As I added my contribution to the CTA goody bags and carried filled bags into the board meeting room, April Smith delighted in reminding me that back in the day-way last century!- I was the one responsible for starting this practice of presenting the new MISD teachers a goody bag filled with items donated by local businesses and organizations. It was a good idea then, and still a good idea today.
So this year the ninety-six members of Muleshoe Classroom Teachers Association outdid themselves gathering items from forty-two generous donors to stuff a big bag for thirty-five new school employees. They then hosted a new teacher breakfast for them at the school administration office where members passed out the bags and encouraged them to join Texas Classroom Teachers Association.
I joined April, Val McCamish, Angela Reyes, Titia Johnson, and Christy Montiel on Wednesday, August 4th, at the administration office to fill those bags with a variety of all kinds of things donated by these merchants: West Texas Neck and Back, Gina Mardis with Mary Kay Cosmetics, Bailey County Electric Coop, Skyler Haney’s Simply Scented, First Methodist Church of Muleshoe, Texas Farm Bureau, O’Reilly Auto Parts, Keely Dunham and Stephanie Branscum at Beni-au-dela, Lepard Dentistry, Muleshoe First Baptist Church, Eevolve, Muleshoe Center Point Church, Higginbotham’s, Jade Jypsy, Leal’s Tortilla Factory, Muleshoe Animal Clinic, Kinder Korner, Ag Texas Farm Credit, Muleshoe Journal, Lifestyle Nutrition, Western Equipment, K&K Pharmacy, The Donut Shop, Guadalajara Taqueria, R-U-Fit Gym, Bi-Wize, Cricket Wireless, Sonic Drive-in, Ace Satellite, Something Different Grill, Muleshoe Chamber of Commerce, Edward Jones, United Supermarket, Muleshoe Public Library, McDonald’s, Happy State Bank, First Band and Trust, Texas Tea, and Alice Liles.
Thursday morning, August 5th, the food started coming in from CTA members. The buffet table filled up from just looking pretty to looking delicious! Members outdid themselves with breakfast goodies just like they did gathering the items for the goody bags.
Maria Sierra, Cristian Mora, Val, April, Angela, and me after the table was set and ready for the new teachers.
Photo courtesy of Cristal Isaaks
The new teachers helped themselves to the food and settled in for the day’s activities.
MISD superintendent Dr. R.L. Richards opened the day welcoming the teachers, joking a bit to set them at ease on this first day of their new adventures in teaching.
April Smith and Val McCamish are representatives at the high school campus and also serve as vice-president and president of the group, Keri Frost and Titia Johnson are the representatives at Watson Junior High; Lydia Campos serves the DeShazo campus; Christy Montiel is the campus rep at Dillman, and Cheyanne Cage is the secretary for Muleshoe CTA. Angela, Raquel Chaparro, Christian Mora, Val, and April were introduced at the breakfast representing the local organization.
TCTA Legislative Committee chair Cristal Isaaks, who used to be Cristal Taylor from Muleshoe, then addressed the group on what TCTA has to offer to teachers, including professional insurance, professional legal advice when requested, discount programs, continuing education courses, and top legislative representation in Austin and Washington, D.C.
Val then addressed the group in a more personal vein about CTA and the advantages of joining the group.
The bags were then passed out and April encouraged the teachers to visit the contributing businesses and pointed out a few things to look for in the bag.
William Pacheco checked out his bag while Kirsten Ramirez looked on.
Dr. Richards let the principals and other administrators introduce themselves to the group.
Then after the introductions, all of us vacated the room so the new hires could get on with their busy day.
Texas Classroom Teachers Association is the leading teacher association in Texas, with 50,000 members statewide. TCTA was founded in 1927 and is a nonprofit, nonunion professional association for educators.
I was impressed with all the Muleshoe membership did to welcome the new teachers to Muleshoe and pleased to see the goody bags and welcoming breakfast still going strong, not because I started it, but because it’s a good tradition. Being a past president of the state organization, naturally I am bit prejudiced in its favor and want all the teachers to join, but they really should! At any rate, I hope they all, new and veteran teachers, will protect themselves and support the organization and the teaching profession by joining TCTA. In fact, Muleshoe CTA plans to hold a drawing of all teachers, aides, new and returning members, who have completed and turned in their membership forms by August 31st and the winner will be reimbursed the cost of their membership.
But whether they join or not, this bunch got a good start to their day and a good year, thanks to you, Muleshoe CTA members.
All is well.
Thanks to April Smith, Val McCamish, Dana Rasco, Noemi Mora, and Cristal Isaaks for their help with this story, and to all the Muleshoe CTA members for helping with the breakfast and goody bags.
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