Hello East Harris County and Crosby ISD families,
I want to start this column by thanking everyone who shared input during the process to approve the 2023-2024 Academic Calendar. At the last regular Board meeting, the Crosby ISD Board of Trustees approved the proposal to implement a 4-Day Instructional Week with Fridays off for next school year. It is now time for us to move forward together. What I’ve discovered over the course of a dozen staff and community meetings is that we all want what is best for the students of Crosby ISD. We all share that passion.
I would like to thank the Board of Trustees for approving the plan. Thanks also to the staff members, families, and community members who spent the last few weeks and months answering survey questions, attending meetings, asking thoughtful questions, discussing the merits and challenges, and engaging with us during the process of considering a 4-Day Instructional Week. Your input was invaluable.
The recruitment is already working. We have had more than 100 applications sent to us from experienced teachers around the area. We will be throwing a party to welcome applicants to Crosby ISD. Set a reminder in your calendar for our District Job Fair on Saturday, April 1 if you are interested in working for Crosby ISD. We’ll conduct interviews on site from 9am-Noon at Crosby High School. We will be interviewing for positions in all departments, including openings for instructional staff, bus drivers, and custodians. Please share with anyone you think may be a good fit in Crosby ISD.
March includes “Read Across America” week in honor of the birthday of Dr. Seuss. I had the privilege of reading to first graders in Ms. Amy McPhail’s classroom at Crosby Elementary School. The students answered wonderful questions about how to have a mindset of gratitude and approach each day determined to make the most of it. As Superintendent of Schools, I still consider “my happy place” to be in the classroom. It’s where we see our students come alive.
Crosby ISD has been championing reading in a special way this year with the Read to the Final Four literacy challenge. We’re happy to announce that third graders at Newport among the Top 4 schools to read the most minutes. They’ll attend the Read to the Final Four championship celebration in Houston on March 31st where the winning school will be crowned. Good luck, Newport Elementary!
You’ll find no bigger champion of reading than our Community Member of the Month. During our last Board meeting, we had a chance to recognize a woman whose impact is legendary in the Crosby and Barrett Station communities. Mrs. Deloise Richardson taught in Crosby ISD from 1965 until 2015. The Board of Trustees recognized her contributions as a mentor to thousands and thousands of students. Mrs. Richardson had high standards in her classroom, and she could seize on every child’s potential, no matter their background. Some of her former students are leaders in Crosby ISD now, including Board of Trustees President, Mr. JR Humphries, and several of our campus and district administrators.
We are winding down the soccer season, just as baseball and softball season begin. The Crosby High School boys’ and girls’ soccer teams are working to secure playoff spots with just a handful of games left in the regular season. We are also competing at State after doing well in Powerlifting Regionals. The following female powerlifters are competing at State: freshman Kayleigh Bowling (1st place Regionals) 198lb class and senior Xandra Hernandez (2nd place Regionals) 105lb class.
Finally, let’s share a few important events that are coming up this spring semester. Crosby ISD’s Spring Break will be March 13 through March 17. We’ll host the Coleen Walker Relays at Cougar Stadium on Thursday, April 13 from 10am until Noon. This is always a great day for our special needs students, and it will be the first time Crosby ISD has hosted the event since before the pandemic. Also, add the Class of 2023 Graduation to your calendar. We’ll celebrate our graduating seniors with a commencement ceremony at Cougar Stadium on Friday, May 26, at 7:30pm.
We are Better Together! Go Coogs!