Thursday, September 15, 2022

Hello East Harris County and Crosby ISD families,

It’s Homecoming season in Crosby ISD! We are throwing a giant community tailgating party outside Crosby High School on Friday, September 23^rd. Our theme this year is “Red Out!” Every campus and department will have vehicles decorated to tailgate and celebrate. Kids of all ages are invited. There will be games, prizes, and food trucks for the entire family to enjoy. The tailgating party runs from 5pm to 6pm. At 6pm, everyone is invited to join our Spirit Walk from CHS to Cougar Stadium.

During the pre-kickoff festivities, skydivers will land on the 50-yard line with the homecoming game ball. Thank you to the skydiver sponsors, including the Realtors of RE/MAX One. Their children are all Crosby High School alumni, and we thank them for taking pride in the communities where we live, work, and serve. We also thank Neighbors Emergency Center for being a sponsor. They want to wish good luck to our Cougars this season!

It’s also an exciting time of celebration for literacy in our district.  We’re gearing up for our big November pep rally as third graders across the District compete in the “Read to the Final Four” literacy competition. I had the pleasure of getting our Cougars pumped up during the tip-off celebration in downtown Houston this month. This year, third graders at each of our elementary schools will log their minutes spent reading. The top four schools across Harris County will be invited to a Fan Fest as Houston hosts the 2023 NCAA Men’s Final Four in March. Third grade is a pivotal time to create lifelong readers. It’s the transition period, as students switch from learning to read to reading to learn. This contest fits perfectly into Crosby ISD initiatives to increase reading minutes, boost critical thinking skills, and grow classroom outcomes. As I told the crowd, our mighty Cougars are ready to bust some brackets!

Congratulations to our Elementary Media Specialist, Ms. Carrie Henderson, for earning a $4,000 grant from Dollar General to magnify our District literacy mission. Ms. Henderson has designed an exciting way to inspire more passion in our young readers. The “You’ve Been Booked” project will work as a pay-it-forward program among elementary teachers. They’ll pass along their favorite books from one classroom to another. It’s a giving circle that will share one teacher’s beloved book with multiple classrooms and dozens of students. We love the idea, and we love that Ms. Henderson went the extra mile to earn a grant to turn her dream into a reality.

It's been an exciting month for our high school scholars as well. Fifteen Crosby High School students and graduates were named 2022 AP Scholars. The list includes eight alumni from the Class of 2022, and seven current CHS students. AP Scholars is a designation for students who perform at a high-level on multiple AP Exams given at the end of college-level courses in May. Well done!

Our fall sports are marching forward. Football and volleyball kicked off district play September 9th. Football won 41-21 over Baytown Lee. Our volleyball team fought hard against Barbers Hill and then hosted a weekend tournament. Cross Country has competed in three meets so far this season, most recently in Nederland. Congrats to senior Logan Ashby who earned 6^th place at the Nederland meet. Our tennis players are getting better and developing new skills with each match.

There is so much on the horizon as we flip the calendar to a new season. Our campuses opened their doors this month to host Open Houses. Families had a chance to check out classrooms, meet campus leaders, and say “hello” to their child’s teachers. We’ve had hundreds of parents, grandparents, and community members sign up to be school volunteers. It’s great to see the return to normalcy, as we welcome parents and community members back into our buildings. I love being part of this special commUNITY, and I know you do too.

We are Better Together! Go Coogs! 

Paula Patterson
Superintendent of Schools
Crosby ISD