The Italy Gladiator Regiment Band will complete in their regional marching competition at LaVega High School on Wednesday, October 19 at 2:45pm.  Both the Italy High School and Stafford Elementary campuses will have a send-off assembly Wednesday morning at 8:30am as the renowned band heads off to compete in this event.  The bus will also make its way thru downtown Italy so that local merchants can show their support as well.

Members of Italy High School’s FCCLA class receive training in Dallas regarding tough issues that effect the youth of today and are prepared to enlighten fellow students.

If George Scott could have been at the Italy High School cafeteria Friday night I think he would have been proud. There were many graduates of Italy High School there, young and old eating BBQ to raise money for the George Scott Scholarship. There were even some recipients of the scholarship there helping to serve dinner, giving back what was given to them.

Senior, Megan Richards, was crowned Italy High School Homecoming Queen on Friday night during the half-time festivities. Richards is the daughter of Tina and Allen Richards of Italy.

The Fields of Faith 2011 event has been postponed due to inclement weather and will be rescheduled.

There will be a Gladiator Athletic Booster Club Meeting this Sunday, October 16th at 6:30pm. The meeting will be held in the Italy High School Library.  Please make plans to attend.

The whole town was buzzing on Friday as the IHS Homecoming parade made its way up the streets and around the town. With the band, cheerleaders and the football team, the parade concluded with a pep rally on Main Street. All the cheerleading squads and football teams from every age group surrounded the Gladiators with support and spirit.

Highway 77 was temporarily shutdown as Italy’s Homecoming Parade made its way from the IHS campus and then down main street followed by a pep rally in the heart of Gladiator territory.

Additional photos from Italy Homecoming 2011 courtesy of Italy Neotribune.

Tack Day at Italy High School on Thursday sets the stage for a spirited Friday.

NERD POWER! Gladiators celebrated nerd day in style. Well, if mismatched clothes, thick glasses and unattractive footwear fit your ideal of style, then Italy High School was a nerd’s paradise on Wednesday.

With one six-weeks down and five to go there is much to do for Italy High School’s 2012 graduating class. Mrs. Davis, Italy High School Counselor, will be conducting senior interviews this month. Mrs. Davis will discuss with each senior what they need to graduate and discuss their future plans after graduation.

The sophomore class of Italy High School invites everyone to come take a swing at their spirit car.  The car, donated by Martin Towing of Waxahachie located off of Hwy 77, is painted up and ready to be destroyed.  For a dollar the sophomores will hand you a sledge hammer and let you take your best shot!!! Help close out spirit week and join in the fun.

Italy High School students participate during 80’s Day complete with big hair, spandex and mullets as part of the ongoing Homecoming festivities.

IHS Homecoming 2011 is Friday, October 7. Both Italy ISD campuses will be releasing early on Friday so everyone can join in on the celebration.  A last minute change to the schedule—the Italy Gladiator Regiment Band will perform their halftime show before the game (7:00pm).  This change is due to the need of more time during halftime for the homecoming court presentations.

Homecoming is a time honored tradition. Italy High School has scheduled this week to be Homecoming and festivities will culminate with a football challenge between the Gladiators and the Blooming Grove on Friday night at Willis Field. Game begins at 7:30.

Homecoming week 2011 began with Twin Day and many Italy High School and Junior High students partnered together and dressed to match. 

There’s a new sheriff in town and his name is Joffre. The new Italy High School principal came to us from the James Coble Middle School in Mansfield, in which he was the Assistant Principal. Teaching two years in 5th grade and then promoted to high school teaching math.

Italy High School Homecoming 2011 is fast approaching (Friday, October 7 vs Blooming Grove). With that in mind, homecoming parade organizers are working tirelessly with area merchants, clubs and others to make this year’s parade a huge success. If your group would like to be included in 2011 IHS Homecoming parade please contact Erick Thompson.

The Italy Band Boosters will meet Monday, Oct. 3, at 6:30 p.m. in the band hall.

Friday at David’s Supermarket you could see some very skilled shoppers making their way through the store. They were the CBI students from Italy High School and Avalon High School with Lee Joffre (Italy High School principal). They were busy hunting down various items on their shopping list.

A perfect day for football produced big plays and plenty of hard-hitting action as the Italy Jr. High Gladiators and their cheerleaders took on the Hubbard Jaguars.

We all know the sadness that took place ten years ago on September 11th. We know that terrorists attacked our wonderful country, the United States of America. Four planes were hijacked in mid flight. Two of the planes were flown into two skyscrapers at the World Trade Center in New York City and caused them to catch fire and collapse. Another plane destroyed part of the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia. and the fourth plane crashed in Shanksville, Pennsylvania. In all, nearly three thousand people were killed in the September 11th terrorist attacks.

Italy JH/HS has been invited to Career Night assemblies at two area high schools.

The 2011 Gladiator yearbooks are currently available for purchase, as well as the 2010 and 2009 yearbooks which have been discounted.

Italy High School will observe the 10th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States by meeting at the flag pole on the morning of September 12th. The ceremony will begin at 7:30 AM. Community members are invited to attend.

Injured Gladiator senior, Brandon Souder, received a grid-iron heroes welcome as he returned home from the hospital.

The Italy Gladiators get fired up at their afternoon pep rally and then smoke the Maypearl Panthers 30-0 at home under the lights.

Just when you thought it couldn’t get any hotter, the Italy High School Cheerleaders need your help to fire up the Gladiators during today’s pep rally. 

The new Italy ISD Superintendent, Barry Bassett, welcomed the parents, students and faculty to the George Scott Gym Thursday night. The seats were filled with eager students anticipating seeing old friends, meeting new ones and school starting.

IHSs Back-to-School Bash was a fun night to remember and a great way for students to meet their new principal before the start of the new school year.

Italy High School Principal, Lee Joffre, is inviting all Italy High School students (9th grade thru 12 grade) to attend the Back-to-School Bash.  The event is planned for Thursday, August 11, 5:00pm-9:00pm and will be held at the Lewis residence at 871 Stafford Road just south of Italy.  There will be food and fun in a backyard party designed as a meet and greet for the students and their new principal.

The Cheerleaders from the Italy HS and JrHi are having a bake sale booth at the Waxahachie Lions Club’s Annual Mini Grand Prix this Saturday, June 16.  The cheerleaders have been working hard and would really appreciate any support they can get.  

Student-athletes need to be in top physical form to play junior high and high school sports. The first step is to make sure they have a physical exam.

For 12 years, these students thought this day would never arrive. They were impatient, forward thinking, explosive, thoughtful and raring to go. Thus describes the graduate students of Italy High School. On Friday, May 27, forty-one seniors crossed the stage for the last time and turned their tassels to the other side.

Italy High School has a chapter of National Honor Society that has been in place for many years. This year they inducted new members as the senior members graduate. Also, new officers were installed for the upcoming year on Tuesday night in the school auditorium. Chapter advisor is Tina Richards.

The athletes of Italy High School had a real treat on Monday night at the dome. The Italy Athletic Booster Club hosted the annual athletic banquet with a special speaker and awards to boot. Fan of the year was announced, as well as Gladiator and Lady Gladiator of the Year.

Success is the key word for any graduate. What does success mean to you? Wealth? Fame? Respect? The graduating seniors of Italy High School met at First Baptist Church on Sunday evening for Baccalaureate, a time honored tradition in Italy.

Last Friday, the Gladiator seniors gathered in the dome with family and friends anticipating the scholarship news. Several seniors were recognized and awarded college scholarships.

Planning the future gets a little hairy for some. But there are 42 seniors at Italy High School ready to cross the stage and quickly grab that diploma-and rightfully so. However, there are also a few seniors from Italy, Texas that are tripping the light fantastic right now and running into the future as fast as they can, taking a flying leap into it. College grads are incredible.

What does Hawaiian music, flowery shirts, bbq chicken and standing on a rock all have in common? It means First Baptist Church of Italy is hosting a Luau for the local seniors of course. The first of several senior parties have begun. Italy High School graduates take time out of their busy schedule for some last minute fun.

Lady Gladiator Volleyball Coach Heather Richters will be conducting two volleyball camps in July. Girls entering 4th grade to 6th grade are invited to attend the first session camp and grades 7th through 9th can attend the second session camp.  Both camps are July 25th through 28th.

Melissa Smithey, an Italy High School senior, was presented the Kayrene Uehlinger Memorial Scholarship on April 17, 2011 at Central Baptist Church. Smithey is the daughter of Michael and Rita Smithey of Italy.

Italy High School students Cruz Enriquez and Zac Mercer represented the creative side of the Gladiators in the recent Rodeo Austin ‘Eco Art Show’ in which all project entries had to be made out of recyclable materials.

Italy’s own Morgan Cockerham, and her Duroc swine, Kinsler, named after Texas Ranger’s ball player Ian Kinsler, won 1st in class and 3rd in their light-medium weight division during the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo this past Wednesday, March 16.