Closing out 2018

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As we close the book on another calendar year, I am proud to look back on the many successes of 2018 and the way we demonstrated Opportunity for All throughout Cypress-Fairbanks ISD.

That #CFISDspirit was evident starting in January, when we partnered with the Houston Health Department to bring free eye exams and eyewear to thousands of students through the See to Succeed program. Our health services department is already expecting more than 1,000 students to utilize this life-changing program in January 2019!

We celebrated many fine arts successes, like the 38 TMEA All-State musicians who performed in San Antonio in February. The Cy-Fair and Jersey Village high school marching bands both qualified for the state championship in November, finishing among the top 33 groups in Texas.

Athletics achievements were all around us. We celebrated the Cypress Ranch High School girls’ wrestling team as they won their first-ever UIL state championship last February. Cypress Woods High School basketball standout Cate Reese was named a McDonald’s All-American. We even cheered on an Olympian, as Cy-Fair High School alum Sam McGuffie competed in bobsled in South Korea.

Our educators continued to set themselves apart in 2018. Cypress Falls High School New Arrival Center instructor Pamela Broussard was named an H-E-B Excellence in Education award finalist. Lamkin Elementary School visual arts specialist Jeanna Peña was recognized as Region 4 Teacher of the Year.

I was overwhelmed by the way the community came together for the fifth annual Superintendent’s Fun Run in March, raising a record $100,000 for the Cy-Fair Educational Foundation. Save the date for the sixth annual event on March 2, 2019 at the Berry Center!

It was truly a year of outstanding highlights. There were 27 National Merit honorees. More than $700,000 was given to Livestock Show and Sale projects. Our voters had great turnouts at the polls. Our Camp Summit summer literacy program won a prestigious national award. We handed out a record number of diplomas to Class of 2018 graduates.

CFISD was once again the largest district in the state to have all our campuses meet the state’s academic standards. But as you can see, we are defined by much more than our test scores. We are a district that gives students with the most challenges and the most potential the same first-class education. We are a place where every student can succeed no matter what their gifts or challenges may be. We provide opportunities to become a great athlete or artist, to be involved in robotics, to transition into an Ivy League school or the workforce. 

We had an incredible year, but we look forward to 2019 and the promise it brings for our entire community. On behalf of Cypress-Fairbanks ISD, I wish you a safe and restful holiday break. See you in January!

~ Mark Henry, Ed.D.