Lufkin ISD Superintendent Lynn Torres
Springtime activities are blooming everywhere at Lufkin ISD.
With baseball and softball in full swing at our new facilities at the high school and Easter egg hunts and field days at our primary and elementary campuses, this is one of my favorite times of year.
With pretty weather and flowers, we have much to celebrate this season. This month in particular has been a month to celebrate student academic accomplishments.
I am so proud of all of the students who were named National Honor Society inductees. There have been ceremonies for the National Honor Society high school students and the Elementary Honor Society students.
Next will be the Lufkin Middle School National Honor Society students. These students exemplify leadership, initiative, scholarship and dependability and must maintain good grades.
Speaking of good grades, the Superintendent Honor Roll Breakfast is coming up on April 22. This event celebrates being successful in academics. This year we will honor 631 students in third grade through 12th grade with a catered breakfast at the convention center.
Lufkin High School alumni Hall Henderson, LHS class of 2004; Courtney Kelly, LHS class of 1998; and Daniel Spikes, LHS class of 1996, will speak to the students about their pathway from Lufkin High School to college and beyond. These students have done a great job maintaining good grades throughout the school year.
Our Top 20 students were recently announced and with that privilege these senior students will attend the Panthers of Prestige ceremony in May. At this event, the students will honor their educators of influence, someone who helped make them who they are today. I always enjoy hearing the praise students give back to their educators. It’s very inspiring and always a little emotional to see the lasting bond educators have on their students.
I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the accomplishments of the PantherBots, the Lufkin High School robotics team. The PantherBots team has qualified for the FIRST World Championship in Houston April 20-23 where they will compete with 500 of the best teams from around the world. At this moment, we know there will be teams from China, Chinese Taipei, Shanghai, Japan, Canada, Brazil, Mexico, Turkey, Romania, and Australia and Lufkin attending. This is a huge opportunity and accomplishment for our high school students. This wouldn’t be possible without the community support through companies like Lockheed Martin and our parents, mentors and LHS robotics teacher Robyn Segrest.
Next up will be inductions into the STEM program and Early College High School. Both of these programs show the importance of partnering with our local university and junior college, Stephen F. Austin State University and Angelina College. We are very fortunate to have these institutions of higher learning in our backyard. In May, we will celebrate our first class of graduates, the Class of 2022, from our Early College High School. Academics is important at Lufkin ISD, and through these remarkable programs and opportunities, Together We Rise!