The new academic wing will contain 32 classrooms and 8 labs, increasing
the learning space inside CHS by 50%.
OPINION COLUMN
By Paula Patterson / Superintendent of Schools / Crosby ISD
Hello East Harris County and Crosby ISD families, I wanted to share an update on the expansion of
Crosby High School. Construction continues on the two wings being added to CHS. One wing is an all new academic house with capacity for 900 additional students. This building will contain 32 classrooms and 8 labs, increasing the learning space inside CHS by 50 percent.
The second wing is an expanded CTE Center for our Career and Technical Education training. This building will house additional welding and carpentry labs to help better train our students for career trades.
In the past few weeks, exterior metal panels have been installed on the new academic wing, while crews prepare the CTE Center for the installation of similar exterior metal panels. Crews have also started to install industrial-sized chillers for the new wings. The expansion is the first school construction project in Crosby ISD in 8 years, and everything remains on track budget wise. The planned opening remains set for late 2025.
Our new spaces will also have the flexibility to incorporate training for the jobs of the future, many of which don’t exist right now! We’re excited to see the growth for our current and future CHS students.
I want to congratulate seven Crosby High School football players on their advancement to play ball
at the collegiate level. As their coaches said on National Signing Day on February 5, student-athletes
are not just skilled athletes, but good people. The Crosby/Barrett Station communities should be proud of their journey, and we can’t see what they do in the future. These seven students earned a combined $600,000 worth of free college tuition because of their dedication on the field and in the classroom.
Kudos to: Wesley Yarbrough (University of Arizona); Josiah Jones (University of Texas-El Paso); Nathan O’Flaherty (Air Force); Aanson Johnson (Texas A&M Kingsville); Cameron Grandmaiter (Texas Wesleyan); Malik Windfont (Texas Wesleyan); and Copelin Windfont (University of Texas-El Paso). This is one of the largest recruiting classes for CHS football in recent memory. Congratulations to you and your families!
From athletics to agriculture, 12 Crosby High School students just won their official FFA jacket! In November, tractor dealer Lansdowne-Moody-Kubota visited campus and allowed students a chance to win a coveted blue jacket with the FFA insignia. They had to recite the full FFA creed without
a single mistake! This month, the students who aced the creed were awarded their jacket.
Our elementary students are shining each day this semester. On February 6, we hosted the 4th annual Crosby ISD District Spelling Bee. Congratulations to the winner: 5th grader Kassandra Arellano from Drew Elementary School. Also kudos to the first and second runner-up, 4th grader Emma Roscom from Barrett Elementary and 5th grader Rose Holloway from Newport Elementary, and all of the students who competed. Kassandra correctly spelled “inferno” and “buzzard” to be crowned the spelling bee champion. She now advances to the Houston Regional Spelling Bee
later this spring. Good luck! Remember, a three-letter word for success is: YOU!
Also on February 6, we celebrated the 100th Day of School! Students across our elementary school
campuses dressed like their grandparents or wore adorable 100 day t-shirts. There’s another reason to celebrate, because our elementary Cougars are really reading! So far this school year, students at
the four elementary campuses have read a combined 18,737 books or about 41,980,560 words! Way to go, CES, NES, BES, and DES!
This month, we celebrated Staff Development in a big way! On February 7, the district’s Curriculum
& Instruction team rolled out our conference-style learning sessions called Cougar Con. Staff members select from a menu of classes to target personal or career growth. Cougar Con is truly a staff-driven event, with most sessions taught by fellow Crosby ISD employees. We have a wealth of knowledge in this district, and we’re tapping into that collective brain power to improve instruction
for our students each day.
During this Black History Month, we’re also celebrating the rich history in our district. Barrett Station was one of the first communities in Texas to be established by formerly enslaved families. I’m proud that I am a descendant of one of those founding families. Barrett Station, first known as
Barrett Settlement, is celebrating 150 years since its establishment in 1875. Just before Black History Month, the district celebrated HAABSE Teachers of the Year including: Ms. Chloe Vallot (Drew Elementary); Coach Abby Marek (Newport Elementary); Ms. Delecia Vallot (Crosby Elementary); Ms. Tymbree Jones (Crosby Kindergarten Center); Ms. Latonya Glover (Barrett Elementary School); Ms. Tene Brown (Crosby Middle School); and Ms. Ibukun Chaney (Crosby
High School). I was also thrilled to applaud Crosby High School senior, Kaitlyn Daniels. She earned a $1,000 HAABSE scholarship toward her future college career. Kaitlyn is a rising star with plenty of academic successes under her belt.
Finally, a reminder for our families and community members. The Crosby ISD Spring Break will run March 10 through March 14. I hope all of our families are planning to do whatever makes them
happy, from travel to spring cleaning to a good old-fashioned staycation!
We are Committed to Excellence! Go Coogs!
#Crosby #High #School #Expansion #Track #Opening #Boosting #Academic #Career #Training #Spaces #StarCourier #News
Leave a Reply