· Vanessa Gonzalez of Spring Hill (via Anonymous): Vanessa works tirelessly to understand who her kids are. She works closely with their families to provide the mental and educational support necessary to help each child learn. She is a passionate educator who cares deeply about her kids. Spring Hill is lucky to have her.
· Jenny Olsen of Admin (via Teri Hurtuk): Jenny Olsen has more hours in the day than the rest of us. She gets so much accomplished! The literacy knowledge she has brought to SHES this year has helped our campus grow. She is able to help us set realistic goals and comes up with so many creative solutions. Her systems thinking is what impresses me most. Any time I bring up a concern she is immediately thinking about how this might be impacting other campuses. Personally, Jenny has pushed me to grow as a leader of professional development. I am so grateful for you!
· Joel Quirindongo and Michael Acosta of PFISD Plumbing Dept (via Front Office): They are always super on top of every Work order we put in and always go above and beyond. They always come in with a cheerful and happy attitude.
· Jean Gifford, Christina Hotchkin, Matt Medina of WHS (via Nancy Gross): For being amazing support for our A.P. program, helping to get our fundraising efforts off the ground for scholarships for testing. They are amazing assets to our campus. Thank for all that you do to support our wolves.
· Lauren Wright of Parmer Lane - 5th grade teacher (via Monica Martinez): Ms. Wright is not only a wonderful math teacher, but does alot for us Leopards behind the scenes as our website coordinator, our technology guru, a grade level leader, UIL and after school club sponsor. She is truly a gem and we are so lucky to have her on our team.
· Gertrudis Mera Cantillo of 5th Grade Dual Language (via Anonymous): Gertrudis is a caring and knowledgeable educator. Her perspective is thoughtful, insightful and enriches others’ understanding. She has a big heart and a unique skill in connecting with students and making them feel seen and heard. Thank you for your care and dedication, Mrs. Mera!
· Susan Kruger of PES / Intervention (via Anonymous): This year was expected to be a challenging one for me, and it certainly started that way. Before this year, I didn’t know Susan very well. However, when it became clear that I might struggle, she stepped up. And when I did struggle, she stepped up again—purely out of the kindness of her heart—to help in any way she could.
Susan’s proactive and selfless support has made an incredible difference. Many of the challenges I’ve faced, or might have faced, have either been resolved, are being worked through, or were completely avoided thanks to her willingness to step in without hesitation or expectation of personal gain.
Susan, thank you for everything you have done and continue to do for me and for everyone at PES. Your generosity and care have made a lasting impact.
· Kendra Hack & Sandra Rodriguez-Alicea of PES / 4th Grade (via Luke “Mr. W”): My 4th grade team. My first year teaching and I couldn’t have asked for a better team. Kendra, this being her first official year, has great experience and has taken the lead on the monolingual side by surprising me with helping and doing things I either didn’t know I was supposed to do, or doing things she knew I didn’t look like I was going to get to. So grateful for her expertise and leadership, even though we are in our first official year of teaching together. Sandra, has been an amazing team lead for our team. She anticipates and see’s where I’m struggling or where I might struggle and helps out where I need it. I couldn’t be more proud to be part of a team as I am with Sandra and Kendra. #team4thgradePfireAnts
· Stacey Bates of MES (via Carrie Quinney and Nikki Moyer): November 11-15 was National School Psychology Week and we are so lucky to have Dr. Bates as our LSSP! She collaborates with staff, has a natural way with students, writes thorough reports, and explains things in a way that is easy to understand. We are thankful for Dr. Bates!
· Player Richardson of Administration (via Carrie Quinney): Player has probably answered the same Eduphoria question for me 100 times but you would never know based on his patient response each time! He responds promptly and always explains how to solve the problem, then goes in and fixes it. We are lucky to have Player in PfISD!
· Chinwe Onwujuba of MES (via Carrie Quinney): For the second year in a row, Chinwe helped organize Diversity Night for our campus. It was an amazing event with a huge turnout! These type of events take a lot of planning and preparation and I am so appreciative of Ms. Onwujuba for making this happen!
· Abby Bell of Spring Hill-Music teacher (via Selena Blackmon): Abby has a lot of responsibilities, but she manages them with ease and efficiency. As a leader on campus, she consistently goes above and beyond to plan and organize a variety of programs for our students to engage in. Her dedication to our school is truly impressive! We are lucky to have her as our Music teacher.
· Ms. Harris and Ms. Smith of Brookhollow Elementary School (via Aressa and Amber): Thank you to Brookhollow's leadership for taking time out of their busy schedule to attend our Just In Time TOT professional learning. Ms. Harris and Ms. Smith were fully engaged and now know everything about teaching 2nd and 4th-grade Math! Thank you, ladies, for your hard work and dedication.
· Jose Valenzuela of Counselor (via Anonymous): We are so lucky to have Mr. Valenzuela as the 6th-grade counselor! His positive energy and genuine care for our students and staff make such a difference every single day. Not only does he go above and beyond in his counseling role, but he’s also the heart behind starting FCA here at Dessau Middle School. Every Friday, he shares the gospel with our young middle schoolers, creating a safe and uplifting space for them. Oh, and let’s not forget—he brings donuts! 🍩 Who doesn’t love a little Friday morning treat?
Mr. Valenzuela’s dedication to our students, both academically and spiritually, is truly inspiring. Thank you, Mr. V, for all the joy, kindness, and encouragement you bring to our campus! 👏
· Juan Molina of PE (via Anonymous): Coach Molina is a true MVP here at Dessau Middle School! He wears so many hats and rocks all of them with a smile on his face. Whether he’s getting the fields ready, coaching athletics, or leading after-school sports teams like football, soccer, and basketball, he’s giving it 110% every single day.
You can tell he truly loves what he does, and the students enjoy having him as a Coach. His positivity, dedication, and genuine care for the kids are unmatched.Your hard work doesn’t go unnoticed, and we’re so lucky to have you here at Dessau!!
· Emily Mallet of Hidden Lake Elem. (via T. M.): Emily juggles many hats and is always kind, welcoming and has such a positive attitude. She goes the extra mile to help staff, students and visitors. PISD is lucky to have you and you are very much appreciated!!
· Genesis Gonzalez of Pflugerville Elementary (via anonymous): Thank you for the support you have been on our campus. You have made our youngest students feel seen and heard from the moment you greet them at the parking lot to the hands on activities you provide during your class. Ending their day at the gym has been a highlight of their year.
· Vilma Torres of Transportation (via Amanda Tse): Kudos to Ms. Torres for taking her Friday to take a group of students to a field trip. She was already waiting by the main office before the scheduled time. She greeted each student boarding the bus with a smile. When the field trip was over, one student did not return to the bus. She provided great suggestion to locate the missing student. She waited patiently to ensure that student returned to the bus. Thank you Ms. Torres for your patience & quick thinking.
· Kate Branam of ROES/P.E. Educational Associate (via Kristian Arredondo): Coach Kate always volunteers her time to support the students and staff at River Oaks ES. This year she introduced Roadrunner Relief for staff members to request help from our PTO or staff volunteers to help with projects, laminating/cutting, help with bulletin boards, cataloging books, collecting items for donation, etc. I want to thank Coach Kate and her amazing mom for helping me laminate and cut a ton of materials that I most likely would not have had the time to do myself. Thank you for giving your time for the benefit of our students!
Melissa Moore of ECSC (via anonymous): I would like to recognize Melissa Moore for her outstanding participation in team meetings. Her willingness to share her knowledge and infectious enthusiasm have greatly enriched our discussions. Her contributions are invaluable, and she consistently brings a positive attitude that brightens our school community. Melissa is truly a ray of sunshine, always supporting her coworkers with enthusiasm and kindness. Thank you, Melissa, for all you do!
