FFA WEEK 2011: THURSDAY

Today, student officers spent the morning passing out FFA EMBLEM stickers to students who, for a 1 dollar donation to the Danny Gunn Scholarship Fund, were allowed to wear a hat during school today.  Students had to display their FFA Sticker or they were not allowed to wear their hat!  What a great way to get the brand out there to the rest of the teachers and students in our school.  An official total on the amount raised will be announced tomorrow!  Thank you so much Bridgeport High School for your generocity!

FFA WEEK 2011: WEDNESDAY

Today, Bridgeport FFA members met and prepared breakfast for the faculty and staff at BHS.  Teachers were challenged to guess how many people were involved in their breakfast from farm to fork!  Many guesses came in, but Mr. Dickinson wins the award for his response: "THOUSANDS".  That's right Mr. Dickinson...in our breakfast of sausage egg and cheese burrito's on flour tortillas with salsa, there were literally thousands of people involved in the production, marketing, processing, distribution and sales of those products!  Remember agriculture is the largest supplier of careers in the United States with over 21 percent of our nations workforce coming from agriculture.

NATIONAL FFA WEEK: TUESDAY

DRESS LIKE YOUR FUTURE CAREER DAY:

Today, students dressed like Vets, Nurses, Businessmen/women, Psychiatrists, Psychologists, Equine Therapists, Coaches, Teachers, and scientists...

Three of them dressed up as ag teachers!  The two in this picture were posing as Mr. McCauley and our student teacher from last semester Mr. Mason! There was another young person in a sweater vest who said she wanted to be me!

GREAT job BHS!

NATIONAL FFA WEEK

National FFA week is Feb. 19-26.  The agricultural science department will be doing several activities throughout the week to raise awareness about the FFA in our school and community.

Throughout the week we will be hosting a penny war between classifications.  There will be a large jar for each class (freshman, sophomore, junior and senior) placed in the library.  Pennies count as positive votes, other coins and paper money count as negative votes (nickel = -5, 5 dollar bill = -500). The class with the most votes at the end of the week will win breakfast burrito's the following monday prepared by the ag department.  All proceeds will go to Loose Change to Loosen Chains.  An organization started by a 12 year old, Zach Hunter, to help end slavery worldwide.  When Zach started his mission 5 years ago there were nearly 30 million slaves worldwide, today that number is closer to 26 million.

Each Day of the week will be special as well.

Sunday, Feb. 20th: Students who have Official Dress are encouraged to wear it to church on Sunday and Spread the word about the FFA to those who are interested.

Monday, Feb. 21st: FFA Gear Day.  Wear your FFA T-Shirts, Shoe Strings, Suspenders and Socks if you have them!  Or Official FFA Dress if you have it!  Teachers, if you were an FFA member way back when and you want to wear your jacket that will be GREAT for our kids to see!

Tuesday, Feb. 22nd: Dress like your future Career Day for students. Must be school appropriate. (Teachers, we hope this is your future career, if not, feel free to dress up as well!) Agriculture is currently the only career field in the United states with an expanding job base and growing workforce.  Salaries are high and availability is GREAT compared to all other areas.  Additionally, agriculture is the largest career area in the United States with just over 20 percent of the jobs in the US coming in the agriculture sector!  Many of our students may be planning a career in Agriculture and not even know it!

Wednesday, Feb. 23rd:  Teachers are invited to come down to the ag department for Breakfast Burrito's prepared by the Ag kids before school! Hey, Food is an agricultural product, without Ag, we would all be Naked and Hungry!

Thursday, Feb. 24th: Hat Day.  Students who chose to donate $1.00 will be allowed to wear a had during the day. FFA members and teachers will be set up in the commons that morning.  Any student who donates a dollar will receive an FFA Sticker and must be wearing the sticker to also wear their hat.  If they loose their sticker, that is their fault….

All proceeds will go to the Danny Gunn Memorial Scholarship fund.  Mr. Gunn was an Ag teacher at Idalou high school (just outside of Lubbock) who was hit and killed by a train this year at the San Antonio Stock Show. Mr. Gunn was a mentor of Mr. Klose and Mr. McCauley and one of the most well respected ag teachers in Texas.  Our FFA members have been the beneficiary of his kindness many times in the last three years from practice contests in Idalou to meals eaten together at state contests. Mr. Gunn was a faith filled man who lived the Gospel every day though his actions and was a GREAT example to all who came in contact with him. 

Friday, Feb. 25th: Blue (National FFA Blue, not Decatur Blue) and Gold Day.  Everyone is encouraged to wear blue and gold and show your FFA spirit.

If you have any questions, please let me know!

Thanks so much!


Jeff Klose
Agriculture Science Teacher
Bridgeport High School
940.683.4064
jklose@bridgeportisd.net

Elective Fair BOOMS!

Students flooded the BHS Gym yesterday for the BHS Elective Fair.  Students wandered through 20+ booths for classes and student organizations to make their decision about what courses they should take next year.

The FFA Booth consistently had 30-40 students there talking to both ag teachers and over 20 current FFA members who were answering questions.  All in all, there were about 200 students sign up for an agricultural science class. SUPER PUMPED about the turnout yesterday.  Not only were there good numbers that signed up, but they were ALL HIGH QUALITY students!  Pictures coming soon!

Getting Their Hands Dirty

Students in Mr. Klose's 1st period PAFNR class studied soil properties today.  We textured different samples of soil to determine particle size!  Its always fun to play in the mud!  

GREAT class today! 

Members of the Bridgeport FFA received 5 iPads and have started working on using Social Media in the classroom...students are using twitter to learn about current events and progress in our agricultural world.  Follow us @bridgeportffa @bridgeportffa2 and @bridgeportffa3.

Thanks everyone for your support!

Bridgeport FFA Member and Artist, 1st in Division, Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo

 Morgan Brewer, a senior in the Bridgeport FFA Chapter has won an award for her original artwork entitled: Getting Them There. Brewer is a very good up and coming artist whose work varies across multiple genres and subjects. She placed first in the 15-18 yr old division with this work. Brewer also garnered a $2,000 scholarship.

Morgans artwork will be displayed in the Amon Carter center at the Fort Worth Stock Show until Feb. 2nd at which time it will be moved to either the Cowgirl Hall of Fame, or the Museum of Science and History until Feb. 20th.  There will also be quite a write up with photo's in the Fort Worth Star Telegram's Super Bowl Sunday edition!

Congratulations to Morgan, and thanks for proving that FFA is about more than animals here in Bridgeport, Tx!

Day 2 Goat Results, Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo

In one of the most competitive classes of the show, Madi Manoushagian took 7th place with her 104 lb goat.  The Fort Worth stock show has been very successful for the Bridgeport FFA Chapter. Thanks to all the students, parents, community supporters, teachers and administrators for their help. Two weeks and we leave for San Antonio!

Making the "Dirt"

Senior Success!

In her senior year, Bridgeport FFA member Emily Green has made the "dirt" at the Fort Worth Stock show with her Southdown Lamb.  Only the animals who are kept in the show ring are placed and this is considered making the "dirt". She finished the class in 16th place.  GREAT job Emily and the Green family!

Market Goat Show, Fort Worth Stock Show

Evan Hunter and his 8th place class 3 goat.  Congratulations to Evan and the Hunter family!  Hard work is continuing to pay off at the Fort Worth Stock Show!

Clint Demmitt: Placed 13th with his goat.  This is a goat that the Demmitt family raised.  Congratulations! Now lets get ready for youth fair!

Breeding Goat Results from Fort Worth Stock Show

Congratulations Kara and Clint Demmitt for the following results in the Breeding and Dairy Shows.

Clint Demmitt: Grand Champion Dairy Weather, and a 1st and 2nd place Dairy Weather, 4th Place Lamancha Doe, 7th Place Fullblood Boer Doe Kid.

Kara Demmitt: 3rd Place Dairy Weather, 2nd Place Jr. Nubian Doe, 2nd Place Jr. Lamancha Doe, 10th Place Fullblood Boer Doe Kid, 1st Place Commercial Two-Toothed Doe.

Congratulations Demmitt Family! Hard work does pay off!

Jr. FFA Members Compete in Speed Events at Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo

Cassady Craddock Competed in the POA Show at the Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo. She finished 1st in the 9-12 year old Pole Bending, 2nd 9-12 year old Barrel Racing. Please congratulate Cassady if you see her around.

FFA members gear up for Fort Worth Stock Show

Many of our Bridgeport FFA Members are currently showing or getting ready to show at the Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo.

Results So Far:

Lauren Stowers - Champion Limousine Heifer Jr. Show, Reserve Champion Limousine Heifer Open Show

Hunter Garcia - 9th Place Beffmaster Heifer.

Fort Worth is one of the largest and most prestigious cattle show's in the Nation. This is quite an accomplishment for both of these young people.  Please congratulate them if you see them.  The Sheep and Goats move in today!  Good luck to all the sheep and goat kids!

Area Tractor Tech. BRIDGEPORT STATE BOUND!!!!

Bridgeport FFA Tractor Team!

In their first year and only second time to compete, the Bridgeport FFA Tractor Technician team has qualified for the state contest.  Members of the team; Dace Grooms, Evan Hunter and Tyler Thieme finished 3rd out of all 4 area's present, and 2nd in our own area to advance to the state contest to be held at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo in March.  This team took an exam, answered questions over various tractor components, and had 30 minutes to debug a tractor by finding 5 issues and correcting them in order to start the tractor.  Additionally, Tyler Thieme finished as the 7th high Individual in the entire contest.

Tractor Technician Contest, Decatur High School

Three members of the Bridgeport FFA competed in their first ever Tractor Technician contest in Decatur.  Dace Grooms, Evan Hunter and Tyler Thieme finished 5th as a team with Thieme finishing 11th as an individual! GREAT job, go get em at area!

District FFA Banquet, Bridgeport Success

Members of the Bridgeport FFA attended the District I FFA Banquet where we brought home all our awards from the 2010 year!  Congratulations for a GREAT year!  Lets go make it even better in 2011!




Results:

District Treasurer: Nikki Harris


District Star Greenhand in Agribusiness Evan Hunter

First: Ag Issues, Jr. Skills, Farm Business Management, Sr. Prepared Public Speaking, Extemporaneous Public Speaking

Second: Poultry Judging, Jr. Chapter Conducting (Parliamentary Procedure)

Third: Sr. Skills, Public Relations, Land Evaluation, Radio Broadcasting

BRIDGEPORT PLACES 7TH AT STATE!

The Bridgeport FFA Ag Issues team took home the 7th place banner from our state leadership development event contest.  Over half the ag issues teams trained in the Nation are from Texas, and Texas has won the national contest more times in the past 10 years than any other state!

Our kids did an excellent job!

MADE THE FINALS

Ag Issues team made the finals and will present tomorrow around 9:30 AM... Results around 5:00 PM.

Thanks everyone!

MUST READ NEW INFO ON THE TESTER AMENDMENT

#S.510 MUST READ! The Hidden Agenda of the Tester-Hagan Amendment: Hint, It Has to Do with NAIS (Remember That?) CLICK HERE FOR LINK