CCISD recognizes employees of the year in board meeting
By BRITTANY FHOLER
Cove Leader-Press
The Copperas Cove Independent School District recognized its employees of the year for the 2021-2022 school year during the regular meeting of the Board of Trustees Tuesday evening.
The board room was standing room only as the dozens of employees and their friends and families packed into the room for the awards recognition.
The district recognized auxiliary staff, paraprofessionals, rookie teachers, elementary teachers and secondary teachers from each campus before the district winners from each category were announced. This year’s Auxiliary Department Employees of the Year are Colleen Flicek (Child Nutrition), Shirley Gray (Crossing Guard), Debbie Beasley (Custodial), Bernard Jackson (Maintenance), Kai Thornton (Transportation) and Ryan Miner (Warehouse).
The 2022 CCISD Paraprofessionals of the Year are Zuheila Acevedo Babilonia of Clements/Parsons Elementary, Dequetta Anderson of Copperas Cove High School, Kristin Mojica of Copperas Cove Junior High School, Tracye Smart of CCJHS, Belinda Harris of Crossroads High School, Joey Jesus of Fairview/Miss Jewell Elementary, Tanja Crook of Hettie Halstead Elementary, Twila Williams of House Creek Elementary, Kaitlyn Sullivan of Mae Stevens Early Learning Academy, Jennifer Ramirez of Martin Walker Elementary, Angelic Garrett of S.C. Lee Junior High and Doreen Vasseur of Williams/Ledger Elementary.
The 2022 CCISD Rookie Teachers of the Year are Alyssa Cox of Clements/Parsons Elementary, Jaclyn Gadd of CCHS, Heather Gilbert of CCJHS, Miriam Marczewski of Fairview/Miss Jewell Elementary, Aaron Ruggles of Hettie Halstead Elementary, Kandis Elkins of House Creek Elementary, Aubreyanna Hunter of Mae Stevens Early Learning Academy, Madison LaFrance of Martin Walker Elementary, McKenna Miller of S.C. Lee JH and Neysa Delgado Rodriguez of Williams/Ledger Elementary.
The 2022 CCISD Teachers of the Year are Carol Boes of Clements/Parsons Elementary, Stephen Jackson of CCHS, Ryan Stewart of CCJHS, Erin Kilpatrick of Crossroads High School, Jacqlyn Kodis of Fairview/Miss Jewell Elementary, Candice Masar of Hettie Halstead Elementary, Vanessa Vazquez of House Creek Elementary, Mandy Hunt of Mae Stevens Early Learning Academy, Molly Goldschmeding of Martin Walker Elementary, Mark Sheppard of S.C. Lee Junior High and Rosa Young of Williams/Ledger Elementary.
Each winner received a certificate as well as gift certificates to local businesses as appreciation for their service in the school district. District winners received a crystal apple plus gift certificates and a check for winning District Employee of the Year.
The District winners are as follows:
Elementary Teacher of the Year: Molly Goldschmeding
Secondary Teacher of the Year: Ryan Stewart
Rookie Teacher of the Year: Kandis Elkins
Paraprofessional of the Year: Zuheila Acevedo Babilonia
Auxiliary Employee of the Year: Bernard Jackson
The District Elementary and Secondary Teachers of the Year winners will advance to the Region 12 Teacher of the Year competition.
Following the recognition of these winners, the board approved several purchases exceeding $25,000 with the approval of their consent agenda.
The purchases included the FESTO MecLab System, for $15,564.44 in budgeted funds and $10,000 from the Education Service Center Region 12 Technology Foundation. This system will allow CCHS engineering students to transport workpieces from one manufacturing station to the next, and the conveyor in the MecLab provides realistic simulation of an industrial workpiece transport system, which will allow students an opportunity to gain industry related experience. The purchases also include a contract with Big Thought for technical assistance in the amount of $34,788, to design, implement, and continuously improve a sustainable after-school program that accelerates learning on nine of the district’s campuses (all elementary, both junior highs and CCHS); as well as the purchase of Advanced Technologies Consultant’s zSpace Learning Station Inspire in the amount of $48,582.56, which will be utilized by CCHS’ Health Science courses to facilitate virtual dissection of the human body; the purchase of the Advanced Technologies Consultant’s Universal Robot 3e Certification Package in the amount of $44,734.00, which will allow CCHS students to take all Dual Credit Courses leading to a certification at Copperas Cove High School; the purchase of the Iconic Drone Education Program in the amount of $34,025.00, which will allow students the chance to earn the high school industry-based certification Remote Drone Pilot.
More purchases include a Tech-Lab Fanuc Robotic Arm in the amount of $65,650, which will be used by engineering and robotics students at CCHS; and the purchase of the Barracuda Essentials for EDU in the amount of $26,363.64, which the district utilizes as a spam filter and to archive emails.
Board members also approved appointing Superintendent Dr. Joseph Burns and Earl Parcell as investment officers for the district.
The board also approved the scope of work and cost proposal with King Consultants Environmental for the asbestos abatement monitoring at Martin Walker Elementary and Hettie Halstead Elementary Schools, in the amount of $52,500.
This cost includes the creation of the asbestos abatement specifications and drawings, site inspections, and all monitoring activities.