Freshman Applied Engineering students, Braeden Tabangcora and Damian Aguilar, recently received certificates in Engineering Technology.  The students, in Mrs. Deborah Andrews class, successfully exhibited competency and knowledge in several engineering related areas.  The certification process requires demonstrated understanding of engineering problem solving, application of proper design techniques and documentation.  Additionally, the students must be able to present complex technical information to a varied audience.  Students also explore opportunities in the engineering career pathway to aid in their selection of other Career Technology Education (CTE) classes in high school and to prepare for post-secondary education.  This certificate program, along with OSHA certification offered in the class, aid students as they seek acceptance to universities and is a great addition to their resume’.

The PHS chapter of Texas Association of Future Educators (TAFE) participated in regional competition on Friday, November 30th in Mt. Pleasant.  Of the 19 PHS students participating, 14 qualified to compete at the state competition in February.  Student teams advancing in Project Visualize were: Amangane Hamilton and Akia Edwards, Ileana Zuniga and Kenya Young, Tamia McKinney and Hope Dixon, Hannah Pardee and Skylar Frazier, Carol Sanchez and Amagane Hamilton, and Destiny Millard and Robert Parker.
Teams moving on to state competition in Bulletin Board were: Quay Porter and Robert Parker in Elementary Design, and Hope Cox and Esmeralda Aguinaga in Secondary Design.
The team of Hope Cox and Skylar Frazier advance to state in Chapter Yearbook competition.
Students advancing to state in Children’s Literature were: Carol Sanchez,  Destiny Millard and  Hannah Pardee.   Hope Cox and Ileana Zuniga move on to state competition in Impromptu Speaking, and Amagane Hamilton and Hope Cox move forward in Job Interview competition.

First Baptist Church of Gilmer was the host location for Pre-Area Choir auditions on November 27.  PHS students Rhea Tabora, Nick Leija, II, and Nicolas Reed earned seats allowing them to advance to Area Choir auditions to be held in Carthage on January 12th.

Paris High School Audio Video Production I and II students were recently treated to a tour of the studios and production facilities of KXII Television in Sherman, Texas.  KXII Meteorologists Tom Miller and Wava Denito led the tour. The tour hosts shared information about the television broadcast industry and education requirements for a variety of occupations in the field.  Miller and Denito also informed the classes about the additional education necessary to be a meteorologist.
 

The AV Production classes at Paris High School have access to a studio equipped with a chromakey wall, commonly referred to as green screen, for use in recorded segments.  However, this was the first opportunity for many of the students to gain understanding of how the technology is used in a live production setting.
The tour concluded with students watching the live production of the stations noon newscast, both from the studio as well as the control room.  AV Production instructor Jon McFadden said, “Field trips to actual businesses, like a television station, help students as they explore possible careers of interest to them.  They can then use the information to tailor their high school class selection to benefit them as they prepare for college or the workforce.”

Paris High School students in Mrs. Leigh Napier’s Physics classes have been studying conservation of energy, and how to calculate elastic potential energy and kinetic energy using a rather unconventional tool.  Students were challenge to construct model cars powered only by the spring of a mousetrap.  The cars were judged by which could travel the farthest and which traveled fastest.

When Lt. Joey McCarthy, of the Lamar County Sheriff’s Office, saw a trailer mounted smoker in the county impound lot, he saw potential.  McCarthy’s goal was to have a smoker that the sheriff’s office could use to help build positive interaction between the community and their department. By seeking assistance from Ag Science Instructor, Steve Tucker at Paris High School, students could be a part of the community building project.  Tucker’s Ag Mechanics class took on the rehabilitation starting with cleaning out the smoker that had previously been used to burn paper.  Once the smoker was cleaned, the class worked to remove rust, repair the cooking racks and fire box, and repair loose welds.  After painting the unit, the students installed new wheels and tires on the trailer.
This collaborative effort between PHS and the sheriff’s office will benefit the community.  The students had the opportunity to apply their skills to a worthy project and the Lamar County Sheriff’s Office receives a tool they can use to expand their outreach in the county.  Shown with the refurbished smoker are PHS students (L to R) Walker Preston, Skyler Toland, Ryan House, project leader Ashton Milton, Garrett Rowton and Christian Barrios.

Paris Fire Marshal Clyde Crews visited with Paris High School students recently to explain how fire investigations take place.  The students in Ms. Deborah Andrews’  Forensic Science class heard about investigation of suspected arson blazes and how forensic science aids in finding and prosecuting those responsible. Crews presented information about the science behind how fires start, are fueled and how trained investigators determine if a fire was intentional, natural, incendiary or accidental in origin.

The Paris High School drumline competed in the 2018 Lone Star Classic Drumline Competition on Saturday, November 10.  Performing in the standstill 2 category, for groups of 21 or more, PHS garnered second place in the event hosted by Marcus High School in Flower Mound.  Drumlines in the competition were evaluated based on execution, repertoire and performance effectiveness.  PHS performed their 2018 state marching band qualifying program entitled “Sparked.”

On Friday, November 9th, students at Paris High School partnered to offer a first-time experience for many students: Attending the Beaver’s Bend Folk Festival at Beaver’s Bend State Park in Oklahoma. Students from the Low Incidence Diagnostic Services (LIDS) classroom paired with Texas Association of Future Educators (TAFE) students for this cultural experience.

TAFE students learned some of the challenges and experienced the fun of working with a diverse group of students who have various needs.  All enjoyed the time together experiencing the folk culture, watching craftsmen design and create their various crafts and enjoying the beauty of fall in on our our nation’s beautiful state parks.  Above all, the two groups have made lasting friendships and hope they have started a tradition for years to come.

Five Paris High School students and two Paris Junior High students attended the Texas Music Educators Association All-Region Choir clinic and concert on Saturday, November 10 in Mt. Pleasant.  These students had qualified for their All-Region Choir during area competitions earlier this year.  The PHS students were privilege to have Lane Parks, who trained under esteemed choral conductor, Robert Shaw, as their clinician and conductor for the concert.  Texas composer Laura Farnell led the junior high choir as clinician and conductor.  The junior high choir performed one of Farnell’s compositions as part of the concert.
PHS All-Region Choir qualifiers were Rowan Burns, Rhea Tabora, Jarod Posey, Nick Leija II, and Nicholas Reed.  Paris Junior High qualifiers were Nyla Rollerson, Kayglen Shelton and Alexis Jackson.  Jackson was unable to attend the clinic and concert.  The PHS Choir is directed by Jan Blize and the PJHS Choir is led by Lindsay McCarter.

Pictured (L to R, front row) – Rowan Burns, Nyla Rollerson, Kayglen Shelton, Rhea Tabora, (back row) Jarod Posey, Nick Leija II and Nicholas Reed

Paris High School FFA (Future Farmers of America) students Paul Walden and Amanda Blouin recently competed in the 2018 Paris District Leadership Development Events contest.  The event was held on Tuesday, November 6th at North Hopkins High School.

Walden placed 8th in the Job Interview Contest.  This contest includes writing a letter of application, completing a job application, a phone interview, face-to-face interview, and follow-up letter writing components.

Competing in the Senior Creed Speaking Contest, Blouin placed 17th in the district.  This competition requires students to memorize, recite and answer questions about the FFA Creed written by E. M. Tiffany.
 

PHS Agri-Science Instructor and FFA Advisor, Steve Tucker, said “These young adults represented PHS, Paris ISD and Paris FFA well and I am proud of their efforts.”  

Creating situations for members to demonstrate their abilities in public speaking, decision making, communication and their knowledge of FFA and agriculture, Leadership Development Events (LDE) reinforce what is taught in the classroom.  Contests are held at the district level with those not eliminated advancing to area competitions.   Those not eliminated at area competitions will advance to state competition to take place at Sam Houston State University November 30th and December 1st.

SkillsUSA, a student, teacher and industry partnership, works to ensure America has a skilled workforce.  By providing educational programs, events and competitions, SkillsUSA supports Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs in the nation’s schools.
On October 30th, the Paris High School SkillsUSA leadership team attended the District 5 Fall Leadership Annual Conference in Tyler.  PHS student Nichole Hawkes serves as a district officer and attended the conference along with past district officer Ceaira Gill.  Other PHS students attending the conference were (L to R in photo) Robert Parker, Teddy Hubbard, Hayden Dicken (back row) Constance O’Neal, Braeden Tabangcore, Grace Hamm, and Logan Young (front row).  Also pictured are Ceaira Gill and Nichole Hawkes.

The Paris Wildcat Varsity boys golf team competed in the Mt. Pleasant Invitation Tournament on November 5th at Mt. Pleasant Country Club.  Finishing second, behind 5A Sulphur Springs, with a team score of 329, the Wildcats were lead by Blaine Hill’s individual low score of 79.  Hill’s score placed him in a tie for 3rd place overall individual score for the event.  Other PHS individual scores were Tate Lewis in 5th place with 80, Tyler Harvey 82, Mason Napier 88 and Holden Stone 89.  Pictured left to right: Tate Lewis, Tyler Harvey, Blaine Hill, Holden Stone, Mason Napier and Coach Randall Lewis.

With the start of the school year, the new Career and Technical Education (CTE) building on the Paris High School campus was put in use by Automotive Technology classes.  The building is to ultimately house additional classes and construction continues toward that end.
As a method of fiscal conservancy, Paris ISD opted to complete the interior construction by utilizing maintenance staff within the district. Between priority and emergent projects it has been possible to utilize district maintenance staff to complete the interior portions of the new building.  “These areas will ultimately house robotics, engineering and forensic science classes taught by Jodi Andoe and Deborah Andrews.  The additional space provided in the building will allow all classes to expand the hands-on experiences available to students.” said John McCullough, PISD Director of CTE and Secondary Education.
The building is expected to be completed by the end of December and classes will begin to meet in the newly completed areas after the Christmas break.  The district plans to hold an open house to allow the public to view the new facility once the remaining classes have moved in.

The Paris High School Blue Blazes Band competed Saturday, October 27, in the UIL 4A Area C marching competition in Longview. Performing their competition show entitled “Sparked” the band, for the second time in school history, advanced to the state marching band competition to be held in San Antonio on November 7th.  The North Lamar Panther Band also advanced to the state competition.

Both state qualifying bands had been scheduled to perform their shows this Friday night during the Crosstown Showdown between the Paris High and North Lamar football teams.  Due to field conditions at North Lamar’s Maddox Stadium, resulting from recent rainfall, both bands will perform their competition shows this Thursday night, November 1, at Wildcat Stadium on the PHS campus. The change is made in an effort to ensure the safety of the students and allow them to perform in full uniform on a turf field.

The North Lamar band will perform during halftime of the freshman game between Paris and North Lamar at approximately 6:00 pm.  Paris High School will perform during halftime of the Junior Varsity game at approximately 7:30 pm.

The Paris High School Boys and Girls golf teams competed Monday, October 29, in the Sonic Drive-In Invitational.  The invitational was held at Paris Golf and Country Club.  The PHS girls finished 2nd behind Texas High with a team score of 487.  Paris golfer Bella Hill had the low score of the team shooting 114.
Texas High won the boys division with a team score of 300 followed by Paris with a score of 312.  Holden Stone lead the Paris team with an individual score of 75.

Paris High School Principles of A/V students recently had the opportunity to tour the studios of East Texas Broadcasting in Paris.  The primarily freshman classes, taught by Jon McFadden, explore career clusters in Arts, Audio Visual Technology and Communication (AAVTC)

The classes are part of the Career Technical Education (CTE) Department at PHS.  Students learn about employment in AAVTC fields in order to assist them in career, high school elective and post-secondary education planning.   During the tour the students learned about both working on-air as well as careers in sales and business operation.  The students also wrote and recorded public service announcements (PSAs) for several United Way of Lamar County partner agencies.  After evaluation, some PSAs may be broadcast on the 4 radio stations operated by East Texas Broadcasting from their Paris studios.

Mr. Eric Kauffman, morning DJ on KOYN, and Mr. Tim Howard, morning DJ on Mix 107, led the tour and assisted the students with their recordings.  Mr. Kauffman, a Paris ISD CTE Advisory Committee member, said “We are glad to have the opportunity to help students determine if a career in radio or television broadcasting is of interest to them.  Now that they have had a small glimpse at the career field, perhaps some may want to explore it further through an internship, which would would certainly consider.”

Each year students in Mrs. Kelley Ferguson’s Physics classes at Paris High School are challenged to find ways to drop an egg from a 2 story building without it breaking.  The activity is to explore the force of gravity and methods of minimizing its effect.  After designing, constructing and loading their egg protection devices, Ferguson drops the containers from the 2nd floor of the school onto a sheet of plastic protecting the cafeteria floor below.

There are rules to follow in the design and construction of the egg protection devices.  Student are prohibited from using liquids, gases, food, glass or balloons of any kind.  Additionally, the over all size cannot be in excess of 12 inches in length or width and may not contain commercial packing materials of any kind.

Following the egg drops, student complete a written proposal for their project explaining how their device was or was not successful.  This year, a majority of the devices dropped, did in fact protect their precious cargo.  Ferguson finds that this and other experiments work to strengthen learning and reinforce the principles taught in the classroom.

Paris High School students recently explored the emerging technology behind Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), commonly known as drones, as part of their Applied Engineering classes.  Classroom learning included safe drone operation, environmental concerns and registration and licensing requirements.  Drones are quickly becoming a tool used daily by photographers, videographers, construction companies, military, the agricultural industry and others.   The instructor, Mrs. Deborah Andrews, used the hands-on experience to illustrate the technology found in UAVs and how drones might benefit various industries.  Andrews said “The fact that students can use actual equipment and learn to safely operate it aids their life skills development and career selection process.”  PHS students in the Career and Technical Education Department (CTE) are allowed to examine numerous career pathways as a method of determining their workplace goals and the education needed to achieve them.  Through CTE classes students can be well prepared to continue their education towards their career objective after high school or potentially enter the workforce with certifications secured before graduation.

Paris High School freshman Teddy Hubbard is the first of the school year to complete a 10-hour General Industry Safety Certification with the Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA).  The lifetime certification requires demonstrated knowledge in 19 areas of recognizing, identifying and avoiding health and physical hazards in the workplace.  PHS students in the Career and Technical Education (CTE) program have access to several certification programs in addition to OSHA certifications as part of their educational opportunities.  Over 80 percent of current PHS students are enrolled in at least one CTE class.  Hubbard gained his certification through the Applied Engineering class taught by Mrs. Deborah Andrews.

Nineteen Paris High School choir students attended the UIL region choir auditions at North Lamar High School on Saturday, October 6.  The auditions included students performing sections of songs in German, Latin and English as well as sight reading.  Five PHS students earned chair placements in the small school high school region choir.  Qualifying for the region choir were 6th chair soprano Rowan Burns, 3rd chair alto Rhea Tabora, 4th chair tenor Nicolas Reed, 9th chair tenor Jared Posey, and 7th chair bass Nick Leija II.  The five qualifying students will participate in the All-Region Clinic and Concert in Mt. Pleasant on Saturday, November10, and advance to pre-area auditions in Gilmer on Tuesday, November 27.  Ms. Jan Blize, Paris High School Choir Director expressed her appreciation to Dottie Billman, Lindsay McCarter and Grant Taylor for their assistance preparing the students for the auditions.

The Paris High School Blue Blazes Marching Band competed in the Sunnyvale Marching Invitational on Saturday, October 6th.  The contest, held at Sunnyvale ISD stadium, included 25 bands from UIL classes 2A through 5A.  The Blue Blazes Band qualified for the finals competition featuring the top 10 bands from preliminary performances. The finals competition was ultimately canceled due to inclement weather concerns.  In addition to qualifying for finals, PHS also received Best in Class awards for 4A Drumline, Color Guard and Drum Major.  The PHS Band is under the direction of Charles Grissom assisted by Jared Cronk, Beverly Ewing, Bryan Ewing, Tyler Gerton and Byron Myrick.

17 PHS Chorale state qualifiers pose with director Jan Blize and accompanist Dottie Billman at the state Capitol

Paris High Chorale students returned from the UIL State Solo & Ensemble Contest in Pflugerville over the Memorial Day weekend with 3 gold and 11 silver medals for their performances.

Receiving gold medals for superior ratings were seniors Jake Freelen, Molly Law, and Averi McFadden.  Students earning silver medals for excellent ratings were seniors Javian Dabbs, Elizabeth Frazier, Jessica Ibarra, Yessica Ramirez, Christiana Swindle; juniors Nick Leija II and Rhea Tabora; and sophomores Skyler Bryan, Rowan Burns, Isabella Garrard, Jared Posey.

Three students received good ratings: junior Nicholas Reed and sophomores Ariana Epperson and Ben Ruthart.

The 17 Chorale students also took a tour of the Capitol while in the Austin area.  The PHS choir director is Jan Blize and accompanist is Dottie Billman.  Other members of the entourage were Tina Freelen, Angela and Richard Calvin.

Sophomore Zach Nation congratulations freshman Bubba Gray for scoring the Cats’ lone run in their series sweep at the hands of the Center Roughriders

You won’t find the Center Roughriders listed in the final Class 4A top 10 rankings issued by Texas baseball coaches, but you’d have a hard time convincing Paris Wildcats head coach Bill Sikes that the District 16 champions don’t belong near the top of that list.

The Riders opened the schools’ best of 3 Area Round series on Friday with a 21-0 Game 1 romp, and followed with a workmanlike 7-1 Game 2 win Saturday afternoon back at Longview Lobo Field to advance to this week’s regional quarterfinals against Kilgore.

The Wildcats finished their season with a 12-18-1 record, but with 5 sophomores and 3 freshman who were key varsity contributors the Cats look to be a team of the future.  By contrast, the Riders (23-5) list 7 seniors in their starting lineup and have won 17 of their last 18 games.  Their potential lies in the present.

The Cats knew this before they boarded the bus Friday for the trip south.  The team picked to finish dead last in District 14 was happy just to make the playoffs.  They were ecstatic when a Game 3 comeback win over Van last week gave them a bi-district championship and a chance to extend their season.

“Hey, even if we get run-ruled twice, it’s been a great year,” Sikes had said prior to the first pitch on Friday.  “We’re going to have fun and treat it as a learning experience that may help us two years from now.”

Then came the 21-0 blowout Friday punctuated by 16 walks delivered by 5 Paris pitchers plus a grand slam home run off the bat of Center standout Jaxon Covington.

Center jumped out to a 2-0 start in the first inning of Game 2 when Covington drove a Zach Norris pitch over the left centerfield wall.  For the series Covington was 3 for 4 with a pair of homers, a double, 3 walks, a hit by pitch, and 7 RBI.

After a walk to cleanup hitter and Game 2 pitcher Tyler Fountain, Norris settled into a groove by retiring 14 of the next 16 batters.  He struck out 5 Riders and got some clean defensive assists from teammates, but he ran out of steam in the sixth inning.

Covington started it off with a double.  Three batters later, a hot shot bounced over third baseman Devin Gaines’ glove and Norris’ outstanding 4-year varsity career at Paris High was over.

He left with his team trailing, 4-0, and still no outs in the sixth.  Sophomore Coleman Lewis came into the game and finally quelled the rally but not before the Riders added 3 more runs for a 7-0 lead.

The Cats were able to avoid a shutout series in their final at-bat with a big assist from the mid-day sun.  Freshman Bubba Gray got it started with a double that the rightfielder lost in the bright sun and junior Walker Preston drove Gray home with a fly ball to right that glazed off the outfielder’s glove.

Otherwise, Center’s Fountain, a lefty, was able to scatter 6 Paris hits (by Preston, Norris, Layn Hall, Daniel Blackmon, Gray, Saxon Swain) with 6 strikeouts and a pair of Rider double plays.

Despite being outscored 28 to 1 in the series, Sikes was pleased with his team’s effort.  “It’s been a good run,” he said.

It’s a run Sikes hopes his team will be able finish further down the playoff road in the future.

Even the scoreboard at Longview Lobo Field coudn’t keep pace with the high-octane Center offense which scored 12 runs in the fourth inning, then added 6 more in the fifth topped off by Jaxon Covington’s grand slam home run as the Roughriders took Game 1 of the Area Round baseball series with the Paris Wildcats

The Center Roughriders overwhelmed the Paris Wildcats by the footballl-like score of 21-0 Friday in Game 1 of their best of 3 Area Round playoff series at Longview HS Friday.  The series resumes at 2 p.m. Saturday back at Longview.  The Cats must win Game 2 to force a decisive third game.

A combination of 5 Paris pitchers tried unsuccessfully to slow down the District 16 champions, who took advantage of 16 walks, a hit batter, and 3 errors to accompany an 11-hit attack.  Carthage took a 3-0 lead in the top of the first winning, exploded for 12 runs in the fourth, and finished the run-rule shortened game with 6 in the fifth.

Tall senior lefthander Jaxon Covington kept the Cats hitters off-stride allowing just 2 hits: A two-out single by Zach Norris in the first inning and a leadoff double by Daniel Blackmon in the second.  Blackmon advanced to third base on a groundout but was thrown out attempting to score on a dropped third strike which turned into an unusual home-to-first-to-home double play.

Covington struck out 5 Paris batters and capped off the night at the plate with a grand slam home run in the fifth over the left-centerfield scoreboard.