Thursday, September 12, 2024

Hello East Harris County and Crosby ISD families,

Happy Fall, y’all! September is typically the time we start to turn the page from summer to autumn. If you’re like me, you’re looking forward to refreshing mornings, lower humidity, and the season of pumpkin spice everything.

Let’s fall right into district happenings! On Tuesday, September 3, we welcomed the 7000^th student to Crosby ISD! London Elliott and her two brothers, Cannon and Ja’kari, are brand new to the district. I stopped by Newport Elementary School to welcome London to the 4^th grade. Principal Price showed London and her younger brother to their classrooms. It was a delight to meet the entire Elliott family, and thank them for entrusting their children with us. As I reflect on the 7000 milestone, I realize enrollment was 6,294 students when I became Superintendent of Schools on April 8, 2021. That’s 706 additional students in the last three years. As we say, Crosby ISD is the place to be! The population boom is exactly why we’re expanding Crosby High School and beginning the process of planning a new, second middle school.

In the classroom, our focus on “write a little a lot” is surging into every subject. Teachers ask students to recap their literary lesson for the day or explain how they solve equations. For instance, Ms. Madeline Downs asked her math class at Crosby Middle School to write the following: “How do you convert between fractions, decimals, and percents?” Each student had to start their writing assignment with “To change a fraction to a decimal I have to…” and followed it with explanations in four easy steps. It’s exciting to see our instructors put their own creative stamp on our 24-25 initiative. “Writing a little a lot” is sparking great academic conversations. It also enhances our students’ critical thinking skills by putting what they learned that day into their own words.

We are strengthening our ties with the business communities in Crosby / Barrett Station. The Board of Trustees and I have started a new recognition this year to honor business partners. We invite local employers and employees to volunteer on our campuses by reading to students, helping at lunchtime, and even handling car rider duty! Our first “Business Partner of the Month” was Mr. Clarence Howell from Marco’s Pizza in Crosby. Mr. Howell visited Barrett Elementary School where he read to students, engaged them in phonics lessons, and even drew a cartoon in art class. We’re excited to welcome local employers and employees into our schools to serve as volunteers. Our students love their time together! One student even nicknamed Mr. Howell “the pizza man!”

This year, the district is also honoring alumni who are doing extraordinary things in their college or career paths. We’re starting with Ebony McKee, a Crosby High School Class of 2021 graduate, who will soon complete her bachelor’s degree in marine biology at the University of Southern Mississippi. Ebony works at a fish hatchery specializing in tripletail, one of the most popular fish along the Gulf Coast. Ebony says her love of science started with a snorkeling trip to St. Croix and then grew exponentially during biology class with Ms. Cynthia Franks at Crosby High School. Once she graduates, Ebony will be one of the 14% of workers in the field of aquaculture who are women. Way to go, Ebony!

We have new turf at Cougar Stadium, and a new “Voice of the Cougars!” Mr. Mike Soileau is a Crosby ISD father and former coach in the Crosby Youth Football League. His spotter in the announcer booth is former CYFL coach and fellow Crosby ISD dad, Mr. Matt Murphy. Coach Mike and Coach Matt met while coaching kids as young as four years old. Their young players are now 9^th, 10^th, and 11^th graders playing for CHS now. They are true fans of our high school players, who first found their footing in the CYFL and Barrett Station Dragons peewee football teams. Thank you, Mike and Matt, for your selfless volunteering.

Friday field trips are about to begin for students in the YMCA and 21^st Century grant after-school programs. Their first stop on September 20^th will be the Houston Zoo. Our students will be guided around the zoo, being taught about each exotic species, how they live, and what they eat. We thank Friendly Ford and the Crawfish Shack for their sponsorships and giving our kids a chance to explore the great academic resources throughout the Houston region.

Finally, we’re restarting our monthly employee wellness sessions! One Friday a month, staff members have the option of attending a class taught by a local company. These sessions are designed to help staff exercise, refresh, and relax. For instance, “Energy Up Nutrition” will bring samples of their healthy teas to one campus each month. Realtor Leticia Balderrama and her team will bring snacks for teachers to munch on and barber Nick Arguello from “Fresh Cutz Barbershop” will hold stress release sessions with hot towels and mini-facials. We hope our staff members enjoy their monthly moments of zen!

We are Committed to Excellence! Go Coogs!

Paula Patterson
Superintendent of Schools
Crosby ISD