By Joel Langton
The 830 Times
Nearly 500 teachers and administrators for the San Felipe Del Rio Consolidated Independent School District crowded into the Del Rio Civic Center Thursday afternoon as the district honored its top teachers.
Educators from across the district were honored as their campus’s top teachers. Then, Lamar Elementary’s Patricia L. Villarreal was named the top elementary school teacher and Del Rio High School’s Lauren M. Cardenas was named the top secondary school teacher.
“Each campus teacher of the year is a representation of the hard work and dedication that exists within each teacher at each campus,” said Dr. Carlos H. Rios, SFDRCISD superintendent.
Each campus put its teachers front and center with introductions ranging from conga lines led by robots to another group that had The Cat in the Hat helping the teachers.
“It’s always impressive to me the creativity our campuses show through this program,” Rios said. “Every year, I don’t see how they can ever top themselves and then the next year, I’m just left shaking my head in awe again at the creativity of our campuses.”
Both teachers were standing on the same “podium”, with the same superintendent, winning Teacher of the Year for different school levels, elementary and secondary, but they took very different paths getting there.
Villarreal has taught for 25 years, moving to Del Rio from Pearsall to go to Sul Ross State University and then being selected for a teaching slot in the SFDRCISD in 1997.
In 2011, she was asked to teach science. “I found out that was really my niche,” she said. “I love sharing and teaching science with these students and there is nothing greater than seeing the look in their eyes when the light bulb goes off and they start understanding something,” Villarreal said.
The district’s superintendent said her science passion was key for the district. “Patty Villarreal has always been our ‘go-to teacher’ when it comes to elementary science,” Rios said. “Her ability to motivate students coupled with her eagerness to help her colleagues is a tremendous asset to all.”
It wasn’t Villarreal’s first march to the winner’s circle. She was the East Side Elementary Teacher of the Year, Lamar Elementary Teacher of the Year twice, selected for SFDRCISD Elementary Teacher of the Year twice and won the honor at the regional level.
Meanwhile, Cardenas, a 2010 Del Rio High grad, may not have been in a teaching position as long as Villarreal, but she has been passionate about her profession for awhile.
“When I was in high school, I’d meet with my classmates with my white board at Dairy Queen and tutor them, usually in math,” she said.
She said she loves teaching math and once school is out, is mentoring students in the robotics programs. The program finished as one of the best in Texas this past Spring.
“Lauren Cardenas has clearly distinguished herself as a brilliant math teacher that motivates students to accomplish what was once unimaginable to them,” Rios said. “Also, her dedication to the robotics program and our students is pure gold.”
After graduating high school, she went to University of Texas where she earned her degree. She went to work at the high school in 2014. Four years earlier, she had a locker there; now she had her own classroom.
“On the first day of school, I always tell them my math class is a gym for their brains,” Cardenas said.
Others elementary school teachers nominated were Rosa M. Islas, Buena Vista Elementary; Ana G. Martinez, Dr. Fermin Calderon Elementary; Marisol S. Chavez, Dr. Lonnie Green Elementary; Kasey J. Morales, Garfield Elementary; Emily Diaz, Ruben Chavira Elementary; Guadalupe H. Ortiz, Irene Cardwell Elementary; Merary A. Alcantara, North Heights Elementary and Priscilla L. Nguyen, Roberto “Bobby” Barrera Elementary.
Secondary teachers nominated were Lois S. Przepierski, Student Guidance and Learning Center; Kayla Riley, San Felipe Memorial Middle School; Arturo Padilla III, Del Rio Middle School 7th Grade; Jesse J. Davila, Del Rio Middle School 8th Grade; Dora I. Moss, Del Rio Freshman School; Ariel L. Falcon, Blended Academy and Anel M. Perez, Early College High School.
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Contact the author at joelalangton@gmail.com .
