Schools - page 30

Great things are happening at Lamar State College Orange! Today the college took a step toward growth with the first phase of new construction on campus.

Campus president, Dr. Thomas Johnson, sat in the driver’s seat of the excavator bulldozer and began the demolition on a portion of the former Capital One Bank building in downtown Orange. “This is all part of our 10-year master plan,” Johnson told the crowd gathered to watch the process. “And this is a ray of sunshine in a very dark year.”

The master plan, which will be presented to the Texas State University System Board of Regents later this month, includes a new Academic Center and plaza connecting the current campus to the block of Green Avenue between 4th and 5th Streets where the former bank building sits.

Lamar State College Orange purchased the glass building in September of 2019 with appropriated funds at a fraction of its appraised value. The building had been vacant for more than a decade.

The first phase of the college’s plan, which should take about six months to complete, includes removing the drive-thru teller section of the building as well as starting on the plaza section. There will also be some infrastructure work done to prepare for the new building, which will be constructed at a later date. The new Academic Center will replace the current Academic Center, which was built in 1908, on Front Street.

“That building is 112 years old and has been a warehouse, a store, a bowling alley, and now an academic center, which it was never designed for,” Johnson said. “We are growing at Lamar State College Orange and everyone is excited about this. We’ve had an increase in enrollment and we want to provide a state-of-the-art school for our students to learn in. Our students deserve a wonderful environment for their education and we are moving one step closer to our vision for that.”

Although Dr. Johnson had never driven construction equipment before this morning, he learned quickly the required steps under the supervision of H.B. Neild & Sons Construction and Project Management employees.

“That was a lot of fun,” he said about driving the excavator bulldozer.

The LaBiche Architecture Group is heading up LSCO’s expansion project and the City of Orange allowed the college to annex a portion of 4th Street for the project. Johnson said he hopes the citizens of Orange come enjoy the campus when the project is complete.

“Our mission at Lamar State College Orange is to transform lives and the future is bright, Orange,” he said.

Each year International Paper supports local non-profits where their mill workers live and work through their IPGiving program. Recipients for 2020 include:

• Mauriceville Elementary – $2,500.00 for Texas Bluebonnet Award Books. The grant was written by librarian Sommer Reynolds.
• Mauriceville Middle School Athletics – $2,541.90 for football equipment that was destroyed during Laura and Delta. The grant came from Coach Adam Strandberg.
• Little Cypress Elementary claimed two grants, one for $2,850.00 for Accelerated Reader materials and $3,309.00 for First Grade Reading kits. Librarian Deidre Windham wrote those grants.
• Little Cypress Intermediate was granted $3,100.00 for a 3D Printer, which will be used with the school’s Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) programs. An example of this is printing parts for Lego robotics that is part of the science program. Librarian Samantha Arrington wrote the grant for this project.
  .

In celebration of 100 years of UIL Texas high school football, the UIL and Dave Campbell’s Texas Football have teamed up to honor the best, the brightest, and the most unforgettable icons and legends in the sport’s illustrious history. With the help of some of the state’s foremost experts and historians, the UIL and DCTF will honor 100 of the most iconic teams in the state’s illustrious history, presented by HEB.

Each week throughout the 2020 season, Dave Campbell’s Texas Football will announce 10 honorees on the list, an indelible honor to be known as one of the greatest in Texas high school football history. Fans will then have an opportunity to weigh in, voting for the team they think is the best of the best, to be named as a UIL 100 Fan’s Choice.

It all leads up to a celebration as big as Texas, celebrating the UIL’s 100 Teams – and the Fan’s Choice Top 10 – at the UIL Texas high school football state championship games at AT&T Stadium in Arlington this December.

1987 West Orange-Stark Mustangs have been nominated as being one of the Top 100 teams in the history of UIL Texas High School Football.

To vote for them, visit this page.

West Orange-Stark High School will go completely virtual for two weeks to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 and has released the following statement:

Out of an abundance of caution, West Orange-Stark High School will transition students to virtual learning from October 14-28, 2020, to mitigate the spread of COVID-19.

The decision is based on a recent positive COVID case with the high school volleyball team. Superintendent Dr. Rickie Harris stated, “As we released last week, the volleyball team had a confirmed positive case, and now we are receiving more reports that additional quarantined players have also tested positive. Our priority is the safety and well-being of students and staff, and we have chosen to be proactive in this situation.”

Contact tracing and a thorough investigation by the health department took place last week following the positive case confirmation. Volleyball players and coaches were sent home to quarantine. However, it has become more challenging to contact trace all possible close contacts now that additional volleyball players have tested positive.

We recognize the challenges for students to go completely virtual and have evaluated technological needs that students may face to be successful. Chromebooks and internet hotspots (generously donated by INVISTA) have been distributed to students. Staff will be available during the 14-day closure, and teachers will continue to provide instruction and support to students virtually. Students must continue to adhere to attendance requirements and apply themselves to the lessons while engaging with their teachers in distance learning.

Deep cleaning and sanitization of the WOSHS campus will take place while the campus is closed. Meals will continue to be distributed as scheduled.

Curbside meals are available for anyone 18 and under regardless of enrollment in the district at West Orange-Stark Elementary School from 11:00 A.M. to 12:30 P.M.

West Orange-Stark High School 11:00 A.M. to 1:00 P.M. (For TWO Weeks)

This includes breakfast and lunch. If the child is not present at the time of pickup, please provide an official letter from the district, attendance record, birth certificate, or student ID Cards for each child that will need a meal. Adult meals will be charged at the usual rate.

District play will continue for football this Friday, and volleyball will resume following their quarantine period.

If a student develops COVID-like symptoms or a household member becomes sick, please follow up with your healthcare provider. COVID-19 symptoms may include the following:

• Mild, cold-like symptoms
• Fever higher than 100.4 degrees
• Shortness of breath
• Runny nose
• Cough
• Vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Loss of taste or smell