Aldine ISD Fall/Winter 2025

AISD NEWS FEATURE Return of The Mac, Generals: The Shift From Within

Leaders on Both Sides of the Ball MacArthur’s defense is anchored by its three captains: linebacker Xavier Raygoza, who led the team in tackles during the opener; senior cornerback Tre Allen, a returning leader; and

For the MacArthur Generals, winning started long before the first whistle of the 2025 season. It started in workouts. It started when expectations felt uncomfortable, when “normal” was no longer enough. It started with a new culture. In his second season, head coach Blake Ware has emphasized that victories, such as MacArthur’s 23-13 win over Cypress Ridge on August 28— which earned the Generals the Houston Touchdown Club’s “Team of the Week” honor from the Greater Coaches Houston Association—are a byproduct of the team’s efforts, not the main objective. “We always want to work at raising the standard, to push the bar up,” Ware said. “Winning is a byproduct of how consistent and focused you are at being the best teammate you can be and helping raise the standard.” That standard was visible immediately. Less than 12 hours after their season-opening win, the entire roster showed up for early-morning 6 a.m. running and lifting, something Ware said meant more than the victory itself. “Availability, dependability and accountability — we don’t waver in those three areas,” Ware said. “Our coaches model it every day, and the kids are starting to live it.”

they are also becoming a stronger group of young men. “There’s a lot more improvement in the team overall,” Ponce said. “Our coaches have instilled so much love, accountability, and attention to detail in everything we do. I see myself becoming more of a leader and holding my teammates accountable.” That sense of responsibility is exactly what Ware envisioned. “To have a successful culture, it has to be inconvenient,” Ware said. “We are a completely different team in year two with regards to how we do things and how well we respond to adversity.” “We want to put a football team on the field that the MacArthur community can be proud of,” he said. “Kids that play with relentless passion and effort, and coaches that lead by example.” to learning for young learners, especially emergent bilinguals. The labs provide bilingual books, language-rich environments, and activities that encourage language development in both English and students’ native languages. “Children are more willing to take risks and share their voices in this space,” said Laura Hinojosa, bilingual interven tionist and OWL Lab teacher at Vines and OWL Lab teacher Maggie Abrego has seen similar growth at Kujawa.

defensive lineman Elijah McDonald, a fast and physical presence expected to contend for all-district honors. On offense, quarterback Ryan Smith set the tone in Week 1 with 279 passing yards. His receiving corps is deep, featuring Julian Ponce and Amari Cano, both of whom surpassed 100 yards in the opener. They are joined by Kaedyn Macicek, Josh Portillo, and Myjah Davis. The Generals also boast a trio of running backs — senior Jonathan Mosley and sophomores Korey Fisher and Trinidad Espinosa — supported by an offensive line anchored by Courtland Martin and Dom Garcia. Buying into the Vision For Julian Ponce, the buy-in is personal. The senior receiver believes that not only is the football team improving, but For young children just beginning their educational journey — and for many, just beginning to learn English — storytelling can be a powerful bridge to confidence and literacy. That’s the heart of the Rice Oral and Written Language (OWL) Lab, a research based program with 580 students at Vines and 750 students at Kujawa EC/ PreK/K schools in Aldine ISD. Developed in 2010 by Rice University’s School of Literacy & Culture (SLC), the OWL Labs bring a sense of joy and fun

OWL Labs at AISD Schools Help Young Learners Build Language Growth Through Storytelling

OWL Lab teacher Maggie Abrego at Kujawa EC/PK/K School with students.

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ALDINE ISD \\ FALL • WINTER 2025 \\ vype.com