Page 9 - 2024 GPS Mid-Year (English Publication)

Highlighting Our Own Champions

By: Dr. Tommie L. Smith

A national college football champion will be crowned on
Monday, January 8, 2024, but the 2024 College Football
Playoff National Championship Host Committee partnered
with some of Galena Park ISD’s very own champions
leading up to the event. The College Football Playoff
(CFP) Foundation, Houston Loves Teachers, Good Reason
Houston, and Galena Park ISD (GPISD) began the 2023-2024
school year working together to celebrate the hard work
of teachers! The acknowledgments and recognitions took Reginald Adams and Young Artists
shape in several ways.

To kick off the college football championship game and GPISD’s winning season, the “Friday
Night Lights” seemed to shine even brighter at North Shore Senior High School’s September 1
st
game, where an Extra Yard for Teachers (EYFT) Game Ball was presented to Camryn Goodman
and Tyneasha Turk. Goodman and Turk are GPISD’s 2023 Secondary and Elementary Teachers of
the Year [respectively]. Their dedication, passion, and resilience inside and outside the classroom
were recognized and applauded! This partnership continued to celebrate our teachers by
awarding six lucky teachers with complimentary tickets to see the
Astros take on the Mariners on August 18 . The teaching team at
th
North Shore Elementary School was delightfully surprised with
breakfast the morning of October 4 , and Marquetia Christensen
th
was especially surprised as she was awarded the third of ten EYFT
Game Balls.

A citywide campus beautification campaign was an additional
piece of GPISD’s partnership with The College Football Playoff
Foundation, Houston Loves Teachers, and Good
Reason Houston. Campus murals were designed to
provide refreshed and renewed spaces in schools
across ten districts in Houston to create
a more inviting environment for
teachers and students. GPISD’s
mural is located at North
Shore Middle School (NSMS)
and was designed by
NSMS students, Local Artist
Reginald Adams, Art Teacher
Kayla Loges, and Principal Dr.
Christopher Eckford. The mural is
located on the cafeteria patio so students and
local residents might enjoy a collective piece of
art that was inspired by the rich history and winning
spirit of the Galena Park ISD community.

To learn more, visit www.Houston2024.com. Camryn Goodman - 2023 Secondary Teacher of the Year