The purpose of the Teacher’s Heart Award is to recognize teachers who display the qualities of character that define an outstanding teacher. This teacher will have a heart for her or his students and inspires and creates a desire in others to learn. A teacher with heart delivers quality education in a nurturing and caring environment free from hostility and sarcasm. Good teaching comes from the identity and integrity of the teacher.

When I walked into the principal’s office at Stafford Elementary I was met with some of the biggest smiles I have ever seen. Six students were filled with pride over being chosen as “Tigers of the Month”.

This week is fire prevention week for Stafford Elementary.On Monday the Italy Volunteer Fire Department brought over their beautiful fire truck for the students to see.

One of the best gifts a child can receive is the gift of being able to read and the next best gift is a book. At Stafford Elementary the students are taught to read and to appreciate books.

Principal Tammy Wallis has started a “teacher incentive” program to promote more consistent attendance. The “teacher incentive” is a weekly drawing for the teachers that have been at work all day and all week. Every week their name will be entered in a drawing and the teacher whose name has been picked out of the “hat” will receive special recognition and a “free” hour coupon to be used as needed.

The Stafford Elementary Roaring Tigers Band has been established this school year with Italy High School’s Gladiator Regiment Band director Jesus Perez teaching students the fundamentals of music and how to play their instruments.

All the students at Stafford Elementary, young and old look forward to homecoming week and especially the homecoming football game. Stafford Tigers are especially excited about celebrating homecoming week because they get to dress up during the week in lots of fun clothes.

The cafeteria was over flowing with grandparents, and grandchildren (students) at Stafford Elementary Friday early afternoon. Every year Grandparents came and celebrated their special day by visiting the school and eating lunch with all the students.

All kinds of excitement could be felt at Stafford Elementary during the annual Meet the Teacher Night. You could see the excitement in the students faces as they met their teachers and checked out their classroom.

When I walked into the principal’s office at Stafford Elementary I was coming to interview the new principal. There she sat in her chair, at her desk and was already going to work to be ready for the coming school year. Her name is Tammy Wallis and she comes to us from Red Oak, Texas where she was the assistant principal for the Red Oak Intermediate School for the past two years.

Jonathan McLean (fifth grade science teacher) wants his students in his science class to succeed. He tries very hard to help them learn all they can. So, it was his desire to get the best scores out of his class for the TAKS test. To inspire them, he makes a deal that he will go up on the roof top of the school for the day if eighty percent of the class passes the TAKS test. Well, the class did it again and it was back up on the roof for McLean.

There wasn’t a seat left in the house on Thursday morning, June 3rd in the Stafford Elementary gymnasium. Even the floor was taken up by visitors. Why you ask? It was the end of the year awards assembly for Stafford Elementary and it was also Miss Maever’s last assembly.

“Good Morning class we are going to have a great day today” could be heard just about every morning at Stafford Elementary over the loud speaker. And of course I am talking about Carolyn Maevers. She never missed a chance to tell the kids she loved them and they were going to have a great day.

Monday afternoon was a great day for the Kindergartners at Stafford Elementary. It was their annual “Rodeo”.

Bright and early Monday morning lots of first grade students at Stafford Elementary were having a blast! Swinging on swings, sliding down slides, football games and lots of water fun was being had by all.

When I walked into Stafford Elementary’s cafeteria Thursday, I thought I was in the Jungle! There were wild animals everywhere you looked. Kind of scary, until you realize they are the cutest little first graders you ever saw putting on their annual Deep in the Jungle musical.

All kinds of fun was going on Wednesday morning at Stafford Elementary. Students and teachers and parents were playing all kinds of games for Stafford’s Annual Play Day.

Wednesday around 11:00 am the big yellow Italy school bus from Stafford Elementary drove up to the Italy “DQ”. Lots of smiling faces and hungry pre-k and kindergarten students were ready for lunch. They had just spent the morning at the Italy City Park playing hard and having lots of fun.

Carolyn Maevers (principal) started the assembly off by asking Stafford students, “Stafford Tigers are what?”, and the students replied, “number one.” Carolyn said, “You are! You are! Now we have started the assembly off right.” As always Ms. Maevers had lots of encouraging words for the Stafford students.

There was quite the ho-down going on at Stafford Elementary Thursday morning around 8:30 am. Some of the cutest little second grade cow pokes you ever saw were ready and willing to sing their hearts out about their love of Texas and boy howdy, did they sing.

You are not going to believe what was going on at Davidson Field Friday night. There was face painting, bubbles blowing, t-ball hitting, softball toss, line dancing and cotton candy. There was even a hot dog eating contest at home plate after the second inning. It was none other than Stafford Night at the Ballpark.

Thursday night at 7:00 pm the Stafford Elementary’s lunch room was transformed into a live circus scene. Pre-k and kindergarten students were starring in the “Big Top Circus.” Everywhere you looked you saw the cutest little clowns, acrobats, stunt riders, elephants, jugglers, lions, tightrope walkers and we mustn’t forget the ringmaster.

Thursday night at 6:00 pm lots of families were gathered at Stafford Elementary for the Stafford PTO’s second annual Family Night Bingo event and fundraiser.

Lots of Stafford Elementary students in the fifth and sixth grades have volunteered to participate in the Math-A-Thon program which is a volunteer based fundraising program for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

Friday morning Stafford Elementary was filled with excited proud family members celebrating with the students at their awards assembly. Many proud students were being called to the front to receive their awards for; no “tiger paws” lost, all A’s, all A’s and B’s, all B’s, and all homework completed and handed in.

On Dr. Seuss’s birthday, March 2nd, everyone at Stafford Elementary took time out to read for thirty minutes. When you entered the school and looked in the classrooms everyone was reading. When I say everyone I mean, everyone in the school. Students, teachers, janitors, cooks everyone just dropped everything they were doing and read for thirty minutes.

Thursday afternoon the fourth graders at Stafford Elementary were dancing up a storm. They were jumping up and down, spinning in circles and doing all kinds of kicks to lively music.

Thursday morning at nine o’clock the Stafford gymnasium was rocking with laughter, music and dancing. What was all the commotion about you ask? Well, let me tell you all about it. Champ, Dallas Maverick’s blue horse mascot was in the building!

Wednesday the Stafford Elementary students participated in Hoops for Heart and Jump Rope for Heart during their PE classes. Students got donations from family and friends for the American Heart Association and then jumped rope for as long as they could – shot a lot of baskets, all for a good cause.

The Stafford Elementary PTO had its annual dinner and silent auction Friday, January 22. The venue for this annual event was the Stafford Elementary Cafeteria and the entire community was invited.

Stafford Elementary PTO will have its annual dinner and silent auction this Friday, January 22. This years meal will be a Taco Fiesta! The Stafford Elementary Cafeteria will be the venue for this annual event and the entire community is invited.

Last Friday around 11:45 Stafford kindergartners could be seen sending many multi colored balloons up into the sky. But these were not just ordinary balloons, oh no, these balloons had letters to Santa Claus inside. They were headed to the North Pole.

Everywhere you looked Thursday morning you could see Stafford Elementary first and second graders wearing red Santa hats and smiles from ear to ear. They were at Trinity Mission to wish them a Merry Christmas by singing Christmas songs.

Wednesday, Stafford Elementary Pre-K and Kindergarten classes were busy watching “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” and eating popcorn to celebrate winning a Box Top party.

Everywhere you looked Friday morning you saw the cutest little elves just singing their hearts out to the residents at Trinity Mission.

Friday morning at 9:00 AM the gymnasium at Stafford Elementary was filled with smiling students and lots of friends and family members. They were there to see all the awards being given out for the second six-weeks honors assembly.

^{Corrections made 11:00am, November 30, 2009.}

Veteran’s Day is an annual American holiday honoring military Veterans and that is exactly what the students at Stafford Elementary were doing Wednesday morning.

Lots of smiles and lots of laughter could be seen and heard on Friday in the halls of Stafford Elementary. The reason for this? – It was the Stafford Elementary’s annual parade of costumes. Some of the cutest little monsters, aliens, witches, goblins, ballerinas, and even a little baker man could be seen parading the halls.

Once again it is Red Ribbon Week. As tradition, both Italy ISD campuses are participating in the week long drug prevention campaign.

McTeacher Night was Thursday from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. and just about everybody from Italy was at McDonalds showing their community support to help raise money for Stafford Elementary.

Tuesday evening from six o’clock to 7:30 the place to be was Stafford Elementary in the library. There were books, books and more books. Along with all the books were students with their parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles, all trying to decide which books they were going to purchase.

At ten o’clock Monday morning at Stafford Elementary the front yard of the school was covered with Stafford students holding whirling pinwheels up in the sky. It was quite a site to see! The students made the beautiful and brightly colored pinwheels themselves and were excited to be part of the International Day of Peace project.

From the time Kristie Holley was a little girl she always wanted to be a school teacher. Kristie said, “When I was a little girl I would line up my dolls and play school. I always wanted to be a teacher.” Now Kristie is living that childhood dream at Stafford Elementary as their new sixth grade teacher.