September 2017 Resolution honoring Heroes for Children
WHEREAS volunteers provide invaluable support to our Texas public schools through the donation of their time, talent and financial resources; and
WHEREAS the State Board of Education has honored outstanding school volunteers with the Heroes for Children award since 1994; and
WHEREAS Olga Charles has been an active volunteer in the Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District, mentoring struggling students, serving as a life coach, and organizing fundraisers; and
WHEREAS Maria Vega is known as “Momma Vega” at Leo Elementary School in La Joya ISD where she has volunteered almost daily for the past 11 years doing whatever is needed; and
WHEREAS Ian C. Hemmings arrives at school before dawn to work with Northside ISD children and he’s helped found a safety group called WATCH D.O.G.S. and Project ACORN, a replanting program; and
WHEREAS Carol Ann Youens who has volunteered in Galena Park ISD for 18 years, has helped countless children learn to read and is known as the “mother of the volunteers”; and
WHEREAS Chelsea Elliott, a volunteer in the Wayside Schools, through her Half Helen Foundation, has provided preventative vision and hearing screening to 15,000 students; and
WHEREAS Cyndi Matteson is known as a “global volunteer” in Cypress-Fairbanks ISD where she actively volunteers in the elementary, middle and high schools, and
WHEREAS Frederick Jefferson created the Man II Man support group for fathers of children with special needs and developed a guide to services available in the Pearland and Alvin districts; and
WHEREAS Stacie Jahn has worked diligently as a PTO leader to obtain needed equipment and facilities, such as a shade cover for the playground and funding for a gym, for her Conroe ISD schools; and
WHEREAS Amanda Rogers has volunteered in Elkhart ISD for two decades, helping little ones learn to read and assisting teachers in numerous ways; and
WHEREAS Mike Senchack has worked tirelessly for 23 years, providing audio-visual services, editing and post-production work for activities at five high schools and 10 middle schools in Round Rock ISD; and
WHEREAS Thomas J. French coached youth sports teams for 20 years and worked as a referee, a concession stand attendant and supported the robotics team in Burleson ISD; and
WHEREAS Teresa Cook is an active PTO leader at Harmony Public Schools and this year has strongly advocated for facilities funding for charters; and
WHEREAS Mary Pencis coordinates 50 volunteers who bring bilingual books and performances of children’s opera into Fort Worth ISD; with the aid of the Fort Worth Opera and The Red Oak Foundation; and
WHEREAS Charles Lyons teaches students the importance of patriotism, loyalty, community involvement and pride through the Copperas Cove High School Excel Club; and
WHEREAS Evelyn Lyles helps refugee families in Amarillo ISD find needed social services and helps them assimilate into American life on the high plains; now, therefore be it
RESOLVED, That the State Board of Education recognizes these outstanding individuals as Heroes for Children.
WITNESS our signatures this fifteenth day of September, two thousand seventeen in Austin, Texas.
__________________________________
Donna Bahorich, Chair
__________________________________
Ruben Cortez, Jr., Secretary
WHEREAS the State Board of Education has honored outstanding school volunteers with the Heroes for Children award since 1994; and
WHEREAS Olga Charles has been an active volunteer in the Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District, mentoring struggling students, serving as a life coach, and organizing fundraisers; and
WHEREAS Maria Vega is known as “Momma Vega” at Leo Elementary School in La Joya ISD where she has volunteered almost daily for the past 11 years doing whatever is needed; and
WHEREAS Ian C. Hemmings arrives at school before dawn to work with Northside ISD children and he’s helped found a safety group called WATCH D.O.G.S. and Project ACORN, a replanting program; and
WHEREAS Carol Ann Youens who has volunteered in Galena Park ISD for 18 years, has helped countless children learn to read and is known as the “mother of the volunteers”; and
WHEREAS Chelsea Elliott, a volunteer in the Wayside Schools, through her Half Helen Foundation, has provided preventative vision and hearing screening to 15,000 students; and
WHEREAS Cyndi Matteson is known as a “global volunteer” in Cypress-Fairbanks ISD where she actively volunteers in the elementary, middle and high schools, and
WHEREAS Frederick Jefferson created the Man II Man support group for fathers of children with special needs and developed a guide to services available in the Pearland and Alvin districts; and
WHEREAS Stacie Jahn has worked diligently as a PTO leader to obtain needed equipment and facilities, such as a shade cover for the playground and funding for a gym, for her Conroe ISD schools; and
WHEREAS Amanda Rogers has volunteered in Elkhart ISD for two decades, helping little ones learn to read and assisting teachers in numerous ways; and
WHEREAS Mike Senchack has worked tirelessly for 23 years, providing audio-visual services, editing and post-production work for activities at five high schools and 10 middle schools in Round Rock ISD; and
WHEREAS Thomas J. French coached youth sports teams for 20 years and worked as a referee, a concession stand attendant and supported the robotics team in Burleson ISD; and
WHEREAS Teresa Cook is an active PTO leader at Harmony Public Schools and this year has strongly advocated for facilities funding for charters; and
WHEREAS Mary Pencis coordinates 50 volunteers who bring bilingual books and performances of children’s opera into Fort Worth ISD; with the aid of the Fort Worth Opera and The Red Oak Foundation; and
WHEREAS Charles Lyons teaches students the importance of patriotism, loyalty, community involvement and pride through the Copperas Cove High School Excel Club; and
WHEREAS Evelyn Lyles helps refugee families in Amarillo ISD find needed social services and helps them assimilate into American life on the high plains; now, therefore be it
RESOLVED, That the State Board of Education recognizes these outstanding individuals as Heroes for Children.
WITNESS our signatures this fifteenth day of September, two thousand seventeen in Austin, Texas.
__________________________________
Donna Bahorich, Chair
__________________________________
Ruben Cortez, Jr., Secretary