Brownwood ISD (BISD) held its annual Convocation Monday, August 15. The event marks the beginning of the new school year for many of the teachers and staff as they gathered at the Dorothy McIntosh Fine Arts Center for the morning event before heading to their respective campuses.
The BHS Band pumped up the crowd playing songs including the Alma Mater/Fight Song before BHS Student Council Members, Cora McNeese and Abby Oines opened with the Pledge of Allegiance and BHS Acapella Choir Members, Katie Griffin, Mayce Wilson, and Mitch Doud sang the National Anthem.BISD Board of Trustees Member, Tim Jacobs delivered the invocation and the welcome on behalf of the board. “I believe we are more prepared than ever to continue the excellence that Brownwood ISD provides,” said Jacobs before handing the podium off to the Brownwood Education Foundation (BEF).
“Of the applications received, we are able to fund a total of ten grants today, totaling $13,419.41 in awards to make your teaching experiences richer and more beneficial to our students,” announced BEF Executive Director, Priscilla Monson. “It is our pleasure as a board of concerned citizens to work to benefit our exemplary teaching staff in their efforts to bring the best of quality instruction to the students of our district.”
BEF members then took the stage to help announce and present enlarged checks to the grant recipients. The following teachers who applied for funding were awarded grants:
Melanie Terrell (Brownwood High School), Grant Title: Inspiring Learners with TI-Nspire Student Software, Grant Amount: $2492.04
Melissa Champion (Brownwood Intermediate School), Grant Title: STEMscopes for Student Success, Grant Amount: $1,575
Natasha Brown, Stephanie Brownlee, Lori Haynes and Kathryn Makuta (East Elementary), Grant Title: OSMOS, Grant Amount: $396.00
Sherri Land and Jessica Richmon (Coggin Elementary), Grant Title: Bouncy Bands for Wiggly Kids, Grant Amount: $657.80
Leslie Kirwan (Northwest Elementary), Grant Title: Alternative Seating to Improve Learning, Grant Amount: $1,989.94
Leslie Swanson (Brownwood Intermediate School), Grant Title: Blended Learning for the Math Classroom, Grant Amount: $2,820
Brec Moss (East Elementary, Northwest Elementary, Woodland Heights Elementary, Coggin Elementary, Brownwood Intermediate School), Grant Title: Bridging the Gap between Dyslexia and ADD/ADHD with Alternative Seating, Grant Amount: $1,130.16
Vanessa Arbaiza and Laura Scantling (Brownwood Intermediate School), Grant Title: Supplies for Earthquake Generator Table, Grant Amount: $335.00
Leah Lee and Shelbi Chambers (Woodland Heights Elementary), Grant Title: Alternative Seating and Kinesthetic Classroom, Grant Amount: $773.47
Annalyn Deen (Brownwood High School), Grant Title: Career Safe OSHA Industry Certification, Grant Amount: $1,250 (BEF partnered with BISD to provide funding for this grant.)
Following the grant presentations, Dr. Hector Martinez, BISD Executive Director of Human Resources and Operations, recognized teachers and staff who had completed advanced degrees over the summer and BISD Deputy Superintendent, Liesa Land introduced a video featuring photos, events, and accomplishments from last year.
Before Dr. Young delivered his closing remarks to the crowd, he had one more surprise for teachers. Young brought out a basket and announced that with the help of the “School Supply Fairy” (BISD Deputy Superintendent, Liesa Land dressed in a pink fairy skirt), they would be drawing the names of four teachers to receive $100 for additional classroom school supplies.
After a well-executed, pre-planned mix-up where a fourth teacher’s name couldn’t be drawn, Dr. Young announced that every teacher would receive the $100 for their classrooms.
An eruption of excitement filled the auditorium and Dr. Young delivered his final remarks encouraging teachers for the upcoming year. “As a district we must keep kids first, hire great people, and remove distractions for those great people to work with our kids,” noted Young regarding three things he keeps in mind daily. “If we can succeed in those, everything else will fall into place.”
BISD teachers will be in staff development through this week as they prepare for the first day of school, Monday, August 22.
Pictured at top: BIS teacher, Leslie Swanson (left) and BEF President, Adam Lancaster.
Pictured above: (Left to right) BEF Members, Larry Mathis, Ray Tipton, and Julie Moore; BHS Heath Science Teacher, Annalyn Deen; and BEF Member, Mike Smith.
Above: Grant recipients pose for a photo with BEF Board Members following BISD Convocation. (Left to right) Vanessa Arbaiza, Laura Scantling, Leslie Swanson, Leslie Kirwan, Brec Moss; Eric Evans (BEF Treasurer), Jessica Richmon, Sherri Land, Priscilla Monson (BEF Executive Director), Melissa Champion, Julie Moore (BEF Member), Leah Lee, Melanie Terrell, Annalyn Deen, Natasha Brown, Stephanie Brownlee, and Lori Haynes
