Brianne Davis with her Honorable Mention award and Congressman Nathaniel Moran

Davis’s piece, Happy

Brianne Davis and MPHS art teacher Laura Kirkland (right)

Contact: Kelly Cowan

MPHS senior honored at Congressional Art competition

MPHS senior Brianne Davis was awarded Honorable Mention accolades at the TX01 District Congressional Art Contest on Sunday, December 10, at The Michelson Museum in Marshall. Of the 36 pieces entered, only six received recognition. Davis’s piece, Happy, is a drawing of Davis and her mother, Rachel Barkley.

The Congressional Art Contest, now in its 41st year, is a nationwide art competition for high school students. To enter, students submit entries to their representative’s office, and panels of district artists select the winning entries. Mount Pleasant is in the 1st Congressional District of Texas, represented by Congressman Nathaniel Moran. Congressman Moran’s district encompasses 17 counties in the state’s northeast corner, along the border between Texas, Arkansas, and Louisiana. They display first-place pieces from each section for one year at the U.S. Capitol in the Cannon Tunnel. The tunnel is the most highly traveled access point between the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Capitol. Every day, Members of Congress, distinguished visitors, and tens of thousands of tourists – from the United States and abroad – walk through the tunnel and admire the artwork.

“I would like to congratulate Brianne Davis for receiving an Honorable Mention in the 2024 Congressional Art Competition hosted by Congressman Nathaniel Moran,” said MPHS art teacher Laura Kirkland. “This year, out of several students across East Texas, there were 3 Honorable Mentions, 3rd, 2nd, and 1st place winners. I want to thank Congressman Nathaniel Moran for hosting this event. Also, thanks to Chelsea Payne and all her helpers for organizing, and finally, thank you to the contributors for the prizes.”

Davis is the daughter of Drew and Rachel Barkley and has been a student in the MPHS art program for two years.

The Creative Coders (L to R) Damian Martinez, Cristian De La Hoya, Fowler teacher Cendy Zuñiga, Fowler teacher Sisi Aguilar, Bruno DeLaHoya

Vivian Fowler Elementary placed second in the Robotics competition.

Fourteen MPISD robotics teams representing E.C. Brice, Francis Corprew, Vivian Fowler, P.E. Wallace, and Mount Pleasant Junior High competed in the Texas Youth Robotics Alliance competition on Saturday, December 2, at Sulphur Springs Middle School. The competition featured 30 teams of elementary and middle school students from the surrounding area. The Creative Coders, composed of Bruno De La Hoya and Damian Martinez from Fowler and Cristian De La Hoya from Wallace, placed second, giving MPISD its first trophy in robotics competitions.

At the end of three qualification matches, the top 16 teams advanced to the final tournament, including seven of the fourteen MPISD teams. Advancing to finals were the Amazing Spartans from Brice (Cesar Munoz, Jamari Meeks, Isaac Gomez), the Brice Bandits (Kade Jackson, Josiah McNary, Mason Diaz, Carter Chavez), The Capybara Band from Brice (Heasley Reyes, Avalyn Netro, Anna Henry, Judah Deal), the Creative Coders from Fowler (Bruno De la Hoya, Damian Martinez, Cristian De La Hoya), the Brilliant Builders from Fowler (Mallory Mancera and Zuley Banda), the Cognibots from Corprew (Jaime Gallardo, Josue Pintor, Carmelo Green and Leonardo Canada), and the Rangers from Wallace (Jake Jones, Teyten Mettlen, Carter Cameron, Thatcher Drange).

Also competing for MPISD were the Brice Roboteers (Elizabeth Merino, Kaylyn Andrade, Paisley Hamilton, Sua Rosales), the Terrific Tigers from Fowler (Braedyn Reynolds and Aaron Mendoza), the Corprew Titans (Aryana Knieriem, Nylah Bell, Valeria Palacios, Abigale Yoder), the Circuit Breakers from Corprew (Allison Castaneda, Steven Lopez, Valeria Pineda, Draxton Craddock), the Blue Socks from Wallace (Wyatt Garey, Sebastian Sheppard, Keegan Holmes, Ranger Johnston), The Coders from Wallace (Kobe Duenez, Luis Fernando, Jimmy Gonzales), and The Hamburgers from MPJH (Omar Castaneda, Aiden Lane, Heymar Rivera).

The Texas Computer Education Association (TCEA) uses the robotics contest problem set, Hi, Bye Pizza Pie, that challenges teams to design a robot to help them gather ingredients, make pizzas, and provide delivery service. Matches consist of a 30-second autonomous period followed by a 90-second driver-controlled period. During the 30-second autonomous period, robots move on their own according to programs entered by the students to accomplish predetermined tasks and earn points. During the 90-second driver-controlled period, teams remotely control their robot to perform tasks and earn points. At the end, referees assess points and calculate the total match score. In MPISD, students in the elementary and middle school Robotics program construct their robots from the ground up, design what they want to look like, program them to complete specific tasks and learn to drive them using VEX IQ Robotic kits with remote controls.  

The MPISD Robotics teams will compete again at Clarksville High School on February 15. The coaches are Tara Flores at Wallace Middle School, Mount Pleasant Junior High, and Jamie King at the elementary campuses.

MPHS Future Educator competitors / Bottom (L to R): Araceli Landaverde, Jasmine Landaverde, Sidney Beles, April Ruiz, Cinthya Ramirez, Michelle Sandoval, Grace Zittel, Gabriella Garza / 2nd row (L to R): Angie Castro, Haylee Zaldivar / 3rd row (L to R): Lesly Flores, Celeste Portillo / 4th row (L to R): Diana Gutierrez, Marlyn Estrada

MPHS Future Educators advance to State competition

The Mount Pleasant High School chapter of the Texas Association of Future Educators (TAFE) attended their annual Area competition at Texas A&M Texarkana on Friday, December 8. Thirteen members competed, and seven qualified for the State competition in March.

Sophomores Lesly Flores and Celeste Portillo advanced to state in the Junior Varsity Children’s Pre-K Literature event with Ted’s Terrible Tummy Ache, their original children’s rhyming book about a dog who eats way too much that encourages prediction skills and anticipated results.

Juniors Gabriella Garza and April Ruiz advanced to state in the Varsity Teacher Created Materials event with a fourth-grade game, Needle in a Haystack, incorporating vocabulary and matching skills.

Seniors Araceli Landaverde and Sidney Beles advanced to state in Varsity Children’s K-3 Literature with their original children’s book, Dear Mom and Dad, about the sacrifices parents make for their kids and the realization of those sacrifices from a child’s point of view.

Senior Jasmin Landaverde advanced to state in the Varsity Job Interview. In this event, Landaverde submitted a cover letter and resume and participated in an on-site live interview.

Also competing were the team of sophomores Haylee Zaldivar and Diana Gonzalez, the group of sophomores Angie Castro and Grace Zittel, and the team of juniors Cinthya Ramirez and Michelle Sandoval, who all created interactive bulletin boards.

Those who advance will compete in the Teach for Tomorrow Summit state competition on February 28-March 1, 2024, at the Kalahari Resort in Round Rock. The MPHS TAFE Advisor is Aimee Sweeden.

MPHS members of the All-Region Band / 1st row (L to R) Bryan Garcia, Jose Fuentes, Christopher Sorto, Araceli Solis, Shpat Zeqaj / 2nd row (L to R) Julian Chancellor, Zoe Newman, Eli Hernandez, Andrew Perez, Nephtali Gonzalez / 3rd row (L to R) Adriel Bagsic, Orion Senence, Bruno Deleon, Angel Farias, Oscar Castellanos / 4th row (L to R) Andy Carrillo, Luke Thurman

MPHS Goin’ Gold Band members selected for All-Region Band

They named seventeen Mount Pleasant High School Goin’ Gold Band members to the High School All-Region Band after auditions on December 8 at North Lamar High School in Paris. Six of the seventeen have qualified for Area auditions.

Advancing to Area auditions are Nephtali Gonzalez (1st chair Contra-Bass Clarinet), Andrew Perez (1st chair Bb Clarinet), Shpat Zeqaj (3rd chair Oboe), Jose Fuentes (3rd chair Bb Clarinet), Adriel Bagsic (4th chair Trumpet), and Luke Thurman (3rd chair Percussion).

Also selected for the High School All-Region Band were Bryan Garcia (4th chair Piccolo), Araceli Solis (9th chair Bb Clarinet), Zoe Newman (4th chair Alto Saxophone), Julian Chancellor (6th chair Alto Saxophone), Christopher Sorto (9th chair Bb Clarinet), Eli Hernandez (4th chair Tenor Saxophone), and Orion Senence (6th chair Trumpet), Oscar Castellanos (5th chair Trombone), Angel Farias (3rd chair Euphonium), Bruno Deleon (4th chair Euphonium), Andy Carrillo (9th chair Percussion).

The selected members will participate in the All-Region clinic and concert on January 19-20 in the Mount Pleasant High School Performing Arts Complex. Area auditions will take place on January 6 at Plano Senior High School.