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The month of May brings excitement and anticipation for summer relaxation.

However, before we break for summer, we must discuss this month’s celebrations.

May is Asian American and Pacific Islander Month, as well as Better Hearing and Speech Month.

This week in PAISD, we celebrated Teacher Appreciation Week and Cinco de Mayo.

We also awarded our 2022-2023 Teachers and Rookies of the Year, and named our district-wide winners.

Our Elementary Teacher of the Year is Tyrrell’s third grade ELAR and Social Studies teacher, Savannah Cessac.

Our Secondary Teacher of the Year is Lincoln’s math instructor, DeAndrea Oliver.

This weekend, we are sending out a HUGE Happy Mother’s Day wish to all of our mothers, mother dears, stand-in mothers, bonus mothers, grandmothers and anyone who has taken us under their wings and guided us in the right way.

Giving birth to a child does not make you a mother. A mother is someone who loves you unconditionally, redirects you when you are on the wrong path, touches your forehead when you have a fever, makes sure you are OK when you think the world is ending and smiles at you when you are not deserving.

To all of the mothers and mother figures out there that care enough to share your heart, we thank you. We love you; and please, never give up on us.

Another celebration is the Memorial High School Prom that will take place on Saturday, May 7, at 8 p.m., at the Bob Bowers Civic Center. The MHS prom is an event that is supported by the entire community.

The last time our community had an opportunity to come and support our children was back in 2019. We are excited to once again host our prom and have our community come out and be amazed at our beautiful young ladies and handsome gentlemen.

It will be a night of fashion, bling and shiny new things. And let’s not forget the grand entrances our students make upon their arrival to the venue in the sleekest and cleanest cars around.

On May 13, at 5:30 p.m., Lamar State College will host their graduation, in which our students from the Woodrow Wilson Early College High School and Career And Technical Education Center will participate.

Our students will receive associate degrees or certifications from Lamar before they receive their high school diploma May 27.

We are proud of our Wilson and CATE students, and their parents, for staying the course.

On May 27, at 3 p.m., inside the Montagne Center, Memorial High School will graduate over 400 students. We salute this group of students for the grit they have had to possess over the last two years.

These students were sophomores when COVID hit and they have endured challenges that have never been experienced before. The strength that these students and their parents exhibited has been nothing short of a miracle. When we see these groups of students stand and walk across that stage, it will be a moment that will be with us for the rest of our lives.

Congratulations to the MHS Senior Class of 2022!

As we move forward with planning the 2022-23 school year, we are having to modify our school zones.

As our community grows or shrinks, we are required to look at the number of students in a facility and balance that number across the district. To address the changes among different schools and neighborhoods, we have redrawn PAISD’s campus boundaries.

This means some of our students will be zoned to a different school than they may be used to attending. Change can be good! This change will be great. The benefits of school rezoning is leveling school sizes, keeping close proximity to student homes, and continuing to increase the safety and growth of our district.

We are asking for our parents to view the school rezoning map on our website at the bottom center of the homepage where it says “Attendance Zone.”

If you have questions please call your child’s current campus registrar. The PAISD will open registration for the 2022-2023 school year on Monday, May 16, and we are asking all parents to register your child/children, even if the rezoning does not affect your family.

Registration must be current and up to date annually in order to ensure all information regarding your child is accurate–especially the best way to contact parents.

Summer school will be held Mondays through Thursdays from 8am to 2pm from June 6 to June 30. The parents of students who are recommended or required to attend must understand that a student cannot have any absences during summer school.

Grade retention or promotion may be contingent upon successful completion of summer school courses.

We anticipate a wonderful beginning of the 2022-23 school year and ask that you would stand with us in unity as we continue to teach the best and brightest our community has to give.

Dr. Mark Porterie is superintendent of schools for the Port Arthur Independent School District. He can be reached at mporterie@paisd.org.