Hello East Harris County and Crosby ISD Families,
The Crosby Education Foundation and sponsors provided one of the highlights of the month of October! On October 10, CEF Board members, the Crosby High School Band, Cheerleaders, and Cougar Stars traveled from campus to campus delivering checks to teachers who were awarded innovative teaching grants. In all, CEF and sponsors delivered more than $79,000 to teachers. We love to see this true community support filter from businesses and community organizations to teachers and, ultimately, to our students. Every penny is about investing in better learning opportunities for the children of Crosby / Barrett Station.
Separately, two teachers won grants courtesy of Marathon Oil. Ms. Lauren McCartney from Crosby Elementary School, and Coach Jamie Helburg, from Barrett Elementary School, each won $2500 worth of “Unconventional Thinking in Teaching” grants. Coach Helburg will purchase balance bikes to help kindergarten students learn how to ride a bike, while Ms. McCartney will create a classroom library filled with fifth grade science and math books. Both sound great!
Speaking of community support, I had a wonderful time, along with students, principals, and administrators from our campuses, participating in the 38th annual Barrett Station Homecoming Parade. This annual tradition was delayed due to Hurricane Beryl in July, but that postponement didn’t hinder the fun at all. The weather was beautiful for the parade on October 12! Dozens of students in the Barrett Station community had the chance to collect candy and see beautiful floats on display. Barrett Station has some of the richest history in East Harris County, and the community is a vital and vibrant part of Crosby ISD. We love being a part of the celebration!
This month, the district’s reading incentive program, “Pages for Pizza” rolled out to all our elementary schools. First and second graders and their parents had a chance to see how the children could earn free pizza from Marco’s Pizza in Crosby. We’ve set ambitious goals of 360 pages for first graders and 720 pages for second graders to earn a free pizza. Who’s ready to read?!
Congratulations to the Crosby High School Band for a spectacular performance at the UIL Region 33 Marching Band Contest. The Big Red Machine saluted each branch of the military during their wonderful production at Planet Ford Stadium in Spring ISD. The band received all Division 1 Ratings and will next perform at the state military marching band contest at Baylor University in Waco on October 30. Go, Cougars!
We wrapped up Hispanic Heritage Month with a big win by a fourth grader from Barrett Elementary School. Jayden Bucio was named the best accordion player during the Baytown Grito Fest. Jayden played his heart out, and he has a huge future in music!
Kudos to the Child Nutrition Services teams at Barrett Elementary School and Crosby Elementary School. They received perfect 100 scores on recent inspections by the Harris County Department of Health. These inspections cover many important criteria, including food storage, temperature, cleanliness of facility, proper food handling, and overall safety. Great job, cafeteria teams!
A reminder for families that Election Day will be a student holiday in Crosby ISD. Staff development will be held at all campuses on Tuesday, November 5. Several schools are being utilized as polling locations, so students will not be in the building while voters are there. For those who would like to vote, the Crosby Community Center is the early voting location in our communities through November 1. Here are the six locations that will serve as voting locations on Election Day itself:
•Newport Elementary
•Drew Elementary
•Crosby Kindergarten Center
•Crosby Community Center
•Riley Chambers Community Center
•Harris Co WCID #70
Keep in mind that voters registered in Harris County can vote at any polling location in Harris County.
Finally, add a reminder to your calendar for the Crosby ISD Veterans Day Ceremony on Monday, November 11, at 7pm, at Cougar Stadium. We are inviting Crosby / Barrett Station veterans and their families to attend our celebration and be recognized for their service. Students from all grade levels love to sing and perform for our veterans, their families, and all community members. We ask that veterans arrive by 6:30pm so they can be recognized by name, rank, and branch of the military. I hope to see our families there wearing red, white, and blue!
We are Committed to Excellence! Go Coogs!
Paula Patterson
Superintendent
