Crosby, TX (February 27, 2023) - Each month, the Crosby ISD Board of Trustees recognizes Students of the Month, Teachers of the Month, a Paraprofessional of the month, and Community Members of the Month. Here are the recipients of the Cougar Excellence awards for February 2023.
READ TO THE FINAL FOUR!
We want to start by celebrating the Read to the Final Four!!! More than 200 third graders from all four elementary schools had a chance to celebrate reading today live on Channel 11. Crosby ISD hosted the announcement of the Top 4 Schools at 6:45 this morning. We treated today’s celebration of reading like we were sending our third graders off to a state championship. Crosby ISD third graders have collectively read more than 9 million minutes, that’s more than 19,000 minutes per student, since November 7th. All of our schools made the Elite 8, but we want to say a huge congratulations to the third graders of Newport Elementary who made the Final Four! They will attend The Read to the Final Four championship on March 31st where the winning school will be crowned. We truly believe this competition will move the needle when it comes to our third graders and their academic outcomes this year.
THANK YOU, GIRL SCOUTS!
Next, some special guests brought along some sweet treats. Girl Scouts come on up. These scouts are from Troop 132404, 132312, and 132006 of the San Jacinto Council. They brought along some cookies for the Board of Trustees.
STUDENTS OF THE MONTH
First from Crosby Kindergarten Center … 6-year-old Autumn Reason. Autumn is one of our Kindergarten students participating in the 2 Way Dual Language Program at CKC. Principal Minor says Autumn's positive attitude makes her a great role model for her fellow classmates. Autumn has a strong work ethic, which is reflected in her reading and communication abilities in both languages. At the current rate, she will be fluent in Spanish in no time at all! She is a delight to have as a student at CKC.
From Newport Elementary …10-year-old Lillian Weeks. Principal Price says Lillian is a brilliant fourth-grade student who advocates for herself and her peers. I am going to quote Principal Price “During the fall semester, she wrote me a letter requesting to have a math competition for students who were more interested in math than spelling. Her letter was bold, polite, and heartwarming. Because of Lillian, NES will have a math competition on March 23, 2023. The name of the award, The LW, will be named after Little Miss Lillian Weeks. She is truly a trailblazer, and I can't wait to see how she continues to change the world.”
From Barrett Elementary… Carmen Oropesa La Rosa. Carmen is one of the wonderful students in 2nd grade in the two-way dual language program at BES. Principal Ornelas says Carmen demonstrates a positive attitude every morning by walking into the building with a bright smile. She goes above and beyond what is asked of her and demonstrates a love for learning. In class she is a leader, always willing to help her teachers and peers. You can always count on Carmen to do the right thing. We are extremely proud of Carmen and her commitment to student excellence.
From Crosby Elementary … 5th grader Aubrey Greenlee. Aubrey is a student council member at CES and she is a great example of Cougar Excellence. Principal Kratky-Fox says recently, Aubrey was an up-stander on the bus and took care of her peers. She makes good choices and is conscious of her actions. She strives to do well and realizes that she is a leader on the campus. CES is proud to have Aubrey as a student who has a caring heart and sweet smile to share with everyone.
From Drew Elementary … 2nd grader Benjamin Franco. Principal Tisdom says Benjamin excels academically in every subject area. He is an avid reader, and in the second grade, he’s already reading at a 4th grade level! During car rider duty, Benjamin always greets us with high fives and smiles from ear to ear. Benjamin continuously shows the character traits of what it is to be a Cougar, and he makes Drew very proud. Keep up the good work Ben!
From Crosby Middle School … 7th grade student Aaron Paredes. Aaron will go out of his way to make sure those around him are having a good day. He is very polite and well-mannered. He is always respectful to his teachers and takes pride in his work. His teachers agree that he has an infectious personality that radiates every time he enters the classroom. The entire CMS administration team is proud to have Aaron as a student at Crosby Middle School.
From Crosby High School … Madison Dorsey. Madison is a junior at CHS. She wears many hats, including being The Colonel of the Cougar Stars. She is also a member of the Superintendent’s Cougar Council. Madison has consistently led the Cougar Stars in their contest season to many team and officer awards, and she has earned top awards for her own solo. Madison represents Crosby High School well as a competitor academically and as a leader in dance. Madison is not only **The** Colonel of the Cougar Stars, but a good Colonel that her team respects and values.
TEACHERS OF THE MONTH
First from Crosby Kindergarten Center … Ms. Sarah Mulvehill. Principal Minor says walking into Ms. Mulvehill's classroom, you would never know she is a first-year teacher. Since the summer, she was eager to get into her classroom and make it her own. Her growth mindset and positive attitude has allowed her to embrace the “Science of Teaching … Reading” and moving her students in the right direction towards literacy. She has embraced the caring culture of Crosby Kindergarten and has allowed her students, parents, and colleagues to feel welcome and confident in her. CKC is excited to recognize Ms. Mulvehill as this month's Cougar Excellence recipient.
From Newport Elementary… Ms. Melissa McKeon. Principal Price says Ms. McKeon was born to teach. Her passion for her students is palpable, inspiring everyone around her. She truly has a heart for students, her school, and her community, and it is evident in the way she serves. She is the first person in the building and one of the last to leave. She spends countless hours developing and motivating strong readers. She shoulders the responsibility of her classroom like no one else, and it is truly remarkable to watch. Principal Price and everyone at NES are honored to work alongside her.
From Barrett Elementary… Ms. Carolyn Remy. Ms. Remy is truly an asset to BES, and she greets students each day with a smile. Ms. Remy is always eager to support any campus initiative and takes on any leadership role that may be needed. This past year, she has helped ensure our reading library is organized and ready for our teachers to use. Each afternoon, we can count on Ms. Remy to share joy during the car rider line as she greets the parents with different costumes. For these reasons and many more, we are lucky to have such a dedicated teacher on staff! Thank you Ms. Remy! We are proud of you!
From Crosby Elementary … Ms. Demi Janak. Ms. Janak teaches second grade at CES. She is a young teacher who has made a huge impact on the CES campus. Principal Kratky-Fox says she makes connections with her students and is willing to implement techniques, lessons and ideas into her classroom that make learning fun and memorable. Ms. Janak is a natural teacher who exhibits enthusiasm for the profession and always takes on what is asked of her. Ms. Janak's future in the world of education is unlimited. She will take her natural teaching ability along with her leadership skills and do great things for the children in our community for many years to come.
From Drew Elementary … Ms. Julie Jackson. Ms. Jackson is a Crosby ISD alumni and former Cougar Star serving the community that once served her. Ms. Jackson joined the Drew Elementary team around mid year. She hit the ground running, and Principal Tisdom says she has truly excelled and goes above and beyond for her students. Ms. Jackson’s students and parents love her! You will find some of her great accomplishments on Twitter as she loves to share the learning happening in her classroom. She is a novice teacher, but you wouldn’t know that from the engagement and student learning happening in her class. We are so thrilled that Ms. Jackson chose to be at Charles R. Drew Elementary!
From Crosby Middle School …Ms. Joyce Baecker. The CMS administration team says Ms. Baecker is the true definition of a team player. She assists wherever needed on campus and she has really perfected disaggregating data. She is one of the first smiling faces that students see in the morning as they get dropped off at school. She is visible all over campus, but you can always find her in one of the Science classrooms working hand and hand with her teachers. We truly appreciate your selflessness, devotion and overall commitment to CMS.
From Crosby High School … Ms. Candace McMahon. Ms. McMahon teaches Health Science CTE courses at CHS. Mrs. McMahon always works with her Crosby High School staff with a smile and an encouraging word. A current student recently said of Mrs. McMahon: “She is so loving and every time I enter her classroom there is nothing but positive energy. She's also very understanding and does an amazing job at teaching. She has been my teacher since my freshman year and has encouraged me tremendously to pursue my career in the medical field”. Along with her other Health Science Team members, Mrs. McMahon consistently works to make Crosby High School a safe place. She prioritizes campus blood drives, CPR for students and staff, and encourages students to pursue careers within the medical field. Her real-world nursing experiences have motivated students over the past 5 years.
PARAPROFESSIONAL OF THE MONTH
Tonight, we want to honor a paraprofessional making a difference everyday in Crosby ISD. From Crosby Elementary, Ms. Laureen Hayward. Ms. Hayward works as a PASS Paraprofessional. She ALWAYS has a smile and a kind word for everyone. Her job is very demanding, but she never complains. She is always willing to help anyone, anywhere, at any time. We are blessed at CES that Ms. Hayward chooses to work with our students and help guide them all on a respectable path in life.
COMMUNITY MEMBER OF THE MONTH
Now, we want to recognize our Community Member for February …
This community member is truly amazing. She began teaching in 1965. She retired in 2015. That is 50 years of service to Crosby ISD.
In all, she taught thousands and thousands of students.
To this day, 8 years after she retired, she still wakes up at 5am like she did for so many years to make each of her students excel. Very few people have ever had the impact she’s had. Congratulations to Mrs. Deloise Richardson.
Watch Mrs. Richardson's story here:
