Thorndale ISD

Volume 2, Issue 9 - 12/13/24

Greetings Bulldogs! Happy Friday.

I hope you and your family are preparing to have a wonderful holiday season. As we wrap up another great semester in Thorndale ISD I want to take a moment to thank you for sending us such amazing students.

There are many reasons why Thorndale ISD is a very special place, but the greatest of all, it is our students. You have done well raising them, and I hope you find time to relax and enjoy one another!

Just as a friendly reminder, TISD will be closed Dec. 19th - Jan 3rd as we celebrate the Christmas Holiday.

Thorndale ISD will have an early release for students on Wednesday, December 18th at 12:30 pm. The district will be closed from December 19th to January 3rd, with a Student Holiday/Teacher Workday on Monday, January 6th. Classes will resume on Tuesday, January 7th. Wishing everyone a wonderful Christmas break!

Semester Exams Schedule:

TMS Middle School Dance TONIGHT (Fri. 12/13/24):

Band Concert

The annual MS/HS band concert takes place on Dec 16th. Join us for a great concert!

TISD Alumni Spotlight December:

December Alumni Spotlight: Michael Street, Class of 1990

Michael Street, a proud graduate of Thorndale High School's Class of 1990, is a shining example of the lasting impact of a strong educational foundation. During his time at THS, Michael was deeply involved in academics and extracurricular activities, participating in the National Honor Society, Band, One Act Play, and a range of sports including Football, Basketball, Baseball, and Track.

Reflecting on his formative years, Michael credits the entire Thorndale community for creating an environment of support and encouragement. “We had the best friends, incredible teachers, and coaches like Don Cowan and Glen West who truly cared. Thorndale just shows up!” he shared.

After graduating from Thorndale High School, Michael earned a Bachelor of Science in Political Science from Tarleton State University, followed by a Master of Business Administration from the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor (UMHB). It was at college that he met his wife, Kristi, with whom he has shared 33 years of marriage. Together, they have two grown children, a daughter-in-law, and three beloved grandsons.

Michael began his professional journey with Lone Star Gas Company in 1992, steadily advancing from Service Technician to Town Manager over a decade. In 2001, he transitioned to higher education, serving as the Director of Corporate Relations at UMHB. Over the next ten years, Michael raised scholarship funds, supported capital building projects, and took on leadership roles in the community.

In 2002, Michael answered the call to serve his country by commissioning as a Public Affairs Officer in the United States Navy Reserve. Over a decade, his military career included a deployment to Baghdad, Iraq, during Operation Iraqi Freedom, and assignments that took him around the world, including Japan, Kuwait, and Qatar. From flying at 12,500 feet in open-air aircraft to descending 600 feet below sea level in a nuclear submarine, his Navy experiences were both challenging and transformative.

Michael returned to the natural gas industry in 2013, joining Atmos Energy as a Manager of Public Affairs. His career trajectory continued upward, with promotions to Director of Operations in Round Rock and North East Texas, eventually becoming Vice President of Operations for the Mid-Tex Division’s South Region.

Today, Michael serves as the Vice President of Marketing for Atmos Energy's Mid-Tex Division, leading a team that manages a $300 million annual budget and connects over 42,000 new customers each year.

Michael and Kristi now reside in McKinney, Texas, where they are active members of Anchor Church. Looking back, Michael is deeply thankful for the foundation provided by Thorndale ISD. “My education at Thorndale and in college opened the door for almost every opportunity I’ve had,” he said.

Michael offers these words of wisdom to the next generation:

“Take education seriously but don’t forget to have fun. Every day is an interview—always be your best in whatever you are doing.” He also expressed his heartfelt appreciation for the Thorndale community, saying, “TISD is an incredible place to learn and grow, and you cannot ask for a better community to call home.”

Thorndale ISD is proud to celebrate the achievements of alumni like Michael Street, who continue to inspire and uplift the Bulldog family.

Nominate a TISD alumni for an upcoming highlight by scanning the QR code or visiting Alumni Nominationhttps://forms.gle/fxupqaC6yLNd1M6n8.

To read about prior Alumni Spotlight individuals, click here: TISD Alumni Spotlight 

December is the Season of Giving:

Thorndale ISD wants to ensure students not only perform well academically and in extracurricular events, but also grow up to be “good people”. Thus, December is a great time to show off this important character trait. A few examples include:

TES Christmas Carols: Thorndale Elementary Student Council Members spent the afternoon singing Christmas Carols at Rockdale Estates & Rehabilitation.

FCCLA Senior Living Center: Thorndale FCCLA members visited the Taylor SPJST Senior Living Center on December 2nd to assist with Christmas decorations. Members decorated several Christmas trees, public spaces & hallways.

They also got to distribute snacks and visit with residents during their monthly birthday celebrations. We always enjoy this trip so much and it’s a great way to kick off the holiday season. Thank you Taylor SPJST for allowing us to come visit!

NHS Supports Thorndale Cares: Thorndale High School National Honor Society students and their sponsors Mrs. Boulding and Coach Kuhl traveled to help Thorndale Cares prepare for the holiday season!

Thorndale Elementary Christmas Concerts:

There aren’t many things cuter than our elementary students singing their hearts out at the annual TISD Christmas Concert.

Whether they knew every word or wiggled and frowned the whole time, they were up on stage and did a great job!

A special thank you goes out to Mr. Freeman for leading our elementary music program and preparing our kids for this year's event!

I also want to give a shout-out to our elementary leaders and the amazing TES Bulldog Boosters who hosted pictures with Santa and cookie-decorating activities for kids and families on Wednesday and Thursday evenings.

College Signing Day:

Help us congratulate our very own, Gunner Ferguson, for officially signing with Eastern New Mexico to continue playing baseball! This was an awesome example to all of our students that working hard and putting in the effort can pay off. Excellence is the Thorndale way!

Boys Basketball Updates:

This week, JH Boys 7th beat McDade 49-28 and 8th lost to Mumford.

Prior to that, over the Thanksgiving break, the High School Boys played Rogers; the JV Gold lost 18-34, the JV Maroon won 46-43, and the Varsity won 51-37. Then the boys took on Thrall where the JV Boys won 53-27 and the Varsity Boys won 60-30. At the start of December, our JH boys played Rosebud-Lott and won 31-22.

Our varsity is battling it out in the Coach Lieberman classic this week and our JV plays in a tournament hosted here in Thorndale as well.

Girls Basketball Updates:

Most recently, the Lady Dogs took on Bartlett in their district opener and battled for a tough 40-35 win to start off 1-0 in district play! They traveled to Tilden this week for a tournament and will return next week to take on Coupland (JH) and Milano (Varsity and JV) on Monday and Tuesday respectively. 

Prior to that, the Lady Dog JV squad started Thanksgiving Break with a morning victory over the Lady Tigers 26-16 in Rockdale. Later, the varsity fell to the Lady Tigers 52-33. At the start of December, the Middle School Lady Dogs took on Rosebud-Lott and both teams came away with a win; the Gold Team won 32 to 6 and the Maroon Team won 28 to 9. Then, the Lady Dogs went 2-2 in the Moody basketball tournament including defeating Moody 46-22.

 ALL-District, Academic All-District and Academic ALL-STATE:

Congrats to our amazing Student Athletes/Trainers.

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Most sincerely,

Zack Kleypas
Superintendent
Thorndale ISD
#TISDStrivingForExcellence

“Keep improving, always, in all ways.”