October 2011

The 2010-11 officers for the Health Occupation Students of America (HOSA) chapter at Holland Medical High School are, from left, treasurer Vanessa Salas, president Israel Castro, secretary Danielle Reyes, historian Taylor Ward, chaplain Jacob Rodriguez and vice president Rayevan Bastardo.

May 20, 2010
Six students representing Holland Medical High School captured state championships at the Health Occupation Students of America (HOSA) state conference completed Saturday in Houston.

All six students now advance to compete at the HOSA National Conference this June in Orlando, Fla. A total of 24 students qualified and competed for Holland at the state HOSA meet.

Winning state as representatives of Holland were:
• Pharmacology - Dulce Lopez, Abilene High senior
• Interviewing Skills – Alyssa Nieto, AHS senior
• Biomedical Debate – Alfred Bayaton and Samantha Koss, Cooper High seniors; Manuel Pallarez, AHS senior; and Michael Arredondo, AHS junior.
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Two other Holland seniors received national recognition and have the opportunity to join the six state champions at nationals in Orlando. AHS senior Sierra French received national recognition for her independent research project on dangerous traces of lead in children’s toys. Fellow AHS senior Abigail Parris was awarded the Barbara James Service Award for accumulating more than 120 hours in volunteer services.

More than 130 students from AHS and CHS attend half of their day at Holland, a health science magnet school located on the Hardin-Simmons Univ

May 19, 2010
Several AISD students and staff from Holland Medical High School were honored May 19 at the Texas Career and Technology Council’s “Best of Texas” ceremony in Austin. Receiving the statewide awards are, from left, Nathanial Redic, runner-up Outstanding Health Science Student; Dulce Lopez, winner Outstanding Special Achievement; Johnathan Tapar, winner Outstanding Health Science Student; Heather Morris, runner-up Outstanding Special Achievement; Jake Ledbetter, winner Outstanding Uniquely Challenged Student; and Dr. Virginia Mosier, winner Outstanding Community Supporter.

February 22, 2010
AMARILLO - Twenty-four students representing Holland Medical High School have qualified to advance to the Health Occupations Students of America (HOSA) state conference.
By placing in the top three at the Area 4 competition in Amarillo Feb. 19-20, the students earned the right to compete at the state HOSA conference April 15-17 in Houston. The Area 4 region covers most of West Texas, stretching from El Paso to Abilene and from Amarillo to San Angelo.
Holland Medical High School is a third-year magnet school that draws 11th and 12th grade health science technology students from both Abilene High and Cooper. It is located in the Holland Health Science Building on the campus of Hardin-Simmons University. Underclassmen who take health science classes at AHS and CHS also represent Holland at HOSA events.
In other Area 4 conference business, AHS senior Ruben Cadena was named recipient of the $1,500 Area 4 scholarship for his outstanding work as HOSA officer and student. He also was confirmed by the voting delegates as a national HOSA officer candidate.
Sophomore Andrew Garcia of AHS was elected Area 4 vice president for the 2010-11 school year.
Six teams and two individuals from Holland brought home first-place medals from the area competition that includes both knowledge and skill events. Seven more Holland students placed in the top five and will be alternates to state. A total of 60 Holland students qualified in preliminary online testing to earn the right to compete in Amarillo.
Sponsors for the group are Robyn George, Margaret Salisbury, Kim Turnbull, Karen Cluck (Holland); Brenda Champion (AHS); and Ruth Rios (CHS).
TEAM EVENTS
HOSA Bowl - 1st place: Chris Robinson (AHS), Heather Morris (AHS), Jayme Beal (AHS) and Kendra Liggins (AHS).
Biomedical Debate - 1st place: Alfred Bayaton (CHS), Samantha Koss (CHS), Manuel Pallarez (AHS), Daniell Jara (AHS).
Career Health Display – 1st place: Emmanuel Barrera (AHS) and Kathy Jimenez (AHS).
Medical Reading - 1st place: Meagan Hollingsworth (AHS), Briana Harris (AHS) and Johnathan Tapar (CHS).
Community Emergency Response Team - 1st place: Kristie Norton (CHS) and Shelbie Ramirez (AHS).
Creative Problem Solving - 1st place: Krystal Bishop (AHS), Rayevan Bastardo (AHS) and Stephanie Serrano (AHS).
Health Education - 2nd place: Ruben Cadena (AHS) and Jake Ledbetter (AHS).
INDIVIDUAL EVENTS
Medical Terminology – 1st place: Kimberly Proctor (AHS)
Pharmacology - 1st place: Dulce Lopez (AHS); 4th place (alternate): Christen Avery (AHS)
Kaiser Permanente Healthcare Issues Exam - Chris Robinson (AHS)
Dental Assisting - 2nd place: Anthony Migliore (AHS)
Job Seeking Skills - 2nd place: Alyssa Nieto (AHS)
Dental Terminology - 4th place (alternate): Drew Longoria (AHS)
Medical Math - 4th place (alternate): Charity Holzhauser (AHS)
Extemporaneous Speaking - 4th place (alternate): Monique Hernandez (AHS)
Medical Photography - 4th place (alternate): Jessica Martinez (AHS)
Extemporaneous Writing: 5th place (alternate): Nathanial Redic (AHS)

September 2010
For the third consecutive year, a Holland Medical High School teacher has earned a STAR teaching grant for innovative classroom projects.
Health Science teacher Kim Turnbull’s submission of "David Cassidy, Eat Your Heart Out! 'I Can Hear Your Heartbeat and Your Pulse'" was chosen for a cash award for Holland’s science classes. The grant will be used to purchase a Doppler machine, a tool used to amplify the sound of the heartbeat where the pulse can be felt. It can also be used to hear the valves close in the heart.

Ms. Turnbull, a registered nurse, will use the Doppler in Holland’s Forensic Science classes, which she teaches along with Karen Cluck. It can also be used as part of the curriculum for Ms. Cluck’s Anatomy & Physiology classes.

The program is sponsored by the Abilene Education Foundation (AEF). The AEF raises money each year to honor outstanding AISD teachers with classroom and instructional grants. STAR (Supporting Teachers with Academic Resources) Teacher Grants are awarded in September of each year for classroom projects that support curriculum and enrichment activities. The STAR Teacher Grants are funded by the AISD Payroll Deduction Donation Campaign.
During the second year of the STAR Teacher Grants program, $30,000 was awarded in September 2007 as AEF board members and AISD administrators participated in an AEF Prize Parade to the surprise of many excited teachers and students. Individual grants were awarded for classroom projects, field trips, school equipment, supplies, instructional materials, calculators, microscopes, games, creative/innovative enrichment activities and many other items.
Thirty-two different grants were chosen by six community-based volunteer grant readers from approximately 100 grant applications. These grants were awarded to teachers on 17 different campuses. Fifteen of the grants went to teachers at the secondary level and 17 of the grants went to teachers on elementary campuses. Over 60 teachers received grant money which in turn will impact approximately 10,000 students, more than half of the total student population of Abilene ISD.

August 24, 2010
Holland Medical High School is a historic venture for the Abilene Independent School District in many ways. In addition to being the first “magnet” school for the district and a unique career preparation training center, it is also believed to be the first partnership in the nation in which a private university built and houses a public school on its campus.

Located directly across the street from Hendrick Medical Center, Holland Med High has helped attract record numbers into AISD’s Health Science program. Initially opened in August 2008 at a temporary site, 67 upperclassmen enrolled in upper-level, certification-ready courses. Last year that number grew to 108. And for the 2009-10 school year Holland will serve an all-time high of 136 students. That means this year 136 Abilene students will have an opportunity to earn healthcare certifications during their high school careers.

When one counts the number of young students in pre-requisite classes at Abilene and Cooper high schools, the Health Science program in AISD has grown from 99 students in 2003-04 to 519 students in 2009-10. Currently at Holland a teaching staff of five, including three Registered Nurses and a Certified Medical Technologist, is preparing students to earn certifications in Certified Nurses Aide, Pharmacy Technician, Emergency Care Attendant, Phlebotomy Technician, and Medical Transcriptionist. Two more teachers who started their careers in healthcare – a RN and microbiologist – are now teaching introductory Health Science classes at AHS and Cooper.