Attitude is everything, and Harlingen Consolidated Independent School District is all fired up for the 2017-2018 school year.
Before welcoming over 18,000 students back to school on August 21, HCISD’s Board of Trustees, administrators, teachers, and staff came together in a kickoff event at the Performing Arts Center to celebrate and set the tone for the new year.
With the message of “Ignite the Fire” at its core, the celebration was held over three sessions on Wednesday and Thursday, August 16-17.
Staff from across the district heard from various speakers including the HCISD’s Administrator for Organizational Development Veronica Kortan, Board President George McShan, and Superintendent Dr. Art Cavazos.
Paying tribute to HCISD’s educators, McShan thanked staff for their commitment to empowering students.
“You’re the everyday heroes of our district. All that we’ve achieved was made possible because of the passion, dedication, and efforts of our teachers, the support of instructional staff, and the leadership of our principals,” he said. “Most importantly, we know that you have made a difference in the lives of the children enrolled in Harlingen public schools.”
Dr. Cavazos spoke of the importance of knowing your “why” and how HCISD’s “why” takes a prominent role in creating new opportunities for students.
“To ignite the fire, we must first answer the question why. Why is it that we do what we do? As a district, we want the next generation to have better opportunities than we did,” he said. “How do we continue to transform and create authentic learning experiences for our students? It begins with each of us. You must ask yourself. What is your ‘why?’ When you are living in your ‘why,’ you’re creating your legacy. I challenge you to make your ‘why’ contagious. Pass it on. Share your why. Ignite the fire in our students.”
Keynote speakers for the event were Johnathan Medina on the first day of the event and Dr. Adolph Brown on the second day.
Attendees were also treated to a spectacular performance by the HCISD Music Department. Bringing together student and teacher musicians from Harlingen High School and Harlingen High School South the performance featured sounds ranging from salsa, rock to mariachi.
To see pictures from day one, click here.
To see pictures from day two, click here.
