Moran practices to begin
By Kathy Thomson
Students at Moran Independent School District will begin the 2019-20 school year at 8:00 a.m. on Monday, Aug. 26.
“Right now our enrollment is about 105,” said superintendent Danny Freeman. “We would like to be around 120, so we are hoping for 15 or so more transfers.”
The calendar includes 20 weeks that are four day/fifth day optional, and 16 traditional five-day weeks.
“We scheduled the optional fifth days around holidays or school breaks,” said Freeman.
The first optional fifth day is Friday, Aug. 30.
Students who attend on Aug. 30 will have an early release at 12:00 noon.
The first student holiday is the following Monday, Sept. 2 for Labor Day weekend.
Teachers start back over two weeks earlier than the students.
Book study has been assigned for Thursday and Friday, Aug. 8 and 9 and will offer the educators some flexibility on scheduling those two days, as long as each of the teachers is ready to present their part of the material to their peers on Monday, Aug. 12.
Staff development days are set for Aug. 12-16 and Aug. 19-23.
“First Financial Bank usually arranges a breakfast for us on one of those days,” said Freeman, “and we will set up a teacher orientation for our new hires.”
Meet the Bulldogs will be on Thursday, Aug. 22 at 5:00 p.m. at the school.
Ice cream will be served, according to Freeman.
Open House and Meet the Teacher will immediately follow.
John Hughes and Robert Carl Londerholm Jr. are the new instructors at Moran this fall.
“We did not have a qualified applicant for the girls head coaching position,” said Freeman.
Since that position was not filled, MISD will utilize existing staff to meet the demand.
“Coach Hughes will handle both boys and girls head coaching duties,” Freeman said. “Jo Hise will be the new volleyball coach, and Londerholm will help coach basketball teams.”
Two-a-Days
The high school volleyball team is expected to begin two-a-days on Aug. 1.
Moran plays volleyball in the mixed 1A and 2A District 6 along with Albany, Hawley, Newcastle, Ran-ger, Strawn, and Woodson.
The football team will start practicing at 7:00 a.m. on Monday, Aug. 5, according to Hughes, the new Moran athletic director/head coach.
“We will have nine players that I know of,” said Hughes.
The Bulldogs play six-man football in District 6-A Division 2, along with Blackwell, Loraine, and Trent. They will open the season in Benjamin Aug. 30 with a 7:30 p.m. kickoff .
