10 minute read
5 in 5 What are you looking forward to in the new school year?
Communication professionals share five things they are looking forward to in the 2021-22 school year.
CISSA MADERO
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Communications Specialist Pearland ISD
I look forward to going back to visit our schools every week.
Due to challenges imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic, we had to limit trips to our campuses, which is one of my favorite parts of my job. Being able to witness, firsthand, children learning and the staff so passionately teaching and engaging with the students is a magical experience, and, more than ever, I see it as a privilege.
I can’t wait to take pictures of smiling faces!
As the district photographer, I miss seeing the students’ and staff members’ smiles and facial expressions as they participate in transforming activities and events, in and out of the classroom. Yes, you can still see your subject smiling with their eyes when they grin behind a face mask. However, nothing compares to witnessing the excitement of a child when they realize what is happening in a science experiment or seeing a first-generation graduate beaming as they walk on stage to receive their diploma. I look forward to capturing that through my camera lens.
I am eager to tout the incredible achievements of our students!
We have just so many brilliant students doing brilliant things. I look forward to witnessing their pride, interviewing them about their achievements and having the privilege of writing their stories. I look forward to celebrating them all as a district, showing the students that their daily dedication pays off. I also can’t wait to do the same for our teachers and staff, who walk alongside our students, helping pave the way for their success.
Applying all the new things we’ve learned through adapting because of the pandemic.
With so many challenges… so much gain. We had the opportunity to learn a lot, revisit the way we do things and change our plans along the way. And that has taught us a lot about our work, our priorities and ourselves. I look forward to starting a new school year in which we can be intentional about our work and implement all our newly acquired skills and knowledge.
I look forward to the excitement that the new school year brings to all.
I can't wait for the feeling in the air that you can almost taste the minute you walk onto campus on the first day of school — new school supplies, everyone looking their best, feeling excited and optimistic about the possibilities of what is to come. All of that with the cherry on top that is starting a new school year in which things feel as close to “normal” as they’ve been in a while.
CRAIG VERLEY
Director of Public Relations & Marketing Mission CISD
Learning from my new team members.
I was lucky enough to add two new positions to our department earlier this year. Not only does that mean an expansion of what the department can do, but it is also an opportunity to brush up on a few things and learn from the skills and experiences that come with the new members of our department
Finding our groove.
As we set our sights for the next school year and get things going, I am already excited by the teamwork happening in our expanded department and that will only improve as we learn each other’s skills and weaknesses and step up to fill those voids.
Getting out to work with students again.
Even as the 2020-21 school year wraps up, our district still has about 75 percent of students at home and outside visitors to campus are still out of the norm. I really miss seeing kids in classrooms and involved in their activities on campus. Plus, we will be adding interns from our high schools to our program this next year. Their insights are always refreshing and a great reminder of why we do what we do.
Seeing more smiles!
I am hopeful that our mask requirements will ease as more students get vaccinated over time. While I have learned to read eyes and body language a whole lot over this past year, nothing beats seeing everyone’s pearly whites.
The 2022 TSPRA Conference!
Like many TSPRAns, missing the conference this year due to COVID-19 was a major bummer, to say the least! That environment of learning, sharing, networking and laughs is the best!
Working alongside new leadership.
With retirements and promotions in the spring, several people will assume new leadership roles this summer. As PR professionals, we have the unique opportunity to help new leaders in our districts navigate challenges and goals to implement best communication practices – both internally and externally. It is always rewarding to help new leaders put communication goals and strategies in place to effectively share information, data and what’s happening in their department or school.
New school year equals new opportunities.
I always love the start of a new school year! I have a feeling this upcoming year will be even more exciting. There’s nothing like a fresh start and reset, and the 2021-22 school year looks to give us just that. As we look forward to a post-pandemic world, it’s like looking at a shiny new pencil with excitement on the first day of school, and we each get to be the author of the next chapter. One of my favorite back-to-school events is our New Teacher Orientation where we welcome our new staff and prepare them for the journey they’re about to take in Pearland ISD.
Meetings … Wait, what?!
Whoever thought they’d say they look forward to meetings? With TEAMS and Zoom meetings dominating our lives for the past year and a half, I’m looking forward to resuming face-to-face meetings with other district leaders, principals, parents and the community. As this began to happen slowly over this past spring, the ability to personally interact with and foster relationships in person goes unmatched. At the same time, we will continue to implement video-conferencing tools
KIM HOCOTT
Executive Director of Communications Pearland ISD
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we’ve used so frequently to embrace change and foster even more engagement between our schools and the community.
Helping media tell the stories of our schools.
Working with media during the pandemic has taught us – reporters included – to pivot to tell the stories of what’s happening in our schools. It’s exciting to see reporters beginning to return to in-person interviews and go to schools to witness firsthand the impact being made daily.
First day of school.
For several years now, the superintendent and I visit each of our 23 campuses on the first day of school. I love this day and look forward to it every year. This past school year, with COVID-19, the first day felt so much quieter with only half of our students learning on campus. I look forward to our students returning to campus in the fall and the excitement of the first day throughout the school with our students and staff.
KAREN RUDOLPH, APR
Communications Specialist Belton ISD
Experiencing my first “normal” year in school communications.
I started this role in February 2020 and have only heard about what’s “normal” without experiencing it. A new superintendent started right after I did. Then COVID-19 hit. Then a historic, statewide winter storm. Crisis communication and Zoom meetings dominated. With COVID-19 (and masks!) hopefully in our rearview mirror soon, I’m looking forward to a return to normalcy — even if it’s a new normal!
Utilizing my Enneagram One strengths.
I can’t wait to lean into my sweet spot — detailed planning. I’ve already begun mapping out content ideas and timelines for 2021-22. It feels good to streamline processes and batch work. I love how this can help stretch our team’s precious time and allows us to take advantage of day-of opportunities you can’t plan for.
Welcoming more students and families to our district.
Enrollment projections for Belton ISD show us growing by about 3,000 new students over the next five years. As the district’s communications specialist, I can play a major role in welcoming these families to the Big Red Community. I look forward to reviewing all our communication and marketing efforts through this lens and being attentive to their unique needs.
Becoming the parent of a middle-schooler.
Nobody warned me that the leap to middle school is worse than starting kindergarten. I’m a nervous wreck! But on the bright side, I hope having a middle school student in my district will help me uncover interesting stories. We often feel that our sixth-, seventh- and eighth-grade students are true “middle” children, competing with their elementary and high school siblings for attention. Maybe having one under my roof will help me better shine the spotlight on them!
Experimenting on Facebook.
Our risk tolerance for engaging with families on Facebook increased this year, which allowed us to connect with our audience differently. We found success with our crisis communication (shoutout to Facebook Live!) and a campaign spotlighting district employees. As we reset for next year, I can’t wait to build on this traction and experiment with more ways to keep our community engaged with important district-level initiatives.
MATTHEW PROSSER
Community Relations Longview ISD
Being able to plan ahead.
It's hard to keep our stakeholders up to date on the latest developments when we're only finding out about things as they develop. While crisis communication is always a key component of what we do, I'm looking
forward to our crises being smaller in scale and more locally focused. It's one thing to marshal together information about a minor incident but responding to developments of a global pandemic in real-time is something else altogether.
As so many of us have had to adjust to the changes on the fly this past year, I think we're all in a better place to build in some contingencies to our regular schedules in 2021-22.
Having clear processes and protocols.
Along similar lines to planning is being able to set clear parameters for my team in how we maneuver changes that come at us from federal, state and local authorities. While we all certainly were put to a rather severe test in 2020-21, I'm looking forward to seeing how much more efficient we're able to mobilize and communicate during (hopefully) a more conventional school year.
Getting up-close and personal.
I never thought I'd miss meetings, but I am officially "Zoomed" out. I look forward to being in the same room with folks again. I'm a big fan of in-person interaction and physical contact. I love handshakes, side-hugs and high-fives. The same with smiles and facial expressions. I'm eager to see more of my colleagues, students and friends in the community. Talking to people — sharing ideas and experiences — is one of my favorite parts of this job. While I'm grateful to have improved my skills in working remotely, there's no substitute for good oldfashioned face-to-face communication.
Standing room only and Friday night lights.
There's something so anticlimactic about a lastsecond game-winning score when there's no one in the stands. The student athletes and fans of Longview generate so much amazing energy and school spirit at our various sporting events. Attending games this past year was only a thin impersonation of the real thing. While I am grateful that we were able to have had extracurriculars at all (considering the circumstances), I'm looking forward to things getting a bit close to "normal" in the coming year, especially with the return of roaring crowds under the Friday night lights.
Hoping for a "boring" school year.
I am looking forward to crisis communications being "boring" again — the occasional school bus fenderbender or weather event. They seem so simple compared to a global pandemic. While it's never boring per se, I am hoping that we all see a return to a more mundane school year. If we are blessed with a more ordinary school year, I promise not to take it for granted.
