Thursday July 23-Attention S.B.I.S.D. Personnel!!!

One of the things we all know about John is just how passionate he is about his job. He truly enjoys getting up each day and going to work and always has great stories about, "His kids" and the things they do which keep him entertained on a daily basis, and we get to reap the benefits by hearing the stories secondarily. I must tell you that hearing these stories makes me appreciate teachers as never before and also enables me to understand why that path did not present itself to me! It takes patience on levels unimaginable and those who we remember from our childhoods as great teachers are those who love what they do. My personal favorite teacher simply paid a bit of extra time to me on a day when I needed it most and I'm pretty sure there will someday be adults who remember the same about John. Sometimes it seems as if our lives are a series of waves in the ocean and maybe John creates an extra wave which continues to ripple toward the shore and encompasses everything and everyone in it's path including those he teaches and works with.

Many of you who work with John have emailed to ask if there is something you could do. As it turns out, John's leave will end soon and there is an opportunity for his fellow Spring Branch Independent School District employees to donate a day of leave toward his cause. Each day of leave will provide one to John which he will need to get him to the next phase of his treatment and the hopeful eventual return to work. Obviously, we absolutely understand if you have familial obligations or simply do not feel comfortable donating but if you feel inclined, here is the form:

Donated Days Form

Here are the instructions as to what to do after you fill it out:
Attached is a copy of the donated day form. Any employee of SBISD can donate days to John-all they need to do is complete the attached form and send it to Trisha in the payroll department for processing. Vicki is facilitating this process and I would like to personally thank her on behalf of all of us. Also, if you have any problems, with submission of forms or questions about leave, please contact her:

Vicki Louis

Employee Leave Specialist

Spring Branch ISD

Phone 713-251-2357

Fax 713-365-4879

I have also heard that photos are much appreciated so I promise to get some more in the next few days and post them here. I should say that John continues to participate in his treatment fully and also challenge himself and his own achievements as few people do. Missing even a few days of seeing him makes me realize just how much he is progressing and even more importantly, it makes me grateful for just how far he has come.