Tuesday, June 9, 2020

Congratulations to Mrs. Janelle Gonzalez: April Teacher of the Month

Eagle Pass Independent School District has partnered with local businesses throughout our city to highlight the Teacher of the Month program, which honors educators who have made a difference in our community.  The program recognizes outstanding kindergarten, elementary, junior high, and high school teachers in Eagle Pass, Texas.
April's Teacher of the Month is none other than Perfecto Mancha Elementary School's, Mrs. Janelle Gonzalez. Mrs. Gonzalez is a 1st grade teacher at Mancha and serves as a mentor and a true asset to the school. She always goes out of her way to provide quality education for students. Her 14 years of teaching experience reflect in her valuable work and care for her students each day. She provides them with meaningful and engaging lessons in a way that is tailored to each child in her classroom. It is not unlikely to see her tutoring before and after school. She is always one of the first teachers to arrive and the last one to leave. Her colleagues know they can always count on her to take care of students from 7:30 am and beyond 4:00 pm. She serves as first grade level chair and is so dedicated to her craft that she provides guidance to anyone in need. Mrs. Gonzalez is always only one call away, even when she is off duty. 
Mrs. Gonzalez cares for her students even if they are no longer in her classroom. She assists during STAAR testing as a test administrator in 5th grade year after year. She understands stakes are high and always has a word of motivation and encouragement for teachers and students alike. She is also an UIL Coach, kids know and respect her. 
This year, she was assigned as a first-year teacher mentor due to her experience and excellent record as an educator. She is the perfect example of the teacher one can only hope to become. Her teaching style, routines, procedures, and classroom management are a few of her skills truly worthy of praise. She sees the full potential of each students and pushes them to work to the best of their abilities. Her desire and dedication to student success in academics and as individuals is evident. 
Mrs. Gonzalez is an excellent role model and has facilitated the teaching profession for those under her wing. From the first day she welcomed all with open arms and makes everyone feel part of the team. This has tremendous impact on her students' education and makes her one of those teachers you will always remember. Mrs. Gonzalez shares her methods, materials, and ideas every day and comes to school with a smile on her face ready for whatever the day brings. For all these reasons and more, Mrs. Janelle Gonzalez is Teacher of the Month. 
A segment will appear on iVision throughout the month of June detailing many more accomplishments of Mrs. Gonzalez.  This month she will also appear on community media, news publications and the EPISD website throughout June 2020.  A teacher will be selected each month through May 2020 for a total of eight (8) honorees.  The “Teacher of the Month” will be chosen based on educational achievements in the classroom, community contributions and innovative programs and techniques used by the teacher. The “Teacher of the Month” will receive a certificate of recognition and will be featured on iVision, local media news, news publications and radio broadcasting.  Additionally, each “Teacher of the Month” will receive donations from local businesses.

Each T.O.M is receiving a “V.I.T (Very Important Teacher) Parking Pass”, a jean voucher for a month, Whataburger Gift Card, and Class Cash to purchase class room supplies. Additionally, each “Teacher of the Month” will receive donations from local businesses.  Thank You Border Federal Credit Union, Ashley Furniture, 1212 Chisolm Group, EPISD Spirit Ambassadors, and Peter Piper Pizza. 

Congratulations to Ms. Jaclyn Byrne: March Teacher of the Month

Eagle Pass Independent School District has partnered with local businesses throughout our city to highlight the Teacher of the Month program, which honors educators who have made a difference in our community.  The program recognizes outstanding kindergarten, elementary, junior high, and high school teachers in Eagle Pass, Texas.
March's Teacher of the Month is none other than Eagle Pass High School's, Ms. Jaclyn Byrne. Ms. Byrne has the passion and the enthusiasm for Science that shows inside and outside the classroom. During the three years that Ms. Byrne has worked at Eagle Pass High School with the Science Department, she has elevated the standard for teaching practices and has inspired her colleagues to do the same. Ms. Byrne has created an environment for her students that promotes collaboration, inquire-based learning, and creates independent learners. In her Physics and Chemistry classroom, students are constantly exposed to rigorous classroom activities and engaging learning opportunities. 
During her teaching career, Ms. Byrne has been able to connect with the student body not only through her classes, but extracurricular activities. Currently, she coaches EPHS' Junior Varsity Volleyball team. She holds her team to the highest standards while exemplifying the same determinations, passion, and perseverance in her professional life. In addition, she has served as Co-Advisor for the district's Spirit Ambassador program where she has helped build leadership and communication skills. Ms. Byrne also serves on the EPHS National Honor Society Chapter Board and has been an active presence for three years. Ms. Byrne along with the other Board Members, interview and select juniors and sophomores to join the chapter and ensure that all active members uphold the pillars of leadership, service, scholarship, and character. Her work with the Ambassadors and NHS is solely voluntary and she does not receive compensation for it. She enjoys working with them as they are working to become the future leaders of our community. She also has served as Science Club Sponsor and a teacher for the Extended Learning Opportunity Program (ELOP) where she tutored students struggling in science courses afterschool. 
As a colleague, Ms. Byrne is always available to help other teachers in need. She shares her innovative ideas for lesson delivery and formative assessment and never shies away from experimenting with technology. In fact, she gave several trainings on how to use Zoom and other interactive websites to several teachers and administrators during the school closure. 
Her energy, positivity, and communication skills have helped build relationships across departments at EPHS. Last school year, she brought the campus staff together and hosted a Teacher Pep Rally during Football season. It was a hit as she included members of the staff and students alike to bring some pep back to EPHS. Ms. Byrne is appreciated and respected by her colleagues and students. For all these reasons and more, Ms. Jaclyn Byrne is Teacher of the Month. 
A segment will appear on iVision throughout the month of June detailing many more accomplishments of Ms. Byrne.  This month she will also appear on community media, news publications and the EPISD website throughout June 2020.  A teacher will be selected each month through May 2020 for a total of eight (8) honorees.  The “Teacher of the Month” will be chosen based on educational achievements in the classroom, community contributions and innovative programs and techniques used by the teacher. The “Teacher of the Month” will receive a certificate of recognition and will be featured on iVision, local media news, news publications and radio broadcasting.  Additionally, each “Teacher of the Month” will receive donations from local businesses.

Each T.O.M is receiving a “V.I.T (Very Important Teacher) Parking Pass”, a jean voucher for a month, Whataburger Gift Card, and Class Cash to purchase class room supplies. Additionally, each “Teacher of the Month” will receive donations from local businesses.  Thank You Border Federal Credit Union, Ashley Furniture, 1212 Chisolm Group, EPISD Spirit Ambassadors, and Peter Piper Pizza. 

Thursday, June 4, 2020

EPISD Summer Food Service Program

Beginning Monday June 8th, the CC Winn, EPJ, and Mancha meal locations will be closing for the summer.
The other 7 locations will remain open as we begin the summer food program.
Meals will remain as 4 meals on Monday, 4 meals on Tuesday, and 6 meals on Wednesday.
This will cover their breakfast and lunch needs for the entire week
EPISD would like to remind everyone that if the child is not present at meal pickup, then one of the following forms of identification must be shown.
-electronic student report card
-birth certificate
-student campus ID card
-attendance record from parent portal
-official EPISD registration document
These 5 forms will be the only ones accepted at our 7 locations. 
This program is funded by TDEA AND USDA
#eaglepassisd #equippedforsuccess #strongertogether #summerfoodprogram

Wednesday, June 3, 2020

Library to Living Room: Little Cloud

Hey EPISD Family!
EPISD is pleased to introduce our new read-aloud series "From the Library to your Living Room".
Each week, we are going to have different EPISD employees reading great children's tales!
We hope that our students follow the link below and enjoy these classic stories in the comfort of their own home.
For our 10th read aloud, we are continuing with "Little Cloud"  by Eric Carle.
Stay safe and keep reading.

Monday, June 1, 2020

June Letter to Families with P-EBT Application Link English



June Letter to Families with P-EBT Application Link Spanish






Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer (P-EBT) Spanish

La Transferencia Electrónica de Beneficios por Pandemia (P-EBT, por sus siglas en inglés) es un beneficio de alimentos único para las familias que perdieron el acceso a comidas gratuitas o a precio reducido debido al cierre de las escuelas. A fin de mayo, las escuelas les enviarán instrucciones para realizar una solicitud a las familias elegibles para la P-EBT. La solicitud de la P-EBT estará disponible la primera semana de junio. 
Los beneficios de alimentos de la P-EBT son para los niños que recibieron beneficios de alimentos del Programa Asistencial de Nutrición Suplementaria (SNAP, por sus siglas en inglés) para marzo de 2020 y para los niños que estén certificados para recibir comidas gratuitas o a precio reducido en Texas durante el año escolar 2019-20. Para obtener más información, visite: hhs.texas.gov/PEBT