Coppell High School - Cowboys

Six Coppell High School Seniors are among the National Merit Scholarship Corporation’s Scholarship Winners. Congratulations to: Ashia Agarwal, who plans to study Computational Computer Science Surya Akurati, who plans to study Computer Systems Analysis Joshua Blatt who plans to study Chemical Engineering Yashitha Chunduru, who plans to study Law Sai Priya Kasiraman, who plans to study Computer Science Deepali Kanchanavally, who plans to study Aerospace Engineering The 2,500 Merit Scholar designees were chosen from a talent pool of more than 15,000 outstanding Finalists in the 2025 National Merit Scholarship Program and receive a scholarship of $2,500.

n late April, Coppell High School’s World Schools Debate team earned an impressive 3rd place finish at the Tournament of Champions in Lexington, Kentucky — one of the most competitive national tournaments in the country. Under the leadership of Debate Director Dr. Jason Sykes and Debate Coach SunHee Simon, the team of Safiya Azam, Anjana Boppana, Anya Gupta, Justin Murdock and Ananya Nair showcased exceptional skill and determination. Their path to the semifinals included defeating numerous members of the official USA National Team and Team Texas, as well as upsetting the tournament’s top-seeded team in the quarterfinals. Competing against elite debaters from across the country and even international teams like Kenya, Coppell’s students proved they belong among the nation’s best.

Last weekend, talented student artists from CHS9 and CHS made their mark at the 2025 State VASE (Visual Arts Scholastic Event) in San Marcos. These state qualifiers had the opportunity to take part in hands-on art workshops, share their portfolios with colleges, compete for scholarships, and showcase their work alongside the top 10% of more than 32,000 regional entries. CHS9 and CHS students earned 22 State Medals and one Photography Competition Scholarship, proudly highlighting the creativity and passion that define our district. CHS9 State VASE Medalists and Qualifiers Poshika Eswara – 2 State Medals Anika Jain – State Medal Natasha Kumar Olivia Rebello – State Medal Pratyasha Sahoo – State Medal Sahana Sudhir – 2 State Medals Varshini Avula – 2 State Medals Yu Imai – Photography Competition Scholarship Winner Aditri Sikdar – State Medal CHS State VASE Medalists and Qualifiers Safiya Azam Ayan Dadsena – State Medal Neel Hammers – 2 State Medals Sandhya Karthick – State Medal Sahasra Kalakonda – State Medal Iris Liu – State Medal Lidia Nolan – State Medal Sese Oshionebo Sahiti Peechara Nuthana Ramaneedi – 2 State Medals Meghna Ramaswamy – State Medal Ivy Tien – State Medal Agamya Vajramani – State Medal Matteo Zanelli – State Medal

Coppell High School juniors Ashwin Mohan and Sneha Patil have achieved the remarkable accomplishment of earning perfect scores on the March 2025 SAT. Both students, currently juniors, demonstrated exceptional academic excellence and dedication in preparing for this nationally recognized college admissions exam. Their achievement is a proud reflection of their hard work, the support of their families and teachers, and the academic rigor at CHS. #MyHomeIsCISD

Tune into YouTube each week to #CatchupWithHunt as he shares stories from across the district. This week you can catch Dr. Hunt celebrating the recent AP Student Art Show at the Coppell Arts Center with CHS art teachers Brennen Fruge and Michelle Hauske, CHS9 art teacher Elsa Reynolds and CHS sophomore Mahathi Kumar. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GWn_148pPEQ

The Coppell Cowgirls claimed 1st place overall at the Region 1 6A Championship held April 14–15 at Tangle Ridge Golf Course in Grand Prairie, finishing with a dominant 600-stroke team total. Alicia Bellendir tied for first individually with a 73/71 (144) but narrowly lost in a four-hole playoff. Riya Bapna followed closely with a 74/72 (146), earning third place. Both Bellendir and Bapna secured spots on the All-Region First Team. Nethra Sheri (77/78 – 155), Isabella Nguyen (79/78 – 157), and Elizabeth Bellendir (77/84 – 161) rounded out the strong team performance. The team now looks ahead to the Golf State Championship to be held April 28–29 at White Wing Golf Course in Georgetown.

Let’s raise our voices in celebration for the Coppell Choir, whose harmonious hard work and pitch-perfect passion earned them Sweepstakes honors at UIL with straight 1s from all six judges!.While their stunning performances truly struck a chord, it’s the dedication, growth and ensemble spirit they’ve shown throughout this journey that deserves a standing ovation. Watching these talented singers grow in confidence and musicality, under the leadership of choir directors Bona Coogle, Aaron Coronado and Katherine Conkovich, has been an inspiring experience, and we’re so excited to see where their next verse leads.

Tune into YouTube each week to #CatchupWithHunt as he shares stories from across the district. This week you can catch Dr. Hunt at the Baseball and Softball Party at the Parks event on April 8, where he speaks with Softball player Emma Praytor. The video also features Softball player Lena Gay singing the National Anthem with teammate Riley Warren signing the song in American Sign Language. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mH0udXE7RC8

CISD Destination Imagination Teams did remarkably well at the recent state competition against the strongest teams from 16 regions across Texas. Congratulations to: Team: Dumpster Divers Won 5th Place Medal in Secondary Level, Technical Challenge: Breaking Point Qualified for Global Finals held in Kansas City, Missouri, May 22-25, 2025 Team members: Maxwell Hall (CMS East, 8th), Sahana Iyer (New Tech, 10th), Virginia Hall (New Tech, 10th), Naisha Dey (CHS9), Pranamya Shrikant (CHS, 10th) and Rohan Jain (CHS9) Team: Small Eyed Owls Ranked 7th Place in Secondary Level, Scientific Challenge: Worlds Beyond Team members: Macy Rogerson (CHS9), Reid Dodd (New Tech, 9th), Will Crawford (CHS9) and Anna Olougouna (CHS9) Team: Ocean Chicky Exploding Volcanoes Ranked 13th Place in Elementary Level, Technical Challenge: Breaking Point Team members: Claire Midtbo (Wilson, 3rd), Lauren Bond (Wilson, 3rd), Matías Espino (Wilson, 3rd), Joshua Rolón (Wilson, 3rd), Luis Carrasco (Pinkerton, 3rd), Liam Carrasco (Pinkerton, 3rd) and Luca Carrasco (Pinkerton, 3rd)

🎉 Happy National Assistant Principals Week! 🎉 This year, National Assistant Principals Week is celebrated from April 7–11. CISD is proud to join school districts across the nation in honoring the hard work, dedication, and impact that assistant principals have on student success. We are incredibly grateful for the outstanding leadership and support our assistant principals provide to students, staff, and our entire learning community. Thank you for all you do to serve our learners! Special shoutout to the amazing assistant principals at CISD: 👩‍🏫 Coppell High School: Associate Principal Taylor Smith-Bothun, Justin Helpenstill, Jeremy Jordan, Colleen Lowry, Dan McCready, and Anna Wanderski 👨‍🏫 New Tech & Victory Place: Garrett Voelker 👩‍🏫 Coppell High School Ninth Grade Campus: Nathan Harvey and Jessica Lynch 👨‍🏫 East: Rob Borenstein and Carrie Boyle 👩‍🏫 North: Linda Rothey and Stephen Frank 👨‍🏫 West: Matthew Telepak and Ayasha Greene 👩‍🏫 Austin: Brianna Sanford 👨‍🏫 Canyon Ranch: Kylie Godinez and Kat Yegge (who also serves Lee) 👩‍🏫 Cottonwood Creek & Pinkerton: Julie Springer 👨‍🏫 Denton Creek: Laura Melson 👩‍🏫 Lakeside: Allison Parsons 👨‍🏫 Lee: Angel Buchanan 👩‍🏫 Mockingbird: Dr. Julie Dawes 👨‍🏫 Town Center: Tiffany Lee 👩‍🏫 Valley Ranch: Sheryl Dennehy 👨‍🏫 Wilson: Leigh Ann Howard Thank you for all you do, and for making a difference every day! 🌟

Congratulations to the Varsity and JV high school boys and girls Track & Field teams, who are both District Champions! The top four in each varsity event have qualified to compete in the Area Track & Field Meet next Friday in McKinney. Way to go Cowboys and Cowgirls Track and Field!

CISD was recognized for its unwavering support of military service members at the March 31 Board Meeting, receiving several prestigious awards from the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR). Retired Colonel James “JP” Hogan and retired Texas Army National Guard Major General and former State Representative Rick Noriega were on hand to present the awards, underscoring the significance of this honor. Lieutenant Colonel Esther Splawn, a Special Education teacher at Coppell High School and a dedicated member of the Marine Corps Reserves, along with her husband Eric Splawn, a retired veteran and a teacher at New Tech High @ Coppell, and Marine Corporal Reserve Sam Odorizzi, a former Cottonwood Creek student who now serves as a Structured Learning Aide at Cottonwood Creek Elementary, nominated CISD and several of its employees for ESGR Patriot Awards. Their nominations led to multiple recognitions, District-Wide Awards: Coppell ISD – Above and Beyond Award Coppell ISD (State of Texas Public Sector) – Pro Patria Award Also at the meeting it was announced that CISD is one of 30 businesses and organizations in the U.S. that are a finalist for the National Pro Patria Award to be announced later this year with the award to be presented at a ceremony in Washington, D.C. Individual Employee Awards: Laura Springer, Principal at CHS Anna Wanderski, Assistant Principal at CHS Chris Gollner, Principal at CMS North Stephanie Fleischhauer, Intervention Services Specialist Zane Porter, Principal at New Tech High @ Coppell Garrett Voelker, Assistant Principal at New Tech High @ Coppell and Victory Place @ Coppell Kara Lindquist, CHS9 Special Education Teacher Amber Warrington, New Tech High @ Coppell Special Education Teacher Dr. Andra Penny, Principal at Cottonwood Creek Elementary Lieutenant Colonel Splawn expressed her gratitude, stating, “CISD is the most supportive civilian employer I have ever had in my nearly 15 years of serving as a reservist.”

Today, CHS hosted Adulting Day. 1000 students and 35 guest speakers took part in 16 different classes focused on some of life's biggest struggles as a young adult. Ranging from cooking and meal planning to learning how to file taxes and even car maintenance.

Congrats to our Boys and Girls Varsity Soccer teams for their amazing playoff runs. Both teams play in Regional Playoff Games tomorrow night, with the Cowgirls playing Flower Mound at Lewisville High School at 7 p.m. and the Cowboys playing Plano West at Prosper High School at 8 p.m.

Congratulations to Coppell High School sophomore Pranamya Shrikant for earning a Gold Key in Writing as part of the 2025 Regional South Scholastic Art Awards. This prestigious recognition highlights her exceptional talent and dedication to the craft of writing. CISD is proud of her achievement and looks forward to seeing her continued success in the literary arts.

Tune into YouTube each week to #CatchupWithHunt as he shares stories from across the district. This week you can catch Dr. Hunt with Job Shadowing Students Aryan Godambe, Neha Nathwani and Pranshu Parmar, along with Daniel Armbruster and Helen Johnson with AAA – Auto Club Enterprises in Coppell, one of the 45 CISD Job Shadowing hosts. The video also features Job Shadowing sites CityVet in Coppell and Sam Pack's Five Star Ford Carrollton. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EO6mQoWxYIE

Tune into YouTube each week to #CatchupWithHunt as he shares stories from across the district. This week you can catch Dr. Hunt at the Beam Signing Ceremony for the new CHS Fine Arts Facility, which is part of the voter-approved 2023 Bond. Dr. Hunt spoke with CHS juniors and Vivace Choir performers Olivia Bennett and LeMariam Bantenew, as well as with Erin Bossart, Vice President Education for Corgan, the architecture company that designed the building. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f_mzAe9mrKo

CHS senior Yashitha Chunduru recently represented the student business organization DECA at the Career and Technical Student Organization (CTSO) event at the State Capitol in Austin. Chunduru, who serves as the current state DECA President and the DECA District 11 President, was able to interact with fellow state officers from various CTSOs, representing teaching, technology, health sciences and more, as well as engage with members of the Texas House of Representatives and Senate. Chunduru and other student leaders shared the importance of Career Technical Education (CTE) and were part of the state proclamation of February as CTE month in Texas. DECA chapters at CHS9, CHS and New Tech High @ Coppell are student business Career and Technical Student Organizations (CTSOs) that students can choose to participate in as part of the Career and Technical Education (CTE) Business, Marketing and Finance program of study.

Last week, five Texas Association of Future Educators (TAFE) students represented CHS and CHS9 at the State TAFE Competition, delivering outstanding performances. Three students qualified for Nationals in their respective events. Nathalie Petit and Eesha Jogdand earned Gold Awards in the Interactive Bulletin Board event, while Suzy Waly received a Gold Award for Teacher Created Materials, securing their spots at Nationals. Petit also earned a Silver Award in Exploring Support Services Careers. Additionally, Zachary Brooks, Rachel Goodman, Nathalie Petit and Suzy Waly received a Silver Award for their Breakout Session, Growing Beyond the Classroom. Congratulations to these students on their impressive achievements!

Tune into YouTube each week to #CatchupWithHunt as he shares stories from across the district. This week you can catch Dr. Hunt percolating with the Cowboy Coffee Crew at Coppell High School led by Special Education Teacher Ed Arndt, CHS senior Reagan Robinette, the shift manager, and CHS junior Isabella Villa, who will replace Robinette as the shift manager next year, and other members of the Cowboy Coffee Crew. The Cowboy Coffee Crew is made possible by grants from the CISD Education Foundation, the CHS Student Council and Texas A&M University. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bcHUGH46Jc0