Spearman ISD - Dedicated to Education...Committed to Excellence

SISD Retirement Lonita James has been in the profession for twenty-one years. She has taught every grade pre-K through twelfth in her teaching career. She has taught in Spearman for seven years as the Family and Consumer Science teacher. Her experience consists of teaching a variety of subjects: Family and Consumer Science, junior high science, biology, remedial junior high math, speech, pre-K through 5th grade music, 4th grade spelling, 5th grade science, and high school choir. “For years, in Texas, if you had 12 semester hours in a subject area you were considered highly qualified to teach that subject. Since my degree had the same undergraduate science requirements as a medical or veterinarian science degree, I was considered a highly qualified science teacher. I love music and chose to be in band and choir in college, so I met the requirements to teach music,” shared James. “I have had extracurricular and cocurricular duties that included serving as an FHA/ FCCLA advisor for 20 years, serving as a region advisor to 4 FCCLA region officers, coaching elementary music memory teams, training students to compete in FCCLA STAR events, serving as one act play director, director of class plays, training students for current issues and events, extemporaneous informative and persuasive speaking, serving as class sponsor several times, running lots of concession stands, hospitality rooms during tournaments and even taking 2 classes on senior trips on a cruise to the Caribbean,” added James. James commented, “I am so very grateful to all the students who showed up, put themselves on the line and had the courage to step up and try new things, put in the required work to compete, and fail or succeed. Hope you had as much fun and grew as much as I did.” “One exciting moment I had was when I was teaching in Guthrie, Texas. Some of my students and I were unloading supplies into the storeroom off the concession stand in the gym. While doing so, we found and disturbed a rattlesnake who had taken up residence there!” laughed James. For twenty-one years, James has been making a difference in the lives of children of all ages. She will be greatly missed at SISD. We wish you all the best with your new adventure of retirement!

Connor and Madelynn Lozano competed at the Junior Nationals Weightlifting Competition in Las Vegas, Nevada. Connor is 11 years old and competed in the 13 Under Division. He accomplished personal records in both lifts. Madelynn is the National Champion in the 13 Under Division! This is not Madelynn's first visit to the National Champion and has come up short to winning the championship by 1 kg. Her hard work paid off and she won by 26 kgs ahead of second place. Connor and Madelynn are coached by Michael Lozano at Lozano Athletics. Coach Lozano is the Athletic Trainer for Spearman ISD. Congratulations to Connor, Madelynn, and Coach Lozano!

SISD Retirement Todd Baird began his coaching/teaching career thirty-two years ago. He taught in Oklahoma before coming to Texas. He has worked for Spearman ISD for twenty-two years. Every teacher has someone or something that inspired them to go into the profession. “I was very involved in athletics when I was growing up. I really enjoy the teaching aspect of sports – teaching the game of basketball, drills in football, or technique in track. I also had very influential coaches that inspired me to want to go into the field of education. I have been very fortunate over the past 32 years to have worked with incredible teachers and coaches and to have been able to coach amazing young men and women,” shared Baird. Baird recalls some highlights during his career. “One of the highlights of my coaching career was taking the Burns Flat-Dill City girls basketball team to the state tournament. It was an exciting journey to get there and a thrill for not only the school, but the entire community,” stated Baird. “It has been a privilege to coach multiple successful hurdlers while at Spearman ISD. The excitement of watching them improve throughout the season and finding post-District success is very gratifying as a coach,” added Baird. “Another highlight was being able to coach my two sons throughout their school career. These are memories I will cherish forever,” reminisced Baird. Now that Baird is retired he plans to complete some “honey do” projects! Congratulations on thirty-two years in the profession. You have impacted many students/athletes over the years. You are a great role-model and one that will be missed at SISD. We wish you the best in all you do after retirement.

Congratulations to Mr. Gist on being named 2022 Outstanding School Administrator by the Agriculture Teachers Association of Texas!

Spearman ISD is in search of a Jr. High Special Ed Paraprofessional and a Food Service Cafeteria Manager (HS campus). Please go to the Employment Portal to apply online. https://spearmanisd.tedk12.com/hire/index.aspx

SISD Administration enjoyed a great breakfast together to say thank you for the hard work our custodial, maintenance, transportation, cafeteria, daycare, and technology teams do for the students and staff.

SISD Administration enjoyed a great breakfast together to say thank you for the hard work our custodial, maintenance, transportation, cafeteria, daycare, and technology teams do for the students and staff.

SISD Administration enjoyed a great breakfast together to say thank you for the hard work our custodial, maintenance, transportation, cafeteria, daycare, and technology teams do for the students and staff during the summer months.

Congratulations to Kamryn Teeters on earning a Texas FFA Jim Bob Norton Fort Worth Syndicate Scholarship for $10,000!

Congrats to Clay Aborn for his 3rd place Texas FFA Ag Sales - Entrepreneurship Proficiency that received a Silver Rating.

Congrats to Spearman FFA’s 2022 LoneStar Degree Recipients. These students will recieve the highest degree of membership in the state at this year’s Texas FFA State Convention in Fort Worth in July. Jack Davis, Autumn Brown, Lani Wright, Cooper Campbell and Clay Aborn

Staff Spotlight by Kristi Ramon Dr. Michael Ralston teaches 10th grade English Language Arts and Reading at Spearman High School. He is a graduate from Gruver High School and received his bachelor and master degrees from Texas Tech University. He furthered his education at Auburn University earning a Doctor of Philosophy degree in English. Every day is different is the eyes of an educator. “One of the things that I most enjoy about my job is that every day is different. I am surrounded by interesting colleagues and students that constantly keep me entertained and engaged. The students at Spearman High School are so enjoyable and have many talents. I also like the diversity of the students,” shared Ralston. “Every educator has stories about their days in the classroom. One of my favorite stories is an incident that occurred when I was working on my doctoral degree at Auburn. I taught a 7:30 a.m., class, and the students were usually quite tired. On one particular day, a student laid his head on his desk and promptly fell asleep. He soon began a delightful little symphony of loud snores and snorts. At that point, I told the students that class was dismissed, and asked them to leave as quickly and quietly as possible. We left Mr. Fuston sleeping in the classroom, and he appeared much refreshed at our next class meeting,” laughed Ralston. Ralston has earned several awards throughout his professional career including: Liberal Arts Professor of the Year; University of Texas at Arlington, President; Texas Association of Partners in Education; Practical Parent Education Administrator of the Year, Employee of the Year; Dallas ISD Training and Development Department; Teacher of the Year, Spearman High School. Even as an accomplished educator, he has not stopped setting professional goals for himself. Ralston stated, “At this point, my goal is to be the best possible 10th grade English teacher for my students, to enjoy every day in my classroom, and to instill in my students the value of lifelong learning.” Great work, D. Ral! We are proud of your many accomplishments.

Due to the extended power outages, summer school and TSI testing will be cancelled for today.

We are awaiting information from Xcel energy to determine when the power will be turned back on. Stay tuned for further updates regarding summer school.

Braylen Lusby, Sophomore Lynxette, recently earned 3A ALL-STATE Honors from Texas Girls Coaches Association. Bray was a Silver Medalist in the 800m and a two time qualifier in the 300H at the Texas State Meet. Bray was also a member of the Silver Medal 4x400 relay in 2021. Senior, Kamryn Teeters, earned ACADEMIC ALL STATE Honors from Texas High School Coaches Association and Texas Girls’ Coaches Association. Kamryn was a sprinter and high jumper for the Lynxette Track Team for the past 4 years. CONGRATULATIONS LYNXETTES!

Reminder: Spearman ISD Summer Meal Program May 31 - June 30 Elem/JH cafeteria Breakfast 7:30am-8:30am Lunch 11:30-1:00pm Free to all students 18 yrs and under

Reminder: Lynx Football Camp begins today at 9:00 a.m. 🏈🟣⚫️⚪️ https://simplebooklet.com/spearmanlynxfootballcamp?fs=e&s=cl#page=1

Spearman ISD is proud to recognized Macy Beedy May 18, National Speech Therapist Day. National Speech Therapist Day began in 2010 in the United States as way to recognize these amazing individuals. Speech pathologists work in hospitals, schools, universities, rehabilitation facilities, and private practice. Macy Beedy began her career twelve years ago in the school setting. She has worked for Spearman ISD for nine of those years. Her experience includes home health care, and some private therapy for school-age children, as well as the school setting. Beedy and her husband, Kevin, grew up in Spearman. After graduating high school, they attended college and graduate school. They moved to Dallas/Fort Worth area to work. “I loved living in the city and still miss some parts about it - mostly the restaurant options! However, we always felt like we would eventually come back to Spearman to raise our family. A job opportunity presented itself to Kevin, and we ended up moving back to Spearman a little earlier than either he or I thought we might. God’s timing is always perfect. If you’re not part of the Spearman community, it’s hard to describe the blessings in all the little things to an outsider… but to steal some slang from the younger generation, “If ya know, ya know.” Spearman is home, and I’m grateful,’ shared Beedy. “Growing up I always wanted to be a teacher. From the day I started school, I loved it! I remember every teacher I’ve ever had, and in what grade they taught me. Each grade I was in I remember thinking “this is the grade I want to teach when I grow up!” I know how influential teachers are. When I was a senior in high school, my granny, who had taught elementary school here in Spearman for 25 years herself, talked to me about specializing in a field of study when I went to college. She encouraged me to look at speech pathology. I actually think this idea was a plot between my mom and granny, but they likely knew I would take the “suggestion” better from my granny than my mom, at the time. I had never heard of speech pathology before, but I was intrigued. I really enjoyed my classes all through college and graduate school. After my first job in the school setting, I was hooked. I love my job. I love that I get to be a teacher AND a speech-language pathologist. The longer I am in this profession, the more confirmation I feel that God put me in it for a reason. I’m so grateful that through my mom and granny, God led me to be a speech-language pathologist in the school setting,’ reflected Beedy. Beedy shared a memorable story, “A few years ago I had a student that I had a pretty hard time connecting with. I had been working with him for a while and things were fine, but we were just missing a good teacher/student connection. One day, he was in my room during a lockdown drill. To be very honest, I think most people around the schools, teachers, and students alike, think and act just a little bit differently for lockdown drills. The reality of the scary world we live in and the reason we must practice lockdown drills always feels a little closer to home during these practices. Anyway, it was just my student and I in the room during this drill so we were being quiet and sitting in a corner of the mostly dark room, and I could tell he was starting to get emotional. Like I said, emotions seem a little closer to the surface for all during lockdown drills. I asked my student if he was ok, and he said he had just been missing his grandpa who had died a few years before, who he had been close to. He was teary at this point, and I asked him to tell me about his grandpa. He told me a little, and then I asked if anyone had ever told him about Jesus before. He looked at me and said his grandpa used to take him to church and prayed with him. I asked if he wanted me to pray with him. He did, so we said a quick prayer. The lockdown drill was over soon after that and he went back to class, but after that drill, this student and I had found our connection. Like I said before, God’s timing is always perfect. I’m grateful He put us together during this drill and gave us a boost in finding our connection.” Congratulations on making a difference in the lives of many students and staff. Your work is impressive and your love for students is commendable. SISD congratulates you on this special day!

Spearman ISD May Employees of the Month Macy Beedy is the Speech Language Pathologist for the district. She serves students on all three campuses. “Mrs. Beedy’s students love to go work with her even though she pushes them hard to achieve their speech goals,” stated Alexis Beck, Gus Birdwell Elementary (GBE) Principal. “I always joke with Mrs. Beedy that I attended speech when I was little, and my speech class was not as fun or exciting as her classes are,” laughed Beck. Beedy carries a full load and works hard to juggle schedules that meet the needs of the child. “She works very hard to schedule speech times, so the students do not miss critical class time,” added Beck. A teacher who is always willing to jump in and help when needed, first to praise another teacher, and quietly works behind the scene sending gifts to staff during big life events are a few of Beedy’s blessings she shares with others. “She excels at staying organized and making parents feel comfortable while on campus. We are blessed that Macy Beedy is part of the GBE family!” commented Beck. Congratulations on a well-deserved award! Maria Carbajal is the librarian at Spearman Junior High (SJH). She also helps with PRIDE classes, Lynx Lab, and assists as a substitute for teachers and paraprofessionals when needed. “She is always willing to help out where help is needed,” stated Craig Black, Spearman Junior High (SJH) Principal. “Maria is passionate about our library. She is always looking to make changes so the library can have a new look and our students will seek new interests. She does a great job of collaborating with the teachers when selecting new books. She also has a great relationship with the county library. This has enabled the students to benefit from some of the books we may not have,” added Black. She lights up the room when she enters the door. “Maria is a lot of fun to work with. She always has a smile on her face. You never know what kind of music you will hear as you walk through the library… it could be anything George Straight or Michael Jackson,” laughed Black. “She always has a smile on her face and it is great for Spearman Junior High,” included Black. Congratulations on a well-deserved award! Roger Morton is the business teacher at Spearman High School (SHS). “He is a valuable resource for the high school, specifically as it relates to 21st century learning. The educational landscape has progressed over the last few years to meet the demands of society when it comes to providing students opportunities to grow their technology skills that can directly be used in a vocational environment,” shared James Layman, SHS Principal. “Mr. Morton teaches many classes that focus not only on technology, but business and accounting as well,” added Layman. Morton is a teacher who never hesitates to say “Yes.” “One of the greatest things about Mr. Morton is his willingness to pitch in and help wherever is needed. I even joked that he often says, “Yes” before I ask the question,” laughed Layman. Morton has served as the high school UIL academic coordinator working tirelessly along with the UIL coaches. Congratulations on a job well done!

Estefany Tarango was 5th at STATE in the wheelchair shot put!! Way to go Steph!!!