Education Foundation hosts inaugural Students’ Choice Awards

Sixteen members of the Class of 2010 were honored on May 17 along with the teachers they say most inspired them at the Students’ Choice Awards Banquet held by the Goose Creek CISD Education Foundation.

Held at the Tower Club at Houston Raceway Park, Goose Creek CISD Education Foundation board members and school district representatives joined dignitaries from the City of Baytown, Lee College, and from the Baytown area business community for the first-time event recognizing the important role that teachers play in our children’s lives.

“Tonight is a proud moment for Goose Creek CISD. We live in a community that is so caring and giving, and that’s all across the board, but our teachers and staff of this school district are phenomenal, and you can tell that,” said banquet emcee and foundation board member Gilbert Santana.

For the Students’ Choice Awards, seniors from each Goose Creek CISD high school were asked to write a letter nominating their favorite teacher who was instrumental in their lives.

Five students from Robert E. Lee and Ross S. Sterling high schools, and six from Goose Creek Memorial High School were chosen for the 2010 Students’ Choice Awards.

A portion of the nomination letters were printed in the program for attendees and a 30-minute video showcasing the students and teachers was shown at the banquet of more than 200 people.

U.S. Congressman Ted Poe was the guest speaker.

“This event is first of many events the education foundation will host to showcase our school district, its excellent teachers and students,” said education foundation president Roger Elswick.
The students honored and the teachers they chose as most inspirational in their lives, were:

Robert E. Lee High School
Vanessa Arredondo and Gordon Blue (REL)
Vanessa Badillo and Sheila Gruver (REL)
Natalie Martinez and Kristen Olin (REL)
Jose Gonzalez and Jerry Shafer (BJS)
Anahi Torres and Deborah Wood (Ashbel Smith)

Ross S. Sterling High School

Janelle Jagnanan and Cindy Walker (RSS/CBJ)
Ryan Strange and Daniel Blanco (RSS)
Amy Olsen and Donna Britt (RSS)
Alicia Hollaway and Ricky Clem (RSS)
Morgan Lane and Patricia Authement (GJS/SFA)

Goose Creek Memorial High School

Ashley Almanza and Shawn Aghajan (GCM)
Billy Gross and Sally Black (GCM)
Sunayana Yadav and Sue Cannariato (GCM)
Courtney Johnson and Patty Albright
(DeZavala-Retired)
Andrea Martinez, Adriana Capilla-Garcia and Michael Maglitto (RSS-Retired)

Established in 2009, the Goose Creek CISD Education Foundation aims to enhance community support and to expand resources that enrich teaching, inspire learning, and maximize opportunities for all students in the Goose Creek school system. “From the federal, to the state and local level, the mandate is clear: We want better results from our public schools.

But, the resources are scarce and getting more so every year,” Goose Creek CISD Superintendent Dr. Toby York told the crowd.

“That’s where the education foundation has stepped in. The Goose Creek CISD Education Foundation believes that schools are critical to the success of a community and impact everyone within it,” York said.

“We believe Goose Creek has the potential to be a shining example of what a public school system can achieve, and we are committed to joining with the community to make this happen.”

The Goose Creek CISD Education Foundation is a charitable organization under the Internal Revenue Service section 501(c)(3), and contributions to the organization are tax deductible.

Thirty-two volunteers serve on the Goose Creek CISD Education Foundation Board of Directors and represent many areas of community, corporate, parental and educational opinions.

The foundation will award 16 innovative teaching grants totaling more than $16,000 to Goose Creek CISD teachers later this month.

These funds will provide resources directly to the classroom for teachers to implement exciting new educational programs.

To find out more information about the Goose Creek CISD Education Foundation or to inquire about becoming an investor, contact the
GCCISD Education Foundation office at
P.O. Box 8081, Baytown, Texas, 77522;
by phone at 281-839-7700; or
check out its website at www.gccisd.net/educationfoundation.html.