SL June:June 5/24/10 1:58 PM Page 1
District recognizes teachers, support
personnel of the year
Comal ISD well-represented at Race
for the Cure
GVTC lavishes employees with $500 gift cards
Team Comal, a team of more than 100 Comal ISD administrators, teachers, support personnel,
students, family and friends, participated in the 13th annual Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure on
May 1 in San Antonio. This is the second year for Team Comal to participate in this event raising
more than $1,000. A group from Comal Elementary School made up a large portion of Team Comal
in support of the school’s principal, Joni Coker (pictured right),
and a teacher, Valerie Cleckler. Both Coker and Cleckler have
been diagnosed with breast cancer. In recognition of the efforts
of their colleagues, Coker and Cleckler both said, “We feel supported by our district and our Comal Elementary School staff.
The Race for the Cure was such a positive celebration of life
and an outpouring of hope for a cure. Many of our CISD and
CES friends said that they were so inspired after the race that
they plan on making it an annual event.” Thank you to all who
participated and gave of themselves for such a worthy cause.
GVTC, a long-time supporter and sponsor of Comal ISD, was proud to attend the district’s annual
employee recognition banquet, honoring teachers and staff for their outstanding efforts this year. One
elementary and one secondary teacher, as well as one campus support personnel and one support
services employee, each received a $500 gift card from GVTC, a $125 check from the Comal
Education Foundation, and a $100 American Express gift card from the district.
Goodwin Frazier Elementary art teacher Edyta Ellison
and Canyon Middle science
teacher Hanna Brown were
named Comal ISD teachers of
the year for the 2009-10 school
year. Pictured are (l-r) GVTC
public relations director Ola
Armstrong, Ellison, Brown and
Comal Education Foundation
president Carlene Comer.
Mt. Valley Middle School’s general education associate Katy Lewis was selected as Comal ISD’s
2010 Campus Support Personnel of the Year and Stephanie Cichon was chosen as the district’s 2010
Support Services Support Personnel of the Year. Pictured (l-r) are GVTC public relations director Ola
Armstrong, Lewis, Cichon, Comal Education Foundation president Carlene Comer, and Comal ISD
superintendent Dr. Marc Walker.
The Smithson Valley High School FCCLA, pictured below,
also participated in the Race for the Cure at the Alamodome.
They joined 30,000 other participants in the 5K run/fitness
walk that raises funds and awareness to bring an end to breast
cancer. The students designed shirts to support one of their
advisors who had breast cancer this year and raised $725 for
the cause.
SL June:June 5/24/10 1:58 PM Page 2
2 - SchooLife - June 2010
Grade Speed Parent Connection
SL June:June 5/24/10 1:58 PM Page 3
SVHS student defies the odds on her way to graduation walk
By Jason Gordon,
Comal ISD Communications Dept.
Rosalina Gomez’s educational path should have
come to an end when she was 12 years old.
For most of the young people growing up in the
Mexican city of Guanajuato, when their time in the
sixth grade is over, so is their formal education.
To continue their education, students like Gomez
would need their own transportation to a school
dozens of miles away, which is an unlikely luxury in
Guanajuato, where the average family earns the equivalent of $6,794 U.S. dollars annually.
So when her schooling ended in Mexico in 2002,
Gomez could have easily been relegated to a life of
working in the farming industry, like the vast majority
of her family.
Gomez had a different worldview, however, and
began to journal it.
“Even though I wasn’t in school, I would write
about my life and my dreams of coming to America
and learning a second language,” Gomez said. “All I
could think about was getting a better education, but
since no one in my family had ever made it past the
sixth grade, I never thought those dreams would
become a reality.”
Although education wasn’t a reason for wanting to
come to America, a decision Gomez’s father Joaquin
made when Rosalina was 12 would greatly shape her
future. He applied for and received a visa to work in
the United States and found employment in the landscaping industry in Idaho.
“It was difficult, because my father would be gone
for eight months and then he’d come back to visit my
mother, brother and me for four months,” Rosalina
said. “He was just trying to earn more money for our
family, so I respected that, but only being able to talk
to your father over the phone those months he was
away was very hard on all of us.”
Besides increasing his family’s bank account,
another positive thing happened as Joaquin was making his trips back and fourth. He began to learn about
the value of a good education.
visit www.comalisd.org
By the time Rosalina was 16, Joaquin had saved
enough money to move the family to the U.S. To make
the transition easier, he got a job at Smithson Valley
High School as a custodian.
“It was a lot better having my dad in Texas,”
Rosalina said. “I think it would have been much more
difficult to move to Idaho where he worked before. I
was very excited when I learned we were coming to
the United States.”
So, despite not knowing a single word of
English, Rosalina enrolled as a freshman at SVHS in
the fall of 2006.
“I didn’t know how to say anything in English,” she
said. “Not, ‘How are you?’ or ‘What’s your name?’”
The reality of being in such a new and foreign
atmosphere soon set in.
“It’s hard to describe,” Rosalina said. “All I did
was cry. I felt so bad. I woke up in the morning knowing I was going to go to school and not know what the
teacher or kids were saying.”
SVHS ESL (English as a Second Language) teacher
Mona Daniels could sense her new student’s fear.
“I knew it was going to be very tough on her, and I
was wondering how I was going to help her,” Daniels
said. “I could tell by the look on her face she couldn’t
understand me.”
After being thrown into the fire as a freshman,
Rosalina was barely making it at SVHS. She nearly
failed Algebra I and did fail the second semester of
English I. Something began to change as she emerged
from her four weeks of summer school and entered her
sophomore year.
“Things really started to finally click in the tenth
grade,” Rosalina said. “Mrs. Daniels and my father
told me to keep pushing myself and that one day I was
going to learn this new language and would have
many more opportunities. I realized this was what I
wanted, and I really started to buckle down and study.”
She studied for at least three hours every night and
gave up her dreams of playing on the soccer team, one
of her loves in Mexico, because she knew she was
going to have to become much more proficient in
English to be successful in the U.S.
Her hard work paid off in a big way. Since the
her goals and a better future for herself.”
beginning of her sophomore year, the lowest grade
Rosalina said she’s sure tears will again be flowing
Rosalina has had in any subject during a nine-week
on graduation day, but not because she can’t underperiod is 85. She’s even managed to make the all-A
stand her teachers or classmates like during her early
honor roll twice.
days at SVHS.
Last year, as a junior, she increased her nightly
“I’m for sure going to cry,” she said. “I’ll be very
study workload to four hours per night and passed the
emotional.”
math, social studies and science TAKS (Texas
Rosalina’s immediate future is set, as the girl who
Assessment of Knowledge and Skills) tests on her first
at one time appeared destined to spend her life in
try, and the English TAKS on her second attempt.
Mexico with a sixth-grade education will be headed to
On May 29, Rosalina will walk across the stage at
San Antonio College for two years. She then plans on
Strahan Coliseum in San Marcos and officially
transferring to the University of Texas-San Antonio to
become a high school graduate.
finish off an undergraduate degree and earn a teaching
“I’ve worked so hard,” she said. “This was always
certificate.
my dream. What will happen in my life now has
“I would like to either teach bilingual elementary
become more and more clear. I feel proud and special.”
students or ESL,” she said. “It’s hard to believe I’m at
Along the way, Rosalina, and her mother and
this point. I really feel like I’ve made it from the botfather have taken and passed the U.S citizenship test.
tom to the top. Even though I lived 16 years in
She was also a part of teacher Wendy McCuiston’s
Mexico, I really feel my dreams, my goals and my life
Culinary Arts team at SVHS that beat out more than
started when I arrived here.”
40 teams at the regional level and competed in the
state FCCLA (Family, Career and
Community Leaders of America)
meet in Corpus Christi last year.
Rosalina also holds two jobs
in San Antonio – as a waitress at
Independence Hill retirement
community and a team leader at
Whataburger.
“Rosalina has gone from
someone who would hardly make
eye contact with you into a class
leader,” said McCuiston. “She
probably has one of the best
work ethics I’ve ever seen in a
young person. You never have to
ask her to do something twice,
and she mentors the underclassmen through her actions alone.”
Fellow ESL student Miguel
Anaya said Rosalina is someone
his classmates definitely look
Smithson Valley High senior Rosalina Gomez will complete an amazing four
up to.
“She never gives up, no mat- years at the school when she walks across the stage to accept her diploma on
May 29 during graduation ceremonies at Strahan Coliseum in San Marcos.
ter what it is,” Anaya said.
“She’s always working toward
SchooLife - June 2010 - 3
SL June:June 5/24/10 1:59 PM Page 4
Students combine skills for SVHS
Spanish project
Smithson Valley High School students in Sra. Pittman’s Spanish II class used their previously
learned body and clothes vocabulary, their kinesthetic skills and creative thinking skills to create a
2D/3D character of their choice. They also produced sentences to describe their character, memorized them and then conducted an oral presentation to their classmates. Students pictured are (left
to right) Brittni Case, Celena Massey, George Schwanenberg, Sidney Collins, and Taylor Schmidt.
SVMS essay contest winners
The first time Smithson Valley Middle
teacher Jennifer Brown had students enter the
“Letters About Literature” essay contest, SVMS
had one winner.
Last year, Brown had two students named winners, and this year SVMS had an amazing four
students named winners in the prestigious contest!
The contest is sponsored by the Library of
Congress, the Texas Association of School
Librarians, and the Texas Center for the Book.
This year’s SVMS winners, who each
received a certificate, are pictured here with
their proud teacher. They are (l-r) Jesus BarreraFrey, Ben Chubb, Jennifer Brown, Alexis
Alonso and Kendall Byers.
4 - SchooLife - June 2010
Grade Speed Parent Connection
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Snider invaluable on CHS campus
By Jason Gordon,
Comal ISD Communications Dept.
Every campus needs a Linda Snider.
Snider, a senior associate at Canyon High,
has worked at the school since 1984 and has
been with Comal ISD since 1978.
Also, a CHS graduate, Snider is considered the
school’s unofficial historian and front-office chef.
“Everybody loves Linda,” said CHS receptionist Beth Koen. “She’s the kind of person
who’s always thinking of others. You know it’s
going to be a good day when she bakes some of
her famous cookies or brings in breakfast for the
office aids and front-office staff.”
Snider is one of more than 160 Comal ISD
employees that were recognized during
Administrative Professionals Week April 19-23.
Administrative Professionals Day was April 21.
“Linda’s invaluable,” CHS principal Brad
Brown said. “She always thinks of the things we
may not think of ahead of time. By the time we
think of them, she’s already taken care of it. She
puts in so much time to make sure the faculty
and students here have everything they need.”
CHS assistant principal Donna Mitchell agreed
Snider is someone who simply can’t be replaced.
“Linda Snider is the backbone of this campus,” Mitchell said. “She’s the glue that keeps
everything together.”
Renee Martinez, CHS academic and career
advisor, said Snider is the school’s go-to person
in many situations.
“She’s the answer queen,” Martinez said. “If
you need to know something about Canyon
High, Linda will have the answer. She knows
just about everything there is to know about the
history of our campus.”
Snider said she had no idea that when she
began her career at Comal ISD nearly 32 years
ago that she’d still be at it.
“It sounds funny to say, but it’s really gone
by pretty fast,” Snider said. “I really don’t feel
as old as I am. I think the kids keep me young.”
All three of Snider’s sons, Coy, Aaron and
Drew, were also CHS graduates.
“This place holds a very, very special place
in my heart,” she said. “I love the camaraderie
on this campus and the friendships I’ve formed
with the people I work with. Another thing I
think is wonderful is to see the kids growing up.
It’s pretty amazing to see how much a student
can mature from the time they walk in the doors
as freshmen to the time they graduate.”
CHS senior Sabrina Rodriguez said just
about everyone on campus knows Snider.
“She means so much to so many people,”
Rodriguez said. “She does so much for the stu-
visit www.comalisd.org
Canyon High senior associate Linda Snider has worked
at the school since 1984. She’s one of more than 160
employees in the Comal ISD recognized during
Administrative Professionals Week April 19-23.
dents. She always has treats to give out and
she’s the kind of person we all respect very
much. I just hope she stays around long enough
for my sister, who will be a freshman next year,
to get to know her.”
Snider said she hasn’t put a timeframe on
exactly when she’ll decide to call it a career.
“I haven’t got an exact date in mind yet,”
Snider said. “I’m thinking definitely within five
years. It’s awfully tough to quit something you
love doing.”
Snider is not the only Comal ISD administrative professional who has worked in the district
for more than 20 years.
Also in that exclusive club are Sherial Herfurth
(certification specialist), Mathilde Shane (CHS
administrative assistant), Janice Rose (special programs senior associate), Deanna Voges (payroll
associate), Pat Hermes (special programs administrative associate), Joyce Graham (support services
senior associate), Jeanie Mendez (executive assistant to superintendent), Denise Ortez (CHS student
records specialist), Lois Redclift (Smithson Valley
High athletic administrative assistant), Cheryl
Monroe (accounting associate) and Kay Geffken
(Arlon Seay Elementary senior associate).
“Every good supervisor knows their success
depends on a good administrative assistant,” said
Kari Hutchison, Comal ISD assistant superintendent for administrative services. “They are
our right and left hands. We are blessed to have
the best in Comal ISD.”
Comal ISD superintendent Dr. Marc
Walker agreed.
“You just can’t measure how important our
administrative professionals are,” Walker said.
“It would be impossible to run an efficient
school district without them.”
SchooLife - June 2010 - 5
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The FACS Program enjoys successful year
By Lori Niles,
FACS teacher
How do you measure success? If the first year
of the Family and Community Services (FACS)
class at Smithson Valley High is any indication, I
would say it was very successful. Matthew
Emerzian and Kelly Bozza, authors of the book
Every Monday Matters, write “Time spent on
what matters most is never a waste of time.”
Approximately 70 FACS students spent valuable
time this semester volunteering for various service
projects at SVHS and in the community.
One of the yearly projects included the blood
drives. A total of 304 units of blood were donated in three blood drives held throughout the
year. This is equivalent to 912 patients that have
been impacted by the donors at SVHS for 20092010. Nattalie Cardona, Rachel Harwell, Kyana
Fischer, Leslie Torres, Maria Ochoa, and Rocio
Huizar coordinated the sign-ups as well as communicated with the South Texas Blood and
Tissue Center.
In December, five SVHS students worked
with Arlon Seay Elementary and organized a
shoe drive. They were able to collect over 400
pairs of shoes to donate to Soles 4 Souls in Haiti
after the earthquake. The students were
Veronica Morales, Alix Lake, Reid Schamberger,
Joshua Bagley, and Nelson Teel. This same five
organized the “30-Hour Famine” in April. The
“30-Hour Famine” is a World Vision program
that allows young people to make a significant
impact on the problem of world hunger. By
pledging to go without food for 30 hours, participants not only raise money to help feed and
care for children worldwide, but also gain an
understanding of how it feels to experience
6 - SchooLife - June 2010
hunger. A total of 60 students participated and
raised over $1,000.
The earthquake in Haiti not only imspired the
Soles 4 Souls shoe drive, but also sparked an
interest in senior Erin Heft. Her project was to
sell “Rangers Hope for Haiti” T-shirts and use
the money raised to go to the American Red
Cross for earthquake relief. The project continues until the last T-shirt sells. Anyone can purchase the T-shirts for $10 each - $5 of each shirt
goes toward the American Red Cross. If you are
interested in purchasing a “Rangers Hope for
Haiti” T-shirt, please call the school at 885-1000
and ask for extension 1017.
Another faithful group of students provided
childcare at the Bulverde Methodist Church
MOPS program (Mothers of Preschoolers). This
was a once-a-month program and the MOPPETS
were coordinated by Laura Hilbig. The students
participating were Michael Beiter, Weston
Santleben, Jayme Trevino, and Marina Northup.
They played with infants to preschoolers; I’m
not sure who had more fun!
The Bulverde Senior Citizens Center was
another group impacted by our FACS students.
Seniors Molly Jacobs, Carli Conway, Danielle
Payne, and Amy Gardner, along with juniors
Kelsey Patton and Kaylee Rocha planned the
activities, cooked meals, and played games with
the seniors one Saturday a month. Each month
revolved around a theme. April’s theme was a
good, old-fashioned Sock Hop. The students
served pizza and ice cream sundaes, as well as
played games like “Name That Tune” of favorite
50’s music. Not only did the group at the
Bulverde Senior Citizens Center look forward to
these monthly activities, but the FACS students
did as well. Many friendships were formed that
the students will not soon forget.
Two students, Tori Benavides & Crystal
Mann, continued to volunteer at the Spring
Branch Fire Station. They were faithful in visiting the fire station and offering help where needed, whether it was filing or cleaning closets.
Kristy Dowd, Tyler White, and Abi Harrison
volunteered at the Canyon Lake Animal Shelter
Society every week. In addition to weekly walking the dogs and playing with the cats; they
organized a cat and dog food drive, volunteered
at their spaghetti fundraiser, and volunteered at
their spring rummage sale.
Jenna Housson, Jen Rizzo, Alli Titzman, and
Kelly Reininger headed up a project collecting
clothing donations for St. Jude’s Children’s
Home. All sizes of clothing from children to
teen to adult clothing were collected and delivered to St. Jude’s on a weekly basis. The outpouring once again from SVHS students was
overwhelming!
Another area of service included helping
Coach Paula Nall at Rahe Bulverde Elementary
organize their field day in May. These students
were Samantha Titus, Laura Barowski, and
Joshua Weigand. They went to RBES every
Wednesday after spring break and helped Coach
Nall organize and plan the field day events.
Service projects were not only completed for
the benefit of the community, but many were
planned for Smithson Valley High. Cleaning up
SVHS became Riley Fincher and Albert Soto’s
project. They walked the grounds of the school
once a month picking up trash around the school
and parking lot areas. It was amazing how
much trash accumulated.
Senior Kacy McKinney knew that dance
team instructor, Nikki Howell, would need assistance as she neared the end of her pregnancy.
So McKinney’s project was to assist Howell as
needed before she left. I know that Kacy was a
blessing to Howell during this time.
Appreciating our awesome faculty and staff
at SVHS is just what Nikki Piper and Kayla
Whistler did. They surprised the teachers for
teacher appreciation week by giving each staff
member the Earth Day bags from HEB and filling them with snacks and goodies.
Inspiring and motivating SVHS students is
just what seniors Ashley Freeman and Brooke
Pedrique did through their weekly “Messages in
the Bathroom.” They found inspirational and
motivating quotes, made copies, and hung them
in the bathrooms and by the water fountains.
Melanie Ewers and Taylor Miller had the
task of compiling and computing all the service
hours from the students participating in the servFACS Continued on page 7
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FACS / Continued from page 6
ice cord program. Currently the total number of
hours tabulated for seniors is well over 10,000
hours to date! The final day for turning in service hours for seniors was May 14.
The recruiting for the FACS program began
in March for the 2010-2011 school year. The
recruiting committee consisted of Shelby
Medlin, Kat Massey, Andi Hamrick, Victoria
Rodriguez, Lecia Meyer, Austin Vaught, Jennifer
Jennings, and Michelle Zimmerman. The FACS
program next year should have approximately
70 returning and new students.
I can’t forget the group of senior girls that
organized the end-of-the-year FACS Banquet. It
was to held at Buck and Ozzy’s on May 13.
During the banquet, we recognized the student’s
service projects, their FACS friends, and the
seniors. This hard-working group of girls consisted of Carli Conway, Kelsie Lauderdale,
Amanda Schwanenberg, Amy Gardner,
Elizabeth Pawelek, Danielle Payne, Lauryn
Lozano, and Courtney Bantz.
And last, but certainly not least, was the faithful group of students that we called “Life Angels.”
Every week this group of students visited with the
Essential Academic students offering friendship
and assistance in their classroom. This group consisted of Hannah Luther, Victor Camino, Marisol
Esqueda, Maria Ochoa, Leslie Torres, Rocio
Huizar, Samantha Callier, Rhiana Braue, Danya
Janney, Amanda Rios, and Tevin Jerry.
I am still amazed at all the service projects
that these students completed, and this is just
from the spring semester! There were other
projects still awaiting completion that didn’t
make the SchooLife deadline, but they were
equally as important. Along with their service
projects, FACS students met weekly with an elementary or middle school student to mentor. We
called this program “FACS Friends.”
visit www.comalisd.org
The counselors from Rahe Bulverde
Elementary, Arlon Seay Elementary, Bill Brown
Elementary, Johnson Ranch Elementary, Spring
Branch Middle and Smithson Valley Middle
were extremely helpful in setting this program
up on their campuses and coordinating the high
school students with an elementary or middle
school student. I am very grateful to this group
of dedicated counselors and so appreciative of
all that they do.
Last of all, I am so very proud of the hard
work, responsibility, and leadership that the
FACS students exemplified. This was the first
year for FACS, and overall I felt that it was a
great success.
“To the world you might be one person,
but to one person you might be the world.” –
Author unknown
Pictured are 5th period FACS students during Team Building Day at Pump It Up
2nd year Senior FACS students receiving
their PALs/FACS cord:
Joshua Bagley • Courtney Bantz • Michael
Beiter • Rhiana Braue • Samantha Callier •
Nattalie Cardona • Ariel Collins • Carli Conway
• Kristy Dowd • Melanie Ewers • Kyana Fischer
• Amy Gardner • Abigail Harrison • Molly
Jacobs • Dayna Janney • Alix Lake • Zachary
Lautner • Alyssa Lindemann • Veronica Morales
• Ashley Noll • Kaelyn Parks • Elizabeth
Pawelek • Weston Santleben • Amanda
Schwanenberg • Nelson Teel • Samantha Titus •
Jayme Trevino • Joshua Weigand
1st year Seniors/ no cord:
Victor Camino • Riley Fincher • Ashley
Freeman • Andrea Hamrick • Erin Heft • Elaina
Hernandez • Kelsie Lauderdale • Lauryn Lozano •
Kacy McKinney • Brooke Pedrique • Wesley Reid
Schamberger • Tyler White • Marina Northup
Pictured are 1st and 7th period FACS students during Team Building Day at Pump It Up
SchooLife - June 2010 - 7
SL June:June 5/24/10 1:59 PM Page 8
Two CLHS
athletes sign to
play at
collegiate level
Canyon Lake High athletes Michelle
Roberts and Ashley Pfaff signed national letters
of intent on April 14 to continue their athletic
careers at the collegiate level.
Pfaff will play basketball at the University
of the Incarnate Word in San Antonio.
She averaged 17.4 points per game for the
Lady Hawks’ playoff team. Pfaff earned firstteam All-District honors. She was also named
All-Centex by the Austin American-Statesman
and Comal County’s player of the year by the
New Braunfels Herald-Zeitung.
Roberts, who will attend Texas Lutheran
University in Seguin, was named All-District
setter for the CLHS volleyball team. She had
775 assists on the season to help lead the Lady
Hawks to their first-ever playoff appearance.
Pictured standing by Pfaff (left) and
Roberts are family members (l-r) Fred Pfaff,
Shannon Pfaff, Dave Pfaff, Sandy Roberts and
Paul Roberts.
CMS band earns
sweepstakes
trophy
The Canyon Middle School Honor
Band, under the direction of David Gunn
and Richard Thomas, competed on April
14 at the UIL music contest and made
straight 1s, which earned the band a
Sweepstakes Trophy. Holding the trophy
is drum major Hunter Smith.
8 - SchooLife - June 2010
Pier signs with
Henderson State
Canyon High senior swimmer Robby Pier is
surrounded by his parents Chuck and Brenda as he
signs a letter of intent to continue his athletic
career at Henderson State University in
Arkadelphia, AR. Pier competed in the 200-meter
individual medley at the Class 4A UIL state swim
meet in Austin in February.
Lozano commits to
A&M Kingsville
Photo by Sam Roberts Photography
Smithson Valley High volleyball player Lauryn
Lozano has signed to play for Texas A&M
Kingsville. She is joined by her family and head
coach Liana Gombert.
CHS golfers qualify for
regional tournaments
Tara Hutchison and Marko Lloyd each
represented Canyon High at the Class 4A
Region IV golf tournament.
Both qualified as medalists at the District
27-4A boys and girls tournaments at Olympia
Hills Golf Course in Universal City.
Both the boys and girls Class 4A Region
IV tournaments were played at Pecan Valley
Golf Club in San Antonio. The girls played
April 19-20 and the boys were in action
April 21-22.
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From the Superintendent
Wow … school is out and
summer is here!
Here we are at the end of yet
another school year. It is hard to
believe that we have just sent our
seniors out into the “real world”
and that we will receive another
group of pre-K and kindergarten
students to begin their educational
journey with us.
So much has changed even in
just the five short years that I
Dr. Marc
have had the opportunity to serve
Comal ISD. We have passed two
successful bond elections, and by the start of
the 2010-11 school year with the opening of
Clear Spring and Garden Ridge elementary
schools, Comal ISD will have opened nine new
schools since I first came on board. Nine
schools in five years … can you believe it?
And we certainly would not have been as successful as we have been or been able to meet
the growing needs of this district without the
support of all of you. I know I’ve told you
before, but I can’t say it enough—thank you.
Thank you for your patience and understanding
and for caring about what’s best for our kids.
Congratulations to all of our high school
graduates, valedictorians, and salutatorians
from all of our high schools. I would like to
extend a special congratulations to the firstever graduates and valedictorian and salutatorian from Canyon Lake High School. It was such
a neat experience to see the students who created the culture and traditions of Canyon Lake
walk across the stage as its first graduating
class. We wish all of our graduates the best of
luck as they open the next chapter in their
lives. We are so proud of all of them. I know
our teachers and principals have
done an outstanding job of making sure each of our graduates is
well-equipped and prepared for
what is to come next for them.
We look forward to hearing about
their future endeavors.
Yes, we have made a lot of
progress in meeting Comal ISD’s
facility needs in the last five
years, but this district and our
communities are only continuing
Walker
to grow and we need to continue
to meet those needs. As I’ve stated
in previous messages, we are increasing the
capacities of Canyon and Smithson Valley high
schools to about 2,575 students, respectively,
but in 2013-14, the majority of our middle
schools will be at capacity. We are experiencing quite a bit of growth on the far West (281
corridor) and far East (IH 35 corridor) sides of
our district. And despite the fact that we expect
to see a slight downturn in growth next year,
we do expect a jump in student enrollment in
following years. Therefore, we will be looking
at another bond in the next couple of years.
Speaking of bonds, in June, we will begin
construction on the new elementary school at
Borgfeld and Bulverde Road in the Kinder
Ranch subdivision, which is one of two elementary schools left in Bond 2008. Due to our
demographics, the construction of this school
will now be ready for the 2011-2012 school
year. It will relieve overcrowding at
Timberwood Park and Specht elementary
schools. We expect to have a groundbreaking
ceremony in early June.
As always, we appreciate your support of this
district and community. Enjoy your summer!
Comal ISD names new SVHS principal
The Comal ISD Board of Trustees approved
the hiring of John Montelongo III as the new
principal at Smithson Valley High School at the
board’s May 6 board workshop.
Montelongo is replacing former SVHS principal Chris Trotter who accepted an assistant superintendent’s position in Tomball ISD earlier in the
year. SVHS assistant principal Chris Smith has
served as interim principal at the school since
Comal ISD returned from spring break.
Montelongo’s journey at SVHS began on
May 10.
“I’m really excited about joining the Comal
ISD and Smithson Valley families because of the
traditions and excellence that the district and
school have maintained over the years,” said
Montelongo. “I look forward to continuing that
hard work and dedication.”
Montelongo began his career in education in
1995 as a seventh-grade reading teacher and coach
in Pearland ISD. Within four years, he began his
climb up the administrative ladder and accepted an
assistant principal’s job in neighboring Alvin ISD.
He held two other assistant principal positions at
Fort Bend ISD and Pearland ISD before taking on
his first principal’s position at Hitchcock High
School in Hitchcock ISD in 2006.
After making significant gains in only a
year’s time at Hitchcock High School, including
helping the school move from Academically
Unacceptable to Academically Acceptable and
ensuring a 100 percent student graduation rate,
Montelongo accepted the principal’s job at Fox
Tech High School in San Antonio ISD in 2007.
Again, Montelongo guided the school from an
Academically Unacceptable state rating to
Academically Acceptable rating in his first year as
principal and increased that rating to Recognized
in his second year. He also helped to increase the
number of students graduating from Fox Tech by
113 students before taking SAISD’s Director of
High School Initiative position in 2009.
Montelongo said he will continue to strive to
increase the number of graduates and the number of students accepted into four-year universities as principal at SVHS.
“Ensuring every student graduates and proceeds on to post-secondary education is important to me and something I plan to work hard at
as principal at Smithson Valley,” Montelongo
said. “My main goal is always to put students
first, to help them in any way possible, and to
help them achieve their goals and dreams.”
Montelongo earned his bachelor’s degree
in interdisciplinary studies from Stephen F.
Austin State University in Nacogdoches,
Texas in 1995, and he received his master’s
degree in education from Texas Southern
University in Houston in 2000.
“We are extremely enthusiastic to have someone of Mr. Montelongo’s caliber to be joining
the Comal ISD team,” said Comal ISD Assistant
Superintendent for Academics and Student
Services Dr. Jodi Duron. “I am confident that he
has the passion, leadership ability, and skill set
to move SVHS forward and recognized as one
of the best high schools in the state of Texas.”
Retiring CISD
employees honored
at banquet
Comal ISD recognized employees who will
be retiring at the end of the school year at a
recent banquet at Smithson Valley Middle.
Pictured are (top row, l-r) David Gunn (CMS),
Carolyn Pittman (CLHS), Kathy Simmons
(CHS), Sue Saur (Special Programs), Slick
Schlichting (CHS), Cindy Rotzler (CHS),
Edward Morrissey (ASE) and Royce Garland
(Support Services). (Bottom row) Roy Linnartz
(Support Services), Jean Startz (STZES), Starr
Dupree (SVMS), Teresa O’Connor (SES), Rose
Moore (GFES) and Lisa Batey (CES).
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SchooLife - June 2010 - 9
SL June:June 5/24/10 1:59 PM Page 10
Swint wins Comal ISD school board race
Comal ISD incumbent Bill Swint representing Single Member District (SMD) 7 will
serve a three-year term on the school board after winning the May 8 school board election.
David Spencer, representing SMD 6, was automatically elected to a three-year term
after running unopposed.
Swint defeated opponent Jeff Victor in the SMD 7 race. The final vote was 319 for
Swint and 94 for Victor. Swint is the immediate past president for the board and has served
on the board for seven years. His area includes mostly Comal County in the Garden Ridge
area and a portion of Guadalupe County. Swint is a sales representative for Western Paper
Company in Texas. Victor is an engineer.
Swint and Spencer were sworn
The voting results for SMD 7 are as follows:
in at the school board meeting on
Early Vote
GRMC
CES
May 20. Election of board officers
Swint
176
124
19
for 2010-2011 also took place at
Victor
36
46
12
that meeting.
Superintendent
receives check
for new school
The following are highlights from the Comal ISD April 22 school board meeting. They are
not written to replace official minutes. All Comal ISD Board Reports can be viewed online
under Board of Trustees at: www.comalisd.org/Board_of_Trustees/.
Board approves GMP on phase 3 of CHS project
The board approved the sub-contractor bid from
Baird/Williams Construction of $5.4 million for phase
three of the Canyon High School project. This phase
will turn the existing Cougar Den into a Performing
Arts Center with all corresponding equipment and
space including set shop, storage and black-box type
theater for classroom training and small performances.
The total CHS project is about $44 million of the
$205.85 million 2008 bond.
Board approves lease agreement of kitchen facilities
for Old Goodwin Primary
The board approved a lease agreement with an
individual to continue to use the Goodwin kitchen and
lease it directly from Comal ISD in the amount of
$1,700 per month.
Board approves bid for SVHS roof renovation
The board approved a bid from Pioneer Roof
Systems through the district’s roof consultant Austech
Engineering for approximately $650,000. The school’s
original roof is about 34 years old.
Comal ISD superintendent Dr. Marc Walker
accepts a check for $225,000 from D.R. Horton
Land Development Project Manager Tom
Anker in front of Clear Spring Elementary. The
check was a contribution toward construction
of the entrances to the new campus located in
Avery Park Subdivision in New Braunfels.
Clear Spring Elementary is scheduled to open
next school year.
CHMS student Garcia becomes district’s
first to qualify for national history fair
Micaela Garcia, an eighth-grader in
Rodney Carter’s Pre-AP U.S. History
class at Church Hill Middle School, is
Comal ISD’s first-ever qualifier for the
annual National History Day competition held in Washington, D.C.
This is the 30th anniversary of the
national competition. It will be held
on the University of Maryland campus June 13-17. This year’s theme
was “Innovations in History: Impact
and Change.”
Garcia qualified with a project titled
“Elevating History,” a research paper
that analyzed the historical impact of
elevators with a unique examination and use of primary resources from the New Braunfels area.
Students from around the United States, its territories, and Department of Defense schools around
the world were eligible to compete. Garcia will
School Board Reports
compete at the junior level, which
includes grades 6-8.
“We couldn’t be more proud of
Micaela,” said Stephen Foster, Comal
ISD Social Studies Instructional
Specialist. “This is a fantastic opportunity and great honor for Micaela and
her family and we want to wish her the
best at the national competition. She has
already proven herself to be an outstanding representative of Comal ISD.”
The competition began at the campus level, and then the top two finishers
in each category at the district history
fair advanced to the regional level in
San Antonio. After finishing first in the research paper
category at the regional level, Garcia’s entry advanced
to state competition in Austin, and then to nationals.
Garcia also qualified for the state competition last
year with an individual exhibit display on Audrey
Wrestling program for CHS discussed
Following audience participation during the March
board meeting, Comal ISD athletic director Jim
Rodrigue provided a proposed wrestling start-up cost
for Canyon High School in the amount of $17,909.
The estimated total first-year cost is $35,000 based on
no more than 30 students enrolling in the program.
Rodrigue said he has appealed with UIL for the CHS
wrestling team to compete with the south Austin district. The discussion between administration and the
board is ongoing.
Board approves earnest money contract for purchase
of future elementary, high school sites
The board approved an earnest money contract in
the amount of $1.7 million for approximately 20 acres
of land located on the north side of SH 46, approximately halfway between US 281 and Smithson Valley
High School. The proposed site has county road access
on three sides with Mitchell Road on the West side,
Mount Ridge on the East side and Mountain Top on the
North side. The contract calls for sellers to pay all closing costs with the exception of CISD’s attorney fees.
The board approved earnest money contracts for
the purchase of three contiguous properties as a proposed high school site. The properties are located
along the South side of Hubertus Road between the IH
35 access road and FM 482. The largest property
makes up about 80 acres at a purchase price of
$100,000 per acre. The final purchase price will be
determined by survey. The other two properties are
four acres each for $525,000. This location is about
halfway between the Garden Ridge community and the
south New Braunfels community.
Board receives first reading of policy updates
The board received the first reading on numerous
board policy updates that will come back to the board
in May for approval. TASB Policy Update 87 represents the second of two post-legislative updates and
encompasses changes in law from the 81st Legislative
Session. Update 87 includes tax rates and bonds, salary
reduction agreements for investment products, employee resignations, required reports districts must publish,
elective courses on the Bible as well as new codes on
accountability, required Web postings, interlocal cooperation contracts and more. In addition, a policy
review seminar was conducted by the Texas
Association of School Boards (TASB) and the school
board and administrators. Additional policy changes
are being proposed as a result of that review. Please
visit https://v3.boardbook.org/Public/PublicHome.aspx?ak=46902 to review the proposed policy changes.
Board approves new principal for TPES
The Comal ISD Board of Trustees approved the
hiring of former Comal ISD assistant principal Lauri
Schroeder as Timberwood Park Elementary School’s
new principal starting next school year.
Schroeder will take the place of current principal Dr.
Sean Maika, who will move to the principal’s position at
Mt. Valley Middle School. Please follow this link to the
district’s news releases page for the full release on
Schroeder: www.comalisd.org/News/News_Releases2.asp.
School Board Meeting Calendar
June 8, 2010 Tuesday
June 22, 2010 Tuesday
Support Services
Support Services
Board workshop/budget
Board meeting
All meetings begin at 6:00 PM.
During the audience participation portion of each regular meeting, the public may address the Board
on any subject not posted on the agenda, provided they have followed the proper procedures.
Publisher.....Bill Holland
Editor.....Wendy M. Holland
Designer.....John Rodriguez
Comal ISD Communications Coordinator...Ashley Holt
Advertising/Sales
Kathy Smith (210) 601-4836
SchooLife is published in partnership with the Comal Independent
School District. The monthly publication, which focuses on Comal ISD
students, staff and community, is designed to increase communication
between district schools and parents. The opinions, statements, and
claims expressed in this newspaper are not necessarily those of the district or its officials. Comal Independent School District does not discriminate on the basis of race, sex, age, religion, color, national origin,
or disability in providing education services, activities or programs. It is
the intent and policy of this District to conduct its activities in compliance with all Federal and State laws prohibiting discrimination on the
basis of race, sex, age, religion, color, national origin or disability.
E-mail photos and stories to: ashley.holt@comalisd.org or wholland3@satx.rr.com
kathyschoolife@gvtc.com
For advertising rates and information, contact Bill Holland at 210-478-9014
The deadline is the 10th of each month for information to be included in the following month’s publication.
SchooLife is published the first of each month and is available FREE to parents of students attending schools
in the Comal Independent School District. A complimentary copy of the paper is sent home the
beginning of each month in the backpacks of students in grades K-8. Additional copies are available in
school offices and various locations throughout the communities.
Sharon Jones (830) 305-4332
All creative concepts, designs, and layout for all advertisements are the sole property of
SchooLife and may not be reproduced in any other publication without prior approval.
SchooLife is now available online at www.comalisd.org
sharon@joneswakefield.com
P.O. Box 436
Bulverde, TX 78163
Ph: (210) 478-9014
wholland3@satx.rr.com
GradeSpeed Parent Connection. Visit www.comalisd.org
10 - SchooLife - June 2010
Grade Speed Parent Connection
SL June:June 5/24/10 1:59 PM Page 11
visit www.comalisd.org
SchooLife - June 2010 - 11
SL June:June 5/24/10 1:59 PM Page 12
12 - SchooLife - June 2010
Natalie Belknap
Joshua Harris
Justin Haas
Texas A&M
Major: Nutrition
Texas A&M
Major: Aerospace Engineering
University of Texas at Austin
Major: Biology
Brian Chenault
Dylan Janak
Juan Herrejon
University of Texas at Austin
Major: Mathematics
University of Texas at Austin
Major: Engineering
University of Texas at Austin
Major: Biology
Dylan Dudycha
Jacob Phillips
Brian Massey
University of Texas at Austin
Major: Biology
Southwestern University
Major: Political Science
Texas A&M
Major: Business/Accounting
Chandler Kimble
Jessica Watson
Courtney Martin
Texas A&M
Major: Industrial Engineering
Texas A&M
Major: Psychology
Abilene Christian University
Dbl Major: Business &
Youth/Family Ministry
Samantha Renteria
Matthew Willis
Edward Yu
Texas A&M
Major: American History
Texas Tech
Major: Mechanical Engineering
Washington University in St. Louis
Major: Biology
Grade Speed Parent Connection
SL June:June 5/24/10 1:59 PM Page 13
visit www.comalisd.org
SchooLife - June 2010 - 13
SL June:June 5/24/10 1:59 PM Page 14
14 - SchooLife - June 2010
Grade Speed Parent Connection
SL June:June 5/24/10 1:59 PM Page 15
visit www.comalisd.org
SchooLife - June 2010 - 15
SL June:June 5/24/10 1:59 PM Page 16
2010 Smithson Valley High School
Summa Cum Laude
Top row l-r: Weston Santleben, Brain Chenault,
Alex Gumm, Kyle Pittman, Jared Huddleston
and Ryan Unruh
Middle row l-r: Evan Alvarez-Keesee,
Gregory
Potts, Chandler Kimble, Sarah Woodard, Emily
Spencer, Robert Lee, and Dylan Dudycha
Jordan Wimberley, Samantha
Renteria, Cierra Lohaus, Lacie McDonald,
Natalie Belknap, Leah Belcar, Cassie Tysarczyk,
and Carli Conway
Front row l-r:
Christine Huynh, Chelsea Kramps
and Erin Perkins
Not pictured:
2010 Smithson Valley High School
Magna Cum Laude
Top row l-r: Julian Gonzalez, John Johnson,
Parker Taylor, and Andrew Waterreus
Garrett Renken, Alex Rubin,
Abigail Harrison, Jessica Hobson, Lauren
Brooks, Bailee Adkins, Ian Robbins and Reece
Garcia
Middle row l-r:
Jayme Trevino, Ariel Collins,
Courtney Cash, Ashley Smith, Janet Bergeson,
Amanda Graham, Chelsea Quidachay and
Marina Northup
Front row l-r:
Not pictured: Jacob Cumberland, Lindsay
Hamby and Nicholas Thurman
2010 Smithson Valley High School
Cum Laude
Top row l-r: Brandon Eldridge, William Jackson,
Clayton Krause, Daniel Swinney, Spencer Clark
and David Pain
Middle row l-r: Austin
Boehnlein, Eric Barnes,
Kiara Coombs, Heather McCutchen, Christian
Dietert, Michael Beiter and Peter Rodriguez
Front row l-r: Amanda
Falcon, Jessika Hernandez,
Elise Holmes, Jessica Deuel, Amanda
Schwanenberg, Maranda Edmonson, Lexxys
Haggard and Ngoc Mayout
Sara Smith, Kelcie Tiedeman and
Thomas Young
Not pictured:
16 - SchooLife - June 2010
Grade Speed Parent Connection
SL June:June 5/24/10 1:59 PM Page 17
Smithson Valley High School Top 15 Seniors ~ Teachers
COMMENCEMENT 2010
Evan Alvarez Keesee
Troy Mann
Natalie Belknap
Cynthia Thomas
Brian Chenault
Ronessa McDonald
Dylan Dudycha
Lori Moczygemba
Jared Huddleston
Richard Muenich
Chandler Kimble
Roy Stewart (Gene)
Cierra Lohaus
Lane Smiley
Lacie McDonald
Ellen Lloyd
Erin Perkins
Kathryn Rutledge
Kyle Pittman
Rodney Murray
Samantha Renteria
Robert Kniseley
Emily Spencer
Richard Rathburn
Cassie Tysarczyk
Carolyn Milsap
Jordan Wimberley
Sherry Metzger
Sarah Woodard
Wendall Lyons
Senior/Teacher photos provided by Sam Roberts Photography H www.comalsports.com
visit www.comalisd.org
SchooLife - June 2010 - 17
SL June:June 5/24/10 1:59 PM Page 18
The following is a list of seniors intending on participating in the graduation ceremony and receiving a diploma. Please note that students will
only participate in the graduation ceremony once they have successfully passed and received credit in all course work and met all state attendance requirements. Congratulations and good luck to the Class of 2010.
Hector Saul Adan Jr. • Bailee Jean Adkins • Brandon Kenneth Adkins • Bryan Randall Allen • Megan Renee Allen • Kaitlyn Marie
Alvarad • Evan Alan Alvarez-Keesee • Miguel Angel Anaya • Andrew Robert Anderson • Maria Jose Angarita-Esguerra • Vance
Cameron Archer • Shelby Lynn Arredondo • Kelsie Lee Asher • Ryan Davis Aust • Kathryn G. Avenell • Solanche I. Ayala Torres • Derek
Matthew Bagley • Joshua Michael Bagley • Tremaine Ja Darius Bagley-Scott • Cameron Drake Baker • Jason S. Baker • Leah Loraine Balcar
• Courtney Lynne Bantz • Eric Grant Barnes • Dillon Michael Barth • Stephanie Elizabeth Bass • Michael Kevin Beiter • Natalie Lane Belknap • Patricia Ann Belmarez • John Austin Benavides • Taylor Ray
Benitez • Scott Aaron Benson • Janet Marie Elizabeth Bergeson • Autumn Miranda Bermea • Caelan Zachary Bernal • Ethan Lamarr Bess • Blair Rae Best • Brittany Hagan Biasiolli • Matthew Joseph Bienek
• Kyle Joseph Billeaudeaux • Dakota Allan Birchfield • George Micheal Blevins • Austin Daniel Blue • Luke Michael Bochat • Austin E. Boehnlein • Matthew Brandon Bohne • Brandon Joseph Borrego •
Katelyn Paradise Bouchard • Kyle Matthew Bradley • Rhiana Lynne Braue • Cody Matthew Brittain • Lauren Aileen Brooks • Chelsea Nichole Brown • Matthew Taylor Bryan • Jamison Bryce Bunting • Linda
Katherine Burk • Rumer Elizabeth Echo Burke • Samantha Lee Callier • Eric Lorenzo Calvillo • Victor Manuel Camino • Brady Wayne Canales • Carlos Joaquin Canfield • Brandon Jon Cantu • Nattalie Cardona
• Lizeth Carmona • Danny Carrillo • Ryan Lee Carver • Courtney Gail Cash • Domingo C. Castellanos • Marc Allen Catalani • Antoinette Marie Cavazos • Shelby Lea Chamberlain • Brian Wayne Chenault •
Hannah Marie Cheves • Miles Quinten Chewning • Jennifer Lee Clark • Michael Steven Clark • Spencer Ryan Clark • Ariel Elizabeth Collins • Carli Rachelle Conway • Kiara Janae Coombs • Bryan A. Cothran
• Blaine William Ryan Cotugno • Corey James Coufal • Perry Cameron Courtney • Kelsa Leenette Cowden • Zachary Calvin Craig • Ryan Christopher Crawford • Brennan Cade Crutcher • Erasmo Oropeza
Cuevas • Hugo Arredondo Cuevas • Jacob A. Cumberland • Tanas Michael Delskey • Benjamin James Desoto • Jessica M. Deuel • Brittany Ranita Dever • Steven Diaz-DeLeon • Christian Colby Dietert • Anh
Hoang Dinh • Cory Christopher Dixon • Mitchell Ray Dixon • Ian Ross Doherty • Kristy Michelle Dowd • Justin Dragoescu • Dylan Delane Dudycha • Ryeesa Dawn Edge • Blake Charles Edinburgh • Maranda
Claire Edmonson • Austin William Royce Edson • Adrian Edward • Chelsea Lauren Edwards • Kathryn Emily Ehrlich • Brandon Grahame Eldridge • Don Allen Elliott • Troy E. Ellis • Alexandria Nicole EmeryWalker • Kirby Marie Esparza • Stephanie Guadalupe Esquivel Cerecero • Tymarchio Sirvaughn Etheridge • Melanie Ann Ewers • Donald Chase Failing • Amanda Deanne Falcon • Tiffany L. Ferrell • Riley
Marie Fincher • Kyana Ann Fischer • Lindsie May Fisher • Shannon Feaster Floiran • Adam Michael Flores • Dallas Taylor Flores • Kiarrah Latrice Foster-Barrow • Ashley Marie Freeman • Danielle Elaine
Frerich • John Robert Gaitan • Jordan George Galeazzi • William Thomas Gallagher • Courtney Elise Garcia • Fernando Garcia • Meghan Noel Garcia • Reese Alejandro Garcia
• Amy Elizabeth Gardner • Lori Beth Garis • Mark Richard Garrett • Jacob Dante Garza • Charles Richard Gatrelle III • Gabriela A. Gay • Abinadi J. Gaynor • Jake Randall
Gillit • Blake Ronald Given • Michael O. Glenn • Rosalina Gomez Carrillo • Adrian Gomez Peregrino • Mariel Gomez Peregrino • Melody Ashley Ann Gomez • Edward
Rene Gonzales • Elyse Renee Gonzales • Julian Alvaro Gonzalez • Jacob Levi Gore • Jacob Tyler Gormley • Kyle Aubrey Gottardy • Amanda Marie Graham • Amber
Nichole Gregory • Cole McKinley Gresham • Tyler James Grothues • Crystal Elizabeth Guajardo • Alex Paul Gumm • William David Gunter • Ann Lizbeth Gutierrez
• Lexxys Morgan Haggard • Crystal Lynn Hagler • Summer Camille Hall • Sierra Constance Hallberg • Lindsay Ann Hamby • Paige Victoria Hamilton • Cara Elissa
Hanson • Austin Curtis Harbour • Chelsey Norine Harp • Christian Nicole Harrell • Cody Cheyenne Harris • Raymond Jeffrey Harris • Rielle Khalia Harris • Zachary
Ryan Harris • Abigail Jense Harrison • Megan Nicole Hawes • Hannah Marie Heard • Erin Ashley Heft • Spencer Trevor Heline • Kurt Duane Hensley • Benjamin
Jared Hernandez • Elaina Michelle Hernandez • Jessika Rose Hernandez • Jake Gibson Hicks • Dallas Ray Hightower • Matthew Walton Hill • Rebecca Alexandria
Hill • Tyler Ross Hintz • Jessica Nicole Hobson • Melissa K. Hodge • Samantha Morgan Hojnacki • Elise Katherine Holmes • Tylia Divinity-Patrice Hopkins • Jared
Benton Huddlesto • Grant Lanz Hudspeth • Logan Robert Huesing • Cameron Datgean Hui • Christopher Dylan Hull • Dustyn Allen Humphrey • Jacob A. Hunter •
Christine Thuy-Duong Huynh • Luke Ian Hyde • Amanda Ingrebretson • Austin T. Ivey • Robert William Jacks III • William Maurice Jackson • Molly Ann
JacobsvHannah Rebecca James • Brandon E. Jankins • Dayna Brooke Janney • Dayna Kristine Jasinsky • Tiffany Nicole Jehl • Britnee Nichole Jenkins • Tevin Anthony
Jerry • Aaron Charles Johnson • Brianna Simone Mavis Johnson • Chayce Kallan Johnson • James Furman Johnson III • John Russell Johnson • Blake Daniel Johnston
• William Cody Jordan • Jordan Taylor Jung • Karl Emerson Kapustka • Samuel James Keith • Teresa Maria Kellar • Brittany Nichole Kellum • Shelby Leonie Kempin
• Caio Gardner Kiltoff • Chandler Trace Kimble • Connor Peyton Kingery • Erin Jade Kinniell • Evan Paul Kiolbassa • Matthew C. Kirchoff • Kelly Hawkins Kirkpatrick
• Chelsea Rhiannon Kramps • Clayton Dean Krause • Hesston Gus Krause • David Andrew Kreutler • Caleb Nathaniel Kruse • Chase Hennings Kuentz • Matthew E.
Kuykendall • Lawrence Simon La Motte • Nichole Michelle Lain • Alix Taylor Lake • Shelby Nicole Langhoff • Krista Estee Laplante • Samuel Ricardo Lara • Aliena
Marie Larsen • Kelsie Jordan Lauderdale • Zachary Aaron Lautner • Robert Franklin Lee • Michelle Nicole Lenahan • James Lenny Leos • Alyssa Kathleen
Lindemann • Ethan Arren Linn • Bradley Hunter Lisman • Morris Frank Loeffler III • Michael Anthony Loftis Jr. • Cierra Chantel Lohaus • Angela Dhannette
Longoria • Justin Dietrich Lowe • Lauryn Elyse Lozano • Jessica Gail MacDonald • Regan Collis Manning • Joshua Paul Marlatt • Joel Esteban Marte • Amber
Nicole Martin • Cody Lincoln Martin • Ryan Tyler Martin • Ashley Ann Martinez • Cynthia Martinez • Jessica Lyn Martinez • Jonathan Martinez • Amanda
C. Mata • Ngoc Mayout • Chelsea Dawn McBee • Kevin Andrew McBride • Heather Lynn McCutchen • Amber Renee McDaniel • Lacie Dea McDonald
• Austin Sumner McGonigal • Jessica Lauren McGuire • Kacy Paige McKinney • Kayla Reanne McNeel • Lana Lea McRea • Sarah Kathryn Meador •
Robert Andrew Mecke • Samantha Paige Meckel • Maris Aubrey Medina • Mark Christopher Melendez • Aissa Monique Mercado • Andrea Michelle
Meredith • Christopher Lee Migura • Mark Raymond Milewski • Krista Daniella Miller • Treyvon Marquis Mitchell • Coker Radigan Moeller • Lauren
Elida Molina • Misty Lynn Mooney • Daniel Terrett Moore • Lauren Ashley Moore • Juan-Daniel Mora • Veronica Ariel Morales • Tomas Alexander
Moreno • Michael Allen Morgan • Jared Mark Mosley • Kayla Danielle Moss • Craig Anthony Mullins • Belinda Ann Mungia • Kimberly Grace Munoz
• Brittany Marie Nash • Gabriel Navarro • Cody Tyler Neckar • Samantha Nicole Nelson • Jillian Alexandra Nielsen • Christopher Wallace Nix • Ashley
Elizabeth Noll • Marina Midori Northup • Courtney Lynn Norton • Amanda Constance Nunez • Araceli Olivares • Christian Xavier Ortiz • Devante
Daquon Owens • Samantha Jennifer Pagliarulo • David Robert Pain • Ashleigh Marie Pannell • Alexandra Helena Papatonis • Kaelyn Alysse Parks • James
Dallas Pate • Elizabeth Rose Pawelek • Danielle Alaine Payne • Jacob Clayton Payne • Brooke Celina Pedrique • Cara Rae Peek • Dylan Guy Peele • Jeremy
Taylor Peirsol • Rafael Perez Lomeli • Ricardo S. Perez • Erin Elizabeth Perkins • Randall Curtis Perkins • Conner Kathryn Phariss • Brady Thomas Phelps
• Kelsey Christine Phelps • Jaimie Morgan Piatnik • Genitt Fernanda Picciotti • Jordan Edward Pierce • Kyle Britt Pittman • Gregory Dale Potts II • Danielle
Marie Powers • Daniel Edward Pryor • Chelsea Noelle Quidachay • Kenneth Taylor Rackley • Michael Joseph Radino Jr. • Jenna Krista Raines • Adriana
Ramirez Ferreira • Colin Thomas Ramirez • Emmanuel Roaro Ramirez • Gustavo Luis Ramirez Ruiz • Justin Gregory Ramirez • Stephanie Ramirez • Michael
Brody Raney • Jennifer Ann Rangel • Cullen James Rauser • Sarah Lynn Raye • Jonathan T. Reagan • Gustavo Gonzalez Recendiz • Faye Rose Renfro •
Garrett Wade Renken • Samantha Anne Renteria • Ryan James Respondek • Kendall Jan Rice • Spencer Joseph Rink • Amanda Paige Rios • Jesse Aaron Rios
• Michael Taylor Risenmay • Alexander Ramon Rivera • Ian Michael Robbins • Paul Justin Robles III • Justin Daniel Pavot Rodriguez • Oscar Rodriguez •
Peter Rodriguez • James Clifton Rogers • Russell Eugene Rohan • Shawna Rae Ross • Justin Kennedy Rowell • Dy’re Alexander Rubin • Logan G. Russell
• Michael Arthur Russell • Dalton Brucks Saathoff • Zachary Alexander Saavedra • Roy Andrew Salmon II • Allen Jay Sampson • James Dillon Sampson •
Hector Sanchez • Todd Stephen Sankey • Weston Harris Santleben • Jose Antonio Santos • Bryan McKenna Saunders • Wesley Reid Schamberger • Kyle
Anthony Schneider • Amanda Leigh Schwanenberg • Savannah Grace Seguin • Anne Marie Shaffer • Meghan Elizabeth Sharrar • McCall Lee Shattuck • John
Paul Sibilsky • Arturo Francisco Sida • Justin Ronnie Silcox • Joshua Ryan Sims • Ashley Nicole Smith • Mark Allen Smith • Sara Elizabeth Smith • Zachary
Giles Snavely • James Daniel Snowden • Kelsey Kae Somal • Michelle Mackenzie Sorenson • Cassandra Lisette Sosa • Emily Deen Spencer • Matthew
Christopher Stacy • Jason Paul Standard • Rebekah Stanley • Cole Julian Stepniewski • Jake James Stepniewski • Cailyn Nicole Stewart • Jessa Renee Stone
• Joshua Dean Story • Dillon Paul Strickland • Meghan Elizabeth Sullivan • Afsha A. Sundrani • Brandon Andreas Scott Swandal • Daniel Burrell Swinney •
John Blackley Sylvester Jr. • Joshua William Tavarez • Matthew H. Taylor • Parker Owen Taylor •
Joshua Michael Teal • Elliott A. Teel • Nelson Anthony Teel • Preston Reid Tharp • Logan Dean
Thigpen • Sandra Estell Thomas • Rebekah Paige Thudium • Nicholas A. Thurman • Kelcie B.
Tiedeman • Travis N. Timberlake • Ashli D’Rai Tippins • Samantha Faith Titus • Timothy Jacob Todaro
• Talia Noel Tomlinson • Taylor Rae Torbert • Krystine Amber Tovar • Jacob Edward Tree • Jayme
Erika Trevino • Jennifer Stacey Trevino • Cezar Alexander Trinidad • Cassie Lynn Tysarczyk • Ryan
Christopher Unruh • Lacie Wade Valdez • Justin Michael Vann • Joshua Alex Velasquez • Ross Hunter
Veytia • Xavier Gabriel Villareal • Arthur Ray Villarreal III • Kayce Karey Peyton Voges • Krystian
Gene Jeremiah Voges • Chelsea Renee Wallace • Morgan Elizabeth Walley • Robert Ethan Wallgren Jr.
• Lauren Ann Walsh • Andrew James Waterreus • Brandon Blake Weaver • Aaron David Weber • Corey
Alan Weber • Joshua G. Weigand • Morgan Rain Weigand • Brett Jeffrey Wellman • Tyler Cameron
West • Britteny Lynn Whitaker • Hayden Lloyd White • Tyler Daniel White • Julie Michelle Whorton
• Christina Michelle Williams • Janae Nicole Williams • Heather Renee Wilsey • Kyle William Wilson
• Jordan Marie Wimberley • Kimberlie Collette Winslow • Sarah Beth Woodard • Ashley Nicole Wyatt
www.c o u n tr y h ills v e t.c o m
• Stacey Nicole Wyatt • Thomas Joseph Young • Cade Adam Zenner
18 - SchooLife - June 2010
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visit www.comalisd.org
SchooLife - June 2010 - 19
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visit www.comalisd.org
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2010 Canyon High School
Summa Cum Laude
Front row l-r: Mandy Ogle, Toni Garrison,
Courtney Martin, Jenna Keller, Paige
Klinge, Dana Ogrin, Sarah Stancik
Back Row l-r: Cameron Pawelek, Lane Fife,
Ryan Goad, Justin Haas, Edward Yu,
Brian Massey, Jonathan Volz, Juan
Herrejon, Joseph Bloxham, Philip
Churchwell, Derek Kanas
Not Pictured:
Sofia Schmidt
2010 Canyon High School
Magna Cum Laude
Sharris Vader, Stephanie Peace,
Hilary Troyer, Marissa Molina, Adriana
Villa, Carly Covington, Allison Hatfield,
Erin Fiebrich, Samantha Streger and Erin
Griffin
Front row l-r:
William Goodpasture, Ian Bell,
Daniel Ayala, Jr., Christopher Outterson,
Jose “Roman” Medina, Adam Hallmark,
Garrett Friesenhan and Diego Pliego
Top row l-r:
Not Pictured:
Miranda Metheney
2010 Canyon High School
Cum Laude
William Stelter, Brittany
Woodard, Vanessa “Jordan” Harwood,
Claudia Reyes, Marlie Vann, Magen
Patterson, Danielle Hyde and Ryan Kinlin
Front row l-r:
Top row l-r: Brian Ha, Peter “Alex” Webre,
Braden Lynch, Alexander Dubois, Max
Harford, Ian Wofford, James Vogel, Ryan
Hunter
Not Pictured:
Tyler Anderson
visit www.comalisd.org
SchooLife - June 2010 - 23
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Canyon High School Top 15 Seniors ~ Teachers
COMMENCEMENT 2010
Joseph Bloxham
Heather Sanders
Toni Garrison
David Shahan
Ryan Goad
Larry Anderson
Justin Haas
Cynthia Rotzler
Juan Herrejon
Elizabeth Lind
Derek Kanas
Brian Martinez
Jenna Keller
Kevin Randle
Paige Klinge
Kelly Sundaram
Courtney Martin
Michelle Koehl
Brian Massey
Gary Anderson
Dana Ogrin
Heidi O’Keefe
Cameron Pawelek
Linda Hammon
Sarah Stancik
Veronica McClanahan
Jonathan Volz
Will Haltom
Edward Yu
James Boggs
Senior/Teacher photos provided by Sam Roberts Photography H www.comalsports.com
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The following is a list of seniors intending on participating in the graduation ceremony and receiving a diploma. Please note that students will only participate in the graduation ceremony once they have successfully passed
and received credit in all course work and met all state attendance requirements. Congratulations and good luck to the Class of 2010.
Teal Kathleen Addington • Jasmine Monique Aguilar • John Anthony Aguilar • Christopher Nicholas Aguirre • Irving Alan Aleman • Nicholas B. Allen • Kimberly Ann Alvarado • Nicolas Matthew Alvarez • Sabrina
Lynn Anderson • Tyler David Milton Anderson • Evan Adrian Andreolli • Isaac David Arce • Julio Adolfo Arreaga • Victor Alfonso Arreguin • Daniel E. Austin • Jesus Avila • Laura Avila • Daniel Ayala, Jr. • Wesley
Cullen Baker • Corey Wayne Baldwin • John Vincent Barrett • Luz Maria Barrios • Alexandra Beck • Brooke Lauren Becker • Ian Christopher Bell • Whitney Renee Bengoechea • Shawn Stratton Bennett • Taylor Lauren
Billingsley • Spencer Brian Blakely • Joseph C. Bloxham • Regina Charmine Bobbitt • Melissa Clare Bohan • Janelle Nicole Borrego • Jason Christopher Boswell • Ashton Nicole Boyce • Vanessa C. Boyd • Amanda
Evelyn Bradley • Myranda Lynette Bradley • Holden Storm Bradshaw • Krystal Kay Britt • Julie Ann Brooks • Jonathan Troy Brown • Kayla Carrie Brown • Blaine William Brucks • Lauren Michelle Bugosh • Stefinie
Lynn Burns • Kayla Lea Caddell • Justin Aaron Cantu • Princessa Juanita Cardenas • Kayla Brooke Carroll-Ramirez • Shelby Lynn Cash • Araceli Margarita Castañeda • Graciela Maria Castilleja • Nicholas Garcia
Castillo • Juan Carlos Chavez • Philip Michael Churchwell • Cameron A. Clark • Ross Matthew Cleckler • John Wylie Coker • Aaron Bradley Collins • Augusta Joy Cortez • Carly Lynn Covington • Heather Lynn Cox
• Kyana Drew Crayton • Alexander Thornton Crowe • Daniel Cruz • Chynna Ashleigh Cuellar • Thomas Eric Dasso • Lee J. Daugherty • Laine Alexandra Dearing • Randall James DeBacker, Jr. • Karleigh Brooke
Decker • Justin Thomas La’akea DeLeon • Blain Alexander Deshotel • Tasha Leigh DeSilva • James King Dewar • Joseph Sullivan Dewar • Cameron Joseph Donahoe • Trevor Wayne Dornbusch • Alexander DuBois
• Heather Leigh Edwards • Lizann Esquivel • Luis Alberto Estrada • Brittany Lee Everman • Matthew Aaron Farley • John David Faulkner • Erin Elizabeth Fiebrich • Lane Ellis Fife • Dennis Tyler Figol • Donald M.
Filibeck • Chelsey Linae Fisher • Jessica Andria Flores • Jimmy Flores, Jr. • Riley Brandt Foster • Ryan John Franz • Maegan Shantell Fretwell • Garrett Martin Friesenhahn • Koehl Ann Friesenhahn • Wesley Eric
Friesenhahn • Roxanne Nicole Fromme • Amy Micheline Fry • Kalen Patrick Fryer • Chelsea Danielle Fuller • Jamie Lynn Fullerton • Brandon James Gabriel • Ramon Garcia De Alba • Toni Michelle Garrison • Daniel
Garza • Ryan Lee Goad • Lacie Alexandria Gomez • Paul Anthony Gomez • Elizabeth Ramona Gonzales • Jacob Martin Gonzales • Rebeca Marie Gonzales • James Derek Gonzalez • Stephanie Krystal Gonzalez •
William Mark Goodpasture • Jordan Caitlyn Graham • Gregory Lynn Gray II • (Gregory Lynn Battice - @CDC) • Erin Elizabeth Griffin • Brandon James Grudle • Sarah Jean Grudle • Kayley Rae Gutierrez • Selina
Alicia Gutierrez • Amanda Louise Gutz • Brian Ha • Justin Randolph Haas • Katherine Marie Hall • Ryan Denys Hall • Adam Wesley Hallmark • Robert Edward Hansmann • Max Olin Harford • Victoria Lynn Harrison
• Blisse Kelsey Hartman • Vanessa Jordan Harwood • Allison Rae Hatfield • Krystalen Lee Hayman • Jeremy William Helmke • Joshua William Henfey • Rowdy Joe Herber • Jacky Hernandez • Juan Andres Herrejon
• Stephanie Lynn Herring • Evelyn Amy Hodges • Michael Paul Hoffmann • Jacob Anthony Hubble • Ryan Hunter • Danielle Elaine Hyde • Brandon Lane Ikels • Mercedes Lea Inks • Megan Nichole Jacob • Isiah
Alexander Jara • Kyle Wayne Jenkins • John Andrew Jenschke • Alex Edward Johnson • Lauren Nicole Johnson • Derek Kyle Kanas • Victoria Lynn Kasper • Cody Edward Katcsmorak • Ryan Alan Keffer • Jenna
Leigh Keller • Abigail Park Kester • Ariel Kilgore • Ryan Jackson Kinlin • Michael Joseph Kinney • Benjamin Hunter Klein • Paige Nicole Klinge • Alexander Raymond Kneebone • Tucker E. Krech • Christopher Glenn
Krueger • Hannah Elizabeth Lamb • Richard Alex Lawrence • Deziray Roxann Leal • Erica Renée Leal • Amberlynn Lehmann • Jonathan Chisom Lekwuwa • Maria Ramos LeMond • Porchia Chanel Levay • Nicole
Levermann • Kayla Michelle Lewis • Jesi Leigh Lindeman • Courtney Ann Link • Felicia Dawn Lombardo • Juan Antonio Lopez • Romeo López • Yenaiv Eunice Lopez • Patrick Michael Lussier • Braden Lee Lynch
• Gregory Logan Machalec • Illiana Marie Machuca • Manuel Madrigal • Abundia Paula Malagon • Crispean Rafael Maldonado • Kelsey Paige Marlar • Jessica Caitlin Martens • Courtney Lynn Martin • Jonathan Jovanni
Martinez • Miranda Michelle Martinez • Monica Martinez • Shineese R. Martinez • Steven Raymond Martinez • Brian Allen Massey • Jessica Christine Mathis • Ryan Lee Matthews • Pedro Eduardo Maysonet • Rebecca
Mary McCarthy • Adriene Lee McClanahan • James Henry McDaniel • Pamela Ashton McGrath • Alex Ray McLaughlin • Colt Reeves McLean • Robert Ryan McLeod • Brien D. McLuckie • Karen Michelle Medellin
• Jose Roman Medina • Madeleine Nicole Medrano • Marisa Michelle Medrano • Brooke Alison Meissner • Justin Travis Menking • Karina Meraz Campos • Miranda Michelle Metheney • Agustina Meza • Brian Chase
Mills • Marissa Lynn Molina • Raul Joseph Morales • Marshal Alan Morrison • Aaron D. Moser • T’Keyah S. Moses • Jorie L. Mueller • Aaron Alton Myers • Desiré Ann Nash • Leonel A. Nava • Johnny Ngo • Virginia
Ann Marie Nowell • James Dillon Null • Nicholas James Nutt • Justin Wright Offtermatt • Amanda Nicole Ogle • Dana Elizabeth Ogrin • Orlando Oliva Lopez • Robert Olivo • Nicolás Santiago Ramos Olvera • Tess
Roxanne Ortigoza • Nidia Osuna • Christopher James Outterson • Ashley Mary Pagel • Minerva Palacios • Valerie Anne Pasket • Magen McCall Patterson • Cameron James Pawelek • Stephanie Nicole Peace • Zachary
Michael Pennell • Liza Adrienne Perez • Tanya Perez • Robert Pier • Diego Arturo Pliego • Lauren Alesandra Pohl • Ruben Quintanilla • Cheyenne Elaine Raish • Aaron Rene Ramirez • Diego Armando Ramirez • Felix
Eduardo Ramirez • Joshua J. Ramon • Isaac Paz Ramos • Owen Allen Rathburn • Arika Michelle Rau • Linden Dale Reed • Tyler Scott Reidhead • Kori Paige Reininger • Adriana Reyes • Claudia Reyes • Joanna Reyes
• Shelby Ashlyn Riley • Joshua Ben Robinson • Julian Ray Robledo • Patrick Joseph Robles • Elizabeth K. Rock • Joseph Jeff Rodriguez • Kristen Rodriguez • Sabrina Bianca Rodriguez • Sabrina Eleani Rodriguez •
Siria Illianna Rodriguez • Yolanda Rodriguez • Melanie Roman • Maria Guadalupe Romero • Douglas M. Romines • Briana Leigh Rose • Alonzo Salazar • Brianna Alyssa Salazar • Aracely Saldivar • Allison Amanda
Salinas • Marcus Alexander Salinas • Alma Rosa Sanchez • James Edward Sanchez • Steven Omar Sanchez • McCall Davis Sanders • Destiny Bianca Sauceda • Francisco Sauceda • James Ryan Sauceda • Ruben Anthony
Sauceda • Colleen Renee Sauer • Jason Michael Schaefer • Sarah Marie Schell • Sofia Marilynn Schmidt • Danci Brianne Schroeder • Russell Edward Schroeder • Erika Kylene Schuetz • Fred Alexander Schultz • Eric
Scott Schumacher • Joseph Gregory Shartzer • Cassandra Marie Silva • Brandon Lee Singleton • Cali Shay Skolaut • Jeffrey Scott Slaughter, Jr. • Kyndra Kay Slaughter • Jacob Ryan
Smith • Travis Lee Smith • Sami Jo Springfield • Ashley Robin Staley • Sarah Kristen Stancik • Evan James Stanley • Cecilia Avril Starks • Tyler Cole Steele • Taylor
Marie Stehle • William Andrew Stelter • Hailie Melissa Stohs • Samantha Kay Streger • Lauren Renée Svoboda • Sara Elizabeth Tate • Lucas Richard Taylor • Tyler
Christian Lewis Tennell • Tara Grace Thane • Erica Victoria Tice • Kagan Paige Timmermann • Luz Maria Torices • Mariana Irazema Trejo • Lawrence D. Trevino
• Hilary Diane Troyer • Jonas Javier Tuason • Sharris Karyn Vader • Meagan Marie Valadez • Santiago Sebastian Valles • Ryan James Van Straten • Jonmikel
Baylor Van Cleve • Marlie Kay Vann • Michael Andrew Vann • Jaime Mauricio Vasquez • Michael Morris Vergenz • Adriana Maria Villa • Joseph Anthony
Villalpando • James R. Vogel • Jonathan David Volz • Kailee Brook Vrana • Michael Scott Wagner • Jeremy Charles Walker (Jeremy Charles Grote)
• Rebecca Lynne Wall • Clinton A. Webb • Peter A. Webre • Ryan Patrick Wendell • David Paul Westenberger • Landon James Whitaker •
Jacquelina Michelle White • Veronica Claire Wicks • Victoria Rose Wiemers • Justin David Wiley • Ashley Paige Wilkins • Lacy Lynne
Williams • Levi Travis Willis • Ian Matthew Wofford • Brittany Nichole Wonsang • Brittany Morgan Woodard • Cougar J. Wright •
Amanda Ruth Wukasch • Joseph Brandon Yates • Edward Chenxi Yu • Adrian Zacarias • Paola Mercedes Zavala • Tiffany Jo Zeller •
Caitlyn Elizabeth Zuschlag • Cathleen Ellamae Zuschlag
visit www.comalisd.org
SchooLife - June 2010 - 25
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Study Abroad: A Growing Interest
Due to technology, travel, professional contacts, and international issues, the world is getting smaller. Participating in a study-abroad experience is more important than ever. Study
abroad promotes more global understanding, networking, professional and personal skills.
What does it mean to study abroad?
The opportunity to study abroad is generally available to any academic major who is willing to invest a summer, a semester, or even a year living and learning in another country.
There are many academic/professional benefits to studying abroad:
• Earn academic credit toward your major or electives
• Learn about another culture
• Learn another language
(even different terms in locations where English is the first language)
• Gain practical skills participating in an internship or service learning project
• Financial aid may apply to help defer costs
• Employers consider a study abroad experience as an asset
There are many personal benefits to studying in another country:
• Gain independence and self-reliance skills
• Meet life-long friends
• Increase adaptability and flexibility attributes
• Increase willingness to take on challenges or new roles
• Gain more confidence
• Clearer idea of future goals
Nationwide, approximately two percent of college students study abroad. While the
number of students learning abroad has increased, this is still a small number and universities are working to increase that. Most universities will offer a portfolio of study-abroad
opportunities that include affiliated direct enrollment, exchange programs, and faculty-led
programs. These opportunities give the students many choices that fit their academic and
financial needs. Programs can last anywhere from 10 days to an academic year.
Comal ISD
Memorial High School’s
2010 Graduates
Ashley Marie Cochran • Ashley Marie Nguyen • Ashley Knox •
Ashley Lynn Minar • Austin Thomas Green • Auston Thomas
Dillon • Brandon Scott Payne • Caleb Allen Rust • Cameron Chase
Cornelison • Cody Austin Hansen • Danielle Renee Craft • Dylan
Ty Robinson • Dylan Edward Creelman • Erik Luna • Ernie Ashlee
Basaldua • Hailey Marie Lynn Hoben • Hannah Nicole Howarth •
Harley James Hart • Jay Alden Miller • Kalyn Rae Callia • Karl
Robert Bohrer II • Kathryn Leigh Strickland • Katy Elaine Miller •
Kelsey Lynne Garrett • Kyndra D’ann Knight • Lauren Ashley
Ruiz • Lee Michael Teenier • Maura Elizabeth Brown • McCall
Davis Sanders • Meagan Nichole George • Megan Lea Ann Olson
• Michael Robert Wilson • Monique Garza • Morgan C. Howarth •
Rachael Marie Norton • Ronald John Hanrahan • Ryker Travis
Simmons • Sandra Garcia Hernandez • Shelby Lynn Stearman •
Sylver Diane Condrey • Tarik Jamal Saaid • Tiffany Nicole Jeter •
Trevor Ferris • Zachary Martin Snider
Will you take the challenge to study abroad while in college?
Charla Bailey
Director of International Education
Texas Lutheran University
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2010 Canyon Lake High School
Summa Cum Laude
Top row l-r:
Silas Ott, Matthew Willis, Jacob Phillips,
Dylan Janak, and Joshua Harris
Front row l-r:
Alyssa Drum, Michelle Roberts, and
Jessica Watson
Not pictured:
Jacqueline Overby
2010 Canyon Lake High School
Magna Cum Laude
Top row l-r:
David Thetford, Andrew Clark, Taylor Collins,
Jared Goram, and Zachary Hurley
Front row l-r:
Emily Lange, Ashley Biering,
Ashley Magness, and Jena Whitley
2010 Canyon Lake High School
Cum Laude
Top row l-r:
Gavin Jackson, Cody Duggan, Stryder Fike
Front row l-r:
Elizabeth O’Connell, Rebeca Ramirez,
Graysen Reed, Sandi Frischmuth, and Monica
Morin
Not pictured: Tonya
visit www.comalisd.org
Waller
SchooLife - June 2010 - 27
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Canyon Lake High School Top 15 Seniors ~ Teachers
COMMENCEMENT 2010
Andrew Clark
Kate OReilly
Alyssa Drum
Louis Drum
Jared Goram
Matthew Monzingo
Joshua Harris
Robin Atchison
Dylan Janak
Mark Watley
Kevin Kutras
Dean Hofer
Ashley Magness
Sharon Monzingo
Silas Ott
Teri Taylor
Jacqueline Overby
Stephen Foster
Jacob Phillips
Suzanne Schule
Miki Roberts
Jeffrey Vaughn
David Thetford
Pat Ermel
Jessica Watson
Kim Farlow
Jena Whitley
Israel Pena
Matthew Willis
David Springer
Senior/Teacher photos provided by Sam Roberts Photography H www.comalsports.com
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The following is a list of seniors intending on participating in the graduation ceremony and receiving a diploma. Please note that students will only
participate in the graduation ceremony once they have successfully passed and received credit in all course work and met all state attendance
requirements. Congratulations and good luck to the Class of 2010.
Courtney Heather-Woods Adams • James Matthew Allen • Aaron Lee Ammons • Meagan Lee Ashby • Candida Brittanie
Baptista • Jordan Lynn Batdorf • Harrison Cade Bearden • Taylor Michelle Benavides • Christopher James Berry •
Ashley Ann Biering • Troy D. Boatwright • Nathan L. Bourgeois • Raymond Eugene Brown • Joshua James Browning • Duane Vincent Buethe III • Reuntan S. Burks • Jacob Leon
Burzynski • Jason Richard Butler • Andrew Michael Cabasa • Amber Nicole Campbell • Haley Yvonne Campbell • Kaylee Ann Carr • Maria Diana Castillo • Brittanni Nichole Caylor
• Trenton Micheal Chalk • Matthew Keith Chaney • Cody John Chapman • Logan Wayne Chappell • Megan Julie-Ann Cocilova • Taylor Austin Collins • Holly Courtney • Jacob Ford
Crabb • Linda Sharon Tamara Crane • Paytn Catherine Dadarria • Joshua Thomas Davis • Rebeca Lyda Davis • Richard Anthony Davis • Conrad Francis Dent • Tyler D. Dietert •
Mark Anthony Douglas, Jr. • Cody Lynn Duggan • Kimberly Ann Duncan • William Allen Lee Duplichan • Stryder Lee Fike • James Fitzgerald • Genise Lorraine Ford • Kellie D.
Fowler • Sandi LaVon Frischmuth • Jessica Marie Galvan • Joshua Dylan Gamez • Kent Dewayne Garner • James G. Gibson • Spencer Reed Gillett • Megan Reed Gonzales • Mario
Gonzalez • Dallas W. Gooch • Clint Goodman • Jared Donald Goram • Ashley Marie Graham • Dayton Mark Hall • Rosemary Linn Hannan • Bryan T. Hauteman • Lacey Angel
Hebert • Brooke Anne Henslee • Courtney Lorraine Henze • Richard Zachary Herbsleb • Marissa Gabriella Herrera • Hayle Rae Hickerson • Jesse Andrew Hobbs • Jarrett HohmanMorales • Savanah Margaret Hopkins • Zachary Slade Hurley • Alexander James Indehar • Gavin Richard Jackson • Tanner Lee Jones • James Arthur Todd Kasper II • Jasmine Eden
Merced Kennedy • Shelby Akree Kight • Janelle Marie Kime • Joseph Kime • Stephanie Nicole Koepp • Forrest Koeppen • Russell Henry Kreig III • Kevin Alan Kutras • Lauren
Marie LaBella • Johnathan Land • Emily Denise Lange • Dean Michael Langlois • Sarah Gail Lewis • Gabriela Lopez Ortega • Jose Carlos Lopez • Kimberly Anne Lopez • Yolanda
Rosa Lopez Ortega • Dillon Wayne Luehlfing • Ashley Nicole Magness • Jordan Nichole Mata • James Cole Matano • John Michael Mauricio • Regina Ann McMillan • Jessica
McMurray • Lindsey Rae Meyer • Shelby Lee Meyer • Ashley Rene Miller • Robyn Ann Miller • Shauna M. Miller • Matthew Mills • Erik Thomas Mladek • Cheyenne Moore •
Heather Moore • Sierra Marie Moreno • Monica Lynn Fernandez Morin • Travis James Mussells • Amanda Nicole Navarijo • Carmen Maree Nell • Eric Michael Nelson • Kyle Ronald
Nielsen • Vincent Gerard Noriega • Joseph Eric Noyola • Coral Emiliya Nunez • Elizabeth Eugenia O’Connell • Kelsey Nicole Oglesby • Deven Chase Ouellette • Samantha Ryan
Palermo • Juli Renae Patterson • Colby Taylor Patton • Christian Pena • Ashley Pfaff • Joshua Luke Phillips • Jaime Russell Pruna • Kristin Jenee Rainosek • Rebeca Ramirez • Jeremy
Michael Ramos • Kalyn Randall • Wakeena Mae Real • Graysen Amber Reed • Michael Drew Riccio • James Wayne Richard • Matthew David Richardson • Ryan Nathaniel Riffe •
Noel Kathleen Riordon • Rey Rocky Rodriguez • Crystal Dove Roe • Shelby Landon Rominger • Montana Raye Rust • Zacarry Saleen Saenz • Jacqueline Dorie Salazar • Morgan
Elizabeth Sanchez • Elyssia Skye Schrag • Thomas A. Schubert • Shelby Wayne Seeger • Cole Avery Allen Seitz • Joseph Leslie Shone • Korey Smith • Paul D. Smith, Jr. • Lizette
Adalnerys Sosa • Christopher Ryan Stamnitz • Karli Jean Steeves • Rose Maria Steward • Cassandra Denise Stidham • Matthew Aaron Stock • Randy Douglas Stone, Jr. • William
Grady Terry • David Allan Thetford • Elizabeth Mercedes Thompson • Jordan Matthew Townsley • Charles Joseph Trainer • Sigourney Tramont • Taylor Ryan Tschoepe • Karl M.
Tucker • Sarah Tullos • Jessica Leigh Underwood • Mark A. Villalobos • Ross Aaron Wagliardo • Jason Walker • Ashley Ann Wallace • Tonya L. Waller • Alexandria Megan White •
Jena Lee Whitley • Jacob A. Whitt • Kirsten Ashly Wilken • Gene David Williams • Jessica Dawn Susan Wilson • Brody F. Wisdom • Samantha Fay Wright • Dillan Jerod Wulf
visit www.comalisd.org
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Star athletes compete at Cougar Relays
Several Comal ISD students competed in the Star Athlete Division of the Canyon High Cougar Relays on
April 1. These budding track stars competed in a 50-meter dash and a 100-meter dash.
1. Canyon High student Amanda White gives Matt Rodriguez his post-race medal; 2. Matt Rodriguez, Trevor
Barger, Gage Farmer and Zach Moccia show their support for one another after their race; 3. Pictured (left to
right) are Gage Farmer, Trevor Barger, and Matt Rodriguez stretching for the finish line in the 100-meter dash;
and 4. The entire group of Star athletes and student volunteers.
All 10 Star athletes participating in the event received medals. Congratulations to everyone who competed on
this fun afternoon!
1
2
3
4
GREG
CHANDLER
(830) 438-7969
visit www.comalisd.org
SchooLife - June 2010 - 31
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1st -Bill Brown Elementary, 2010-2011
Registration, 8:30 am to 3 pm
-Timberwood Park Elementary, 20102011 Registration, 8 am to 3 pm
2nd -Bill Brown Elementary, 2010-2011
Registration, 8:30 am to 3 pm
-Timberwood Park Elementary, 20102011 Registration, 8 am to 3 pm
4th -Comal ISD Secondary Report Cards
to be mailed
8th -Clear Spring Elementary, 2010-2011
Registration8:00 am to 4 pm
-Freiheit Elementary, 2010-2011
Registration 8:00 am to 4 pm
-Hoffmann Lane Elementary, 20102011 Registration 8:00 to 11:00 am
and 12:30 to 4:00 pm
-Rebecca Creek Elementary, 2010-2011
Registration, 9 am to Noon and 1 to 4 pm
-Comal ISD Board of Trustees
32 - SchooLife - June 2010
Workshop/Budget, Support Services
Bldg., 6 pm
9th -Clear Spring Elementary, 2010-2011
Registration 8:00 am to 4 pm
-Freiheit Elementary, 2010-2011
Registration 8:00 am to 4 pm
-Goodwin Frazier Elementary, 20102011 Registration 8:00 am to Noon
and 1:00 to 4:00 pm
20th-Father’s Day
22nd -Comal ISD Board of Trustees
Meeting, Support Services Bldg., 6 pm
29th-TAKS Retest – 5th Grade, Math
30th-TAKS Retest – 3rd & 5th Grade,
Reading
Dates, times & locations of events
are subject to change
Grade Speed Parent Connection
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Four SVHS students place at state FCCLA
competition
Pictured (l-r) are Smithson Valley High students Jordan Wimberley, Kaitlin O’Brien, Sarah Raye and Kaci Mullen, who competed in the
FCCLA State Leadership Conference in Dallas April 8-10.
Nineteen students from Smithson Valley High School
competed in the FCCLA (Family, Career and Community
Leaders of America) State Leadership Conference in Dallas
April 8-10.
SVHS students competed in 10 different event categories at the state level. Each of these students had already
placed within the top six in their respective categories at the
Region V competition, the largest region in Texas.
Jordan Wimberley, a senior at Smithson Valley who is
currently enrolled in the Ready, Set, Teach program taught
by Ann Massey, placed fourth at state in Early Childhood.
Wimberley is an intern at Bill Brown Elementary under the
mentorship of Sarah Trager in Life Skills and April Gregg
in first grade. Wimberley will be attending Texas A&M in
the fall majoring in Special Education.
Kaitlin O’Brien, a junior, placed fourth in Interior
Design. The Interior Design event recognizes participants
who apply interior design skills learned in Family and
Consumer Sciences courses to design interiors that meet the
living space needs of clients.
visit www.comalisd.org
Senior Sarah Raye placed fifth in the Job Interview
event. In this event the students created a job portfolio and
participated in a job interview. Raye based her portfolio
information on her current job with Comal ISD in the
School Age Child Care program at Arlon Seay. The portfolio and job interviewing skills were taught in Ann Massey’s
Career Preparation work-program class. She plans to attend
Northeast Lakeview and then will attend UTSA majoring in
Elementary Education.
Junior Kaci Mullen placed fifth in the Teach and Train
event, which recognizes participants for their exploration of
the education and training fields through research and
hands-on experience. Mullen, who’s also in Massey’s
Ready, Set, Teach class, is an intern at Startzville
Elementary under the mentorship of fourth-grade teacher
Jennifer Curtis.
Congratulations to these four students for representing
both Smithson Valley High School and Comal ISD on the
state level.
CHS instructor Garcia wins Air
Force Association Alamo
Chapter Teacher of the Year
Canyon High Air Force
JROTC instructor Edward A.
Garcia was recently named the
Air Force Association Alamo
Chapter Teacher of the Year.
The Alamo Chapter includes
22 high schools and two colleges
in the greater San Antonio area.
“This is a first for Ed and
the Air Force JROTC program
at CHS,” said fellow CHS
instructor Major Kevin Cregier,
who nominated Garcia for the
award along with CHS principal Brad Brown and Comal
ISD superintendent Dr. Marc
Walker. “Ed is an excellent
Canyon High Air Force JROTC instructor Master
teacher, mentor and team play- Sgt. Edward A. Garcia was recently named the
er. He is a creative teacher who Alamo Chapter Air Force Teacher of the Year.
develops his curriculum to meet
the needs of the cadets. He is my right hand man and makes my job easy.”
Garcia has been a JROTC instructor for 13 years, and has been at CHS
since 2001.
Garcia is also now eligible to be named the state Air Force Association
Teacher of the Year. The results of the state contest will be announced in July.
“Master Sgt. Garcia is a great instructor and is very deserving of this
honor,” said cadet Joan Tuason, a junior at CHS. “He always goes the extra
mile for us. Whether it’s showing up every Saturday to help the leadership
team with a project or counseling a cadet who may need guidance, you can
tell Master Sgt. Garcia really loves his job.”
Brown said Garcia provides leadership on the CHS campus.
“It’s always a privilege to work with good people like Ed Garcia,” Brown
said. “He’s the kind of person who’s always going to put the student and our
high school first.”
SchooLife - June 2010 - 33
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HLES has reason to celebrate Public School Volunteer Week
By Jason Gordon,
Comal ISD Communications Dept.
When the idea of forming a science club
came to Hoffmann Lane Elementary
teacher Sheila Pfeffer last summer, she had
no idea how much work it would entail.
Luckily for Pfeffer, HLES is one of
many Comal ISD schools district-wide that
has a strong base of volunteers.
In stepped Richard and Nancy
Wackerbarth, who are members of the
Comal Master Gardeners Association, and
the science club began to take shape.
“I quickly realized with all my other
duties as a teacher, it would be hard to start
a science club on my own,” Pfeffer said. “I
simply could not have done this without
Richard and Nancy.”
The Wackerbarth’s were presented a
special plaque by Pfeffer and members of
the science club on April 22 to help commemorate Public School Volunteer Week,
which ran April 19-23.
There will also be a permanent plaque
placed in the school’s outdoor garden area
to honor the couple for all they have done
to help HLES students.
“Richard and Nancy really stepped up
when we needed them to,” Pfeffer said.
“They’ve been coming up to the school
every Friday, and our students have learned
so much from them.”
The outdoor garden was built at the
beginning of the school year when garden-
34 - SchooLife - June 2010
“They’ve taught us to be helpful toward
during Public School Volunteer Week.
ing was chosen as the science club’s theme.
others,” Boothe said. “I definitely plan on
“We have a great tradition of parents and
In the fall, students planted cabbage,
grandparents volunteering at Hoffmann
broccoli, carrots, spinach, lettuce, peas, rose- volunteering when I get older.”
Pfeffer said she’s already seen the volLane Elementary,” said HLES principal
mary and onions. In the spring, they planted
Janice Tubb. “Whether it’s coming up and
tomatoes, squash, beans, and flowers to help unteerism effect rub off on her students.
“I see a lot of the older students taking
reading to the children or working in the
attract butterflies and hummingbirds.
the time to help the younger students when
garden like Richard and Nancy do, our vol“Mr. Richard and Mrs. Nancy have
we’re working in the garden,” Pfeffer said.
unteers greatly increase the morale of all of
taught us how to grow and take care of
“I think that’s a direct result of what
our students and faculty here, and we think
things,” said HLES student James Lowry.
that’s fantastic.”
“Now I’m thinking of planting my own gar- Richard and Nancy have done for our kids
and our school.”
den at home.”
HLES is lucky enough to have many volRichard said it’s been very rewarding for
unteers that help throughout the school year.
he and his wife to spend time volunteering
They were honored with a lunch at the school
at HLES.
“I think it’s great we’ve
been able to pass on some of
our knowledge to the kids,” he
said. “The best thing about it is
seeing their faces light up
when they see something new.”
Nancy said she looks forward to the days she and
Richard spend with the students.
“It’s nice to be able to give
back to the community,” she
said. “It’s been wonderful to
help teach the kids things they
might not have known about
before. Some of them had
never seen a tomato or carrot
grow.”
HLES student Matt Boothe
said he’s been inspired by the This school year, members of the Hoffmann Lane Elementary science club have planted cabbage, broccoli, carrots, spinach, lettime Richard and Nancy have tuce, peas, and tomatoes, as well as flowers to help attract butterflies and hummingbirds, with the help of volunteers Richard
and Nancy Wackerbarth. HLES was one of many schools in the Comal ISD celebrating Public School Volunteer Week April 19-23.
spent at the school.
Grade Speed Parent Connection
SL June:June 5/24/10 1:59 PM Page 35
Rebecca Creek Artists Win Awards
Congratulations go to three
Rebecca Creek Elementary School
fourth graders who were awarded
medals and prizes in the San Antonio
Symphony’s annual Paint to Music
Contest. Brianna Adams received a
first-place award, Zoe Berger a second-place award, and Michelle
Sheffield received a third-place
award. The young artists had earlier
created paintings as they listened to
an orchestral arrangement of composer Sergei Rachnmaninoff’s
Vocalise. On April 15 the entire
fourth grade from RCES traveled to
San Antonio to hear the symphony at Laurie Auditorium, view slides of the winning artwork displayed on
a screen above the orchestra, and hear the contest winners announced. After lunch the students toured the
McNay Art Museum. The Paint to Music project was a collaborative effort of Cyndi Lane, art teacher,
and Diana Riepe, music teacher.
Top music students honored at BBES
Bill Brown’s musical performing groups, the
Trailblazer Choir, the Mallet Masters, and
Xtreme D.R.R.U.M. (an acronym for
“Discipline”, “Respect”, “Responsibility”, and
“Unity” through “Music”), performed in concert
for a packed house on April 22. Everyone did
their part to make the evening a great success.
Top students from each group (pictured here)
were also recognized during the performance.
Pictured are (top row, l-r) Mackenzie Jensen,
Chase Bracher and Nick Frei. (Middle row) Niki
Conner and Allee Schroeder. Bottom row:
Kerrilee Berger.
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Leukemia Foundation receives
generous check from SBMS
Spring Branch Middle School rocked the Leukemia Foundation’s Pennies for Patients campaign.
A Leukemia Foundation representative came out to SBMS recently to accept a check for $4,466.26.
SMBS’ donation ranked in the top 10 from schools in 44 counties in Texas! Pictured here are students in Julie Shattuck’s class, which raised the most money during the impressive campaign. Also
pictured is SBMS counselor Cindy Hurst.
CISD to begin construction on new
Kinder Ranch elementary in June
In June, construction is expected to begin on Comal ISD’s sixteenth elementary school in the
Kinder Ranch subdivision in San Antonio at the intersection of Borgfeld and Bulverde Road.
The school is one of two elementary schools left in the district’s $205.85 million Bond 2008 issue to
be built. Originally, a new elementary in Canyon Lake off of FM 306 was planned to be built and
opened in the 2011-2012 school year, and the Kinder Ranch elementary was not scheduled to open until
the 2012-2013 school. But due to the district’s demographics showing greater need for schools in the
southwest region of the district, the construction of a new elementary in Canyon Lake has been postponed and instead an elementary will be built in Indian Springs on 281 south of Borgfeld in addition to
the Kinder Ranch elementary. Comal ISD still has the FM 306 site, which will be used in the future.
The Kinder Ranch elementary school will relieve overcrowding at Timberwood Park and Specht
elementary schools and is expected to open in August 2011 for next school year. A groundbreaking
ceremony is expected to be held sometime in June, and the name of the school will not officially be
decided until later this school year. The school will cost approximately $16 million to build.
SchooLife - June 2010 - 35
SL June:June 5/24/10 1:59 PM Page 36
CHS choir members
compete at UIL
competition
Congratulations to Canyon High choir members
(top row, l-r) Maegan Fretwell, Lucas Taylor,
Benjamin Culpepper, Jessica Miller, Cristian DavilaSerrano, Meagan McDaniel, and Megan Mikaelian;
(front row) Katrena Marshall, Samantha Bartos,
Adriana Espinosa, Skylar Foster, Sarah Schwab, and
Kelsey Emmons, who participated in the UIL Solo
and Ensemble Competition at Madison High School
in San Antonio. Culpepper received an excellent rating, while all other CHS students competing
received a superior rating. Fretwell, Emmons,
Bartos and Taylor all qualified for the State Solo
and Ensemble contest, which was held on May 31 at
the University of Texas in Austin.
BBES music students perform at Broadway Bank
Bill Brown Elementary’s music department,
under the direction of Carol Murray, performed
on two recent occasions at the Bulverde Banking
Center. The customers, families and friends
enjoyed the music, food and fun. On April 16,
the Xtreme DRRUM Corp had its audience tapping to the beat of their drums. This program
promotes Discipline, Respect, Responsibility and
Unity through Music.
On April 23, the Mallet Masters used their
mallets to tap out tunes for the audience. Their
concentration was intense at times. In addition
to playing the xylophones, they also danced and
sang. Watching all of the students display their
talents was a real treat.
36 - SchooLife - June 2010
Grade Speed Parent Connection
SL June:June 5/24/10 1:59 PM Page 37
Sandwich Generation needs to avoid
financial squeeze
GVTC CHARITABLE GOLF CLASSIC
RAISES $75,000
Are you a member of the “Sandwich Generation”? This designation — which applies to people caring for
their aging parents while supporting their own children — may be applicable to you if you’re either a younger
Baby Boomer, born in the late 1950s or early 1960s, or an older member of “Generation X,” born in the mid1960s. But any way you slice it, being in the “Sandwich” group is probably going to present you with some
challenges, particularly of the financial kind — so you’ll need to make the right moves.
Basically, you should consider two areas of decision-making — those affecting the future of you and your
children and those affecting your elderly parents’ lifestyle and legacy.
Regarding your future, and that of your children, you’ll need to prioritize your goals. Some people, when
weighing the merits of investing for retirement versus saving for their children’s college educations, conclude
that while loans are available for college, none are offered to retirees. Consequently, they focus more heavily on
retirement. If you’re in this camp, you’ll probably want to contribute as much as you can possibly afford to your
IRA and 401(k) or other employer-sponsored retirement plan.
However, if you feel strongly about helping your kids go through college relatively debt-free, you may want
to explore some college-savings options, such as Section 529 plans and Coverdell Education Savings Accounts,
both of which offer significant tax advantages.
In any case, these goals don’t have to be mutually exclusive — but if you’re going to address them both, you
will have to make some key decisions regarding allocation of resources. And while you’re handling these issues
for yourself and your children, you’ll need to juggle the needs of your elderly parents. With luck, you won’t
have to contribute financially, but you may be required to put in some time and energy to help make sure your
parents’ situation remains positive.
This means you’ll need to ask some questions. Where do your parents bank? Do they have a brokerage
account? If so, do you know the name of their financial advisor? Have they taken steps to remain financially
independent if they ever need to go to a nursing home or employ home health care assistants? Have they drawn
up a will, a living trust or other estate plan documents? Would they be willing to have you or another family
member assume power of attorney should they become incapacitated?
In raising these questions, you will have to approach your parents with tact and sensitivity. However, you
may be pleasantly surprised at your parents’ willingness to talk about these issues; after all, they almost surely
want to avoid burdening you with extra financial responsibilities.
The best time to approach your parents is when they are healthy, both mentally and physically. It’s especially
important to be aware of even minor-seeming cognitive impairments, such as memory lapses, which can result
in paying the same bills two or three times, forgetting to record checks or even falling prey to fraudulent investment schemes. If you suspect your parents may be having these troubles, you’ll need to step in immediately.
It’s not easy being a Sandwich Generation member, but through diligence and proper planning, you should be
able to help avoid getting “squished” — while improving the outcomes for all your beloved family members.
Your local EdwardJones advisors include: Kyle Pringle, 1550 FM 2673 in Canyon Lake, (830) 964-4744;
and Robert Zito, 160 Creekside Park, suite 400 in Spring Branch, (830) 980-1812.
Fundraiser draws national support for The GVTC Foundation
and area nonprofits
visit www.comalisd.org
More than 120 golfers from across the country helped the 6th Annual GVTC
Foundation Charitable Golf Classic raise $75,000 for area education, literacy and service organizations.
The tournament, held May 3 at River Crossing Golf Club, benefitted The GVTC
Foundation, the non-profit affiliate of GVTC Communications, a full-service telecommunications provider serving the Texas Hill Country and Far North San Antonio.
GVTC Communications was title sponsor, and more than 30 company volunteers
helped organize and staff the event.
“Thanks to the generous support of our sponsors and hard work from our employees,
our tournament is recognized as one of the premier fundraising events in the Hill Country,”
said Ola Armstrong, president of The GVTC Foundation. “There will be a positive impact
on the lives of many people in our community because of our tournament.”
Since its inception, the GVTC Foundation Charitable Golf Classic has generated
more than $475,000 for area nonprofits. Foundation funds support education, literacy,
volunteer emergency services and youth and service organizations across GVTC’s 11county, 2,000-mile service territory.
“We’re absolutely thrilled with the response from our business partners and the community,” said Ritchie Sorrells, president and CEO of GVTC Communications. “We had
true coast-to-coast, border-to-border attendance this year.”
About GVTC:
GVTC is a full-service communications provider offering high-speed Internet, digital
cable TV, phone service and home security monitoring across 2,000 square miles of
South Central Texas. GVTC was the first company in the region to deploy fiber-to-thehome technology and through its next-generation fiber network offers the area’s fastest
Internet speeds. The company has been twice included on Broadband Properties magazine’s list of top 100 broadband providers, recognized by the San Antonio Express-News
as a top employer, selected for the Fiber-to-the-Home Council’s Chairman’s Award and
named winner of the Broadband Multimedia Marketing Association’s Service Provider
Marketing Excellence Award. www.gvtc.com
SchooLife - June 2010 - 37
SL June:June 5/24/10 1:59 PM Page 38
Free summer reading program at the Bulverde/Spring Branch Library
“Catch the Reading Express” is the theme for
the Bulverde/Spring Branch Library’s summer
programs for kids and teens, and you will definitely want to be sure your kids catch some of
its wonderful programs this summer. All of it is
FREE, with the exception of a field trip to the
Texas Transportation Museum on June 19, sponsored by the Friends of the Library group.
On Wednesdays at 11 a.m. from now until
August 11, the library has a different, free “edutainment” program for families.
• Wednesday, June 2 is The Farmyard Petting
Zoo in the library’s “front yard” featuring fabulous animal/child photo ops, so bring your camera! The same day, there will be a model train
display inside to emphasize this year’s theme.
38 - SchooLife - June 2010
• Wednesday, June 9 is Tom McDermott,
an award-winning act combining storytelling
and music.
• Wednesday, June 16 is Anu Naimpally, an
accomplished dancer from India who specializes
in interactive performances for kids.
Wednesday, June 23 the library is pleased to
present Magik Theatre performing “If You Give
a Moose a Muffin.”
• Wednesday, June 30 will be “Happy Tails,”
a presentation of live exotic animals from all
over the world.
And there will be five more Wednesday
Morning Family Programs following these until
the finale on August 11, so stay tuned!
Of course, the heart of the library’s summer
programs is “Read-for-Prizes,” which also lasts
until August 11. For every 10 books or 5 hours
read, the child can present his/her reading log at
the library to earn a prize. Official logs may be
picked up at the library starting June 1, but reading can be logged on any piece of paper. Books
read to a child count the same as books read by
the child. Listening to audio books also counts.
There is no lower age limit to participate in the
“Read-for-Prizes” program, since research
proves that reading to even very young children
is extremely valuable to their development.
You will want to check out the “Camp
Library” events as well. These are age-specific
activities and classes led by community volunteers in various fields: everything from storytime and book discussion groups to emergency
training to yoga to self-defense to art to creative
play to knitting and quilting, and then some!
Many of these classes do require pre-registration
due to limited space and supplies.
The library has a separate teen program, too,
with some really unusual and fun ways to get
together with other teens.
For more information, check out the library’s
website at bsblibrary.org, come in to the library
to pick up a flyer, call 830-438-4864, or e-mail
bsblmary@yahoo.com. See you there!
Grade Speed Parent Connection
SL June:June 5/24/10 1:59 PM Page 39
visit www.comalisd.org
SchooLife - June 2010 - 39
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