Anahuac welcomes teachers
The Anahuac High School band kicks off convocation with the National Anthem.
Lynn Dell Turner (right) talks about her family’s history with Anahuac Independent School District as her husband, Leslie Turner listens on. The Turners provided a tour of Anahuac and surrounding areas for new teachers.
ANAHUAC— As the school district gears up for the school year, administrative staff welcomed new teachers this week, showing appreciation and providing a tour of the area.
Anahuac Independent School District welcomed new staff last week with help from the Anahuac ISD Education Foundation and the Anahuac Area Chamber of Commerce.
“You guys are the people who are going to help continue to keep this community awesome and a great place for children to be raised,” said Interim Superintendent Cody Abshier, Ed.D., addressing staff.
On Wednesday, July 30, the chamber held a breakfast and handed out door prizes, then teachers loaded up on a couple buses for a tour around the area, followed by a lunch with the education foundation.
“We just want to show our support and welcome all of the new faces to the community and the district and just let them know that we’re here to help however we can,” chamber Chair Sarah Phelps said.
The education foundation handed out gift cards and goodie bags, and they discussed how the foundation aids teachers, including the Grant Your Wish program and classroom grant opportunities.
Education foundation Executive Director Julia Hall said the luncheon was an opportunity for new staff to hear about the foundation and provided a relaxed setting for them to meet peers and administration.
The area tour encompassed not only Anahuac, but also Oak Island, Smith Point, Hankamer and Wallisville.
Recent graduates Ryan Tu and Tina Ly shared details about the Oak Island community, and Leslie and Lynn Dell Turner hosted the tour overall.
The Turners are both prominent figures in the history of the district. Lesile served a record number of years as the agriculture teacher, and Lynn Dell served as a teacher, administrator, school board trustee and president of the PTA.
“I wouldn’t want to raise kids any place else,” Lynn Dell said. “It’s just the place to be.”
Aside from the tour, Abshier gave a bit of a history lesson of the important role Anahuac played in the Texas Revolution.
Deputy Superintendent Daniel Andrews mentioned a few recent efforts to better the district, including the district’s work with the Texas Strategic Leadership program.
The program is designed to aid districts in strategic planning to improve students’ learning experiences.
The district held a convocation on Friday, Aug. 1, to welcome back all staff, and Anahuac National Bank presented a check for just over $36,000 raised from the “Books are the Building Blocks of the Future” campaign.
During the convocation luncheon, provided by ANB, the education foundation kicked off their Grant Your Wish program, this month sponsored by Hall.
Through this program, the foundation gives two educators $100 worth of supplies each month, funded by various sponsors.
Hall shared that the foundation is already sponsored for the full program, which runs August to May.
“Every day is a blessing, and you are absolutely doing God’s work,” Abshier said. “If you’re helping children, it doesn’t get any better than that.”