2017 in Review

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The year 2017 is nearly in the books, and boy was it one to remember. Opportunity for All was on display as many student groups excelled in a variety of the areas that public education has to offer.

We celebrated our winter and spring state champions like the Cypress Falls High School boys’ basketball team, Langham Creek High School hurdler Eric Edwards and the Cypress Ranch High School mixed doubles team of Varun Thachil and Melissa LaMette. We also cherished the runs by our state runners-up, like the Cypress Ranch Lady Mustang basketball team last March and the Cypress Ranch team tennis squad this fall.

Langham Creek’s Eric Edwards taking gold in the 110-meter hurdles at the state track meet.

Here’s hoping we celebrate another state champion soon, as our Cy-Fair Bobcat football team plays for the 6A trophy this Saturday in Arlington!

We relished our fine arts successes, like the 42 all-state musicians who performed in the TMEA honor concerts last February. We were proud to be the largest district where all campuses Met Standard. Computer science students from Cypress Woods High School won state championships at the UIL Academic State Meet in April, the same month that our Jersey Voltage and Cy-Borgs robotics teams represented the district at the FIRST World Robotics Championships.

We walked a record 8,000 graduates across our stage in May. And on a broader scale, we cheered together as the Houston Astros won their first-ever World Series title.

 

Cy-Fair HS graduates pave the way for the next generation at Danish ES last spring.

Indeed, it was a year of ups and downs. We will never forget the devastating effects of Hurricane Harvey upon our community, city and region. However, we can look back with pride on how we all came together and gave or received a helping hand that ultimately made us all stronger.

Volunteers pass out towels at the Berry Center shelter following Hurricane Harvey.

There have been many more ups than downs in our “littlest big district” we call home. You can trace nearly every success story in our community back to Cypress-Fairbanks ISD. I appreciate everyone’s efforts to make sure we fulfill our mission of improving the lives of our students and families.

This time of year I am thankful for my wife of 35 years, Cindy. She been the anchor that has kept our family stable and moving forward. Similarly, I feel that CFISD has been an anchor for this community. In 2017, there was a lot of evidence for how this school district held this community together.

My wife, Cindy, and three of our four grandchildren.

As we move into 2018 with the promise of a new year and primary election season, it is my hope that our community and our educators’ voices will be heard across this state and nation.

Before you know it, we will have 8,000 more students receiving their high school diplomas and entering into colleges, careers or the military. Ultimately, just like in 2017, CFISD will be the rock that this community can stand upon for a better tomorrow.

I hope that all of you have a happy and safe holiday season. I’ll see you in 2018!