Coppell High School Ninth Grade Campus - Cowboys

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

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.

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! 🌟

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.”

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 celebrating Career and Technical Education Month at CHS9 with CTE Director Josh Howard, CHS9 CTE Teacher David Janeski and CHS9 CTE students Simrah Shaik, Anupama Raman and Shaurya Pydisetti. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jRmfSMT-Ejw

Under the leadership of Computer Science teacher Seneca Hart, 15 computer science students from CHS9 competed alongside more than 350 9th through 12th grade students from across Texas in the 12th annual Digital Divas Hackathon, hosted at Plano West Senior High School. A standout team of Juana Arun, Naina Srithaj and Tanya Yadav took home 3rd place in the Never Competed Before Division of the all-girls hackathon, showcasing their coding skills and creativity. Other CHS9 participants included Naisha Dey, Shriya Tandon, Samara George, Aishani Dogra, Natalia Asencio Polanco, Sameeksha Karthick, Laya Prakash, Radha Ganesh, Hashini Navaneethakrish, Isha Patel, Vyshnavi Loka and Anshika Goyal, who all demonstrated impressive talent and teamwork throughout the competition.

DECA students from Coppell High School, CHS9, and New Tech High @ Coppell showcased their business expertise at the District 11 DECA Career Development Conference on Jan. 14 at the Irving Convention Center. With over 2,100 competitors — double the previous year due to the addition of Ellis and Kaufman counties — CISD students stood out, earning impressive results. A total of 207 Coppell High School students, 24 CHS9 students, and 50 New Tech students advanced to the State DECA Competition, scheduled for March 6-8 at the Dallas Anatole Hotel. Additionally, CHS junior Driti Gajjela was elected District 11 DECA President, marking the fourth consecutive year a CHS DECA student has held this prestigious position. Congratulations to all qualifiers and their advisers! Read the full story and see the list of qualifiers here. 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.

It’s a picture-perfect honor for CHS9 student Sahana Sudhir, who is taught by art teacher Elsa Reynolds, and CHS sophomore Lasya Pillamari, who is taught by Michelle Hauske, both have had their artwork selected for the state’s Youth Art Month. Sudhir and Pillamari will have their artwork showcased at the Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum in Austin throughout March.

As part of Computer Science Education Week, CHS9 students welcomed undergraduate and graduate students from the University of Texas at Dallas (UTD) Computer Science program, along with CISD Director of Career and Technical Education Josh Howard for an hour of coding event on Dec. 11. Howard highlighted CISD’s Computer Science Program of Study and course sequence, encouraging students to explore the growing field. UTD students shared insights into their own academic journeys, internships and diverse career paths in computer science, inspiring CHS9 students to pursue advanced computer science courses. CHS9 students can look forward to a UTD-led Computer Science workshop on January 21, 2025, and a spring Hackathon, both offering hands-on experience and exploration of future computer science opportunities. Computer Science is a Career and Technical Education (CTE) program of study at CHS9/CHS.

On Nov. 16, CHS and CHS9 students proudly represented CISD at the Texas Association of Future Educators (TAFE) Area Conference held at Dallas Baptist University. Under the guidance of advisers Raneta Ansley, Amber Fragosa Deck and Marcia Moore, students competed in various education-related events, showcasing their talent and passion for teaching. Congratulations to the following students who qualified for the TAFE State Conference, Teach Tomorrow Summit, to be held in February in Galveston: CHS students Zachary Brooks, Erin Donovan, Hannah Godina, Rachel Goodman, Alyssa Gray, Nathalie Petit and Suzana Waly and CHS9 student Eesha Jogdand. Their hard work and achievements exemplify the excellence and dedication of future educators in our district. We are so proud of all who participated and wish our state qualifiers the best of luck as they advance. #MyHomeIsCISD

CISD is thrilled to share the note-worthy success of our students at the recent 9th/10th Grade Honor Choir competition, held Oct. 29 at Euless Junior High School. Under the leadership of Choir Directors Bona Coogle, Aaron Coronado and Katherine Conkovich, these talented singers truly raised the bar, showcasing their hard work and dedication in every performance. An impressive 35 singers — about a quarter of our entire choir — earned chairs in the prestigious Honor Choir.

The CHS9 Cowboy Theatre Company will bring the spooky tale of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow to life from Oct. 24-26, at the CHS9 Auditorium. This play, adapted by Kathryn Schultz Miller from Washington Irving’s classic story, features the clumsy schoolteacher Ichabod Crane, the charming Katrina Van Tassel, and the menacing Brom Bones, all set against the backdrop of eerie storytelling and the chilling presence of the Headless Horseman. General admission tickets are $10 and discounted tickets for CISD students and staff at $5 and are available at chstb.booktix.com/dept/main/e/Sleepy. Performances begin at 7 p.m. each night in the CHS9 Auditorium at 1301 Wrangler Circle. Park in the North facing lot off Wrangler Drive. Don’t miss this blend of fright and humor perfect for the Halloween season!

Coppell ISD has produced a district record-breaking 51 National Merit Semifinalists for the 2024-2025 school year, with 50 hailing from Coppell High School and one from New Tech High @ Coppell. This incredible achievement places CHS as the high school with the second highest number of National Merit Semifinalists in Texas. https://www.coppellisd.com/o/cisd/article/1758410 #MyHomeIsCISD

This morning, Coppell ISD kicked off our New Hire Orientation with the 2024 New Hire Breakfast and Expo with the Coppell Chamber of Commerce. We are thrilled to welcome more than 100 new teachers and staff members home to CISD. A big thank you to the Coppell Chamber of Commerce and the City of Coppell for their incredible support in making this event a success. Our newest CISD employees enjoyed breakfast, door prizes, goody bags, and the chance to connect with local businesses that supported this incredible event. Together, we are building a stronger educational community who get to say My Home is CISD! 🏫❤️ #MyHomeIsCISD

Celebrating White Cane Day Oct. 15 — My name is Daniel Jimenez. I am a sophomore at Coppell High School, and I was born with albinism, a visual impairment. This Sunday, Oct. 15, we celebrate White Cane Day, a day to commemorate the independence of people with visual impairments. The white cane was a device made for blind people for mobility purposes, to help blind people with movement and environmental awareness. Over time, as more people started using the white cane, White Cane Day was established by Lyndon B. Johnson. So, this Sunday, I am taking the day to celebrate White Cane Day. Living with a visual impairment has been difficult, and I’ve had my trials and struggles over the years, but being here in Coppell ISD has helped me learn and experience how to thrive and achieve my goals even with a visual impairment. If you’re wondering how you can help create a safer space for visually impaired individuals, here is a good tip. If you see a person with a cane, especially on the sidewalk, giving them a little more space can make it easier for them to check their surroundings. #CISDStudentMade by Daniel Jimenez #CISDMissionPossible

Learners taking the lead — Today, at Lakeside (5th Grade), Richard J. Lee, Mockingbird, Valley Ranch, and Wilson (a mix of both learner-led and parent-teacher conferences) Elementary Schools, learners took the reins in learner-led parent-teacher conferences. Students shared their academic accomplishments and progress, as well as the areas in which they want to grow. By leading the way, these students, along with teachers and parents, are making our CISD mission of creating profound learning experiences for every child possible. #CISDMissionPossible

Learners taking the lead — Today, at Lakeside (5th Grade), Richard J. Lee, Mockingbird, Valley Ranch, and Wilson (a mix of both learner-led and parent-teacher conferences) Elementary Schools, learners took the reins in learner-led parent-teacher conferences. Students shared their academic accomplishments and progress, as well as the areas in which they want to grow. By leading the way, these students, along with teachers and parents, are making our CISD mission of creating profound learning experiences for every child possible. #CISDMissionPossible