Lyrical Improv by the 2025 Teachers of the Year
We provided our 31 campus teachers of the year with the words to five classic songs and asked them to recite or sing their rendition of the lyrics. Their interpretations proved to be both entertaining and mostly musical! As McClure Elementary Teacher of the Year, Marisa Cherry, bravely stated before she recited the songs: “It looks a little different than how it sounds in my head. OK, here we go!”
See video: https://youtu.be/nFdC1BJGvPo?si=_axmnfWbkG1g7gMh
CoServ linemen visited with McKinney North science classes recently to talk about and demonstrate the incredible power of electricity and CoServ's work to supply it to customers. CoServ is an electric cooperative and gas distribution company that serves parts of seven North Texas counties.
The presenters discussed career opportunities, the duties of linemen, their healthy respect for electricity and the safety gear and procedures they employ as they go about their jobs. And, through controlled demonstrations, they showed the unpleasant results of power lines meeting objects that should not be in contact with them such as tree limbs, clothing or hands.
Thank you, CoServ, for bringing this fascinating and informative presentation to McKinney North!
Last week we celebrated 31 McKinney ISD campus teachers of the year with a banquet and program. This video is a tribute to their dedication and success as educators in our district. Congratulations to each one!
See video: https://youtu.be/59vIpef6imk?si=c5U9fkEuzx3zsUiG
This week’s Dennis Baker State Farm Scholar Artist of the Week is senior Carson Knight from McKinney Boyd High School.
See video: https://youtu.be/V0_UxnorUnQ?si=1tbcNl0K393EzgWf
Carson is a 3-year member of the Varsity Mixed Choir and a 3-year member of Fusion.
He serves as a Student Director for the McKinney Boyd choir, and he is a
2-time All-State Tenor Bass Choir Member.
He also plays cello in the Orchestra.
Carson currently maintains a 3.3 GPA, and he is an Eagle Scout in the Boy Scouts of America.
After graduation, Carson plans to attend Texas Tech University to major in Music Education.
That’s Carson Knight, this week’s Dennis Baker State Farm Scholar Artist of the Week.
“I am the vehicle that just opens the door for them to serve, and Martin Luther King said, ‘What are you doing for others? How are you serving others?’.”
See video: https://youtu.be/2u_W1cUeBYM?si=hRmcKLhCGuKWtRfK
Katie Abel from McKinney Boyd High School is the 2nd Runner Up for the McKinney ISD’s 2025 Secondary Teacher of the Year. She serves as the PALS coordinator and teaches Partners Leadership, and she has worked as an educator for 18 years.
Lori Stine - 2nd Runner Up McKinney ISD Elementary Teacher of the Year (2025)
See video: https://youtu.be/7-fuN2bxhRA?si=EwcV2WTh_t9ylxH2
“I think it just all goes back to that classroom culture, and everyone feeling like they’re a part of something in our classroom.”
Lori Stine from Glen Oaks Elementary is the 2nd Runner Up for McKinney ISD’s 2025 Elementary Teacher of the Year. She is a 3rd grade teacher, and she has worked as an educator for 17 years.
“This summer I had a student find me on Facebook…and I didn’t know how big of an impact I made on her. She said ‘You never gave up on me, even in the times when I had given up on myself’.”
See video: https://youtu.be/yEj0Qe3MQVE?si=BvLOy2MB2RNBnvDX
Christina Branch from Dowell Middle School is the 1st Runner Up for McKinney ISD’s 2025 Secondary Teacher of the Year. She teaches 6th grade ELAR, and she has worked as an educator for 18 years.
“My biggest goal is to be able to give back to those students. Tell them: this is possible, you can do it and there’s people who support you..”
See video: https://youtu.be/TrU7aQ0BPMI?si=g-rIURWrkgYkKBIa
Karla Pineda from Vega Elementary is the 1st Runner Up for McKinney ISD's 2025 Elementary Teacher of the Year. She is a bilingual kindergarten teacher, and she has worked as an educator for 4 years.
This week’s Dennis Baker State Farm Scholar Athlete of the Week is Madeline See from McKinney Boyd High School.
See video: https://youtu.be/XE7e--GqDcc
Madeline is a senior on the Lady Broncos soccer team.
Madeline is a two-year varsity member, and she received the Bronco Way Team Award her junior year.
Madeline is a 3-time Academic Excellence recipient, AP Scholar with Distinction, and she received Academic All-District. She scored a 1500 on her SAT, has a 4.79 GPA, and is ranked 15th in her class.
Madeline is a member of the National Honors Society, Health Occupations Students of America, and PALS.
Next year, Madeline plans to attend Texas A&M to major in Biology in the Pre-Physical Therapy pathway.
That’s Madeline See from McKinney Boyd High School, our Dennis Baker State Farm Scholar Athlete of the Week.
Tiffany Scott - 2025 McKinney ISD Secondary Teacher of the Year
See video: https://youtu.be/HL-7CFJyUeQ?si=1dKQf10x7SPgOoI3
"One of the things that I hear commonly is: ‘nobody listens to me’. What I have found helpful in building those relationships is…not just listening, but listening longer.”
Tiffany Scott from Scott Johnson Middle School is the 2025 Secondary Teacher of the Year for McKinney ISD. She serves as the AVID coordinator on her campus, and she has worked as an educator for 12 years.
Jaclyn Harrison - 2025 McKinney ISD Elementary Teacher of the Year
See video: https://youtu.be/CbJKIXPKWcA?si=jG1BPTeWLG60Z2R4
"These are kids. I’m here to help them, and they can make me laugh. And it’s OK. We can have fun.”
Jaclyn Harrison from Valley Creek Elementary is the 2025 Elementary Teacher of the Year for McKinney ISD. She is a 5th grade teacher, and she has worked as an educator for 4 years.
At Finch Elementary, 5th grade students brought their stories to life through an exciting stop motion animation project in art class!
See video: https://youtu.be/WdXBWkzpQP4?si=a2ggBUIwqahtPFF8
Led by Art Teacher Mr. Nguyen, this creative project served as a unique way to blend visual arts with the English Language Arts TEK focused on storytelling.
Students worked hard to plan, build, and animate their very own short films—demonstrating not only artistic skill, but also critical thinking, collaboration, and imagination.
To celebrate their hard work, Finch Elementary rolled out the red carpet for Oscar Day—a special event where the stop motion films were premiered and the winning team consisting of Daniel, Asher, and Eli were recognized and awarded!
From script to screen, these students proved that every story is better when told with heart, creativity, and a little stop motion magic!
In January, 11 MISD elementary schools—Bennett, Caldwell, Eddins, Finch, Minshew, Press, RJE, Vega, Walker, Wilmeth and Wolford—embarked on a journey through MIND Education's ST Math with lovable penguin JiJi, a character from the program.
During the week of April 1, JiJi visited the schools to celebrate their success using the ST Math platform—to date, they have completed an astounding 2,534,213 ST Math puzzles!
MISD Coordinator of Elementary Math Sharon Sovereign said that the ST Math program is based on neuroscience and, using puzzles, begins by teaching foundational concepts visually. It then connects the ideas to symbols and language.
"With visual learning, students are better equipped to tackle unfamiliar math problems, recognize patterns and build conceptual understanding," Sovereign said. "Learning how to persevere and learning from their mistakes has made the students of MISD strong independent thinkers, ready to conquer the toughest problems."
We caught up with JiJi at RJE on Friday, where the penguin, who appears in each ST Math puzzle, received a boisterous welcome!
This week’s Dennis Baker State Farm Scholar Artist of the Week is senior Finley Plant from McKinney North High School.
See video: https://youtu.be/bxvA9xtJ5Yw?si=s2IthAB9-TKJe83r
Finley plays cello in the orchestra, and she has served as First Chair for 3 years as well as an Orchestra Officer for 2 years.
She has received a ranking of 1 on Solo, and she was selected for the All-Region orchestra in 2025.
Finley is an AP Scholar with Excellence, and she currently has a 4.5 GPA.
She has taken 8 AP classes, and she has been awarded Academic Excellence for 3 years.
Finley is a member of the National Honor Society, STUCCO, PALS, and the Interact Club.
In her free time, Finley works at Sali’s Italian Restaurant.
After graduation, Finley plans to attend the University of North Texas to major in Business & Accounting.
That’s Finley Plant, this week’s Dennis Baker State Farm Scholar Artist of the Week.
April 7-11 is National Assistant Principals Week! A big thank you to our McKinney ISD Assistant Principals and Associate Principals for all the ways they contribute to the success of our district!
MISD Assistant Principals (and Associate Principals)
Bennett - Anita Tillson
Burks - Zoraya Palmer
Caldwell - Leslie Thornton
Eddins - Cody Martin
Finch - Mike Allen
Frazier - Sharna Rhone & Hadley Husman
Glen Oaks - Christi Jordan
Reuben Johnson - Ebonie Walls
Lawson - Kelly McKee & Veronica Muizers
McClure - Natalie Hebert
McGowen - Sylvia Lloyd
McNeil - Kelli Snyder
Minshew - Melinna Herrera
Press - Rachel Cotton
Slaughter - Cynthia Millar-Bice
Valley Creek - Ashley Cruz
Vega - Wendy Cottam
Walker - Misty Young
Webb - Susan Dobrow
Wilmeth - Amber Hooten
Wolford - Heather Rodriguez
Cockrill - Jay Cobb, Nikoya Carter & Brittni Wolfe
Dowell - Jessica Fair & Tiffany Bailey
Evans - Jaymee Robbins & Sarah Bates
Faubion - Sara Kriesel-Hall, Michael Demakas & Shelly Kramer
SJMS - Grace Roberts & Felipe Arellano
Boyd - Cruz Saenz, Gonzalo Campos, Jen Dixon, Josh Helms, Frederick Nickens, Amy Philachack Yuan & Jessica Rose
MHS - Josh Greenwood, Jesse Abel, Kelly Armbruster, Karelius Paul, Ferlanda Willis, Robert Quach, Felipe Torres & Stephenie Wood
North - Amanda Leader, Reuben Davis, Nataushe Jordan, Justin Landrith, David Weintraub & Michael Westfall
DAEP - Tom Wales
CRC - Margaret Taylor
Serenity High - Allie Long
This week’s Dennis Baker State Farm Scholar Athlete of the Week is Kady Huggins from McKinney High School.
See video: https://youtu.be/_Ehk0OuhhIc
Kady is a senior on the Lionettes varsity softball team, and she is a 4-year varsity starter.
Kady has received Honorable Mention and Academic All-District 2 years in a row. She was nominated to 2nd Team All-District in 2024.
Kady has a 3.5 GPA, and she is a member of the AVID program.
Kady attends Revolution Church and is a member of a bible study group.
Next year, Kady plans to continue her academic and softball career at Southern Nazarene University, and she plans to major in Sports Marketing.
That’s Kady Huggins from McKinney High School, our Dennis Baker State Farm Scholar Athlete of the Week.
Stepping into Kindness at Finch Elementary
See video: https://tinyurl.com/4y62d3ch
Every student at Finch Elementary received a brand-new pair of shoes last month! A special partnership between FedEx and the nonprofit organization, Operation Warm, provided new shoes for over 350 students.
With the help of 40+ FedEx volunteers, this incredible initiative ensured that every child has access to comfortable, well-fitting shoes, helping them walk confidently into learning and success. A huge thank you to Operation Warm and FedEx for their generosity and commitment to our students!
This week’s Dennis Baker State Farm Scholar Artist of the Week is Edwin Varghese.
See video: https://youtu.be/ix_uMag-1_0
Edwin is a senior at McKinney High School where he plays violin in the varsity orchestra.
He has been a member of the orchestra for 3 years, and he has earned scores of 3 or 4 at all previous solo and ensemble competitions.
Edwin is an AP Scholar with Distinction and a National Merit Scholar Semifinalist.
He has taken 15 AP courses, and he ranks 2nd in his class with a 5.14 GPA.
Edwin serves as President of the Engineering Club, Vice-President of the Computer Science Club and Deputy Secretary General of the Model United Nations. He has participated in Science and Computer Science UIL competitions.
In his free time, Edwin volunteers with the STEM education nonprofit Briidge the Gap, and he has volunteered for the national social justice initiative known as Youth Creating Change.
He works as a private math tutor, and he is a member of his church’s youth group. Edwin is also a FCC Licensed technician-class amateur radio operator.
After graduation, Edwin plans to major in Electrical Engineering at Texas A & M.
That’s Edwin Varghese, this week’s Dennis Baker State Farm Scholar Artist of the Week.
Today, MISD Superintendent Shawn Pratt's Student Advisory Council met with the MISD District Advisory Council at the CEC for lunch and a collaborative discussion of the district's Career and Technical Education (CTE) program.
Senior Director of CTE Jae Gaskill presented an overview of MISD's many CTE courses and pathways, and members of the Student Advisory Council shared their perspectives and experiences on the topic through a panel discussion.
As the meeting continued, the Student Advisory Council, made up of junior and senior student leaders from Boyd, MHS and North, worked in groups with the teachers and campus leaders of the District Advisory Council to explore strategies for promoting CTE, at the elementary, middle and high school levels.
It was a great opportunity for our students to meet and interact with leaders from across MISD and a great opportunity for MISD's leaders to receive thoughtful input from a student's perspective.
Hello! My name is Amy Dankel, and I proudly serve as the McKinney ISD School Board Vice President. Each month, after our board meeting, we provide our community with a brief summary of events and items covered during the meeting.
See video: https://tinyurl.com/fz4mj2jv
We started this month’s meeting with celebrations and recognitions.
We honored our “We Are McKinney” Superintendent award winners. Each month we honor one elementary staff member and one secondary staff member for going above and beyond to live out our vision of “Every Student, Every Day”. This month’s winners are Allie Stephenson from Evans Middle School and Jack Sears from McNeil Elementary.
Next we celebrated two students who were selected for the
“Every Student, Every Day” award. This month’s winners are Kalem Fassnacht from Slaughter Elementary and Ryan Mclaughlin from Wilmeth Elementary.
Then we celebrated Burks Elementary as our “McKinney ISD Lives Kind” campus winner for the month of March. We are proud of how Burks and their staff and students are leading the charge of spreading kindness in McKinney ISD.
Next we paid tribute to a few of our athletic achievements, including the state qualifiers from the McKinney North Swim and Dive program, the UIL State Qualifiers in wrestling from all three of our high schools and our UIL State Spirit Competition medalists from McKinney North and McKinney Boyd.
We also honored our Baylor Talent Identification Program award recipients.
Finally, we were able to celebrate our Texas Thespian Award recipients from all three high schools.
Following the recognitions, we held public comment and then moved into the presentation portion of the meeting.
Dr. Dennis Womack, Assistant Superintendent of Business Operations, provided the board with a McKinney ISD Financial Update.
Jae Gaskill, Senior Director of Career and Technical Education provided a CTE and AVID update. Her presentation showcased McKinney ISD’s progress this year to build a comprehensive plan to increase awareness about CTE programs, as well as create instructional pathways within the CTE department and provide staffing patterns and ensure program equity. She also highlighted AVID and the success achieved by our students in that program.
Next the Board approved the consent agenda and then moved to the discussion and action portion of the meeting.
Dr. Dennis Womack presented to the board a recommendation and authorization to form and convene a citizens’ bond committee to study future capital needs. The board approved the recommendation.
The board then approved the monthly written reports.
Those are the highlights from this month’s meeting. Thank you for watching, and we look forward to bringing you the highlights from our next regularly scheduled board meeting on April 21st at 6 PM.
