Fourth Graders at Vista Academy of Jasper investigated the history and symbolism of the Great Seal of the United States located on the back of a dollar bill – something seen and often overlooked each day of our lives. After exploring those details, they then created their own Family Seal, which included locating the meaning/origin of their family name, creating a picture to symbolize their family, and creating a family motto.

read more

By Karina Ramirez
Contributor
neighborsgo/ Garland| Mesquite

Vista Academy of Garland held its end-of-the-year Field Day June 3.  Second-grade teacher Audrah Webb led a team of 20 teachers andstaff  to coordinate the event, and more than 15 family volunteers assisted with the day’s activities.

read more

JasperNewsboy.com
By Jodie Warner

Johnathon Lancaster, a Vista Academy Sixth Grader, has received a $1,000 donation from the Jasper Lions Club and First National Bank to go toward treatment for a unique disorder known as Irlen’s Syndrome (or Scotopic Sensitivity System.) Lancaster was diagnosed with the disorder in late 2010.

read more

By Scott Kirk
Special to the Abilene Reporter-News

Without question, many of the 68 graduates of the Class of 2011 from Premier High School overcame obstacles to walk across the stage at Southern Hills Church of Christ on Thursday night, and the message they got from commencement speaker George Levesque was that anyone can accomplish the goals they set.

Premier High School in Abilene is one of 23 Premier High Schools across the state focusing on students who have fallen behind in other schools or those who want individualized instruction. The school’s graduates meet Texas Education Agency standards.

Read more

by Steve W. Stewart
KJAS.com

Even though the Jasper Lions Club raises money all year long for their many different benevolent causes, the month of May and the Rodeo usually highlights their year of activities.

Where does the money go and what is is used for? A bright example of what the Lions Club does was evident this week when the group helped a local boy.

read more

TYLER, TX (KYTX) – Some of the most valuable lessons are learned outside the classroom. A group of students at Premier High School are developing their leadership skills while helping the East Texas community.

Premier is an accredited, independent charter school in Tyler.

Leadership East Texas is a grant program that started this year for students at Premier, John Tyler and Robert E. Lee High Schools. Each school’s leadership team chose a service project. The students at Premier are just wrapping up a canned food drive for PATH.

Read the story

by Joe Gulick and Leesha Faulkner
Lubbock Avalanche-Journal

Richard Baumgartner brushed aside a question about the courage it took to force open a locked office door and enter unarmed into a room where a man was threatening a teacher with a knife.

“It was just a reaction — on instinct,” the Rise Academy director said.

read more

By Wendy Gragg
Tribune-Herald staff writer

Nancy Grayson, superintendent of Rapoport Academy Public School in Waco, describes her school as “lean and mean.” It has to be, she said, because charter schools, like Rapoport, get less funding than traditional schools.

To Grayson, “lean and mean” means teachers empty their own trash cans and sometimes fill in for people on the lunch serving line. The chairs in a room may not match and walls sometimes get a fresh coat of donated leftover paint.

read more