'Pulling together'
Anahuac Primary School Principal Erica Criswell, Ed.D., (left) works alongside coworkers and staff to pull a school bus up a hill during a district-wide team bonding exercise.
Anahuac Independent School District educators, staff and board members "pulled together" to tow a school bus up a hill for a team bonding exercise.
ANAHUAC— In the spirit of "Pulling Together," Anahuac Independent School District educators, staff and board members worked together to actually pull a school bus up a hill.
AISD held the team bonding event on Friday, Nov. 7, where staff shared plenty of laughs while eating lunch, just before towing the bus up the hill at Fort Anahuac Park.
"We're just so proud of all of our employees on our campuses and in our departments," said Superintendent Cody Abshier, Ed.D. "Our theme this year is 'Pulling Together,' and that is certainly what I've seen all semester. Everyone has just been working hard, supporting one another."
Instructional Technologist Gilbert Speights, Computer Technician Sam Yzquierto and Instructional Technologist Gabriela Chavez all agreed "anticipation" was the right word to describe how they felt before pulling the bus.
"We're feeling excited. Hopefully, we can all pull together," Speights said.
Once they successfully pulled the bus, Yzquierto said he felt relieved.
"I can't believe we did it," Chavez said.
English Henicke, dyslexia teacher at Anahuac Elementary School; Cortney Watson, AES campus secretary; and Cherie Burns, instructional coach at Anahuac Primary School and AES, shared similar sentiments after the bus pull.
"We feel so united," Henicke said.
The day wasn't all work, as the school district, with help from the Anahuac ISD Education Foundation, provided a tasty lunch for everyone in attendance.
Abshier said that the day is a way for the staff to get away from the campuses, relax, and get reacquainted with one another, away from the daily pressures.
Ashier explained that staff face tremendous pressure to be the best they can be and to help their students reach their full potential.
"That's why it's so very important that everyone pulls together, loves on one another and appreciates one another," Abshier said.
The theme originated from a brainstorming session among Abshier, Deputy Superintendent Daniel Andrews, and Administrative Assistant to the Superintendent Kim Swope.
After bouncing ideas, they concluded that the district needed to coordinate curriculum and instruction to improve the students' learning experience, which ties back to the Texas Strategic Leadership program.
"We're pulling together to support one another, but we're pulling together in the same direction," Abshier said.