Cardinal Spotlight

Cardinal Spotlight 10/14/2024

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Penelope Martinez is a vibrant 5th grade student at Heritage. Described as friendly, charming and happy, Penelope’s curiosity and enthusiasm knows no bounds. She is fearless, whether speaking in front of a crowd or attempting an experiment. She lives by the motto, “No one can stop you!” Likewise, she encourages others to “Believe in yourself.” Equally kind and brave, Penelope is a curious, wonderful student whose favorite subject is Science. One day, we will see her on the news as a meteorologist because she loves seeing, knowing, and informing others.

Mrs. Puente and the Heritage team have set the bar for all of the other campuses. She and her team are innovative and are always finding ways to improve. The competition between Heritage and the other campuses have become tighter, but if you ask Mrs. Puente, she and her team will work harder to make sure the student and campus continues to progress. If it putting on roller skates or dressing up for staff, she will do what’s necessary to keep Heritage on top.

Cardinal Spotlight 9/19/2024

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This week’s spotlight is James Ethan Escamilla, a first grader in Ms. Oliver’s class at Heritage. He loves getting up early for school because he is ready to learn math. He really loves math and is very good at it. His second favorite class is PE as his high energy suits it perfectly. The only thing he loves as much as math and school are video games. Among those, Minecraft, Roblox, and Mario Cart are his favorite. One of his goals is to play Pac Man, some day. Some of his responsibilities at home include feeding the chickens, the cat, and his two dogs, Miko and Weasel. He has a little sister, but she does her own thing. Welcome to Heritage, James. Have a great year!
This week’s staff spotlight shines on Corina Pena, a new addition to Southside this year. Ms. Pena brings a wealth of teaching experience and instructional leadership from her previous district. Known for her calm, patient demeanor, she creates a welcoming, motivating environment for her students, always smiling and building positive relationships. Ms. Pena’s passion for lifelong learning fuels her drive to be the best teacher possible. With her upbeat, positive attitude, we are thrilled to have Ms. Pena as part of our team. Congratulations, Ms. Pena, on being named our Cardinal of the Week!

Cardinal Spotlight 9/12/2024

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Felix Hernandez is our newest Head Custodian. Although he is new to his role he is not new to the district. Felix is always ready to do whatever it takes to beautify his campus and assist wherever needed. He has taken on his new role well and ran with it helping Heritage in every possible way he can. Thank you, Felix, for all you do for the Heritage students, staff, and the Southside community.

Campus ARD facilitators are the unsung heroes of student success, tirelessly working behind the scenes to ensure every student receives the support they need to thrive. Their expertise in navigating the ARD process, coupled with their unwavering dedication to advocating for students, empowers campuses to create inclusive and equitable learning environments. Through their collaborative spirit and commitment to data-driven decision-making, ARD facilitators foster a culture of continuous improvement, ultimately paving the way for every student to reach their full potential.

Top left to right: Amanda Wilson, Katrisha Cisneros, Tina Graf, Latoya Ramos

Bottom left to right: Desiree Foreman, Diana Falto, Yvonne Hasty, Debbie Rodriguez, Meslissa Garza

Cardinal Spotlight 8/27/2024

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We are excited to shed the Cardinal Spotlight on 5th Grader Trey Thomas. Trey is new to Southside ISD and is already displaying strong cardinal virtues. He is an eager learner, who participates actively in his classroom community. Trey thinks outside the box and seems to have a natural curiosity for all things Science. We look forward to all of the success he will have here at Heritage. Congratulations Trey, and welcome to Southside ISD!

This week’s staff spotlight is our new PE Coach, Fabian Villarreal! He is new to Southside this year. He truly enjoys working with our Heritage students. Coaching is his passion! Fabian has a strong work ethic and uses every available minute to work hard to help students reach their full potential. Upon walking into the gym, you will find Coach V. modeling stretches, introducing new games, practicing multiplication facts, and establishing a positive behavior reinforcement system. In his spare time, Mr. Villarreal is the Palo Alto Head Girls Basketball Coach. As you can see, Fabian is dedicated to building a team culture within the community! We are thrilled you decided to make Heritage your new home! Congratulations on being our Cardinal of the Week!

Cardinal Spotlight 5/3/2024

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Valentina Gonzalez Cabrera is our bright ray of sunshine here at Heritage Elementary. You will easily spot her in a crowd as the one with the biggest smile on her face. She greets all students and staff, and treats everyone with the utmost respect. At the end of each day, she salutes all the teachers and staff, while mentioning how eager she is to return for the next day. She is currently a first grader on our campus, but is quickly evolving into a student leader. We are anxious to see her accomplishments play out over the next several years.

Mrs. Puente  and the Heritage team made their presence felt statewide by hosting Commissioner Morath this week. Mrs. Puente is always prepared for everything that is requested of Heritage. When something is asked of her she is quick to deliver. Her staff will follow her example and strive to be the very best in any of the district initiatives. Keep up the great work Mrs. Puente!

Cardinal Spotlight 4/10/2024

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A very quiet young man with a great sense of humor, David Plascencia is a wonderful 2nd grader at Heritage Elementary.  He enjoys being a big brother to 5 year old Davin, but prefers not sharing campuses.  Still, he has fun with his brother and his family, especially when playing board games.  In addition to his family, David has fun with his two chihuahuas, Princess and Bacon.  Otherwise, he is a fan of movies, either funny or scary, and various games on his tablet.  His favorite class is STEAM where he learns about things he has never seen before and gets to try different hands-on activities.  Recess, PE, dismissal and lunch are his favorite parts of the school day.  Those are the times he doesn’t have to be as quiet, sitting in uncomfortable chairs, listening to someone talk.  He really wishes classrooms had more plushies to sit on.  David thinks it might make sitting easier.   Although one would never know it, he can be very loud, but only at home because he doesn’t want to get in trouble at school.

This week Heritage is spotlighting our hardworking instructional paraprofessionals!  This group of amazing ladies goes above and beyond to support the Heritage students and teachers.  Patient and positive are just two words that describe these amazing ladies.  They are quiet workhorses who put the needs’ of the students first. Our campus would not run smoothly without their support and dedication.   We truly do appreciate all that they do!