Teachers Encouraged to “Be the Light” at Convocation

by Ronnie Zamora/LFCISD

There were lights everywhere last Tuesday, August 9th, at the Los Fresnos United Dome – spotlights, strobe lights, and stage lights – but the mood at Convocation Tuesday was best when the lights were turned off.

The district’s almost 900 teachers and professional staff gathered for their annual pre-school meeting at LFU.

It was an opportunity for teachers who had never been inside the LFU Dome to see the facility that opened in 2015. Convocation meetings over the last few years had been held in Brownsville.

Teachers and professional staff were bussed to LFU from their home campuses, and they were greeted with glow sticks which many turned into glow glasses.

Keynote speaker Mark Johnson delivered a powerful “Be the Light” speech. Speaker Steve Uzzell talked about “Open Roads.”

The campus Teachers of the Year were recognized, and district Techers of the Year Corinne Spillane (secondary) from Liberty Memorial Middle School and Yvette Olvera Perez (elementary) from Las Yescas Elementary delivered a speech together.

Also on the stage was 2016 Los Fresnos High School valedictorian Miranda Gonzales.

A motivational “Be The Light” video preceded a performance by the LFHS Drumline.

The biggest applause came when students from the district’s After School Centers in Education (ACE) summer program performed their routine they had shown parents in late June.

Members of the LFHS Choir sang the final performance of the day.

District teachers, who reported to work that Monday, were also involved in staff development activities Wednesday and Thursday, Aug. 10 and 11. They had a teacher preparation Friday, Aug. 12. Classes began Monday, Aug. 15.