Saturday, December 2, 2023

Annual Event Recognizes Top Dragon Staff, Celebrates Employees

TOY 2015Carroll ISD’s annual End of Year Celebration will be Wednesday, May 27 at Carroll Senior High School. This annual event brings together Dragon employees for an afternoon of awards and celebrations marking the end of the school year. The event begins at 4 p.m.

The district will honor Carroll ISD retirees and present awards to staff including auxiliary and paraprofessional awards.

The End of Year Celebration is also an opportunity for the district to formally recognize Carroll ISD’s Campus Teachers of the Year and to name the District Teachers of the Year. Carroll ISD’s Campus Teachers of the Year are: Tommy Tubbs, Carroll Senior High School; Jessi Valles, Carroll High School; Jenna Andre, Carroll Middle School and Denise McCrummen, Dawson Middle School; Tammy Ramsey, Durham Intermediate School; Eric Guerrero, Eubanks Intermediate School; Pam Holland, Carroll Elementary; Leslie Davidson, Johnson Elementary; Melody Anderson, Rockenbaugh Elementary; Nicole Mertens, Old Union Elementary and Barbara Boss, Walnut Grove Elementary. These 11 educators were each selected by their co-workers for best representing the district’s mission, vision and values throughout the school year. On May 27 Carroll will announce the two District Teachers of the Year, one for K-6 and one for secondary. These two individuals will also advance to the Regional Teacher of the Year and, as a CISD employee receive keys to a Lexus vehicle for the summer courtesy of Dragon sponsor Park Place Lexus.

The event will be emceed by Superintendent Dr. David Faltys and will include CISD Administration and members of the Board of Trustees. The event is made possible by businesses and individuals that contribute to Carroll ISD’s We Care program and district sponsors, Central Market Southlake, Frost Bank and Park Place Lexus.

CISD’s Sheryl Sides Wins Region XI Secondary Teacher of the Year

Pictured (L-R): DMS Principal Ryan Wilson, Sheryl Sides and Superintendent Dr. David Faltys

At the Euless Convention Center on July 30, Dawson Middle School Teacher Sheryl Sides was named the Region XI Secondary Teacher of the Year. Representing the Dragons, she is one of the 40 Regional Teachers of the Year who will continue on to the Texas Teachers of the Year competition.

Since 1969, the Texas State Teacher of the Year (TOY) Program has honored excellence in classroom education and provided an opportunity to showcase many outstanding educators whose efforts and example have inspired their students, their coworkers and the communities they serve. Texas Teacher of the Year is the highest honor that the State of Texas can bestow upon a teacher. Facilitated by the Texas Association of School Administrators (TASA), the Texas Teacher of the Year Program annually recognizes and rewards teachers who have demonstrated outstanding leadership and excellence in teaching.

Every fall, the Texas State Teacher of the Year Program honors 40 Regional Teachers of the Year, among which are two State Teachers of the Year — one in elementary education and one in secondary education — and four state finalists. These regional teachers represent each of the 20 Education Service Center regions in Texas. The 2014 Texas Teachers of the Year Finalist will be announced on August 26 of this year. These finalists will continue onto the Texas Teachers of the Year Awards Ceremony on October 4 where the two State Teachers of the Year are announced.

Pictured (L-R): DMS Principal Ryan Wilson, Sheryl Sides, Superintendent Dr. David Faltys, Patty Willingham and CES Principal Stacy Wagnon

This year, Patty Willingham, 4th grade teacher at Carroll Elementary School, and Sheryl Sides, 7th grade science teacher at Dawson Middle School, represented Carroll at the Region XI Teacher of the Year Ceremony. Stacy Wagnon, Carroll Elementary School Principal, and Ryan Wilson, Dawson Middle School Principal, spoke of the impact both of these teachers have made not only on their students but on the community as a whole. On last night’s events, Principal Ryan Wilson said, “To be alongside Mrs. Sides last night when she was recognized by the Region is truly one of the highlights of my career.  Sheryl Sides is a shining example of educational innovation.”

After Sheryl Sides was announced Region XI Teacher of the Year, CISD Superintendent Dr. David J. Faltys gave his congratulations from the podium. “Sheryl’s commitment in the classroom is unparalleled, and as a Superintendent, having educators like her makes my job easy,” Dr. Faltys said later, “Carroll ISD could not be more proud to have Sheryl Sides representing the Dragons in as the Region XI Secondary Teacher of the Year.”

Sheryl Sides teaches 7th grade science, both regular and AP, at Dawson Middle School. Sheryl has been at DMS since 2003. Before that, she taught at middle and high schools in New Jersey for eight years. Sheryl is from the east coast and holds a B.A. in Biology and graduate coursework in Animal Psychology from Rowan University located in Glassboro, New Jersey.

Sheryl’s interest in nature started at a young age during walks with her grandmother. Although she comes from a family of educators, both of her parents were teachers, teaching was not her initial career choice. As a pre-med student, Sheryl began to re-evaluate her future and decided teaching others about the living world was really what she wanted to do. Since this decision, Sheryl said, “My mom, an elementary school teacher, and my dad, professor emeritus, along with my husband, teacher turned administrator who missed his students and returned to the classroom, have each influenced me to preserve and pass on that passion of educating kids!”

After coming to Carroll ISD, Sheryl became the Carroll Education Foundation 2011 grant recipient of $7,103.64. This past school year has been an unusually active one for Sheryl. She received national media attention for her involvement in the discovery of dinosaur footprints at Grapevine Lake. It was through this discovery that Sheryl also received the Southwest Section of the American Association of Petroleum Geologists Teacher of the Year Award. She continues to pursue a dinosaur education center for Grapevine Lake in an effort to preserve the fossils and create a facility for students. Sheryl states, “To catch a glimpse of my students’ wonderment as they are in awe of their discoveries, motivates me. They inspire me to search for that next experience and excursion that will instill in each of them the desire to pursue a scientific career.”

As Sheryl Sides moves to the next level of the Texas Teacher of the Year Competition, she speaks to the incredible honor it has been to be chosen as the Region XI Secondary Teacher of the Year, saying, “Just knowing the teachers with whom I work every day deserve as much recognition for their expertise, innovativeness and dedication to their students causes me to feel extremely blessed!”

Carroll ISD Superintendent Honored as Citizen of the Year

Carroll ISD Board President recognized Superintendent David Faltys during the June 24 Scheduled Board Meeting.

Carroll ISD Superintendent Dr. David Faltys was named the 2013 Citizen of the Year at the 2013 Celebrating Community MVPs Awards Banquet last Thursday, June 20. The awards ceremony hosted by the Southlake Chamber of Commerce recognizes outstanding community contributors for making a difference in Southlake.

The Citizen of the Year Award recognizes unparalleled efforts and service making the city of Southlake a better community. Residing in Southlake with his wife, Jennifer, and four children, Dave, Peyton, Kenton and Lauren, Dr. Faltys has served Carroll ISD as Superintendent since January of 2006.

Since being named CISD Superintendent, Faltys has deservingly gained the trust and admiration of the Southlake community. Under his leadership, CISD has earned the state’s highest rating of “Exemplary,” won three consecutive College Board AP District Honor Roll Awards and won back-to-back 5A University Interscholastic League Lone Star Cups for academic, athletic and fine arts success. Dr. Faltys helped found the Public Education Visioning Institute, which serves as a guide for educational reform to ensure Texas public schools prepare students for the digital age.

During his tenure, Carroll ISD has earned the state’s top Superior Rating on the Financial Integrity Rating System of Texas (FIRST) every year. In 2009, the district was named the Corporate Business of the Year by the Southlake Area Chamber of Commerce, and in 2010, Dr. Faltys was named Region XI Superintendent of the Year. Winner out of the three finalists, Dr. David Faltys can now add Citizen of the Year to his list of impressive achievements.