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Traffic flow plan for Cockrill Middle School
A message from Dr. Melinda DeFelice - Principal - Dr. Jack Cockrill Middle
School
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May 20, 2008
Dear Cockrill Parents,
I am also excited to tell you that we are going to be the Cockrill Cowboys,
and our colors are blue and silver!
Staffing is moving along nicely. We only have about five teachers and a few
office staff and aides left to hire.
The school supply list and order form are enclosed in this letter. Please make
checks payable to JCMS and send to Kathy Dean at 1351 N. Hardin Road,
McKinney, Texas, 75071.
Also in the packet, you will find your child’s course verification sheet. In
February you filled out a course request and returned for us to input in the
computer. Please verify that we have not made any mistakes. If we have, please
contact Barbara Currence at 469-742-4992 or email her at
bcurrence@mckinneyisd.net by
May 23.
The course request will not indicate which band or choir your child will be in
next year. We will get the recommendations this summer from Gary Williams, our
band director, and Amy Jordan, our choir director. Special classes will be
hand scheduled once all testing is done. This would include students
interested in Gifted and Talented classes, Special Education, and English as a
Second Language.
It is very important that your child’s information be as accurate as possible,
as we make hiring decisions based on your child’s elective choices and
schedule changes are difficult. It is also important to note that the course
verification does not guarantee that your child will get all of his/her
elective choices, as the Master Schedule is not complete. Some courses may not
“make” or may be overfilled. Also, students who signed up for Yearbook or
Newspaper will be receiving an application to complete and send in for
approval.
Current seventh graders have taken the Iowa Algebra Aptitude Test (IAAT) to
determine in which 8th grade math class they should be placed. The
recommendation letters will be mailed as soon as we receive our TAKS scores.
Also, seventh and eighth graders who have failed TAKS Math will be placed in
Target Math. This class is designed to close the educational math gaps and
will take the place of one elective class.
Schedule Pick Up will be Wednesday, August 13. Sixth graders can get their
schedules between 8:00 and 10:00 a.m.; seventh graders may get their schedules
from 10:00 a.m. until 12:00 p.m.; and eighth graders may get their schedules
from 2:00 until 3:30 p.m. If you have children in two different grades, you
are more than welcome to pick up the schedules at the same time. Choose which
time is best for you.
During Schedule Pick Up, we will also have an orientation for all students and
you can meet your child’s teachers. Details regarding the orientation will be
sent in another letter in July.
Construction of our school is right on schedule and should be ready for
occupancy at the end of July. The city is also on schedule with the roads.
I am looking forward to opening Cockrill with you and your child and can’t
wait to meet you. If you have any questions, please call me at 469-742-4900 or
email me at
mdefelice@mckinneyisd.net.
Sincerely,
Melinda DeFelice
Dr. Jack Cockrill Middle
School
Dr. Jack Cockrill came to McKinney ISD in 1989, just as the
District began an unprecedented period of growth. The McKinney ISD Board of
Trustees chose him to lead the district during a period of rapid growth and to
create a global vision that would move the district into the 21st century. Dr.
Cockrill received a master’s degree from Southeastern Oklahoma State
University and a Doctorate of Education from East Texas State University.
During the ten years he served as superintendent (1989-1999), Dr. Cockrill led
a number of initiatives. Several of these accomplishments are listed below:
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Four elementary schools and one middle school were built and
opened
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The District’s second high school, one middle school and four
elementary schools were in planning and/or construction stages during his
tenure. The first of the elementary schools, Valley Creek Elementary School,
was the first new elementary built in McKinney ISD since the 1950’s.
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Dr. Cockrill was instrumental in getting the first two
elementary school sites, Valley Creek and Glen Oaks, donated to McKinney
ISD. In addition, several school sites were negotiated and purchased at
below market value including Dowell Middle School, Eddins Elementary,
Johnson Elementary, and McKinney North High School.
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McKinney ISD was honored for receiving its first National
Blue Ribbon School in Valley Creek Elementary.
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Walker Elementary was recognized nationally as a “green”
school and used as a model for sustainable design by other districts.
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Serenity High School was created for students recovering from
substance abuse.
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The academic offerings at all campuses were vastly expanded,
including AP and Pre-AP courses, foreign language courses at middle schools
and high schools, technology labs, and Special Populations classes, to name
a few.
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McKinney ISD began working cooperatively with the City of
McKinney on several projects including city parks adjacent to new elementary
schools.
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SAT scores, as well as test scores at many levels within
McKinney ISD, increased and the District began receiving recognition as
being one of the top districts in North Texas.
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The LINC Center was created as a self-contained learning
center to reduce the high school dropout rate.
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The McKinney ISD Public Information Office was created.
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The Human Resources Department implemented an aggressive
teacher and administrator recruitment and retention program.
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A county school agreement was created that allowed Plano ISD
to share Robin Hood funds with other Collin County schools, keeping more
than three million annually in Collin County.
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Since the number one goal of the district was to make
decisions that encouraged academic excellence for all students in McKinney
ISD, Academic Specialists at each campus were added and staff development
opportunities for all staff were vastly expanded.
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The McKinney ISD School Naming Selection Committee was
created in 1994 to aid the district in honoring McKinney educators and
others.
Jack Cockrill Middle School will be located near the
intersection of Hardin Road and White Ave. |
