Math & Science Team Goes to State

Please join us in celebrating the wonderful accomplishments of our Math & Science team here at Clark. Fifteen students traveled to San Antonio to compete against other students around the state. Here are the results:

• One student achieved 2nd place for the Number Sense, 3rd place for Mathematics, and 20th for Calculator  
• Another placed 20th for Mathematics and in the top 50 for calculator
• One student: 17th for Science 
• A student placed in the top 50 for Number Sense, 8th for Mathematics  
• Two of our students tied for 19th on the Science exam 
• Three students placed in the top 50 for Science
   

Overall, Clark ranked 17th out of 45 4-A schools!  Congratulations, kids! The coaches are so very proud of each and every person on the Math & Science team!

F.O.R. Club Starts a "Chain Reaction"

In an effort to combat bullying, Clark Middle School’s Friends of Rachel Club has created a chain reaction!  Students and teachers have been invited to fill out construction paper links anytime they witness someone performing an “Act of Kindness” on campus.  Students and teachers have begun to connect all the links together.  Our goal is to create a chain of kindness that stretches throughout our school, and we are well on our way.  Our chain already spans three hallways!  Keep up the great work cougars!!

Clark Student Honored by Six Flags

A Clark sixth grade student, Holly P., was honored by Six Flags Over Texas with their Community Service Super Hero Award. She will be honored and represent FISD at the park's season opening ceremony. Thanks to Mrs. Burgess for recommending her, and congratulations, Holly, for being such an excellent role model of service to others. We are proud you are a Cougar!

Clark Named to Just for Kids
Higher Performing School List

Congratulations to the teachers and students of Clark Middle School for being named as a Just for the Kids Higher Performing School in Texas.  Clark was selected as higher performing based on analyses conducted by the National Center for Educational Achievement.  Visit the website www.just4kids.org for more information on this program, and for more specific information regarding Clark, click here. You will find our campus name along with demographic information and the TAKS data that garnered this recognition. Congratulations, Cougars!

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SpecTAKular Pep Rally

The students, staff, parents and community of Clark Middle School are EXEMPLARY in academics, integrity and mutual respect. At our February 2 pep rally, Mr. Ellis, driven by Mr. Spring on his Harley, unrolled our new goal for addressing the TAKS, as well as our daily lives: "Live Exemplary." He spoke to the students regarding the pride they should have because of their past accomplishments, and encouraged them to continue. The following day students were given "Live Exemplary" wrist bands to remind them of our goal.

One of our strategies for maintaining our state ranked Exemplary status is our "SpecTAKular Saturdays," an exciting and educational event featuring breakfast by Chick-fil-A, prizes, games, and a pizza lunch. SpecTAKular Saturdays will occur from 8:30-11:30 a.m. on eight Saturday mornings this spring, with specific grades addressed on different days:

• February 14, 21, 28:
  7-8th grade only
• March 7, 28; and April 4, 18, 25:
  6, 7, 8th grade

SpecTAKular Saturdays are open to all Clark students. Bus transportation will be available for current bus riders (click to download bus route). Regardless of the TAKS, all stakeholders of Clark Middle School ARE EXEMPLARY.

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Congratulations to Mrs. Smith for Grandbaby #2

For the second time in a month, Mrs. Smith is a grandmother again! On January 26, Mrs. Smith's daughter, Miranda, gave birth to Ranger Lee Johnston. He weighed in at 8 lbs and will be reporting soon to Nolan Ryan in Surpise, Arizona, for Spring Training. Can you say, "Oh, how cute?"

Friends of Rachel Collect for FFS

Prior to the winter break, CMS's Friends of Rachel club sponsored a food and goods drive benefiting Frisco Family Services. As part of the drive, ILA block compteted against each other to gather food and goods which were donated to FFS. Congratulations Caroline Kleiman, 7th grade ILA teahcer and Friends of Rachel sponsor, and her 5th/6th period ILA block for winning the contest with 145 items! She and her class will be rewarded with a pizza party! Brenna Johnson's 6th/7th period block came in second place, and Peter Boysen's 3rd/4th period block came in third. Over all, CMS students donated 565 items! Way to go Cougars!

Congratulations, Mrs. Smith!

The Clark Family celebrates with our ILA Department Chair Paula Smith, new grandmother of Milla Josephine, who was born on December 31, 2008 in Fort Worth. Mom, Dad, Grandma and Milla are all doing well. Congrats, Mrs. Smith!

Friends of Rachel Recognized at Board Meeting

On December 9, two members of Clark's Friends of Rachel Club were honored at the Frisco ISD School Board meeting. Ally and Scott, Rachel's Challenge Ambassadors, were accompanied by their parents and were recognized by the Board. Scott, in a well-worded speech, expressed his appreciation for the support of the Rachel's Challenge Program by the district. Great job, guys!

Officer Cottingham recognized by NASRO

The National Association of School Resource Officers (NASRO) recently selected the Frisco Student Resource Officers (SRO) unit as one of the SRO Model Agencies of the Year.This honor was highlighted in the winter 2008 issues of The Journal of School Safety in an article written by former Clark SRO Chadd Springer. In the article, Officer Springer highlights all of the activities the officers do around the district to educate our parents and staff andto keep our students safe. In addition to the artice, the Frisco SRO unit was selected to make the cover of the magazine! Our own SRO Grant Cottingham was featured in the artice in a photo with some of our Clark students. Congratulations, Grant!

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Grants for Great Ideas

Recently, a member of the Cougar faculty received a "Grants for Great Ideas." Rachel Langford, who teaches health, received the grant for her First Aid/CPR/AED certification unit in the spring. The money will go toward renting manikins and AEDs, as well as purchasing breathing barriers for the students. Once students complete the 2 and a half week unit, they will be First Aid/CPR/AED certified through the American Red Cross. Mrs. Langford is very excited about this grant, as are the rest of the Cougar staff! Congratulations, Mrs. Langford!

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Clark Choir Performance

The Clark choirs did a wonderful job at their first concert on October 27. They honored our country with several patriotic songs about freedom and liberty.  The Clark Pop Choir started three weeks ago and has 25 students enrolled and is open to any student grades 6th-8th. It meets Thursdays after school from 4:05-5:00 p.m.  All of our choirs will perform in our Winter Concert, Monday, December 15 at 7:00 p.m. in the Clark Cafe.

Clark @ Frisco Community Parade

On Saturday, November 8, 2008, over 50 students and cougar paws proudly represented Clark Middle School in the Frisco Community Parade. The parade began at Pizza Hut Park and traveled down Main Street to North County Road. Members of the Clark Life Skills Class (in support of the FISD’s Recycling Program), the National Junior Honor Society, Student Council, Friends of Rachel Club, Cougar Cheerleaders and many Cougar Parents participated.

The Coogs were cheered on by Clark alumni from the Centennial High School football team, Titan Band and Sweathearts who preceded us in the parade, and who joined us by making the “double-C” hand sign and yelled out still-remembered cheers of their former middle school.

Many thanks go to our students who took part, and the staff members who helped organize and plan Clark’s involvement in the parade: Stacey Moore, Stacy Claster, Caroline Kleiman, Stephanie Janes, Lauren Lee, Beverly Harris, Robbie Watson and Eydie Simpson. And another THANK YOU to PTA Mom Mrs. Jackson, who provided water bottles for the parched parade walkers!

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Rachel's Challenge Day

The Rachel’s Challenge Program was recently introduced to Clark Middle School on October 9, 2008.  This program is based upon the story of Rachel Joy Scott, the first person killed in the Columbine High School tragedy on April 20, 1999.  Through this story of courage, hope, and simple acts of kindness, Clark Middle School students and staff learned the legacy of Rachel's passion for creating compassion in not only the school climate, but in life as well.  Her five challenges have become the foundation for one of the most life-changing school programs in the United States and abroad.

Cody Hodges, former quarterback for the Texas Tech Red Raiders, gave a very powerful one-hour presentation, which included video/audio footage of Rachel’s life and the Columbine tragedy.  Students had the opportunity to sign the Rachel’s Challenge banner during their lunches as a commitment to implement their acts of kindness and compassion.  Mr. Hodges also led a training session during the afternoon to initiate the new Friends of Rachel Club, to which all students are invited to attend. The day concluded with a parent/community event night where parents could come and view the students' program. Afterward, the signatures of over 600 students, Clark staff members, and parents covered the Rachel's Challenge banner .

The following morning the Clark Friends of Rachel Club sponsors invited all students of CMS to the first informational/planning meeting. Close to eighty students showed up to join and participate in addition to the fifty students who trained the day before.  Although this program is a district-wide effort to introduce students to Rachel’s Challenge, we anticipate our students building both positive and meaningful relationships here at school and throughout the community.

For more information about Rachel's Challenge, visit www.rachelschallenge.com.