Remember the Alamo... Remember Goliad

GOOD MORNING AND HAPPY FRIDAY!

GHS Art Students Advance to State! Congratulations to Visual Arts Scholastic Event contest participants! The following GHS students advanced to the State contest: Amanda Richards, Brissa Fuentes, Kaylee Chowning, Ali Dragoo and Jolie Pippins.

Graham High School Choir Students Going to State! Seven GHS choir vocalists competed at the UIL Solo and Ensemble and ALL 7 are going to State! Congrats Rachel Criswell, Reagan Menard, Isaiah Salazar, Celeste Aguirre, Morgan Shook, Sarah Huitt, and Cassidy Freeman!!!

GHS DECA Students Compete at State DECA Competition!- Congrats to Cooper Gordy - Principles of Business Management; Wil Shifflett & Addi Kimberling - Principles of Marketing; Aubrey Iles, Emma Ranger, Rosie Shaffer - Principles of Hospitality & Tourism; Ray Mullins - Principles of Finance; Becca Burgess & Olivia Castleberry - Entrepreneurship Team Decision Making; Liliana Huerta - Human Resource Management Individual Series Event; Aimee McShan - Accounting Individual Series Event.

GHS TSA Students Earn Trip to State!- Congratulations to the students listed below. Overall, forty-two students with thirty projects qualified for State!

Reese Echols, Ivy Peavy, Stephen Bynum, Carlos Fuentes, Hayden Husen, Jack Mercer, Bryce Bozeman, Brody Rogers, Jeff Hazlett, Ryan Karper, Patrick Acevedo, Jay Robertson, Luis Anaya, Chris Guinn, Nick Moore, Samuel Thomas, Kolton Gough, Aimee McShan, Sarah Farmer, Jeb Curry, Will Busey, Jake Lanham, Arturo Lucio, Luke Norman, Elizabeth Routon, Adam Groves, Alan McCall, Enrique Olvera, Anthony Martinez, Samuel Perkins, Daniel Alcantar, Andrew Hunter, Saul Nicogche, Jolie Pippons, Jordan Louder, Garrett Box, Emma Southerland, Chaucey Thomas, Garrison Stovall, Will Hayes, Zeph Kapplaj and Luke Stone.

Lady Blue Aubree Beggs Signs with Weatherford College! Congrats Aubree on your signing with Weatherford College to play intercollegiate softball.

RSB3- Fantastic Day for the Rompin' Stompin' Big Blue Band. In total, the RSB3 had 30 state qualifications put up by 21 students! 9 of those qualified in multiple events. The following students have each qualified for the UIL State Solo and Ensemble Contest in May: Kyle Adair, Luis Anaya, Emily Browning, Jake Curry (2 Events), Jeb Curry (2 Events), Cassidy Freeman, Hannah Isbell, Matthew McPherson, Shayne Lopez, Anthony Martinez, Reagan Menard (2 Events), Deaven Miller, Jorge Ramirez, Bryan Sierra (2 Events), Nicholas Stevens, Aaron Trejo (2 Events), Alex Trejo (2 Events), Zara Van Alstyne (2 Events), Christta Williams, Kaylea Wright (2 Events), Lisa Wright (2 Events)

GHS Bella Blues- The Graham Bella Blues had a fantastic day at the Danceline State Classic contest! They received the small team Best in Class in kick category, 3rd place overall for student choreographed ensemble for lyrical, division 1's for all routines (pom, kick, hip hop, lyrical), and both soloists received division 1's. Congrats on a great contest season!

Lady Blues Earn All-District Honors! Offensive Player of the Year-Ryan Gober; Defensive Player of the Year- Jasmine Sims; 1st Team- Cammie Teplicek; 2nd Team- Ashley Galloway; Honorable Mention- Nicole King. Congrats!!!

Graham Steers Earn All-District Honors- Congrats to these Steers for All-District Honors! Marc Tate and Cameron Mason were voted First Team, and Wes Martin made Second Team!

GHS One Act Play District Contest- Graham Memorial Auditorium- Tuesday, March 6.

Rotary Club of Graham Duck Derby- Several of Graham ISD's campuses and organizations will be partnering with the Rotary Club of Graham, Texas for the first Graham Duck Derby. A portion of each duck adoption can be benefit Pioneer PTO, Crestview Elementary, Woodland Elementary, GJHS National Junior Honor Society, GJHS Band or Graham High School. Go to www.grahamduckderby.com to adopt your duck today for a chance to win $2500 and help your local school group.

Mark you calendar for RSB3’s Cars and Stars- Come join us April 14th, 2018 for Cars and Stars on America's Largest Town Square. Cars and Stars is presented by the Rompin' Stompin' Big Blue Band.  Proceeds from the event directly benefit the students of the Graham ISD Band Programs.  Back this year is special guest KC Mathieu, owner of KC's Paintshop and featured on Discovery's hit, Fast n' Loud.  New this year! The Cars and Stars Community Block Party with live music and a free movie following the show!  For more information, please visit our website at:  https://grahamcarsandstars.org/

Graham ISD Web Calendar- Check out the Graham ISD web calendar for our school events!

Remember the Alamo… Remember Goliad!

Since we are all educators, let’s take a one question quiz: What is the significance of March 2, 1836, to Texans? BING, BING, BING, BING. You are all correct, March 2, 1836, is the day Texas declared its independence from Mexico.

One hundred and eighty-two years ago this Friday, some brave Texans took the first step in separating themselves from Mexican rule. The road to Texas independence began before 1836, however. Disappointed and angered because of an erosion of their rights by decisions made by President Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna, in the Declaration of November 7, 1835 the Texans vowed to make war with Mexico until rights established by the Constitution of 1824 were restored to them.

When the Convention of 1836 met at Washington-on-the-Brazos on March 1, 1836, however, things had deteriorated so badly that procrastination was no longer an option. Action was demanded by the delegates representing the fifty-nine settlements in Texas!

On the first day, the Convention president Richard Ellis appointed a committee to draft a Declaration of Independence. George Childress was appointed to chair the committee, and he is generally accepted as the author of the Texas Declaration of Independence. Since the twelve-page document was presented to the whole convention the very next day for ratification, he probably didn’t have much help in writing it. In fact, don’t you imagine he had a rough draft in his pocket when he arrived at Washington-on-the-Brazos?

Over the next few days, as the delegates worked, they received regular reports on the ongoing siege on the Alamo by the forces of Santa Anna.

A free and independent Republic of Texas was officially declared March 2, 1836. Over the course of the next several days, fifty-nine delegates – one representing each of the settlements in Texas – approved the Texas Declaration of Independence.

On March 2, 1836, the Texans told Mexico that they had had enough. They could be pushed around and bullied no more. During the fight for independence many Texans distinguished themselves and many became heroes. However, on this first Texas Independence Day, real heroism was on display.

As school districts have strived to create a culture of voting among the educators of the state, salvos have been fired at many. Some of our state leaders have overtly attempted to squash the impact of public school educators at the election polls.  In the face of such unprincipled deceit, educators have responded with creative and courageous replies, and they have spoken with plain language truth to the lies.

I encourage each of you to exercise your right to vote!  Your last chance to vote early is TODAY, Friday, March 2, 2018.  The regular election day is Tuesday, March 6, 2018.

Thank you educators and supporters of public education. Stand firm!

CORNY JOKES OF THE DAY- In honor of Theodor Seuss Geisel… Dr. Seuss’s Birthday- March 2, 1904.

Go to www.thecruseline.com  for the answers.

1. Why doesn’t the Grinch like knock knock jokes?
2. What is Sam-I-am’s middle name?

Answers:

1. Because there’s always Whos there!
2. “I”