A Memorable School Year

Nine months ago, we were preparing to open our doors to students and staff. Instead, we opened them to first responders, displaced flood victims, volunteers and even the National Guard.

Hurricane Harvey certainly dealt us an unexpected blow at the beginning of the 2017-2018 school year, but as usual, we all came together and put Opportunity for All into action. Many heroes of the classroom, like Duryea Elementary School Principal Kenneth Henry, turned into heroes of Harvey.

The district showed its resilience no matter the obstacle or weather event (Mother Nature even threw a little freeze at us!). We came together, we rebuilt, we grew stronger as a result.

Our students never slowed down, earning incredible accomplishments in the classroom, concert halls and playing fields. While fine arts students gave gold performances…

The Cypress Falls HS honor choir performs as a TMEA Honor Choir at the state convention on Feb. 15. 

…UIL state champions tested the strength of gold medals!

Cy-Fair HS football players celebrate winning the state title at AT&T Stadium Dec. 23. 

Cypress Creek HS senior Samantha Billings won first place in feature writing at the UIL Academic State Meet May 4-5.

One of the stabilizing forces for CFISD this year was an award-winning school board, whose members are always seeking the best for our students, staff and taxpayers. It continues to be a pleasure to work with this group.

Our amazing Trustees celebrated the Bobcats’ state football title at the January 2018 Board meeting. 

While I don’t know what challenges await us in 2018-2019, I know that in November you will have the opportunity to select members of our own legislative body as well as state leaders who will determine the future of public education. I encourage you to become engaged. Keep tabs on our Community Leadership Committee. Vote for candidates who support universal public education!

Despite all the challenges the community has experienced, I encourage everyone to finish strong as we head toward the summer—then enjoy time with family, be safe and relax! We still have a lot to cheer about in this district, including 12 high school graduation ceremonies that are currently in progress! 

As 8,000 seniors walk the stage at the Berry Center, a school year that began with devastation will end with hope for a brighter future. That’s what I call #CFISDspirit.

~ Mark Henry, Ed.D.

First Day of School

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After careful consideration of mobility, facilities and employee availability, the CFISD Board of Trustees has supported our decision to welcome students back to school on Wednesday, Sept. 6.

Tuesday, Sept. 5 will serve as the first day back to work for our employees.

We feel that reopening schools next week will allow our students and families to return to as much of a normal life as possible. We understand that this is not possible for some of our families, and CFISD is here to provide support with resources such as our point of distribution (POD) and other community relief efforts.

If your family has been displaced and students are unable to reach their campus of origin, information and frequently asked questions will be posted as soon as they are available on the district website.

We understand that students’ basic necessities should not be a concern during this difficult time. We are pleased that the USDA has waived all free and reduced meal eligibility requirements through Sept. 30 so students can enjoy free breakfast and lunch on our campuses. Parents are encouraged to still complete the free and reduced application so their students’ program enrollment can resume after the Sept. 30 date.

Our food service department is also opening additional feeding centers as an extension of our summer feeding program beginning tomorrow, Sept. 2 through Monday, Sept. 4 from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sites at Owens (7939 Jackrabbit Road) and Holbrook (6402 Langfield Road) elementary schools and Cypress Lakes High School (5750 Greenhouse Road) will offer free breakfast and lunch for children 18 years and younger. Due to donations from vendors, we can also provide free meals to adults accompanying children.

Hurricane Harvey and its destructive aftermath have presented significant challenges for the CFISD community, but you have already begun to prove that the challenges will not break your spirit. We look forward to reopening our doors to students on Sept. 6.

~ Mark Henry, Ed.D.

Facilities Update

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Our wonderful facilities, maintenance and operations teams worked hard last week to help prepare our campuses for the arrival of Hurricane Harvey. This week, those same dedicated employees are busy assessing the damage caused by the heavy rain and flood water we received.

Due to their forethought and ongoing assessment, we are confident that very few of our facilities sustained major damage and will be able to be fully restored by the time that schools reopen.

One of our campuses, Moore Elementary School, was not so fortunate. Our team assessed the campus and determined that it will require a significant renovation project this fall. After meeting with my leadership team, I made the decision to relocate Moore to the old Matzke Elementary School building (13102 Jones Road) for at least the fall semester until renovations are complete. Although it is never easy to leave your home campus, we feel like this is the most viable option for the Moore community given these difficult circumstances. More information will be made available to Moore families and staff members in the coming days.

Now for the big question: when will school start? We are giving our crews another day to completely assess the damage and form repair timelines. I will meet with my leadership team again tomorrow, and plan to announce a decision about the first day of school by tomorrow, Sept. 1, at 3 p.m.

I continue to keep all of you who were affected by the floods in my thoughts and prayers, and want you to know we are here to provide support and assistance. Many of you have inquired about how to help, and here are a few ideas to get started:

• Donate supplies.  We are accepting donations today through Sunday between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. at the Berry Center (8877 Barker Cypress Road). See http://www.cfisd.net/cfisdhelps
• Donate financially. We have set up a link to accept credit card donations. All money received is tax-deductible and will be applied directly to the relief efforts for our students and staff that have been affected. See http://www.berrycenter.net/ce. 
• Volunteer. There are many community groups needing help with the cleanup of houses. See http://www.cfisd.net/relief for a list of those who have notified us of where help is needed. This is a great activity for student groups to assist with as well.

Thank you to everyone for pulling together during this difficult time!

~ Mark Henry, Ed.D.