The school year of 2015 and 2016 is the first year that Avalon ISD has had a FFA program since the 1930’s.

Avalon ISD has been nominated for the 2014 National Blue Ribbon School recognition out of 8,000 schools by the Texas Commissioner of Education, Michael Williams. There were only twenty five campuses in Texas that were nominated and Avalon ISD was one of them! Winners will be announced in Washington in September.

Avalon ISD will hold its pre-kindergarten and kindergarten round-up for children ages 3-5 years old on March 21, 2014.

It just seems like every time you turn around something good is happening at Avalon ISD. This time what is happening is really good, about $2,500.00 good. Avalon ISD was awarded the Monsanto Grant.

Italy ISD, Milford ISD as well as Avalon ISD administration has announced that each will have a delayed start time on Wednesday, February 12, 2014. Classes will begin at 10:00am. Buses will run two hours late from their regular schedules.

Everyone knows how much Avalon ISD superintendent Dr. David Del Bosque loves Avalon and Avalon ISD. But what everyone might not know is he takes nature pictures of all the beautiful flowers, trees, animals and sunsets all around Avalon’s beautiful countryside. You might say photography is his hobby.

Dr. Del Bosque is always excited about Avalon ISD, the students and the community of Avalon. So, when you want to talk to him about new things happening at the school he can’t wait to brag about it!

Grandparents Day was celebrated at Avalon Elementary on Friday, the 6th of September. Apparently, Avalon Elementary student’s grandparents take this day very seriously! There were so many grandparents they had to have two rooms to hold them all.

Elsabe Munger is no stranger to Avalon Elementary. She was a substitute teacher last year and this year she is the 2nd grade teacher. She is so excited, it is her first time to teach 2nd grade.

Have you ever known anyone that just knew what they wanted to be when they grew up and then did it? Well, Dionne Sauers is one of those lucky people. She always knew that she wanted to be a teacher and so she became one.

Last Thursday evening the Avalon Elementary was over flowing with excited students waiting to see who their teacher was going to be and which friends were going to be in their class. Students were lined up in the hallway with back packs and school supplies ready to be back in class after a long summer.

Avalon School has been listed once again by the U.S. News and World Report magazine as one of the best high schools in the United States. Avalon is listed as receiving the Bronze Award in the April 23, 2014 on-line edition of the national publication. The school was also listed as a Bronze Award Recipient in 2008, 2010, and 2012.

Have you ever had a close family pet that was just a part of your family? So close that when they died you were very sad and grieving? That is what happened to Dr. Del Bosque and his wife Neva.

Avalon ISD kick started the Easter Season off by being the first Easter Egg Hunt this year. Even though Monday evening was cold it did not stop anyone from coming out to hunt eggs. It was a pretty amazing sight when you looked over the school yard and saw over 4,000 eggs and masses of candy. The look of surprise and happiness in each face of the students gazing at all the eggs said it all.

When I walked into the gymnasium at Avalon Elementary you could hear all the cheers and hand clapping you could ever imagine. Everyone was there, teachers, moms, dads, aunts, uncles including fellow students cheering one another on.

Have you ever heard of a teacher working for the same school for forty-one years, retire for two and return to teaching at the same school? Well, that is exactly what Sue Morrison has done at Avalon Elementary. She is now going on her forty-third year of teaching at Avalon ISD.

One of the new incentives principal Jody Tennery has put in place for the students at Avalon Elementary is “Student of the Month” recognition. Receiving the award this month is third grader Nathan Rankin.

Last Thursday night was Avalon Elementary’s meet the teacher night. As you walked into the school you were greeted with big smiles as Mr. Tennery (elementary principal) and Dr. DelBosque (Avalon ISD Superintendent) welcomed all the students and parents.

August twenty seventh brings a brand new school year which means a brand new start for Avalon ISD. David DelBosque (superintendent) said, “This will be a Happy New Year. No, it is not December 31st but the first day of school also brings to us a brand new start. If we can dream it, imagine it or think it, it all can become attainable through hard work and working together.”

Next week starts the brand new school year for Avalon ISD and that makes Mr. Tennery (Avalon Elementary principal) a very happy man. Because the first day of school is his favorite day of the year.

For the last four years the U.S. News and World Report has been publishing a list of America’s Best High Schools. For the third year in a row Avalon High School has made the list and has earned national recognition.

In the old gymnasium at Avalon ISD, the bleachers were filled with elementary students, teachers and family members ready to recognize the achievements of the elementary students. The assembly took a while because there were so many awards.

It is that time of year again! I am talking about Easter and eggs and Easter bunnies, Oh Boy! Avalon ISD had their fourth annual Easter Egg Hunt on Thursday night and there were four-thousand eggs hidden for all the kids to find.

Avalon ISD has had many achievements but one of them stands out before the rest, that is their dual credit college course program. The students have been very successful and two students in particular have worked the program to the max.

Avalon ISD participated in UIL one act play competition and performed Act Three, Scene Five by Terry Ortwein so successfully that they advanced to the district competition.

Oh boy, was there a lot of excitement in the old Avalon gym on last Friday afternoon! The gym was filled with excited boys and girls because for the first time at Avalon Elementary they were having an awards assembly and would be giving awards for good citizenship, Soaring Eagles (most improved grades), A honor roll, A B honor roll and AR points.

Avalon Jr High basketball boys clinched an undefeated season on Thursday, February 2nd, 2012 with a 50-33 score against Trinidad.

Jody Tennery has worked for Avalon ISD for twelve years teaching high school spanish, english, junior high reading, elementary P.E. and was district assistant principal for three years. Now he has been promoted to elementary principal and is loving his new position.

The restoration of the J.P. Griffith Gymnasium, damaged during the April 2011 tornado, is coming to an end and a special dinner and program is planned for Saturday, February 11.

Tony Hernandez used to walk the halls of Avalon ISD as a student. For the past several years he walked these same halls as a math teacher and volleyball coach. Today, he walks the Avalon ISD halls as the district’s assistant principal.

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.

Everyone has been hearing about all the fires around our wonderful state of Texas. We have heard how the city of Bastrop has really been hit hard, lots of homes have been lost to the fires. And we sort of think only about the homes that have been lost and forget or don’t focus on the fact that most everything in the homes have been lost too. Like mementos, furniture, towels, clothing, all the basic necessities. Well, Avalon ISD decided to help the students in need of clothing at Bastrop ISD by collecting blue jeans.

Everyone knows that Avalon ISD does great on their TAKS tests, is a recognized school district and has lots of extra programs for their students to help the students not just do well but excel. Dr. Del Bosque is once again looking forward to an awesome year.

Last Thursday evening the Avalon Elementary was filled with enthusiastic students as they came to meet their teachers for the first time. They were carrying everything they needed to be ready for school to start on the following Monday. So many smiles and laughter could be seen and heard all down the hallways.

Once again Avalon ISD is a recognized district. This is the sixth year in a row. This year it was even tougher to achieve because TEA placed additional and more rigorous standards on the TAKS rating system in order for campuses and districts to achieve levels of Acceptable, Recognized and Exemplary status.

Last week’s tornadoes, specifically the one that rumbled through Avalon, served as a reminder of how precious and dear our children, school and community is to all of us. While we feared and marveled at nature’s fury, we counted our blessings that no one individual was harmed.

Who wants to hunt for over 4200 Easter eggs? Avalon ISD students that’s who! On Monday at Avalon ISD that is just what the students did. The school grounds were covered with eggs and eager egg hunting students.

David Del Bosque grew up in the small, south Texas town of Alice. His parents did not speak english. His father had a second grade education and his mother had a sixth grade education. So, little David did not know how to speak english when he started school. But now David Del Bosque has his doctorate in educational leadership.

Christopher Anthony, an eighth grader at Avalon Middle School in Avalon, Texas, was declared the county champion at the Ellis County Spelling Bee competition in Maypearl, Texas, February 21, 2011. He will compete at the Dallas Morning News Regional Spelling Bee on March 26, 2011. The competition will be televised on WFAA Channel 8.

Avalon’s senior class is participating in a community service project called Jeans for Teens. Jeans for Teens gives jeans to homeless teens who need them.

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.

Avalon High School volleyball is currently 8-0 in district (overall 15-11) and has already clinched the District title. Avalon has 2 district games left to play until the playoffs.

David Del Bosque (Avalon ISD Superintendent) is a member of Texas Association of Rural Schools. Last week Del Bosque was in Lubbock, Texas attending one of the conferences the Association puts on throughout the state. He did a presentation called Texas Public School Funding, The Target Revenue System and the Effect on a small District-Avalon ISD. He expressed his concern for the rural schools and he talked about how legislators need to make education a priority. His presentation focused on school funding and why it needs to be changed.

Six out of the eight cheerleaders for the Avalon Eagles received the honor as “All American” at cheerleading camp which entitles them to participate in a parade in Florida.