Cardinal Spotlight

Cardinal Spotlight 11/7/2024

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This week’s student spotlight goes to Joseph Gomez, a 4th Grader in our Dual Language Program. Joseph is focused on his academics, with math being his favorite subject. He is a quiet, but polite and helpful young man. Joseph can often be found helping and coaching other students to develop an understanding of the concepts being taught in class. Thank you for all your hard work Joseph!

This week’s spotlight is on our newest addition to the campus, Cinthia Benitez! As one of our LID paraprofessionals, Ms. Benitez has already made a significant impact during her seven months as a long-term substitute, and we’re excited to welcome her as a full-time employee. Known for her quiet dedication, Ms. Benitez jumps in to support both colleagues and students with a warm smile. Her passion for helping students succeed shines through in everything she does, and her love for working with kids is truly inspiring. We are so happy to have her as part of the Heritage family!

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!