Week of May 9, 2022

MVISD May 2022 Employee of the Month

Kelly Galvan, Castroville Elementary

Congratulations to Castroville Elementary Receptionist, Kelly Galvan, on being selected as the MVISD Employee of the Month for May 2022.

Click the video above to learn more about Mrs. Galvan and how she makes a difference every day at Castroville ES.

May is a month full of celebrations! MVISD recognized some very special groups so far this month including our Principals, Teachers and Child Nutrition Staff during their special dates. We cannot thank each of these groups enough for the hard work that they put in day in and day out! Celebrations included cakes, special dress up days and many ways for all to express our appreciation.

Elementary and middle school students showcased a variety of projects at their respective Showcase of Innovation. The event hosted by the Gifted/Talented Department allowed students to present advanced-level projects they've worked on throughout the year. This was the first year the showcases were held at the campus level. Students were excited to have the opportunity to share what they learned. Click here for more photos.

SENIOR SPOTLIGHT - AYA KASIM

We're excited to share our newest MVISD "Senior Spotlight" video series. Aya Kasim, our 2022 MVHS Valedictorian kicks off the series! Watch the video below to learn more about Aya's inspirational journey and what her plans look like after she crosses the stage.

Click here for a full list of her accolades and accomplishments.

SENIOR SPOTLIGHT - ASHLYN PERSYN

Ashlyn Persyn is ready for graduation day! Watch the video below highlighting Ashlyn's accomplishments and sharing her future plans!
Click here for a full list of her accolades and accomplishments.

Fourteen MVHS students participated in the Regional Masonry Showcase put on by the Texas Masonry Council. Students were able to learn hands-on from local construction contractors while also building connections that could lead to potential employment opportunities. MVHS Junior, Emiliano Aguilar was also featured in a news story highlighting the event on News4. Click here to watch the story.

Congratulations to the MVHS Website Design Team for taking 3rd place at the Business Professionals of America National Competition this past weekend in Dallas, Texas. The team included: Tyler Frail, Samantha Noll, Ameenah Wilson and Naomi Minnick. Congratulations to Alyanna Amiscosa, who also competed at the National Competition.

Seven MVHS students completed their second year in the Patient Care Technician program earning certificates in Phlebotomy(CPT), Electrocardiogram(CET), Certified Nurse Assistant(CNA), and Clinical Medical Assistant(CCMA).  Congratulations: S. Torres, A. Davidson, J. Reyes, C. Thompson, L. Rangel, A. Johnson, and C. Colon.

For the 3rd consecutive year, Medina Valley High School earned a national ranking in the top 40% achieving the status of a 2022 U.S. News and World Report Best High School! Click here to view more information on Medina Valley HS and our ranking on the U.S. News & World Report website.

Medina Valley FFA had 8 students compete in public speaking at the Revaldina District Banquet & earn District Sweepstakes! Congrats to: Morgan Hall (1st Junior Prepared), Naomi Minnick (1st Natural Resources), Ameenah Wilson (1st Plant Science), Emma Mueller (1st Extemporaneous), Julia Guzman (1st Soil Stewardship), Kiley Winkler (1st Ag Business), Hannah Vierling, (1st Ag Tech), and Brady Prukop (2nd Animal Science).

MVHS FFA has been busy! The FFA Ag Sales Team recently earned 10th place (includes all 1A-6A schools) at the Texas FFA State Contest at Sam Houston State University and the FFA Milk Quality Products Team earned 9th. Both teams have worked incredibly hard all semester and have had a great team dynamic of support and hard work.

Ladera Elementary had a fun visit last week! All students were able to watch a BMX show that was not only entertaining, but also helping to spread the message of kindness and character. The students and staff had a great time!

The 5th grade students of Luckey Ranch Elementary visited Medina Valley MS, where they will be attending middle school next year. They toured the campus with MVMS students and learn more about future opportunities.

Meet the newest member of the TASSP All-State Academic Team, MVHS senior, Lazarus Maldonado! Congratulations on being selected by the Texas Association of Secondary School Principals to receive this prestigious recognition and $500 scholarship.

The UIL Literary Criticism team brought home a Bronze Medal at STATE this past weekend. Aiden Fish also individually finished 5th overall. The Literary Criticism Team includes: Carissa Ceasor, Isabella Sanchez, Natalie Brooks and Aiden Fish. Congratulations!

Last week the MVMS Beginner Band earned straight 1’s (best possible score) from all judges at the Pirateland Music Festival! They celebrated with a well-deserved trip to ZDT’s afterward! Great job Beginners!

Congratulations to both our Baseball & Softball teams on a successful season. Both teams fought hard in this last Bi-District Round of Playoffs, but fell short. We are proud of all you accomplished this season!

Panther Tennis celebrated the team's fantastic year during their banquet on April 28 at Schattanbol. This year the team won the fall District Team Tennis Championship with a 6-0 record and capped off the spring season winning the District Boys Team Champion and Girls Team Runner-up trophies. Click here for a full list of awards and recognitions earned.

Congratulations to the girls & boys track athletes who competed at Regionals.  This season four school records were broken: Jahnae McCain 100 meter dash 12.22 & 200 meter dash 25.47, Haylee re-broke last year’s 100 hurdle record with a blazing time of 14.91, 4x200 relay ran the fastest time in school history with a 1:42.77 (Haylee Hurtado, Cara Garcia, Elia Evans, and Jahnae McCain. Click here for more results.

Week of April 25, 2022

In a special called meeting held on Wednesday, April 13, the Medina Valley ISD Board of Trustees voted unanimously to name Dr. Samuel Nix as the Lone Finalist for MVISD's next Superintendent of Schools. "I am both humbled and elated to have received the support of the Medina Valley ISD Board of Trustees, and to have the opportunity to serve the students and families of this school district," said Dr. Nix. Full article here.

Students, staff & families enjoyed the Inaugural MVISD Special Olympics last week. The event provided athletic competition in a variety of Olympic-style events for children with disabilities, continuing to build a climate of acceptance and inclusion. We are so proud of all of our students who participated and volunteered! Click here for more photos from the event.

MVISD launches new site for job postings and applications. Visit our district website and click on the "Employment" tab at the top to check it out. Applicants who had filled out an application in our old system will need to submit a new application through our new system. Click here to view.

Last week, Dr. Rohrbach visited Ms. Lynli Jones 2nd Grade class at Castroville Elementary. The students enjoyed story time and the fun conversation they had during their visit from our Superintendent.

Four MVHS students advance to State in UIL Academics! Congratulations to: Aiden Fish (Current Issues & Events 2nd place state qualifier and Literary Criticism 1st Place), Isabella Sanchez (Literary Criticism Team 2nd Place), and Carissa Ceasor and Natalie Brooks (Literary Criticism Team 1st place team state qualifiers).

Two Panther Athletes signed their Letter of Intent to play their sport at the collegiate level on April 20. Congratulations to Clara Arroyos who will play basketball at Penn State and Adam Chavez who will play football at Texas Lutheran University. We know these athletes will continue to make MVISD proud as they begin this next chapter.

Congratulations to MVHS Senior Aya Kasim who competed at the National Oratorical Contest this weekend in Indianapolis. She made it all the way to the semi-finals! Way to represent Medina Valley and the entire State of Texas!

STATE BOUND! The Medina Valley FFA Ag Sales Team earned 3rd at the Area 7 Career Development Event Contest at Sam Houston State University and secured a state qualification. Allison Whitley also placed 1st as an individual and Kiley Winkler placed 5th as an individual.

Medina Valley High School Track are having a dominating season!! Varsity Boys & Girls and JV Boys and Girls ALL finished regular season as District Champions! On April 21 they competed at the Area Meet where both Boys and Girls Varsity teams also became Area Champions for the 2nd year in a row!

Five MVHS Future Problem Solvers Teams competed at the State competition against 132 other teams from across the state to investigate and analyze the future problems that mining will cause and develop solutions to those problems. The team of Allison Whitley, Brennah Birkholz, Sydney Aelvoet and Kaylyn Persyn got 6th overall in the State.

STATE Qualifier: James Levi Keith qualified for the State Golf Tournament! He finished tied for 3rd at the Regional Tournament and the boy's team finished in 8th place overall. Congratulations Levi, team and coaches!

Our Medina Valley HS Panther Band took 1st Place in the "Out of Town" category at the Fiesta Flambeau Parade. It truly was an outstanding performance and a very well-deserved recognition.

Texas FFA State Career Development Event results are in from Texas Tech University. Congratulations to MVHS Teams who placed at the competition:  Horse Judging (3rd Place) and Food Science (9th Place).

Go show your support for our Panther Softball Team as they advance to the playoffs! They face San Antonio Kennedy in a best of three series starting on April 27 at 6:30 p.m. at Edgewood Complex Field #1. Game 2 will be April 28 at 6:30 at MVHS with a Game 3 (if necessary) at MVHS on April 29.

Week of April 11, 2022

MVISD April 2022 Employee of the Month

Samantha Reyes, Ladera Elementary

Congratulations to Ladera Elementary Early Childhood Special Education Teacher, Samantha Reyes, on being selected as the MVISD Employee of the Month for April 2022. Click the video above to learn more about Ms. Reyes' passion for helping students learn and grow!

What a fantastic performance by our Medina Valley HS Band, Color Guard & Top Cats at the Fiesta Flambeau parade this past Saturday. Their energy was contagious, and many highlighted their performance as one of the best of the night! Click here to watch the live coverage by KSAT 12.

Three Panther Athletes have signed their letter of intent to play collegiate sports. Congratulations to : Haedyn Renslow - Simpson College (Softball), Alianna Salazar - Southwestern University (Cross Country/Track), Samantha Estrada - Arlington Baptist University (Volleyball).

Luckey Ranch Elementary students enjoyed a fun field trip to Government Canyon. The students had the opportunity to spend some great time outdoors hiking and learning about the aquifer and water conservation. Thank you to all of the chaperones who helped make the trip a great success.

Region 20 visited three MVISD campuses last week to recognize our "Feature Teachers" who co-teach and have implemented SDI (Specially Designed Instruction). Congratulations to Lacy Schott & Lahis Oliveira de Garcia (MVHS), Amber Persyn & Lindsay Berchelmann (LaCoste ES), and Traci Rhea & Natalee Mueller (Loma Alta MS).

The Medina Valley FFA Ag Sales Team placed 3rd at Texas State’s FFA CDE Contest. Allison Whitley also placed 1st as high point individual! The team travels to Sam Houston State University April 12th for their area contest.

Panther Tennis had a dominating season! Congratulations to the Varsity Boy's team for finishing District in 1st place and becoming District Champions. Our Girl's Tennis Team finished in 2nd place, earning the title of District Runner-Up!

Potranco Elementary recognized Blue Ribbon Week on their campus with fun activities all week long. The purpose of Blue Ribbon week is to help spread awareness against child abuse.

Congratulations to Marin Castiglione as she finished as a District Girl's Golf Medalist and qualified for the Regional Golf Tournament!

UIL Academics won the District Sweepstakes Award (District Championship) which combines One-Act Play, Academics, and Speech and Debate! This is the 2nd year in a row winning this award! 21 students advance to Regionals in 12 different events. Congratulations to the students and coaches!

Medina Valley HS Powerlifting recently competed at the State Competition. Congratulations to Seth Bullard who finished in 3rd place earning a Bronze Medal (700lb squat and 440lb bench),
Josh Bazan on earning a 5th place Medal (510Lb deadlift), and Joseph Bazan for a 14th place finish.

The MVHS Boys Golf Team was crowned District Champions after winning the tournament by 99 strokes! Individually, Roman McNelly finished in 4th place, Alexander Roth finished in 2nd place, and Levi Keith finished 1st overall with a two-day score of 153! The win qualified the team to compete at the Regional Championship on April 18th.

Congratulations to MVHS FFA students, Weston Marshall, DJ McCulley, Trey Kauffmann, and Karter Maine for placing 3rd at the Area 7 FFA Contest and are STATE BOUND! Trey Kauffmann also placed 4th highest individually!
The event required students to complete three industry skills in welding, cutting, and reading blueprints and complete an exam.

Week of March 28, 2022

MVISD March 2022 Employee of the Month

Sonia Chapa, Loma Alta Middle School

Congratulations to Loma Alta MS Reading & ESL Teacher, Sonia Chapa, on being selected as the MVISD Employee of the Month for March 2022. Click the video above to learn more about Mrs. Chapa and her passion for reading.

Visit our website, www.mvisd.com/bond2022/ for more information.

This past weekend MVISD opened an Evacuation Center at Loma Alta MS to help serve any families displaced by the Medina County fires. On Sunday afternoon a new Evacuation Center opened at Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church in Helotes so that school could resume today at Loma Alta. We would like to thank everyone who has helped provide resources, donations and support.

MVISD had the wonderful opportunity to present a presentation at the Spring Virtual Best Practices Expo via Region 16. The presentation was on Building Family Efficacy to Support Student Academic Interventions. Presenters were: Christine Orozco, Ruth Bernard, Kayla Patton, Sandy Bermea, Audrey White, Billie Jo Ricord and Yvette Gonzales.

At the beginning of the month our schools celebrated Dr. Seuss' birthday, also recognized as Read Across America Day. Our Child Nutrition Dept. kicked off the celebration with a colorful meal of green eggs and ham. All of our elementary schools joined in on the fun.

Congratulations to all 179 MVHS students who recently received their Texas State Floral Association Knowledge Based Certification! This industry certification tests the student's knowledge of the floral industry; common terms associated with daily floral tasks and identify common tools and plants used in the floral industry.

Twenty-six MVHS FFA members competed at Tarleton State's FFA CDE Contest with 9,000+ FFA members from across the state. Congratulations to:  Horse Judging (2nd), Milk Quality (8th), Poultry Judging (13th), Homesite (13th), Livestock Judging (17th), Hannah Vierling (4th out of 890 Horse Judging), Julianna Herrera (7th out of 480 Milk Quality), Kiley Winkler (10th out of 182 Ag Sales). They advance to area and state contests in April.

Both our MVHS Boys and Girls Soccer Teams became Bi-District Champions with a win over Brackenridge on March 24. The Girls won 9-1, and the Boys 2-0. Congratulations to both teams who now advance to area playoffs tomorrow. The Girls face Cedar Park at Fredericksburg HS at 6:30 p.m., and the Boys face Dripping Springs at Comal Pieper HS at 7:00 p.m.  Click here for game details.

At the UIL Concert & Sight-Reading Evaluation, both Medina Valley MS and Loma Alta MS Bands received all 1's! What a huge accomplishment for both programs to achieve the highest possible rating that an ensemble can earn.

Our MVISD Transportation Dept. works hard to keep things moving. Ladera Elementary reached out to them recently to give thanks & surprise their bus drivers and aides with goodies, treats, and cards in baskets. Thank you MVISD bus drivers and aides for always going the extra mile!

Leah Bazan and Alexandra Aguilar both finished 3rd at the STATE Powerlifting Meet in their weight classes. Three boys qualified for the STATE Powerlifting Meet this weekend in Abilene. Joshua Bazan won the Regional Championship, Seth Bullard was 2nd at Regionals, and Joseph Bazan finished 5th.

Way to go Panther Track Team! At the March 10 SW Legacy meet, Girls JV Track won by over 100 points. Varsity Girls won by 125 points in their competition, winning all three relays and other races like 100-meter hurdles and triple jump, to name a few.

Congratulations to our MVHS Band! We had 24 students earn Superior on their solo (8 of which advance to state), and 3 ensembles earned a superior rating, also advancing to the state competition. Click here for a full list of results.

Potranco Elementary celebrated student art last week with a Coloring Book Contest. More than 50 students artwork that was created during their art class will be featured in the Potranco campus coloring book.

Our MVHS National Honor Society members donated more than a truck bed full of pet supplies to the local Petunias Pet Rescue as their service project! Thank you to these students for continuing to serve and "Make a Difference" in the community.  

MVISD has qualifiers for BPA Nationals this May in Dallas! Congratulations to MVHS students:  Aiden Fish, Tyler Frail, Samantha Noll, Ameenah Wilson, Abigail Amiscosa, and Alyanna Amiscosa. 

Ashlyn & Mariah Persyn have each received a $3,200 scholarship from the National Honor Society and NASSP. This is an outstanding accomplishment for the senior twins who were both selected from students who applied nationwide. They both plan to attend Texas A&M University!

Congratulations to the MVHS Color Guard Team on a fantastic season. They recently celebrated a 3rd place finish at the TECA Contest at Harlan. We're so proud of all you have accomplished together, and the hard work that you put in all season.

Our MVHS Softball Team has started off the season strong! They have recently had some big wins, beating Winn 19-6, on March 25, and Southwest Legacy 20-10 on March 22. Shoutout to Kynlee C. who hammered a two-run home run against SW Legacy.

Congratulations to all MVHS students that competed in the Choir TMEA Solo and Ensemble contest this month. Good luck to Liam Highsmith and Richard Jones as they advanced to the STATE Solo and Ensemble contest which is held during the summer!

Week of February 28, 2022

Our Communications Dept. won a total of six awards at the Texas School Public Relations Assoc. Conference. Chase Geurin won "Best Of" (Best in the State) in the Commemorative Category for his creation of the MVHS '21 Graduation ticket. The department also won four additional Gold Stars & a Silver Star. Click here for a full list of their winning projects.

The 2022 Aspiring Leaders Academy got off to a great start this month. A group of about 30 MVISD staff members who aspire to grow into leadership roles within the District gathered together for their first meeting. They learned more about Dr. Rohrbach's journey to becoming a Superintendent, and shared their own aspirational goals.

Our Elementary schools competed in our 2022 MVISD Elementary UIL Academic Competition on February 19. We're proud of all our students who studied and prepared to compete. Congratulations to Potranco Elementary who was the overall Sweepstakes Winner! Here is a full list of the team results.

On February 16, MVHS Panther Athlete Kenneth Arroyos signed his Letter of Intent to play football at Sterling College in Kansas! Congratulations on completing this important step in your collegiate career. We know you will continue to do great things and make Panther Nation proud!

Our very own Aya Kasim is a STATE CHAMPION! Congratulations to the Medina Valley High School senior for winning the American Legion Oratorical State Contest last week! She will now go on to represent the entire State of Texas and Medina Valley High School at the National Competition in April. The National Contest will take place in Indianapolis, but we will be cheering her on all the way from MVISD!

We're proud of our Top Cats Dance team for their performance at the Crowd Pleasers Regional Showcase Awards. They received Platinum Runner Up (2nd place) Outstanding Choreography for Varsity Kick, High Gold Runner Up (2nd place) Outstanding Choreography for Team Pom & High Gold for JV Pom. Rylee Burkholder also won the  Contemporary Solo Platinum Award.

Medina Valley MS student Campbell Baron won the Alsatian Pioneers Daughters of the Republic of Texas essay contest. The essay that Campbell submitted as about Sam Houston, and he was surprised by a visit from the organization last week to present him with his award on campus.

For the Great Kindness Challenge, students at LaCoste Elementary were able to surprise a staff member with a kind message expressing their appreciation. It was a great reminder for the staff how much they are valued. The students were also challenged to show other acts of kindness that helped them earn a prize from the counselor.

The boys golf team participated in the Pleasanton golf tournament this past Friday and Saturday. The team took first place in the tournament outpacing the second place team by 20 strokes! Individually, Levi Kieth shot the low score of the tournament, and Mason Peterson finished in the top five while shooting his lowest score of the season. This is the boys second first place finish of the season.

Congratulations to all the MVHS students in SkillsUSA Construction & Cabinetmaking in their success in their projects, teams, competitions, and fundraising. We are limited to a total of 10 students advancing to State, and we filled all of those spots. We also had many other students achieved additional awards. Click here for a full list of awards that our MVHS students earned from the District 11 Conference.

Last Tuesday was February 22, 2022, with many naming it "TwosDay". Many of our students and staff members district-wide celebrated this fun date by dressing up for the occasion.

Our FFA students showcased four projects at the SA Ag Mechanics Show yesterday, and all earned blue ribbons! Congrats to Nicholas Benke, Dawnson McCulley, Aaron Tondre, Weston Marshall, Trey Kauffmann & Karter Maine.

Our MVHS JROTC Program recently held their annual Military Ball. It was an amazing event as always, and students were recognized as a part of the Military Ball Court. Congratulations to all that were recognized! 

Panther Tennis competed in the Titan Varsity Invitational Tournament this past weekend, and came home victorious. Girls Doubles, Boys Doubles, and Mixed Doubles all took home 1st place!! Click here for a full list of results.

Week of February 14, 2022

MVISD February 2022 Employee of the Month

Lauro Segura, Medina Valley High School

Congratulations to Medina Valley High School Attendance Clerk, Lauro Segura, on being selected as the MVISD Employee of the Month for February 2022. Click the video above to learn more about Mr. Segura and how he helps students daily at MVHS.

MVISD partnered with Region 20 for the implementation of Specially Designed Instruction. At the webinars, we highlight a general education teacher & special education teacher we have observed co-teaching in the classroom & implementing SDI. Our March SDI Feature Teachers are Amber Persyn (Special Ed.Teacher) & Lindsay Berchelmann (General Ed. Teacher) from LaCoste Elementary.

The Title I Traveling Trophy Challenge for the month of January 2022 was: Title I MOY timeline/documentation audit.
LaCoste Elementary had their documentation entered, completed, and turned in first to take the win out of all eight MVISD campuses. Congratulations to LaCoste Elementary on a job well done!

February 2 was National Signing Day, and four of our Panther Athletes signed Letters of Intent to play their sport at the collegiate level. Congratulations to Seth Bullard (University of St. Thomas-Football), Joe Tarvin (TX A&M Kingsville-Football), Michael Tomaselli (Hampden-Sydney University-Football), and Kassidee Webb (Lakeland University-Tennis and Volleyball).

Students and staff across MVISD celebrated our 100th day of school with dress up days and school spirit on February . Many of our students wore custom t-shirts with fun phrases or dressed up to look like they were 100 years old. It was a fun day to celebrate how much we have grown throughout this 2021-22 school year. Click here to see pictures from our elementary campuses.

For the fourth season in a row, The MVHS Speech and Debate team are CX (Cross Examination) District champions! Congratulations to Gwen Rodriguez and Samantha Noll who took first place and Sierra Christa and Serena Torres took second place during the competition. Both teams will now advance to UIL State competition in March!

MVHS Swimmers saw success at the District 29-5A Regional Meet. Congratulations  Jett Winkler and Jenna Boehme who are both advancing to state! Jett will compete in the Butterfly and finished Regionals in 2nd place in that event. Jenna will compete in the breaststroke and finished Regionals in 2nd place in that event as well. For swim highlights featured on KSAT12, click here.

The MVHS girls basketball team played their last regular season game against SW Legacy on Feb. 9 and left with a back-to-back undefeated District Championship. Final score for the night was 66-41.  The Panthers’ face Lanier in the 1st round of playoffs tomorrow night at 7 p.m at MVHS. Come show your support and show the Vols what Panther Nation is all about! Click here to watch them featured on KSAT. Click here for more photos from the game. 

Our Elementary campuses are participating in the American Heart Association Kid's Challenge. Students are helping to raise funds for the health of all hearts, participating in fun activities and learning about keeping their hearts and brains healthy. Campuses are still raising funds, so if you're interested in donating please contact a campus.

This past weekend, Garrett Echtle earned the title of Champion Chester Gilt with his breeding swine project. He also received a $10,000 scholarship at the San Antonio Livestock Show this week! A very big congrats to Garrett and the entire Echtle family on this outstanding accomplishment!

The 1st Annual MVHS "Make a Difference" Day was a huge success. It was a day dedicated to community service and volunteering, giving back and helping others. Click here to see the many clubs and organizations that participated.

Today is Valentine's Day and a student holiday/staff development day. Students and staff celebrated the holiday on Friday with many fun events including dances and fundraisers. Sweet treats were exchanged and smiles were shared. We hope you all have a very Happy Valentine's Day!

The baseball program along with a few other sports recently put on their annual Future Panthers Camps. Over 80 kids from grades 1-8 attended the baseball camp and had a blast learning skills and drills. Current players led the camp and did a great job teaching and inspiring the future Panthers.

Week of January 31, 2022

Castroville Chamber of Commerce Awards

Jr. Citizens of the Year -

Mariah Persyn, Ashlyn Persyn & Jett Winkler

The Castroville Area Chamber of Commerce recognized some outstanding MVISD students and educators at their annual banquet on January 27. We are proud to share that Mariah Persyn, Ashlyn Persyn and Jett Winkler were all named Jr. Citizens of the Year!

Castroville Chamber of Commerce Awards

Educator of the Year - Dawn Rae Groff

Castroville ES teacher, Dawn Groff was named Educator of the Year, and our Superintendent, Dr. Kenneth Rohrbach, was named Citizen of the Year. Congratulations on these well-deserved recognitions, and thanks for all that you do for our district and community!

Castroville Chamber of Commerce Awards

Citizen of the Year - Dr. Kenneth Rohrbach

It's never too early to learn about healthy eating habits! The Department of Agriculture recently donated books, stickers, and coloring books all about nutrition and healthy eating facts for our Pre-K and Head Start students. These donations were made to each of our elementary campuses. A special thanks goes to our Child Nutrition Dept. for helping to coordinate this amazing partnership.

MVISD Bus Driver, Frederick Busch made a lasting impact on a community member a few weeks ago. After completing his bus route, with an empty bus he was heading back to the district when he noticed a grass fire on the side of the road. He safely pulled over and was able to help put out the fire before it escalated. This act of kindness was recognized with a letter from the family expressing their appreciation.

It was an exciting week last week for our FFA students participating in the Medina County Jr. Livestock Show. Highlights include:  Addison Echtle (Reserve Grand Market Hog, Overall Reserve Supreme Breeding Gilt, and Reserve Supreme Registered Breeding Gilt), Kaleigh Costerisan (Reserve Supreme Champion Heifer), Grant Flores (Senior Showmanship), Brynn Ducos (Breed Champion -Swine), IsahBella Flores (Breed Champion- Swine), Grant Flores (Breed Champion - Swine), Landon Persyn (Reserve Breed Champion - Steer), Ryan Simpton (Reserve Grand Market Goat), and Bethany Watson (Light Weight Division Reserve Champion - Goat). We're also proud to announce that all market swine and cattle made the sale. Click here for more photos from the show.

Medina Valley FFA had a great run at the Ag Mechanics Show on Friday with all exhibitors making the sale! Highlights include: Trey Kauffmann & Karter Maine (Senior Showmanship & Reserve Grand Champion - Trailer), Weston Marshall & Aaron Tondre (Division Champions - BBQ Pit), Nicholas Benke (Reserve Division Champion - BBQ Pit), Jon Burns (Reserve Division Champion - Shooting Table), and DJ McCulley (3rd place - Fire Pit). Ag exhibitors design & build projects and then answer questions about their projects with a judge for placings.  Congratulations to all of the students that participated. We know that all of you have dedicated a lot of time and hard work into your projects. Click here for more photos from the show.

Congratulations to our Medina Valley HS Class of 2022 Top 10%. Last week the students were celebrated at the annual "Top 10% Tea" party, which included fun themed foods starting with the letter "T" and inspirational messages from alumni. What a huge accomplishment that these students have worked so hard to achieve. Click here to see the students who made the Top 10%.

Dental students from the UT Health Science Center recently visited Luckey Ranch Elementary to help teach students about the importance of dental hygiene. The students loved the hands-on activities, and interacting with the dental students. Our LRE students were able to practice brushing and flossing, learning the proper techniques and best practices to take care of their big smiles!

MVHS hosted the Business Professionals of America Regional Conference on January 22, and 15 of our students qualified to advance to State. The State Conference will be held in Fort Worth, March 2-5 and we will be cheering on our students in more than 20 different categories. Click here to see the students advancing to state!

The MVHS Boys and Girls Swim Teams both competed at the District Meet this past weekend and had a great performance. Overall the Boys Team finished in 2nd place, and the Girls Team finished in 3rd place. Also, MVHS senior, Jett Winkler was named "Swimmer of the Meet."

MVHS Senior, Aya Kasim is advancing to State for the Oratorical Contest. She won the Regional American Legion Oratorical Contest this past week, which has advanced her to the State contest. She will compete at the State Competition on February 21. Way to go Aya! We will be cheering you on.

The MVHS Speech and Debate team traveled to La Vernia to compete at their UIL invitational and came away with several medalists. Congratulations to Carissa Ceasor (4th place poetry), Makenzie Duke (3rd place LD debate), Nicole Kawczynski (2nd place (Per. Speaking), and Torres and Christa (1st place CX Debate).

Week of January 18, 2022

H-E-B Excellence in Education Award Finalist,

Medina Valley ISD

Medina Valley ISD has been named a finalist for the H-E-B Excellence in Education Award in the Small School District category. We are one of three school districts statewide to be named a finalist for this very competitive and prestigious award. The winner will be announced on April 30 and will receive $50,000.

January 2022 MVISD Employee of the Month,

Christine Orozco

Congratulations to Parent and Family Engagement Coordinator, Christine Orozco, on being selected as the MVISD Employee of the Month for January 2022. Click the video above to learn more about Ms. Orozco and how her role in the district helps to provide family resources.

Check out the "Panther Pause" podcast created by our C&I Dept. The department says, "the purpose of this podcast is to bring the MVISD staff together on topics & tips with humor, food for thoughts & technology tidbits." Click here to listen.

January is National School Board Recognition month, and we would like to show our appreciation for our very own MVISD School Board. To express our gratitude for all that they do, we created a video to thank them for their service to our district and community. Click here to watch.

As students and staff returned from Winter Break, everyone had the opportunity to sign a MVISD Resolution of Respect. This was a great reminder for all that we are responsible for the choices that we make. It also continues to drive unity and respect for all.

With the second semester here, our secondary campuses are starting to prepare students for course selections. Many of our elementary campuses also held information sessions where they had MS staff come and speak with 5th grade families about the transition to middle school.

Our MVHS Girls Basketball team remains undefeated in district play with a record of 7-0. The Panthers beat Southwest Legacy on Friday night with a final score of 77-40. They are now halfway through district play, and will face Eagle Pass Winn at home on Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. Go out and cheer them on. Let's Go Panthers!

Congratulations to the following students for receiving their ServSafe Food Manager Certificate through their Food Technology class: Troy Gross, Priscilla Garcia, Kayleigh Corliss, Shania Provencion, Campbele Aldrigde, Nathaniel Martin, Elyssia Reyna, Carlo Carrera, Conner Dillard & Amie Johnson.

The Girls Powerlifting team started off strong with their first meet in Natalia. All lifters hit personal records and 3 lifters medaled, allowing the team to finish 4th overall. Viviana Diaz, Erin Muren, Camryn Montanez, and Chole Timmerman placed 4th in their weight class. Mary Aguirre placed 2nd, and Leah Bazan and Addison Feller both placed 1st.

Loma Alta MS teachers, Traci Rhea and Natalee Mueller co-teach math, and they were highlighted this month for their Specially Designed Instruction (SDI). In partnership with Region 20, MVISD implemented SDI to encourage access to the general education curriculum through the use of co-teaching.

MVHS Boys and Girls Soccer recently took home trophies from tournaments they participated in. The girls finished 3rd at the Battle of the Brush Country Tournament and the Boys finished in 2nd place at the SAISD Tournament.

MVHS Senior, Sierra Christa, competed at the UIL State Congress Tournament at the State Capitol in Austin, Texas last Wednesday. We are so proud of Sierra for making it all the way to the finals. 

Week of January 3, 2022

Grace Deleon

MVISD 2021-22 Elementary District Teacher of the Year

Our MVISD 2021-22 Elementary District Teacher of the Year is Grace Deleon! Coach Deleon is the Physical Education Teacher at Potranco Elementary School. Click the video above to learn more about her passion for physical education and her innovative "Mile Club".

Annette Thoele

MVISD 2021-22 Secondary District Teacher of the Year

Our MVISD 2021-22 Secondary District Teacher of the Year is Annette Thoele! Ms. Thoele teaches 6th grade Social Studies and is the Girls Athletic Coordinator at Medina Valley MS. Click the video above to learn more about Ms. Thoele and what inspired her to become an educator.

MVISD has partnered with Region 20 for the implementation of Specially Designed Instruction (SDI). At the webinars, we highlight a general education teacher and special education teacher we have observed co-teaching in the classroom and implementing specially designed instruction. Congrats to Lahis Oliveira de Garcia and Lacy Schott who were our first feature teachers!

Congratulations to Luckey Ranch Elementary for winning the Title I Traveling Trophy for the month of November 2021. LRE received this recognition for their outstanding efforts to increase participation. They came up with new and innovative learning activities, capitalized on various events for the month of November and had massive parent and student engagement.

MVHS Senior, Aya Kasim Receives Full Scholarship to Yale

MVHS senior, Aya Kasim has received a full four-year scholarship to Yale University! The scholarship she received was the QuestBridge National College Match, and she was selected out of more than 16,500 applicants. We know Aya will keep making MVISD proud. Congratulations! Click the image above to watch Aya's story that was featured on KSAT 12.

MVHS Senior, Kassidee Webb was selected as a Valero Alamo Bowl Student-Athlete $7500 Scholarship winner! She was recognized at the H-E-B Scholarship Awards Luncheon and during the Alamo Bowl.

Medina Valley HS Freshman, Diego Mercado, has landed a role on the Netflix movie "Mixtape". He was featured on the KENS5 segment "Kids Who Make SA Great."  Click here to watch the story that was shared on KENS5. 

Congratulations to the Loma Alta MS Spanish Spelling Bee winners: Patrick Ramirez (1st), Yoseline Gonzalez Tafolla (2nd) & Jonas Perez (3rd). The contest took place before break, and a special thanks goes to the judges and finalists for participating.

Before break, the Loma Alta, Medina Valley MS and Medina Valley HS bands all participated in their holiday concerts. The events were a great success with an amazing turnout and impressive performances by all of the groups.

Castroville ES students had some  special guests visit their campus the week before break. The MVHS Varsity Basketball team put smiles on the students faces by reading holiday books in the classroom.

Congrats to the MVHS Cheer team for taking home 1st place in 5A D2 at the NCA State of Texas Championship. This is their THIRD 1st place finish in their last three competitions

Congratulations to Seth Bullard and Joe Tarvin who will be representing the Medina Valley Panthers and playing for Team Gold in the San Antonio All-Star Game at the Alamodome on January 8.

MVHS National Honor Society, Mu Alpha Theta and Student Council teamed up to make Christmas gift bags for the Nursing Home. The bags were filled with socks and goodies and each bag was hand decorated.