Frisco ISD Extracurricular Offerings

Softball.jpg When I first ran for the school board, I stated that one of my priorities was to provide a rich set of extracurricular activities for our children. I continue to believe in the value of extracurricular activities in the overall development of our students. I am also highly encouraged by the success of our children.

As an example of the value of extracurricular activities, and as an indication of the value of small schools, I would like to briefly touch on the success of our four Academic Decathlon teams in the state finals held in San Antonio. Centennial High School and Frisco High School finished eighth and ninth respectively in the State 4A division. In the State 3A division, Wakeland High School finished fourth and Liberty High School lost first place to defending state champion Taylor High School by 31 points, the equivalent of 1 question. Many of our students earned scholarships and honors and overall it was an outstanding showing for the four Frisco ISD teams. If Frisco had taken the large school concept, many of these fine students would not have had the opportunity to participate in such a significant event that they will remember the rest of their lives.

If you would like to research the benefits of extracurricular activities, just Google the web or try some of these articles:

As far as Frisco ISD, the current commitment of the Board, the Administration and the community is to build facilities that maintain a small, personal learning environment. Elementary schools are being built to accommodate 700-plus students; middle schools will serve 800-1,000 students and the high schools are being built to serve between 1,500 and 1,800 students. Having smaller schools allows more students to be involved in activities and for meaningful relationships to be forged between students and teachers.

Here is a sampling of some of the extracurricular actvities:

At the Elementary School Level

  • In addition to the core curricular areas, students at the elementary level participate in special programs including physical education for life-long health and music and art for life-long appreciation.
  • The elementary level also provides opportunities for leadership training through student council, safety patrols, choir and other activities.
  • We provide the fifth grader outdoor learning experience and the 4th and 5th grader broadcast opportunities.
  • Other opportunities may include Lone Star Challenge, UIL Competition and Destination Imagination
  • Special programs services are provided on home campuses or through centralized programming; these include Gifted Instruction, Special Education, ESL/Bilingual, Dyslexia, Head Start, Accelerated Reading Instruction, Credit Recovery and GED. After-school programming and Spanish Language classes are offered at elementary schools through partnerships with Alpha Best, the YMCA, Spanish Schoolhouse and other educational entities.
  • Full-time counselors, nurses and librarians are also on each campus.

At the Middel School Level

  • Academic opportunities to excel may include the Duke University Talent Search, Math/Science Competition, pre Advanced Placement courses, UIL academic competition, Mock Trial, Band, Choir, Art, Theatre Arts, Robotics, Video production, National Junior Honor Society, Student Council, Teen Leadership, Yearbook, Academic Pentathlon, among others.
  • Sports offered are volleyball, football, basketball, track, soccer, cheerleading and tennis.
  • A Strings program is also in place at the middle and high school level.

At the High School Level

  • More and more Advanced Placement and Honors courses are being offered, with current high school offerings including Language and Composition, Literature and Composition, Computer Science 1/ 2, US History, Government, Macroeconomics, Chemistry, Biology, Physics B/C, Calculus AB/BC, Art Studio, Drawing, Design 2D/3D, Art History, Spanish 4/5; French 4/5, German, Music Theory 2, European History, Environmental Science, Human Geography, World History, Psychology and Statistics.
  • Dual credit classes are offered in conjunction with Collin County Community College and DBU for certain courses; Tech Prep courses are also available. The Independent Study Mentorship Program is offered for qualifying, committed juniors and seniors, enabling them to explore a career through a community mentor, preparing a portfolio and an end-of-course project.
  • Students can participate in athletics through football, basketball, baseball, soccer, softball, volleyball, track and cross-country, swimming, golf, power-lifting and wrestling.
  • Other clubs and activities may include Band, Color Guard, Chorale Music, Drill Team/Dance, Cheerleading, National Honor Society, Student Council, Academic Decathlon, Computer science/Technology Club, Debate, DECA (Marketing Club), Drama, FCA, FFA, FCCLA, French Club, HOSA, Key Club, National Art Honor Society, National French Honor Society, Robotics, Students Against Dangerous Decisions, Science Club, Spanish Club and Yearbook.

Parental & Community Involvement at ALL LEVELS

  • Parent and community involvement is encouraged in the FISD schools and PTAs and PTOs are very active.
  • Mentoring programs are in place, and a school-business partnership program has been developed, along with a speaker’s bureau.
  • The Frisco Education Foundation was established in 1999 to raise money to provide scholarships for graduating seniors and innovative teaching grants for teachers; its major fundraiser is held in October of each year – the Gary Burns Frisco Fun Run.
  • District level committees are established as another means of community involvement including the District Improvement Team; Diversity Task Force; Technology Committee; Health Education Advisory Committee; and the Citizen’s Facility Naming Advisory Committee.

Frisco ISD Mission

By providing quality resources, innovative instruction, and an environment conducive to continually inspiring students…

The mission of Frisco Independent School District, in partnership with parents and community, is to develop citizens prepared to pursue their aspirations, who enjoy learning, display compassion, and care about community.

 
Copyright © by Richard Beaver
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