Rock: Nyadia Steward, Billy Hourison, Billy Goad, Ashley Vernon, Sarah Matheny.