Tomball Talk
VISION
Tomball ISD students will lead in creating the future.
MISSION
Tomball ISD educates students to become responsible, productive citizens by providing innovative, individually rigorous, and personally valuable educational experiences.
Superintendent of Schools: Dr. Martha Salazar-Zamora
Pictured: (Back Row, L-R) Mark Lewandowski, John E. McStravick, Matt Schiel, Dr. Michael Pratt
(Front Row, L-R) Justin Unser, Dr. Martha Salazar-Zamora, Lee McLeod, Tina Salem
Tomball ISD Cabinet
Pictured: (L-R) Dr. Steven Gutierrez, Chief Operating Officer; Dr. Michael Webb, Chief Academic Officer; Dr. Martha Salazar-Zamora, Superintendent; Dr. Amy Schindewolf, Chief of Staff & School Leadership; Zack Boles, Chief Financial Officer; Holly Sherman, Legal Counsel
Hot Off the Press!
Tomball ISD Earns #1 Best District in Harris County for 6th Straight Year!
Tomball ISD Students Perform at txEDCON24
Over 250 Tomball ISD students worked collaboratively with fine arts teachers over the last three months to create an incredible performance, highlighting their journey as students in TISD.
Students from every campus and every grade level represented Symphony Orchestra, Secondary and Elementary Choir, Electric String Ensemble, Elementary Handbell Choir, Steel Band, Marching Bands, Theatre, Drill Teams, Color Guard, and Visual Arts.
Congrats, Dr. Z on Serving as TASA President this Year!
Congratulations to our Tomball ISD Superintendent Dr. Martha Salazar-Zamora on serving as this year's Texas Association of School Administrators (TASA) President. She is also the first Hispanic Female Superintendent to serve in this capacity during the 100-year span.
Tomball High School Homecoming
Congratulations to Tomball High School Homecoming:
Queen: Lexington Lopez
King: Gehrig Heckathorn
Congratulations to Tomball ISD's National Merit Semifinalists!
TISD Becomes First in Texas to Add AI Asst. PowerBuddy to Curriculum Development
Tomball ISD is excited to announce its partnership with PowerSchool (NYSE: PWSC), the leading provider of cloud-based software for K-12 education in North America, to pilot PowerBuddy, PowerSchool’s AI-powered assistant that is uniquely crafted for students, families, teachers, and administrators.
School Safety & Social Media Reminders
Tomball ISD is committed to providing a safe and secure learning environment for all students, but we need your help. We will continue to educate students on digital citizenship and responsible social media use, but your involvement at home is vital to reinforcing these lessons and reminding students, "It’s Not a Joke. Think Before You Post”
Read Dr. Z's community letter addressing school safety & social media reminders.
Early Excellence Academy Earns Three Stars of Distinction for Excellence
TASA and Texas Association of School Boards (TASB) have announced that 41 projects will be included in the 2024-25 Exhibit of School Architecture and Tomball ISD's Early Excellence Academy earned three distinctions in value, planning, and transformation.
Tomball ISD to Recgonize Digital Citizenship Week, Sept. 30 - Oct. 4
To help prepare our students to navigate the digital world we are incorporating a Digital Citizenship week promoting positive online practices for students in Grades K-12.
Tomball ISD Brothers Invent Hydraulic Hammer Break Cover with Pending Patent
Tombal lSD brothers Navinu and Dihen Koswatta collaborated for several years to design and create the Hydraulic Hammer Break Cover.
Read more about the Hydraulic Hammer Breaker Cover invention.
TCES Begins Building Bridges Club to Empower English Language Learners
Timber Creek Elementary Emergent Bilingual Instructional Specialist Heather Ling begins Building Bridges Club on campus to empower and support English Language Learners.
19 TMHS Students Excel Earning the Prestigious AP Capstone™ Diploma
Congratulations to Tomball Memorial High School students for earning the prestigious AP Capstone™Diploma recognition.
Tomball ISD CTE Partners with TEDC for Summer Youth Employment Program
Tomball ISD CTE partnered with the Tomball Economic Development Corporation to provide a real-world internship opportunity to interested students.
TMHS Football Creates Community Connection through Team Events
With the 2024 season finally here, the Wildcats recently hosted its annual event, “Helmets & Heroes”, which recognized educators who have made a profound impact on the life of one of the TMHS varsity football players.
Mariachi at THS Offers New Opportunity for Students to Embrace Heritage
Cultivating an environment where all students feel welcomed and a celebration of heritage and culture is appreciated, Tomball ISD is excited to welcome Mariachi, a new Fine Arts program, to Tomball High School.
Tomball ISD Bus Driver Connects with Community through Meet & Greet Event
Bus driver Liz Kelm, now in her fourth year of driving a school bus for TISD, hosted a ‘Meet Your Bus Driver’ event for the neighborhood in which she serves prior to the start of the new school year.
MARK YOUR CALENDAR
October 26 from 8 AM - 12 PM at Tomball Junior High
For more information on the STEAM Conference.
The H-E-B Excellence in Education program awards cash grants to finalists, winners, and their schools. A nomination starts a journey that can lead to impactful benefits for the schools and districts in your community.
Nominations for the 2025 Excellence in Education Awards close on October 7, 2024.
Parent University is designed to empower parents with knowledge and tools to become effective advocates for their children. There are a variety of sessions from Pre-K through High School Senior content delivered through cross-district collaboration.
Upcoming Parent U: October 15
Empowering Digital Citizenship: Ethical & Responsible Use of Generative AI
Navigate AI safely! Learn responsible use of generative AI, protect against misuse, and become an ethical digital citizen. Join "Empowering Digital Citizenship" to unlock AI's potential while prioritizing safety and integrity.
Tuesday, October 15
6:00 PM - 7:00 PM
Tomball ISD Technology & Staff Development Center
1302 Keefer Rd, Tomball, TX 77375
Lauren Kirchner, Tomball High School, 2004
Lauren Kirchner, Tomball High School, 2004
President and Co-Owner of Spring Creek Growers, Inc.
Her story began on a Christmas Tree Farm off Decker Prairie Rosehill Road. The pine scent illuminated the air and families from all over would create memories visiting Spring Creek Growers for their annual choose-and-cut Christmas tree.
For Lauren Kirchner, formally Lauren Jones, working the family Christmas Tree Farm as a young girl was one of her favorite memories, and as she grew older, a memory she thought would only be a childhood pastime.
Now, in 2024, Kirchner leads Spring Creek Growers, Inc. as its President and Co-Owner. A creative horticulture marketer and accomplished business developer, she brings 15 years of experience to this role, having joined the family business shortly after pursuing a career that just didn’t completely fulfill her.
Kirchner is a 2004 graduate of Tomball High School where she attended Beckendorf Intermediate, Tomball Junior High, and THS during her grade school years. In a family full of Cougar graduates, Kirchner was a proud member of the swim team, competing on the first team to call the Natatorium home during her senior year. She was involved in summer theater productions, and broadcasted school announcements each morning.
Following high school, Kirchner thought she would pursue broadcast journalism, but once she began her time at Baylor University she focused on business and received her degree with a double major in Marketing and Finance.
“As I graduated [from Baylor], I left thinking I’d have a long career with a Fortune 500 company, but only after one year of corporate life, I quickly realized the young business her parents had begun was something of great opportunity,” Kirchner said.
A true family business, Kirchner approached her parents with the idea.
“I came to my father, shocking us both, that I was interested in joining the family business, something I’d never ever considered before, and asked if he could use my help.”
She began her time working at Spring Creek Growers, Inc. as a Sales Representative with no formal horticulture training or background despite working the Christmas Tree Farm her whole life.
“After joining the family business, I quickly realized how much of an impact growing flowers makes for the community.”
To rewind and reflect on what Spring Creek Growers, Inc. has become over the years is quite inspiring.
The land was farm land originally owned by Kirchner’s great grandparents where they raised turkeys and produce for Houston Farmers Markets. Kirchner’s parents took over the land and began Spring Creek Growers, Inc. in 1992 as a Christmas Tree Farm.
In 2004, Kirchner’s father quit his day job and began the commercial nursery business full-time, embarking on an entrepreneurial leap.
“As I went through college, he and my mom wore many hats to keep a young business going,” Kirchner remembers. “Those early years were challenging for both of them but they successfully laid a foundation for the company making it what it is today.”
Kirchner officially joined in Year 5 of the commercial business, and a few years later her brother joined as well. Today, Spring Creek Growers, Inc. has 60 employees and ships to over 200 H-E-B stores regularly along with other customers like SiteOne Landscape Supply, Costco, and many premium commercial landscaping companies across Texas.
Great Expectations (GE) in Tomball ISD promotes a climate of mutual respect and academic excellence. Dr. Z was joined by teachers Laura Lagos and Stephanie Ryan and Assistant Superintendent of Strategic Innovation Dr. Lee Wright to discuss creating an intentional focus to embrace GE as a culture instead of a program.