Cassandra: Cassandra Saavedra with her state medal piece, “Never Gonna Give You Up.”

Josue: Josue Vega with his state medal piece, “Cowboys.”

Stephanie: Stephanie Hernandez with her state medal piece, “Eternal Youth.”

Never gonna give you up: “Never Gonna Give You Up” by Cassandra Saavedra

Eternal Youth: “Eternal Youth” by Stephanie Hernandez

Vega Cowboys: “Cowboys” by Josue Vega

Contact: Kelly Cowan

MPHS art students earn state medals

Four Mount Pleasant High School students advanced to the state level of the Visual Arts Scholastic Event (VASE), with three earning state medals for their work. Students from 29 regions in Texas compete for a chance to advance to the state VASE event. Of the over 31,000 entries at regionals, just 2,100 advance to the state level. The VASE state competition was at San Marcos Consolidated High School on April 29-30.

MPHS junior, Stephanie Hernandez, earned a state gold medal for her piece, “Eternal Youth.” She also medaled in 2022 with her work, “Flower Child.” It is Hernandez’s second state medal.

MPHS sophomore, Josue Vega, earned a state gold medal for his piece “Cowboys.” Vega had the unique experience of having two pieces advance from Regionals to the state competition.

And MPHS freshman, Cassandra Saavedra, earned her first state gold medal for her piece, “Never Gonna Give You Up.”

“From 31,000 pieces at Regionals down to the top 1,000 in the state is quite an achievement,” said MPHS art instructor Laura Kirkland. “I am proud to say MPHS brought home three gold medals. I would like to congratulate Stephanie, Josue, and Cassandra. It is truly an honor to be the teacher to these talented students.”

CCMA: Mount Pleasant High School Certified Clinical Medical Assistants

CCPCTA: Mount Pleasant High School Certified Patient Care Tech Assistants

EKG: Mount Pleasant High School Certified EKG Technicians

           Mount Pleasant High School holds a Health Science pinning ceremony.

Mount Pleasant High School held its first pinning ceremony for Health Science program students who completed Phlebotomy, Patient Care, EKG, and Medical Assisting certifications. The ceremony was in the MPHS Auditorium on Thursday, April 27. Senior Camdon Johnson offered the opening prayer, followed by MPHS Career and Technology Director Karl Whitehurst, with opening remarks. And senior Anthony Orellana served as the announcer for the evening.

Health Science teacher, Kristi Houchin, awarded completion cords and pinned the Certified Phlebotomy Techs, the Certified Patient Care Tech Assistants, and the previous year’s Certified EKG Technicians. Phlebotomy Techs perform the following tasks to aid in patient care – venipunctures, explaining procedures and making patients feel comfortable during lab draws, performing Point of Care (POC) testing, preparing specimens for testing, and maintaining medical lab equipment. Certified Patient Care Technician-Assistants assist with activities of daily living (ADLs), routinely check on patients to maintain safety and wellness, and perform EKGs. 

Receiving those cords and pins were Lizbeth Alvarez, Malazia Batiste, Paris Black, Yasmin Castaneda, Rachel Cato, Maria Colin, Madison Craig, Melanie De La Cruz, Chelsea Dowden, Alexandra Estrada, Blanca Gallegos Cruz, Betzaida Garcia, Isabel Gonzalez, Miranda Gonzalez, Sandy Guerrero, Benjamin Gutierrez, Sandy Hernandez, Kylie Humber, Jose Lopez, Alison Majors, Zulma Mejia, Rosselyn Molina, Viridiana Portillo, Anthony Ramirez, Lizzette Ramirez, Tiffany Rangel, Dulce Rivera, Briana Sanchez, Melissa Vasquez, and I’yana Williams.

Health Science teacher Mandy Hutchings awarded completion cords and pinned the Certified Clinical Medical Assistants and the previous year’s Certified EKG Technicians.

A Certified Clinical Medical Assistant works in a physician’s office. They schedule appointments, verify insurance, take a patient history and chief complaint, vitals, assist the physician with exams and in-office surgeries, administer injections, perform phlebotomy skills, perform an in-office EKG, and identify abnormal readings. 

Being a CCMA allows you to work anywhere in the United States as it is a national certification. CCMAs work directly with physicians, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants. Cord and pin recipients included Saul Alvarado, Andrea Anguiano, Giselle Castillo, Jenna Cook, Natalie Crockett, Norma Delgado, Paulina Diaz, Lincoln Ellis, Isabel Gonzalez, Perla Guzman, Ethan Harbour, Nora Hardwick, Natalie Hernandez, Karli Hill, Alison Jimenez, Camdon Johnson, Gyselle Lozano, Kali Marshall, Madeline Plascencia, Elijah Rider, Xitlali Rivas, Jacqueline Rodriguez, Goten Russell, Kandice Salas, Camila Serrano, Evan Shelley, Galilea Torres, Jose Trejo, Amy Vazquez, Javier Vazquez, and Michelle Vazquez.

Health Science teachers Sarah Carrell and Cortney McCallum pinned those who have tested and are certified EKG Technicians. Listed are other students scheduled for testing in the upcoming weeks. Those students were Genesis Aguilar, Ashley Almeida, Jordan Andrade, Briana Chavez, Kaylee Connally, Ella Cross, Gema Del Rosario Amaro, Analee Escalante, Jarely Esguerra, Alexa Gamble, Estefani Garcia, Javier Garcia, Aguirre Garza, Isari Gonzalez, Sherlyn Gonzalez, Takahashi Gutierrez, Ahilin Hernandez, Jesus Hernandez, Breanda Hernandez, Morgan Hill, Yvonne Huerta, Casey Jones, Kaira Leija, Silvia Lopez, Arely Lopez, Jocelyn Marroquin, Harley Martin, Nathaniel Martinez, Yalit Mata, Mariana Mendez, Stephanie Mendez, Erika Mickens, Emilee Miles, Amariya Miller, Saniya Milton, Angel Munoz, Alyssa Narvaez, Cecilia Olmos, Genesis Organista, Jinnely Padilla, Tisha Patel, Johana Perales, Estven Perez, Cecilia Phan, Katherine Plata, Hope Powell, Andrianna Price, Bianca Quistian, Charis Ramirez, Kaitlyn Reese, Jacqueline Reyes, Naomy Rivera, Richard Rodriguez, Miriam Rojas, Evelyn Sandoval, Mariana Sandoval, Joseph Tolentino, Jonathan Turner, Shakira Valentin, Jacqueline Varela, Diana Vargas, Perla Vazquez, Conlee Zachry, Shpat Zeqaj, and Beverly Zuniga.

In all, sixty-one MPHS students received recognition for at least one certification that will follow them after high school and allow them to work in the medical field immediately after graduation.

MPISD Announces Summer Feeding Program

The Mount Pleasant Independent School District announces its participation in the Seamless Summer Option for the summer of 2023. This program will allow free meals to be served to children 18 years of age and younger if they come to one of our feeding sites. Summer meal services will begin May 30, 2023, and summer meals will be served Tuesday through Thursday for that week only. 

From June 5, 2023, summer meals will be served Monday through Thursday until June 22, 2023.

The following campuses serve Breakfast and Lunch at times listed beside the campus names:

The High School will serve Breakfast at 7:15 – 8:15 am and Lunch at 11:15 am -12:30 pm.

The Jr High School will serve Breakfast at 7:15 – 8:15 am and Lunch at 11:40 am -12:10 pm. 

E.C. Brice Elementary School will serve Breakfast from 7:15 am-8:15 am and Lunch from 11:00 am-12:00 pm.

Annie Sims and Vivian Fowler Elementary Schools will serve Breakfast from 7:15 am – 8:15 am and Lunch from 11:15 am – 12:00 pm.

For more information, please call 903-575-2000, visit our website at www.mpisd.net, or text FOODTX to 877-877.

By federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, this institution is prohibited from discriminating based on race, color, national origin, sex (including gender identity and sexual orientation), disability, age, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity.

Program information may be made available in languages other than English. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication to obtain program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language) should contact the responsible state or local agency that administers the program or USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TTY) or contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339.

To file a program discrimination complaint, a Complainant should complete a Form AD-3027, USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form, which can be obtained online at: https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/ad-3027.pdf, from any USDA office, by calling (866) 632-9992, or by writing a letter addressed to USDA. The letter must contain the complainant’s name, address, telephone number, and a written description of the alleged discriminatory action in sufficient detail to inform the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights (ASCR) about the nature and date of an alleged civil rights violation. The completed AD-3027 form or letter must be submitted to USDA by:

1.     mail:

 U.S. Department of Agriculture

 Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights

 1400 Independence Avenue, SW

 Washington, D.C. 20250-9410; or

2.     fax:

 (833) 256-1665 or (202) 690-7442; or

3.     email:

 Program.Intake@usda.gov

This institution is an equal opportunity provider.