MACulty at Work – The Shield Online

On the morning of the 2019 Taco Shack Bowl, Blue Brigade Coach Nancy Honeycutt-Searle observes as the McCallum Blue Brigade and Band rehearses its kick routine to “Hey Baby” by Bruce Channell, that they will be performing at the halftime show. Photo by Caleb Melville.

‘I could not have asked for a better second mom’

May 10, 2020

Once a Knight, always a Knight

Once a Knight, always a Knight

April 24, 2020

The original caption from the 1990 Knight yearbook, the year that Nancy Honeycutt Searle then Kudela (first from left on front row), became Blue Brigade director, reads:

The origin story of a Mac superhero: Nancy Searle

April 22, 2020

BOUNTIFUL BINS: Junior Rachel Plotkin and sponsor Jane Farmer move decorated socks into the bin for the NHS sock drive. The prepared socks were then taken to homeless shelters around Austin. Photo by Isabella Dietz.

Nobody ‘screams McCallum’ quite like Jane Farmer

April 21, 2020

Meet Zoe, Crackerjack, Clementine and Oreo, all of whom have been adopted by McCallum faculty members in the past two weeks. It's part of a nationwide spike in dog adoption as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. People have more time to take care of and train dogs, and they need the social, emotional and mental health benefits that come from pet ownership. Photos courtesy of the puppies' parents.

Pandemic prompts proliferation of puppy parents

April 16, 2020

Senior Aranza Sanchez talks with principal Brandi Hosack and assistant principal Gabriel Reyes on the first day of school. Photo by Anna McClellan.

Sixteen going on school staff

April 15, 2020

DIRECTOR AND NOW MOTHER: Allison Kashdan conducts the varsity choir at the McCallum Choir concert that took place on Oct. 3. That concert was the only one Kashdan conducted before taking her maternity leave to have her daughter, Acadia Kashdan. Kashdan passed the torch to Malcolm Nelson, who conducted the pre-UIL concert weeks before the quarantine shut down the actual UIL competition. Although the choir students are enjoying learning from Nelson, they await reuniting with their director. Sophomore Charlotte Bearse, a varsity choir member, admires Kashdan for the way she treats her students. “She’s such a sweet human being and I love how kind she is to all of her students and I love how she treats everyone,” Bearse said. “I feel like I can respect her and go to her with things.” Photo by Annabel Winter.

A glorious arrival brightens a crazy time for choir

April 13, 2020

Daniel Vega plays the drums with his band Zlam Dunk during the band’s third tour. Vega said he wasn’t sure where and when the photo was taken but his best guess was that it was in Philadelphia in 2011. “It was the longest tour we ever did,” Vega recalled, “roughly five weeks on the road, living in a van and crashing on floors. Best time of my life, other than getting married and teaching at McCallum obviously.” The extended spring break gave the math teacher the chance to realize an album project that has been four years in the making. The album,

It took Vega four years to make ‘Decade’

April 7, 2020

CONDUCTOR OF THIS TRAIN: Assistant orchestra director Erika Elder conducts the non-varsity full orchestra before its Pre-UIL concert, on Tuesday Feb. 11. The performance helped the orchestra stay on track with its weekly Tuesday rehearsals. “I thought we did pretty well overall,

Formerly taught, currently teaching

February 27, 2020

Teacher in-service proves that steel drum music is ‘staff infectious’

January 14, 2020

The science department, including former science teachers Robert Lehman and Richard Whisennand, pose for a group photo at the annual department holiday party on Wednesday, Dec. 18, in Mr. Ely's room. Photo by Lindsey Plotkin.

Oh ChemisTree, Oh ChemisTree! How lovely are thy branches

December 30, 2019

New security guard Gilbert Harros smiles as students pass him in the hall. “I always say, ‘High school is the best nightmare ever,” Gilbert said.

At Mac, Gilbert finds a second family

November 20, 2019

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