PROSPER ISD
Prosper ISD kicked off its 2017-2018 school year with a bang on Monday, August 7. Welcoming back more than 1,100 returning teachers and staff, along with more than 250 new employees, Prosper ISD Superintendent Dr. Drew Watkins wanted to show them how important and valued each person is, no matter their role.
Each campus opened at 7:30 a.m. with a Blue Mesa-catered breakfast, sponsored by Pogue Construction. After enjoying time with one another, teachers and staff piled into district buses and rode together to Prestonwood North Baptist Church to meet with the rest of the district. Everyone was greeted by the lively music of the Mighty Eagle Band, and the air was electric!
Reynolds student Samantha Wlodowski opened Convocation with a goosebump-inducing acapella version of the National Anthem, and Prosper’s Suzuki Strings orchestra performed for the staff. Dr. Watkins, along with Associate Superintendent Holly Ferguson and Assistant Superintendent Dr. Greg Bradley, spoke to the crowd, speaking about grit, challenging each person to be positive and dedicated to our district students. They honored the current district Teachers of the Year, celebrated employees with perfect attendance, and presented service pins for those completing 5, 10, and 15 years in Prosper.
One highlight of the morning was when Dr. Watkins called up all employees who are expecting babies and presented them with Prosper onesies and diapers. Then came the door prizes! Valued community sponsors and donors made it possible for the district to give out a number of impressive door prizes to the staff, many of which drew oohs and aahs from the crowd. The moment that drew the whole crowd to its feet was when the YouTube sensation and Baker Elementary student Dane Miller video was shown, and Dane himself came out onstage to belt out his now-famous rendition of Whitney Houston’s “I Have Nothing.” Prosper ISD staff members are now ready to start the school year and thrilled to meet the nearly 12,000 students in the district.
Dr. John Burdett, new principal at Prosper High School, saw his first Prosper convocation. “It pulled back the curtain on how incredibly well the district supports our teachers and staff,” he said. “It also highlights the ingenuity of each campus as we compete for bragging rights during Roll Call.”
Watkins said Prosper was excited to welcome more than 150 new staff members to join the PISD staff of over 1,200 for the annual convocation kick-off. “Sometimes we do not have complete control over the facility demands in our fast-growing school district, which is why we strive to recruit and hire the best possible people to serve our students and families to best insure a great experience,” he said. “We are looking forward to a wonderful school year!
“We are thankful to all of the corporate and business sponsors supporting this great event to help our teachers and staff have a positive start to an exciting new school year.”
Convocation could not have happened without the generous support of our sponsors. Major sponsors were Pogue Construction, the Prosper Education Foundation, Huckabee Architects, Credit Union of Texas, and RTS Enterprises.
However, many more district and local partners contributed to the district’s biggest event. To see a complete list of Prosper ISD Convocation sponsors and donors, please visit the district website or Facebook page.
