Estefany Tarango was 5th at STATE in the wheelchair shot put!! Way to go Steph!!!
Brenen Thompson ran away from everyone in the 200 m run! Gold medal winner with a time of 20.73! Incredible!!! Go Longhorns!
Braylen Lusby finish 9th in STATE in the 300 m hurdles. Great year Bray! We are proud of you!!
Brenen Thompson wins gold in 100 m dash!! He ran away with it with a 10.24! Folks… that’s fast! U da man!
With a late surge as well, Jeb Garnett finishes 3rd at STATE in the 110 high hurdles!!!! Incredible run Jeb!! Go get that medal!
With a late surge, Braylen Lusby finish 2nd at STATE in the 800 m run!!!! Outstanding run! Way to go Bray!!
Spearman ISD Recognizes School Nurse's Day
Spearman ISD is proud to recognize Nurse Sally Swan and Nurse Kelly Scroggs on National School Nurse Day. National School Nurse Day was established to foster a better understanding the role the school nurse plays in the education setting. School nurses play an integral part of the lives of students. They serve as care takers, lend a listening to ear to a student, and provide a sense of security that students often seek out.
Nurse Sally Swan is the Registered Nurse (RN) for Spearman ISD. She is married to Lance, and they have three children. Her oldest child is a graduate of Spearman High School (SHS) and two are attending Spearman schools.
Nurse Sally works with the entire student body and staff. She trains staff on medical emergency situations and provides trainings to the students throughout the school year on a variety of topics. “What I love most about working for SISD is having the opportunity to be involved with our students from Pre-k through twelfth grade. I get to watch them grow, find their way, and figure out who they want to be in this world. This is a gift that we have in a small district that larger schools do not get to enjoy,” shared Swan.
“I could always joke that I could write a book on the funny stories that happen in the nurse’s office. This office is not just for sick kids, it is often the catch all for situations that no one else knows what to do with. The wonderful “Nurse Nellie” (Linda Winegarner) that came before me always comes to mind. In the song/book Nurse Nellie has a Naugahyde Purse is filled with things that start with the letter N. It is an odd assortment of things. As a kid I always wondered what on earth she would use the items for as a nurse. Now that I have been in school nursing for over twenty years, I can assure you that Nurse Nellie knew exactly what school nursing was like and she needed that purse!” laughed Swan.
Swan has earned many awards and accomplishments over the years. “I think the biggest accomplishment comes when you are taking care of a little patient who may be scared or unsure, and you hear the words, “She took good care of me when I was little like you.” The trust you built so many years ago comes back and this is a true test of a lifelong nurse,” stated Swan.
Kelly Scroggs is a school nurse for Spearman ISD. She is married to Darrell, and they have three children. Her oldest child is a graduate of Spearman High School (SHS) and two are attending Spearman schools.
“She is really the unsung hero for our district,” shared Sally Swan. “She is a licensed professional who chooses to be here as a paraprofessional employee. She is an amazing nurse and goes above and beyond for each of our kids and staff. She amazes me every day with her growth in her field as well as her compassion and follow through,” stated Swan.
Swan continued, “During this Covid mess when her partner was tied up, she carried all the basic nursing duties for the district which I can assure you are massive with the student population we have right now. She did everything she could to keep the pressure off me, so I could focus on the task at hand. She did it without saying a word. That Is Amazing! I could not do my job without her help. She is an equal partner in our district, and we would be lost without her.”
The Lynx Elite Award was created by Superintendent, Dan Gist. The purpose of the award is to recognize students that have contributed their time and talents in extra-curricular activities reaching state level competition. “We are recognizing students that have shined a light on Spearman ISD and the community.” Seventeen students were recognized at the Board of Education meeting on Tuesday, May 10, 2022.
Made Sale at State Level Stock Show
Kamryn Teeters-2nd Houston/2nd Austin
Kinley Shieldknight-6th Houston
All State Band
Karan Bhakta
Track- State Qualifier:
Jeb Garnett- 100 meter hurdles (not pictured, KC Garnett accepted award) Braylen Lusby- 800 meter, 300 meter hurdles (not pictured, Jess Anne Lusby accepted award)
Brenen Thompson- 100 meter, 200 meter (not pictured, Karen and Richie Thompson accepted award)
Estefany Tarango- shot put, 100 meter (not pictured, Kimberly and Maria Tarango accepted award)
The Lynx Elite Award was created by Superintendent, Dan Gist. The purpose of the award is to recognize students that have contributed their time and talents in extra-curricular activities reaching state level competition. “We are recognizing students that have shined a light on Spearman ISD and the community.” Seventeen students were recognized at the Board of Education meeting on Tuesday, May 10, 2022.
Cross Country State Qualifiers:
Destinee Perez, Braylen Lusby (not pictured, Jess Anne Lusby accepted award), Ethan Ramos
Football State Qualifiers:
Jack Pipkin 2nd Team Offense-Padilla Poll Coaches (not pictured), Brayden Klafka 1st Team Defense- Padilla Poll Coaches
Congressional Debate Team- State Qualifiers
Isaac Martinez-6th at state, Karan Bhakta, Marco Salgado
Tractor Tech Team- State Qualifiers
Fabian Hernandez (not pictured), Jace Greene-33rd High Individual, Kyle Sandlin-19th High Individual, Connor Dehaan
Spearman ISD Board of Education congratulates the Spearman Junior High 8th Grade Students of the Month, Acey Womble and Zachary Sasser.
SISD Board of Education congratulates the Lynx to Learning Academy team for completing year 1 of the program.
SISD celebrated Sherry Boyd for her years of service in education. She will retire at the end of the school year with twenty years in the profession. We were fortunate she taught in Spearman for eighteen of the twenty years.
Congratulations on your retirement!
Congratulations to the class of 2022!! 🟣⚫️⚪️🟣⚫️⚪️🟣⚫️⚪️
Spearman ISD Board of Trustees Invites you to a
Retirement Reception Honoring Mrs. Sherry Boyd
Tuesday, May 10th 4-5pm at Gus Birdwell Elementary
Today we recognize our school lunch heroes on National School Lunch Hero Day. Spearman ISD appreciates the hard work each one of these professionals do every day of the week.
Clara Borunda
Maura Briseno
Rosa Cantu
Bernice Flores
Emma Garcia
Merced Juarez
Rebecca Mendoza
Maria Guadalupe Ortiz
Celia Perez
Claudia Vela
Rosie Acosta
Spearman ISD’s 2022 District Teacher of the Year
Melissa Klafka teaches Special Education (SPED) grades Early Childhood (EC)-5th grade. She has been an educator for fifteen years. She and her husband, Dustin, have four children that attend Spearman schools.
Klafka is a graduate of Leveland High School and earned her bachelor’s degree from Eastern New Mexico University. She earned her Post Baccalaureate Degree (PBD) from Texas A&M University, Kingsville. “I did not go to college to be a teacher,” stated Klafka. She shared that her desire to be a Special Education teacher was inspired by a friend’s child who had special needs. She started her teaching career in Dalhart, Texas.
“I look back and I was not a very good student. I was the student that could never stop talking!” laughed Klafka.
The Klafka family moved to Spearman last year. “I like the community and the pride that is here. Our children have thrived living here both educationally and emotionally,” stated, Klafka.
“Spearman ISD is not like any other place we have worked. I can go to any administrator or teacher and get help. If I have an idea, I can brainstorm with an administrator, and they listen to me. I accept no for answer well, but I am not afraid to ask,” joked Klafka.
Klafka was nominated by coworkers for the Gus Birdwell Elementary Teacher of the Year award. One of her coworkers stated,” Servant leadership. Culture. Two words used as goals for our school and district. Missy Klafka represents these words in every way. Everywhere you look she is there stepping up and stepping in, all with a smile on her face, love and compassion, and maybe a bit of mischief! Whether it be a duty around the school, a student who isn’t hers but needs assistance (or just a smile!), or one of her students who is having a difficult time adjusting, she isn’t willing to ask someone else to do the job, but takes on the task herself.”
Another coworker shared,” Missy is a huge asset to the GBE campus. The success of not only her students, but all of the students in general is her top priority. She goes above and beyond to help her students and the staff have all the resources they need to be successful. She is respectful and kind, but she will also fight for what needs to be done. Missy is the type of person you want in your corner, and GBE is so lucky to have her!”
Klafka will represent Spearman ISD in August competing for Region 16 Teacher of the Year. Good luck and thank you for being a teacher that loves every student that comes your way!
Spearman ISD Names 2022 Lynx Legacy Distinguished Alumni
Spearman ISD is proud to announce Dr. Maribel Martinez-Mejia as the recipient of the 2022 Lynx Legacy Distinguished Alumni Award. The purpose of the award is to identify, recognize, celebrate, and honor alumni who have distinguished themselves through public service, academic achievement, and professional contributions. The recipient must be a graduate of Spearman High School (SHS) who graduated within a minimum of ten years’ prior
Dr. Maribel Martinez-Mejia is the daughter of Homero and Maria Martinez. Dr. Martinez-Mejia graduated from Spearman High School in 1998. After completing her undergraduate degree in Geosciences/Geophysics at Texas Tech University, she continued to earn a master’s degree in Atmospheric Science from Texas Tech University. She did not stop there and went on to complete her PH.D. in Wind Science and Engineering at Texas Tech University, 2009.
Dr. Martinez-Mejia has over sixteen years of experience in Emergency Management and has coordinated response for numerous incidents, declared disasters, large scale special events, and COVID operations to include hospital/mass fatality coordination, COVID mass testing, and mass vaccination operations. She recently accepted the position as the Emergency Preparedness Manager for the North Central Texas Council of Governments (NCTCOG) and is currently serving as the Interim Director for the division.
Dr. Martinez-Mejia is an International Association of Emergency Managers Certified Emergency Manager and has been a remote instructor with the West Texas A&M University Emergency Management Administration Degree Program. She currently is appointed as the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Advisor for the International Association of Emergency Managers Region 6 Executive Board, Emergency Management Association of Texas Board, and the State of Texas Emergency Professional Development Committee. She is also a co-host for The Current of EM Podcast, aiming to address issues facing Emergency Managers today. (Information credit: Nominator for Dr. Maribel Martinez-Mejia).
“There are times when she goes to work and spends four days there with only a few hours of sleep on a cot. She takes her job seriously and does her best in all she does. Maribel orchestrated the largest COVID 19 testing center in Texas. It ran so smoothly people were in awe. When asked about her awards, she said she could not do anything without the wonderful staff and volunteers,” shared nominator for Dr. Martinez-Mejia.
She has been a speaker at multiple events across the United States speaking on a variety of topics regarding Emergency Management. She spoke to the Spearman High School National Honor Society several years ago.
Her hometown will always be Spearman, and she visits frequently. Her parents are residents of Spearman. She has deep rural roots embedded in her.
She and her husband, John, reside in Burleson, Texas.
There will be a reception and recognition ceremony in honor of Dr. Maribel Martinez-Mejia on September 2, 2022 at the homecoming pep rally.
Congratulations, Dr. Maribel Martinez-Mejia on well deserved award! You make Spearman proud!
Culture Day is every Wednesday at SISD. We proudly wear shirts that represent the district's vision for success. Our teachers Commit to Excellence every day! Thank a teacher this week.
Athletic Banquet
Monday, May 9, 2022
6 pm O’Loughlin Center
Spearman High School will be on a modified schedule Tuesday, May 3rd, and Wednesday, May 4th. A copy of the schedule will be sent home with your student today.
