Today we’d like to introduce you to Jackie Boyd.
Jackie, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
You will have to work quite hard to find someone more proud to be a Texan than this Canadian. Yes, you read that right! I was born just outside of Toronto, Canada, but I got here as quickly as I could. I am a graduate of Kempner High School, right here in Fort Bend. I knew that I wanted to be an educator even as a young child, forcing my sister and my Cabbage Patch doll to sit together and play school. My life has taken many interesting turns throughout the years. So often, my certainty in my path in this world has been turned on its head. As a young teacher, I was certain that I would teach Deaf children for my entire career… I loved it! An opportunity presented itself for me to work with children who were both Deaf and Intellectually Disabled and I am grateful I pursued the challenge… I had found a new happy place! This moved me from elementary-age students to a high school.
Eventually, I moved to an intermediate campus, teaching 5th and 6th grade. Math, the subject I hated the most as a child, became my favorite to teach. Working with students with special needs is also what led me to educational administration. I love being an Assistant Principal! Working in this field in any capacity is amazing, but it is powerful to be able to impact the lives of 750 children on a campus, instead of just the 20-40 that rotate through my classroom in a year.
Has it been a smooth road?
The nature of life is that we will be presented with challenges as part of our journey. It is how we react to those challenges that make all the difference. Two months after deciding to pursue my administrative certification, my husband and son passed away. I was seven months pregnant at the time. Nobody in the world would have thought less of me if I had reacted differently than I did, but I quickly realized that I needed to rediscover what normal was to me again. I will never forget coming back to work; a student gave me the biggest hug and told me “we need each other.” That is what this life is about. We all need each other, we just need to open our minds to the idea. Since then, I have worked with other bereaved parents to help them through their journey. I take to heart the challenge to “do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can….” (John Wesley).
I now have remarried and have two more children. My family brings me so much happiness! Being a working mom can be tough, especially finding balance. I am grateful to work where I do because my school and my district share my values and understand the importance of family. I often liken difficult life events to the poem “Welcome to Holland,” by Emily Perl Kingsley. We can make plans, but we can only control so much. It is important to look for the love and beauty of wherever life takes us… that is what allows to be happy and to spread joy to others.
So, as you know, we’re impressed with Colony Meadows Elementary – tell our readers more, for example, what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
I am the Assistant Principal at Colony Meadows Elementary in Fort Bend ISD. I am grateful to be part of this organization every single day. Our Principal, Melissa Bolding, like me, believes that what we do is for the children first. She is amazing to work with. If someone comes to us with a somewhat unconventional idea that will make a difference in the lives of our students, we will find a way to make it happen. Our school currently has a unique program called Genius Hour. On Fridays, our students have an hour to pursue their passions while we as educators facilitate that journey. Our students must be able to answer the following 3 questions: How will your genius make you a better person? How will it help others? How will it change the world?
Melissa and I have watched our kids do incredible things from learning to sew stuffed animals for sick children to planning a garden, to learning to play instruments, to coding… the sky has been the limit! This brings me to another reason I am proud to be part of the Fort Bend family. Our school and our district both strongly believe in educating the whole child, not just the academic child. Our school-wide goal this year has been to build a team of life-long learners through positive relationships and innovative thinking. The Fort Bend ISD Profile of a Graduate similarly addresses the strong foundation we want to establish for our students. We want our students to leave our schools with a rigorous academic foundation, strong character, and so much more.
Let’s touch on your thoughts about our city – what do you like the most and least?
I love the diversity of Sugar Land. In our school alone, there are more than 25 languages spoken. This diversity provides us with so much to learn and to love. I also love that Sugar Land feels like home. I have lived here since I was 10… to this day, I cannot drive by the old sugar factory without smiling. Things have changed a lot… it is certainly a busier town, but it will always feel like home.
Contact Info:
- Address: 4510 Sweetwater Blvd.
Sugar Land, TX 77479 - Website: https://www.fortbendisd.com/CME
- Phone: 281-634-4120
- Email: jacqueline.boyd@fortbendisd.com
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/CME_Tigers
- Other: https://twitter.com/AP_JackieBoyd
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