Convocation 2023 was a day to remember for New Braunfels ISD staff. T-shirts were blasted from a cannon, breakfast tacos were served, local coffee trucks were slinging drinks and a special guest even made an appearance on Aug. 15 at Unicorn stadium.
The theme of Convocation 2023 was Stronger Together as this marks the start of the final year of NBISD having one high school. Long Creek High School will be opening next school year. Little did staff members know that the pep rally-like event was about to take a uniquely familiar New Braunfels turn. As part of the event, there was a trivia game with NBISD Superintendent Dr. Laurelyn Arterbury in which she was prompted to answer questions about New Braunfels. (Arterbury started at NBISD earlier this summer.)
Questions included which rivers are in New Braunfels (Comal and Guadalupe) and when was New Braunfels founded (1845), which she correctly answered. But, the third question gave her a little bit of a challenge in which she enlisted the help of an expert on the matter.
The question: How many days does New Braunfels celebrate Wurstfest?
As she pondered the answer, an accordion began to play in the background. Coming out from under the bleachers was none other than Alex Meixner dressed in a lederhosen while playing jeopardy-themed music. He gave Arterbury a little back story about the local festival before she correctly said, “10.”
Meixner then played his hit song, There’s only one S in New Braunfels, and followed that with a rendition of the Chicken Dance along with the Mighty Unicorn Band.
Kevin Korpi and James Reno, two longtime New Braunfels High School teachers, were the Masters of Ceremony for the event. This year’s Convocation included performances and appearances from the NBHS band, dance teams, cheerleaders, Unicorn Handlers, MCJROTC, and the Blue Crew. Members of the NBISD Board of Trustees and Education Foundation were in attendance.
Following Convocation, employees headed over to the New Braunfels Civic Center, where the Education Foundation holds its annual Expo. Vendors from around the community setup shop along with PTA’s and Booster Clubs to provide information and sell spirit wear to staff.
The NBISD Education Foundation holds a grant parade each May when money is awarded to a number of teachers for field trips, new teacher grants and special projects.
Staff also learned about the Education Foundation’s employee giving program. The giving program is a partnership with employees and the foundation in which a monthly donation is automatically deducted from employees paychecks. The money then goes directly into grants, field trips and more.
Other annual events hosted by the foundation include, Distinguished Unicorn Alumni and Taste of the Town. To learn more about the NBISD Education Foundation, please visit: https://www.nbisd.org/community/nbisd-education-foundation.
