Welcome, Alexandra Bates, to Shirley Elementary!

Welcome, Rita Hall, to Shirley High School!

Hello! My name is Connor Balentine and I will have the pleasure to serve as the Agriculture Teacher and FFA Advisor at Shirley High School. A lifelong advocate for agriculture, I am dedicated to providing students with engaging, hands-on learning experiences that prepare them for careers in the agricultural industry and beyond. My teaching focuses on agricultural mechanics, animal science, leadership development, and FFA, with an emphasis on developing skills that students can use for a lifetime.

In addition to teaching, I own and operate Balentine Livestock, where I raise and market show sheep. My involvement in the livestock industry allows me to bring real-world agricultural knowledge and experience into the classroom, helping students connect what they learn in school to opportunities in the industry.

I am excited to be part of the Shirley School District and look forward to building a strong agricultural education program while helping students grow as leaders, learners, and future agricultural professionals.

🎉 Congratulations to Our AP Exam Successes! 🎉

Shirley School District is proud to recognize four outstanding students who earned qualifying scores on their Advanced Placement (AP) exams this year!

👏 AP Environmental Science
🌟 Ben Hughes – Score of 3
🌟 Shaylea Lancaster – Score of 3

👏 AP U.S. History
🌟 Tristan Henderson – Score of 3
🌟 Katie Mendieta – Score of 4

By earning qualifying AP exam scores, these students have not only earned high school credit but are also eligible to receive college credit, giving them a head start on their future educational goals.

This achievement is a testament to their dedication, perseverance, and commitment to academic excellence. We are incredibly proud of Ben, Shaylea, Tristan, and Katie for representing Shirley High School so well!

Please join us in congratulating these students on this outstanding accomplishment! 💙❤️

#ShirleyBlueDevils #AcademicExcellence #APSuccess #CollegeReady #BlueDevilPride

Check out our first ACES commercial!! Thank you, Mrs. McKenzie for hosting our Broadcasting Club!! https://youtu.be/38kJE5bSJZ0

It's been a minute since we have bragged on our ACES kiddos!! Let's show you a bit of what we've been up to!

Congratulations to Aaron Wiggins on being selected to participate in the 2026–2027 cohort of the Thompson Executive Leadership Institute Superintendent Academy!

The TELI Superintendent Academy is a nationally known advanced leadership development program for superintendents in Texas and surrounding states. The goal is to assist successful superintendents in achieving even higher levels of discipline and growth. This opportunity reflects a continued commitment to leadership, growth, and service to the students, staff, and community of Shirley School District. Mr. Wiggins was nominated by Dr. Harry Alvis, Superintendent at Two Rivers School District.

Blue Devil Pride!

Attention ACES!! Thursday, June 25 is our last day of summer programming. Please send an extra pair of clothes and a towel with your students! We plan to make the last day one to remember!

🏀 Lady Blue Devils Basketball 🏀 Jr. & Sr. High Practice Update Sorry for the inconvenience, but practice scheduled for Tuesday the 16th for the Lady Blue Devils Jr. and Sr. High basketball teams will need to be rescheduled to Monday the 15th due to jury duty. Thank you for your understanding, Coach Walls

ATTENTION ACES PARENTS!! You should have received a handbook last week for our program. Please read through it; then sign and send the last page back to Mrs. Angie. If you DID NOT receive one, reach out and let us know so we can get a copy to you. Thanks so much, Mrs. Angie 21 CCLC Program Director

Did you know that ACES now has a broadcasting center?! YES!!! Students are learning the ins and outs of broadcasting a daily news report with Mrs. McKenzie and are living every minute of it! Be sure to like and subscribe! https://youtube.com/@shirleybluedevilsbroadcast?si=P3m65psUZX0wP7fR

🏀 Lady Blue Devil Basketball Reminder 🏀 Jr. High and Sr. High basketball practice will be tomorrow at the Glenn Hackett Fieldhouse from 9:00 AM–11:00 AM. I look forward to meeting everyone and getting started! — Coach Walls

Whew! Yesterday was FULL of goodness and fun! The kids got to cook and serve lunch today. Let’s just say, if you need a spaghetti supper, these are your chefs! We also learned how gossip can spread and be all wrong in the end just by one person changing the story. Lesson:mind what you say and don’t always believe everything you hear. Students also got to talk about careers from A to Z. Can you come up with an occupation for every letter of the alphabet?

And the costumes are complete!! Please comment the number you think is the best costume. Winner will be announced on Monday.

Oh, what a week we have had!! We wrapped up the week with a cornhole tournament, a boat race, and some self-focus. Next week we hope to build on this week's lessons even more! Can't wait to see you here!

you wake up and look in the mirror and think, “I really need something good today”? We do. So, today we filled our bucket! Each student (and staff) was tasked with filling their own bucket with positive affirmations. Here are just a few of what they wrote. We are smart. We are kind. We are loved. We can do hard things. We are ACES!!!

Soooo much fun was had today!!! The students participated in a little yoga with Fitness Club, worked on their Llama costumes for World Culture Club, and even did a bit of discussion in book club. We even had popsicles and Hawaiian Punch before heading home! Then, I get this text from a parent!! We are doing great things around here and we can't wait to share more of it with you!

Calling all broadcasters!!! Today was the first day of the Blue Devil Broadcasting Center! Student were able to learn what it takes to make a good news story and what the 5 W's are. We look forward to having our own news broadcast and newsletter to share with fellow students, staff, and the community through our YouTube channel.

It's never too early to start talking to kids about what their future could look like. Yesterday, the College & Career Club talked about what the students want to be when they grow up. We had everything from nurses and teachers to military police, firefighters, and NBA players! Today, students used the art of improv to put on a little skit where they each chose a prop and came up with their own lines. This helps them face the fear of public speaking which can come with all careers.