Campus Snapshot - Cy

Varsity boy’s soccer advances
to the district level
Sky Dancers generate school spirit
at an Eagles Pep Rally
Air Force Junior ROTC members
Campus Snapshot
Eagles varsity football players
celebrate a new district record
Cy Falls High School’s awardwinning choir performs pop
music to a packed house
Cypress Falls High School
Eagles soar to
new educational heights
The school’s new arrival center
helps students from foreign
countries adapt to Cy-Fair
Written by Amy Cunningham
Photos Courtesy of Cypress Falls High School
Students are encouraged
to pursue their individual
interests and talents
Varsity cheerleaders show
their support for their school
team during a football game
The Golden Eagle
marching band has
won 17 consecutive
sweepstakes awards at
competitions
86 • CY-FAIR MAGAZINE Visit CyFairMagazine.com for Cy-Fair jobs, events, news and more.
After 20 years, four principals, and thousands of students,
Cypress Falls High School has changed immensely. Where
cows once grazed across the street from campus, subdivisions
and strip centers now stand. Despite all of these changes, one
thing remains the same: the school’s commitment to excellence.
Principal Rebecca Denton credits the school’s diversity and
sense of community to its overall success. “When we get test
scores back, we’re right up there competing with the schools
who have less disadvantaged kids than us,” says Denton. “We are
such a mixture of ethnicity, style, [and] age. They’re just fantastic
students.”
Golden Eagle Diversity
Cy Falls serves over 3,000 students of varied economic and
ethnic backgrounds. Many programs are in place to help
students, like the new arrival center, which assists those new to
the country. Additionally, student organizations like Literacy
Lovers and the Asian Student Association (ASA) aim to benefit
the community through fundraisers and events.
“Clubs like the ASA try to ensure students at Cy Falls
understand different cultures,” says junior and ASA vice
president Nikunj Soni. “We host a diversity night, so everyone
experiences various traditions and foods. A portion of the
money goes directly back to the community through charities.”
Student involvement is an important aspect of the school. In
addition, teachers and administrators often meet and discuss
how to best meet the needs of demographically varied students.
Examples of Excellence
Students achieved national recognition in many different fields
during the 2011-2012 school year. A total of 18 students were
named National Merit Scholars, including two semi-finalists.
The College Board awarded recognition to 96 students for
success on Advanced Placement exams. Science Olympiad
earned its way to state, while several students made it to
regionals and beyond in UIL events.
“We definitely want to keep the academics as our focus,” says
Denton. “We would like to be the type of campus that meets the
needs of all our students. Many things have changed over the
years, so teachers must do more than simply teach. [They must]
also engage kids in what they’re learning.”
Achievements don’t stop there. Members of the debate
team qualified for a seemingly endless array of national
competitions, including the National Individual Events
Tournament of Champions and the National Forensic
League Speech and Debate Tournament. Despite statewide
budget cuts for education, Cy Falls still manages to provide
countless opportunities for its students. A variety of unique
extracurricular activities are offered, including bowling,
Computer Coders, Students Protecting America’s Animals
(SPAA), and even BBoyz Club, which helps students express
themselves through breakdancing.
Reaching Students
Through Technology
As a way to reach out to students, the school released its own
application this year on both Apple and Android platforms.
The app, developed by senior and journalist of the year winner
Christian Rumscheidt, has been downloaded onto nearly 4,000
smartphones. This allows users to view campus-related events
and news and even stream broadcasts of sporting events. Instant
notifications of school closings or special happenings can also
come in handy.
Cy Falls is a school that does not shy away from the growing
trends of technology, but rather, embraces them to their full
advantage. The campus website boasts news feeds, links to social
networking sites, athletics schedules, an online newsletter, and
access to the principal’s blog. “The state continues to require
tougher standards, yet is providing less money to do it all with,”
says Denton. “No longer does one size fit all. Our teachers are
golden, because they do amazing things with our kids.”
Amazing Athleticism
Several coaches have referred to the 2011-2012 year as the
most successful in school history in terms of winning records.
Varsity football started the year off with new head coach, Kirk
Eaton, who proudly displayed a winning district record of 8-1.
Eaton lists his coaching philosophy as “champions are made in
practice.”
While many schools never have the joy of playing past the
district level, Cy Falls earned its way to state in both volleyball,
which ended its season in the semifinals, and girls’ basketball,
which suffered only two losses all season. For the second
consecutive year, the Eagles varsity basketball team was named
the district champion, with 15 students receiving All District
awards. Senior Mikayla Matthews advanced to the state
tournament for wrestling, where she earned third place in her
weight class. Multiple other teams, including bowling, soccer,
cheerleading, and swimming, also advanced out of district.
National College Signing Day saw nine athletes commit to
colleges across the country, which represents the second highest
number of commitments in the school’s history. Over the years,
Cy Falls has produced many professional athletes, including
Olympic swimmer Andrew Livingston, Kanas City Chief ’s
safety Ricky Price, and Toronto Blue Jays’ pitcher Clint Everts.
Striving for a Successful Future
Celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, Cy Falls has seen
success in many different fields. Denton has set the school’s
goal as getting better each year and finding new ways to reach
out to students, which will no doubt help pave the way towards
Exemplary status as a campus. CFM
AMY CUNNINGHAM is a junior at Cypress Falls High School
and editor-in-chief of the school’s e-edition newspaper, the
Wingspan Online.
To advertise, call 281-579-9831 or email [email protected]
CY-FAIR MAGAZINE • 87