Floresville ISD announced the Teachers and Students of the Month for January.
Jennifer Castillo, Pre-K teacher at the Floresville Early Childhood Center, is one of two Teachers of the Month. Ms. Castillo currently teaches 3-year-old students along with her assistant Ms Fox. She was born and raised in Laredo, Texas. After graduating from high school she attended Texas A&M International University where she graduated with honors and received a Bachelor's Degree in Interdisciplinary Studies in Early Childhood Education. She is completing her 18th year in education and has taught 3rd grade, 4th-grade Math and Science and Pre-K. Ms. Castillo’s hope for the future is that she is able to impact every student in a positive, caring, and loving way. She wants her students to leave her classroom knowing that they are valued and that, through hard work and dedication, they will be the thinkers and problem solvers of the future. Ms. Castillo has three wonderful boys of her own ages 21, 18 and 15. In her free time, she enjoys Salsa dancing and spending time with her fiancé. Walking into Ms. Castillo’s classroom, one would be amazed at the activities she has her students working on! She has very creative centers, hands-on activities, super cool manipulatives, and she is always engaged with her littles. Ms. Castillo is always laughing, radiates positivity, and her colleagues and students really enjoy being around her.
Daidra Chilek, 4th-grade teacher at Floresville North Elementary, is our other Teacher of the Month. She has taught 4th grade in Floresville ISD all of her 19 years in education. Many of those years she has served as grade level lead and all but one year was in math and science. Many consider her classroom a rite of passage, and it is hard to think about 4th grade or even math instruction at FNE without thinking of Mrs. Chilek. As a Floresville resident, she is an active part of the community, attending various events with her husband, 7th-grader, senior, and FHS graduate. She is a member of Sacred Heart and Blessed Sacrament Churches, serves on the Baked Food Show committee for WIlson County Junior Livestock Show and volunteers through FFA Booster club. She is fully immersed in our school district as a teacher, parent, and community member. At school, Mrs. Chilek’s classroom is a well-oiled machine where the work is never done. She purposefully plans a variety of activities and assignments that are personalized to each student to help fill gaps and provide enrichment. She also implements student data trackers and facilitates goal setting with her students. In fact, her favorite thing about teaching is seeing students grow and take ownership of their learning. One of her fellow math teachers said, “Daidra consistently goes above and beyond to ensure our fourth-grade team and students are organized and supported. She is dedicated to every aspect of this job, and is a constant inspiration to her team members. To work alongside and learn from Daidra is truly a blessing.”
Mrs. Chilek chose to become a teacher because she wanted to be a difference maker. She is known for setting high standards and providing opportunities for productive struggle in her classroom. Each day, she not only inspires students to work harder but also leaves an impact on her peers. Another colleague said, “Daidra's dedication and hard work are inspiring to me as her partner teacher, and because of this, she is truly deserving of this recognition. She builds meaningful relationships with her students, making every child feel valued and supported. As a teammate, she is collaborative and encouraging and is always willing to lend a hand for the better of the entire grade level. I only wish I was half as organized as Daidra. She pays close attention to detail and sets a high standard for excellence in teaching. She has a passion for teaching and truly cares about her students and her coworkers."
Camila Treviño, 5th-grade student at FNE, is one of two Students of the Month. Camila enjoys the lost arts of crocheting and roller skating. In her spare time, she also enjoys practicing math problems, creating Cricut crafts, watching old movies and playing with her hamster. At school, Camila participates in the engineering club and will successfully complete the dual language program this year. Her favorite subject is math but especially enjoys having Mrs. Turner as her Spanish Language Arts teacher. She is excited about the new Caring Lab rotation class at FNE this year, which is not surprising since her friends describe Camila as “the sweetest girl ever.” FNE teachers describe Camila as “a true embodiment of what it means to Capture Kids Hearts because she cares so much for others. She takes pride in her work and wants to see everyone succeed.” She stands out as a truly bilingual student who performs equally high in English and Spanish. Her teachers say she is always ready to help her classmates and gets along with everyone. After having the same students in her class since kindergarten, Camila is looking forward to meeting new people in middle school and hopes to make many more new friends. As a high achiever who cares for others, Camila naturally wants to study hard and learn a lot so she can one day become a doctor.
Luke Svoboda, 5th-grade student at FNE, is the second Student of the Month. Luke is known at FNE for being a “respectable young gentleman. He’s always going to hold the door open for ladies and tell them good morning.” When asked to describe him, his teacher just said “well, he’s perfect” and that he always has his hand raised, is always listening, and he’s always right with the answer. She said he is the first to volunteer to help anyone because he is “such a sweetheart.” Another teacher describes Luke as “a very thoughtful, caring young man who puts forth his best effort regularly. He is a role model for his classmates and makes the teacher’s job easier!” Outside of school, Luke enjoys the outdoors. As a member of Sunny Side 4 H, he participates in baking and rifle. He likes to hunt, play with pets, go to the farm, and go to school. He admits his favorite thing about school is lunch but also enjoys learning math with Mrs. Estrada. He regularly performs at high levels and participates in the Gifted and Talented program. Luke is looking forward to middle school because he’s “heard that the kids have a lot more freedom there.” After Luke graduates from Floresville ISD, he hopes to go to college to learn about coding and designing, and possibly becoming a program engineer.