SAISD SPOTLIGHT: Schenck Elementary teacher earns National Board Certification
 
Danielle Elizondo is one of four SAISD teachers to earn this prestigious accreditation in 2024.
 
Danielle Elizondo is a third grade teacher at Schenck Elementary who earned her National Board Certification this year in Reading-Language Arts for Early and Middle Childhood. The veteran elementary educator joins three other SAISD teachers earning this distinction: Dayton King, certified in Mathematics/Adolescence and Young Adulthood, is a math teacher at CAST Tech High School; Sharon Garza, certified in English Language Arts/Adolescence and Young Adulthood, is an English teacher at Jefferson High School; and Frances Santos, certified in English Language Arts/Adolescence and Young Adulthood, is an English teacher at Travis Early College High School
 
National Board Certification is the most respected professional certification available in education and provides numerous benefits to teachers, students and schools. National Board Certification involves a 1-3 year process in which candidates submit four components that show evidence of accomplished practice. This is a voluntary process, created by teachers and assessed by teachers.
 
Teachers who earn their national board certification earn a higher salary and more respect at their schools. National Board Certification requires teachers to learn and apply a research-backed teaching methodology. Decades of research has shown students taught by national board certified teachers have better outcomes than students whose teachers are not national board certified.
 
Calendar items? 

Dec. 16 (Mon) –SAISD Board Meeting
5:30 p.m., SAISD Board Room, 514 W. Quincy St., 78212 or online
Link: https://www.saisd.net/page/dis-board-videos
The SAISD Board of Trustees will hold its regularly scheduled meeting at the central administrative office.

Dec. 18 (Wed) – SAISD Mega Food Distribution
7:30 a.m. to Noon, Alamo Stadium, 110 Tuleta Drive, 78212
SAISD, in partnership with San Antonio Food Bank, will be hosting one of our largest food distribution events of the year which will serve approximately 1,000 of our families.

Dec. 18 (Wed) – SAISD Foundation 200th grant surprise at M.L. King Academy
9 a.m., M.L. King Academy, 520 Morningview Drive, 78220
School has been in session for less than 100 days. Yet, the SAISD Foundation will already be awarding their 200th grant of the fall semester! The SAISD Foundation awards approximately $75,000 in teacher prizes through their “Mini-Grant” program. These educator grants of $500 make a huge impact in a classroom by investing in the ideas of innovative teachers.

Dec. 18 (Wed) – Pershing Elementary and Fort Sam Houston Christmas Extravaganza
10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., Pershing Elementary, 600 Sandmeyer., 78208
Fort Sam Houston and US Army North will give all 318 students at Pershing Elementary School a Christmas gift. Military officers and soldiers will be on hand to distribute the gifts. Students submitted a gift wish list in November. Fort Sam and US Army North will make those Christmas dreams come true by providing presents from those wish lists. This holiday event at Pershing is a long-time tradition that started nearly 20 years ago.

Dec. 18 (Wed) – Schenck Elementary National Board Certified Teacher surprise
4 p.m. to 5 p.m., Schenck Elementary, 6718 Pecan Valley Drive, 78223
Four SAISD teachers earned their National Board Certification this year. The campus is one of those talented educators is set to celebrate the accomplishment. District leadership will join Schenck Elementary staff in a surprise celebration for Danielle Elizondo in recognition of her recent National Board certification. 

Dec. 20, 2024 – Jan. 3, 2025 – SAISD Closed for Winter Break
All SAISD offices and campuses will be closed from Friday, Dec. 20, 2024 through Friday, Jan. 3, 2025 for the Winter Break holiday. Normal business hours will resume on Monday, Jan. 6, 2025. Students return to class on Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025.