Monday Message
From the desk of Dr. Harrell
January 6, 2020
Welcome Back to 2020-
Happy New Year!
This is the beginning of a new decade and an exciting time to experience all the 2020s hold for each one of us. Looking back, where were you and what were your hopes and dreams at the turn of the last decade, 2010? Hopefully, those dreams have worked out well for you and maybe even provided more clarity to your career and life choices. I’d bet, however, the last 10 years brought some wonders, surprise answers to questions you had, and experiences you didn’t anticipate. Life can be amazing if we let it.
I’m not going to task you with setting resolutions, but I do want to challenge you. I want you to identify your gifts, really know those gifts; know what strengths you possess and how you can share them. We all may know some or all of our gifts but do we know the depth of the gift and do we share it?
I encourage you to find time to watch this 10-minute clip from Sir Ken Robinson.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FLbXrNGVXfE
This piece has some humor but also holds some deeper thought and wisdom. Some of the people mentioned who went on to greatness were passed over at one time, undiscovered yet incredibly talented. Who are the undiscovered people in your life – is it you, a student, a family member?
An intriguing point I heard in the clip was “to be born at all is a miracle in itself.” Think about how true that is when you consider all aspects of conception through childbirth. Each one of you is a miracle and a blessing. Miracles are not to be wasted. Miracles carry talent and gifts to be shared.
I challenge you to share your gifts with your students. Find students with similar gifts whether they are in your class or not. Share your gifts with your colleagues. Great teachers learn with their students and with one another. We have a wealth of talent within our 750 educators who work at UCISD.
We are all miracles and we all have gifts. Let’s make 2020 the year we focus on sharing our gifts. We are blessed to be working in a career that has a profound effect on the future. Make a strong and positive impact this new year – I Believe in ‘U’
Again – Happy New Year!
Dr. Hal Harrell
Superintendent
January Employee of the Month
Joe Morales
I would like to take this opportunity to recognize our employee of the month for January as Joe Morales, a custodian at Morales Junior High School. Mr. Morales is a wonderful asset to the campus in many ways. He is a dedicated and committed employee to the campus and students. Mr. Morales noticed a student who uses crutches struggling with only one crutch. Without hesitation, Mr. Morales approached the student to inquire about what happened to the other crutch. Upon learning the student had broken the crutch, Mr. Morales asked the student if he could try to fix the crutch. The student agreed and went on with the school day.
To the student’s surprise, Mr. Morales found the student in the class and discretely presented the student with the fixed crutch. This act of kindness was very much appreciated by the student as it was much easier to move around with two crutches.
This kind gesture from Mr. Morales is one of many acts of kindness performed daily by Mr. Morales that have gone unnoticed. Mr. Morales is an extremely humble individual that is one of many who truly care for our students.
Please help our district congratulate Mr. Morales on being selected as the January Employee of the Month!
Crossroads Academy Fall Graduation
PCT-Phlebotomy Students Pass Certification Exam
Krista Allen
Priscilla Alvarez
Vanessa Arredondo
Aubrey Castillo
Julie Garza
Sarrah Luna
Jocelyn Moreno
Joaquin Perez
Belinda Puente
Ricardo Ramon
Amy Sanchez
Alyssa Schwartzly
Nina Sevilla
Brisa Torres
Kira Vasquez
TRS Regional Offices Survey
As we published in our December Update newsletter to Reporting Employers (REs) as well as our December TRS News for active members and retirees, TRS is exploring the idea of opening TRS regional offices across the state in order to expand our member service delivery options to our ever-growing membership.
We would greatly appreciate it if you could please notify your employees that TRS has emailed a TRS Regional Offices Survey to active members and retirees to get their input on regional offices. We highly encourage them to participate as we value all comments and are always looking for ways in which we can better serve our members. The deadline for members to complete the survey is Jan. 21, 2020.
Members can check the TRS website, social media channels, newsletters and publications for updates to the project.
Thank you for your support and coordination efforts to help us make this survey a success.
Sincerely,
Teacher Retirement System of Texas