December 2010 - Dripping Springs Independent School District

Inside DSISD
DRIPPING SPRINGS INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT
COMMUNITY NEWSLETTER December 2010
District Earns Gold Performance Acknowledgments
Dripping Springs ISD and
all five schools have received
multiple Gold Performance Acknowledgments
for 2010, according
to the Texas Education
Agency (TEA). In August it was
announced that the district,
Dripping Springs High School,
Rooster Springs Elementary
and Walnut Springs Elementary
are rated Exemplary in 2010
accountability ratings.
In all, the five campuses
received 89 acknowledgments
under the Gold Performance
Acknowledgment (GPA) system.
The system recognizes
campuses for high academic
performance and/or improvement
in areas such as Commended
results on TAKS tests,
attendance rate and improvement
on TAKS tests. Additional
measures considered
at the high school level are:
Advanced Placement course
enrollment and exam performance,
college readiness, SAT/
ACT results, Recommended
High School Plan participation,
and Texas Success Initiative
scores.
As a district, DSISD
earned the following Gold Performance
Acknowledgments:
AP/IB results, College Ready
graduates, Commended in
Social Studies, SAT/ACT results,
and Texas Success Initiative
in both English Language Arts
and Mathematics.
The high school and
Rooster Springs Elementary
earned six Gold Performance
Acknowledgments each,
while Dripping Springs Middle
School, Dripping Springs Elementary
and Walnut Springs
Elementary received recognition
in two areas.
Musical Performances Highlight Holiday Season
The month of December
offers many opportunities to
enjoy the musical talents of
Dripping Springs students.
The choirs from Dripping
Springs High School
and Dripping Springs Middle
School will team up for a
full day of performances on
Dec. 9. The DSHS Concert
and Chamber Choirs and the
DSMS Girls’ Choir will perform
together at Dripping Springs
Elementary (8:00 a.m.), Barton
Creek Mall (11:30 a.m.) and
Walnut Springs Elementary
(2:10 p.m.). Choirs from the
two schools will separately
visit some local assisted living
facilities. DSMS will sing
at both Hill Country
Care (10:00 a.m.) and
Arveda Alzheimer’s
Family Care (1:15 p.m.),
while the high school
group will go to The
Heritage at Gaines
Ranch for a 10:00 a.m.
performance. This is
the second year for this
special performance
field trip.
The middle school
choir and the DSHS Jazz
The DSHS Jazz Kats
performed at the Texas
State Capitol Nov. 29.
Kats sang at “Christmas on
Mercer Street” Dec. 4.
In addition, both schools
have choir concerts planned
the week of Dec. 6. The DSHS
Holiday Concert will be held
on Tuesday, Dec. 7, beginning
at 7:00 p.m. at the First Baptist
Church of Dripping Springs
(203 Highway 290 West). The
DSMS Winter Choir Concert
is scheduled for the following
evening, Dec. 8, at the middle
school cafetorium starting at
7:30 p.m.
Three DSMS bands (Beginning
Maroon, Symphonic,
Wind Ensemble) performed
“The Sounds of Holiday Splendor”
concert on Nov. 30. The
Gold and Concert bands will
play a concert on Dec. 6 at
6:30 p.m. in the middle school
cafetorium. The DSHS Jazz
Orchestra also will perform at
this concert.
The high school bands
(Concert, Symphonic and Wind
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
Superintendent’s Message 2
Board Briefs 2
Calendars Approved 2
Grand Piano Project 2
Student-Athletes Sign 3
Contest Finalists 3
Campus Happenings 4
Veterans Day Photos 5
District Demographics 5
Teacher Spotlight 6
MS Choir at Tree Lighting 6
Student Corner 6
Elementary UIL Results 7
Giving Thanks 7
IMPORTaNT DaTES
December 9
DSE “Donuts with Diane,” 7:45-
8:45 a.m., Room 310;
WSE Principal/PTA Coffee, 8:00-
8:30 a.m., Room 320
December 13-17
Final Exams and Prep Days
December 13
Board of Trustees Facility
Committee Meeting, 4:30 p.m.
December 14
Board of Trustees Finance
Committee Meeting, 5:00 p.m.
December 16
Board of Trustees Meeting
5:00 p.m. (workshop) and 7:00
p.m. (regular session),
Board Room, Administraiton
December 17
Grade Report
December 20-January 3
No School
Holiday Break
January 3
Student Holiday/Staff Day
Ensemble) will be featured in
a performance on Dec. 9 at
6:30 p.m., also in the DSMS
cafetorium.

Message from the Superintendent
Dr. Mard Herrick
What a smooth and successful fall
we have had in Dripping Springs ISD. An
outstanding semester does not happen
by chance. It is a product of the spirit of
partnership that exists in our community.
Thank you for being a part of that
effort.
Many examples of teamwork
and generosity also are evident as we
approach the holiday season. Several of
our campuses participated in Coats for
Kids collections, as well as Toys for Tots
and other charitable efforts. The high
school and middle school choirs are
visiting two local assisted living facilities
to share music with residents. Several
PTAs are organizing luncheons or cookie
exchanges as a way of saying thank-you
to teachers and staff. It warms my heart
to see all the good things that are initiated
and delivered by our students, staff
and parents.
As we remain committed to continual
improvement, we have several
groups working on various aspects of
future planning. As we take these steps,
we must realize our future financial
picture could present serious challenges,
depending on what occurs in the
state legislative session. As you may be
Board Briefs
At the November Board of Trustees
meeting and workshop, several topics
of interest were discussed. Curriculumrelated
reports were provided on future
district calendars, the format of the
annual district survey, implications of endof-course
assessments and Gold Performance
Acknowledgments/accountability
ratings. Business-related reports were
given on the recent bond refunding and
anticipated state funding cuts.
Facility Committee chair Caroline
Pekarek and Finance Committee chair
John Adams provided updates on recent
meetings, including presentation of the
2009-10 audit.
Following the opening ceremony in
the evening session by Dripping Springs
Elementary students, a demographic
report was given by Steve Stewart of
DeskMap Systems (see story, Page 5).
Superintendent Mard Herrick
shared a legislative report and gave an
enrollment update.
Action was taken on several other
items: Policy Update 88, a resolution to
nominate Galen Dodson for the Hays Central
Appraisal District and Tom Buckle for
the Travis County Appraisal District, and
the nomination of Trustee John Adams for
the TASB Region 13 Board of Directors.
The 2011-12 school calendar was
approved by the Board and key dates
were approved for 2012-13 for planning
purposes (see related story at left).
Calendars Set for 2011-12;
Key Dates Determined for 2012-13 A Grand Project!
At its November meeting, the
Dripping Springs ISD Board of Trustees
finalized and adopted the calendar for the
2011-12 school year, and approved some
key planning dates for the 2012-13 school
year.
Proposed calendars are developed
by the District-Wide Educational Improvement
Committee (DWEIC) – comprised
of parents, community members and
staff – after asking for feedback from
the campuses and community. Then, the
calendars are presented to the Board of
Trustees for approval.
The newly approved calendar dates
for 2011-12 include the first day of school
on August 22, the winter break running
aware, state funding for public schools
has essentially been frozen since 2006
despite inflationary costs and salary
adjustments. The projected state deficit
certainly creates concern for us. We will
watch closely what is happening at the
Capitol beginning in January.
One major planning effort that has
made progress is our District Long-Range
Facilities Planning Team, which has been
meeting this fall to discuss future district
facility needs and help establish direction
for bonds and construction programs
over the next 10-20 years.
Several district program reviews
also will be concluding in the coming
months. Review teams have worked
diligently to collect and analyze data,
before developing recommendations for
the future.
Don’t miss good news about Gold
Performance Acknowledgments from
the TEA and some student honors in this
issue of “Inside DSISD.”
Have a great winter break,
Mard A. Herrick, Ph.D.
Superintendent of Schools
from Dec. 19-Jan. 2, Spring Break from
March 12-16, and the last day of school
on May 31. Graduation will be June 1.
The 2012-13 school year will see
something of a shift as the first day moves
back to August 27 due to restrictions
established by the state legislature that
public schools cannot start before the
fourth Monday of August. Winter break
also shifts back to Dec. 24-Jan. 7 (the last
instructional day is Friday, Dec. 21). Spring
Break has not yet been set, but will coincide
with UT-Austin’s schedule. The last
day of school will be June 6, 2013.
To view and download the new calendar,
visit the DSISD website, www.dsisd.
txed.net (“District Calendars” on left).
The Dripping Springs Grand Piano
Project is an initiative launched by
a committed group of parents and
community members to raise funds
to purchase a grand piano for the new
high school auditorium. Individuals
may “purchase a key” for a donation
of $50. All 88 black and white keys
are available, so donors can pick their
favorite note! Donations are taxdeductible
and eligible to be matched
through a $5,000 challenge grant that
has been received, doubling the value
of each key contribution to $100.
More information on the project is
available at ds88keys.org.
PAGE 2

Student-Athletes Make College Commitments
Superintendent Mard Herrick, Principal Kim Cousins and Athletic Director
Howard Ballard pose with athletes who signed national letters of
intent and their coaches.
Five Dripping Springs High School
student-athletes signed national letters
of intent to compete in their respective
sports at Division I universities. A ceremony
was held Nov. 12 that featured
the students, their coaches and families
as they inked their letters. Principal Kim
Cousins welcomed those in attendance
and introduced Athletic Director Howard
Ballard and the three head coaches.
Baseball player Parker French committed
to the University of Texas at Austin,
volleyball player Rachael McLamore is
headed to Ole Miss, volleyball player
Mackenzie Neely signed with Northwestern
State (La.), and softball players Cassie
Carroll and Tina Cisneros will play at Texas
A&M Corpus Christi and New Mexico
State, respectively. Below is information
about each DSHS senior.
French will be a fourth-year starter
this spring. He has pitched and played
third base, and received all-district honors
for three straight years. Last spring he
was named MVP for District 26-4A after
recording a 15-0 pitching record. He also
earned academic all-district honors each
of the past three seasons. As a member
of Team USA 2009, French won a Gold
Medal, beating Korea and Cuba. His coach
is Chris Payne.
Cassie Carroll and Tina Cisneros
helped lead the softball team of Head
Coach Keith Tuck to the 2008 state
tournament and both are within reach of
the school record for career homeruns.
Carroll, an infielder, enters her third
season as a starter and was named to the
All-District First Team each of the past two
years. Cisneros, who will be a four-year
varsity starter at third base, earned a spot
on the All-District First Team in both 2009
and 2010 after receiving second-team
recognition as a freshman.
Volleyball Coach Michael Kane announced
that two of his players will play
at Division I universities.
McLamore has been a four-year
starter and letterwinner. She was selected
as Newcomer of the Year in 2007, and has
earned all-district honors every year of
her high school career. McLamore also has
been honored as a member of the Academic
All-District Team every year.
Also a four-year starter, Neely was
named to the All-District First Team in
2007, 2008 and 2009 and earned a spot
on the All-Centex Second Team as a
sophomore. She also received academic
all-district honors all three years.
Students Chosen as
Contest Finalists
Two Dripping Springs High School
sophomores have been selected as finalists
in local competitions.
Tori Baker,
a member
of the DSHS
Speech and
Debate Team,
won the Dripping
Springs
VFW Voices
of Democracy
Speech
Contest. As
the winner of the local competition, she
will advance to the district level with her
speech on the topic “Does My Generation
Have a Role in America’s Future?” Tori
won a $100 prize for her local win and will
compete for $500 in the district contest;
winners advance to the state competition.
Connor
Crawford, an
English II Pre-AP
student, was
selected to be
a finalist in the
2011 Youth Tour
Competition
sponsored by
Pedernales Electric
Cooperative.
He will be competing against 12 other
area finalists to win a trip to Washington,
D.C. Crawford will present his ideas on
the types of green jobs, programs, and
services that would have a positive impact
on the energy sector of the Central Texas
economy.
PAGE 3

Campus Happenings
Dripping Springs High School:
• Junior Liana Solis was invited to and attended the National Young Leaders Conference in Washington, D.C. in
early November. The experience allowed her to develop leadership skills and participate in a program that included
students from across the country studying governmental processes and current issues, as well as seeing
some well-known D.C. sights.
• Latin teacher Ginny Lindzey had a hand in Southwest Airlines’ recent
“Bags Fly Free” ad campaign. A student whose father works
in advertising for GSD&M asked her if she could translate the campaign
catch phrase. She obliged, providing the phrase “Sarcinae
Volant Gratis” that appears in print and television ads.
• DSHS is holding its fifth annual Poetry Out Loud Contest, a National
Recitation Contest created by the National Endowment for the Arts
and the Poetry Foundation. Students have been reciting poetry in
their English classes, and advancing students from each class will
compete in the school-wide Poetry Out Loud competition Dec. 7
beginning at 5 p.m. in the Lecture Hall. The winner of the DSHS school-wide Poetry Out Loud competition will
represent Dripping Springs at the State Level Poetry Out Loud competition.
• Again this year the high school participated in the Coats for Kids Community Project that collects and distributes
warm winter coats to eligible children and teenagers in Central Texas.
Dripping Springs Middle School:
• Student Sydney Duleba qualified for and competed in the USTPA (United States Team Penning Association)
World Championships that were held last month in West Monroe, La.
• Dripping Springs Middle School PTA will sponsor its Holiday Appreciation Luncheon and Holiday Cookies for staff
on Dec. 8. Volunteers will provide a holiday meal and cookies for approximately 100 staff divided up into three
lunch periods.
Dripping Springs Elementary:
• The fifth grade held a Colonial Fair on Nov. 22 that included merriment, robust presentations, and enchanted
learning.
• Dripping Spring Elementary families are collecting donations to support Angels in Cowboy Boots, a non-profit
organization created by the Twining family, local Dripping Springs residents. This year’s campus-wide service
project will benefit toddlers in Haiti (or toddlers in the U.S. if a disaster strikes locally). Baby Buckets fill a need
for the youngest victims of disasters. Designed to feed toddlers, each AICB Baby Bucket contains 20 days worth
of food for a young child not yet able to eat adult foods.
Rooster Springs Elementary:
• All second-grade classes from Rooster Springs will perform at Barnes and Noble Book Fair on Dec. 7 and Dec.
9, singing holiday songs at 6:30 p.m. each night. In addition, some RSE students’ art will be displayed beginning
Dec. 8.
• The First Knight Assembly of Champions on Dec. 16 will honor students who have displayed the Knight of the
Guild Character Trait of the month. Each class recognizes one student for each of two traits.
Walnut Springs Elementary:
• Walnut Spring students recently held a UIL awards presentation and participated in the annual Literacy Parade.
• WSES is participating in many holiday charitable drives, including Coats for Kids, Helping Hands, Toys for Tots,
and the Giving Tree.
PAGE 4

SceneS from VeteranS Day 2010
At left, Dripping Springs Elementary
students Natalie and Nathan
Thompson stand with grandfather
Steve Thompson, a former Marine.
at right, Rooster Springs honors
veterans who were in attendance
at the outdoor ceremony. Below,
DSHS student Lindsay Greenman
reads her award-winning essay at
the Texas State Capitol Veterans
Day program.
District Demographic Report Presented
An updated demographic report on
Dripping Springs ISD was presented at the
November Board meeting by Steve Stewart,
president of DeskMap Systems, Inc.
The report included information on
demographic trends in the community, a
breakdown of where students reside, a
historical look at enrollment and a forecast
for future enrollment.
The community demographic
information examined trends for total
population, households and families. The
projection showed a steady growth in all
areas over the next five years.
Mr. Stewart presented a history
of enrollment dating back to 2000. The
percentage of growth was 3.7 percent this
year following a jump of 4.6 percent in
2009. He broke down location of students
by elementary, middle and high school
age and showed specifically which neighborhoods
have increased at the greatest
rate. This information was presented with
the district broken down into 63 planning
zones.
The forecast for future student enrollment
considered many factors such as:
number of students in kindergarten, birth
rates, impact of new residential development,
housing market, and private school
enrollment.
Two projections were presented
through 2015: a conservative one that
reached 6,165 students over the five-year
window and a moderate projection that
extended that number to 6,440. Both the
conservative and moderate projections
then were broken down by elementary
campus, showing that Rooster Springs
Elementary would increase at the quickest
rate, followed by Walnut Springs.
With current attendance zones, Dripping
Springs Elementary is anticipated to have
very little growth over that time period.
According to these projections, current
attendance zones would lead to 2011-12
enrollments of 901 students at RSE, 741 at
WSE and 606 at DSE.
The report was concluded with
several observations. As the economy
has struggled, home building has been
slower but steady. In fact, several inactive
developments exist that may see building
if the economy improves; these are being
monitored.
As projections clearly show that
Rooster Springs is nearing its capacity, the
Board asked that Mr. Stewart examine
the planning zones and develop some
options to alleviate this imbalance while
effectively using elementary school space.
Some options will be presented at the
December Board meeting.
This report also will be used by
the District Long-Range Facility Planning
Team, which has been meeting this fall
to update planning and priorities for the
future of district facilities.
PAGE 5

Tiger Teacher Spotlight
Nicole Mariani
DSE, Kindergarten Bilingual
Nicole Mariani is in
her second year teaching
bilingual kindergarten at
DSE after spending four
years in Austin ISD. She
enjoys the small-town
feel in Dripping, and
knowing many of the
families.
Her background positioned her
well for a teaching role that embraces
multiple cultures. She lived in Puerto
Rico until moving to Louisiana at age 8.
She also lived in Miami and San Antonio
before coming to college in Austin and
staying.
She loves to travel and enjoyed a trip
this summer to Australia and New Zealand,
which she notes is the best place
she’s ever been.
Ms. Mariani says her favorite part of
teaching is seeing the fruits of her labor
in a few short months: “Children learn
so much in one school year, and you
see it happen right before your eyes.” If
she wasn’t teaching, she says she would
have been a ballet dancer.
This April she will marry her fiance
Michael Lencioni.
The following are impressions shared
by DSHS senior Erin Lulfs who, along with
fellow student Molly Wilson, traveled to
Haiti in October to help less fortunate children
and families.
My name is Erin Lulfs. I am 17 years
old and a senior at Dripping Springs High
School. I recently went Cazale, Haiti, to
work with the Real Hope for Haiti relief
program for six days in October. I aspire to
be a nurse one day and plan on attending
nursing school next fall. Being given the opportunity
to work in the clinic there allowed
me to get my feet
wet and experience
first-hand
what it would be
like to work in the
field.
While there,
I worked with
people of all ages
with many types
of sicknesses, everyone
from the
smallest infant
to the senior citizens.
People there
Amber Taylor
DSMS, English Language Arts
Eighth-grade English
teacher Amber Taylor is
in her first year in Dripping
Springs. She began
teaching 8th grade ELA
in Fort Bend ISD and
also taught 10th grade
English in Alief ISD, following
a brief experience
in a small, rural school in Louisiana
teaching 6th and 8th grade ELA.
A native of Winnfield, La., she received
her bachelor’s degree in English
Education from Louisiana Tech University.
She cites the incredible kids and wonderful
colleagues as her favorite things
about DSMS.
Ms. Taylor has two four-legged children,
Charlie and Coco, who love to go
on road trips with her to visit her “human
family” in Houston and Louisiana.
They also love to walk in the parks and
trails of Austin.
Her hobbies include reading (appropriate
for an English teacher) and cooking.
She is also a fan of professional drag
racing, and has traveled to many races
on the professional circuit.
Student Corner By Erin Lulfs, DSHS, 12th Grade
do not take anything for granted, which
made me realize how God has truly blessed
me with the life I live.
Initially, I kept visualizing what I was
hoping would happen ... I was going into
it with expectations. That was the worst
thing I could have done. Before leaving, I
realized I couldn’t try and envision what
I wanted to happen because I wouldn’t
want to be distraught when something
didn’t go the way I thought it would. After
coming to my senses, this helped me have
a much more enjoyable trip.
Those were my
thoughts, now for
my fears. Right
now there is a
huge cholera outbreak.
Cholera
is a major sickness
that is killing
thousands rapidly.
It is spread by
the water there. I
was very nervous
because I was
afraid of getting
cholera while I
Spreading Cheer
The Dripping Springs Middle School Choir
provided musical entertainment at the
annual Community Tree Lighting Ceremony
on Dec. 4. The choir is under the
direction of Ms. Rachel Frimel.
was there.
The first thing I noticed when I arrived
was the filth. Living in Austin, everyone is
pretty eco-friendly, so I don’t ever see
trash on the sides of the roads. In Haiti
though, there is no “Recon” trash company
to come gather your trash for you.
There would be trash lining the streets,
piling up to five feet tall. Wild pigs
would rummage through it. Also the little
streams of water would be filled with sewage.
And that water was not only used for a
sewage deposit place, it was also used for
drinking, bathing and for washing clothes.
Being there made me feel humbled.
These people are just like me. There is
nothing different between us. We are all
equal, and everyone there treated each
other that way. I am no more important
than the malnourished, abandoned children
yearning for food and affection.
Erin hopes to return to Haiti to help
people there again some day.
PAGE 6

Elementary Students Excel in UIL Academic Competition
In late November Rooster Springs
Elementary hosted the UIL (University
Interscholastic League) District Academic
Meet. The meet included 140 second-
through fifth-grade students. All three
DSISD elementary schools were well-represented
in the competition.
The results were as follows:
Creative Writing-2nd Grade: 1st-Coleman
Chapman, DSE; 2nd-Presley Glass, DSE;
3rd-Helena Bjeletich, RSE; 4th-Austin De-
Berry, RSE; 5th Place-Cassie Argento, WSE;
6th-Harris Coller, RSE
Ready Writing-3rd Grade: 1st-Draven
Stamper, RSE; 2nd-Mia Garino, RSE; 3rd-
Katie Haberman, DSE; 4th-Ella Edwards,
RSE; 5th-Maximilian Hodsden, WSE; 6th-
Clarissa LaBarre, DSE
Ready Writing-4th Grade: 1st-McKayla
Cothern, DSE; 2nd-Madeline Fuchs, DSE;
3rd-Vasi Bjeletich, RSE; 4th-Molly Moynihan,
WSE; 5th-Sasha Pickard, RSE; 6th-
Stephanie Hartnett, DSE
Ready Writing-5th Grade: 1st-Kristie
Lynn, RSE; 2nd Place-Trey McBurney, DSE;
3rd-Amanda Meneses, RSE; 4th-Veronica
Lopez, DSE; 5th-Emma Rodrigue, WSE;
6th-Dallas Hudson, RSE
Oral Reading-4th Grade: 1st-Sterling
Silliman, WSE; 2nd-Josie Murillo, RSE; 3rd-
Madeline McCraw, RSE; 4th-Kaitlyn Baker,
DSE; 5th-Will Aguilar, DSE; 6th-Grace
Fowler, DSE
Oral Reading-5th Grade: 1st-Rob Thomas,
DSE; 2nd (tie): Lizzie Beggs, RSE and Olivia
Ford, RSE; 4th-Riley Ruchti, RSE; 5th-Ryan
Lopez, WSE
Number Sense-4th Grade: 1st-Vasi
Bjeletich, RSE; 2nd-Christian Pundt, DSE;
3rd-Calista Chervinskis, RSE; 4th-Nicholas
Gullo, DSE; 5th-Charlotte LaPee, RSE
Number Sense-5th Grade: 1st-Ryan
Gahagan, RSE; 2nd-Salil Kanade, RSE; 3rd-
Christopher Lee, DSE; 4th-Will Nix, DSE;
5th-Dallas Hudson, RSE; 6th-Matt Darsey,
DSE
Social Studies-5th Grade: 1st-Sean
O’Connor, RSE
Maps, Graphs, and Charts-5th Grade:
1st-Justin Malcom, RSE; 2nd-William Whitfield,
RSE; 3rd-Cody Ellig, RSE
Dictionary Skills-5th Grade: 1st-Matthew
Kehm, RSE; 2nd-Trevor Bienvenu, DSE;
3rd-Nathan Gullo, DSE; 4th-Jake Sierra,
RSE
Spelling-3rd Grade: 1st-Joshua Malcom,
RSE; 2nd(tie)-Mia Garino, RSE, Olivia
Garino, RSE and Allie Haberman, DSE;
5th-Madelyn Pollack, DSE; 6th-Thomas
Cowsar, DSE
Spelling-4th Grade: 1st-Ken Gossett, DSE;
2nd-Aubrie Caldwell, DSE; 3rd (tie): Ria Kumar,
RSE and Julia Graham, RSE; 5th-Jessica
Carmichael, DSE; 6th-Ethan French,
RSE
Spelling-5th Grade: 1st-Dylan Far, DSE;
GIVING THANKS
Students in Mrs. O’Banan’s second-grade class at Dripping Springs Elementary shared
the story of the pilgrims and told what they are thankful for during a classroom presentation.
Pictured are Claire Martinucci (left) and Reed Niccum.
2nd-Mateo Martinez, RSE; 3rd-Madelyn
Olivas, RSE; 4th-Emma Rodrigue, WSE;
5th (tie)-Emily Argento-Bird, WSE and
Lauren Elliott, WSE
Listening-5th Grade: 1st-Jacob Lawrence,
DSE; 2nd-Abby Brandt, RSE; 3rd-Clare
Dobson, RSE; 4th-Katie Burns, RSE; 5th-
Kayla Kibodeaux, WSE
Art-4th Grade:
1st-Ella Rosi, RSE; 2nd-Samantha Foster
RSE; 3rd-Elizabeth Garza, DSE 4th-Lauryn
Hess, RSE
Art-5th Grade: 1st-Aish Chalak, RSE; 2nd-
Amanda Meneses, RSE; 3rd-Henry Taylor,
DSE; 4th-Lijana Young, RSE; 5th-Jordan
Miller, WSE; 6th-Clara Whitworth, WSE
Storytelling-2nd Grade: 1st Place-Jonah
Frisby, RSE; 2nd-Aidan Isaac, RSE; 3rd-
Marco Sifuentes, DSE; 4th-Jadon Putman,
DSE; 5th-Hannah Cruz, RSE; 6th-Alex
Goodson, WSE
Storytelling-3rd Grade: 1st-Caroline Luttrull,
DSE; 2nd-Ayla Koehler, DSE; 3rd-Jessica
Byrnes, RSE; 4th-Jeffrey Walker DSE;
5th-Morgan Shepperd, RSE; 6th-Caden
Murray, WSE
Music Memory-3rd Grade: 1st-Jason Oliphant,
RSE; 2nd-Carl Birchfield, RSE; 3rd-
Celeste Douglas, DSE; 4th-Carson Darling
RSE; 5th-Kasey Fuguay, DSE
Music Memory-4th Grade: 1st Place
(tie)-Erika Gossett, DSE, Alexis Haydt, RSE,
Mackenzie Noell, RSE and Camilla Paciolla,
RSE; 5th-Alyssa Caldwell, DSE; 6th-
Nicholas Johnson, DSE
Music Memory-5th Grade: 1st-Bela
Perez, DSE; 2nd-Gracyn Tippen, RSE; 3rd-
Geno Albini, WSE
Inside DSISD is the Dripping Springs
Independent School District newsletter
for parents, friends and the entire
Dripping Springs community.
Those wishing to submit photos or
story suggestions, please contact District
Information Officer Dale Whitaker
(dale.whitaker@dsisd.txed.net).
Thanks to senior Erin Lulfs for contributing
the “Student Corner” column.
DRIPPING SPRINGS ISD
Board of Trustees:
Tim Kurpiewski, president
Caroline Pekarek, vice pres.
John Adams, secretary
Alan Atwood
Liz Ing
Shelly Reeves
Barbara Stroud
Superintendent:
Mard A. Herrick, Ph.D.
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