Melissa Schools - Home of the Cardinals

Melissa ISD will be closed for Winter Break from Dec. 22 - Jan. 2, 2025. As a reminder, students will not have school on Monday, Jan. 5, due to a scheduled staff development day. We are excited to see all of our Cardinals back to school on Tuesday, Jan. 6. We hope you have a safe, relaxing, and enjoyable Winter Break! ❄️

The MHS Ruby Belles Drill Team & Trumpet Ensemble delivered an outstanding performance for the Texas State Board of Education, showcasing their talent and Cardinal pride! 🌟

A heartfelt thank you to dance director, Joanna Ingram, and Director of Bands, Kevin McNulty, for leading an incredible group of students!

⚾️🥎 The Melissa Cardinal Baseball and Softball teams are excited to host the inaugural 2026 Cardinal Classic on January 24 at the Melissa Z-Plex. The Cardinal Classic Event will feature the Redbird Rookie Experience Training Camp for students in grades K-5 and the Cardinal Classic Wiffle Ball Tournament for students in grades 6-12, along with Melissa ISD staff. ⚾️🥎 Rookies today. Cardinals tomorrow.

🔗 Learn more and get registered today! www.melissaisd.org/article/2606351

🏀 The Melissa High School Boys and Girls Basketball programs invite students in grades K-6 to join the MLK Future Cards Basketball Camp on Monday, Jan. 19, from 10:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the East Cardinal Middle School Gym for the boys and at the Melissa High School Gym for the girls.

🌟 Campers will receive basketball training, a team poster, an MLK Future Cards Camp shirt, and the opportunity to be recognized at halftime of the Varsity Girls & Boys Basketball games on Jan. 20 at 5:45 p.m. & 7 p.m. The cost is $40 per camper.

🔗 For more information and to register, visit www.melissaisd.org/camp. #REDRED

Students at Melissa Schools have early release on Friday, Dec. 19, ahead of the Winter Break. The early release times are as follows:

• MREC ECSE @ 10:30 a.m.

• Cardinal Child Care @ 1:00 p.m.

• Elementary @ 11:45 a.m.

• Sixth Grade Center @ 12:35 p.m.

• East Cardinal Middle School @ 12:35 p.m.

• Melissa High School @ 12:10 p.m.

On early release days, students who ride the bus are dropped off from school approximately 3.5 hours ahead of their usual dropoff time. As a reminder, Pre-K and Kindergarten students who ride the bus are required to be picked up from their bus stop by their registered parent/guardian.

Melissa High School students, junior Karunya Thirumalasetty, freshman Vanshika Pathani, and freshman Viswa Sai Tej Pamidi have been recognized by the local John F. Greer Chapter for their outstanding Daughters of the American Revolution Essay Contest. Vanshika previously won the local, state, and South Central DAR essay contests as a middle school student last year, and this year she was named the local high school winner, advancing to compete at the state level once again!

This year’s contest challenged students to explore an important figure from the American Revolution and their impact. All three students were honored for their thoughtful analysis and strong writing. Congratulations to our Cardinals, and best wishes to Vanshika as she continues to represent MHS at the state level!

📣 The Melissa High School Cards Inspire Cheerleading squad recently performed at the 2025 NCA State of Texas Regional event at the Kay Bailey Hutchinson Convention Center in Dallas, as they continue preparing for state competition. Their dedication and hard work paid off as the squad earned a perfect score of 100 at this weekend’s event! Congratulations to this incredible team and their coaches! 🌟

🔗 To read more, visit www.melissaisd.org/article/2602220

📣Join us in recognizing our Melissa Cardinal Varsity Football Team! This season, the Cardinals advanced all the way to the Texas UIL 5A Division II State Semifinals. Throughout the year, the team demonstrated resilience, determination, and a strong commitment to one another, competing as one of the top teams in the state. The Cardinals wrapped up the season with momentum and clear growth across the program. We commend our seniors for the leadership, commitment, and impact they brought to the team throughout the year. A special thank you to Head Coach Matt Nally and his coaching staff for their commitment to developing student-athletes and leading the program with integrity. We are proud of this group and look forward to what’s ahead for our Cardinal Football program. Go Cards! 🌟🏈

🔗 To read more about this exciting season, please visit www.melissaisd.org/article/2600214

Congratulations to the Melissa High School Robotics Team who earned an incredible finish at the 2025 UIL State Robotics Tournament, being named both State Champions in the Robot Competition and State Runner-Up overall this past weekend! East Cardinal Middle School Robotics also represented Melissa ISD at State, placing among the top 30 middle school teams in Texas!

MHS truly stood out in the highly competitive head-to-head Robot portion, where teams design, build, and program robots to compete in timed matches under real-time conditions. This achievement reflects hundreds of hours of dedication, teamwork, and problem-solving by our 71 MHS students, 23 ECMS students, and coaches. Throughout the competition, students demonstrated excellence in engineering notebooks, marketing presentations and booths, robot design and driving, and spirit and sportsmanship.

Head Coach Rick Gagarin and the MHS & ECMS Robotics teams would like to extend their sincere thanks to the community, families, staff, and supporters who encouraged them at State and throughout their journey.

Congratulations again on an outstanding state performance! To read more, please visit www.melissaisd.org/article/2600200

🌟 Melissa High School has been named a nominee for the Dave Campbell’s Community Connection School of the Year Award presented by Optimum. The winner will be selected through a community vote, and the top school will receive a $2,500 prize. Voting is now open and unlimited through January 23. We encourage everyone to cast a vote and show support for our Cardinals.

📣 To vote, please visit http://www.texasfootball.com/community-connection.../form

🚨 Cardinal Nation! Two Melissa High School varsity football players were selected to represent Melissa High School as nominees for the 2025 Whataburger Super Team. Senior Rocky Dunn is nominated for defensive back, and senior Max Wright is nominated for offensive lineman.

📣 Voting is now open and unlimited through December 31! Go vote for our Cardinals now at: www.texasfootball.com/whataburger-super-team/form

The Melissa High School and East Cardinal Middle School Robotics teams are competing this week at the UIL State Robotics Competition, The 2025 BEST Division Championship, taking place December 10–13 at the Fair Park Coliseum in Dallas. This marks the 10th consecutive year the MHS team has advanced to state, earned multiple top-six finishes, and been named state runner-up three times. This year’s team is aiming higher than ever! Good luck to the Melissa ISD Robotics teams! 🦾🌟

Melissa ISD is proud to share that three of our elementary counselors have earned the prestigious CREST Award, a statewide recognition from the Texas School Counselor Association. This honor celebrates counseling programs that demonstrate excellence in supporting students academically, socially, and emotionally. The award reflects Melissa ISD’s strong commitment to comprehensive, data-driven counseling services, and the belief that supporting the whole child is key to student success. Join us in congratulating these incredible educators for their dedication and impact. 🎉🏆

🌟 Tammy Brand – NCE
🌟 Natalie Schuckert – WWE
🌟 Deana Hester – SES

Secondary campuses will be on Early Release Schedule for students this Friday, Dec. 12, due to student extracurricular absences and transportation needs related to the playoff football game. Secondary campuses will follow the early release schedule with MHS ending at 12:10 p.m. and ECMS and SGC ending at 12:35 p.m. Secondary student transportation will be provided on an early release schedule. All other Melissa ISD campuses will continue the school day as normal. Please see your email for more information.

🚨 Cardinal Nation!! The Melissa Cardinals Football team will face off against South Oak Cliff in the 5A Division 2 State Semifinals Playoff game at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, December 12, at The Cotton Bowl in Dallas. Let's pack the stands and cheer on our Cardinals. The game's theme is Red-Out!

🎟️ More details on tickets and parking will be released later this week.

🎥 Due to UIL broadcasting rights for playoff games, the game will be livestreamed on NFHS with a subscription. Fans can listen for free on MCN radio. Head to www.melissaisd.org/livestream for more information.

#REDRED

Melissa ISD is proud to announce that IB MYP Coordinator Eydie Simpson has been selected to represent the Middle Years Programme on the Texas Association of IB Schools (TIBS) Board. This honor highlights her leadership in IB education and her commitment to supporting strong, student-centered learning in Melissa. In this new role, she will collaborate with IB leaders across Texas and help guide statewide conversations that impact IB programmes. Her involvement will also bring valuable insights and best practices back to our district, strengthening alignment, teacher learning, and student experiences. This is an exciting milestone for both Simpson and the MYP program. Please join us in congratulating her on this well-deserved recognition!

🚨 Cardinal Nation!! The Melissa Cardinals Football team will face off against the Argyle Eagles in the 5A Division 2 State Quarterfinals Playoff game at 7:00 p.m. on Friday, December 5, at Choctaw Stadium in Arlington. Let's pack the stands and cheer on our Cardinals. The game's theme is Black-Out! ⚫️ 🔴

🎟️ Tickets are $15 each with taxes and fees. Parking passes will be $15 (pre-purchased parking passes are not available). For more information, please visit www.melissaisd.org/tickets.

🎥 Due to UIL broadcasting rights for playoff games, the game will be livestreamed on NFHS with a subscription. Fans can listen for free on MCN radio. Head to www.melissaisd.org/livestream for more information.

#REDRED

Road to State: The Melissa Cardinals Football team will face the Anna Coyotes in the 5A Division 2 Regional Semifinals at 3:00 p.m. on Friday, November 28, at Allen Eagle Stadium. Pack the stands in White-Out and let’s cheer on our Cardinals!

🎟️ Ticket information coming soon at www.melissaisd.org/tickets

🎥 Due to UIL broadcasting rights for playoff games, the game will be livestreamed on NFHS with a subscription. Fans can listen for free on MCN radio. Head to www.melissaisd.org/livestream for more information.
22 minutes ago, Melissa Schools

Reminder: This season, we are especially thankful for you, our amazing students, families, and staff who make Melissa ISD such a special place. Melissa ISD will be closed for Thanksgiving Break from Nov. 24-28, 2025. We can't wait to see students back on Monday, Dec. 1. We hope you have a safe and restful holiday! 🍁

Happy Substitute Appreciation Day! Just a few of our subs today enjoying a "Thank you" snack from the SGC. Thank you again for all you for Melissa ISD!!