>>Announcer>> This program was made Possible with the support from Midland Education Foundation, Community National Bank, Diamondback Energy, ConocoPhillips and Lissa Noel Wagner.

>>John>> What we know as today's school format began in the 17th century.

But it wasnt until 1821 when art class was introduced to students and the public education system.

Massachusetts was the first state to bring art into its education system, with provisions for art instructions, making it into laws in 1870.

Sports too became standard, required or highly prominent in American schools in two main phases.

They were introduced as physical education P.E.

curricula in the 1820s, and then came competitive athletics in the late 19th century.

Cincinnati was the first city school system to implement a mandatory athletics program.

California became the first state to pass a law requiring daily exercise.

In 1866, it wasn't until the passing of title 9 in 1972, which made sports standard for female students.

It's proven that those students who are exposed to the arts have higher cognitive skills, often demonstrate better comprehension, writing skills, and mathematical proficiency as they understand patterns of music.

Their attendance and engagement with school increases as it creates a creative outlet for students.

The arts also build confidence, empathy, and resilience, which helps navigate challenges as they're critical thinking and problem solving is directly transferred to real life situations.

Sports also play a vital role in the success of our young people as well.

It improves their cognitive functions like concentration, memory, and problem solving.

They also exhibit better classroom behavior test scores in math and science and stronger time management skills.

[intro music] Both sports and the arts play key roles in the success of students, not only academically, but mentally as well.

Active students who are able to create a balance with their academics and extracurricular interests, are able to push through with perseverance and grit.

It allows the students to grow, build friendships, and learn to rely on each other.

Whether it's through team sports, individual sports, playing in a band or orchestra, or a solo part in a play.

For some, this is not just a hobby.

It helps shape who they become as adults and as leaders.

The camaraderie and bond that's formed, whether on the court or on the field, on stage with your fellow thespians or backstage with crew.

The memories that are created can last a lifetime of friendships and supporters.

>>Karen>> You get away from this, but it never gets away from you.

You had this love for it.

And like I told a girl just the other day, I said I saw I was one of Beaus students and she knew me.

And she was saying, you know, I hear Mr.

Garza's doing that UTPB orchestra, and I'm going to see if I can get in there because I just miss it so bad.

And I would say, do it, girl.

Do it because there's something.

Something for your heart.

Something for your your mind.

Something for your psyche.

Something that you have forever.

Forever.

[slaps knee] >>Beau>> There are kids in our program that we know, you know, they're not going to go out and do music, but man, they are here and they love it.

And they eat, breathe and sleep.

What we're doing in this time that we have with them and some of those kids come because and this is where this is where we create a culture and a family and, and, you know, needless to say, - that's why they come to school.

- Yes.

Maybe they get maybe they on a Friday, maybe they get a meal that they wouldn't get, you know, so this is part of their life and they have to be here.

And so, you know, you develop those relationship with kids that, um that they may not have somewhere else.

But it's cool to see kids just like Miss McAfee said, those former kids, when they come up to you and say, man, I just remember that that trip we took to Costa Rica was so much fun.

And we got to do this and this.

And, you know, now I've got a kid of my own, and, I mean, I really want them to be an orchestra because I loved it.

And those are really cool conversations to have.

- Absolutely, absolutely.

- And and then, you know, seeing like former booster club parents and, and just all those memories that flood, you know, it seems like it was just yesterday.

It really does.

And and you get to a point where, you know, they kind of all melt together, but you remember those great memories that stick with you.

And I love when former students call me or, or even even former assistants call me and say, hey, I found this picture [chuckle] and I was just thinking about you.

- Growing up in Lubbock, I went all the way through high school there in Lubbock and then got this amazing scholarship to go to West Texas State University in Canyon and went on this violin scholarship and played in the Amarillo Symphony and and then taught three years there in Amarillo.

So it's just been my career, my life, my love life, and I wouldn't change it for anything else.

When I got the call and asked, was I interested in starting a string program here?

Of course, my my, people that I did, my student teaching with, my mentor teachers, they suggested me and thought that I would be able to do that, and I, I was, ahh, like, I had no idea what I was doing, but I knew I was going to love it.

- I will say, being in this role is so different from teaching orchestra, - Mmhmm - and I've had to learn what kind of costumes we need to use for theater, you know, do we need to buy different needle and threads?

Because it has to be, you know, in and out of whatever.

And I've had to learn about reeds for, um you know, woodwinds.

And do we need to have those kind of shoes for dance?

[laughter] I mean, you know, I mean, you know, I've just I've had to learn that.

And, you know, I've had people that are probably, um questioning maybe some things.

And I don't know if it's going to be okay, but, you know, I'm willing to learn and go and go do it.

And it may take me a few tries.

And, you know, we're we're all doing this again for the reason of kids and, and, uh, it's been a learning curve.

I will say, thankfully, Karen Crutchfield has been incredible at helping me.

And, you know, man, we're learning about Boom Whackers for for elementary.

[laughter] And we have to have these correct Orff instruments.

And, uh you're going to be doing, um ukulele in your class.

And here's some ukuleles.

And, you know, I promise recorder's going to sound better in six months.

- Starting this string program here of course, I know how to teach.

And I taught three years in Amarillo, but I had never had the experience to actually start something and and get in there and recruit them really hard and put together something meaningful.

And it was a huge challenge for me, but a challenge that I accepted.

Just like, here we go, let's do this.

And at the time, of course, I was learning some things as they were learning things.

But I, I always said in my mind, you know, hey, if I want them to do something, it's going to be because I've, I've instilled this in them and, and they've seen me do it and they know that I'm for them, that I love them, that I want them to succeed, that I, you know, that I care about what they're doing.

>>Christina>>> Brings joy to not only them, but to the rest of the school.

And just getting to listen to them and watching them in the football games.

And, you know, then they get to go to contests and they get so much more out of it.

If they get further along, you know, they get, um scholarships.

Uh, some, some kids just go from there to Broadway.

[laughs] You know, I've known a lot of them just going to go to New York and trying to get in, and some of them go to school in New York in college and further their, their, um degrees in and do go to Broadway or off Broadway.

It's just amazing to see what they can do.

And they're so talented.

- You know, Beau and I have been not only the teacher and the conductor and the the creator of music, but we've had students just Miss McAfee you can talk to you?

You know, and that just makes my heart tjust go.

- Yeah.

- Absolutely.

You know, and to find somebody that they can trust.

- Yes.

- Talking to and somebody that will hug them and say, honey, it's going to be okay.

- Yeah - It's going to be okay.

And let me just suggest this.

You know, when you're really sad.

I've told kids just any number of times when you're really sad and you're going through something, get their violin out.

And it's amazing - Yes.

- how they just kind of soothe your soul.

- Yes.

- How it kind of answers some things that it helps you make it through this hump, you know, get that instrument out, do something that you love.

Let the music just help you.

- It's so many of the arts are what drives the kids to come to school.

They come because they play an instrument or because they can sing in the choir or marching the band they come and and the academics in those courses.

I mean, you have to, you know, you have to know math to do music.

You have to know, you know, um all those classes are it's just so important.

And it drives not not only just to come to class, but that's something that they love and they may not be able to do that at home.

Um.

If it wasn't for for them getting an instrument to start playing, they may never have done that at home.

So, I mean, I'm a big supporter of the arts, and if they just have to be in school because if they don't, they I don't know what you come to school on and be so boring.

[laughs] It really would be boring.

>>Isreal>> I was in band at the time, so that was a really neat thing because at San Jacinto I had met Mr.

Story.

He was.

And of course he's infamous for his youth, the bands at Lee high school.

So I knew him since I was in junior high, and I and I stayed with with him in band until I started playing bass also that like changed a little bit, but he was he was a force of nature, but he expected to have very high quality work and he never faltered.

Hes like, nope.

- Sports and the arts are essential to education as they act as a catalyst for enhanced academic performance, cognitive development and social emotional growth.

>>Wes>> That's one thing that if you're not careful and it's such a large school district that you can become, you know, little silos, you're you're that's a great program.

But it's only folks from that program or related to that program are supporting it.

And and when there's cross curricular across extracurricular support, then that really grows school culture and, and, um, shared excitement about just not what you're doing, but about, you know, all programs.

We, you know, we oftentimes have our football.

So we had our football kids, we bused, we we got a bus for our football as many kids could come football players come watch the marching band contest in Odessa.

That's super important for those, uh, band programs because they do the same for football teams on Friday nights, you know, and, and we'll have coaches that show up at choir concert or an orchestra program or whatever, you know, just whatever it is, come support, come support, because that's important.

I think last year was the first time since I've been in Midland that I missed.

We were in school, we weren't in town.

I missed a marching band contest.

Why?

Because, I mean, that's part of the school.

That's part of, you know, one of the activities the school offers.

Even though I oversee athletics, I think band is important.

All fine arts programs are important.

All clubs are important.

<<Dr.

Howard>> You know, I can can look back and think of so many people that made a difference over the course of my life.

You know, I have to point to my dad first, um, being, you know, a teacher and a coach and in a small place, I mean, he taught me in a couple of different classes.

He coached me in a couple of different sports, uh, but just watching him, you know, be in the profession for that long, the way he worked at it, uh, the impact that he had on students, um, athletes, you know, people even at his funeral a couple of years ago that, you know, I mean, I'd not seen in 25, 30 years, uh were there and he had coached on 30 years ago, 35, 40 years ago.

And so, you know, when you when you see that it it really resonates with how much impact an educator can have on a kid.

And, and then when they're an adult, they're still, you know, thinking back to, to coach Pealts and things like that.

So, you know, pretty much anything that was at the school, anything going on.

So whether I competed in the sport, you're there watching your peers, um, you know, whether I did something, you know, in a specific club or group or theater, you know, we were there watching our peers because, like I say, the school was the center of everything.

- So grew up, played sports my whole life, played all sorts of sports.

In small town.

You play everything, you know, tell these a lot of our athletes, you know, I played football, wasnt very good at it.

Uh, played basketball, was decent at basketball, was blessed to be on some really good teams and so learned a lot.

Uh.

But in the spring, I played tennis and baseball.

So go to tennis practice and at 5:00, tennis practices over, get in my truck, drive over to the baseball field, which wasn't on campus, and start baseball practice at 530, you know, and change and get ready.

And so that was a daily occurrence.

So you just you do this do you do.

And I you know, people laugh at me in Midland, but I was in the band.

My wife gives me a hard time because you don't have time a football game.

You take your shoulder pads off, helmet off you go march.

And then you go back in the locker room, you know, and but that's what you do in small towns and, and that's the beauty of, you know, community based athletics is that, that that everybody is a part of everything.

And, especially in small towns.

- Magnet schools are part of the public school system that offers children specialized theme based curricula such as Stem Fine Arts or International Baccalaureate programs.

Magnet schools are free public school of choice within a school district that was designed to attract diverse students from across school zone boundaries.

<<Renee>> We take we take all students when they walk in the door, you know, at whatever level and capacity.

And again, I think that offering different ways to gage students and by providing choice of school is where we can grab those kids in and we can fill them in to be lifelong learners.

There is Carver, which is our gifted and talented campus.

Um.

We also have Bowie Fine Arts, which, uh, follows in with your more, fine arts oriented individuals.

I believe they have, uh different styles of music and dance and things like that that can offer families.

Uh, we do have Ben Milam, which is a our dual program, our dual language program, which is a two two way language which incorporates not only Spanish, uh speakers, but also English speakers that are trying to learn the those languages with fidelity.

Um, we do have um SJ which I believe is an Abbott campus at the at the junior high level.

Um, they incorporate a lot of models.

As for leadership and organizational skills and things like that.

And then we have YWLA, which focuses on the more leadership, um So they are growing, um also with every cohort.

Um and then you have ourselves, which is our early college campus on Midland College.

What makes us unique is that we're on Midland College campus, and then we also have Coleman, which is our, um traditional way of allowing kiddos who need a nontraditional way of earning a traditional diploma, an opportunity to do things, um and be able to succeed and get their high school diploma.

<<Deacon>> I've been at Carver for, um four years, going on my fifth year.

I love being able to meet new students who are also gifted, and everybody is smart in their own way.

A couple of years ago, my first year at Carver, for one of our interest investigation.

It's like a club that we do in the morning.

I got to meet an NFL player on a zoom call.

So last year I was really, really scared to go to school.

Not even because, like, there was an issue.

I was just nervous because most of my friends were leaving to go to another school.

And I had this one math teacher who every morning would like, check on me and say, hi.

I love math because I can solve real world problems like statistics and just money problems.

My best friend Liam, he's always helping me in ever.

And whenever I don't understand a problem in math, he's always like trying to help me understand it.

And if it wasn't for him, I would have struggled a lot more in math.

But he is another reason why I like math so much.

I want to do sports analytics in the future, so I want to be able to study player stats and be able to draw conclusions of and predict how they're going to do the game.

I want to go to Texas Tech and play football for them, and maybe study some physics.

- My dad was always in sports, so he was in baseball and basketball, track.

He ran, he played football.

And his coach, his uh track coach was Ed Nixon.

And that's who this stadium is named for.

[instrumental music] When I started teaching, he was actually that the, the um AD one of the ADs out here.

And he knew me because of my dad.

It was really neat, [laughs] went full circle.

And so, uh he ran track, and I remember him saying, Coach Nixon went to him and said, you don't need to play football.

You're going to get hurt, and you're too fast to not play, you know, do not run track.

So that's what he did.

He ran track.

He was a back in the day and 880 runner had a record for Midland High for the longest time.

<<Bryce>> I think I was in fifth grade.

I have a very like vivid memory of being pulled aside uh and was being told that I was like leading my class in grades.

I was like, oh, that's that's pretty cool.

Like, and I feel like that kind of lit a fire under me of like, oh, I'm, I'm going to keep this going as long as I can.

[chuckles] Um, but yeah, math was was always what came naturally in numbers.

And I think I get that from my dad to where he, uh, can definitely do a lot of tricky number stuff just immediately in his head.

So it's, uh definitely my passion with that and a little bit of science as well.

Junior high was awesome.

I mean, I think that's where, um sports development kind of started come in through the, MISD, program and got put into football and got a lot of discipline through that and had some incredible coaches kind of keep us on the straight and narrow and a kept us, you know, like, I guess regimented with it, with sports.

And so I think that's where it really started coming along.

And, um, where I had my first, um, first time in track to, where I got to kind uh get on the track and not first time in track, but like doing it more long term.

And so, um yeah, it was awesome being there, at Goddard.

I always had like a, a very seamless transition of competitiveness, whether it was in academics or track.

And so I think my most memorable moments in the classroom is like competing to be in the top ten of my class.

And so I think that natural competitiveness with me, I was just like was always there.

And so I think that was, uh, was one of the things that, um, I remember most through the academics, um, is competing to be one of the best in it.

And, uh, always had some great teachers.

Um.

Some tougher teachers.

I remember, uh, English class.

It was, uh, definitely a lot of essays and me being more, a a Stem, mind was definitely one of my harder subjects, but I was lucky to have, a a teacher be very tough and, um, you know, be very nit picky with the, with the classes and stuff.

So I, I remember that one very vividly of because, you know, I feel like you remember the challenges of, of school as well rather than or not rather than, but like, as well as the, the stuff that you excel at.

And so um, yeah, it was incredible.

And then um that's where my senior year, uh Corey Callaway, um definitely made physics a lot of fun.

I think that was like, um it was a it was an elective at the time because I think I'd already like, finished all the core things.

So I needed to graduate.

And so, um getting to be in a more advanced physics class was, um definitely what kind of started igniting my passion to do engineering later down the road and something that I'm actually going to be working on now.

I actually have uh a a teacher that, um kind of tragically passed away here in uh that he was probably one of the funniest teachers I've ever had and still to this day is is my favorite that, uh made it made math exciting.

Like he he every day I feel like he was making us laugh or, um just entertaining the class, whereas it was awesome to where he's definitely been an inspiration for my for love for that subject for a long time.

- While science focuses on objective, empirical and repeatable investigation, art often explores subjective, emotional and sensorial experiences.

Yet both require creativity, curiosity, and experimentation.

Scientists and artists utilize imagination, visualization, and creative non-linear thinking to solve problems.

Science and sports are connected through interdisciplinary fields, applying principles from biology, physics, and psychology to enhance athletic performance, speed up recovery, and prevent injuries.

Sports and the arts are essential to education as they act as a catalyst for enhanced academic performance, cognitive development, and social emotional growth.

<<Ashlee>> I always loved my science teachers.

I had a science teacher named Miss Webber, and then I had an amazing pre-algebra teacher, Miss Booker.

She made me she she would make you cry like she was so strict.

She would make you cry.

But I learned so much from that woman that if I could ever give her a high five, I would.

I got here and within 24 hours I had two job and I had a job interview.

And, um I interviewed at Midland Freshman and they hired me on the spot and said, hey, PS by the way, you're also going to be the department chair.

Huh, cool.

Okay.

So, um that was interesting.

And then I also got a phone call from um, our now superintendent, Stephanie Howard, and she said, hey, do you want to teach?

At the time, it was Lee Lee High School.

And I was like, well, I've already accepted a job at Midland Freshman.

And, um so I worked at Midland Freshman for four years.

I met incredible people.

I saw incredible teaching and, um we did some cool things.

And I always say that I think Midland freshman is one of the best kept secrets.

Don't tell anybody.

But one of the best kept secrets in Midland.

Um, it is, it's a special place.

And it's a it's a great little community.

Um, I think I feel like every administrator has kept the systems in place and, um it just continues to grow.

And I loved my years at, um freshman.

So, I moved to Legacy High School.

Well, it was Lee then, but now it's Legacy.

Um, and I've been there ever since.

This was only supposed to be, um, a two year thing.

And about six years ago, we had the opportunity to, um change locations.

And I looked at my son and he looked at me and I said, are we leaving?

And for so long I had thought wanting to leave Midland.

And when I finally had the chance, I realized Midland was home.

I teach a dual credit anatomy and physiology class, and then I also teach AP Environmental Science.

These are both very new.

Well, environmental sciences not.

But I was predominantly most of my career.

I taught biology co-teach.

Um.

So I'd had the in my day.

Most days I had the highest of the high, and then I had the kids that needed the most help.

Uh.

It was only in the last probably four years that this other opportunity has come, come into play.

You have to be willing.

To do a little bit of leg work on your, I was very fortunate.

I was volunteered, I guess, to, uh start a new program with the, uh with Diamondback in their Stem lab.

And um so now I have VR headsets in my room, and it's cutting edge stuff, like, it's super cool.

Uh, but I'd never put on a headset before a VR headset.

And so they handed me the controller remotie things, and I didn't know what to do with them.

Right.

But I think if we as educators, if we're not willing to learn new things, then we're missing the point.

Like we should be modeling those.

I saw one of my coworkers the other day.

I was in her class with her, and I saw the look on her face and I knew that look.

It's when it's all just.

It's all going right.

Like, you look out in the kids, they're having their little conversations about school, and they're engaged and they're learning and they're talking and they're laughing.

And you get that moment where you just stand back and you're like, this is why I do it.

- What I've appreciated since I became a coordinator when I was in Midland High and then obviously in our athletic office, is the passion that our kids have or student athletes have in every sport.

I'm from a small town.

We didn't have swim and dive, we didn't have soccer.

And so learning those programs, and, and the hard work it takes and the you know, it's all sports are the same.

- It was something that I just knew this had to be this.

This was going to be my life.

I cannot imagine my life without this fabulous career that I had.

And I'm thankful for Amarillo Public Schools.

And then of course, Midland ISD, that that gave me that, that that chance to do something that I love.

And I will always love.

Students who incorporate the arts or sports into their schooling, have higher test scores, stronger time management skills and healthier stress relief outlets.

These activities also create well-rounded adults as they become successful.

You don't have to have a career in these activities to not have an impact on them.

Later in life, people become season ticket holders to games and concerts when they're sitting in their seats, the lights go down, the show begins, memories come flooding back, the sense of pride and focus.

So next time you're on a holiday or looking for something to do, go to a game, a museum, a play, a concert and share your experience with someone to continue your legacy.

Join us next time as we continue Teaching for Tomorrow.

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