August Newsletter
Translate this page:
A Message from our Superintendent
Hello Jubilee Families, I am happy to see we are off to a great start on our campuses. We have worked hard to create safe and secure schools that are still fun for kids to learn in. After the first three weeks I can see that students are happy to be back. Our attendance from the first day of school through now is 95%. We have a goal of 97% for the year so we are right on track.
Please take note, there is still availability at some of our campuses in some grades. If you have friends or family who may be interested I encourage you to send them to our website or to one of our locations for more information.
As a word of caution, in the current climate across the nation, it is very important you talk to your children about how to express themselves. Over these first three weeks we have had some instances where students are saying and acting inappropriately that are cause for suspension and expulsion. The mental wellness of our staff and students is crucial and we have many faculty in place to help support. Our goal is to identify issues or concerns before they get to a point where a student feels helpless. Your partnership is greatly appreciated in advance!
In other news, athletic programs are up and running and we can not wait to see the great things our teams accomplish this year. Good luck to all of them. Lastly, our Academic focus on campus is at a heightened level. Parents, please check your student’s grades often and communicate with teachers as needed.
Thank you for believing in Jubilee! Have a great year!
- Dr. Kevin Phillips
Important Dates
2022-23 Academic Calendars Now Available! Click here to access.
Back to School Bash
Highland Hills, Leadership Academy, and Wells Branch, all hosted Back to School Bash’s. We are grateful for all of our community partners who helped support us either through donations, supplies or time!
Between giveaways of school supplies, hair cuts, and backpacks, our students were ready for success on day one. Jubilee appreciates all of our supporters that helped make this event a success for the community.
The Sponsor are:
Hector Hernandez, Agent / State Farm
Walmart
Chick-Fil-A
Tara Rios
Texas Southmost College
Cameron County Sheriff Dept.
Brownsville Fire Dept.
The Learning Club Preschool
Tu Salud Si Cuenta
Uniform Vendor
Olympic Taekwondo
Hot Works
Kona Ice
Unity
US Taekwondo
Curves
Main Event
Family Service
San Antonio Water Service
Aetna Better Health
Curly's Charms
Boy Scout Troop 1021
Girl Scout Troop 1021
Jubilee Academies Nutrition Dept.
Jolt Initiative
Respite Care of San Antonio Inc.
Healthy Neighborhoods SAMHD
San Antonio Fire Department Station #29
University Health SystemCPSCredit HumanTSC Uniforms
University Health
Texas Road House
Lela Pharmacy and The Health Collaborative
disABILITYsa
Randolph Brooks Credit Union
Triple P Positive Parenting Program
University Health System
American Heart Association
Market Health InsuranceCub Scouts BSA
Calvary Hills Baptist Church
Sols Salon
Jubilee Academies Gear Up!
Convocation
What a way to welcome back our staff for the new year! San Antonio hosted their annual convocation at the Shrine Auditorium. With over 900 people in attendance, energy was high and every school came showing their spirit and excitement to get back in the classroom and teach. Food, fun, chants and a remarkable guest speaker made for a successful event!
Reigning Champs… Harlingen… Win the Spirit Stick again! And new champs Wells Branch won the Spirit Stick!
We had our Superintendent and the associate supperintendants show off some of their dance moves!
We want to thank our Guest Speaker Byron Sanders, President and CEO of Big Thought for his words of encouragement and wisdom on how teachers had an impact on his life.
Don’t forget the theme for our new school year is:
Dream Big,
Work Hard,
And
Commit to Excellence
District Teacher of the Year 2021-2022
Feature: Mr. Koger, Dr. Phillips, Mrs. Deanna Price, Dr. Sparacello and Mrs. Walters
Highland Park - Ms. Deanna Price; Ms. Price is a great colleague/friend to everyone she works with. She is well deserved to receive the Elementary Teacher of the Year Award for Jubilee Highland Park. Her colleagues choose her for being someone easy to talk to, having integrity in everything she does, does well on balancing lessons, work and home. balance or work and home reflect Ms. Price has been teaching second grade at Jubilee Highland Park since 2010. In that time, Ms. Price has also coached elementary and middle school sports. She has been part of the Communication Club, DDC committee, Mentor program, and the Campus Treat Assessment Team just to name a few. Ms. Price is a teacher that every parent wants for their child. She builds great relationships with students, families and colleagues. Students love her calming deminer because she is loving, fun and cares about them. Ms. Price gets to know every student in her class as a whole person. She is able to see exactly what each student has to offer and growth them in so many ways. Ms. Price makes every lesson engaging and memorable for the students.
Feature: Dr. Bolt, Mr. Coronado, Dr. Castillo, and Dr. Philips
Brownsville - Mr. Roberto Coronado energy and passion have been unshakeable the 5 years he has workedat Jubilee Brownsville. He has actively participated in the campus Threat Assessment Team, PLC meetings, the teacher mentor program, and was an integral part of the high school’s lead teacher team. Mr. Coronado often goes the extra mile to build relationships with his students and motivate them to be academically successful. The love and passion he has for his “kids”, history, and creating, not only a welcoming environment for his students to learn, but also a place students feel safe to be themselves, is reflected every day he comes into work. JB students appreciate his honesty and his empathy. Besides the classroom, Mr. Coronado shines in other aspects here at Jubilee Brownsville. This past year, Mr. Coronado was also distinguished as the 32-4A District Coach of the Year for Soccer. Students love Mr. Coronado.
Leadership Academy Ribbon Cutting Ceremony
Jubilee Leadership Academy has officially opened its doors for this Fall semester. Mayor Trey Mendez and Esmeralda Villarreal-President & CEO of the Chamber of Commerce, Chief of Police and so many other dignitaries joined us for this monumental event.
“Alongside our three existing campuses (Brownsville, Livingway and Harlingen) Leadership Academy is, not only celebrating the new site, but gaining a new partnership with the Brownsville Police Department.
The safety, mental and emotional wellness of our students is top priority. The Handle with Care initiative will allow our officers to serve and protect, as well as identify students that need that extra support following traumatic events.
JLA is providing a FREE after school enrichment program called A.C.C.E.S.S. and by way of a $25 Million grant, our school is now a proud GEARUP! campus. These programs will help to bring focus to college and enrichment resources. We pride ourselves on Dreaming Big, Working Hard, and Committing to Excellence.”
Jessica Pastrano - Marketing and Communications Director
KRGV came and did a special piece on the school opening and how the new partnership benefits our students.
The article is attached here
First Week of School
First day of school is always the best! Here are some ways our campuses celebrated the first week of school. We are happy to see our classrooms using the Empowerment Handshake to greet their students and several other positive ways to encourage Joy and Excellence in the classroom this year.
Board members paid a special visit to our San Antonio Campuses: Highland Hills and JSA.
They had the opportunity to see and meet the students as well as the teachers during the first few days of school.
Community News
Half Day Wednesday - As a reminder, this day was developed with you and your student in mind. You have two options on this day. You can choose to pick up child during the early release at 12:30 p.m. An opportunity to take care of appointments or just simply a mental wellness break. The other option is you can leave them for the full day, where they will participate in fun enrichment activities and sports. We have a dedicated team at each site ready to ensure all students staying are well kept and busy.
Following, regular pick up remains at 3:45 p.m. and ACCESS students at 6 p.m. You can call your campus with any additional questions. Have a wonderful rest of your week!
CTE & GEAR UP News
SAN ANTONIO-Westwood welcomed over 150 new family members to the Wolfpack on Saturday, August 13th. Wolfpack members had an opportunity to meet the Westwood faculty and staff members while having fun. We also announced that we have officially added the Gear Up program to Jubilee Westwood.
BROWNSVILLE - We are proud of our teacher Ms. Esmeralda Hernandez, she was feature in an article by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
She is very passionate about the Engineering program. Brownsville has a CTE program for Engineering program this study focuses on the design, development, and use of engines, machines, and structures. CTE learners will learn how to apply science, mathematical methods, and empirical evidence to the innovation, design, construction, operation, and maintenance of different manufacturing systems.
AUSTIN- Wells Branch Gearup! was involved in a environmental engineering camp this past summer. They learned about building robots, wind turn binds and more.
Meet your Principals
Assistant Principal at Westwood - My name is Isabella Prines, and I am excited to be joining the Jubilee Westwood Wolfpack! I grew up in Hawaii until my family moved to San Antonio when I was 11. I am a proud graduate of The University of Texas at Austin where I received my Bachelor of Arts in Psychology. I began my career in education through Teach for America-San Antonio and quickly realized that my passion is education. This will be my seventh year in education. I received my Masters in Educational Leadership from Texas State University in May 2022. I served six years as a 3rd and 5th grade teacher in San Antonio ISD and New Braunfels ISD.
Principal at Brownsville - Dr. Irma Castillo is a lifetime resident of the Rio Grande Valley with 26 years of experience in teaching and administration. She is committed to educating youth in the community because of the positive and powerful impact education had on her life. Dr. Castillo is from Donna, Texas and graduated from South Texas ISD’s Med High campus, then graduated from Baylor University four years later. In 2016, she earned her doctorate in educational leadership from UTRGV. She taught high school science for eleven years and ended her teaching career as campus Teacher of the Year; this springboarded her pathway to educational administration and has served as Assistant Principal, Dean of Instruction, and Principal within the past 15 years. In 2017, Dr. Castillo was a national finalist for the Project Lead the Way (PLTW) Administrator of the Year Award. Most recently in January 2021, her educational research was published by the American Association of Superintendents. Dr. Castillo is honored to be chosen as Principal of Jubilee Brownsville and looks forward to a prosperous 2022-2023.
Athletics | 2nd Annual Tornament of Champions
Congratulations to our Titans Texas 6 Man Football Team and our Lady Varsity Volleyball Team as they competed in our 2nd Annual Jubilee Academies Tournament of Champions. Both of our teams came out victorious and brought home the trophy.
Good luck to our San Antonio and Brownsville football team in their upcoming season as well as to our Varsity Girls Volleyball Team. Thank you for the great sportsmanship!!!
Child Nutrition
Jubilee-Highland Hills, Jubilee-San Antonio, Jubilee- Lakeview, and Jubilee-Brownsville showcased our new menu concept – the Jubilee Salad Bar! The Jubilee Salad Bar offers students the opportunity to enjoy fruits and vegetables throughout the week. Students may see crisp salad greens, bright baby carrots, crunchy celery, ruby red strawberries, fresh seedless watermelon, and an array of other fun fruits and vibrant veggies featured each week. The Child Nutrition Department is excited to see the students learn to love fruits and veggies and develop lifelong healthy eating habits. It is the Child Nutrition Department’s goal to offer salad bars at all Jubilee campuses by SY 23-24.
Visit https://jubileeacademiesschoolmeals.com to see the school menus, provide feedback, and find other helpful information about the Child Nutrition programs offered on your student’s campus. Remember, breakfast, lunch, and supper is FREE to all students.
Counsler's Corner
Jubilee Academies is excited to bring The TCHATT Program to all regions and campuses. This program is designed to deliver free telemedicine services for students to assist with identifying or assessing mental health needs and providing access to mental health care services.
Services include:
Assessment & Triage
Brief Interventions
Connection to community based providers
Samples of the types of students who would benefit from TCHATT services include those who:
Were previously high functioning, and are now struggling to pay attention and engage, and are exhibiting self-harm or depressive, disengaged behavior
Were impacted by COVID 19, and their depression has escalated such that they are now writing about morbid themes and talking about death in class
Have a known history of aggression and although previously stabilized with treatment they are now experiencing rapidly escalating disciplinary infractions
May always have been introverted but now are talking to themselves and exhibiting a several week long decline in self-care, hygiene, and other students are complaining about them
Use substances or excessively drink alcohol OR exhibit signs that could be suggestive of drug or alcohol abuse, such as falling grades, deteriorating relationships with friends, loss of interest in activities, poor hygiene, secretive behavior, unusual tiredness, or missing curfews (among others)
*This program is not to be used for students in crisis.
*Please note TCHATT is an access to care program, designed to provide
short-term services to resolve acute concerns while linking individuals
and families to community-based providers*
** Please see your school counselor for more information.
Jubilee Anniversaries
The following staff members celebrated milestone anniversaries with Jubilee in August. Their dedication to the district and our students does not go unnoticed and is greatly appreciated by all!
21 Years—
Laura Gutierrez, Highland Hills - Paraprofessional
20 Years—
Debbie Rios, San Antonio - Teacher
18 Years—
Sylvia Santos, San Antonio - SPED Paraprofessional
17 Years—
Nicole Herrera, District Curriculum Department - Instructional Coach
16 Years—
Marta Guitierrez, San Antonio - Teacher
15 Years—
Ernesto Uribe, Highland Hills - Custodian
Margie Valadez, Highland Park - Teacher
Jesus Matinez, San Antonio - Teacher
Irma Fernandez, District Communications Department - Admin Assistant District
Rene Gallegos, District Chief Financial Officer
13 Years—
Manuel Cerenio, Lake View Univ Prep - Campus Athletic Coordinator
12 Years—
Maria Arredondo, Highland Park - SPED Paraprofessional
Jacob Segal, District Operations Department - Director
11 Years—
Almann Solis, Kingsville - Campus Data Clerk
Liz Arryo, PEIMS - Admin Assistant
Leticia Garza, Livingway - Front Office
Joseph Acevedo, Kingsville - Principal
Norma Alvarado, Livingway - Reading Interventionist
Anita Fonseca, Highland Hills - SPED Paraprofessional
Amely Harris, Kingsville - Campus Special Program Coordinator
Maria Jimenez De Acosta, Livingway - Custodian
Alica Lerma, Brownsville - Teacher
Marisa Silguero, Kingsville - Assistant Principal
Neftali Manrrique, Lake View Univ Prep - Teacher
Maria Martinez, Kingsville - Food Service
Carolina Nevarez, Leadership Academy - Teacher
Maria Sanchez, Brownsville - Bilingual Interventionist
Johnny Aleman, Highland Park - Custodian
Kelsie Prewitt, Highland Hills - Teacher
Heather Fears, Harlingen - Assistant Principal
Mary Garcia, Harlingen - Food Service
Carmen Martinez, General Administration - Executive Admin Assistant
10 Years—
Pedro Ortiz, Brownsville - Teacher
Kimberly Rodriguez, District PEIMS Department
Marisela Saldana, Kingsville - Interventionist for Reading
Magdalena Rodriuez, San Antonio - Food Service
Laura Antu, District Bilingual Department
Nancy Martinez-Gomez, District Curriculum Department
In accordance with Federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, the USDA, its Agencies, offices, and employees, and institutions participating in or administering USDA programs are prohibited from discriminating based on race, color, national origin, sex, disability, age, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity in any program or activity conducted or funded by USDA.
Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication for program information (e.g. Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language, etc.), should contact the Agency (State or local) where they applied for benefits. Individuals who are deaf, hard of hearing or have speech disabilities may contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339. Additionally, program information may be made available in languages other than English.
To file a program complaint of discrimination, complete the USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form, (AD-3027) found online at: https://www.usda.gov/oascr/how-to-file-a-program-discrimination-complaint, and at any USDA office, or write a letter addressed to USDA and provide in the letter all ofthe information requested in the form. To request a copy of the complaint form, call (866) 632-9992. Submit your completed form or letter to USDA by:
(1)mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture
Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights
1400 Independence Avenue, SW
Washington, D.C. 20250-9410;
(2) fax: (202) 690-7442; or
(3) email:program.intake@usda.gov.
This institution is an equal opportunity provider.
