Meet Mr. Nickel and Other New Administrators on July 9th at the SHS Auditorium

Sunnyvale ISD's Board of Trustees has named Brian Nickel the new principal for Sunnyvale High School. The board approved Nickel's hire at a called meeting of the Board of Trustees on June 4.

 Superintendent Doug Williams will introduce Principal Nickel and other new SISD administrators to the Sunnyvale community at a special meeting on July 9 at 6:30 p.m. in the SHS Auditorium. All are welcome to attend.

Mr. Nickel’s official first day on the job will be July 1, but plans to spend time at SHS prior to then.

 "We are excited about Brian joining the administrative team and becoming a part of the Raider Nation,” Superintendent Doug Williams said. “He brings expertise in leading a high school in a similar district along with a passion for students and learning. We believe he will continue to expand our work in preparing SHS students for future success.”

Mr. Nickel is a experienced administrator with over 16 years in education. He joins SISD after serving as the principal of Quest Academy in Rockwall ISD, a position he held for two years. Prior to that, he served as the principal of Plainview High School in Ardmore, OK for five years. He also worked as the Assistant Principal in Wylie ISD for four years. He began his time in education as a Science teacher and coach in Wylie.

 The Nickels are excited about the move and look forward to the family environment of SISD.

 “Sunnyvale, to me, is very similar to Plainview High School where I worked in Oklahoma. It’s an opportunity for me to bring my family back to that type of community,” Mr. Nickels said. “We loved being in Plainview for the five years that we were there - it was a very close-knit atmosphere and that feeling of community is hard to replicate.”

 Mr. Nickel recognizes the established success of high school and is eager to build upon it.

 “I want to come in, support the excellence that’s here, learn everything about SHS and then build from there,” he said.

 His approach to teacher management stems from his experience in the classroom.

 “I am a teacher at heart,” Mr. Nickel said. “I loved being a teacher, and I loved the connection I had with the kids as a teacher. I felt like those bonds were my leverage in learning. I am a big believer in relationships, in getting to know our students. My job is to have significant relationships with teachers, meet their needs, use relationships to leverage growth and impact learning in the classroom.”

 Mr. Nickel looks forward to helping Raiders achieve and learn daily.

 “My goal for students is to be as visible as possible and to be present in their daily lives,” he said. “It’s my job to help them be successful and to provide the programs and opportunities to reach whatever their dreams are.”

Nickel and his wife, Megan, have two children: Chase, who will be a third grader at the Intermediate School and a three-year-old named Brady. The family lives in Rockwall and is considering a move to Sunnyvale.

Click here for all the information on what's happening this summer in SISD: camps, summer reading and assigments, library dates... you name it, we've got the information you need!

AlphaBest to Provide Innovative, Curriculum-Based Licensed Care

New Parent Introductory Meeting Set For Tuesday, May 28 at 5:30 p.m.

DOWNLOAD THE ALPHABEST FLYER

SISD is excited to announce that beginning in the fall of 2019, AlphaBest Education will provide after-school care for Sunnyvale students in grades PK-5. After-school services will be provided from directly after school until 6:00 p.m. each evening.

Parents who are interested in hearing more about this new service for SISD students should plan to attend an introductory meeting at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, May 28 at SES.

“AlphaBest is licensed by the state of Texas and provides high-quality childcare services that include homework support and exposure to world languages, STEM, arts, and wellness,” Assistant Superintendent Christi Morgan said. “AlphaBest staff members receive training in child development, behavior, and the AlphaBest curriculum.” 

AlphaBest Education is a fully licensed, extended-day care provider which operates directly out of the familiar environment of the child’s school district. At SISD, AlphaBest will be located at the Intermediate School, with elementary students who utilize this program riding the bus there each afternoon. Schools in the Metroplex such as Frisco ISD, Aubrey ISD, Wylie ISD and others are also partners of AlphaBest Education.

“AlphaBest is a program that runs smoothly, independently and provides our district’s children with purposeful and meaningful activities in a secure environment during the critical after-school hours,” Frisco ISD Facilitator of Special Projects Sally Turner said.

Sunnyvale PTA will continue to offer supplemental programs for students, which will be announced in the fall.

“AlphaBest fills a much-needed gap in our community,” PTA President Melanie Meinhardt said. “Having a company with such a great track record on campus is a win for working parents. AlphaBest believes that after school is still a great time to inject learning and character building. AlphaBest sends their employees through a tough interview and training process and keep only the best”.

AlphaBest provides an innovative curriculum-based approach to after-school programming which is centered around “Learning Zones.” These zones integrate hands-on learning that is familiar to students, such as: STEM, World Languages and Culture, Arts and Entertainment, Fitness and Wellness, and the Maker Movement. Students are also offered help with their homework and provided a healthy snack, as well.

“Having seen this program in action, I am excited about the partnership that we will be forming,” intermediate principal Sara Staley said. “The extended enrichment lessons in STEM and drama, for example, will be an engaging extension of what our students are learning in the classroom.”

Parents may begin registering their child for the 2018-2019 now! For more information, please visit www.sunnyvaleisd.com/alphabest.

The 2019-2020 district calendar has been approved. To download a copy, please click here.