Teachers and staff from across Spring ISD gathered on Monday at Fallbrook Church for the district’s 2023-24 convocation, officially ushering in the new school year that welcomes students back to classrooms on Thursday, Aug. 10. For many, the event was a chance to reunite with colleagues, catch up on summer experiences, and celebrate the start of a new school year while showcasing their campus spirit.
Reynolds Elementary School fifth-grade teacher Ashley Willis – now entering her second year in the district and her eighth as an educator – moved last year from the Galveston area to be in Spring ISD, and said she was attracted by Superintendent Dr. Lupita Hinojosa’s positive and inclusive message and the district’s commitment to teachers.
“I had heard about Spring ISD and what it had to offer,” Willis said, “and from when I first went to training, it has just been so positive, everything has been wonderful. I have a lot of teacher friends that are not even in the district, and they’ve reached out to me – because I’ve put videos online – and they’re asking me, ‘Are you all hiring?’ They just love the vibe of the district, and how Dr. Hinojosa has made all of this so welcoming for the teachers. It makes us want to come to work, and want to get ready for the school year.”
Carl Wunsche Sr. High School CTE teacher Waylon Randolph – who in May was named the district’s Secondary Teacher of the Year for 2022-23 – said he left the convocation hall feeling pumped up and ready to share his own renewed sense of energy with his law enforcement pathway students at Wunsche.
“I’m ready to get going!” Randolph said. “I can’t wait till Thursday when my students return. It’s going to be amazing for me to catch up and see how their summer was, and then get right back into learning and seeing where they want that learning to go this year.”
Held over three events spaced across the morning and afternoon, Spring ISD’s 2023-24 convocation welcomed more than 5,000 teachers, counselors, principals, bus drivers, maintenance and child nutrition workers, technology team members, and other campus-based and district staff.
During her keynote presentation, Hinojosa energized employees ahead of the beginning of classes, encouraging them to embrace the power within themselves – including their own unique skills, talents and passions – to support each other, strengthen Spring ISD schools and communities, and empower students to achieve their best, every single day.
“It’s all about remembering that our Spring ISD schools and classrooms are filled with amazing young people who depend on us to believe in them, and to believe in their potential,” Hinojosa told attendees.
Acknowledging challenges faced by the district in recent years – including addressing pandemic learning losses and disciplinary issues, along with tight budgets and ongoing changes to the annual STAAR test and the state’s accountability system – Hinojosa nevertheless encouraged employees to dream big on behalf of their schools and students, and to focus on positive examples of student accomplishment and success to help motivate themselves to new levels of achievement as educators.
“Some days, being part of the team feels joyful, it feels amazing,” Hinojosa said. “But I also know that the challenges – sometimes out of our control – can make it hard for us to maintain that sense of hope, to maintain optimism, and to maintain that sense of determination and grit.”
Citing the example of Spring High School Class of 2023 Valedictorian Zaniah Wheeler, Hinojosa challenged employees to never give up, and to never allow the perceptions of others to negatively impact their belief in their own ability to succeed and help students excel.
“Individually, we can be mighty,” she said, “but it’s only when we work together that we can go from mighty – to unstoppable!”
In addition to introducing the year’s theme – “The Power of You” – Hinojosa outlined four key areas that the district will be focused on especially over the coming school year: Enrollment, Attendance, Accountability, and Experience.
“Experience is how we treat each other, and how we feel after every interaction,” she said.
Hinojosa encouraged all employees to think about how their work could make a difference in supporting improvements in student enrollment and attendance, increased accountability, and an excellent experience for all district stakeholders, including fellow teachers and other employees as well as students and their families.
“Whatever you do, wherever you work, you are contributing,” Hinojosa said. “You are making a positive difference in the lives of our students, because you are unstoppable!”
The event also featured special appearances from Spring ISD Performing and Visual Arts student groups, including the Roberson Middle School step team, whose high-energy performance brought many in the crowd to their feet and helped set the excited and upbeat tone for the day. Before the superintendent’s keynote address, convocation emcee Royal Hammond from Dekaney High School led campuses and departments through the lively roll-call that serves for many as a highlight of the annual event.
Burchett Elementary School’s brand-new principal, Na’Carol Dixon Hall, has spent her entire career – more than a decade – with Spring ISD, most recently serving as assistant principal at Hirsch Elementary. Now leading Burchett, she said that she and her staff can’t wait to embark on the new school year.
“This is a great year for a fresh start, and we are excited about welcoming kids to a bright new future and reigniting the love for learning,” Hall said. “I feel like with the support that we get from our senior leadership team, and the encouraging words from Dr. Hinojosa, we really can be unstoppable, and we’re ready to do all we can for kids every day – to do what’s best for them every single day. That’s our priority.”
Before heading out after the convocation to catch the school bus back to the Burchett campus, Hall added one more declaration for the 2023-24 school year and beyond.
“We are Spring,” she said, “and we will be unstoppable!”