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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, The Katy Independent School District acquired a fine |
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new place of learning with the dedication of Ursula Stephens |
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Elementary School in August 2007, and it is indeed fitting to pay |
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tribute to the opening of this campus and to the distinguished Katy |
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educator for whom it is named; and |
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WHEREAS, Ursula Stephens grew up in the San Antonio area and |
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gained her first experience as a mentor by helping to look after her |
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seven siblings; a native Spanish speaker, she had to work hard to |
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master English for her schoolwork, and she later applied the same |
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dedication to her other studies; she went on to earn bachelor's and |
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master's degrees in education from Our Lady of the Lake University |
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of San Antonio and also holds mid-management certification from the |
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University of Houston; and |
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WHEREAS, Her career as an educator began with the San Antonio |
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ISD in 1966, and she also taught in the Lubbock and Spring Branch |
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public schools; after joining Katy ISD, she proved her exceptional |
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abilities as a classroom teacher at Williamsburg Settlement |
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Elementary before serving as an assistant principal at Sundown |
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Elementary and Nottingham Country Elementary; and |
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WHEREAS, In 1985, Ms. Stephens was promoted to the position |
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of principal at Nottingham and later became the head administrator |
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at Sundown and at McRoberts Elementary; in all of her assignments, |
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this skilled educator worked to instill a passion for learning in |
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each of her students; she garnered a number of awards for her |
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accomplishments, becoming the 1981 Teacher of the Year at Terrace |
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Elementary in Spring Branch and being named the Region IV Regular |
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Educator of the Year in 1996 by the Gulf Coast Administrators of |
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Special Education; in addition, she has been included in Who's Who |
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Among American Teachers and Educators and is a lifetime member of |
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the Texas Parent Teacher Association; and |
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WHEREAS, In 2000, Ms. Stephens chose to return to the |
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classroom and became a Spanish teacher at Cinco Ranch High School; |
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there, as in her other positions, her imaginative approach to |
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teaching resulted in innovative techniques; students were |
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especially fond of the weekly meetings that took place in a local |
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Mexican restaurant, where they could practice their Spanish skills |
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while sampling the culinary culture of Mexico; and |
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WHEREAS, Though Ms. Stephens concluded her career with Katy |
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ISD after an impressive 22-year tenure, she continues to influence |
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aspiring educators as the supervisor for alternative certification |
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interns at Texas A&M University; and |
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WHEREAS, Through more than four decades in the field of |
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education, Ursula Stephens has carried forth her guiding belief |
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that all students are capable of succeeding regardless of |
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circumstance, and this admirable maxim will long inspire the |
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teachers and administrators in the school that bears her name; now, |
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therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 81st Texas |
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Legislature hereby commemorate the dedication of Ursula Stephens |
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Elementary School in Katy and commend Ms. Stephens for her |
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outstanding service to the teaching profession and to the citizens |
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of Katy; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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prepared for Ursula Stephens Elementary School as an expression of |
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high regard by the Texas House of Representatives. |
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Callegari |
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______________________________ |
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Speaker of the House |
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I certify that H.R. No. 41 was adopted by the House on January |
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14, 2009, by a non-record vote. |
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______________________________ |
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Chief Clerk of the House |
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