MPHS senior signs to play in the University of Arkansas at Monticello Band.

Contact:  Kelly Cowan

In a moment that marked the beginning of a promising future, Orion Senence signed a letter of intent to play trumpet in the UAM “Pride of Southeast Arkansas” Marching Band at the University of Arkansas at Monticello. This is a significant step towards his dream of majoring in Music with an instrumental concentration, a path that promises to further amplify his musical talents.

Senence has been a member of the MPISD band program for seven years, where he played trumpet and served as Assistant Drum Major his senior year. He also played in the MPHS Jazz Band for four years and as a member of the community orchestra for two. He is a four-year member of the All-Region band, a two-time selection for the All-Region Jazz Band, and has qualified for the UIL State Solo and Ensemble competition for three years in a row. He is the son of Rico and Nicole Senence.

 

MPISD Destination Imagination team advances to Global Finals

Mount Pleasant ISD Destination Imagination (DI) is gearing up for an exciting year. Two MPISD teams competed with 573 teams from Texas, Michigan, Colorado, and Turkey at the Lonestar Finals on April 12-13 at the University of Texas at Arlington. The awards ceremony, held at Globe Life Field, was a thrilling event, and one MPISD team learned they would be returning to the Global Finals this summer. We can’t wait to see what they’ll achieve!

Returning to Global Finals for the second year in a row and representing E.C. Brice Elementary and Wallace Middle School, the Mystical Penguins (formerly known as the Smart Penguins Going Bananas in 2023) placed 6th out of 20 in the Improvisational category. The youngest improvisational competitors had two minutes to plan a skit that included all the required elements of the challenge. Team members include Kaylyn Andrade, Judah Deal, Callie Dimon, Anna Henry, Avalyn Netro, Eddie Olva from Brice, and Shane Dimon from Wallace.

The Unquackable Pduckadactyls from Wallace Middle School placed 8th out of 24 teams in the Improvisational category, just missing advancing by two spots. Team members include Lily Henry, Ariadnna Martinez, Jannahi Castro, Caleb Townson, Aldo Orona, Ivan Flores, and Jonathan Williams.

“We are so honored to be representing MPISD, the Mount Pleasant community, and Texas at Global Finals in Kansas City in May,” said MPISD DI coordinator Jamie King. “Lonestar Finals was an amazing experience. Students shared their hard work in solution-based presentations to audiences throughout the tournament and received scores based on creativity, research, presentation, and teamwork. Our awards ceremony was held at Globe Life Field, and it was a perfect venue for our Tigers because we knocked it out of the park like World Series winners!”

 The DI Global Finals will be held from May 20 to 23 in Kansas City, MO. We invite the MPISD community, parents, students, and educators to support our State’s advancing Global Final Destination Imagination Teams, which Jamie King coaches. Your support is invaluable to us.