Email: mnelson@laredoisd.org

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Friday, October 30, 2009

Buenos tardes LISD,

What a great time of the year to be in Laredo.  We had a very productive week filled with many exciting activities.  Our administrators have been extremely busy monitoring our classrooms and leading our campuses.  I have asked all of our campus principals and assistant principals to complete 25 classroom visits each week.  I have met this same standard each week of the school year.  It fills my heart with pride when I see our teachers passionately focused on instruction.  What elates me even more is when I get to see students actively engaged in learning.  The process of public education is very magical when you see the moment when students acquire information they did not have prior to formal instruction. As I visit various campuses and observe instruction, it is obvious that our faculty and staff are committed to high-performing schools.  As I visit with students and teachers they are usually very anxious to show me the various examples of work and plans for future lessons.  I appreciate all of the hard work by our employees to make our campuses recognized and exemplary.

Earlier today I had the opportunity to attend the memorial mass of the Honorable Solomon Casseb, Jr.  This formal ceremony took place in the beautiful San Agustin Cathedral.  I was so impressed with the words expressed during this memorial.  Several dignitaries shared of the gracious generosity that Judge Casseb showed to the youth of Laredo including many programs in LISD.  I learned that Judge Casseb was originally from San Antonio.  I was glad to know we share that migration to Laredo.  Dr. Joaquin Cigarroa, Reverend James Tamayo, and others offered very special comments of the contributions of Judge Casseb to our great city.  I was honored to represent our school district along with other senior staff members at this memorial service.  My sincere condolences go out to the entire Casseb family and all of those who are mourning the loss of such a committed humanitarian and contributor to our city.  We offer our prayers of thanksgiving for his life and the gifts of his generosity and contributions to make our community stronger.

As we leave the month of October, it is very important to recognize that September 15-October 15 has been proclaimed as National Hispanic Heritage Month.  As we all know, Hispanics have played a very critical role in the rise and development of our nation.  I personally know Hispanics that are doctors, attorneys, professional athletes, politicians, ministers, and virtually every other facet of our society.  The very concept of human beings migrating to America for the chance at a better future for themselves and their families can be documented over and over again in the lives of Hispanics in America and particularly along our country’s border cities.  I am so proud to live and work in a community that has the demographics of Laredo.  Hispanics bring together the perfect blend of tradition, culture, and pride.  Also, Hispanics know how to have a good time.    Yesterday, the Vidal M. Trevino School of Communications and Fine Arts held our annual Hispanic Heritage Festival in the historic St. Peter’s Plaza.  The students sang, danced and probably ate way too much.  There were booths for face painting and other fun activities.  Mother nature provided a beautiful day for the event and all of those in attendance had a great time.  My congratulations to Dr. Martha Villarreal for leading such an organized activity.  I was particularly impressed with Mr. Gregorio Garza.  He is one of our teachers at VMT and he served as the emcee for the event.  He kept the crowd hyped and got of all the students dancing during the “cumbia” selections.  I really enjoyed this event and I believe President Obama says it best when he reminds all of the Hispanics in this country to “enrich our nation’s character, shape our common future,…and affirm the narrative of American unity and progress.”

Last weekend I was able to attend the Area 7 Fall Leadership Conference for the Health Occupations Students of America (HOSA) at Dr. Leo G. Cigarroa High School.  This event brought together hundreds of students from all over the Rio Grande Valley to develop their skills in leading the various campus chapters of students preparing to seek and ultimately become part of the health care profession.  I want to congratulate Ms. Elaine Ibarra who served as the conference chairperson.  She organized the event and we received many compliments on how well the conference was presented.  Our choir director at CHS led the conference in the national anthem and the campus principal, Mr. John Eric Salinas spoke to the conference attendees on his personal road through education and belief in the health care profession.  I would also like to thank our district Career and Technology Education Director, Mr. Elias Alonzo, for his leadership in our Career Pathways.  In addition to the HOSA conference he also worked with Mr. Richard Rodriguez, our master teacher from Martin High School, to hold our annual “focus meeting” for banking, business education, and marketing.  This luncheon allowed our business and marketing teachers to have serious conversations with members of the local business community about the needs of employers.  We had representatives from many successful businesses who were able to share the trends and demands of workers today.  Our career and technical education program is currently being re-vamped to match state and national expectations.  We look forward to keeping you apprised of how we prepare our students for the careers of the 21st century.

We also had our first Superintendent Student Advisory Council this week.  I really enjoyed this meeting.  I was able to have lunch with over 30 students that represented each of our high schools.  I shared with them a little of my background and then they each shared with me a little about themselves.  After our introductions, we were able to discuss each of their campuses and things the district could do to make their experience better.  The students shared different ideas including recommendations on lunch and ways to make our schools safer.  I appreciated their honesty and willingness to talk to me about their schools.  I believe high school should be the best four years of a student’s life.  How we challenge, motivate, and inspire students during their teenage years often is the main variable in determining their future success.  The students I met with earlier this week are very proud of where they go to school.  They want the best for their campus and they believe that the tradition and pride of their neighborhoods and schools is to be protected.  I share their passion and I look forward to meeting with this group throughout the school year.  This is one of the ways I am able to really get a feel for what is going on in the district.

As a campus principal, one of the days I dreaded most was the day before or after Halloween.  Most students always wanted to dress up in costumes and most teachers would tell me that the focus on instruction was difficult when student’s minds are on candy, Halloween parties, or other activities associated with this time of the year.  Well today, I had the opportunity to attend an assembly at Ligarde Elementary.  When I entered the gym, I noticed that the students were all dressed up in costumes and excited about the event that was forthcoming.  The assembly was called “Tune-In to a Good Book.”  As I listened to the introduction by the principal, Mrs. Jacobita Laurel, I could not help but notice that all the teachers were wearing costumes as well.  The program consisted of the teachers and staff acting out various books from the library and encouraging kids to read more books.  The program also had a music component where the various grade levels performed a dance routine to music from different generations.  One teacher was Elvis, one was Joker from Batman and Robin, several were superheroes, and one grade level portrayed the Wizard of Oz.  The kids loved this assembly and I was so impressed with the teachers and staff that performed today.  The entire school was smiling and clapping and enjoying the event.   I appreciate the invitation to the event and I really appreciated the energy and effort by our Ligarde teachers and staff.

Lastly, I wanted to congratulate all three of our volleyball teams on successful seasons.  I appreciate Coach Becky Acosta at MHS, Coach Irma De La Cruz at CHS, and all of the assistant coaches and players at both of these schools.  I enjoyed watching these three programs compete this year.  We all want to wish the Nixon Volleyball team the best of luck as they have advanced to the playoffs. They will play Mission Veterans High School in Roma on Tuesday night at 7:00.  My congratulations to Coach Mike Gabrillo, Coach Veronica Mendiola, Coach Lizzy Moreno, and Coach Gilbert Gomez for leading the Nixon Lady Mustangs to the state playoffs.  Green and Gold FOREVER!

Thank you to everyone for your hard work and have a great weekend.

Si pedimos lo imposible obtendremos lo mejor posible.

Si se puede!

Dr. Marcus Nelson