All-State Musicians

Forty-three Plano ISD students earned membership in the Texas Music Educators Association's All-State Bands, Choir and Orchestra. A total of 19 wind players, percussionists and singers from Plano ISD earned positions in one of several ensembles. These students, in addition to 24 string players, performed in concerts on the final day of the association's conference. Read about these all-state students and our educators' involvement at the conference.

Destination ImagiNation

Eighty-one teams and their coaches participated recently in the Regional Destination ImagiNation (DI) event. Nearly all teams placed, with 12 Plano ISD teams advancing to the state competition. The DI international organization teaches life skills and expands imaginations through team-based creative problem solving. View a list of winners online.

JROTC

Student cadets at each of our three senior high schools underwent their JROTC triennial formal inspections. Conducted by the Department of the Army, the inspections resulted in "Honor Unit with Distinction" ratings for our cadets, ranking them among the top 10% of Army JROTC units worldwide.

Poetry

Armstrong Middle School eighth grade students swept the Poetry Society of Texas' Collin County Poetry Contest. Congratulations to Hannah Philley who won first place and to Marissa Ortegon and April Johnson, 2nd Place (tie), and Sarah Pettigrew, Stephanie Van Den Heuvel and Emma Petrini, honorable mention.

PTA Life Members

"Charting the Course: Life Members Light the Way" was the theme for the Plano PTA Life Membership Banquet held on February 24. Guests were the new Texas PTA Life Members (PDF - 10k) who received Honorary Texas PTA Life Memberships, one of the highest honors that can be bestowed upon an individual by Texas PTA.

Read Across America

Plano students joined with more than 48,000,000 students and teachers across the country to celebrate Read Across America and the birthday of Dr. Seuss on March 2. Activities were planned to bring reading motivation to students of all ages. Topping the list of celebration activities was Superintendent Doug Otto reading a Dr. Seuss book selection to students via video.

Science Fair

300 of the 6,250 students who participated in their building science fairs advanced to the District Science Fair. Winners included Hickey Elementary School, which had the greatest student participation. Mendenhall Elementary won the most trophies. Frankford Middle School received high-participation and high-point trophies for sixth grade. View the full winners' list on our website.

Spelling Bee

Amy Chyao, Murphy Middle School, and Andrea Chang, Frankford Middle School, captured first and second place, respectively, in the Collin County Spelling Bee. Amy will represent Plano ISD in the Dallas Morning News Regional Spelling Bee to be held on March 18.

Sports

Basketball - Stay tuned to the Plano West Girls Basketball Team, which plays San Antonio Warren at 7:00 p.m. on Friday, March 3, in Austin. The game will be broadcast on TSRNsports.com. If they win, they will play for the state championship at 8:00 p.m. on Saturday. Plano Senior High Boys Basketball is playing at 6:00 p.m. on Friday, March 3, at Abilene Christian University. If they win, they will play at noon on Saturday to earn a right to play in the state tourney.

Baseball - Looking for a fun outing during Spring Break? The Plano Senior High School Baseball Team will play Keller High School at 6:00 on Monday, March 6, in Ameriquest Field in Arlington. Admission is free. Both Plano West and Plano will play in the Frisco Roughriders tournament March 9-11.

Technology

Theatrical Design - A team of three Plano Senior High School Technical Theatre students have been chosen among six teams in the state to compete at the first University Interscholastic League Theatrical Design Contest. Ashley Sykes (costume design), Emily Ward (set design) and Garrett Graham (publicity) dedicated several hours of drafting, sketching and computer time to develop an outstanding production concept. The team will be orally critiqued on May 4 in Austin.
GravityKills - A one-pound bridge constructed of paper by Plano West Senior High School students held a new record weight of 561 pounds. Read about this and a "mouse trap car" event on the Gravity Kills website.
Computer Programming - A group of Plano Senior High School Computer Science students captured 2nd place in a recent programming contest sponsored by the Texas Computer Education Association. The students will compete in the state event on April 29 in San Antonio.

Whiz Quiz

Students from Schimelpfenig (6th grade) and Rice (7th and 8th grades) emerged champions at the Plano ISD Middle School Whiz Quiz competition on March 2. The district event is a modified college-bowl whiz quiz format, challenging students' knowledge on history, math, science, art, literature, world events, entertainment, current events, and politics.