More than 300 DCISD teachers and other personnel attended the annual Chamber of Commerce sponsored back to school breakfast and reception Tuesday morning, August 9, at the Mustang Cafeteria.
Chamber Manager Marilyn McCurley and her staff played host to the school personnel with a variety of finger foods including the popular breakfast burritos.
Teachers were greeted at the door by the Chamber Ambassadors and members of the Denver City ISD school board.
School board president Brad Woosley gave the opening prayer.
School superintendent Gary Davis emceed the event by telling stories and showing motivation videos that was sure to get everyone ready for the first day of school.
The videos ranged from the humorous side of the Tonight Show host Jimmy Fallon and Gerry Brooks to the more serious side of Hudson ISD superintendent Mary Anne Whiteker. The Fallon videos centered around the funny side of math equation while Brooks antidotes centered around first year teachers to restroom visits.
However Whiteker spent her time addressing the dreaded state mandated STARR test and movements she was supporting to eliminate or at least make dramatic modifications to the test.
“This (STARR) test is not good for our children and not good for our teachers,” Davis followed up with after viewing the video. “My youngest daughter gets stressed out over the mere mention of the word and I know it is equally stressful for you, our teachers, as well. I want to return to the good old days of not teaching to the test but instead teaching to your subject.”
Davis then introduced each building principal and they in turn introduced their new teachers. These principals are Angie Sutton from Dodson Primary, Lori Alexander from Kelley Elementary, Billy Moore from the junior high, and Rick Martinez from the high school. In addition to the many new faculty members at the high school Martinez also introduced his new assistant principal Beau Rains who was part of the Plains school district last year.
Denver City hired 37 new employees this year and currently have a staff of 306 employees which include members of the FCSSA.
Students will start their new 2016-2017 school year on August 22.
