288 Express November 202

Alvin, Manvel & Neighboring Communities

AISD Staff moving past the pandemic PAGE 4 NOVEMBER 2020 Volume 3, Issue 11

A publication of the Alvin Advertiser

WHAT ’S INS IDE PAGE 4

Cover Story Alvin High School Principal, Karen Taylor, ready and willing to take on the task at hand.

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PAGE 11

Brazoria County Fair Photos

School News

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Guest Column

Chamber News

Alvin, Manvel & Neighboring Communities

Editorial Writers & Photographers Stephen Collins • Michael Edmonds Graphic Designer Linda Knight

Advertising Account Executives Sheila Rieke ads@alvinsun.net Betty Crawford classifieds@alvinsun.net

Office Manager Donna Hopkins

2 . . . NOVEMBER 2020

Howard Payne U presents grads from Alvin for spring, summer In September 2020, Howard Payne University presented degrees to 116 students during its Commencement ceremony for spring and summer 2020 graduates, held in late August.

From Alvin: Bryan Lee Bourque, Bachelor of Music in church music and worship; and Taylor Grace Davis, Bachelor of Music in music education all-level certification, Summa Cum Laude.

Degrees were presented to graduates by Dr. Cory Hines, HPU president, and other university personnel. The Commencement address was delivered by Dr. Antonio Josué Miranda, president of the Hispanic Baptist Convention of Texas. Dr. Miranda is campus pastor and the director of the graduate programs at Stark College and Seminary in Corpus Christi and also serves as pastor of Primera Iglesia Bautista in Robstown.

Students must have a 3.55-3.69 grade-point average to graduate Cum Laude; a 3.70-3.84 GPA to graduate Magna Cum Laude; and a 3.85-4.0 GPA to graduate Summa Cum Laude.

HPU’s spring Commencement ceremony was postponed until the end of the summer due to safety concerns related to COVID-19.

Texas Mutual awards $3.5 million to Brazoria County policyholders As part of this year’s program, Texas Mutual awarded $3,599,798 in dividends to 567 Brazoria County companies, which they can use to reinvest back into their business and communities.

“Through our dividend program, we’re able to provide the economic boost many of our policyholders and their communities need during this critical time,” said Ron Simmons, Texas Mutual board chairman. “These dividends represent our commitment to helping our policyholders keep hard working Texans safe on the job, which is more important now than it ever has been.”

The dividend program allows Texas Mutual to share its success with loyal policyholders who display a commitment to preventing workplace accidents and helping injured workers get back on the job. Dividends are based on each company’s loss ratio and history with Texas Mutual. About 80% of Texas Mutual’s policyholders received dividends this year. This is the 22nd year Texas Mutual has distributed policyholder dividends, bringing the total to $3.1 billion delivered back to Texas businesses.

“Workplace safety is a priority for many local companies, and it is being rewarded by Texas Mutual through its annual dividends,” said Roger Montemayor, president of Victory Insurance. “The continued support from Texas Mutual offers a boost for our local economy in Brazoria County.”

“Texas Mutual’s policyholder owners consistently work to keep employees safe on the job,” said Rich Gergasko, president and CEO of Texas Mutual. “This commitment to safety is especially important during the COVID-19 pandemic, and we are proud to recognize their efforts and provide financial support with our dividend program.”

Texas Mutual awarded its first dividend in 1999. While dividends have been annually awarded, they’re based on performance and are not guaranteed. Additionally, dividends must comply with Texas Department of Insurance regulations.

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COVER STORY

2020 vs Alvin High School ~ CHALLENGE ACCEPTED ~ Story and Photos by Michael Edmonds

The school’s leaders, AHS Principal Karen Taylor and lead counselor Kami Day, discuss ongoing planning and logistics. .…3, 2, 1, Happy New Year! All around the world people celebrated the start of 2020 and a new decade. Long since passed were all the worries of Y2K in 2000, when computers were supposed to cause world-wide chaos, then nothing happened. For a brief period of time to start 2020, all was well in the world, but it would soon take a turn, and not for the better.

We started hearing about the discovery of a new deadly virus, Covid-19 (Corona Virus). Soon after, life for the most part changed drastically. We learned we may have not have been washing our hands often enough and that we needed to stay indoors. We soon had shortages of food, hand sanitizer, and (gasp) toilet paper.

We were then told to social distance, which a bodily separation of six feet apart or more. When people started testing positive for the virus, businesses started sending people home to work; even restaurants and movie theaters started closing. Only “essential” businesses were to remain open.

Life as we knew had been upended. Schools were still functioning

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normally up until Spring Break, but not for long. Sporting events were suddenly canceled. The top-ranked Lady Jacket softball team was well on their way to the playoffs during the shortened season, which was heartbreaking in many ways. This was just a precursor to what was about to unfold.

The break had begun on March 9 and was to end on March 13 (excluding those coveted weekends); However, the break period was extended…the students could not go back to school just yet, and most certainly not in person. The school district had to decide what to do to keep one of life’s most important facets, teaching and learning, moving forward in a safe manner.

The school year was suddenly in a holding pattern with students continuing their time off. In an email interview with Alvin High School Principal Karen Taylor informed me of what all that took place to create a path moving forward. The faculty was faced with Continued on page 5

COVER STORY Continued from page 4 the task of how to get the approximately 2900 students back into the learning process.

“We had no contingency plans for a

R obin M cC ann, A H S L ead C ounselor

and were able to impart their wisdom to those who were not too familiar with the tool.

To assist in the learning of new software, the IT department created a training video to provide additional assistance in the process.

As a team they helped each other to move forward and roll out the new teaching method.

Now with the “how to” phase complete, the implementation had to take place.

After the unofficial third week of the extended break, the monumental task of getting the plan information out to students was set forth, including phone calls, email, social media and even house visits.

The staff was using every possible method to keep the students informed on getting back into the classroom albeit virtually. Counselors were also available during this time using the same communication methods. In addition to getting the students up to speed on the new virtual learning experience, learning labs with access to laptops, Wi-Fi, and printers were opened.

In some instances, laptops were provided

“There were so many unknowns but our goal was to reach out to the students. The entire experience brought the counseling group closer together.”

pandemic. However, teachers are fabulously resourceful and jumped right in to create virtual lessons,” Taylor said.

A collaborative effort from AISD, teachers, campus leaders and other key school personnel were involved in the planning process. When asked if the district leaders were more in charge or open-minded to outside input, Taylor stated, “Our district leaders are always open to suggestions and new ideas.”

A new educational platform was then developed in a very short amount of time and in spite of the obstacles encountered, teachers and students pushed through. Going to a 100 percent virtual classroom setting was obviously the main goal to achieve.

There were already some teachers, who were providing lessons via Google Classroom

V icki C leland, A H S C ounselor

“I missed not getting to see my students in person, but I did reach out to them on a regular basis. I was elated when I got to see them again.”

A H S A ssociate P rincipal K ami D ay

“This was certainly a challenging experience, but we got creative, had a few hiccups, and produced a packet of information for the students and parents.” to help students get online to continue their schooling. The learning curve was fast and furious, but overall quite a success. Although the students were at home, they still were subject to the “T” word.

As a measure of accountability, students were required to log into their classroom environment at set times. This would be the measure of recording attendance and tardiness.

There were synchronized virtual classes for core curriculum and unsynchronized classes for electives done on the student’s free time.

As for the teachers and other staff, meetings were conducted via Google Meets.

The new way of teaching and learning was now successfully underway, but as the school year drew closer to summer, there were a few more traditional activities that had to be considered.

Seniors have traditionally looked forward to the end of the school year. Prom, Kid Continued on page 6 NOVEMBER 2020 . . .

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COVER STORY Continued from page 5 Day (where students dress in various “retro” attire and do kid things all day) and graduation are year-end rites of passage

that will be forever cherished.

Due to restrictions on mass gatherings, Prom and Kid Day were canceled and for a period of

time, Graduation was in limbo.

For some schools, drive-by graduations were taking place.

As for AHS, they had planned

to have the ceremony later in the summer, as in July, arguably one of the hottest months of the year. Then the governor and TEA

The AHS nursing staff were very instrumental in ensuring that the school clinic was arranged to provide the latest safety protocols.

Left to right: Dina Connor, Angela Burney and Michelle Ryerson allowed for graduations to be held in May, with proper social distancing protocols.

“We were elated when the announcement came out” Taylor stated. Although there was a brief thunderstorm during the ceremony, “It was a great evening” Taylor went on to say, a sentiment shared by many.

With the close of the 20192020 school year now in the rearview mirror, the next task was to plan for the upcoming year.

As for this year (now in progress), the return to a somewhat normal teaching environment has begun.

During the summer, there was some uneasiness for Taylor.

“I didn’t really sleep much in July or August while we were planning for the return of students. I knew there were fears of returning to campus by both staff and students,” she says.

The governor and TEA

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released information to guide schools back into the faceto-face (F2F) classroom environment. Being that the Covid threat is still very much in play, a system with options was implemented to bring back students and staff in the safest way possible.

At the beginning of each grading period, students along with their parents have to decide whether to stay at home learn virtually, or come to school like in the past.

The only “catch” is that this decision is a commitment for nine weeks. For those choosing the F2F option, there are safety measures in place, such as staggering class release times to lessen the amount of students in the hallway at one time.

Cleaning the classrooms between the bells is also an added measure of precaution.

As for extracurricular activities, they are in full swing somewhat. There are

limitations on schedules, traveling, and the number of fans that are in attendance in the sporting venues. For the time being, things seem to be moving along as best as could be expected.

When the beginning of 2020 threw a curve ball at the entire planet, there were certainly life-altering situations that had to be dealt with. We learned new phrases, didn’t get to go anywhere, couldn’t see our friends and family, and had to encounter and work through many other inconveniences. Life along the way is uncomfortable at times, and when faced with adversity, people are often known to step up to the plate, accept the challenges, and come out swinging. In the case of Alvin High School, they took a swing at that breaking ball, connected, and hit it out of the park.

Dina Connor and Angela Burney

“ W e had to make sure that we had better separation between the students that were well and those who had symptoms of any nature,” states Connor.

FEATURE

Brazoria County Fair 2020 Calf Scramble

Participants in the calf scramble wait for the signal to start.

Herding the calves into the arena.

The calves are fair game for any of the scramblers to catch.

It comes down to who gets more tired, the calf or the scrambler.

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FEATURE

Brazoria County Fair 2020 Calf Scramble

First calf brought in The calves must be haltered and, by any means necessary, brought to the marked off area.

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FEATURE

Brazoria County Fair Participants

Cheyenne Lang and Miss Alex

Morgan Smith and Ladybird

Kamryn Berry’s entry, 3rd in weight class

More Calf Scramble

Kamryn Berry catches a calf and is awarded a certificate from the sponsor, Magnolia Services.

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GUEST COLUMN

A letter came for you...

by Brenda Groves

Brenda Groves My Beloved, Be still and know that I am God. I knew and planned for you before the foundation of the world.

I formed your inward parts I covered you in your mother’s womb, you are fearfully and wonderfully made.

In truth, I saw your substance, being yet unformed. And in My book they were all written, the days fashioned for you, when as yet there were none of them.

I know your thoughts from afar off. I am acquainted with all your ways.

My thoughts are precious toward you. If you should count them, they would be more in number than the sand.

Trust in Me with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge me and I shall direct your paths.

For I know the plans I have for you Beloved, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

I am the everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, I neither faint nor grow

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weary. My understanding is unsearchable. I give power to the weak, and to those who have no might I increase their strength.

So fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.

Do not forget my benefits.

When you called and believed on Jesus’ name and repented, I had already forgiven you of every sin.

I have healed all your diseases. I have redeemed your life from destruction.

How did I do this?

Be still and know that I am God and with Me all things are possible so be assured that it has already been done. This promise of an abundant life is a covenant between you and I. It is sealed with the blood of My own dear Son, His name is Jesus. Hear Him! He is the only way, the truth and life, there is no other way to Me and eternal life but through Him. When I sent my Son to die in your place, I held nothing back from you I gave you My everything!

And just as I raised My Son from the dead I will raise you up and give you new life in Him. If you think I am TAKING life from you or someone you have loved ... it is a lie! It is the thief (satan) who comes only to steal, kill and destroy, I have sent My Son so that you would have life and have it more abundantly. I don’t take life, I transform it.

Please know that I did not spare My own Son but instead I delivered Him up for you, how shall I not with Him also freely give you all things pertaining to life?

You must resist these lies that I allow sicknesses and sorrows to

come upon you and remember that you are living in a fallen world and satan can disguise himself as an angel of light.

That is why it is My desire for you to be still and know that I am God so that you will not be deceived and you will know how to resist him.

Be still from busy schedules, be still from TV, cell phones and computers. Be still from even family and friends for more than just a moment. I am calling you.

Read my word, become familiar with my heart. Be quiet and listen and you will hear My still small voice speaking to your heart.

Keep drawing near to Me even if you don’t feel My presence immediatly. I love you more than you can imagine.

I don’t just want to be with you.

I want to live through you. God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit- all three separate yet all three One residing on the inside of you.

I am the great I AM! My Son is the King of kings, the Lord of lords, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace, the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End, who is and who was and who is to come. The Lamb of God. The Almighty!

And My Beloved, I want you to know Me. (Psalm 103:2,3,4,17; 139:2,3,13,14,16,17,18. Matt. 19:26.

Luke 9:35, 22:20. Isaiah 9:6. 40:2829. 41:10. Jeremiah 29:11. John 1:29, 14:6, 10:10. Eph. 1:6 4:30. 1 John 1:7,12. Romans 8:32, 10:9. Proverbs 3:6. James 4:7-8. 2 Cor. 11:13-15. 1 King 19:12. Rev. 1:8, 19:16.)

Contact Brenda Groves at: bkgroves1996@yahoo.com

SCHOOL NEWS

Alvin ISD National Merit Scholarship Semi-finalists

Left to right: Shadow Creek High School seniors Viren Govin and Jessica Liu and Manvel High School senior Anh Kien Nguyen were named semifinalists in the 66th annual National Merit Scholarship Program.

Alvin ISD business office awarded achievement certificate The Alvin ISD Business Office is known for its commitment to excellence and fiscal responsibility. Led by Chief Financial Officer Daniel Combs, the office was recently awarded the Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting by the Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada (GFOA).

The Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting was awarded to Alvin ISD for its comprehensive annual financial report (CAFR) for the fiscal year, which ended June 30, 2019. The CAFR was judged by an impartial panel to meet the high standards of the program, which includes demonstrating a constructive “spirit of full disclosure” to clearly communicate its financial story and motivate potential users and user groups to read the CAFR. “We are honored to receive this award from GOFA for the seventh consecutive year, as we strive to utilize every dollar entrusted to us,” said Cheryl Ryan, Senior Director of Finance for Alvin ISD. The Certificate of Achievement is the highest form of recognition in the area of governmental accounting and financial reporting, and its attainment represents a significant accomplishment by a government and its management.

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CHAMBER NEWS

Scaffidi accepts Alvin Manvel chamber position

James Scaffidi

We are excited to announce that James (Jamie) Scaffidi has been selected and accepted the position of President & CEO for the Alvin Manvel Area Chamber of Commerce.

The President & CEO Search Committee has been working hard over the last 8 weeks reviewing numerous applications

September Business Spotlight

T-Mobile

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and interviewing several candidates with the goal of finding an experienced leader to take the Chamber to the next level.

Jamie has an impressive professional background focused on nonprofit leadership. He has spent the last 26 years with the YMCA in different executive positions, most recently as the Chief Operating Officer

of the YMCA of Greater Houston.

Jamie lives with his wife in Manvel and they have grown children.

Jamie will officially join the Chamber on Monday, October 12th.

We look forward to his leadership as we continue to serve our member businesses, grow our membership, and support our communities.

ELECTION NEWS

Huge first day turn out for early voting Early voters are seen waiting in line at the Alvin Library at 9 a.m. on Tues., Oct. 13. The line wound from the front door of the library to E. Sidnor St. and around the corner to the side entrance of the library parking lot.

E A R L Y V O T I N G T H R U O C T 30

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FALL IS HERE

Festive decorations celebrate Fall season Donnie and Nancy Long on Johnson St. in Alvin have decorated their home for the fall season.

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COLUMN The Postscript by Carrie Classon

Gladiolas

Carrie Classon

Yesterday, I bought gladiolas.

They are nearly three feet tall and bright fuchsia. It is safe to say they are the most exciting thing to appear at my desk in ages.

When I walked in the front door my husband, Peter, said, “Oh my gosh.”

Translated, that means: “You have gone overboard on the flowers.” But Peter is too nice to say that.

I always have flowers on my desk. I used to feel guilty, spending good money on flowers every week. It seemed to me it was a little frivolous, an unnecessary expense like buying a coffee I could make at home or buying a book I could get at the library. Except, I can’t make flowers or check them out from anywhere. I sit at my desk all day and, almost all day, I am looking at my flowers.

My love for flowers probably comes from my mother. My mother is good about bringing flowers into the house although, being my mother, she always goes with the minimalist approach.

Her flowers are tiny, and they are

in a tiny vase. The whole thing is lovely in miniature, a sort of bonsai bouquet. I admire what my mother does. But I am not like that.

When the pandemic started, it was hard to get flowers. The floral section of the grocery store was closed. But then the bushes and flowering trees started to bloom and I poached branches from the neighbors (usually with their permission) and put those on my desk. They shed something terrible and most of the flowers were dead the next morning. But the next day I would go foraging again.

Later, my roses started to bloom and that was nice. But now my roses have taken a sabbatical and so yesterday I went to the grocery store to buy more flowers.

I figured I’d end up with alstroemeria. They are always cheap because, amazingly, they can be shipped flat as a pancake and they bounce back into shape.

It’s miraculous. Then they last for at least two weeks—three weeks if they are very fresh.

Restaurants love them for this reason. I think they are pretty, and I can get them year-round.

But then I saw the gladiolas.

Once a year, the gladiolas come into the store. They are huge and weird-looking and absolutely splendid. I should note, I have a small desk. One bunch of gladiolas fills all the available space at my desk, towers high above it, and forms a canopy over my coffee cup.

Gladiolas are not a decoration on my desk; they are the main event.

So now I am writing under the

looming spikes of the gladiolas and feeling more than usually happy. The best part about gladiolas is that they are only four dollars a bunch. I can assure you that gladiolas provide far more than four dollars’ worth of happiness.

Being at home so much these days has made me realize that I own a lot of things I do not need. Like everyone I know, I’ve been cleaning out closets and cupboards and finding lots of things that have no reason to be in my house or my life.

But this time has also made me appreciate the things that

make me smile every day: a good cup of coffee, clean sheets, an uncluttered desk, and flowers— always flowers. Having flowers on my desk makes me feel special, as if every day is a little celebration.

And flowers do not lie.

Because the truth is, even the most ordinary day is worth celebrating.

Till next time, Carrie Carrie Classon’s memoir is called, “Blue Yarn.” Learn more at CarrieClasson.com.

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