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On May 11, 2019, Sophomore Edwin Gomez made San Elizario proud.  He brought home a bronze medal in the 3200m, a gold in the 800m, and a bronze in the 1600m at the UIL Track and Field State Championship in Austin, TX. 

His coach had this to say about him. “Edwin has always believed he can compete against anyone not only across the state but anyone across the nation, and due to that he always works to be the best and is never satisfied with his accomplishments, he always looking to work harder to get better results.”

This was not his first trip to the winners’ podium.  Edwin also runs for the Cross Country Team.

In the last two years at San Elizario High School, he has made it to State competition in both sports, and has brought home 9 State Medals.

In 2017, he won 2 gold medals for Cross Country, one as an individual and one as part of the team.  In 2018, Edwin, he earned 2 medals for Cross Country, a Silver and Bronze.

In 2018, he also brought home 2 Gold medals in the 1600m and 3200m for Track. And then again this spring, he brought home 3 medals for his Track competition.

In addition to his State accomplishments, Edwin is only the second person to qualify to the Nike Cross Country invitational in the history of El Paso County.  He competed in the Nike race in Portland, Oregon on December 1, 2018.  He qualified to the Nike race by placing 5^th in the Nike Regionals in Houston, TX, competing against over 380 athletes from Louisiana, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Mississippi, and Texas.

Not only an athlete, Edwin is a student athlete, taking AP and Pre-AP courses.  He is 81^st out of 271 students with a current GPA is 89.16.

When asked what keeps him motivated on and off the track, Edwin responded “What keeps me motivated to keep moving forward is my family, coaches and especially my grandmother who passed away the first cross country competition this school year.  Before she passed away I promised her I would do my best in everything even though it might take some time to achieve.  Moreover, one of the goals I have is to be able to run at Oregon University even though it might be a long shot I will always try my best.”

With two more years to go at San Elizario High School, this young man is a force to watch out for. We know he will bring more accolades to San Elizario.

The San Elizario High School Eagles made it a perfect weekend in the Texas state soccer tournament defeating Stephenville 4-2

Gallery and Photos by David Lord, Special to the Herald Post.

The San Elizario High School Eagles defeated Argyle 2-1 Friday to advance to the next round of the UIL boy’s soccer championship.

Gallery and Photos by David Lord, Special to the Herald Post.

Friday afternoon, the Stephenville High School Yellowjackets defeated the San Elizario High School Eagles 8 to 1.   This was the San Eli girls team’s first trip to the Sweet 16.

Gallery and Photos by David Lord, Special to the Herald Post.

For the past 16 years, San Elizario ISD’s Garcia-Enriquez Middle School (GEMS) has participated in the El Paso Do The Write Thing (DTWT) Challenge.

Over 7,000 students in the El Paso County participated in this year’s Challenge and only 40 were selected as semi-finalists.

Among those 40 were Alexa Piñones, Darlene Silva, and Evelyn Trejo— all 8^th graders at GEMS. Their writing demonstrated critical thinking abilities, creativity, and most importantly, offered solutions to the issue of violence.

“This Challenge gives our students the opportunity to have a voice against violence,” said Brenda Jara, Instructional Specialist at GEMS.

“We would like to congratulate these talented writers and also their teacher, Soledad Gonzalez, for preparing them with classroom discussions and projects by implementing the DTWT Challenge into her lessons which resulted in powerful essays.”

A recognition ceremony honoring student semi-finalists, their parents, district liaisons, teachers, principals, and superintendents will be held on Saturday, April 13, 2019, from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. in the Physical Science Building #115 at the University of Texas at El Paso.

Two students will be announced as national finalists at the ceremony.

The national finalists, a parent, and a teacher are each awarded an expense paid trip to Washington, D.C. where they will attend the national ‘Do the Write Thing’ leadership activities.

A total of 220 third graders from San Elizario ISD’s elementary schools received a free dictionary courtesy of Kirk Robison, Chairman of Pizza Properties, Inc. and owner and operator of El Paso’s Peter Piper Pizza restaurants.

For over a decade, Robison has donated dictionaries to third grade students from across the El Paso County. It is an annual tradition he enjoys doing each year.

“The distribution of dictionaries to students is one more component to the Partner in Education program that Peter Piper Pizza is proud to do for El Paso area kids,” Robison said.

“Peter Piper Pizza’s Partner in Education program is designed to help educators help our kids reach their dreams and the dictionaries are one more way we hope to make a difference in a child’s education.”

Alarcon Elementary Assistant Principal, Leticia De Santos, said the dictionaries will certainly come in handy for third graders.

“These dictionaries are a valuable tool that will help students in their studies both in the classroom and at home,” De Santos said.

“They will also help students enrich their vocabulary skills. We are always very appreciative of Mr. Robison’s donation year after year,” she added.

A group of National Honor Society (NHS) members from San Elizario High School (SEHS) had the privilege to attend the Leadership Experience and Development (LEAD) conference in Washington, D.C.

“This is the first time our NHS students take a trip like this,” said Wendy Valdes, Physics teacher at SEHS. “As an adviser, it was wonderful to see my students take part in this conference and also experience the history and culture of Washington, D.C. I know they will remember this trip for the rest of their lives.”

The primary focus of the conference is to help students and advisers sharpen their leadership skills, improve school culture and community, and network with peers from all over the U.S.

Students had the opportunity to attend individual workshops that focused on topics such as leadership, student voice, civic engagement, and service.

“This was an eye-opening experience for me,” said Lorenzo Leyva, junior at SEHS. “I met and collaborated with peers from different states, explored the city, rode the subway for the first time, and realized that decisions made in D.C. can affect us here at home in San Eli. I came back with some really good ideas that can help out our school and community.”

After the conference, the group got to visit the National Archives, the Smithsonian Museum of U.S. History, the Washington and Lincoln Memorials, and the Holocaust Museum. They also got free tours of the Capitol and the White House courtesy of Congressman Will Hurd.

The LEAD conference is open to NHS members from across the country. Initially there were 15 students from SEHS that were eligible to attend but due to athletics, academics, or other prior commitments, only nine were able to go.

The conference and tour was held earlier this month, from February 1^st through 3rd, 2019.

Stepping into a classroom and teaching for the very first time can be quite nerve-wracking for most new teachers, but thanks to San Elizario Independent School District’s (SEISD) new program that may be a thing of the past.

With SEISD’s ‘First Year Teacher Academy,’ teachers can flourish and grow in their profession using several techniques.

The goal is to increase teacher effectiveness and higher teacher retention. First year teachers are provided with ongoing professional development throughout the year from the instructional team as well as a seasoned campus mentor.

“The life of a first year teacher can be overwhelming because they learn everything from curriculum to Human Resources to technology,” said Debbie Cortez, Instructional Officer at SEISD.

“Participating in a solid induction program, such as the First Year Teacher Academy, can make the transition a bit easier and provide our teachers with the time and support to succeed,” Cortez added.

The First Year Teacher Academy helps new teachers receive professional development in areas such as Classroom Management, Behavior, Stress Management, Rituals & Routines, and getting ready for the first day.

“I am glad SEISD has this Academy for new teachers because it is definitely helpful and beneficial,” said Daniel Morrow, Science teacher at San Elizario High School.

“It has taught me to include various activities and games to keep students engaged and always learning. I have grown so much as a person and as a teacher because of this Academy.”

This week, officials with the San Elizario Independent School District (SEISD) rolled out their new music program to all three elementary schools.

Students from Lorenzo G. Alarcon, Alfonso Borrego Sr., and Josefa L. Sambrano Elementary schools will get to learn how to play a musical instrument for the very first time and also understand the basic fundamentals of music.

“Having music in our elementary schools will help introduce students to music at an earlier age with the hopes of growing our fine arts program at the secondary level,” said Dr. Jeannie Meza-Chavez, Superintendent at SEISD. “In addition, it will also help support an already rich, artistic San Elizario ISD community.”

“Our students are really excited to learn about music and how to incorporate it into their daily school routines,” said Genesis Lopez, music teacher at Sambrano Elementary. “Besides all of the statistics and tests that show that music in the school curriculum enhances tests scores, music is important to students because it lets them express themselves in ways that they cannot do so in other classes or in other activities.”

Faculty and staff from the elementary campuses are thrilled to have music on board and have expressed their desire to help facilitate the new music program.

“We are proud to launch an elementary music program for the 2018-2019 school year, which will soon include our Kindergarten students as well,” said Lisa Renegar, Director of Instructional Programs at SEISD. “We want to give our children one more reason to love school and look forward to coming to class every day.”

Besides learning how to play an instrument, students will also learn about music theory, music terminology, and famous music composers.

Borrego Elementary music teacher, Kevin Elizalde, believes students should keep an open mind when it comes to accepting other genres of music.

“Students should be exposed to all types of music,” Elizalde said. “By getting a taste of the different types of music that there are, they will broaden their music spectrum which will allow them to fall in love with music in general.”

“Music class should never be boring and the expectation is to have students singing, dancing, and playing various instruments on a daily basis,” said James Conrow, music teacher at Alarcon Elementary.

Even though these new, talented music teachers get to build their own music program from scratch, they all share the same goal— to have students gain a better appreciation for music and the benefits of having music as a class.

Construction is underway for more parking spaces at Lorenzo G. Loya Primary School in San Elizario.

“The need for additional parking became a priority for Loya Primary when the City of San Elizario passed an ordinance that prohibits vehicles from parking adjacent to any public school extending 50 feet passed the school property line,” said George Luevano, Director of Support Services at San Elizario ISD. “This means parents can no longer park on the side of the road near or across the primary school. Those who refuse to abide by this ordinance, are subject to citations and fines.”

To help ease the matter, district personnel met with San Elizario ISD’s Board of Trustees and proposed adding more parking to the primary school. After much consideration and review, the Board gave the green light to proceed with the construction project of more parking spaces.

“Approximately 100 new spots will be available for parents,” Luevano said. “It is going to cost us about $420,000 and this money comes from bond savings realized from the original bond projects that were approved by community voters in November 2014.”

Ruby Martinez is the mother of child who attends Loya Primary and she says more parking spaces will make things much easier for her and other parents.

“Every time the school has an awards assembly, parent-teacher conference, or any other school celebration, parking gets extremely full and it sometimes takes us several minutes trying to find a place to park,” Martinez said. “With the upcoming parking lot, we will no longer have to park our vehicles far and make the long walk.”

The project is expected to reach completion February of 2019.

Lorenzo G. Alarcon Elementary is proud to open its doors to students in the Social Work Internship Program from the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) and El Paso Community College (EPCC).

“We are always so grateful every time UTEP and EPCC sends us interns,” said Nora Garcia, Counselor at Alarcon Elementary. “We love having them here. They serve as additional support to our students, parents, and staff and make an incredible difference in our students’ social and emotional growth. Interns will always be welcomed here with open arms.”

The interns sent to Alarcon Elementary are completing their Associates, Bachelors, and Masters degrees in Social Work at the end of the 2018-2019 school year. They made the commitment to complete 16 hours of internship per week for a total of 240 hours.

Both UTEP and EPCC have assigned several of their students to complete their internship hours at San Elizario ISD’s Alarcon Elementary.

“So far this experience has been very humbling because I have never worked with kids in a school setting before,” said Diana Romero, a Social Work major at UTEP.

“The environment at Alarcon Elementary is very welcoming and the students and staff are all so friendly and full of energy. I am having a great time here.”

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For residents that may be interested in interning at Alarcon Elementary, please contact Nora Garcia at (915) 872-3930  ext. 3458.

The Texas Education Agency (TEA) announced the eight Texas school districts that were selected to be part of the inaugural Lone Star Governance (LSG) Exemplar Cohort and the San Elizario Independent School District (SEISD) made it on the list.

“I feel very excited our district qualified,” said Irene D. Jaquez, San Elizario ISD Board President. “It is such an honor to be part of a training that will streamline our main objectives which are student outcomes. We ask the students to raise the bar, and we should lead by example,” she added.

The LSG Exemplar Cohort is designed for high-performing local governing teams—school board members and their superintendents—that want to continue honing their focus on improving student outcomes.

San Elizario ISD Superintendent, Dr. Jeannie Meza-Chavez, shares the same excitement as Jaquez and is looking forward to the support and unprecedented experience that will be provided by TEA and certified LSG Coaches.

“I am excited for the San Elizario ISD team. This speaks highly to the work that continues to be done by all at different levels in our district,” Meza-Chavez said.

Mike Morath, Texas Commissioner of Education, says school districts like SEISD are already demonstrating effective governance practices where the success of every student is the focus.

“As part of the inaugural LSG Exemplar Cohort, the school board members and superintendents in these districts seek to take their efforts to the next level, which can lead to better student outcomes in their communities,” Morath said.

San Elizario ISD, along with the other seven districts that were selected, will take part in the Texas Education Agency’s Lone Star Governance training for school board members with their superintendents.

For more information about Lone Star Governance, visit TEA’s website- https://tea.texas.gov/LSG/

For a second year in a row, San Elizario High School (SEHS) coach Cesar Morales, received the ‘State Coach of the Year for Boys Cross Country’ award.

The honor is awarded on behalf of the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS).

“It is truly an honor to receive this award once again for what WE have achieved,” Morales said.

“I say ‘WE’ because this is a group accomplishment— my assistant coach, Jorge Maese, and the Boys Cross Country team, also play an essential role and together we contribute to the success of the team.”

The NFHS bestows this prestigious award to one coach in each sport for each state association.

Recipients of this award reflect excellent coaching abilities on and off the athletic arena.

Morales will be recognized November 3rd during the 4A Boys awards ceremony in Round Rock, Texas.

The San Elizario Independent School District (SEISD) is pleased to announce the creation of the College Credit Pathway Initiative to support the various opportunities for post-secondary success offered at San Elizario High School (SEHS).

“A campus that provides any type of college credit opportunity for their students, is a good school,” said Maribel Guillen, SEHS Principal. “We have the best of both worlds at our school. We are still a comprehensive high school with sports and extra-curricular activities while at the same time a Dual Credit institution.”

This initiative will help SEISD to incorporate the new Texas higher education plan, 60X30TX, by streamlining those goals within the post-secondary decision making of students at SEHS.

The College Credit Pathway Initiative is a bold plan as it hopes to ensure 100% of SEHS students are on track to earn a certificate, license or degree by 2030.

Students will be afforded the opportunity to enroll in one of four distinct college credit pathways offered at SEHS:

– Dual Credit (DC) Academy

The Dual Credit Academy at San Elizario High School is a comprehensive program that prepares students for continued success at a post-secondary institution. Students accepted into the academy are provided with an opportunity to earn as many as 43 dual credit hours.

These college credits are based on a focused concentration of courses aligned with El Paso Community College’s (EPCC) core curriculum plan (SB 1091). For school year 2017, dual credit students saved an estimated $70,000 in tuition.

– Advanced Placement (AP) Academy

The Advanced Placement Academy enables willing and academically prepared students to pursue college-level studies while still in high school. SEHS offers 17 advanced placement courses along with an opportunity to take the AP exam.

A qualifying exam score helps students earn credit or placement at most four-year colleges and universities in the United States. For school year 2017, SEHS students who took and achieved a qualifying score on an AP exam saved an estimated $605,000 in tuition.

– APDC³ (Advanced Placement/Dual Credit Hybrid)

APDC³ allows students to take both dual credit and AP courses to achieve a tailored college ready experience. Students will be allowed the flexibility to select courses based on post-secondary goals while learning the skills to succeed in the workplace.

SEISD officials add, “Research shows that students who take either a dual credit or AP course are much more likely to complete a college degree on time-saving tuition.”

– Western Tech Associates Program

This partnership between Western Tech and SEISD will give SEHS students the opportunity to graduate from high school while at the same time obtaining an Associate’s Degree from Western Tech in the area of Refrigeration, Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning.

The cost of this program is usually $36,000 but because this is a Dual Credit instructional offering, this cost is being subsidized by local scholarships from Western Tech and a reduced tuition rate which will be paid for by SEISD.

This financial support ensures that this opportunity will not impact the students’ future federal financial aid and will be offered at zero cost to the families and students participating in the program.

“This initiative will transform the high school experience of our students by laying out a sequence of courses that students will follow while simultaneously being advised and monitored to ensure student success,” said Dr. Tomas Sigala, College & Career Readiness Facilitator for San Elizario ISD.

Beginning with the 2018-2019 school year, the San Elizario Independent School District (SEISD) and Western Technical College will take their ‘Partners in Education’ relationship to an entirely new level.

This new Dual Credit partnership between SEISD and Western Tech will give San Elizario High School students the opportunity to graduate from high school and at the same time obtain an Associate Degree from Western Tech in the area of Refrigeration, Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning.

While the cost of the program is usually $36,000, thanks to the Dual Credit instructional offering, the cost is subsidized by local scholarships from Western Tech and a reduced tuition rate which will be paid for by SEISD.

SEISD officials said, “This financial support ensures that this opportunity will not impact the students’ future federal financial aid and will be offered at zero cost to the families and students participating in the program.”

The San Elizario ISD and Western Tech A.O.S Degree Program is a 3-year program for eligible SEISD students beginning their Sophomore year in high school.

Students will attend Western Tech the second half of their instructional day for all 3 years and will have the opportunity to earn their AOS Degree to include the following:

• EPA 608 Certificate
• R410 A Safety Certificate
• HVAC Excellence in Electrical
• TDLR R-HVAC Technician License

According to Western Tech officials, the HVAC industry is projected to grow 14% annually for at least the next 6 years and is in need of qualified HVAC technicians.

SEISD officials add, “[This] program isset to change the future of Career and Technical Education in El Paso and possibly the entire state of Texas…upon completion of this program, SEISD students will find themselves eligible to take advantage of this growing job market.”

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 For more information about this topic, please contact either Michael Rodriguez with San Elizario ISD at 915.872.3900 or rodriguezm@seisd.net​ or Marco Martinez with Western Technical College at 915.760.8157 or mmartinez@westerntech.edu.