Just before the end of the fall semester and the start of Winter Break, members of the Spring ISD Board of Trustees paid surprise visits on Thursday Dec. 14 to Burchett Elementary School, Marshall Elementary School, Spring High School and the Spring ISD Distribution Center to present the Fall 2023 Employee Excellence Awards to winners who were selected by the trustees for embodying the qualities in the district’s Leadership Definition.
Board President Justine Durant, Vice President Winford Adams Jr., and Trustee Dr. Deborah Jensen were accompanied by Superintendent Dr. Lupita Hinojosa and other administrators to deliver the good news to the winning staff members.
September
The September award went to Spring ISD Police Officer Jose Argueta, serving as a campus officer at Spring High School.
“I always try my best to do a good job,” said Argueta, who held other security roles in the past and came to Spring ISD to train and become a police officer. As both a district resident and parent – with children attending Roberson Middle School and Dekaney High School in recent years – Argueta said he is proud to be a part of the department and to have a role in shaping the culture on campuses across Spring ISD.
“It’s a wonderful place,” he said.
Argueta has now been with the district for four years, and was nominated for exhibiting multiple qualities of the Leadership Definition, including being Service-Oriented and Outcome-Driven. He was nominated in part for going above and beyond to provide excellent service to the staff and students at his assigned campuses.
Officer Argueta was also singled out for the way he exhibits proactive leadership when investigating a case, taking a front-line approach to ensure a successful resolution and setting an example of consistency and high standards in his service. He enjoys working with students and encouraging them to think through their decisions, learn from past mistakes, and improve their outcomes.
“I believe Officer Argueta is meant to do this job,” said Spring ISD Chief of Police Matthew Rodrigue. “He knows our kids, and he’s committed to taking care of our kids.”
October
The October award went to Rosendo Chavez Torres, a driver and member of the Spring ISD Distribution Center team who also works nights with the Operations Department supporting custodial staff.
“I’ve never been awarded something like this before, so it’s extra-special for me,” Chavez Torres said after the presentation by the board members. “It’s pretty amazing, and I’m very happy.”
When asked what he most enjoys about his experience working with the distribution department, Chavez Torres didn’t hesitate.
“Definitely the team – the camaraderie here,” he said. “Everybody gets along very well. We come into work, everybody always has a good attitude, everybody’s always good to go. We get along with each other, and we tease each other. We give each other a hard time, and everybody goes home laughing at the end of the day.”
Chavez Torres has been with Spring ISD a little over a year, but is no stranger to the district. His wife, who works in the Child Nutrition Department, first encouraged him to apply, and the couple have two children enrolled in Spring ISD and currently attending Burchett Elementary and The Bailey School for Performing & Visual Arts.
Chavez Torres was nominated for his positive attitude, exceptional customer service skills, and always doing what needs to be done with a smile. In addition to his regular duties, he also helps train new hires and show them the ropes. And after working his regular daytime warehouse shift, Chavez Torres has also worked nights in support of the Custodial Department, cleaning campus facilities so that everything is ready for the students in the morning.
Executive Director of Procurement Phillip Ellison, who also oversees the district’s Distribution Services team, said that Chavez Torres had quickly distinguished himself during his time with the district, not only as an incredibly hard worker, but also as a valued teammate who brightens the atmosphere wherever he goes.
“I think it’s great to see him being recognized for not only the work he does here at the Distribution Center, day-in and-day-out, but also his openness to help out Operations,” Ellison said. “He’s just a super-nice, outgoing guy, and there’s not a person that doesn’t smile when he comes around.”
November
The November award went to Marshall Elementary School fourth grade teacher Diana DelaFuente, who was singled out for building strong relationships with both scholars and staff members on her campus. DelaFuente’s nomination submission remarked on how she consistently empowers others, celebrates success, and provides her students a safe and fun learning environment – leading to a classroom that boasts high attendance rates, and where each morning she can be seen greeting students and staff members and making sure that everyone is excited about learning.
“I do what I do because I love the kids, and I love seeing them grow,” DelaFuente said as she thanked the trustees for the surprise award. “I just love seeing that growth, and to me that’s the biggest thing, when a kid says, ‘Oh, I get it now!’ That’s why I do it.”
DelaFuente is currently in her 15th year with Spring ISD, having originally started out as a paraprofessional at Link Elementary. She later completed her bachelor’s degree and enrolled in a teacher certification program, going on to work at Burchett Elementary before arriving at Marshall two years ago.
She was named a Rookie Teacher of the Year in 2015-16, and has served on the Spring ISD Advisory Committee on Education (ACE), where she has helped to advise district leaders on important decisions affecting Spring ISD students and families.
Having taught multiple elementary grade levels, DelaFuente understands the importance of developing reading comprehension, and has gone above and beyond to offer extra after-school tutoring to students with learning gaps, helping them get back on track and accelerate their learning.
Marshall Elementary School Principal Shimona Eason has known DelaFuente for years – since the latter’s early days as a teacher – and said she felt blessed to have DelaFuente back on her team at Marshall.
“She just wants the best for her kids,” Eason said. “She’s a huge kid advocate, a champion for kids. She won’t be quiet! If the kids need something, she’s willing to stick her neck out and say what needs to be said, and do what needs to be done, to make sure that they’re taken care of.”
December
The December award went to Cabreatha Thomas, a fifth grade math and science teacher at Burchett Elementary School and a dedicated district volunteer and advisory committee member. Thomas’ nomination highlighted her team-focused approach to ensure all Spring ISD students find success. Over her years teaching, she has frequently served as a volunteer mentor to others – both on her own campus and at other schools around the district – and utilizes a student-focused, data-driven approach to drive positive outcomes in her classroom.
Over the years, Thomas has made her mark both as a teacher and as a passionate volunteer, serving on various committees – including the 2022 Bond Steering Committee – and regularly attending meetings of the Spring ISD Board of Trustees, where she has been an outspoken advocate on behalf of both staff and students.
With five years at Burchett and a decade with the district, Thomas knows the Spring ISD community well, and loves interacting with her students each day, getting to know them individually so she can respond to their unique learning needs. Last spring, she was named a 2022-23 Teacher of the Year Finalist, and although her teaching career has taken her both inside and outside Spring ISD, she says the district feels like her true home.
“There’s no place like Spring ISD,” she said. “I left and came back, left and came back, and now I’m here to stay!”
Asked what brought her back, Thomas cited campus and district leadership, along with Spring ISD’s emphasis on empowering teachers and other staff to do what’s best for every child, every day.
“That’s the truth,” she said. “I tell people all the time, ‘You have no idea the work that’s going on behind the scenes – for us.’ Our board is really having meaningful conversations as to what is best for us and for the students.”
As Thomas’ students cheered loudly when her Employee Excellence Award was announced, Burchett Elementary School Principal Na’Carol Dixon Hall looked on proudly. After the ceremony, she praised Thomas and said she was a perfect example of what Burchett faculty strive for each and every day.
“Today is an amazing day in Bobcat Country – a glimpse of all the awesomeness that happens here every day,” Dixon Hall said. “We’re looking for excellence on a daily basis, and it’s here – in our kids, and our teachers. It’s just the Bobcat Way!”