TASRO News

May is always a busy month filled with exciting milestones like end-of-year parties, awards ceremonies, graduations, and celebrations of all kinds. If your campus is anything like mine, the students are wired and the adults are tired. With all the excitement, extra visitors on campus, and everyone pushing toward the finish line, this is exactly when we must remain vigilant and stay on our toes. In just this past week, I’ve heard from colleagues who have dealt with incidents involving unauthorized attempts to gain entry and emotionally charged situations involving students. These reminders reinforce that despite the distractions of the season, our mission remains unchanged. I encourage each of you to finish the school year strong with a warrior mindset, remembering that our first and foremost responsibility is the safety and security of the students and staff we serve.

While we finish strong, we are also looking ahead to our annual conference. We can’t wait to reward our members for a year of hard work with what is shaping up to be an unbelievable conference packed with valuable training, networking, fun, and well-earned relaxation. Your Regional Directors have been hard at work securing incredible door prizes, we have amazing raffle items lined up, and our sponsors are bringing great entertainment and a catered luncheon. It’s like Christmas in July! We can’t wait to see everyone in Corpus for what I believe is the best event of the year!

Be sure to read through this newsletter carefully so you don’t miss important details and deadlines, including new opportunities through Grand Canyon University, updates on our Staccato raffle (don’t forget to get your tickets!), and a new conference flyer to share with educators, administrators, and staff who would benefit from attending. We look forward to seeing you all very soon!

Sincerely,

Zach Duer

President

Texas Association of School Resource Officers

zach.duer@tasro.org

Registration for our best conference yet is open now! Don't miss out on this awesome event!

Click HERE for more information!

We have two choices for overflow hotels that are just a short walk from the Omni.

Holiday Inn Reservations

707 North Shoreline Blvd.

Rate $142.00

Homewood Suite by Hilton Corpus Christi Downtown Reservations

5201 Crosstown Expressway Rate

$219.00 (King) $229 (Double)

Having trouble with the booking link?
Please visit Homewoodcc.com, enter your stay dates, select “Special Rates,” and use group code 90B to book at the group rate.

TASRO launched a new website in 2025 and we want to ensure all of our users have the ability to access information!

If you attempt to Login, but the system will not allow you to, please click on the register button, and register your account. You should be able to locate your existing account through this process.

Once you have registered your account, you will be able to login with your username and password.

Once you have logged in, please go to your information screen and ensure we have your correct information.

We specifically ask that update your region (regional map located on the site), your birthdate, and your PID number.

For assistance with login, please email info@tasro.org

GCU Scholarship Opportunities Webinar

Monday, May 4th, at 5:30 p.m. Click Here to REGISTER.

Call or text 713-203-5434 or inquire online.

Email: paige.ulmer@gcu.edu

APPLY HERE

TASRO is a participant in Grand Canyon University’s “Canyon Educational Participant (CEP), which provides members of our school community the opportunity to earn a bachelor, master, or doctoral degree online and receive a scholarship.

Scholarships amount for TASRO employees:

• 10% scholarship for TASRO members
• 15% scholarship for paraprofessionals and classified staff entering an online bachelor’s program through the College of Education, a Secondary Education Emphasis degree program, or a Bachelor of Science in Applied Management degree program
• 5% scholarship for spouses of faculty, staff, and governing board members
• 5% scholarship for students’ parents for degrees related to the field of education

To learn more, please contact GCU’s local University Development Counselor Paige Ulmer at paige.ulmer@gcu.edu. You can also call or text 713-203-5434 or inquire online.

You may also register to attend the GCU webinar on Monday, May 4th at 5:30 p.m. where you may ask questions. Learn about how to advance in your education and career with a bachelor, master or doctoral degree online. Click Here to REGISTER.

Everyone must contact Paige Ulmer (the local counselor) directly to qualify for the TASRO scholarship. Call or text 713-203-5434 or inquire online.

More GCU information:

· 100% online and in-state tuition no matter where you call home

· May transfer up to nine graduate credits for teachers with alternative certification through iTeach

· No GRE required for graduate admissions

· Complimentary transfer evaluations provided (email unofficial transcripts to Paige.Ulmer@gcu.edu)

We’re excited to announce that the online raffle for a Staccato P4HD, generously donated by our partners at Staccato, is NOW AVAILABLE on our website! CLICK HERE and enter as many times as you wish between now and July 7th.

THIS RAFFLE IS OPEN TO ANYONE. FEEL FREE TO SHARE THE LINK!

Staccato is also teaming up with the Corpus Christi Police Department to host an exclusive range day for conference attendees. Keep an eye on our social media channels for upcoming details!

We are excited to share our new APP!!

Go to your APP STORE and download the My Glue from Glue Up app. Register using your email that you use for the TASRO website.

This APP will house the agenda and other information for the upcoming conference. You can even choose events you are interested in, making it much easier to keep track of classes, events, and meet ups during the week!

We recognize the importance of the partnerships our SROs have with their team of school administrators. TASRO is striving to offer training opportunities that benefit both SROs and school staff. We have added a new EDUCATOR tab under the "About Us" portion of our website. We also have educator specific resources under our "Resources" tab on the website.

We encourage you to invite your administrators and other relevant school leaders to our Annual School Safety Conference!

Each month we will be sharing valuable updates and resources. Some of the resources may be great for you. Some of the resources may be great to share with school staff, parents, or students. If you have specific questions related to Texas Education Code or school related matters, please feel free to submit questions to our Educator Representative- Dr. Stephanie Duer (sduer@esc6.net).

All pictures and resources are linked.

This year's theme is "More Good Days, Together". Several organizations have toolkits, activities and social media templates to get involved in mental health awareness.

NAMI- National Alliance on Mental Illness

MHA- Mental Health America (Action Guide)

SAMHSA- Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (entire toolkit for social media)

• There are many ways to promote mental HEALTH. Below are a few simple, low-cost, no-cost ideas to celebrate Mental Health Awareness month and start to shift the focus from mental illness to mental WELLNESS!

  
  

  Physical Exercise- Exercise is not only good for our bodies. It's good for our mental health too.

  
  

  • Host a wellness walk for students and staff. Perhaps you have a PTO or local coffee shop that could help, host "Lattes and Laps" ☕💗.
  • Team up with your coaches or PE teachers. Use a free YouTube video and offer Yoga and Meditation in the gym.
  • Use a short videos to explain the benefits of exercise: Exercise for YOU

  
  

  Expressive arts- this can include drawing, painting, sculpting, crafting, writing, playing music, and singing, among others.

  
  

  • Have a "color me calm" table in the cafeteria or the staff lounge. Provide coloring sheets and crayons or colored pencils.
  • Test out Marconi Union's "Weightless", which has been shown to reduce anxiety by up to 60%. Play it in classrooms, the cafeteria, staff lounge, etc.
  • Have a karaoke contest
  • Have students create a calming playlist

  
  

  
  

  Mindfulness and relaxation, such as meditation, breathwork, progressive muscle relaxation, yoga, and grounding techniques, can all enhance emotional regulation.

  
  

  • Teach one new breathing skill a day like "box breathing", long exhale, flower/candle, five finger breathing, and more. Just do a simple search on YouTube for short videos like those linked above.
  • Find short meditations students can do before class starts like, a quick 2 minute refocus, or this 3 minute centering meditation.
  • Practice FOND (find one new detail). Challenge students to find one thing they have never noticed before in their classroom.

  
  

  
  

  Social support and connection are key for good mental health. Find creative ways to encourage connections in classes and on campus.

  
  

  • Play "would you rather" in class or the cafeteria. Here are 100 Would You Rather Questions for Kids that you can use or share with teachers to use in class.
  • Host a game night where kids and families can come play board games or have some board games and card games available for kids to play in the cafeteria or library.
  • Encourage teachers to incorporate some group activities into their lessons.

  
  

  
  

  Connect with Nature- if you've been around kids lately, you might have heard the phrase "touch grass". Basically, sometimes we lose touch with reality and get caught up in things like doom scrolling that aren't good for our mental health. Getting outside and reconnecting with nature is a great way to support mental health!

  
  

  • Host a nature walk and have students and staff collect cool rocks or pretty flowers.
  • Take a class outside to read a book.
  • Help students get their hands dirty and plant flowers or work in a garden.
  • Let kids walk barefoot in the grass and have them share with the class what that feels like or have them practice their creative writing by giving a detailed description of the experience.

  
  

  
  

  These are only a FEW ideas. Flex your creative muscles and see what you can come up with to encourage and support mental HEALTH on your campus!

To the Administrator Addressed Correspondence

89th Legislature Summary

Bridging the Gap Between Cops and Kids

Email: info@tasro.org
Website: www.tasro.org
Facebook: facebook.com/TASRO