In the week leading up to the start of school on Aug. 2, campuses across the Socorro Independent School District were preparing for a new chapter of student success for the 2025-2026 academic year.
Educators enhanced their skills and knowledge at professional development conferences and celebrated the fine arts during their welcome-back events. Meanwhile, teachers throughout the district prepared their classrooms, ready to engage their students from day one.
Conference empowers educators
More than 600 teachers from eight elementary and middle schools in the Socorro High School feeder pattern, along with educators from SISD’s flagship high school, kicked off the school year at the second annual “Leading Forward: Shaping Tomorrow's Innovators” conference at Socorro High School on July 29.
Teachers participated in interactive workshops, data-informed sessions, and team-building activities designed to promote a unified vision for excellence in education. Dr. Joshua Ray, Ed.D., an educational speaker and author known for his work with Professional Learning Communities (PLC) at Work®, delivered the keynote address. He emphasized the importance of building healthy school cultures and the significance of collaborative teams.
Socorro High School Principal Ignacio Estorga, Ed.D., said the sessions were designed to explore various teaching strategies, encouraging teachers to think outside of the box and support student success in the classroom and beyond.
“We're one community, and we need to make sure that we understand that we have the biggest impact on our students from the elementary to the middle to the high school level. They need to know that this community relies on them for the education of their kids,” Estorga said.
SISD visual arts teachers celebrate milestone
At Pebble Hills High School, visual arts teachers across SISD celebrated the achievement of receiving the 2025 District of Distinction Award from the Texas Art Education Association (TAEA) for the fifth consecutive year during the Department of Fine Arts Job-Alike professional development conference on July 31.
The award highlighted the district’s ongoing commitment to providing a well-rounded education that includes a robust visual arts curriculum. SISD is the first district in the region to receive this prestigious award for five years.
Sindy Martinez, an art teacher at William D. Slider Middle School, said one of the reasons SISD has been recognized for the award is its strong commitment to community service. Last year, her students combined art and science by creating UV bead bracelets that change color when exposed to UV light and distributed them to their fellow students. This year, she plans to do a similar project that focuses on promoting art and mental health.
“It's a huge accomplishment, not just for the teachers, but also for the students, because they're the ones that are putting in the work and the effort. And honestly, it's kind of a representation of what the teachers are teaching them, and they're like surprising us, and they have been for the past five years,” Martinez said.
Educators focus on back-to-school prep
At schools across the district, teachers prepared their classrooms to welcome back students.
At Élfida P. Chávez Elementary, Sonia Perez, a third-grade bilingual teacher, was decorating her classroom with this year’s school theme: “Moose, Start Your Engines.” The 21-year teaching veteran was entering her second year of teaching third grade and felt well-prepared to welcome her new students.
“I think the best thing about the third graders is that they're independent, but they still love you, and they're just so open to learning,” Perez said. “Last year with my little ones, they just embraced data like they told me, ‘How am I doing? How can I get better?’ They're just so open to learning.”
Adriana Bañuelos at Vista Del Sol Environmental Science Academy said she was looking forward to starting her sixth year, teaching Pre-K 3 at the school. She said her students usually experience crying and separation anxiety on the second day of school, which will lessen as time goes on.
During the summer, she attended professional development training courses to enhance her skills and prepare for the new school year.
“They add to my teacher toolbox,” Bañuelos said. “They provide me with the skills I need to support my students in the classroom.”
Brianna Garcia has been teaching first grade at Horizon Heights Elementary School for five years.
She said that the best part of teaching was building relationships with her students as well as with the teachers and staff she works with.
“I'm looking forward to overcoming challenges, getting to know the new students and seeing them progress overall and helping them progress so that they can be the best that they could be,” Garcia said.
Karla Lujan, a special education aide at Paso Del Norte Fine Arts Academy, said she was happy to welcome first graders to her class for the first time, along with second and third graders. She said she learns just as much from the students as they learn from her.
“I'm excited. It’s a brand-new start. Every day you learn something new. You learn from the little ones when they come in, and they teach you not to take anything for granted, so you value all those little things that sometimes we forget,” Lujan said.