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May 7, 2021
We're back with a new edition of Tides of Pride, a weekly e-newsletter featuring highlights of the week from East Central Independent School District. Happy reading!
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PHOTO OF THE WEEK
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This week was Teacher Appreciation Week, and parents in the pick-up line at Highland Forest Elementary show their appreciation for teachers with a special sign! We are so very grateful for the hard work and dedication all of our teachers put in day in and day out to see our students' success! Photo Credit: Highland Forest Elementary
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Pre-K Paraprofessionals Make Us EC Proud
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Congratulations to our Pre-Kindergarten Paraprofessionals who finished 120 hours of Early Childhood training and an intense four-hour site visit from Pre K 4 SA. Best of luck to these individuals as they take their Child Development Associate Exam this spring to be fully CDA certified! Pictured are Genevieve Bryant, Dr. Lillian McFarlin, Sally Cortez, Melanie Perez, Lori Morales, Paulina Ponciano, Carol Hertzberg, Veronica Herrera, Alexandria Espinoza, Edna Gonzales, Michelle Quiroga and Marcus Serda. Not pictured: Leticia Jusino
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Heritage Middle School Recognizes Superintendent's Students of the Month
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Heritage Middle School staff surprised eighth-grader Sofia C. during afterschool tennis practice with news that she was selected as the Superintendent's Student of the Month. Sofia's mom and dad, along with Coach Woodard, Mr. Trosper and Mrs. Gomez, shared in the celebration. Sofia is an exceptional student that is always safe, respectful and responsible! We are so proud of her and her many accomplishments and know that she has a bright future ahead of her.
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Congratulations to Heritage Middle School eighth-grader Ellyana T. for being selected as the Superintendent's Student of the Month (SSOM)! Ellyana is an exceptional young lady who always has a smile on her face, even if we can't see it through her mask! She does her very best to make everyone around her smile, too. She is kind and thoughtful towards her peers, helps her teachers lead class discussions, and she is a member of the Heritage Honor Choir. Mr. Vernon, Mr. Trosper, Mrs. Gomez, and Ellyana's mom surprised her with balloons and flowers to celebrate the last SSOM for this school year. Thank you, Ellyana, for always being safe, respectful and responsible and for placing Academics First. Go, Canes!
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Oak Crest Students Pen Stories for Wilson County News
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Mrs. Zamora's students at Oak Crest Elementary wrote about a special lady in their life for Mother's Day. These were submitted to the Wilson County Newspaper, which chose some to publish in their paper. Congratulations on your fabulous writing Ian, Chloe, Damien, Bonnie, Lexi and Rylan! EC proud!
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EC Alumni Spotlight: Elvia Lopez (Class of 1999)
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Elvia Lopez was nominated by her daughter, who writes, "My mom is a frontline warrior. She goes into the hospital every day to help those in need, and she also keeps a beautiful smile on her face the whole time. She has juggled working in a hospital during this pandemic (and also for the last 20 years) and being an amazing mom to her four children."
Is there an East Central alum that is doing outstanding work in our community? Please nominate them for our Alumni Spotlight!
Click HERE to submit a nomination.
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Elementary Artwork Featured in Showcase
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Our East Central ISD elementary students' creativity shined bright in Fine Arts this year! Check out featured student artwork from our elementary schools in the ECISD 2021 Elementary Art Showcase.
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Heritage Middle School Student Claims Prizes at Livestock Show
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Brody Fizer represented the East Central FFA and Heritage Middle School last weekend at the Texas Junior Livestock Association camp and show in College Station. Brody claimed prizes for the Reserve Champion Hereford and Reserve Champion Polled Hereford with his heifers, Tory and Coco. Way to represent East Central, Brody!
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Sinclair Has a Drive-Through Book Fair
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Sinclair Elementary had a drive-through book fair! Families came in cars, walked or rode their bikes to the fair.
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Tradition Running Club Participates in Jr. Hornet Fun Run
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Tradition Elementary 4th & 5th-Grade Running Club participated in the Jr. Hornet Invitational 2.2 mile Fun Run with Salado Elementary recently. The EC Cross Country Team helped organize this fantastic event! Special thanks to Coach Calderon, Principal Kopeck and Ms. Cavazos for volunteering your time to make the Tradition Titan Run Club possible for our students.
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Sinclair Appreciates Its Teachers
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Sinclair Elementary loves its staff! This week, they received treats and lunch to show how awesome they are! Many thanks to all the wonderful staff that makes learning exciting for all our students!
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Legacy Middle School Has Not One, But Two Uno Clubs
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Amanda Dow, Communities in Schools Site Coordinator at Legacy Middle School, has started an Uno Club that is so popular, she's expanded it to two days a week!
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ECHS Students Get Creative with Prom Invites
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East Central High School students are getting ready for prom by competing in the school's first-ever "Prompose-Off." Students are submitting their creative promposals for a chance to win a Whataburger gift card the night of prom.
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COVID-19 Vaccine Clinic Has Great Turnout
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There was a great turnout for the District's recent COVID-19 Vaccine Clinic. The Army National Guard came out Wednesday afternoon to provide vaccines for the community. They vaccinated 117 people! Stay tuned...We will be publicizing future vaccine clinics soon.
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Oak Crest Students Give Their Best
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Oak Crest Elementary students in fine arts plan for the future and create puppets showing who they'd like to be when they grow up. Oak Crest students are college and career-ready!
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Mrs. Zamora's fourth-graders just finished reading the book, Wishtree, by Katherine Applegate. Lexi, a remote learner, loved this story so much that she made her own wish tree at home.
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Legacy Middle School Shows Their Love for Books
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Legacy Middle School students and staff celebrated School Library Month by wearing their favorite book shirts!
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Harmony Has Successful Book Fair
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The Book Fair at Harmony Elementary was a huge success with $6,700 in book sales! Librarian Mrs. Havard is a rockstar on campus!
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"The Freshman Four" Honored for Four Years as Varsity Honeybees
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East Central High School Spirit Spring Show 2021 was a success but was also bittersweet. These four dancers made history by being the first four-year Varsity Honeybees! Known as “The Freshmen Four” or “The Four,” their parents honored them with a custom-designed letterman patch and, of course, sweet treats. Congratulations on four fantastic years! Pictured L-R Isabella A., Miranda N., Zahely M., and Kathryn B.
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Tradition Pre-K Students Have Fun Reviewing Letters
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Tradition Elementary Titans in Mrs. Gonzalez's PreK class engaged in fun "Under" the table activities to reinforce previously learned skills for the letter U.
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Don't Miss the ECHS Choir Performance, "The Hornet '21"
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Next Friday, May 14, at 7 p.m., the East Central High School Choir presents "The Hornet '21" at the Patterson Center for Performing Arts. Join them as they revisit East Central High in the 1950s. Featuring a cameo appearance from Margaret Zotz, East Central's Queen Bee, you'll hear familiar favorites that will make you want to dance through the school hall. It will be a fun way to celebrate the end of an amazing and unique year. Doors open at 6:30 p.m.. Reserved tickets are strongly recommended. Please send an email to warren.mize@ecisd.net for reservations.
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Heritage Middle School Students Celebrate Fiesta
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Students at Heritage Middle School celebrated Fiesta with a community-based instruction (CBI) event consisting of tickets, food and game booths. The school's special education team came together to make it a huge success. Students had a great time and were so engaged!
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ECHS Staff Member Works Tirelessly with a Positive Attitude
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Jackie Rodriguez is a custodian at East Central High School who works tirelessly with a consistent and constant smile on her face... you can see it even with her mask on! She can be seen all over campus doing various jobs, and she always has a positive attitude. From power-washing every bleacher in the football stadium in the fall to blowing the leaves in the courtyard with a backpack blower in the spring, Ms. Rodriguez is always helpful, always working, always gracious and always willing to lend a hand.
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EC Softball Team Clinches Bi-District Championship
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East Central High School's softball team is the 2021 Bi-District Champs! They beat MacArthur High School to make it to Area Playoffs to face Round Rock High School. Congratulations!
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Heritage Middle School Band Makes Stop at Tradition Elementary
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The Heritage Middle School Canes' Band stopped by Tradition Elementary not only to entertain the fifth-grade Titans but also to encourage them to choose band as an elective when they become Canes, too!
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Salado Teachers and Staff Create STAAR Motivational Video
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Salado Elementary released its motivational STAAR video last week. Teachers and staff from all grade levels had fun working on this project. A big shout out to Ms. Lucio and Ms. Contreras, fourth-grade Leadership Academy teachers, who put it all together.
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Team at Heritage Middle School Continues to Engage Students
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The sixth-grade ELAR (English, Language Arts and Reading) team at Heritage Middle School implemented collaborative stations in preparation for the STAAR test. Students were engaged and excited to be working with their peers as they reviewed key reading skills. Teachers pulled small groups to clarify misconceptions and reinforce key ideas. We are proud of the ELAR team for continuing to reach students in engaging ways. Way to go, Mrs. Zizelman, Ms. Solis, Ms. Stephens and Mr. Morales!
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Pecan Valley Welcomes New Staff Member
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Pecan Valley Elementary welcomes its new Academic Facilitator, Monica Vasquez Valenzuela! Mrs. Valenzuela is excited to be serving East Central and also our country. She dressed in her military attire while welcoming our students to campus! What an amazing example for students. The school also celebrates her new military advancement to Chief in the United States Air Force.
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Oak Crest Teachers Have Fun This Week
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Teachers at Oak Crest Elementary celebrated Teacher Appreciation Week and Cinco de Mayo by playing human scrabble.
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Pecan Valley Students Work in Teams to Design a Spacecraft
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Second and fourth-grade students in the Gifted/Talented program at Pecan Valley Elementary worked in teams to design a spacecraft to transport a future astronaut to Mars. They collaborated while using the design process to solve problems and test ideas.
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Two State Qualifiers Head to Austin to Compete
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The East Central High School Hornet Nation would like to wish our two state qualifiers Anston B. and Michael P. the best of luck as they compete this weekend in the UIL State track and field championships in Austin. Anston is the regional champion and will compete in the high jump, and Michael is the regional runner-up and will compete in the shot put. Good luck, Hornets! 🐝
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Salado Run Club Competes in Cross Country Meet
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Salado Elementary Run Club competed in their first Cross Country meet on Tuesday, May 4. Mr. Perez, fifth-grade Leadership Academy teacher, worked with fourth- and fifth-graders in run club all school year. Congratulations, Mr. Perez and Run Club, for your accomplishment! Way to go, Patriots! Boys: Lorenzo G (1st Place), Jeff G (2nd), William K (3rd), Drew G. (4th). Girls: Sariah B. (1st), Kassidy S (2nd), Ariel G. (3rd), Janel M. (4th).
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Salado Teacher Surprised with Visit from Chick-fil-A
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Mrs. Vela, a fifth-grade Dual Language teacher at Salado Elementary, was surprised by Chick-fil-A during Teacher Appreciation Week. Greater San Antonio Chick-fil-A received 850 nominations, and Mrs. Vela was one of five teachers selected for the Greater San Antonio Chick-fil-A Remarkable Teacher Award!! Way to go, Mrs. Vela!
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Oak Crest School Nurse Appreciated for Her Hard Work and Dedication
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Ms. Perez, a school nurse at Oak Crest Elementary, is truly appreciated for all of her hard work and dedication to the students! She is a vital piece to the puzzle. OC loves their school nurse!
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Pecan Valley Shows Teacher Appreciation with Fun Surprises
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Pecan Valley Elementary appreciated their incredible teachers with fun surprises each day this week. They are so thankful to have such hard-working, flexible, caring teachers!
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Sign Seen During Pick-Up Time at Highland Forest Says It All
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Parents in the pick-up line after school show their appreciation for Highland Forest Elementary teachers with a special sign! We are so very grateful for the hard work and dedication all of our teachers put in day in and day out to see to the success of our students!
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Oak Crest Celebrates Cinco de Mayo
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Oak Crest Elementary students and staff celebrated Cinco de Mayo this week by wearing their favorite Fiesta attire.
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Legacy Middle School Brings the Community Inside the Classroom
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Legacy Middle School uses community-based instruction to bring the community inside the classroom. Students learn money management and leisure skills by shopping at Walmart and eating out at Popeyes. Ms. Moreno assists at Walmart, and Ms. Sullivan assists at Popeyes. Students are also learning to garden with Ms. Corona, Ms. Moreno and Ms. Gilley.
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Heritage Middle School Students Pick Up Litter
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The Heritage Middle School National Junior Honor Society (NJHS) earned four merit hours of service for picking up litter between Heritage Middle School and East Central High School. They collected a full truck-load of litter during the five-mile round trip between the schools! We appreciate Mrs. Albers, the NJHS sponsor, and Mrs. Gomez, the school's principal, for assisting the NJHS students with giving back to our EC community. Go, Canes!
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Oak Crest Teacher Creates Fun Ways to Help Students Learn
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Oak Crest Elementary teacher, Mrs. Flores, creates a fun way to help her students understand how animals like polar bears keep themselves warm enough for the harsh environments! Great job!
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Highland Forest Counselor Uses Lesson to Create Emotional Awareness
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Highland Forest Elementary counselor, Miss Gutsch, did a guidance lesson for students on emotional awareness. Students are now using spot emotions to express their needs throughout the day!
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Oak Crest Students Explore with Chalk
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Oak Crest Elementary Pre-K students explore with chalk in Fine Arts to draw what they want to be when they grow up! We see doctors, soccer players and teachers in the making at Oak Crest!
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Legacy Middle School Uses Positive Strategies to Prepare Students
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At Legacy Middle School, the teachers believe in empowering and preparing their students for the upcoming STAAR test. With positive affirmations and love, teachers create posters reminding students that they are much more than a test score. Humanities teacher Shelly Anderson challenges her students using released STAAR passages. During Friday morning's Power Hour, six-graders volunteered to attend Ms. Anderson's tutoring to improve their thinking, test-taking and writing skills! At the end of the tutoring, the sixth-graders were on fire to tackle this test and life!
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We Want to Hear from You!
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Have a group of students that did well at a competition? A teacher that went above and beyond? Awards won? Grants received? Any amazing statistics for the week? We want to hear about it! Click the button below to submit your story for Tides of Pride. If you have any questions, please call (210) 634-6380 or email marcom@ecisd.net.
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