
Hello East Harris County and Crosby ISD Families,
We are going strong this semester and I am happy to share a bit of it with you. I am so pleased to share that Crosby ISD hosted area law enforcement partners at a community policing summit during the first week of February. I had a chance to meet with Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez and his command staff as well as members of the Harris County Precinct 3 Constable’s Office and Harris County Precinct 3 Commissioner’s Office. The school district is committed to safety in our communities of Crosby and Barrett Station. As a result of the meeting, the Sheriff’s Homeless Outreach Team is increasing the frequency of visits to our communities. We are also working on further ways to strengthen our partnerships with all community stakeholders, increase visibility, and develop better lines of communication. As a reminder, citizens who need emergency help should call 911. For community members who would like to report non-emergency incidents and homeless-related issues, please call 713-221-6000. Our continuing conversations will hopefully lead to better outcomes and safer neighborhoods for everyone.
Kudos to the Crosby Historical Society for hosting two big events in recent weeks. First, Crosby Kindergarten Center students helped bury a time capsule as part of Crosby’s Bicentennial Celebration. The students heard about the 200-year history of Crosby and then sealed the time capsule before it was entombed near the corner of Runneburg and Pecan Streets. On February 10, the Historical Society also hosted a community forum on future growth in our communities. I enjoyed sharing a snapshot of student enrollment in Crosby ISD as well as answering questions from community members.
Our students are shining each day this semester. Congratulations to the winner of the Crosby ISD Third Annual Spelling Bee. Matthew Rios, a fifth grader at Crosby Elementary School, correctly spelled “surplus” to win the district Spelling Bee. Matthew is now going to the Houston Regional Spelling Bee in March. Good luck! We know you’ll spell your heart out!
There’s nothing better than spending time with our students, and this month I had the chance to spend an entire day with Crosby Elementary School third grader, Peyton Johnson. She was deputized as Superintendent for the Day! She had an amazing day touring campuses, handing out trophies at the Spelling Bee, writing proclamations, chairing the Superintendent’s Cougar Council, and celebrating with her classmates. Peyton was the second Superintendent for the Day this school year, as part of fundraisers to benefit the Crosby Education Foundation.
Crosby High School senior, Israel Eagleton, performed beautifully before a crowd of hundreds at the Houston Area Alliance of Black School Educators’ 37th Annual Teacher Awards and Recognition Ceremony in Houston. Israel sang “Lift Every Voice” as part of the Black History Month celebration. Another CHS senior, Colby Chapman, was honored as a 2024 scholarship recipient. We also cheered on HAABSE teachers of the year including: Jalen Harrison, Crosby High School; Sherese Guy, Crosby Elementary; Jo Green, Drew Elementary; Crystal Hammond, Newport Elementary; and Rolandrea Flannel, Crosby Middle School. There’s icing on the cake, too! Mr. Harrison, Ms. Guy, and Ms. Flannel are all proud Crosby High School alumni who are educating students following in their footsteps.
Turning to athletics, basketball seasons are entering the crucial playoff period for high school student- athletes. We’ll announce the playoff games and results on our district social media platforms, but there’s nothing better than seeing our students compete in person. I hope to see you in the stands! Meantime this month, we cheered on seven student-athletes inking scholarship deals on National Signing Day. Congratulations to the following students: Olivia Lanham, Crowley’s Ridge College (softball); Ricardo Salazar, University of St. Thomas (soccer); the Langley Twins, East Texas Baptist University (football); Levi Fontenot and Brandt Wright, Texas A & M Kingsville (football); and Kacee Evans, Texas Weslayan (football). It’s wonderful to see the hard work, perseverance, and grit pay off for our graduating seniors.
This month marked the second edition of our staff development conference we affectionately call “Cougar Con.” Crosby ISD staff members have a menu of classes to choose from in order to target their personal or career growth. The best part is that most of the sessions are taught by fellow Crosby ISD employees. We have a wealth of knowledge in this school district, and we’re using that collective brain power to get better together each day. Lessons included content-based language instruction, polishing up classroom management skills, improving interactive notebook experiences for students, and so much more. I am so proud to see what our Curriculum and Instruction department has done with our commitment to lifelong learning and growing future lead-learners. The shared expertise of many will be channeled into our students in the classrooms and enable our teachers to cultivate a rich educational environment.
We are Moving Forward! Go Coogs!
Paula Patterson
Superintendent