[youtube height=”315″ width=”560″]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ymwClOTp3lI[/youtube]
This holiday season, Harlingen Consolidated Independent School District Superintendent Dr. Art Cavazos reflects on the great advancements that have taken place throughout the district this year.
To view Dr. Cavazos’ message, click on the video above.
2015 Holiday Message:
Happy Holidays HCISD family,
What an exciting time to be part of HCISD! Our students are excelling inside and outside the classroom, and we continue to see advancements in our district. In light of the holiday season, this is an opportune time to reflect and be grateful for our fortunes. Together we have made 2015 a remarkable year with much to be proud of.
Making HCISD history, our Aquatic Center hosted its first swim meet this December. The Winter Splash Bash event drew in a crowd of over 500 people. Its success further established the facility as an economic engine for the Harlingen community. Our Harlingen High School and Harlingen High School South swim teams did an outstanding job in working with our aquatic facility staff to organize this unprecedented event.
Earlier this month, Zavala Elementary teachers and administrators received brand new MacBook Air laptops and iPad Minis as part of the ConnectED grant they were awarded last fall. In the next phase of the grant, the campus will get an iPad for every student and an Apple TV for each classroom. Zavala is one of 114 schools in the nation to receive the award.
Our robotics programs have been gaining traction at HCISD for over ten years with our secondary students consistently competing at the state and national level. Understanding the need to create pipelines connecting students to the fields of STEM, this year we decided to implement the “early adopter” program, which gives our campuses without robotics programs an opportunity to get ahead of the game. Our decision was substantiated last week as the University Interscholastic League announced that robotics will be a sanctioned competition.
Over the past several months we have made strong and steady progress in replacements and upgrades throughout our district. With the approval of the Tax Ratification this past September we have initiated upgrades to the networks at Harlingen High School and Harlingen High School South. Fiber optic cable and additional wireless access points are now being installed at both campuses to accommodate a Bring-Your-Own-Device environment. More projects are in the works this holiday break as we commence bidding requests for security camera systems at our elementary campuses.
Each of these achievements echoes the talent and the profound commitment of our administrators, teachers, and staff. Thank you to our students for your curiosity and enthusiasm for learning, to our educators for instilling in students your passion for knowledge, to our HCISD families and the Harlingen community for your endless support. It is my privilege to serve beside you.
As we prepare to enjoy the holiday vacation, I encourage you to make the most of this special time and share the joy of the season with friends and family. I wish each of you a blessed Christmas and a prosperous new year.
Let us return with continued resolve in our mission to provide educational excellence for our students. We look forward to making 2016 a productive and positive year for our students and the Harlingen community.
Thank you all for your time and talent in building world-class schools.
