April 2006 Panther Paws Newsletter

Principal's Message

CHHS,

As the 10th anniversary year of CHHS comes to a close, we are reminded of all of our success this year...and we celebrate the tradition of excellence from the previous years. We have had a banner year academically, athletically, and in the arts.  Our school has received local and national recognition from Newsweek, from the ACT Corporation and D Magazine, we have celebrated numerous academic student successes, enjoyed a dramatic increase in the number of parent volunteers, began the Community Scholar Ambassador program and have had a record number of students receive college scholarships for their high school efforts. This is truly a "Community of Excellence".  I thank you for your continued support of our great school and if you get an opportunity, please thank your student's teachers for a job well done.

I want to send a special "thank you" to Judy Davisson, our PTSA President for the past two years.  Judy and her husband Dave have been outstanding ambassadors for CHHS.  They have been ardent supporters of every program on campus and have logged  hundreds of hours helping in any way possible.  Judy's leadership will be missed and the Davisson's friendship will be cherished.

As our thoughts turn to the summer, my hope is that families use this time to rest, to relax, and to regroup. In addition, I hope that time will be taken to visit museums, travel to new places, and make new memories that will enhance our students for the rest of their lives.

Have a fun end-of-the-year and summer.

Panther Pride,

Robin Ryan, Ed.D.
Colleyville Heritage High School
"A Community of Excellence"

PTSA President's Message

Similar to last year the Senior Field Day was a great success. Fortunately the weather cooperated and the tug of war rope did not break. There were a lot of photo opportunities for senior parents. Junior parents, you do not want to miss this event next year. This month will be a busy one for graduating seniors, lots of memorable moments such as prom, graduation, Baccalaureate and Project Graduation. I want to wish all of the seniors success as they move on to the next phase of their lives.

Speaking of Baccalaureate, this year's ceremony will be held on Sunday, May 28, 2006 from 3:00 PM to 4:30 PM at the First Baptist Church in Colleyville on Highway 26. More information will be provided at a later date.

I want to highlight an article in this newsletter requesting volunteers for book returns in May and registration for the 2006-2007 school year in August. If you have time to help with either of these events, please contact Judy Atwood as indicated in the article. Also, remind your students to turn in their books according to the schedule listed in the article. Seniors in particular need to turn their books in early in order to participate in the graduation ceremony.

I want to thank all of the PTSA volunteers for their support this year to help with the numerous events at CHHS. In recognition of this effort we received a Certificate of Appreciation from Texas PTA. Also, the donations from our general membership have helped in numerous ways to improve the CHHS environment. Contributions from "Greenback Night" have purchased classroom projection systems, a freshmen transition program, folding tables for school events (we will finally retire the old brown tables) and the continuation of interior and exterior school signage. Thank you very much for your continued support.

Since this is my last newsletter and my last year at CHHS, I want to say that I have been very happy to serve as the PTSA President and I feel humbled by the generous support that everyone (especially this year's PTSA Executive Board!) has contributed to help make this a successful year for CHHS. I want to wish Teri Ferney, the new PTSA President, and her executive board the best of luck for the upcoming year.

During the five years I have been associated with CHHS, I have seen many wonderful improvements at the school. I know over the next couple of years there will be even more changes and improvements as a result of the recent bond issue and the PTSA's continuing support. The administration and staff, PTSA and the community have combined to make CHHS one of the premier high schools in the state of Texas. With the enthusiasm of this partnership I know we can look forward to even greater successes for CHHS in the future.

Go Panthers!

Judy Davisson
CHHS PTSA President

May Events at CHHS

PTSA Meets on May 15th
We invite you to attend the PTSA General Meeting which will be held on Monday, May 15th, at 7:00 in the lecture hall.  At this meeting, the PTSA will be recognizing the recipients of this year's PTSA scholarships as well as those students who have participated in PTSA sponsored programs this year.  Hope to see you there!

Athletic Physicals Available at CHHS on May 18th
On Thursday, May 18^th, the Colleyville Heritage Sports Medicine team will be conducting athletic physicals for the 2006-2007 school year beginning at 2pm, in the Panther Den. On hand will be local physicians, nurses, physical therapists and athletic trainers working together to give your child the best physical possible. The cost of the physical is only $20.00. Please make checks payable to CHHS. All high school students need to purchase their tickets from either Athletic Trainer (Allison Loftin or David Ortmeier) from April 18th to May 17th. All tickets will be color coded as to time of the physical.

If your child is interested in being in athletics, cheerleading or drill team next year, it is required by GCISD that they have a current physical. For it to be current for the next school year, it should be dated after May 18th, 2006. Physical forms MUST HAVE THE GCISD ATHLETIC PARTICIPATION RELEASE AND THE MEDICAL HISTORY FILLED OUT AND SIGNED BY THE PARENT/GUARDIAN PRIOR TO GETTING THE PHYSICAL ON MAY 18TH This service is provided for your convenience; however, you may get your physical from any physician, physicians assistant, registered nurse recognized by the Board of Nurse Examiners, or a doctor of Chiropractic only.

Current athletes should receive the a copy of the release and medical history in the mail. This form is the most current form approved by the UIL. Please use this form when obtaining a physical for your child. You can download the form from the website: http://www.gcisd.net/~allison.loftin/Sports%20Medicine

Meet the Panther Football Coaches Night Set for May 4th
All incoming 9th grade football players and parents are invited to meet the coaching staff on Thursday night, May 4 at our "Meet the Coaches Night" here at Colleyville Heritage High School. You are invited to join us beginning at 6:00 pm for dinner and an opportunity to see everything our Football Booster Club has to offer. At 6:30 pm we'll begin explaining what the football program at CHHS is all about and introduce the men who will be working with your sons this football season. Our Football Club president will also be talking about how you can be involved in your son's football experience in a positive way. There will also be time to personally meet and talk to the coaches here at CHHS. Please don't miss this night. It will be a great time of fun, food, and fellowship!

• Panther Football Preview:
• Saturday, August 26, 2006 - Scrimmage vs. Flower Mound H.S. Times to be announced
• Thursday, August 31, 2006 - First 9th grade and JV games vs. Cedar Hill
• Friday, September 1, 2006 - First Varsity game vs. Cedar Hill

Click here for Fall Football Schedule

Color Guard Auditions
The Colleyville Heritage High School Color Guard announces the annual Guard Audition Week beginning May 8 through May 11, 4:00PM until 5:30PM daily. Auditions will be held in the CHHS Band Hall and are open to all incoming freshman and current high school students who are attending CHHS during the 2006/2007 academic year. Basic marching steps and color guard routine will be taught and practiced. Successful candidates are selected on May 11th. For more information, see the CHHS Band Website, contact the CHHS Band Hall at 817-305-4724 or Robin Hammesfahr, via e-mail at robin.hammesfahr@getthere.com or phone at 817-235-3775.

Attention New Marching Band Members and Parents
The Colleyville Heritage High School Band will host its annual New Marchers Clinic on Saturday, May 6th from 8:00AM until 12:00PM beginning in the CHHS Band Hall. Lunch will be provided. Basic marching steps will be taught and practiced. Students should wear tennis shoes (or similar) and bring water in an insulated container. All incoming freshmen who plan to participate in the band during the 2006/2007academic year are required to attend. 

The New Band Parent Orientation will also be held on Saturday, May 6th from 11:00AM until 12:00PM in the CHHS Band Hall. Hosted by the CHHS Band Boosters, a question and answer session with the CHHS Band Directors will follow the orientation. Parents will learn about the CHHS Band program, the 2006 marching season, and more. All incoming freshman parents are encouraged to attend. For more information, see the CHHS Band Website, contact the CHHS Band Hall at 817-305-4724 or Jed Weeks, CHHS Band Director, at jed.weeks@gcisd.net

Class of 2006 Events

AP Testing

Room assignments will be posted on the windows of the Counseling Center and in all AP classrooms. Morning begin at 8:00 a.m. SHARP. Plan to arrive at your testing room by 7:45 a.m. You will eat lunch 4^th period. Afternoon exams begin at 12:45 p.m. SHARP. Plan to arrive at your testing room by 12:30 p.m. Students who arrive late will not be admitted to the testing room. If you have morning and afternoon testing on the same day, you are STRONGLY ADVISED to bring a lunch!

Bring the following items to your exam: Picture I.D., Social Security Number. several sharpened No. 2 pencils with erasers, black or dark blue ballpoint pens for free-response questions in most exams (do not bring felt tip or jell pens), a watch to time yourself, calculators for Calculus, Chemistry, Physics and Statistics.

These items are not allowed: Beepers, cell phones, food or drink (even water), watches that beep, highlighters, correction fluid, dictionaries or scratch paper.

If you miss any exam for any reason (illness, personal emergency, car trouble, etc.) There are NO MAKE-UPS!

Important Dates for Classes of 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010!

All students will need proof of residency at registration

There will be a change to Residency Verification letters parents have gotten in the past for registration.  Parents will not receive personalized letters containing property tax information.  Letters will be sent home with report cards, but EVERYONE will have to show proof of residency showing two forms of identification:  a tax statement, deed or lease accompanied by a current utility bill or driver's license.  All addresses must match.

Class of 2007 - Senior Portrait Information

Senior Portraits will be taken by Don Painter Photography for the 2006-2007 school year. The photo studio will be making appointments for pictures to be taken over the summer on specific date (to come later in another mailing) up at the school. Please be aware that these are the ONLY pictures that we will be using for the yearbook senior section so when you receive information about scheduling appointments over the summer you will need to make plans for one of those dates. More info to come soon!

Also look for senior ad information to be coming your way in the mail. We will be sending those letters in early June, so make plans to buy your senior ad early for a 10% discount.

Volunteers -- Its time to have fun!  Come help close (May) and open (August) CHHS

There are a several volunteer opportunities in May as the final testing and book return start and our biggest volunteer event in August assisting with the registration of students. If you are interested in volunteering next school year, sign up early by completing the 2006-2007 Volunteer Registration Form. You can download the form from the GCISD website: http://www.gcisd-k12.org/job/images/volform_0607.pdf

Sign up for one or more of these volunteer opportunities. See contact info at the bottom:

1. Book Returns:Receive and check in students' books.

Senior Book Returns: We will need 2 people each shift on the following days:

• Wed, Thur, Fri May 17, 18, 19 7:45 am - 8:30 am and 2:00 pm - 3:30pm

Underclass Book Returns: We will need 4-5 people each shift on the following days.

• Tuesday, May 23 7:45 am - 8:30 am and 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm
• Wednesday, May 24 7:45 am - 8:30 am and 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm
• Thursday, May 25 7:45 am - 8:30 am and 11:00 am - 12:00 pm

2. ALL Lab Testing/ESL Testing: Assist ALL Lab and ESL Students taking finals

We will need 4 people for ALL Lab; need 2 volunteers for ESL Lab. People working in the ESL Lab should have knowledge of a second language.

• Tuesday, May 23 8:30 am - 12:05 pm
• Wednesday, May 24 8:30 am - 12:05 pm
• Thursday, May 25 8:30 am - 10:50 am

3. Student Registration 2006 - 2007: Opening School in the Fall of 2006 requires the largest number of volunteers during the school year to help with the registration of students. There are various job to fit anyone including assisting with emergency contact information, parking permits & pledge forms, schedules, t-shirts, textbooks, bookstore and more. We will need over 50 people each day. So grab 2 shifts to help your school open easily. WE DO NEED EVERYONE for this.

• July 31: Senior Registration 8:30 - 11:30 and 11:15 - 2:00.
• August 1 Junior Registration 8:30 - 11:30 and 11:15 - 2:00.
• August 2 Sophomore Registration 8:30 - 11:30 and 11:15 - 2:00.
• August 3 Freshman Registration 8:30 - 11:30 and 11:15 - 2:00.
• August 8 Make-up Registration 4:00 pm - 7:00 pm.

Check out all the volunteer positions at CHHS in the Volunteer Info Sign-up Form in this issue of Panther Paws. Thank you for supporting CHHS and your children with your valuable time.

Judy Atwood, CHHS PTSA Volunteer Coordinator, Phone: 817-858-9531 hm, CHHSPTSAVolntr@yahoo.com

Board of Trustees Approve 2006-2007 School Calendar

The Board adopted the 2006*2007 school calendar at its March 27^th board meeting. School will begin on Tuesday, August 15 and end on Thursday, May 24. For more details, check out the district website: www.gcisd-k12.org and click on the "calendar" on the main page.

CHHS to host National Speech and Debate Tournament in June

On June 18th, over 5000 high school students and their coaches will arrive in the metroplex for the world's largest academic competition, the National Forensic League's 2006 Texas Bluebonnet Nationals Speech and Debate Tournament.

We will be using CHHS, HMS and HES in addition to GHE, CTMS, and Timberline.   All 50 states and a few territories are represented.  Co-hosts Cindi Timmons of CHHS and Jane Boyd of GHS have been working on the project for over two years.

Anyone interested in volunteering or becoming a sponsor for the event should contact Cindi Timmons, CHHS, at cynthia.timmons@gcisd.net

Sports Camps and More Scheduled for June

The 2006 CHHS Lady Panther Basketball Camp will be June 12-16. The best way to view all the information is to check out the details on the team's website: http://www.chhsladypantherhoops.org/ Just click on the "Camp" link on the left for the informative flyer or click here to download. For more information, contact Coach Sager at dianna.sager@gcisd.net

Panther Power Football Camp for all incoming 6^th, 7^th, 8^th, and 9^th graders will be held Monday, June 5 - Thursday, June 8 from 5:00 - 7:30 p.m. and will be led by Colleyville Heritage H.S. Head Football Coach Chris Cunningham and the CHHS coaching staff. For more information or to pre-register, contact Chris Cunningham at (817) 305.4737, or e-mail at chris.cunningham@gcisd.net

• Football Skills Camp Registration Form

Oral Interp Camp will be held Wednesday - Friday, June 14-16. Contact Ms. Phagan for more details.

District Volunteer Background Check Form Available Online

Volunteers who want to get a head start on next year by sending in the Volunteer Information Form must send in the newest form from the District. This year, the form is available in English and Spanish. You can find more information at the GCISD website: www.gcisd-k12.org. Click on the "Parents" link and the 2006-2007 forms. Or you can paste the address in your browser: The forms are at

• www.gcisd-k12.org/job/images/volform_0607.pdf
• www.gcisd-k12.org/job/images/volform_0607_sp.pdf

Students and Staff in the News

Congratulation to the CHHS students who competed at the UIL Regional Competition at Texas Tech University on April 21^st. Competing in the Prose Category were Sean O'Connor who advanced to the State UIL meet in Austin and Mikki Krantz. Competing in Poetry were Grayson Howe, Nick Moore, and Caitlin Taylor. The UIL Spelling & Vocabulary team placed second overall. Depending on the results from the other regional, the "spellers" may qualify for the state meet as a wild card entry. All students were highly competitive and served their school with dignity and honor. Congratulations to all participants and their coaches.

Nick Moore and Caitlin Taylor will compete in The International Thespian Festival at the University of Nebraska--Lincoln in June. Their categories are Solo Musical and Monologue, respectively.

Congratulations to the three state gymnastic finalist from CHHS; Jennifer Thompson doing All Around; Michael Anderson on vault and Chase Pennel on Floor exercise. 

Congratulations to CHHS Girls Basketball Coach, Dianna Sager, on being named Assistant Coach for the East Team in the 2006 McDonald's All-American Girls High School Basketball Game which took place on March 29 in San Diego State University's Cox Arena.

Summer is a Great Time to Earn Community Service Hours!

Please remember the Community Scholar Ambassador program over the summer!!  Just take a yellow card before school ends or have a separate sheet of paper signed.  All summer volunteer hours should be broken down by date and event and have the signature of a sponsor.  Please don't just turn in a form that says 225 hours for helping at Grace for the summer.  We must have as many details as possible. Church mission trips are only able to count as a maximum of 20 hours and all booster club events are limited to three hours per year. There are many opportunities to help out in our communities over the summer.  Have a wonderful experience learning how good it makes you feel to help others in need!!!  Enjoy your time off from school and stay busy and safe volunteering with all our local charities.

CHHS PTSA Volunteer Sign Up Information

Welcome to Colleyville Heritage High School. Volunteering is a great way to meet new friends, to acquaint you with the school and its activities, and to have fun while providing support for both students and faculty during the entire school year. Please review the following volunteer opportunities listed below, fill out the sign-up form and return it to the PTSA Volunteer Coordinator.

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES

Volunteer Where Ever Needed: Select this volunteer opportunity if you are flexible to help wherever needed.

Back-to School Registration: Registration will be in early August. At this time students will verify residency, verify emergency contact forms, pay for required fees for the year, pick up class schedules and collect textbooks. Volunteers will assist school administration with emergency contact form verification, handing out materials, issuing textbooks, managing cashier and textbook lines.

Communications: Assist the chairperson with inputting data for the electronic newsletter.

Copy Room: Assist the CHHS Administration with copier service for all teachers.

Every 15 Minutes: Assist in obtaining donations for and implementing this student alcohol awareness program.

FRIENDS: This is a Friday evening social activity that is held in the CHHS Panther Den (cafeteria) following some home football games. FRIENDS provides a supervised, safe place for all students to relax and enjoy games, food, football highlights, halftime replay, DJ, dancing, ping-pong, and more! Volunteers are needed to assist the chairperson in setting up, cleaning up, serving refreshments and supervising the event.

Hospitality: Assist in obtaining supplies, baking, serving refreshments, setting up and cleaning up events for faculty and PTSA functions.

Senior Events: Assist with the fall Senior BBQ and the Spring Senior Field Day.

Student Bookstore: Assist the chairperson during August registration and occasionally during lunch periods especially at beginning of each semester.

Student Directory: Assist with the proof reading and distribution of the directory. Time frame is from August to October.

Support for School Administration: Assist the school administration with general office work, front office and counselor office phone coverage, mailings, issuance and collection textbooks, Mr. Ryan's Faulty Cookout, screenings for nurse, etc.

Teacher Appreciation: Assist the chairperson to provide Back-to-School Teacher Appreciation luncheon. This will involve providing refreshments and supplies, setting up, serving and cleaning up for the events. Help chairperson develop other ideas for teacher appreciation.

Testing: Assist the ALL (Alternative Learning Lab) and ESL (English as a Second Language) teachers during the December midterm exams and the May end of school exams. This involves assisting and monitoring students during exams. 

(Please check all areas of interest) Back to School Registration Membership   Teacher Appreciation  Communications     Newsletter - Panther Paw Testing:   ALL Lab  /  ESL Class Friends     Student Bookstore  Volunteer Where Ever Needed   Greenback Night Student Directory     Hospitality Support for School Administration

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*Asterisked items are required information - Request for volunteers will be made via emails!

*Volunteer Name: ____________________________ 

Home Phone: (_________)____________

*Cell Phone: _________________________________

Work Phone: (_________)____________

*Email: __________________________________________ 

Cell or Work #:_______________

*Student(s) Name: _________________________________

*Grade(s) ___________________

*      M    T    W    Th    F     

*Times Available:  ____________

Please return completed form to
CHHS PTSA Volunteer Coordinator Colleyville Heritage High School 5401 Heritage Avenue Colleyville, TX  76034	Judy Atwood, Volunteer Coordinator phone: 817.858.9531 email:  CHHSPTSAVolntr@yahoo.com

Note:  Volunteer ParkingVolunteers may park in the designated "Visitors" parking (if available) or park in the "Faculty" parking lot located next to the Tennis Courts. Please do not park in "Red Zones" as you will get ticketed.