DeSoto Eagle Eye

The varsity cross country team has started the season off with a win. The boys placed first out of eleven teams in the Ennis Lion’s Den Invitational. Team members that placed were Simba Walker, who placed 6th, Cloyce Session, who placed 12th, Anthony Burney, 17th, Will Stovall, 23rd, Jared Hewitt 31st, and Jerrell Cook placing 53rd out of 109 runners. For the varsity girls Jamethia Cook placed 10th

Wriiten by: Amanda Evans

Rhinitis. This is the medical term used to describe a runny nose. Advanced medical terms such as ‘rhinitis’ is what many students enrolled in the health and science technology program are being exposed to, as well as many other in-depth health and medical insights. According to enrollment percentages, the amount of students enrolling in this program has definitely been on an increase.
Instructed by licensed registered nurse Sharla Hood, the course itself isn’t just a regular health course. The course is designed for students who have an interest in pursuing careers in the health care industry.
It is divided into two courses, Health Science Technology I, which is offered to anyone who is willing to participate, and Health Science Technology II, in which is offered only to those students who have participated in Health Science Technology I, and submit to an interview process.
Students participating in the Health Science Technology II course actually get hands on experience at an unpaid position at a health care facility along with learning how to take essential vital signs such as blood pressure, temperature, weight, pulse, and respiration.
These skills plus the basic knowledge of anatomy in which is taught to both Health Science I and II students are crucial to know in the health care industry. The program itself gives many students a general overview of the knowledge needed to be successful in the health care industry, and many students believe that the program itself is a great addition to the technology classes offered on campus.
“The program is wonderful and more people should get involved,” saidsenior Takayla Jackson, a Health Science II student. Jackson entered the program as a junior and learned vital information not only about the careers in the health care industry, but also information about the health of her well being.
“The health science program made my dream to become a neonatal nurse practitioner real. The materials and experiences that are preparing me for my future career are all offered in this program,” said Jackson. Students who are experiencing this program for the first time also are experiencing an education in health care that goes beyond the average text book.
“I was stunned at how much information about diseases and disease processes that I learned only in the first six weeks,” said junior Jasmine Lusk, a Health Science I student. Lusk entered the program looking to gain a broad overview about health in order to pursue her dream of becoming a physician. “The information to be a part of any branch of the health care field is in this program, and I would suggest that all students who aspires to have a career in health care to start now, and start with this program.”
Overall, students have taken more interest in this program. Many students who have previously enrolled in this program have informed their classmates about the benefits of this program, along with many students also taking an interest in a career in health care, has almost doubled the enrollment size from last year’s count. The health science technology program is steadily gaining more popularity, and more students are getting core knowledge of basic anatomy and health concerns.

Writtne by: Eboni Monroe

What is PBSI? To find out, high school teachers went to camp this summer to learn more about Positive Behavior Support Initiative (PBSI) in order to build a more secure bond with students and learn to enforce rules in a more productive manner.
The purpose of the program was to teach staff members how to interact with students in a way that they can feel comfortable during school and with the staff. PBSI covers common areas that students need to improve on such as responsibility, pride and dress code. Models created by Dr. Randall S. Sprick and Micky Garrison, were presented to the district last spring and was required for teachers to take for their own benefit.
A leadership team was developed including different staff members from every department to work together to help meet the standards desired . This course specializes in four main areas which are “readiness”, “school wide/common area”, “classroom management”, and “behavioral skills”.
Systems practiced in the camp taught personal responsibility, chemistry between students and teachers, and behavior skills among all staff members. The initiatives have been well received and staff members are determined to make the campus a more comfortable place for everyone.
“Students need to buy into it the way teachers do, that is the only way it will work. If students put effort to respect requests, teachers will notice in turn, this is more comfortable,” said Kimberly Svatek, English IV teacher.
As teachers are making the effort, they are also encouraging students to be a positive influence on the rest of their classmates. “In order for this program to make a difference, every student, staff member, and teacher here at the campus has to contribute to the behavioral upgrade needed to be made,” said Ms.Svatek.
The staff is so enthusiastic about the desired changes, they are offering awards for those who perform Eagle PR. Every three weeks, three names of students from each class who have exhibited great behavior will be selected to win a prize. Such as movie tickets and fast food coupons. According to Ms. Svatek, rewarding those who do well will hopefully encourage to others to do well also.

Wriiten by: Celeste Arrendondo

In school suspension. This is what a great majority of students on campus experienced in the first week of school, due to dress code infractions. Buses were packed with students wearing an aura of lime green polos, and violators were given only three minutes to correct the dress code infraction and return back to school. The message is clear: administrators mean business when it comes to dress code, and the violators will be prosecuted-at all causes. prosecuted-at all causes.
The majority of students have been correctly adhering to the dress code policy. Most students on campus are presenting colored shirts, and tucked-in shirt tales. However, it is quite frustrating when the young lady with the lime green polo, or the young gentlemen who decided to not tuck inhis shirt tale seem to slide by the system, and not get the same punishment as another student who had the same dress code infraction, and got caught.
Why do these students seem to not be punished for their violation? The answer is quite simple. Administrators can’t be at every corner of the school at every minute at an attempt to catch these few dress code violators. Even with frequent dress code sweeps, teachers often times just glance over students in order to return to their lesson that often times requires more time than is given in the class period frame. It is obvious as to how these few violators seem to slide by, but the real question is how to stop these violators. The solution is simple. The violators must be stopped before they even enter the building. Although there isn’t enough administrators and teachers to cover every inch of the school at all times, there is more than enough to cover each entrance of the school. If a student is caught out of dress code, entering the school building, then necessary actions for their violation should be handled from there. That way, those few violators will be punished before they even enter the building. Students who choose to enter the building knowing that they are out of dress code should defiantly pay the price, because the knowledge of what’s in dress code, and what’s not is something that is stored in the majority of all brains of students on campus

Written by: Eboni Monroe

Summer temperatures rose above the records, with the release of the much anticipated sequel to the action-packed Transformers. Director Michael Bay out did himself again with the two and a half hour suspenseful box office smasher. Its no question to why the movie grossed $398,441,218, and stayed on the top charts for nine weeks. The amazing cast consisting of Shia Labeouf, Megan Fox, Josh Duhamel, and Tyrese Gibson, along with new cast members, keeps the audience on the edge of their seats waiting for the next scene. Transformers left the public satisfied and leaves their minds with much to converse about. Possibly, next summer Transformers can shock us again.

Written by: Kylania Brooks

At the beginning of each school year there is chaos; ranging from traffic in the hallways, to having trouble finding classes. However, schedules are the most troublesome of all at the campus.

 Misguiding schedules have been a problem for a few students. “My schedule said that I have D lunch, but when I got in my class my teacher told me we have B lunch” said Senior Maria Christodoulides. Other problems with schedules have been mixed classes, such as a class marked as fifth period, and is actually a students sixth period, and core classes, such as english, mathematics, science, and social studies

 Some students faced a problem of being positioned in a TAKS Class, but have met the standard passing score of the TAKS Test.“ I passed all my TAKS Tests, and they still put me in a TAKS class,“ stated Senior Ashley White. TAKS courses are limited to juniors who have been identified as at-risk for non-mastery of exit level TAKS, and for seniors who may have failed a portion of the TAKS .

Other students had the problem of being set in classes that they have already received credit for. “I took this class my sophomore year, and they still put me in it,” stated Senior Camille Forbes, who was placed in Child Development . On the other hand, students aren’t the only people who are affected by the chaos, teachers have had much on their plate.

Teachers have to face the constant adjustment to the change of students, and continue to go over assignments that the new students missed. Also, teachers who have seating charts have to cut time from class to rearrange them to place new students. These mild miscommunications can cause a significant amount of stress for everyone, and leave people lost without any guidance, but counselors, assistant principals, and Principal Dr.Ensley, have been working very diligently to complete necessary changes.

Although help from administrators and counselors are speeding the correction process up, there are still a number of students in the midst of troubles awaiting a new schedule. Correct schedules are best for everyone; it saves time, and allows students to focus more on schoolwork, than having to find time to go to the counseling center.  Correct schedules also give teachers more time to teach and focus on moving forward with lesson plans. Schedules help to direct students and teachers towards the new year, and with conflicts affecting our direction it makes it hard to move forward.

Written by: Kylania Brooks

The Eagles started the fall football season against the Cedar Hill Longhorn a game billed as the Beltline Classic which was telecast by ESPN television on Saturday August 29.

Eagles quarterback Ryan Polite got the action going early with a pass to wide receiver  Darius Terrell followed by a touchdown scoring run by Marcus Murphy. The Eagles made the extra points. A second touchdown by Marcus Murphy putting DeSoto in the lead 13 to 0. During the first quarter unsportsmanlike conduct was called DeSoto giving Cedar Hill 15 yard and leading to the Longhorns first touchdown. Cedar Hill 7, DeSoto 13.

On the ensuing kick Murphy caught the ball then zoomed up the field virtually untouched on a 63 yard return with help from lineman: Adrian Adams, Raymond Bradley, Michael Francis, Marcus Hutchins and Evan Washington. In the last three minutes of the first quarter Sam Ajala catches the ball for the Eagles third touchdown. The Eagles then made a two-point conversion thrown by Polite to Murphy.

Marcus Murphy Scores a total of five touch downs for the Eagles. Unfortunately for the Eagles the they’re massive lead was soon taken over by the Longhorns. Ending the game with a score of 41 DeSoto 44 Cedar Hill.

Written by: Amanda Evans