The cafeteria at Stafford Elementary was filled with laughter and fun on Friday at lunch time because Stafford Elementary was celebrating Grandparents Day. Lots of grandparents were on the scene bringing lunch and sharing a meal with their grandchildren.

Brandy Hamilton was quite surprised when she realized her passion was for teaching. She had gotten her degree in Radio and TV Broadcasting. Never did she think she would end up teaching and loving every minute of it.

Cockran always wanted to be a teacher. Before she started her teaching career she was a “stay at home mom”. “I always wanted to be a teacher but waited until my children were old enough to begin my teaching career. When my children started school, I did too.”

The halls were over flowing with happy parents, smiling students and all the teachers at Stafford Elementary Thursday evening for “Meet the Teacher Night”.

Carolyn Maevers is a very dedicated principal for Stafford Elementary. Her goal for her students is for them to do their best and aim for the top scores in school and in life.

It is that time again! Time to be thinking about getting your children ready to go back to school. And of course school supplies will be on your list.

Carolyn Maevers’ voice is all I heard as I entered Stafford Elementary’s cafeteria Thursday morning. One name after another was being called as the students came up and accepted their awards. Everywhere you looked there were proud parents, grandparents, other family members and very proud students enjoying the last honor assembly of the school year.

Thursday May 28th the Stafford Elementary cafeteria was filled with science projects completed by Mr. McLean’s fifth grade science class. The projects were on endangered species. Each student picked an endangered animal, researched it and then put pictures along with information about the animal on poster boards.

The first graders have been working on their writing skills by writing letters to their friends or family members and learning how to address an envelope. To make it really fun for their students the first grade teachers decided to let them walk to the post office and mail their letters.

I walked into the cafeteria May 14th at Stafford Elementary and for a moment I thought I was in the jungle. Everywhere I looked I saw, bears, tigers, lions, Tucans, alligators, monkeys and many more wild animals. But then I heard these “animals” singing! Whew, I was at the right place. The scary animals turned out to be Stafford Elementary first graders performing their annual play, “In the Jungle”.

Today at 2:00 p.m., the gifted and talented students from the Stafford Elementary School made a quick visit to the Monolithic headquarters. The students wanted to personally drop by and thank Monolithic, specifically Tessa South and Gary Clark, for having the kindergarten students over for games and fun times at the Monolithic campus last week during TAKS testing.

Friday morning at 9:00 AM there was a lot of fun going on at Stafford Elementary. I am talking about the annual “Play Day” at Stafford Elementary. There were students, parents, teachers, and even brothers and sisters having a wonderful time.

Stafford Elementary students in the Pre- K, Kindergarten and First grade were all invited to come have a day of fun at the Monolithic Domes. This took place last week to help the students keep busy while the higher grades took their TAKS test.

Friday morning, April 24th at 9:00 AM Stafford Elementary had their honor assembly. The gymnasium was filled with many proud parents, grandparents, and other family members watching the students

Cheryl Allen went to Manhattan Bible College in Manhattan KS studying to be a missionary. She never thought she would want to teach because she was so shy. Then an opportunity presented itself to her after her third year in Bible college.

Wednesday, April 8th two school buses with lots of Stafford Elementary students pulled up to the Haight’s residence for a magnificent Easter Egg Hunt. Along with the Stafford students there were many parents that also came for this event.

It is that time of year again. It is Round-Up time! Italy ISD will have early childhood, pre kindergarten and kindergarten round-up to enroll children who will be eligible for classes for the 2009 – 2010 school year. The roundup will be by appointment only.

Jonathan McLean knew at an early age that he wanted a teaching career. Science was his favorite subject in school so it made sense to him to teach it. He started his teaching career at Stafford Elementary teaching fifth and sixth grade science and has been teaching there for three years. “I can’t see myself working anywhere but here,” said McLean.

Thursday, at Stafford Elementary all day long volcanos were erupting. Masses of lava could be scene running down these volcanic mountains. Yes, we are talking about Jonathan McLean’s sixth grade science projects.

Thursday night at 6:00 PM at Stafford Elementary there was lots of action going on. The Stafford PTO put together a bingo game night which consisted of bingo, great prizes and delicious hotdogs, chili and chips. What could be better?

There were many proud parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles and students in the Stafford Elementary gymnasium for their honor assembly at 9:00 AM this past Friday.

Tuesday, March 3rd, TAKS testing was going on at Stafford Elementary. The teachers of the second graders decided to take their students out of the building to give them a day of fun while the older students took their test.

Over forty 6th, 7th and 8th grade students from Stafford Elementary and Italy High School traveled to Wortham to participate in the A-plus Academic UIL meet on December 4 & 11. They participated as individuals and teams in events covering a wide variety of topics from math and science to speech and journalism.

On February 12th Stafford Elementary students celebrated President Abraham Lincoln’s 200th birthday. Many students were dressed up as President Lincoln wearing white shirts, black suit coats and black stove top hats.

Stafford second graders were really in the spirit of spreading love around for Valentines Day. Not only were the halls filled with beautiful Valentine’s Day decorations but they also had Valentines to hand out. The second graders all made beautiful Valentines for Meals on Wheels recipients in Italy.

Wednesday, February 11th in the gymnasium at Stafford Elementary third grade through sixth grade students were found jumping rope. But this time they were not just jumping for fun. This time they were participating in the program, “Jump Rope for Heart.”

At Stafford Elementary the second graders were celebrating the 100th day of school. On the 100th day of school the second graders all do special activities. One of the special activities this year included the students bringing one hundred items of the same thing to school.

Everyone was laughing including the teachers when I walked into Stafford Elementary’s gymnasium Friday morning around 8:30 AM.

Stafford Elementary is participating in the program “Pennies for Patients.” If you happen to go into the office at Stafford you will see a huge bottle with pennies inside. The students are really working hard on filling up the bottles. In various places in the school there are lots of jars just waiting for your pennies or spare change.

Friday evening on January 23rd the place to be was the Stafford Elementary Cafeteria. There was delicious chili for all and many beautiful items to be bid on in the Silent auction which made it such a success. Approximately $2,000.00 was raised which will benefit Stafford Elementary and Stafford students.

Friday morning, January 23rd, there were lots of excited parents, teachers and students in the Stafford Elementary gymnasium. All the excitement was caused by all the well deserved awards being handed out to Stafford students.

Stafford Elementary PTO invites the community to attend their 3rd Annual Chili Dinner & Silent Auction.

Rochelle Hellner’s fourth grade class at Stafford Elementary just completed reading the novel, Indian in the Cupboard.

Stafford Elementary is participating in the “Read to Succeed” program sponsored by Six Flags Theme Parks. This program is for students in kindergarten through sixth grade and is designed to encourage students to read.

On Wednesday at 9:30 AM nothing but laughter could be heard coming out of the Stafford Elementary gymnasium. As I entered the gymnasium I saw what all the laughter was about. Two men dressed in mismatched striped socks, “high water” plaid pants, wearing taped glasses were the responsible parties.

Wednesday and Thursday were two wonderful days for the residents of Trinity Mission. They were sung to and smiled at by Stafford’s First and Second Grade classes.

Thursday evening at 6:30 PM, Santa Claus, many cute little elves, reindeer, and snowmen could be seen and heard singing their hearts out about Christmas.

Thursday, the 11th of December the Milford ISD gymnasium was filled with Christmas music, excited students ready to sing and proud parents waiting anxiously for the Christmas concert to begin.

Christmas songs could be heard as you entered the front door of Trinity Mission Tuesday morning. The beautiful singing was coming from the Stafford Elementary Kindergarten classes that came to entertain the residents.

Friday, November 21st around 9:00 AM Stafford Elementary had it’s six weeks Honor assembly.

The “Ned Show” came to Stafford Elementary Monday morning. Wow, what a show! The speaker named Jeff with his yo-yo and his cardboard friend Ned were able to teach the students how to be champions in anything they do in life.

Wednesday, November 19th around 10:30 AM, you could find lots of little Indians and Pilgrims wandering around Stafford Elementary. They were all there celebrating Thanksgiving.

The gymnasium at Stafford Elementary at 9:00AM on Tuesday was packed. It was packed with proud veterans, proud parents and proud grandchildren. Everyone was gathered there to honor the men and women that served our country in various branches of the military.

All through the halls of Milford Elementary on Friday, October 31 all kinds of spooks, goblins and other scary characters could be seen. Why? Because it was Halloween!

There were pumpkins everywhere down the hall at Milford Elementary in keeping with the Halloween spirit. The students and teachers had lots of fun painting pumpkins. Some were painted as a bat, a ball player, The Tin Man, a clown and a pirate.

Friday, October 31 was Halloween and Stafford Elementary did it up right for their students. Throughout the day the students were invited to play games, jump in a jump house and get their faces painted.

Friday morning around 8:30 a.m. it was a “howling” sight in the halls of Stafford Elementary. Skeletons, the walking dead, mummies, witches, pirates and many more frightening creatures were roaming the halls.