November Super Staffers

Humble ISD's Super Staffers of the Month were recognized at the regularly scheduled Board Meeting on Tuesday, November 12. This month's Super Staffer Awards are sponsored by Camp Bow Wow, a doggy daycare and boarding facility located near Summer Creek High School.

Photo Caption:
Pictured from left are Chief Education Support Services Officer Henry Phipps; Bear Branch Elementary Teacher Yolanda Morales; District Dyslexia Team Members Maria Trude, Katie DiPlacido, Anna Braden, Melanie Risko, Alison Doolin, Laura Dowdy Northcutt, Jasmine Ogega, and Amy Green; School Board President Chris Parker; and Acting Superintendent Dr. Roger Brown.

Honored at the Board Meeting were the following Super Staffers:

Yolanda Morales, 4th Grade Spanish Immersion Teacher - Bear Branch Elementary
Those who nominated her said, “Yolanda Morales is a dynamite 4th grade Spanish Immersion teacher who delivers high quality instruction and sets expectations that challenge her students on a daily basis. She also serves in a variety of roles to support our campus family. She is currently the 4th grade team lead and, in that position, she fosters collaboration, communication, and team building among her teammates. Additionally, she serves as our liaison between the staff members and the BBE PTA. She communicates between the two groups effectively and in a timely manner so we all have the information we need. Thank you, Yolanda, for your excellent communication skills and keeping us all in the loop. And, most importantly, thank you for serving our Bear Branch Bears as we continue to build excellence in all areas!.”

BBE Super Staffer
Freda Humber, Teacher - Community Learning Center
Those who nominated her said, “Mrs. Humber creates a safe environment for learning in her classroom at DAEP. She goes above and beyond in her classroom to teach more than academic content. She teaches her students to advocate for themselves when they need help with their academic learning but also with social skills, and mental health needs. She builds confidence in her students when many times they don't believe in themselves. Mrs. Humber is more than a teacher. She is a light to her students but she is also a support to her colleagues. She makes everyone around her better and we are extremely blessed to have her on our campus."

Note: Photo Unavailable ~ Not in attendance at Board Meeting

District Dyslexia Team: Director of Responsive Services, Laura Dowdy Northcutt; Dyslexia Coordinator, Alison Doolin; and Dyslexia Specialists, Melanie Risko, Amy Green, Jasmine Ogega, Katie DiPlacido, Maria Trude, and Anna Braden
Those who nominated the team said, “Humble ISD’s Dyslexia Team provides support to 225 campus providers of dyslexia instruction to ensure these educators have the training and resources to serve our students with dyslexia and dysgraphia. In Humble ISD, 4,852 are identified with dyslexia or dysgraphia and 3,504 of those students receive dyslexia intervention.

In the last few years, here are some of their accomplishments:

  • Written, awarded, and successfully implemented 3 TEA competitive grants totaling 3 million dollars.

  • Worked with a Harvard business entrepreneur to customize the Reading by Design app to meet the needs of our Dyslexia providers, focusing on efficient practices for legally required documentation so our teachers have more time to focus on intervention (that speaks to their commitment to working smarter not harder).

  • Invited to speak at regional centers and Dyslexia conferences on Dysgraphia intervention, effective practices, and app implementation.

  • Developed a best practice process for bilingual dyslexia intervention.

  • Supported our educators in gathering data for assessment, resulting in better identification practices. The percentage of students who have been identified has climbed from 2% to 10% since 14-15.

Despite the ever-changing dyslexia landscape in Texas, this dyslexia team maintains their focus on supporting and celebrating our campus staff who provide interventions to maximize outcomes for the students we serve."

Dyslexia Team Super Staffers
CAMPUS SUPER STAFFERS
Each month, campuses and departments select an individual to be honored as a Super Staffer. From this list, three are selected as honorees to receive additional recognition at the School Board Meeting and to receive a special gift from the Sponsor.

November Elementary Super Staffers:
Autumn Creek Elementary - Jessica Thibodeaux, Math/Science Teacher
Bear Branch Elementary - Yolanda Morales, 4th Grade Spanish Immersion Teacher
Centennial Elementary - Phoebe Weaver, Behavior Interventionist
Deerwood Elementary - Maria Sanchez, 5th Grade Teacher
Eagle Springs Elementary - Jennifer Teague, Reading Instructional Coach
Foster Elementary - Brianna Rokovitz, 5th Grade Teacher
Greentree Elementary - Sharon Lewis, Paraprofessional
Hidden Hollow Elementary - Retta Bleiberg, Counselor
Humble Elementary - Joshua Rother, Special Education Teacher
Jack Fields Elementary - Debbie Magnani, Secretary
Lakeshore Elementary - Vikki Kruk, Instructional Coach
Maplebrook Elementary - Laura Edwardson, Child Nutrition Services
Pine Forest Elementary - Kari Schellinger, Early Childhood Special Education Teacher
Ridge Creek Elementary - Kimberly Nelson, Instructional Technologist
Shadow Forest Elementary - Paige Widner, Paraprofessional
Whispering Pines Elementary - Taylor Bendord, 2nd Grade Teacher
Woodland Hills Elementary - Kaitlyn Sanders, 3rd Grade Teacher

Secondary Super Staffers:
Community Learning Center - Freda Humber, Teacher
Creekwood Middle - William Wilson, Applied Engineering Teacher
Humble High - Renee Lane, IB Coordinator
Humble Middle - Jonathan Lewis, Special Education Co-Teacher
Kingwood High - Erin Collins, Special Education Co-Teacher
Kingwood Middle - Alexandria Bagley, Special Education Campus Specialist
Kingwood Park High - Ann Barber, Special Education Teacher
Riverwood Middle School - Ashley Lawrence, Science Teacher
Ross Sterling Middle School - Gloria Medel, Math Teacher/Team Leader/Soccer Coach
Summer Creek High School - Anabel Vazquez, Office Professional

Department Super Staffers:
Admin: District Dyslexia Team Members Laura Dowdy Northcutt, Alison Doolin, Melanie Risko, Amy Green, Jasmine Ogega, Katie DiPlacido, Maria Trude, and Anna Braden
BBTC: Technology Services: Henry Campos, Telecom Engineer
CLC: Michele Kolster, Student Wellness Data Clerk
Maintenance: Charles “Chuck” Mann, Maintenance On Demand
Transportation: Xavier Morris, Bus Driver