Faculty, staff and students at Plano's Faith Lutheran School will gather on Tuesday, September 16 at 10:30 a.m. with local dignitaries, members of the military and other guests for a public reading of the U.S. Constitution.

The event will feature the presentation of a proclamation on behalf of Plano Mayor Harry LaRosiliere by Plano City Councilman David Downs.  

The Sons of the American Revolution - Plano Chapter will provide a color guard flag processional at the event, and Mr. Downs, members of the military, veterans, community members and others will read portions of the U.S. Constitution at the event.

"This event is a way for us to express our respect for our country and for the U.S. Constitution and to remind ourselves, our students and our community that this document is still very relevant today," said Faith Lutheran School Headmaster Rev. Stephen W. Kieser of Plano. "Too many are not really, truly familiar with the U.S. Constitution, what it says and what it stands for.  Reading it aloud will be educational and a good reminder for all of us."

The event is one of hundreds of U.S. Constitution readings that will be conducted in cities and towns all across the United States to celebrate Constitution Day. Constitution Day is September 17.  This year, Faith Lutheran School is observing the event on Tuesday, September 16.

Faith Lutheran School is located at 1701 E. Park Blvd. in Plano. For more information, please call 972.423.7448 or email school@flsplano.org 

About Faith Lutheran School
Faith Lutheran School is fully accredited and currently provides classes from pre-school three-year-olds through the twelfth grade.   School curriculum is based on the classical model of education. The school's educational program also includes both sports and the fine arts. In 1971, the congregation of Faith Lutheran Church in Plano, Texas established a four-year-old preschool for children of the congregation. Since then, the school has grown and opened enrollment to others in the community on a tuition basis.  To learn more about Faith Lutheran School, please visit the school's web site at www.flsplano.org or call 972.423.7448.

The Plano Conservancy for Historic Preservation, Inc. today announced the release of the book "Football and Integration in Plano, Texas: Stay in There, Wildcats."

"This book gives us the opportunity to tell the story of a pivotal time in history not only in the city of Plano, but during a time of great change for our country overall," said The Plano Conservancy for Historic Preservation, Inc. Co-Director Russell C. Kissick.  "Through this book, our team was able to capture and record the stories of the many educators, coaches, community members and civic leaders who were instrumental in making integrated education a reality in Plano and beyond. The inspirational stories of these amazing people during a remarkable time in history are recorded here for many to enjoy."

The book was authored by Jeffrey Campbell of McKinney, Amy Sandling Crawford of Plano and Kirby Stokes of Allen for The Plano Conservancy for Historic Preservation, Inc. with a foreword by former Plano Senior High School Wildcat football player Billy Ray Smith who went on to play for the San Diego Chargers and an introduction by Robert Haynes, curator of Plano's Interurban Railway Museum and chief curator and director of Texas Curatorial Services of Dallas. The book was published by The History Press.

Football and Integration in Plano, Texas: Stay in There, Wildcats" is available via www.amazon.com, www.barnesandnoble.com and at select area retailers.

Books will be available for purchase at these upcoming events:

Book signing:  Saturday, September 6, 2014 at 3 p.m.
Barnes & Noble 2201 Preston Road in Plano  (northwest corner of Park & Preston)

Book release party and book signing: Friday, September 12, 2014 at 2 p.m.
including remarks from Plano City Council member David Downs
Interurban Railway Museum 901 E. 15th Street in historic downtown Plano 

Book signing: Friday, September 12, 2014 at 6 p.m.
John Clark Stadium at the Plano Senior High School football game vs. Hebron

From the publisher:
Football and Integration in Plano, Texas: Stay in There, Wildcats": The year 1964 was momentous for civil rights as Congress passed the Twenty-fourth Amendment and Texas’s own Lyndon B. Johnson unveiled his plan for the Great Society. That same year, the Plano school district integrated, setting an example for the state and nation. The tight-knit community banded together through a language fluent to everyone—football. The Wildcats had few winning seasons and no state titles at that time, but with hard work and a trailblazing spirit, coaches Tom Gray and John Clark led the integrated team all the way to state championship victory in 1965. The Plano Conservancy for Historic Preservation, Inc. presents the inspiring story of the Wildcat fight for the title that made Plano a better place to live.

The Plano Conservancy for Historic Preservation, Inc., is a Texas-based non-profit organization dedicated to promoting civic pride in the past, increasing preservation awareness through education and public outreach and providing financial assistance to protect and preserve our heritage resources for current and future generations. The Plano Conservancy for Historic Preservation, Inc., is especially focused on preserving the history and heritage of Plano, Texas. 

Jeffrey C. Campbell is the co-director for the Plano Conservancy for Historic Preservation, Inc. He has a degree in heritage resources with a concentration in historic preservation from Northwestern State University of Louisiana. He has worked on historic preservation projects in Texas, Louisiana and New Mexico. He is also a published folk poet and writes a column for Stephen F. Austin State University's Center for Regional Heritage Research. He lives in McKinney, Texas, with his wife.

Amy Sandling Crawford was raised in Plano, Texas. She graduated from Plano East Senior High School and has a degree in journalism with public relations emphasis from the University of North Texas. A widely published journalist and successful public relations specialist, Amy uses her talents to promote many non-profits, businesses and community groups in Plano and beyond. She lives in Plano with her husband, Ben, and their daughter, Elizabeth Grace.

Kirby Stokes is a student at the University of Texas at Dallas pursuing her graduate degree in history. She was raised in north Dallas and currently resides in Allen, Texas. She lives with her wonderful husband Alex Lindsey and their rambunctious dog Marley.

About the Plano Conservancy for Historic Preservation:
The Plano Conservancy for Historic Preservation, Inc., a Texas corporation 501 (c)(3) non-profit, is an organization dedicated to promote civic pride in the past, to increase preservation awareness through education and public outreach, and to provide financial assistance to protect and preserve our heritage resources for this and future generations. For more information, please visit www.planoconservancy.org or call 972-941-2117.

Faith Lutheran School today announced that the school has hired Rev. Stephen W. Kieser to serve as the school's headmaster.  Debi Tauschek was also hired to teach seventh and eighth grades and serve as athletic director.

Rev. Kieser was recruited to serve as headmaster after the school's former headmaster, Timothy Merritt of Plano, refocused his responsibilities at the school to serve as a full-time high school teacher as well as the school's technology director.

"Faith Lutheran School has provided a strong presence among private schools in the area for more than 35 years, so expanding our staff with the addition of Rev. Kieser as headmaster and Debi Tauschek as teacher and athletic director was a natural progression for us," Merritt said. "We are thrilled to add these two talented educators to our staff, because we know they are dedicated to providing excellent, high-quality, Christ-centered leadership and education for our students."

No stranger to education administration, Rev. Kieser served as principal at Faith Lutheran School in Plano from 1998 to 2003. Following that tenure at Faith Lutheran School, he attended seminary to become a pastor.  Prior to joining rejoining Faith Lutheran School as headmaster, Rev. Kieser served as senior pastor at Trinity Lutheran Church in Darmstadt, Indiana.

"I look forward to using my experiences and interest in Lutheran doctrine and classical education to serve these children and bring them the Gospel of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ," said Rev. Kieser.  "It is an honor to work with the outstanding staff at Faith Lutheran School to serve our students, their families, our church family and the community as a whole."

Rev. Kieser holds a Bachelor of Arts in secondary education and biology and a minor in mathematics from Concordia University in Ann Arbor Michigan, a Master of Arts in school administration from Concordia University in River Forest, Illinois, and a M.A. of theology in exegetical studies with a minor in systematic theology from Concordia Theological Seminary in Fort Wayne, Indiana. He is the current chairman of the board of directors of the Classical Consortium for Lutheran Education. 

Rev. Kieser and his wife Julia have seven children.  They reside in Plano.

Debi Tauschek was recruited to serve at Faith Lutheran School's seventh and eighth grade teacher, and will also serve as the school's athletic director.

Prior to joining Faith Lutheran School, Tauschek served as teacher and headmaster at Christ Lutheran Academy in Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin.

Tauschek holds a bachelor of science degree in mathematics from the University of Wisconsin-Parkside in Kenosha, Wisconsin.

Tauschek and her husband Patrick have two children. They reside in Plano.

About Faith Lutheran School 

In 1971, the congregation of Faith Lutheran Church in Plano, Texas established a four-year-old preschool for children of the congregation. Since then, the school has grown and opened enrollment to others in the community on a tuition basis. Faith Lutheran School is fully accredited and currently provides classes from pre-school three-year-olds through grade 12. School curriculum is based on the classical model of education. The school's educational program also includes both sports and the fine arts. To learn more about Faith Lutheran School, please visit the school's web site at www.flsplano.org or call 972.423.7448.

Faith Lutheran School of Plano today announced the result of the school's recent online fundraising auction, an event which took place to raise funds for technology improvements at the school. The online auction raised more than $6,500.00.

"The event was a great success, and the generous support of the community and our school families has allowed us to begin much-anticipated technology upgrades at the school," said Faith Lutheran School Headmaster Timothy Merritt of Plano.

The school's recent online auction featured a variety of items up for bids, including class projects crafted by students at the school such as hand-painted umbrellas, custom glass mosaic trivets, unique photography art pieces, a hand painted child's chair and more. Other items up for bids included an NFL-player autographed football, an American Girl school desk, a raised garden bed kit complete with plants, a bundle of fiction and non-fiction books and school supplies and much more.

Many technology enhancements are planned for the school, and the improvements will be rolled out in phases.  New computers will be installed in the school's computer lab this summer and will be ready for use at the beginning of the 2014-2015 school year. These computers were funded in part by this year's auction proceeds.

Additional future, planned improvements include the addition of more computers, document cameras, "smart" white boards and other technology in the school's classrooms and computer lab.

About Faith Lutheran School:
In 1971, the congregation of Faith Lutheran Church in Plano, Texas established a four-year-old preschool for children of the congregation. Since then, the school has grown and opened enrollment to others in the community on a tuition basis. Faith Lutheran School is fully accredited and currently provides classes from pre-school three-year-olds through grade twelve. School curriculum is based on the classical model of education. The school's educational program also includes both sports and the fine arts. To learn more about Faith Lutheran School, please visit the school's web site at www.flsplano.org or call 972.423.7448.

The Plano Conservancy for Historic Preservation, Inc. today announced the winners of the group's four student scholarships.

The honorees were recently recognized at The Plano Conservancy for Historic Preservation's "Prairie Jubilee" event, which took place on May 17 in Haggard Park and featured live music, food and family-friendly activities.

Scholarship winners are Cesar Ortega, Amy Lee Carpenetti, Rebecca Miles and Conner Teaff, all of Plano.

The Plano Conservancy for Historic Preservation, Inc. awards scholarships to Plano Independent School District and other area seniors seeking to study historic preservation, architecture, archaeology, anthropology, urban planning or certain fields of engineering.

Cesar Ortega received the Norwood M. Brenneke Scholarship, named in honor of Mr. Brenneke who was a founding board member and first treasurer of The Plano Conservancy for Historic Preservation, Inc. Ortega will graduate from Plano Senior High School and plans to attend Collin College and then transfer to a four year university pursue a degree in architecture and construction studies.

Amy Lee Carpenetti received one of the Conservancy's Benefactors Scholarships.  Carpenetti will graduate from Plano West Senior High School and plans to attend Texas A&M University to study electrical engineering.

Rebecca Miles also received a Benefactors Scholarship. She will graduate from Plano West Senior High school and plans to attend North Carolina State University to study computer science, computer engineering and electrical engineering.

Conner Taeff received the Plano Conservancy Board of Directors Scholarship.  Taeff will graduate form Plano West Senior High School and will attend Texas A&M University to study construction science.

"We are pleased to recognize the hard work of these four individuals," said Plano Conservancy for Historic Preservation board member and scholarship committee member Harry Kepner of Plano. "Our annually awarded scholarships provide students with financial assistance towards their college education. We seek to assist students like Cesar, Amy, Rebecca and Conner who wish to further their education in historical preservation and related fields."
   
About The Plano Conservancy for Historic Preservation, Inc:
The Plano Conservancy for Historic Preservation, Inc., a Texas corporation 501 (c)(3) non-profit, is an organization dedicated to promote civic pride in the past, to increase preservation awareness through education and public outreach, and to provide financial assistance to protect and preserve our heritage resources for this and future generations. For more information, please visit www.planoconservancy.org or call 972-941-2117.