The third six weeks P.A.W.S. assembly was quite a show. More and more students were receiving more and more “tiger” awards. The students were excited and growing with anticipation as each name was called hoping to hear their name called soon.

Tanya Parker, Italy High School principal, has announced that Monday, February 7, 2011 the benchmark testing schedule will be in effect. Students are to report to their 3rd period class at first bell (8:02am). All seniors who are not required to take benchmark tests will need to report to school at 11:00am.

Monday was the one-hundredth day of school for the students at Stafford Elementary. To celebrate this event the pre-k, kindergarten and first grade classes came together and enjoyed some activities using the number one-hundred.

The Avalon cheerleaders are back from Florida and boy are they excited. They had a lot of new and different experiences and are ready for next year’s cheerleading camp.

The Italy School Board of Trustees approved the issuance of $1,505,000 Series 2011 Refunding Bonds at its monthly meeting Monday evening.

The 2010-11 Gladiator Yearbook is now available for purchase! You can order online by clicking the banner link displayed on the Italyisd.org website. Also, there is still time to upload photos to be considered for use in the yearbook.

The Italy ISD School Board will have their monthly meeting on Monday, January 24 beginning at 7:00pm. Prior to the meeting there will be a public hearing for discussion of the AEIS report which will begin 6:45pm. The hearing and meeting will be held in the Italy High School Band Hall at 300 S. College Street.

What does it take to be a good teacher? Patience, love of children, good education, the ability to teach what you know, would probably be some of the qualities you would look for. These qualities are just what Stafford Elementary’s new Title One Math teacher, Sara Muetzenberg has going for her.

The Junior High Lady Gladiators Basketball Team will travel to Blooming Grove on January 15, 2011 to compete in their annual Junior High Girls Basketball Tournament. Both the 7th grade and 8th grade teams will play their first round games against Wortham.

Christmas secrets and Christmas surprises are alive and well with Christmas coming upon us. Children are dreaming of Santa Claus and surprises that will be left under the tree. Everyone would like to see Santa and lucky Stafford students got to do just that!

As you walked into Trinity Mission last Thursday morning your ears were delighted with tunes of Christmas songs being sung by Stafford Elementary second grade students. You could see smiles on the faces of the residents and you could even hear some of them singing along.

December 7th Stafford Elementary’s second grade through sixth grade students participated in Academic UIL along with the seventh through eighth grade students from the High School campus.

Tuesday morning Trinity Mission’s halls were filled with children’s voices singing Christmas songs for all to hear.

Peri Patterson has been teaching for about thirty years. She loves what she does and loves to help teach and nurture as many students as she can. She has been teaching at Stafford Elementary for approximately twenty five years, she has taught kindergarten and now teaches third grade and just loves Stafford Elementary. She was chosen for the “Teacher with Heart” award for the second six weeks of school.

On December 4th Santa’s Little Helpers were in town to help Santa and Mrs. Claus set up shop for their Christmas time visit to Italy, Texas. Santa’s Little Helpers joined forces with Italy High School’s Art Department to make the fireplace in order for Santa and Mrs. Claus to greet all the children of Italy in North Pole style.

The Italy ISD Board of Trustees will have their monthly meeting on Monday, December 13. The meeting will be at 7:00pm and will be held in the Italy High School Band Hall. Immediately following the regular meeting there will be a work session with Rick Cohagan regarding the superintendent search for the district.

The sixth annual Reading Marathon is in full swing this week December 6-10 at the Italy High School Library! Students, faculty and staff are participating in a week-long event that has someone constantly reading in the “Reading Parlor” in the library from 8 a.m. Monday morning until school dismisses at 3:20 p.m. Friday, Dec. 10.

It is that time again at Stafford Elementary. Time to recognize the teachers that did not miss a single day in the second six weeks of school.

What better way to encourage students to strive harder than giving them incentives such as “Tiger of the Month?” Who doesn’t want to go down the hall and see their picture up on the wall letting everyone know, “job well done?”. Well, that is what is happening at Stafford Elementary.

The sixth grade at Stafford Elementary came up with a school creed, “Believing in ourselves today…Achieving great things tomorrow.”

The Yearbook Staff invites students and parents to submit photos for the yearbook. If you have great photos of school and community events, or pictures you and your friends just having fun, we would like to see them.

The Italy ISD Board of Trustees will have a called meeting on Tuesday, November 30, 2010. Per the agenda the school board members will be interviewing persons to conduct the Superintendent search. The meeting will be held in the administration office at 300 S. College Street. Meeting time is 5:00pm.

The Italy ISD 8th grade class will be raffling off an iPad during the Italy Christmas Festival on December 4. Students are currently selling these chances and will also have them available during the festival.

Tammy Wallis (principal) has introduced two new learning programs for the computer for the students and teachers at Stafford Elementary. They are “Study Island” and “Reading Eggs.”

Wednesday morning Stafford Elementary was visited by the Morris Brothers. The students were laughing, dancing and cheering to all the fun the Morris Brothers brought to the “stage.” They were even chanting, “school is cool.”

For ten years Holly Spraberry has been teaching kindergarten at Stafford Elementary, until this year. She now teaches computer skills to kindergarten all the way up to the sixth grade.

Enlisting in 2006, one year after graduation from Italy High School , Marine Sgt. Jacob Simon, one of the honored guests, spoke words of truth at the Italy ISD Veteran’s Day Celebration on Thursday.

The Milford ISD band was playing patriotic music and two young men of the Tri-M Student Honor Guard were carrying the flags across the auditorium presenting the “posting of the colors.” It gave me goose bumps.

Tobin Davis starting teaching physical education at Stafford Elementary October first. She hopes to help students get exercise and fun at the same time.

Straight from the heart and into the yearbook! The yearbook staff is now offering the opportunity to “personalize” the yearbook in a very special way with a recognition ad. To reserve your space, pick up an information packet and order form from Mrs. Bowden, room 113.

Lacey Reavis is the new Kindergarten teacher at Stafford Elementary. She started at Stafford six weeks ago and is loving her job.

The Italy ISD Board of Trustees will have its regular monthly meeting on Monday, November 15, 2010. The meeting will be held in the Band Hall of the Italy High School campus at 300 S. College Street, Italy. Agenda items include a discussion of a Superintendent search. Meeting time is 7:00pm.

Charles (Charlie) Williams has a tough job ahead but said he welcomes the challenge. He hit the ground running last week when he took over as interim superintendent of the Italy ISD.

Italy High School will have their Veterans Day program in the Multi Events Center (Dome) on November 11 at 9:30 a.m. All veterans and community members are welcome to attend.

Red Ribbon Week, (October 25th – 29th) is celebrated each year at Stafford Elementary teaching the students about drugs. The students make a pledge to not ever do drugs and seal it with their hand print. Along with learning about drugs every day during Red Ribbon Week is filled with fun.

Even scarier than the first day of school was Halloween dress-up day this past Friday at both Italy High School and Stafford Elementary. Teachers as well as students participated in the gory fun.