Hello East Harris County and Crosby ISD families,
It’s finally starting to feel like Fall! The arrival of the cooler temperatures makes many of us look forward to wearing jackets and light sweaters, sipping cocoa, and savoring the changing of the seasons.
Autumn also means election season. Election Day is approaching on November 7, 2023. Early voting begins October 23 and runs through November 3. Crosby ISD will have one proposition on the ballot. “Proposition A” will allow Crosby ISD to build Phase 1 of Middle School #2, build a new elementary school #6, and perform district- wide repairs and renovations. We have held a series of town hall informational meetings since September, allowing voters and taxpayers to ask questions. Our next town hall will be:
Thursday, October 19
Community Town Hall (Barrett Station)
6pm
Riley Chambers Community Center
808 Magnolia Ave, Crosby, TX, 77532
We have made our presentations available for review a tour website: www.crosbyisd.org/BOND2023. We also have a sample ballot, polling locations, voting times, and frequently asked questions posted there.
October is Fentanyl Poisoning Awareness Month, and we wanted to bring your attention to a new exhibit at The Houston Health Museum. I’m proud to serve on the Steering Committee for the “Drugs Costs and Consequences” exhibition here through June 2024. Through interactive displays and videos, you can see the story of illegal drugs, view actual wreckage from a drug-related car accident, and see the bedroom of a young teen who bought illegal drugs online. There is even a display called the “Faces of Fentanyl” that shares stories of local young people, some who bought the pills on social media and had no idea what they were ingesting. 99% of all Fentanyl overdoses are accidental, and the smallest dose (2 milligrams, or fewer than 15 grains of salt) can kill. Who should visit this exhibit? We recommend students, teachers, parents and other adults who want the chance to spark a conversation with their children or grandchildren. In the coming months, the DEA is helping fund educational experiences for Crosby ISD students to learn about the dangers of fentanyl, impaired driving, and other dangers associated with drug misuse.
Next, we want to share a heads-up for Crosby ISD families, especially parents/guardians of seniors at Crosby High School. The FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) form is delayed until December, instead of the traditional release date in the month of October. The federal form helps determine financial aid eligibility, and it is being streamlined. The questionnaire will be reduced from 108 questions to 36 questions. We expect the updated form to be released in late December. The FAFSA form is part of a requirement for graduating seniors in Texas to receive their diploma. We have more information posted now at www.crosbyisd.org/financialaid. Our counselors at Crosby High School are also available to help answer questions for families.
Earlier this month, we had a wonderful day of celebrating the awarding of thousands of dollars in innovative teaching grants from the Crosby Education Foundation and their sponsors. In all, CEF and donors contributed more than $75,000 toward funding projects our teachers dreamed up for their classrooms or campuses. From cookware to the Coleen Walker special education relays, the money is being invested back into instruction for our students.
The arrival of fall has a lot of folks looking ahead to the end of the calendar year. Here are some important dates to add to your calendars: The Crosby ISD Thanksgiving break will run from November 20 through November 24; Our Winter Break will run from December 22, 2023, through January 4, 2024, with students returning to class on January 8, 2024. Another big day is graduation, and Crosby High School has announced that the Class of 2024 Commencement Ceremony will be held on Friday, May 31, at 7:30pm, at Cougar Stadium.
Finally, let’s celebrate the dozens of students and staff members who helped coordinate the first-ever Crosby ISD Mobile School Market. It was a huge success, delivering groceries to more than 150 families in need in East Harris County. We appreciate the partnership with the Houston Food Bank to add another tool to relieve food insecurity in Crosby, Barrett Station, and our wider region. We will continue to improve the process and match the amount of food provided with the needs of our communities. Our studentvolunteers also lived up to one of the important ideals we created in our “Portrait of a Graduate” Strategic Plan, the goal of every Crosby High School graduate to be Service-Minded. No one demonstrates compassion in action better than our Cougars.
We are Moving Forward! Go Coogs!