O.P. Norman Junior High

Our students spent time this week serving something much bigger than themselves. 🇺🇸

At O.P. Norman Jr. High, we believe strongly in serving others and leaving things better than we found them. It’s part of who we are and part of what we try to instill in our students every single day.

Coach White’s Gardening Club, alongside Mr. Ramirez’s art students, partnered together to help renovate the entryway at Veterans Memorial Park in Kaufman. Students built flower beds, created rock beds painted as the American flag, and worked side-by-side to honor the men and women who have served and sacrificed for our country.

Projects like this reinforce the importance of service, pride in community, teamwork, and taking time to honor those who came before us. These students used their hands, creativity, and hearts to create something meaningful for others to experience as we approach Memorial Day 2026. 👩‍🌾🧑‍🌾🪏🪴🎨🖌️👩‍🎨👨‍🎨

A huge thank you to Coach White, Mr. Ramirez, our students, and Kaufman County Veterans Service Officer Robert Hunter for partnering with our students on this special project. We are proud of the way our students continue to represent what it means to be a 🦁 Lion — serving others, working together, and making an impact beyond our campus walls. ❤️🤍💙

Photo credits to 8th grade student, Iris Walker! 📸

Just a reminder about this!

For all students who plan to take 7th or 8th Grade Athletics for the 2026-2027 school year at the Jr. High, please see the following information!

One last Kona Ice of the year!!!

Kona Ice will be visiting the campus one last time of the year on Tuesday, May 19th! 🍧🍧🍧

Students will be given the opportunity to visit the Kona Ice truck on Tuesday during one of their elective classes to purchase a snow cone if they so choose. Students should bring cash if they plan to make a purchase.

Thank you!

Tonight, our students were recognized by the Kaufman City Council for the incredible art mural they installed last week at Kaufman City Lakes Park, and it was such a special moment for our students, Mr. Ramirez, and our campus.

We are incredibly proud of the work these students put into this project and thankful they had the opportunity to create something that will be enjoyed by our community for years to come.

Thank you to the City of Kaufman for supporting and celebrating our students and fine arts programs, and thank you to Mr. Ramirez for continuing to create opportunities for our students to showcase their creativity and talents beyond the classroom.

Our Lions continue to leave their mark on this community in the best ways. 🖤💛

“Movie Night on the Field” to celebrate a year’s worth of learning and growth!!! 🎬🦖🦕🏈🦁🌟

Kona Ice will be visiting the campus one last time of the year on Tuesday, May 19th! 🍧🍧🍧

Students will be given the opportunity to visit the Kona Ice truck on Tuesday during one of their elective classes to purchase a snow cone if they so choose. Students should bring cash if they plan to make a purchase.

Thank you!

We have two important points of info for y’all today!

1. Final library check in!

It's time to take a moment to look under beds or in backpacks for stray library books.

This week: All library books are DUE. Students should return them to the drop off book cart in the library as soon as possible to avoid having to pay any fees. We will begin collecting all lost book fees for any items that have not been returned.

Let's get those books back home to the library so others can enjoy them!

2. Parents,

Please encourage your students to check the lost and found on the stage in the cafeteria as we round out the last week of the school year. We have separated the items into sections by category - lunch boxes, cups, shoes, and clothes. After the end of the last day of school, the remaining items will be discarded.

Thank you!

Ramirez Art Show #2 🎨🖤💛

Join us on Friday, May 22nd at 6:00 PM in the O.P. Norman Jr. High cafeteria for the second ever Ramirez Art Show!

Come support and celebrate the incredible creativity of our student artists and their teacher, Mr. Ramirez, as they showcase this year’s artwork and large-scale 3D sculptures themed “Everyday Use.” 🦁✨

On Friday, students who completed their EOY testing, were present at school, and met the qualifications for our EOY Growth Incentives received their “Movie Night on the Field” tickets and/or their earned snack and drink tickets for the event based on their individual growth results. Students who qualified but were absent on Friday will receive their reward tickets on Monday during the school day.

For students who qualified to attend “Movie Night on the Field,” event information is listed below:

Event Details 🎬
Date: May 18th
Location: Homer Norville Field (KISD Football Stadium)
Movie: Jurassic Park, 1993 (Rated PG-13)
Field Opens: 5:45 PM (ticket required for admission)
Movie Begins: 6:00 PM
Pickup Time: Approximately 8:15 PM

Additional Information 📌
- Admission is limited to students with event tickets and supervising staff only.
- Students may bring blankets or towels to sit on the field.
- Outside food is allowed; however, all food and drinks must be consumed in the bleachers or common areas, not on the field.
- Kona Ice will be available for purchase.
- Phones will be allowed at this event, as it is taking place outside of regular school hours.
- Staff members will be present to supervise throughout the event.
- Appropriate behavior will be expected, as always.

We are incredibly proud of the growth our students have shown this year, and we are excited to celebrate their hard work and accomplishments in a fun and meaningful way.

Thank you for your continued support!

We are proud to announce our newest additions to the Caught With Character Wall!!!

Cesia Dominguez was nominated by Mrs. McNeely for Integrity. “Cesia found a crisp $20 bill outside on the ground and brought it directly to the front office to return it in the hopes that whoever it belonged to could get it back. Thank you, Cesia, for being a young lady of integrity. It does not go unnoticed.”

Julianna Castro was nominated by Ms. Bonita Reed for Kindness. “Julianna went above and beyond to help me when I needed her assistance. I asked for her help, and she jumped right in to assist me, no questions asked. Her kindness, along with her cheerful personality are an asset to our campus. So grateful for her Kindness.”

Serenity Ross was nominated by Ms. Bonita Reed for Integrity. “Serenity is always smiling, thoughtful, and kind to her peers. She is respectful, creative, and happy when she is communicating with her peers in the mornings. She comes in smiling, passing out good luck notes for the students before the STAAR test to encourage them to do their best! She is a great student leader who wants to support positive peer interactions.”

Jason Negrete was nominated by Mrs. Kasper for Kindness. “When another student accidentally broke a pen, causing ink to spill all over the floor, Jason immediately jumped in to help with the cleanup!”

Melanie Pedroza was nominated by Mrs. Carrillo for Integrity. “Melanie may not always be the most outspoken student in the room, but she consistently demonstrates outstanding character every single day. She is kind to others, dependable, respectful, and caring in the way she treats both students and staff. She quietly leads by example through her positive attitude, willingness to help others, and the genuine compassion she shows to those around her. Her steady kindness and strong character make our school a better place, and she is truly deserving of recognition on the character wall.”

Mrs. Story was caught doing something good by Mrs. Tovar! 🙂
She said, "A student was hungry and she offered to get him a lunch. She just could not let him go without eating!"

The 7th grade came out on top in Pride Points this quarter with 236 points! They got to celebrate their successful quarter with their pride point party today, 7th and 8th period. They worked hard all quarter and they truly earned this reward! Pics attached!

Today was a BIG day at O.P. Norman Jr. High as we officially welcomed our future 6th grade Lions! 🖤💛🦁

Throughout the morning, each of our incoming 5th grade groups visited campus for our annual 5th Grade transition meetings. Students met with the admin team, learned important information about life at the Jr. High, got a glimpse at the bell schedule and school procedures, and toured the 6th grade wing to help make the transition to middle school a little easier—and a lot more exciting!

Then tonight, we loved getting to welcome families to campus as parents joined their 5th graders for our evening Paws to Claws meeting. It was great to see so many future Jr. High Lions and their families beginning this next chapter with us.

Middle school is a big step, but we are so excited for this incoming group and cannot wait to watch them grow, learn, lead, and leave their mark here at O.P. Norman Jr. High.

Welcome to the Pride, future Lions! 🦁💛🖤