MPISD – News

Pictured (Back Row): Rachel Findley (NEHS Advisor & Member of Nevills Chapel) Raif Fielder, Hayden Harvill, Asia Salters, Isabella Furnish, Ryne Mitchell, Michelle Garrett, Oscar Gomez, Alexa Castaneda, Yaretzi Prado, Grayson Hunter-Gonzales, Fabiola Garcia, Dakota Williams, Sarah Flanagan (CIS), Leslie Benavides Fernandez, Tatiana Esslinger (CIS)

(Front Row): Valeria Vera Cortez, Melany Jiminez, Alexander Andrade, Blakely Garrett, Erik Banda, Erick Torres, Lynndsie Phan, Hannah Carr, Victor Manuel Contreras, Michelle Bautista, Kennedy Jones, Mario Hernandez

 

Contact: Kelly Cowan

E.C. Brice NEHS holds a food drive for Brice families

The members of the National Elementary Honor Society (NEHS) at E.C. Brice Elementary School held a food drive this month to benefit E.C. Brice families. Nevills Chapel Missionary Baptist Church donated the food items, and E.C. Brice NEHS, along with Communities In Schools (CIS), sorted and distributed the food to benefit Brice families in need as part of a district-wide food drive.

 “CIS looked at the needs of the E.C. Brice students and carefully selected 15 families that we thought would benefit from the food boxes the most,” said Brice CIS Coordinator, Sarah Flanagan.

“These families will hopefully get to experience a Thanksgiving meal that they otherwise would not have gotten had they not received this donation. CIS is excited to be a part of future service projects with E.C. Brice NEHS.”

Brice NEHS Advisor Rachel Findley said, “It’s always good for our NEHS members to take part in giving and helping others. No matter how big or small your efforts are, God’s going to bless it; the kids see that and reap the joy that comes from such selfless acts of kindness.”

 

 

Photo: (L to R) Colby Hunnicutt, MPHS Principal Craig Bailey, Virginia Fuentes

 

MPHS Seniors named Wendy’s High School Heisman Winners

From an applicant pool of thousands of high school scholar-athletes graduating with the class of 2020, more than 3,600 have been named School Winners in the Heisman Trophy Trust’s scholarship competition. Seniors Virginia Fuentes and Colby Hunnicutt are the School Winners from Mount Pleasant High School.

Fuentes, daughter of Angelica Fuentes and Jose Luis Fuentes, is a four-year letterman in Lady Tiger Soccer. She is the 2nd Team All-District Forward, 2nd Team All-District Defender, 1st Team All-District Defender, and Academic All-District. In addition to her outstanding performance in soccer, Fuentes will graduate in the Top 10% of the Class of 2020. She is president of the National Technical Honor Society, secretary of the National Honor Society, and section leader of the flute section in the MPHS Goin’ Gold Band. She is also a member of FBLA and Practicum in Health Science Medical Assistant Program. Fuentes has volunteered in various capacities to serve her community. She has helped with Adopt-a-Highway, Salvation Army, Health Fairs, Coat Drives, and has been a referee for the Mt. Pleasant Youth Soccer Association.

Hunnicutt, son of Windey and Todd Owens and Chad Hunnicutt, is a member of the MPHS Varsity Baseball team. He was awarded 2nd Team All-District Utility in 2018. He will graduate in the Top 10% of the Class of 2020 and is a member of the National Honor Society. He participated in UIL Math competitions and received the Academic Blanket Award in Biology for the highest overall average in the course. Hunnicutt spends time volunteering with the Adopt-A-Highway program, the Salvation Army, and he has helped serve veterans at our local Veteran’s Day Program. He also helps his school by working concession stands and helping with the college fair.

The Heisman High School Scholarship extends the Heisman prestige to our nation’s most esteemed high school seniors by recognizing and rewarding outstanding scholar-athletes who understand that the most significant victories not only happen on the field but in their schools and communities. These remarkable young leaders set the example and make a game-changing difference every day, paving the way to greatness for everyone around them.

To apply, students must be graduating with the class of 2020. They must have a cumulative weighted high school grade point average of a B (3.0) or better, participate in at least one of the 48 sports recognized by the International Olympic Committee or the National Federation of State High School Association and be a leader in his/her school and community.

 

MP Debate Beles & Greco (left to Right): Sidney Beles & Sophie Greco

MP Debate Eric Taylor

MP Debate novices (left to right): Sidney Beles, Sophie Greco, Eric Taylor

MPHS Debate team members bring home medals

The MPHS Speech and Debate team hosted a Texas Forensics Association Individual Qualifying tournament on Saturday, November 16. The tournament featured competitors from fourteen schools including some 6A programs from the Dallas area. Several 8th and 9th-grade members of MPJH and MPHS Speech and Debate competed in the Novice division and three earned medals at the tournament.

Freshman Eric Taylor won the Novice Lincoln Douglas debate championship, outlasting 14 other competitors in the category. Taylor is in his first year of high school debate competition and this was his first time to medal.

The eighth-grade team of Sidney Beles and Sophie Greco made it to the final four of Novice Cross-Examination debate and earned semifinalist medals. They were defeated in the semifinal round by the eventual novice champions. It was their first high school level competition featuring teams from other schools. Beles and Greco won the interschool novice tournament earlier this year.

MP Speech and Debate is coached by Cody Morris.

 

 

Pictured: Maggie Lilly (center) signs her letter of intent as her parents and new coach look on

 

MPHS Lady Tiger signs to play collegiate softball

Mount Pleasant High School senior Maggie Lilly signed a letter of intent on Monday, November 18, in the MPHS Field House, surrounded by family and friends. Lilly will play softball at The University of Arkansas at Rich Mountain, where she will be a member of the university’s very first softball team. She is the daughter of Stephen and Tonya Lilly.

Lilly is a four-year varsity letterman and has played 3rd base, catcher, and designated player. She was named 1st team Utility Player in 2019, 1st team Designated Player in 2018, and has earned All-District honors three times. Her team awards include the Lady Tiger Heart award in 2019, the Lady Tiger Most Improved award in 2018, and the Lady Tiger Academic Award in 2017.

“I am very excited for Maggie and this great accomplishment,” said MPHS Softball coach, Jeremy Tarrant. “She has worked extremely hard both on the field and with her academics. We wish her continued success at UA-Rich Mountain as she has had at MPHS.”

 

 

Pictured: Maggie Lilly (center) signs her letter of intent as her parents and new coach look on

 

MPHS Lady Tiger signs to play collegiate softball

Mount Pleasant High School senior Maggie Lilly signed a letter of intent on Monday, November 18, in the MPHS Field House, surrounded by family and friends. Lilly will play softball at The University of Arkansas at Rich Mountain, where she will be a member of the university’s very first softball team. She is the daughter of Stephen and Tonya Lilly.

Lilly is a four-year varsity letterman and has played 3rd base, catcher, and designated player. She was named 1st team Utility Player in 2019, 1st team Designated Player in 2018, and has earned All-District honors three times. Her team awards include the Lady Tiger Heart award in 2019, the Lady Tiger Most Improved award in 2018, and the Lady Tiger Academic Award in 2017.

“I am very excited for Maggie and this great accomplishment,” said MPHS Softball coach, Jeremy Tarrant. “She has worked extremely hard both on the field and with her academics. We wish her continued success at UA-Rich Mountain as she has had at MPHS.” 

 

Photo: The cast and crew of “Small Actors.”

 

MPJH wins 3rd place for One-Act play

The Mount Pleasant Junior High School Theatre Department presented their One-Act play “Small Actors,” at the Junior High One Act Play competition in Sulphur Springs on Saturday, November 16. The cast took 3rd place with four members earning individual honors. They are Clayton Miller named to the All-Star Cast, Jeffrey Bond, and Madison Zepeda, making Honorable Mention All-Star Cast, and Gracie Martinez won the Best Crew award.

In “Small Actors,” Emily desperately wants to play the lead in her high school’s production of Romeo and Juliet. Instead, she gets a one-line, four-word role. None the less, she tells her parents (who will be out of town during the performance) that she got the lead, and suddenly, things spin way out of control. Mom and Dad cancel their vacation plans and invite every relative they can round up to come to visit and see their daughter play Juliet. This outlandishly funny and very touching play is about the roles we all play—in theatre and life.

The production featured Madison Zepeda as Emily, Jeffrey Bond as Jason, Patricia Gonzalez as Laura, Clayton Miller as Paul, Azariah Rudd as Mrs. Phelps, Thomas Nguyen Mahoney as Samuel, Alexis Mahoney as Keshia, Sadera Lamperd as Wendy/Juliet, Summer Murrillo and Kevin Mendoza in the chorus of Romeo and Juliet, Dawson Hernandez as Romeo, and Evan Reed as Uncle Frank. Crew members included Gracie Martinez on sound and Alivia Newman on lights. The play was directed by Crystal Francis-Peel and Crystalla Anderson with MPHS Theatre Director, Dr. Edward Lee, providing technical direction.

 

 

Photos: Receiving their scholarships at the MPYSA awards ceremony are (front row left to right) Clara Alvarado Jacqueline Juarez, and Joseph Gongora (back row left to right) Daisy Ayala and Virginia Fuentes.

 

MPHS seniors awarded Mount Pleasant Youth Soccer Association scholarships

For the first time in its existence, the Mount Pleasant Youth Soccer Association (MPYSA) was able to award $500 scholarships to five senior volunteers to further their educations. MPYSA scholarship applications were open to seniors who met set academic criteria and played soccer and volunteered with MPYSA. All of the recipients have done volunteer service with MPYSA, serving as referees for youth games among other volunteer activities. Three of the five continue to play soccer themselves for Mount Pleasant High School.

The first MPYSA $500 scholarship recipients are Mount Pleasant High School seniors Clara Alvarado, Daisy Ayala, Virginia Fuentes, Joseph Gongora, and Jacqueline Juarez.