Student Accomplishments ~ 2013-2014
Academic UIL
CMS finished 2nd in McKinney at the district competition.
CMS finished 2nd in McKinney at the district competition.
Art
Cockrill had 16 students (6th-8th grade) who participated in the Jr. VASE state competition. Twelve of these students received medals for their artwork.
Cockrill had 16 students (6th-8th grade) who participated in the Jr. VASE state competition. Twelve of these students received medals for their artwork.
Athletics
8th Boys Cross Country Undefeated District Champs.
8th Grade Girls Cross Country District Champs.
7th Grade Girls Cross Country District Champs.
8th Grade Boys Track District Champs.
7th Grade Boys Track District Champs.
8th Grade Girls Track District Champs.
Football 2012 -
8th Grade boys Undefeated District Champions
Basketball 2012-2013 -
7th Grade Boys Undefeated District Champions
7th Grade Girls Undefeated District Champions
8th Grade Girls Basketball Undefeated District Champs
8th Grade Boys Basketball Undefeated District Champs
8th Boys Cross Country Undefeated District Champs.
8th Grade Girls Cross Country District Champs.
7th Grade Girls Cross Country District Champs.
8th Grade Boys Track District Champs.
7th Grade Boys Track District Champs.
8th Grade Girls Track District Champs.
Football 2012 -
8th Grade boys Undefeated District Champions
Basketball 2012-2013 -
7th Grade Boys Undefeated District Champions
7th Grade Girls Undefeated District Champions
8th Grade Girls Basketball Undefeated District Champs
8th Grade Boys Basketball Undefeated District Champs
Cockrill Band
Honors Band was named “National Winner” in the Mark of Excellence National Wind Band Honors Project
Honors Band received 6th straight UIL Sweepstakes Award (every year since school has been open
Honors Band received straight 1st Divisions from every judge at Beach Within Reach Festival at Haltom HS
Honors Band performed at the Meyerson Symphony Center
Symphonic Band received UIL Sweepstakes Award
Symphonic Band received straight 1st Divisions from every judge at Peak Festival
Concert Band received Superior Rating in Sight-Reading and Excellent Rating on Stage
Concert Band received straight 1st Divisions from every judge at Peak Festival
330 students earned 1st Division ratings at the MISD Ensemble Contest
220 students earned 1st Division ratings at the MISD Solo Contest
20 students named to Region 25 All-District Band
13 students named to Region 25 All-Region Band
Placement into the Region 25 Middle School All-Region Band- 16 Students
Band 2012
o UIL Sweepstakes Award for Varsity and Non-Varsity groups
o 1st Division Ratings at Beach Within Reach Festival
o Sub Non-Varsity Band Awarded “Best in Class” at Beach Within Reach Festival
o 1st Division Ratings at Peak Festivals
o Placement into the Region 25 Middle School All-Region Band- 15 Students
Band 2011
o National Winner in the Mark of Excellence/National Wind Band Honors Project
o UIL Sweepstakes Award for Varsity and Non-Varsity groups
o 1st Division Ratings at Beach Within Reach Festival
o 1st Division Ratings at Peak Festivals
o Placement into the Region 25 Middle School All-Region Band- 12 Students
Honors Band was named “National Winner” in the Mark of Excellence National Wind Band Honors Project
Honors Band received 6th straight UIL Sweepstakes Award (every year since school has been open
Honors Band received straight 1st Divisions from every judge at Beach Within Reach Festival at Haltom HS
Honors Band performed at the Meyerson Symphony Center
Symphonic Band received UIL Sweepstakes Award
Symphonic Band received straight 1st Divisions from every judge at Peak Festival
Concert Band received Superior Rating in Sight-Reading and Excellent Rating on Stage
Concert Band received straight 1st Divisions from every judge at Peak Festival
330 students earned 1st Division ratings at the MISD Ensemble Contest
220 students earned 1st Division ratings at the MISD Solo Contest
20 students named to Region 25 All-District Band
13 students named to Region 25 All-Region Band
Placement into the Region 25 Middle School All-Region Band- 16 Students
Band 2012
o UIL Sweepstakes Award for Varsity and Non-Varsity groups
o 1st Division Ratings at Beach Within Reach Festival
o Sub Non-Varsity Band Awarded “Best in Class” at Beach Within Reach Festival
o 1st Division Ratings at Peak Festivals
o Placement into the Region 25 Middle School All-Region Band- 15 Students
Band 2011
o National Winner in the Mark of Excellence/National Wind Band Honors Project
o UIL Sweepstakes Award for Varsity and Non-Varsity groups
o 1st Division Ratings at Beach Within Reach Festival
o 1st Division Ratings at Peak Festivals
o Placement into the Region 25 Middle School All-Region Band- 12 Students
Cheerleaders
Camp Champions for the District at NCA summer camp 2013!
Camp Champions for the District at NCA summer camp 2013!
Choir
All 3 7th and 8th grade choir groups (Tenor Bass Choir, Chorale Women and Chamber Singers) received a sweepstakes at UIL this year (superior ratings from all 6 judges).
The 6th grade choir, Tenor Bass Choir, Chorale Women, and Chamber Singers all received 1st division superior ratings at Hawaiian Falls Choir Competition. Chorale Women and Chamber Singers also received ‘Best in Class’ at Hawaiian Falls Choir Competition.
Rebekah Reynolds and Rachel Wassom were named to the 2014 All-Region Honor Choir
All 3 7th and 8th grade choir groups (Tenor Bass Choir, Chorale Women and Chamber Singers) received a sweepstakes at UIL this year (superior ratings from all 6 judges).
The 6th grade choir, Tenor Bass Choir, Chorale Women, and Chamber Singers all received 1st division superior ratings at Hawaiian Falls Choir Competition. Chorale Women and Chamber Singers also received ‘Best in Class’ at Hawaiian Falls Choir Competition.
Rebekah Reynolds and Rachel Wassom were named to the 2014 All-Region Honor Choir
CTE - Technology Classes
7th grade Inventions and Innovations class – 34 students successfully completed the 15 hour Code.org challenge, resulting in a $1000 grant for our classroom. (2 classes – not all students completed, but all tried!)
8th grade Concepts of Engineering class – student learned CAD drawing using Google Sketchup (to scale) for all the projects they built, successfully programmed Lego Mindstorm NXT robots, and reinforced knowledge of physics by designing their own amusement park. (94 students – 3 classes)
8th grade Information Technology/Principles of Arts, AV Tech & Communications class - successfully learned basic skills in several of our new Adobe programs this year including Adobe Dreamweaver, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Flash and Adobe Photoshop. They completed online portfolios showcasing their work in our design unit. (29 students – 1 class)
7th grade Inventions and Innovations class – 34 students successfully completed the 15 hour Code.org challenge, resulting in a $1000 grant for our classroom. (2 classes – not all students completed, but all tried!)
8th grade Concepts of Engineering class – student learned CAD drawing using Google Sketchup (to scale) for all the projects they built, successfully programmed Lego Mindstorm NXT robots, and reinforced knowledge of physics by designing their own amusement park. (94 students – 3 classes)
8th grade Information Technology/Principles of Arts, AV Tech & Communications class - successfully learned basic skills in several of our new Adobe programs this year including Adobe Dreamweaver, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Flash and Adobe Photoshop. They completed online portfolios showcasing their work in our design unit. (29 students – 1 class)
Drama
o 1st Place- UIL One Act Play
o *Best Actor
o *Four Time Honorable Mention All-Star Cast
o 1st Place- UIL One Act Play
o *Best Actor
o *Four Time Honorable Mention All-Star Cast
Duke Tip
This year Aiden Brown was awarded the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation Young Scholars Program. The Jack Kent Cooke Foundation Young Scholars Program offers the most personalized, generous scholarship and educational support to exceptionally promising students from families across the nation who have financial need. Young Scholars receive comprehensive educational advising and financial support from the 8th grade through high school to pursue their unique academic and talent goals. The application period is open from mid-January to mid-March. Up to 60 Young Scholars are selected for this program each year. This year there were over 2000 applicants.
This year Aiden Brown was awarded the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation Young Scholars Program. The Jack Kent Cooke Foundation Young Scholars Program offers the most personalized, generous scholarship and educational support to exceptionally promising students from families across the nation who have financial need. Young Scholars receive comprehensive educational advising and financial support from the 8th grade through high school to pursue their unique academic and talent goals. The application period is open from mid-January to mid-March. Up to 60 Young Scholars are selected for this program each year. This year there were over 2000 applicants.
Mock trial competition
Best attorney award went to Saaketh Palchuru.
Domonique Patton won two best witness awards.
And Brendan Corcoran and Tre Williams also won best witness honors.
2012 Semi-Finalist Team
2012 Two best attorney awards
2012 Five best witness awards
Best attorney award went to Saaketh Palchuru.
Domonique Patton won two best witness awards.
And Brendan Corcoran and Tre Williams also won best witness honors.
2012 Semi-Finalist Team
2012 Two best attorney awards
2012 Five best witness awards
Orchestra
Superior ratings for all 3 orchestras at UIL contest.
Superior ratings for both peak festival orchestras.
Superior ratings for our very first full orchestra.
Superior ratings for beginners at NRH2O Music Festival.
Students accepted into All-City and All-Region orchestras.
A record number or Superior ratings at Solo & Ensemble competitions.
Superior ratings for all 3 orchestras at UIL contest.
Superior ratings for both peak festival orchestras.
Superior ratings for our very first full orchestra.
Superior ratings for beginners at NRH2O Music Festival.
Students accepted into All-City and All-Region orchestras.
A record number or Superior ratings at Solo & Ensemble competitions.
Recycling Club
Embodying their school’s creed of “Courage, Respect, Excellence, Empathy, and Determination” is this week’s Recycling Revolution feature, Cockrill Middle School’s Recycling Club:
It takes a lot of COURAGE to stand up for what’s right when it seems “dorky” to other students.
We RESPECT our environment by conserving, protecting, and keeping it clean.
We model EXCELLENCE when we recycle, conserve energy, or teach others to do so.
We are EMPATHETIC to our environment and to our future sons and daughters who will inherit this Earth when we are gone.
We are DETERMINED to make a difference.
Lisa Wilson, a 6th grade science teacher, started the Recycling Club in 2011. The members are taught about the planet’s renewable resources and the pros and cons of each one. They also learn about non-renewable resources and the reasons for why we keep relying on them to provide electricity. Their responsibilities include recycling daily in and around the school and at home; educating classmates, family and community members about what materials can and can’t be recycled; and of course, to motivate everyone to recycle.
In the past few years, community events have been added to the club’s activities like the Energy Carnival. The Recycling Club hosts this annual event during Meet the Teacher Night, where games and trivia about alternative resources are held. Another event that is truly community-oriented that the club participates in is the McKinney Trash-Off – the largest single-day cleanup event in the state of Texas, hosted by the city. And then this year, the club was invited to Evans Middle School (also in McKinney) to take part in a video chat meeting with the CEO of a company that specializes in cool ways to produce electricity, like “movable tiles.” These tiles are installed on the floor, and when stepped on, they convert the kinetic energy of the pressure to produce electricity.
The club has definitely kept active in the community and in 2012, their efforts to promote responsible usage of resources on campus and in the community were recognized by the National Energy Educational Development, which earned the school the title of “Texas Junior School of the Year” – the club’s greatest achievement to date. The members of the club were even invited to Washington, D.C. to attend the Youth Awards Program for Energy Achievement. Mrs. Wilson says that the experience was very educational. “Receiving an award made us feel like we actually made a difference.” The experience was also fun for the children as she said that they were able to meet kids from all over the country and got to swim in their hotel pool.
This award was great for the club as more students wanted to join in – the club had an additional 20 members in one school year. The school district featured the club on the district website and conducted a video interview on club founder Mrs. Wilson and the two club captains, also posted on the site.
A lesson that club members live by and promote is that one person can make a big difference. Mrs. Wilson explains that the knowledge of one can be the knowledge of many: “The more people we connect with the faster our knowledge spreads.”
When asked about the club’s main goal, Mrs. Wilson said that the club would love for the entire school and their community to be as dedicated to recycling as they are (the 8th graders are a particularly hard demographic to get to), and also for the Cockrill Middle School to make a commitment to using less energy. And winning the “Texas Junior School of the Year” again isn’t far off on their list of goals as well.
eCycle Best has the highest hopes for the Recycling Club and believes that their efforts can and will get to even the coolest corners of the older kids’ world.
Embodying their school’s creed of “Courage, Respect, Excellence, Empathy, and Determination” is this week’s Recycling Revolution feature, Cockrill Middle School’s Recycling Club:
It takes a lot of COURAGE to stand up for what’s right when it seems “dorky” to other students.
We RESPECT our environment by conserving, protecting, and keeping it clean.
We model EXCELLENCE when we recycle, conserve energy, or teach others to do so.
We are EMPATHETIC to our environment and to our future sons and daughters who will inherit this Earth when we are gone.
We are DETERMINED to make a difference.
Lisa Wilson, a 6th grade science teacher, started the Recycling Club in 2011. The members are taught about the planet’s renewable resources and the pros and cons of each one. They also learn about non-renewable resources and the reasons for why we keep relying on them to provide electricity. Their responsibilities include recycling daily in and around the school and at home; educating classmates, family and community members about what materials can and can’t be recycled; and of course, to motivate everyone to recycle.
In the past few years, community events have been added to the club’s activities like the Energy Carnival. The Recycling Club hosts this annual event during Meet the Teacher Night, where games and trivia about alternative resources are held. Another event that is truly community-oriented that the club participates in is the McKinney Trash-Off – the largest single-day cleanup event in the state of Texas, hosted by the city. And then this year, the club was invited to Evans Middle School (also in McKinney) to take part in a video chat meeting with the CEO of a company that specializes in cool ways to produce electricity, like “movable tiles.” These tiles are installed on the floor, and when stepped on, they convert the kinetic energy of the pressure to produce electricity.
The club has definitely kept active in the community and in 2012, their efforts to promote responsible usage of resources on campus and in the community were recognized by the National Energy Educational Development, which earned the school the title of “Texas Junior School of the Year” – the club’s greatest achievement to date. The members of the club were even invited to Washington, D.C. to attend the Youth Awards Program for Energy Achievement. Mrs. Wilson says that the experience was very educational. “Receiving an award made us feel like we actually made a difference.” The experience was also fun for the children as she said that they were able to meet kids from all over the country and got to swim in their hotel pool.
This award was great for the club as more students wanted to join in – the club had an additional 20 members in one school year. The school district featured the club on the district website and conducted a video interview on club founder Mrs. Wilson and the two club captains, also posted on the site.
A lesson that club members live by and promote is that one person can make a big difference. Mrs. Wilson explains that the knowledge of one can be the knowledge of many: “The more people we connect with the faster our knowledge spreads.”
When asked about the club’s main goal, Mrs. Wilson said that the club would love for the entire school and their community to be as dedicated to recycling as they are (the 8th graders are a particularly hard demographic to get to), and also for the Cockrill Middle School to make a commitment to using less energy. And winning the “Texas Junior School of the Year” again isn’t far off on their list of goals as well.
eCycle Best has the highest hopes for the Recycling Club and believes that their efforts can and will get to even the coolest corners of the older kids’ world.
State Poetry Society
Sierra Hightower: 1st place AND 2nd place—also top ten poem for national competition
Svetlana Kendrick and Colette Teague: 2nd place—also top ten poem for national competition
Richelle Jackson: 3rd place
Jessica Melvin and Gracie Hernandez: 4th place
Kirsten Huber: 5th place
Sierra Hightower: 1st place AND 2nd place—also top ten poem for national competition
Svetlana Kendrick and Colette Teague: 2nd place—also top ten poem for national competition
Richelle Jackson: 3rd place
Jessica Melvin and Gracie Hernandez: 4th place
Kirsten Huber: 5th place