November 16, 2023

Thanksgiving Break Is Next Week

Enjoy next week off and have a great Thanksgiving! Tomorrow is the last day of classes until Monday, November 27.

Review the Draft 2024-25 Academic Calendar

Sherman ISD invites your feedback regarding the proposed academic calendar for the 2024-25 school year. Please check out the draft calendar, a brief presentation and complete the linked survey by 5 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 30 to share any feedback. The calendar won’t be final until it is approved by the Sherman ISD Board of Trustees.

SISD Seeks Feedback on New Stadium Design

A committee of students, parents, staff and community members representing a variety of stakeholder groups met last month to share their ideas about the design of the new multipurpose stadium at Sherman High School. Now, it’s time for the whole community to weigh in!

Please visit www.shermanisd.net/stadium-feedback to provide your comments. The form will be open through Thanksgiving Break and will close on Sunday, Nov. 26 at 11:59 p.m.

New Elementary to be Built on Donated Land

Sherman ISD will build its newest elementary in northwest Sherman on a donated 22.55-acre plot of land in the Heritage Ranch master-planned community. The new school is slated to open for the 2025-2026 school year and will be built on the west side of Plainview Road north of Highway 82. The name of the campus will be determined by the district at a later date.

School Board Votes to Reinstate Original Musical Script and Cast

The Sherman ISD Board of Trustees voted unanimously this week to reinstate the original script of the musical Oklahoma! at Sherman High School and the cast that was assigned as of November 2. Following the vote, Board President Brad Morgan shared the following statement on behalf of the Board:

“We want to apologize to our students, parents and our community regarding the circumstances that they have had to go through to this date. We understand that our decision does not erase the impact this had on our community, but we hope that we will reinforce to everyone, particularly our students, that we do embrace all of our Board goals, to include addressing the diverse needs of our students and empowering them for success in a diverse and complex world. The Board is committed to uphold its ethical duties to include being continuously guided by what is best for all students in our District.”

A special Board meeting will be held tomorrow at noon to further discuss the issue.

Fantastic Bearcat Educators Recognized

Elementary Teacher of the Month

Alyssa Woody at Perrin ECC is the Elementary Teacher of the Month. Mrs. Woody is in her 20th year as a Head Start teacher, and this year she is piloting having an entire classroom of three-year olds. No matter where Alyssa is, she provides active, positive service and is a blessing to any group, no matter how big or small.

Secondary Teacher of the Month

Sherman High School’s Susan Anderson is the Secondary Teacher of the Month. Anderson is extremely conscientious, very hard working, and absolutely committed to providing the best possible learning experiences for her students. Her expectations are high, and the results are phenomenal. She leads the English 2 team with just the right mix of grit and grace.

Elementary Teacher of the Month

Carla Gafford, counselor at Sory Elementary, is the Employee of the Month. Her empathetic and compassionate approach provides a strong support system for our students in need. One of Carla's most commendable achievements is her dedication to fostering individual growth and development among our students.

Volunteer of the Month

Bret Miller at Piner Middle School is the Volunteer of the Month. During the 2022-2023 school year, the Piner PTA started a mentorship program by having our parents/guardians come during lunch time. When the program started, Mr. Bret Miller was the first person to sign up and serve on a regular basis while his son Jack was enrolled as an 8th grader, and he’s returned this year!

Sory Students Gets Hands-on With Neuroscience

Sory Elementary School Challenge students had a hands-on lesson in basic neuroscience on Monday as they studied and handled sheep brains! They identified important parts of the brain such as the cortex and frontal lobe and even saw inside a brain that had been dissected previously.

School Vouchers Back On Agenda

In Fourth Special Session

The Texas House will vote on House Bill 1 tomorrow, a bill establishing school vouchers for private schools. According to the Legislative Budget Board, the voucher program will cost $2 billion in the second year of the program and continue to grow each year. Meanwhile, public schools remain underfunded by more than $14 billion, despite a record surplus of revenue.

Teacher pay and funding for security measures mandated by House Bill 3 are being used to lure lawmakers into supporting the voucher legislation. Contact your representatives, ask them to support our teachers and staff, and let them know how important public education is to our state and community.

Students Can Graduate With A College Degree Through the Bearcat Collegiate Program!

Current eighth graders and their families are invited to learn about the Bearcat Collegiate Program on Tuesday, November 28 at 6 p.m. in the Sherman High School auditorium. Students can enroll in dual credit courses in high school and earn an associate degree from Grayson College by the time they graduate!

Bearcat Athletics Update

Boys Basketball

The Bearcats have started out 2-0 in pre-district games with a 77-43 over Irving and a 61-51 win over North Forney. They play Crandall at home Friday at 7 p.m. The Bearcats will also play over the Thanksgiving Break, traveling to Frisco Reedy on Monday to play at 1:15 p.m. On Tuesday, they play at Burkburnett at 1 p.m.

Girls Basketball

Our Lady Cats had a rough start with no wins yet, and they have close losses against North Lamar and Sulphur Springs most recently. They are currently playing in the Denison Tournament, and on Tuesday next week, they play at Pottsboro at 6:15 p.m.

Mid-America League

Six names have been selected as finalists for Sherman’s new minor league baseball team: Generals, Squatches, Outlaws, Tanks, Shadowcats and Shellcrushers! Vote on your favorite name at www.midamericaleague.com/sherman/. Read more about the names here.

Games start in May 2024 at Veterans Field.

United Soccer League - Texoma

Submit your brand ideas for Sherman’s new men’s and women’s soccer teams!

Games start in 2025 for men’s and 2026 for women’s and inaugural seasons will be played at Bearcat Stadium.