Mary Ellen Cuzela - Katy ISD Board of Trustees

09/21/2023

Woohoo! Literally, CHECK THIS OUT! 😀📚

09/20/2023

Great campus visit at the wonderful Stephens Elementary on N Fry! Principal Langley really cares about her students! There are many amazing bilingual teachers, staff & students at this campus, too! 💙🐎

09/20/2023

I loved meeting and talking with the very friendly Principal Kelly Stroud! He's so easy to talk to and really loves his school. What a great place to be a student, staff and teacher! 😃🐬

09/16/2023

Important- please read my comments regarding the library book policy.

09/16/2023

Such a fun game tonight with Taylor HS vs SLHS! Congrats to THS Homecoming King & Queen!

09/15/2023

It's that time again. Agenda has been posted. Come and go or stay a while. Hope you have a great weekend. 🙂

09/15/2023

The KEYS Mentors program is amazing! What an opportunity to make an impact on a student's life. All it takes is less than 1 hour each week. They can even work with every other week. See comments for links to more info.

It's not tutoring. It's about being a consistent support to a young person through conversation, listening, playing a card game, teaching them chess, reading a book, etc.

Loved running into Mr Kevin Dury, a 13 year KEYS Mentor.... and, Mrs. JP Pfeifer, a fab VIPS leader... and of course the wonderful Mrs. Claudia Turcott who has a heart of gold!

"Like light guides us through darkness, a mentor guides and supports their mentee through challenges and uncertainties."

09/14/2023

Please consider being a KEYS Mentor to 1 student who is on the brink of success. This event is tomorrow but you can still apply if you miss it.

If you work in the Energy Corridor of west Houston, Mayde Creek HS, JH and Elementary are very close to you! Bear Creek Elementary isn't much further! All schools have openings. ♥️

Please see link in comments for more info. Thanks!

09/13/2023

Very fun and interesting campus visit with Principal Hinojosa! ⭐️ I saw phonics everywhere, a big beautiful library, a new beloved Security Guard, a unique campus architecture and a little Katy history!

Did you know Wolfe Elementary was the 2nd elementary school after Katy Elementary (used to be called Addicks)? It's located just east of Hwy 6 and just south of I10.

09/13/2023

So wonderful to visit with Principal McElroy at Bear Creek Elementary this morning! Lots of learning going on! This campus is located north of Clay Rd in the furthest NE corner of Katy ISD. Incredible bilingual teachers are here along with other awesome staff.💚

09/10/2023

Lovely people and amazing band performance by the Jordan High School band! Dad's danced with their dance team daughters and I met a shark. 😆 JHS played a great game against MCHS.

09/10/2023

Such a great game last night! THS came out on top! Cinco had a beautiful Homecoming court! Miller Career Technology Center students are a big part of the media and technical crew working the game.

09/08/2023

Wow, what an incredibly friendly and fabulous welcome I got at Mayde Creek Junior High! Thank you so much, Principal Weaver! You made my heart smile today. Thank you to your wonderful staff, too! 😀💚

And thank you to the amazing young ladies serving as cheerleaders and the gator mascot along with their coaches! I very much loved our Q&A together. They were all very well poised, polite and well spoken. 💯

This is such a well run school.

Fun fact: Did you know the gator mascot wears an ice vest to help beat the heat? (He or she also gets lots of breaks!)

09/08/2023

What an uplifting campus Principal Felicia Ashabranner runs at Mayde Creek Elementary ! 💚 🐊 I totally loved meeting many of her very friendly staff!

They are celebrating 40 years this year! 🎉

This campus has a big need for KEYS Mentors (Keep Encouraging Youth toward Success). Could you help them? (See link in comments to apply or inquire.) They offer a refreshing drink and snacks along with a restful spot to all volunteers! 😃

Instead of the "house system", they use "Project Class" to build community and learn respectful, kind behavior. (Something we can all benefit from!)

09/06/2023

Loved getting to know the very friendly and fun Principal Tim Wolff! He runs Rhoads Elementary right on Clay Rd near N Fry. They are the red, white & blue rockets.🚀 The late Sharon Rhoads was an artist and painted the first mural pictured here. This campus has an Attendance HERO program, Here, Everyday, Ready & On time. 😎

09/06/2023

Here I am with the very calm and kind Principal Scott Rounds at Cardiff Junior High which is situated at the northern border of our school district near Clay Rd and Greenhouse. I got to meet English and Science teachers along with an ISS teacher who doubles as a hallway monitor when there are no ISS kids (great!). I also observed a very engaged Algebra class! I loved the very informative posters about the dangers of fetynal. Knowledge is power. And, the great cell phone policy! Thank you, Principal Rounds!!

09/01/2023

Thank you Principal Fox for showing me around the impressive Schmalz Elementary - Katy ISD campus! I loved getting to know you better, meeting some of your staff, walking through the new very large addition and seeing the updated, large playground! What a big elementary school you have! 🩵 🦈

09/01/2023

I loved visiting with Principal Herring and her staff this morning at the beautiful Mayde Creek High School ! I also met impressive, respectful students at the NJROTC room and observed a very fun and active FFA classroom learning parlimentary procedure! Ram Pride Never Dies! 🐏 🇺🇲 💚

08/31/2023

😎 Check it out! Support the Miller Culinary Arts students and get some grub before the football games at Rhodes or Legacy Stadiums on Fri, 9/8! Looks like a great, delicious deal! 😎

Come join us before you head to the game !

08/31/2023

Congrats Summer Grads! 👩‍🎓🎉 👨‍🎓

08/30/2023

This is a policy change every school district should have: https://www.texasfamilyproject.com/post/katy-isd-takes-a-stand-a-model-for-texas-school-districts-on-gender-identity-policies

08/30/2023

Local News

08/30/2023

From a parent... sharing with permission... No guesswork on this topic in Katy ISD. Policy helps.

08/27/2023

Tomorrow night is the 5pm regular board mtg. Among other items, there will be an update on the new Elementary Literacy Program and a vote on the FFJ - Student Welfare: Parental Authority and Gender Fluidity Matters. Thank you.

08/26/2023

If you haven't read the "FFJ Student Welfare - Parental Authority & Gender Fluidity Matters" policy yet, please read this brief summary. Thank you.

08/26/2023

GO, MCHS RAMS! Great start to the season! Fun halftime show, too. I'm happy to be assigned to MCHS and all of its feeder schools!

08/22/2023

In case you haven't heard, a Gender Fluidity policy, among many other items, was discussed by the board last night. This policy is now available for the public to view via the district's website.

The ultimate goal of the policy is to ensure students are safe to learn and grow and to provide guidance, support, and protection to all staff, teachers, parents, and students.

The policy stresses *Parental Authority* as paramount.

It is written to....

* Safeguard Biological Female & Male spaces
* Protect Female Athletes
* Maintain District Facilities like restrooms, locker rooms, showers & similar facilities by Biological S*x
* Address the use of "Preferred Pronouns" for ex. "...staff will not ask a student for their "preferred pronouns.""
* Prohibit Gender Fluidity Materials in the classroom
* Enforce Anti-Bullying & Anti-Harrassment policies

I encourage you to read the policy and view the board discussion of the 8/21 mtg, Agenda item 8.13 "FFJ - Student Welfare: Parental Authority and Gender Fluidity Matters". Thank you.

08/19/2023

No more ALA for Texas. 🤠

In 2023, ALA announced that Emily Drabinski, a self-proclaimed “Marxist lesbian” and a member of the Democratic Socialists of America, would be its new president.

08/19/2023

If you're not going to the board mtg, here's something fun to fit in Mon night! 😀 Or, maybe you can do both. 🤔 (The board mtg will likely run to 9:30pm or later. ) Nice to have choices for a Mon night. 😎

08/19/2023

Heads up.... There's a board mtg this Mon night, 5pm! The agenda has been posted. Hope everyone has had a good start to the school year so far! 😀✏️📗

The board mtg is in the board room on the first floor of the ESC (next to Merrell Ctr, closest building to FM1463). Address is 6301 S Stadium Dr.

08/16/2023

Happy Back to School, Katy ISD! I hope everyone has a smooth and fun first day back!

"The Lord bless you and keep you; The Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; The Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace." Numbers 6:24-26

08/07/2023

The new resolution that will give greater authority to board members when parsing and adopting appropriate materials for their district school libraries.

08/06/2023

Fun times reading BRAVE Books with these awesome families this morning! There were coloring sheets, music and book giveaways, too!

07/30/2023

There's another board mtg tomorrow night, 5pm. Come and go as you're able. As always, you're invited, and you have another opportunity to give Public Comment. See link to the agenda in comments. Hope to see you!

07/21/2023

You're invited to attend this Mon night! It's a "work study" mtg where agenda items will be discussed. The Board will vote on action items at the next mtg on July 31.

Attend in person or "live" online. If you miss, tune in to the recordings (available usually by Tues).

Please see Katy ISD's website for the posted agenda and details on giving public comment. Contact me if you have any questions.

Board meetings take place in the Board Room at the Education Support Complex (ESC) at 6301 S.Stadium Ln Katy, Tx 77494.

07/06/2023

Congressman Troy Nehls shared insight about his recent work at the Capitol and took a few questions. Thank you Katy Area Chamber of Commerce for hosting this great lunch meeting!

07/04/2023

Here's a gem from 1942. HAPPY JULY 4TH TO ALL! 🇺🇲

07/03/2023

The Katy Independent School District Board of Trustees conducted a deep-diving, robust 50-minute discussion of how the district needs to handle library materials moving forward. The discussion happened at the June 26 school board meeting.

06/22/2023

Heads up #1! There's a board mtg this Mon night, 6/26 at 5pm. (Agenda is posted.)

Heads up #2! We will now have 2 monthly board mtgs, a week apart. (Dates are in the attached image.) Mtg #1 is "Work/Study", discussion. Mtg #2 will focus on decision making / board vote. This allows for more open board discussion on agenda items AND allows YOU time to respond to the board discussion. Two monthly board meetings also provide an additional opportunity to give Public Comment.

Attend in person or "live" online. If you miss, tune in to the recordings (available usually by Tues). Please see the link in the comments for details on giving public comment, or contact me if you have any questions.

06/19/2023

Happy Father's Day! Thank you to all the dads out there! We wouldn't be the same without you!