New faculty members were welcomed to Aubrey ISD at the Nov. 19 board meeting.
The school board unanimously approved Brandee Gallagher as the new assistant principal of West Elementary.
West Elementary School Principal Jennie Petrasic shared her enthusiasm with the board.
“Everyone fell in love with her ability to build relationships and her knowledge of curriculum, which will be huge for us at West,” she said. “So, we're super, super excited. She brings so much strength.”
Gallagher shared the same excitement as Petrasic.
“Thank you for the opportunity,” she said. “I didn't start my teaching career in Aubrey, but I got here as fast as I could. … And now I'm excited that you have provided me with the opportunity to serve our teachers, our students and our families at West Elementary.'
The board also recognized Christopher Marquez, the new police officer for Aubrey ISD, who has over five years of law enforcement experience.
He expressed his gratitude, saying, “This is a big moment for me and my family as we moved up here, so we really appreciate it. We're ready to be part of Aubrey, the family.”
Also at the meeting, two students received recognition for their athletic achievements.
On Nov. 1, two of Aubrey’s high school cross country runners, Abby Turner and Kaden Plaugher, competed against other runners across the state of Texas at the UIL state meet.
Turner finished 26th out of 151 and set a new personal record with 12:00:1, and Plaugher finished 31st out of 152 other runners.
While at the November meeting, both students received a signed certificate of appreciation.
A new system called the Radio-Frequency Identification smart attendance system has received positive feedback from faculty.
The system uses technology to send radio signals to an RFID tag, which is then placed inside a card that is similar to an ID.
The cards were distributed around the campuses to students earlier this year.
The students scan their cards before getting on and off the bus, and the RFID tag sends realtime alerts to parents and the school.
'Talking with one of the bus drivers 4that's been with us for a long time, she said it's been great,” Director of Operations Matt Gore said. “She drives an elementary route, and she said those kids are like clockwork right now. … She said she hadn't had any that have left their cards.”
Aubrey High School Principal Dr. Vanessa Zavar spoke at the podium to discuss the increase in students enrolled in Advanced Placement classes.
The number has jumped from 353 students last year to 403 students this year.
More students are also ordering AP exams, which allow students to receive college credits.
“This is something that we need to celebrate!” Zavar said.
The high school has plans to extend its AP curriculum by adding more rigorous courses for students to choose from.
Zavar said another of the school's goals is to expand its Career and Technical Education program to include courses like cosmetology, ASL and dual credit.
“Specifically, dual credit in-person learning so that the students have the opportunity to be in front of that professor and experience a college environment with a college- length class,” Zavar said.
West Elementary School’s new Assistant Principal Brandee Gallagher smiles next to Aubrey ISD Superintendent Dr. Shannon Saylor at the Nov. 19 school board meeting. Eva Coleman/Aubrey ISD
