Oct. 28, 2021 - A dozen students along with 40 school nurses and a head volleyball coach were recognized during Comal ISD’s Board of Trustees meeting Wednesday.
The first student who was honored was Smithson Valley High School senior Tytus Gonzalez who served as a 2021 Bank of America Student Leader this summer. He was one of four selected from the 320 San Antonio-area students who applied for the program which included an eight-week internship with a local nonprofit organization.
The program provides student leaders the opportunity to learn more about their communities while providing them with civic, social and business skills. Gonzalez interned with Communities in Schools San Antonio where he worked with the marketing and communications department. In addition to being a Bank of America Student Leader, Gonzalez volunteers on a regular basis, is a member of the SVHS theatre department and participated in this summer’s American Legion Boys State leadership program.
Two students were recognized for stepping up to serve as Student Election Clerks for the Nov. 2 election. Abigail Permenter and Wyatt Sedlak, eleventh-grade students at SVHS, served as clerks for Comal County. Sponsored by the Texas Secretary of State’s office, this program provides students who are 16 years of age or older the opportunity to participate in the electoral process by serving as election clerks at the polling place during early voting or on election day.
The final student recognitions of the evening honored nine students who participated in Education in Action’s summer 2021 Lone Star Leadership Academy camps. Annually, teachers of students in grades 4-8 are asked to nominate students based on their leadership abilities, academic success and involvement in school and community activities for this leadership opportunity. These students represented their campuses and the district at weeklong camps where they developed leadership skills and visited notable and historically significant Texas sites.
The 2021 Lone Star Leadership Academy participants from Comal ISD included the following students: Trent Fagala, Elija Kirkland, Joaquin Kirkland and Baiden Martinez from Pieper Middle School; Chief Rendon from Mountain Valley Middle School; Tulip Juarez and Cali Wiatrek from Memorial Early College High School; and Averi Monk and Katherine Threm from Church Hill Middle School.
The Board continued its recognitions with a milestone for Canyon High School Head Volleyball Coach Heather Sanders – her 700th career win. This milestone occurred on Oct. 19, when the Cougarettes played Tivy High School. It was an extra special night for the coach who has been in education for 28 years and with CHS for 23. That evening, 30 former players including five from her first team were on hand to celebrate with her. Sanders has coached 10 district championships with four state appearances, three state bronze medalist teams and a state silver medalist team in 2001. She is also a two-time Texas Girls Coaches Association All-Star Coach.
The final recognition of the evening was a special tribute of the district’s 40 school nurses. Over the last 19 months, as the district’s frontline healthcare workers, they served the students, parents and community with professionalism and compassion. Their diligence is one of the main reasons the district has been able to continue to teach students in a safe environment.
The school nurses include the following:
Elementary School Nurses
- Susan Crow, Arlon Seay
- Karen Kershner, Bill Brown
- Cindy Bagnall, Clear Spring
- Kayla Murphy, Freiheit
- Jason Davenport, Goodwin Frazier
- Nichol Burchett, Garden Ridge
- Kaitlyn English, Hoffmann Lane
- Catriona Salter, Indian Springs
- Laura Parker, Johnson Ranch
- Deborah Stull, Kinder Ranch
- Valerie Fisher-Smart, Morningside
- Susan Brotherman, Mountain Valley
- Robin Young, Oak Creak
- Angela Eilers, Rahe Bulverde
- Katelin Manley, Rebecca Creek
- Erica Ward, Specht
- Sharon Voll, Startzville
- Kristin Alexander, Timberwood Park
Middle School Nurses
- Sue Soth, Church Hill
- Nicole Morgan, Canyon
- Sylvia Ponce, Danville
- Brandy Bennett, Mountain Valley
- Carol Hitt, Pieper Ranch
- Nancy Keith, Spring Branch
- Sheryl Moreno, Smithson Valley
High School Nurses
- Kim Harris, Canyon
- Amanda Collins, Canyon
- Tammy Ortega, Canyon
- Cheryl Sczech, Canyon Lake
- Natalie Kuhn, Smithson Valley
- Mary Solis, Davenport
- Cheryl Sims, Smithson Valley
- Nancy Keith, Hill Country College Preparatory
- Carolyn Jarchow, Smithson Valley EA
- Kathy Regan, Memorial Early College and CDC
- Angie Scott, Life Bridges
- Courtney Nesloney, Pieper
Health Services
- Renee Jones, Covid Case Manger/Flex nurse
- Allyson Swain, Health services specialist
- Kellie Brooks, Health services coordinator
Congratulations!
-Pictured from left is Baiden Martinez, Katherine Threm, Tytus Gonzalez, Cali Wiatrek and Tulip Juarez.
-Pictured from left is Comal ISD Trustee Cody Mueller, Trustee Courtney Biasatti, Trustee Tim Hennessee, Trustee Michelle Ross, Student Election Clerk Abigail Permenter, Trustee Jason York, Trustee Dr. Marty Bartlett, Trustee Russell Garner and Superintendent Andrew Kim.
-Pictured from left is Comal ISD Trustee Cody Mueller, Trustee Courtney Biasatti, Trustee Tim Hennessee, Trustee Michelle Ross, Canyon High School Head Volleyball Coach Heather Sanders, Trustee Jason York, Trustee Dr. Marty Bartlett, Trustee Russell Garner and Superintendent Andrew Kim.
-Comal ISD school nurses were recognized at the Board of Trustees meeting on Oct. 27, for their professionalism and compassion.
-Smithson Valley Senior Tytus Gonzalez was selected as a 2021 Bank of America Leader this summer.
-Canyon High Head Volleyball Coach Heather Sanders celebrated her 700th career win Oct. 19.