Thursday, January 26, 2023

Hello East Harris County and Crosby ISD families,

Exciting news! Crosby ISD is proud to announce that all our elementary schools have made it into the first round of the Read to the Final Four competition. Third graders at Crosby, Drew, Barrett, and Newport elementary schools made it into the Top 68 bracket against third graders in 10 other Houston-area Districts. They will continue their read-ins and other special literacy celebrations, trying to advance to the Round of 32. The reading challenge is happening to coincide with the return of the Men’s Final Four college basketball championship to Houston. The Final Four reading schools will be treated to a visit to NRG Stadium for the championship ceremony. We want to see our students win that reading trophy!

This month, our new drug prevention specialist has come home to make a difference. Mrs. Alexis Wooster is a proud Crosby High School graduate. Mrs. Wooster works with BACODA, the Bay Area Council on Drugs and Alcohol. She will work with students individually and in group settings to encourage them to avoid the pitfalls of drug use and abuse. Mrs. Wooster is housed on campuses, and she’ll hold family engagement nights soon for parents to learn more about signs of vaping, bullying, and other concerning behaviors.

We are welcoming more alumni back into our fold to teach the next generation of Crosby ISD students. Ms. Alyssa DeLome is a member of the Crosby High School Class of 2018. She teaches fifth graders at Barrett Elementary School. Ms. DeLome’s mother is also a Crosby ISD employee, and her younger sister is a student at Crosby High School. They are a Cougar family through and through. 

It’s Spelling Bee season in Crosby ISD! Our elementary campuses are holding spelling bees this month, choosing the top two students from each campus. Those eight top finishers will then move on to the District Spelling Bee in February. Our District winner then has a chance to compete in the Houston Public Media Spelling Bee, for a chance to keep advancing.

This month also marks our 100^th Day of school. Students at our elementaries will be celebrating on Tuesday, January 31. Students get a chance to show off how they are 100 days smarter. I love to see the creative shirts that display “100” in some capacity. Other students will dress up like they are 100 years old. It’s a great way to keep momentum going into the spring semester.

Soccer season is entering District play this month. I recently watched the boys’ soccer team in action, and I can’t wait to see how well the boys’ and girls’ squads do heading into the most competitive part of the season. Our boys’ and girls’ basketball teams also have about a month left in their respective seasons before the playoffs begin. The varsity girls’ team is currently ranked second in District 17-5A. Their competitive spirit is so fun to watch!

The Crosby High School Choir is hosting their annual fundraiser on Friday, January 27 and Saturday, January 28. “The Royal Dinner” is truly a dinner and a show. Choir students will be dressed as royalty, performing classic songs, while students in our CTE Culinary Arts program cater a delicious meal. Showtimes are 6pm both nights at the Crosby High School cafeteria. We hope to see you there! Another important date we want to share with you. The Class of 2023 Graduation will be Friday, May 26 at 7:30pm at Cougar Stadium.

Finally, I wanted to say “Thank You” to the retired educators who are returning to fill in as substitutes and tutors. No one has more or better experience than our retirees to continue the tradition of excellence they helped to build in Crosby ISD. Our retirees work with us usually one or two days a week, and our principals are happy to work around their schedule. If you or someone you know is a retired educator, feel free to reach out to our Human Resources department.

We are Better Together! Go Coogs!

Paula Patterson
Superintendent of Schools
Crosby ISD