BP

TIA Newsletter One of our seven pending TIA designees, Ms. Margarita Esquivel, hails from Zacatecas, Mexico and came to the USA when she was 11 years old. She has been with Cityscape Schools since 2015, working first as a TA, then an IA, and after completing her bachelor’s degree and passing her required state certification exams, has been teaching for Buckner Prep for the past three years. She has been teaching Pre-kindergarten classes for the past two years. Since last school year (2021-2022) was the first year of TIA eligibility for Cityscape Pre-kindergarten teachers, Ms. Esquivel did not realize that the district had made application to include PreK in our TIA plan and was very surprised to hear of her pending designation status. When asked about her high marks on the T-TESS and the CIRCLE assessment (student growth), she responded “respect for profession.” She added, “I accept responsibility for my job without expecting anything in return, except for student growth!”    When asked what advice she would give to a beginning teacher, she replied, “Take care of yourself: mentally, physically, and emotionally. You must serve as an example to your students, so they always see you at your best. Your priority is not only your students, but also yourself.” When asked to share what she admires about Ms. Esquivel, her principal, Ms. Clarencia Wade, stated, “she is an advocate for her students. She has a strong sense of knowing how to assist her students at the level of their needs. She LOVES teaching and working with those younger students.” When asked for a final word on teaching, she replied, “I never expect a reward for what I do. My values…

Meet Ms. Naima Howard TIA Exemplary Designee for the 2021-2022 School Year! In February 2023, Ms. Naima Howard was designated as Exemplary status in TEA’s Teacher Incentive Allotment (TIA) program. Ms. Howard joined our district (via Buckner Preparatory) in 2020.  She currently teaches 5th and 6th grade mathematics/science and has been teaching for 9 years in total. Before coming to Cityscape, Ms. Howard earned her bachelor’s degree in education (with a concentration in mathematics) from the University of North Carolina in Charlotte. One interesting note is that she has taught every grade level between Kinder and 6th, with the exception of 3rd grade. When asked about earning an Exemplary distinction, she responded “I think it all comes down to how your students perceive you feel about them. My students know that I am there to teach them, yes, but also give them confidence and motivation.”  Ms. Howard knows how important it is to prepare her students for state assessments and future grade levels, but believes it is equally important to teach them character and values.  In fact, one of her students recently told her that she would make a wonderful counselor.  When asked what advice she would give to new teachers, she replied that the focus in a classroom should be an equal mix of academics and social/emotional.  She has noticed that students with emotional problems are most likely to also suffer academically. When asked for some words of commendation for Ms. Howard, BP Principal, Ms. Clarencia Wade, said that when she thinks of the quote, “Every child deserves a champion; an adult who will never give up on them, who understands the power of connection and insists they become…

As part of a tradition that grows every year, students at Buckner Preparatory shared holiday carols during the 4th Annual PreK Holiday Sing Along. Students and staff wore cheerful holiday props and bells during the program. Performances, included songs in English and Spanish, such as Navidad “Ozuna”, Muñeco de Nieve, Santa Claus Llegó a la Ciudad, You’re a Mean One Mr. Grinch, Christmas Don’t Be Late, the traditional Jingle Bell Rocks and many other songs. As part of the festivities for the week, students also had an opportunity to engage in activities such as wearing holiday sweaters, pajama day and watching holiday movies such as The Polar Express and A Christmas Carol.