Ott's Outlook
October 2024
As the calendar flips to October, we are a month and a half into the 2024-2025 school year. In some ways that seems like a very short time and on certain days, it may seem like the year has been going much longer.
In that month and a half, we have already accomplished some amazing things as a district and there are a lot of reasons to celebrate. I wanted to share with you some of those celebrations because as a community we have so many reasons to be proud of our students. In the last six weeks Temple had one high school senior named a National Merit Commended Student and 13 other students earn national recognition from College Board. The Temple Highlighters were recently named Commended Winners by the National Jazz Honors Project, marking the seventh time the program has been nationally recognized in that competition. Two of our CTE students were elected to district officer positions in SkillsUSA. TISD had a middle school student and an elementary student create artwork that was selected for display at the TASA/TASB txEDCON in San Antonio this past weekend. Our athletic programs are off to a strong start with football boasting a 4-1 record after the opening week of district play and tennis having already clinched a playoff berth. The volleyball and cross country programs are also competing well as their seasons move into the home stretch.
We have been able to celebrate recognition for several of our staff members with Travis’ Maribeth Brown winning Teacher of the Year honors from Project Lead The Way and Kennedy-Powell’s JoMeka Gray being named one of six finalists for TASA’s Texas Teacher of the Year. The TISD Finance Department also earned a certificate of excellence in financial reporting from the GFOA for the fifth consecutive year.
The district also had the opportunity to celebrate the impact our partnership with Meta has made on our STEM programs with more than 20 elected officials - City of Temple members, Temple College administrators, community and business leaders joining our school board and staff to tour Kennedy-Powell Elementary School and Temple High School. Our teachers and students demonstrated some of the STEM experiences made possible by that partnership and it was a tremendous experience for all involved. I am so proud of the preparation and hard work our staff and students put in, not just for the tour, but every day they come to work and school.
This month we will also celebrate the 15 individuals who are responsible for leading our campuses as we observe National Principals Month. This group has already navigated the challenges of instituting new policies, starting new positions, moving to new campuses, and in one case, opening a brand-new school. Through it all, this group has kept focus on providing the best overall experience for our students, families, and staff. Their “commitment to excellence”, outlined in TISD’s Leadership Definition, has been an inspiration to all of those groups and I could not be more proud of their efforts this year.
Your Biggest Fan,
Bobby Ott
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You can nominate a special Temple ISD alum for our Alumni Spotlight!
Temple ISD has a long history of excellence and we have had many, many graduates who have gone on to exemplify our vision to become influential and impactful leaders in their local communities and beyond. Temple ISD Alumni Spotlight will feature alumnus and alumna that have represented our community and our district in a positive way.
To nominate yourself or a Temple ISD graduate, please complete our online Alumni Spotlight Nomination Form. Nominations will be reviewed and candidates selected by the Temple ISD Board of Trustees Policy Committee
