PCTAG generously funded a unique, engaging learning opportunity for Mrs. Janik's TAG students on May 20.  Her students heard two actors from the Shakespeare Company of Dallas through an educational program called Shakespeare on the Go: Speak the Speech: Shakespeare and the Spoken Word.  During the performance in our HPMS auditorium, students participated by playing a word game with Shakespeare's invented words, listening to many partial, famous Shakespearean speeches from various plays (and the actors changed characters and costumes for each scene), practicing iambic pentameter, hurling Shakespearean insults, and practicing Shakespearean dialogue. This interactive learning experience connected well to the introduction to Shakespeare's language, plays, and patterns that Mrs. Janik taught in her TAG English classes.

Congratulations to MIS Math Teacher Sarah Beth Haigler, the 2015 recipient of the PCTAG Teacher of the Year Award.  

Ms. Haigler was nominated by students, parents and teachers who praised her encouraging and inspiring manner, as well as the significant extra time and energy she spends coaching the MIS/HPMS Math Team.  

Ms. Haigler received her award on May 14 before a classroom of cheering students and Dr. Hitzelberger.


Through its Teacher of the Year nomination process, PC-TAG received numerous nominations for the entire English department at Highland Park High School.  Although the English department was not selected as "Teacher of the Year," it did receive a special presentation from the PC-TAG Teacher of the Year selection committee to acknowledge this group's work and dedication throughout this past year.

On April 23, Ashley McCarrick and Scott Simons from KD College Prep talking about the New SAT Format.

Ashley McCarrick is a summa cum laude graduate of Flager College.  She has worked for KD College Prep since 2001 and currently serves as the company’s Executive Director of Client Development.  As the driving force behind the Colleyville KD College Prep campus, Ashley frequently counsels students on the structure and importance of the PSAT/NMSQT®, SAT® and ACT® exams as part of a well-rounded college application.   Her passion is helping teenagers discover their dreams.
 
Scott Simons is an honors graduate of The Pennsylvania State University who has worked in the test prep industry for almost 25 years.  He has tutored and taught prep classes for the SAT®, PSAT/NMSQT®, ACT®, LSAT®, GRE® and GMAT® exams, and he has developed entire math, verbal and science curricula for each of those exams.  He has given hundreds of live presentations to both high schools and colleges on preparing for admissions tests and how to successfully navigate the admissions process.  For the past six years, he has focused exclusively on the college entrance exams/college admissions, and he is currently the Senior Director of Math and Science Curriculum Development at KD College Prep. 

KD College Prep Presentation

4th grade Explorations at Bradfield with Carol Lanning

The students worked in groups to create a fictitious "enigma" creature, tunnel to Atlantis, sea monster, etc.  They present it to the parents as a scientific fact with artifacts, blurry pictures (ex. Bigfoot), then are questioned by the parents and other students.  The student answers are creative and thoughtful.
Each group also made an Animoto video about their "discovery."

Congratulations to the following students (all in TAG), who earned the top ten scores in the MIS/HPMS School MATHCOUNTS Competition on January 14 and 16:
 
Matthew Healy, Enayat Kapadia, Parker Lake, Amy Li, Justin Liang, Richard Luo, Ben Olness, Calder Sinak, Stacy Wang, Michael Zhan
 
These ten students will represent HPMS at the January 31 MATHCOUNTS Dallas Chapter Competition at SMU.  Top scorers in the Chapter competition will move on to MATHCOUNTS State in Austin on March 28.
 
Thirty students in grades 5 through 8 participated in the two-day, after-school meet.  Competition was extremely tight this year for those top ten spots.  After the individual testing on Day One, Henry Wang and Justin Liang were tied for 10th place and had to battle it out in Day Two’s Countdown Round, a one-on-one head-to-head competition.
 
In the Countdown Round, two students at a time sit at the front of the room, armed with buzzer switches, competing to see who can correctly answer three questions first.  Meanwhile, the other students watch the fast-paced action and try to work the problems themselves.
 
Justin Liang won the 10th place spot, while Parker Lake was the overall victor of the Countdown Round, defeating all his opponents, including our two tied-for-1st-place individual test scorers, Amy Li and Michael Zhan.
 
Our top 5th grader was Justin Li, who actually tied 8th graders Henry and Justin Liang for 10th place, but he is ineligible to compete at Chapter because he’s not yet in 6th grade!  Parth Nandekar came in first of all 6th graders.
 
Thanks to Greenhill School for providing the buzzer-and-light indicator system, as well as to parent volunteers Angie Nouanesengsy, Lisa Sinak and Jennifer Lake for helping to run this event.  The Math Team is coached by Sarah Beth Haigler and Randi Summer.
 
We wish our team the best of luck at the January 31 MATHCOUNTS Meet at SMU!

MIS TAG students in Ms. Turet's 5th grade Explorations class dissected a sheep brain.

On December 5, Claire Goldsmith, Director of Admission and Financial Aid at Stanford OHS, talked about the Stanford Online High School program.

Stanford Online High School serves academically gifted and talented students in grades 7 - 12 from around the world. Students partake in interactive, real-time online seminars taught by expert instructors and are placed by ability, not grade level. Students also have access to a vibrant student life with over 50 clubs and organizations as well as local and regional meet ups. Students can attend full-time and graduate from Stanford OHS or enroll part-time, choosing courses from a catalog of over 60, many of which are AP or University level. For more information visit the school's website or to speak with an Admission Officer email [email protected].

Third grade TAG students at Armstrong dissect pig hearts.

The second grade Explorations students at Hyer Elementary were challenged to create an invention that would protect a raw egg when dropped from six feet.  The students worked with partners and utilized Wallis’ Stages of Creativity to guide in the production of their inventions.  It was fun to see all of the creativity and innovative thinking the students used to successfully complete this project.