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LAMBDA SIGMA NEWS

The Delta Kappa Gamma Society International

Texas State Organization Lambda Sigma Chapter
Missouri City, Texas

Volume 29, Number 7 May, 2011

Area IV, Number 282

President: Cathie Ritchie Editor: Barb Hansen

critchie43@comcast.net bjhansen@windstream.net

President's Message

Dear Lambda Sigma Sisters,

This has been quite a memorable retirement year for me: my son married a gal I adore, I have
enjoyed teaching ESL again at a wonderful school, and I have had the honor of serving as your president
of this fabulous Lambda Sigma Chapter of Delta Kappa Gamma. To top it off, I am getting an incentive
($) for retiring! I can’t think of a better way to end my 38 years of teaching.
The officers and committee chairs have been a delight. Everyone has eagerly contributed her
time and talents to ensure that all our commitments, projects, programs, reports, and fun activities have
been successful. With this directory of dedicated members, I know we will have another enjoyable and
productive year in the ’11-’12 school year.
Everyone who attended our Bunco/potato martini evening in April at Mary Ann Dolezal’s home
declared it 100% fun! We may have to add this event with our progressive dinner as an annual must. A
good time was definitely had by all! We even managed to have a short business meeting during our
revelries.
The Cinderella/Cinderfella Project thanks you all for making this year’s prom become a dream
come true for many of our Ft. Bend students. Your donations of dresses, jewelry, shoes, purses,
tuxedos, etc. thrilled them. Our chapter also donated a disposable camera for each recipient so they
might remember this special night forever. We also provided art materials and books for the Juvenile
Detention Center. We should all give ourselves a pat on our backs for our caring spirit and generosity.
I hope all of you have Saturday, May 21, 10:00 a.m., on your calendar for our salad luncheon and
Founders Day. We will recognize our grant winner and greet our prospective members. This is always
one of our most delightful and delicious meetings. In this Newsletter I have urged you to bring items for
Texas Treasure Boxes to be given to chronically-ill children from Delta Kappa Gamma at our 82nd State
Convention in McAllen. This is our state Unifying Project. Please bring your item/s to our luncheon for
Linda and me to take to convention.
Recognition will be given to our exemplary members at our luncheon, but I must jump the gun a
bit by bragging on Barb Hansen. I just received notification that our chapter once again received the
“Five Star Award for an Outstanding Newsletter” given by the Delta Kappa Gamma Society International,
Texas State Communications Committee. Barb, we all love you for your talent and devotion!
I look forward to seeing each of you at the luncheon. Have a well-deserved restful and relaxing
summer.

Blessings,
Cathie Ritchie
 The Delta Kappa Gamma Mission
Statement
The Delta Kappa Gamma Society
International promotes professional and
personal growth of women educators and
excellence in education. Birthday Girls!

Patsy Borochoff 5/3

Judy Wallis 5/7
Marylaura Merritt 5/8
Rita Drabek 5/16
Frances Courville 5/31
Barbara Hansen 6/7
Mary Crochet 6/10
Debbie Reynolds 6/11
Jean Gardener 6/27
Shari Lim 6/27
Peggy Norman 7/1
Mary Mills Willis 7/3
May Luncheon/Business Meeting Linda Russell 7/18
Carolyn Zaskoda 7/21
Saturday, May 21 10:00 a.m.
Christi Chrisman’s home
3511 Bassett Ct. Missouri City, TX
Tel: 281-778-8898

Program: Meet your prospective

members and our Grant-in-Aid recipient
Please bring items for Texas Treasure
Boxes to be taken to State Convention in
McAllen in June. (See next page for ideas)

Hostesses: Dawn Westfall, Margaret

Larson, Harriet Mantini, Christi Chrisman

All members attending are asked to bring a

salad or dessert to share. Lambda Sigma has
donated $500 for the Hundreds for
Headquarters campaign.

Visit our chapter website

http://lambdasigma.weebly.com/
 Texas Treasure Boxes Are Unifying Project (UP)
for 82nd State Convention in McAllen
Each chapter has the opportunity to touch the life of a chronically-ill child by participating in the second state
Unifying Project (UP) at this year’s 82nd State Convention in McAllen. Attendees are asked to bring to the state
convention site a shoebox-sized plastic box filled with goodies to enhance a child’s learning during a hospital
stay. These Treasure Boxes will be distributed to hospitals for chronically-ill children in the Valley, Laredo and
Corpus Christi. The Personal Grown and Services Committee will help collect and display boxes during the
convention. Boxes should be brought to the registration area at the convention site. Each box should be filled
with new and unused small gifts, toys, and games.

Some suggested items include:

Under 2: bibs, rattles, soft books, teething rings, booties, pacifier, Sippy cup or bottle

Ages 2-4: dolls, Matchbox cars, Play-Doh, crayons, coloring book, bubbles, card
games, soft balls, puppets, soft animals

Ages 4-8: silly putty, Play-Doh, paints, art supplies, bubbles, card games, puzzles, travel-size board
games, cars, stickers, Nerf balls

Ages 8-11: card games, paints, Silly putty, calculator, gel pens, yo-yo, craft kits,
brainteasers, books, puzzles, small toys, Nerf balls, travel-size games

Ages 11 & up: electronic games, word search/crossword puzzles, books, playing cards, craft kits,
journals, nail polish, stress balls

All ages: a book (English or Spanish) and cards ( lots of well wishes)

Label Box:
Boy __________ Girl ___________
under 2 __________ 8 to 11 ___________
2 to 4 __________ 11 to 14 ___________
4 to 8 __________ 14 & up ___________
English __________ Spanish ___________

Members may participate in this project individually or as a chapter.

Because of health issues, NO FOOD, USED ITEMS, or HAIR PRODUCTS may be included.
 TSO Convention in McAllen

Auction is open to all Lambda Sigma sisters and

their families.

A TSO Convention is always a

unique mix of opportunities for
personal and professional growth and societal
fun. The 2011 Convention will be just that, and Lambda Sigma Programs
maybe a bit more.
Beginning with tours on Wednesday and 2011-2012
Thursday to the famous King Ranch, popular
South Padre Island or Gabbi’s, a shopper’s Please let Linda Russell know if you’d like to
delight, McAllen 2011 has something to offer present a program at one of our meetings this
every member and her guest. Join in the fun on next year or have any ideas as to what you’d like
Wednesday evening when we will welcome you to see. Send her comments about the meetings
to the! Fiesta!, our pre-convention party at the this past year. You can e-mail her at her school
Holiday Inn Suites. A zippy Zumba address (lrussel3@houstonisd.org) up through
demonstration and the chance to meet and greet the end of May. Beginning June and thereafter
friends from all regions of the state will energize send correspondence to her home address
you for the convention activities to follow. (lrussel4@yahoo.com) as she’ll retire this year.
On Thursday, vendors will open at 11:00 a.m. in Be sure you just type one l at the end of Russel
the convention marketplace, and there will be an even though it’s normally spelled Russell.
especially important meeting for Chapter
Presidents or their representatives at noon. The
Thursday afternoon schedule is filled with
significant presentations and conversations
focused Leadership and the First Timer
Orientation plus the first round of workshops.
And don’t forget rehearsals! Suspense will fill
the air later in the evening when Opening Night
activities reveal PACE Award winners.
Register for the 82nd TSO Convention now and
arrive early. There will be plenty of valuable
things to do and learn!

7 nights in a Colorado Cabin
Bid today!
http://meuth.blogspot.com/2011/04/this-is-
where-house-description-could.html#comments
Chapter News
In our Prayers
Please keep Travis Courville and his wife,
Frances in your prayers as he continues his
recovery from open-heart surgery.

Please keep Gerald Holsapple and his wife,
Janie, in your thoughts. Gerald had a triple
bypass and is in St. Luke's Medical Center. He
is doing well and the family thanks you so much
for the prayers and reminders of your love and
concern.
Retirees
Kay Slack Beard taught 30 years at Dulles High
School. Although she officially retired last June,
she is being honored by FBISD this May. Kay
taught Health, coached golf for 19 years, and
then retired from coaching to take over the PAL
program. She has enjoyed the past year more
than she could ever have imagined. Golf,
grandchildren, golf, grandchildren, golf,
grandchildren....life is sooo good! Kay has a life
time of friends from previous students and the
wonderful teachers she has worked with over
the past 30 years.
Joan Eubanks attended West Texas State
University (now WTAM) and finished at mid-term
in 1972. She started teaching 5th grade in
Coahoma, Texas, in January 1973. Her very first
day of teaching was cancelled because of the
death of Lyndon B. Johnson.
Joan taught the next three years in Coahoma,
in first grade. Then, in 1976, moved to
Raymondville, in the Rio Grande Valley, and
taught junior high resource. While Joan was in
the valley, she completed her M.Ed. at Pan
American University with certifications in LLD,
PPCD, and Diagnostician.
In 1979, she moved to the Houston area and
taught elementary resource in Aldine ISD for 3
years and was a diagnostician in that district for
2 years.
Joan moved to FBISD in the Spring of 1983 as
an educational diagnostician. That was the year
Clements High School opened. FBISD had 10
diagnosticians that year. Last year we had 52
diagnosticians! Joan has worked in Fort Bend
for 27 years, and has been in many schools, at
all levels. She is retiring with 39 years
experience -- 10 in the classroom and 29 as a
diagnostician.
Carla Meuth is leaving public education after 28
years in Fort Bend. She started teaching private
kindergarten in 73, and with the exception of
only a few years, she has always taught, public
and private. Carla will end 37 years in education.
She’s taught mainly middle school, Special Ed,
over 15 years. In the private schools, Carla
assumed director titles, assistant director, as
well as taught P.E. & health, and K-5th
curriculum. She thought she would always be a
teacher, but teach art or P.E. While in junior
high, Carla was introduced to a program for kids
to assist special needs children in school at
Dulles Jr. High. Mr. James Patterson started this
program and she was hooked. Mr. Madden also
was a great influence as Carla sat in his
homeroom for 3 years and watched the amazing
teachers that crossed her path. She will continue
to privately tutor and work with the Literacy
Council to teach others to read and write. After
her Mother and Grandmother, Carla’s teachers
have always guided her ambitions and passions.
Thank you, Lambda Sigma sisters, for all you
have done for our children. You are true heroes
in Carla’s eyes.
There will be a retirement party on May 18 at
4:30 -6:00 p.m., at Austin Parkway Elementary.
Please feel free to drop in and share Carla’s joy.
Cathie Ritchie is retiring after 38 years of
teaching. She graduated from Bellaire High
School in 1961 and from Texas Tech in 1965.
Cathie began her career in HISD at Windsor
Village Elementary teaching first grade. Her first
salary was $3500 per year. She remembers the
windows being wide open with the floor fans
blowing. Cathie ruined lots of clothes with the
purple ditto ink from running off papers, which
they ran off themselves, of course.
After teaching two years, Cathie “retired” to get
married. She really didn’t think I would ever
teach again since she was married. They spent
two fun years in Germany in the Army, but had
to return to the states for Cathie’s husband to go
to Vietnam. She then taught a year in Pasadena
while he was on one of his two tours of duty.
Happily the schools were air conditioned by
then. In 1976 and 1977 Cathie taught in North
Carolina while they were stationed at Ft. Bragg.
Returning to Houston in 1978, Cathie got a job
with my former principal in HISD at Fondren
Elementary. She joined the FBISD family in years and then left to open Arizona Fleming as
1980 teaching 4th and 2nd grade at E. A. Jones the librarian. After seven years at Fleming, she
until 1991. Cathie transferred to Lakeview and was asked by the principal to open the library at
then to Lexington Creek when it opened. In ’98 Rita Drabek Elementary. She has been there
she left the regular classroom to begin teaching for ten years and will be retiring with 40 years of
ESL. Cathie has loved teaching ESL and knows service in June. The highlight of her career was
she will miss it. being chosen Dulles Elementary teacher of the
Being an educator allowed her to visit Japan year and going on to be a finalist for the District
with fantastic teachers from every state in the Teacher of the Year.
U.S on the Fulbright Memorial Scholarship.
Cathie will treasure that experience forever!
In 2002 Cathie was honored to serve as Ft.
Bend’s Elementary Teacher of the Year. There
are so many teachers who deserve that title –
she was grateful that she had the opportunity to
represent the teachers of Ft. Bend.
What Cathie cherishes the most about her
career are the wonderful, caring, intelligent, fun-
loving friends she has made over the years.
Naturally she will remember with fondness many
of her special students. She is proud of their
accomplishments. But Cathie’s teacher friends
have given her a life-time of love and support.
She is thankful for each of you!

Lambda Sigma Bunco Winners

Linda Russell received her B.S. Ed. from the April 1, 2011
University of Houston in1972. She went on to
receiver her Supervisor—MA Ed. from Stephen
F. Austin. Linda spent 12 years teaching in Fort
Bend ISD at Jones Elementary, Blue Ridge
Elementary, opening the Meadows Elementary,
Quail Valley Elementary ( 2nd grade Team
Leader), Q.V.M.S., and Settler’s Way Just a Thought
Elementary. Linda then taught in Houston I.S.D.
for 15 years as a Language Arts Specialist and “Twenty years from now you will be more
Ancillary positions such as Drama, Art, and Fine disappointed by the things that you didn't do
Arts (all arts combined). She is both G.T. and than by the ones you did do. So throw off
ESL certified. Linda has taught all grades from the bowlines. Sail away from the safe
Pre-K through 7th.
harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails.
Explore. Dream. Discover.”
Mark Twain (1835-1910)
Ann Thompson started her career with Fort
Bend in 1969 teaching third grade at Lakeview
Elementary. After three years, she had a son
and stayed home for two and a half years. She
went back to Lakeview in the middle of the year
at the request of the principal and taught fifth
grade for a year and a half. The assistant
principal, Jane Perrin, was opening Dulles
Elementary and Ann went with several other
Lakeview teachers to start a new adventure in a
new school. She taught second grade for 18
You will find the minutes to our March
meeting at the end of this newsletter.

Delta Kappa Gamma Lambda Sigma Chapter

April 1, 2011
at the home of Mary Ann Mary Ann Dolezal, 7:00 p.m.

President Cathie Ritchie called the meeting to order at 7:02.

• Minutes from the last meeting were sent to members via email.
• Linda Russell informed those present of members in need of prayer:
Mary Laura Merritt
Stephanie Bailey
Judy Bartay
• Sally Cain, 2nd VP, reported there were 23 members in attendance. She then
read biographical information on the seven educators who were nominated
for membership into Delta Kappa Gamma Society. All seven were discussed,
voted on, and all accepted for membership into the Lambda Sigma Chapter.
• Dale Araujo delivered the Treasurer’s Report: a balance of $3718.14 with
$156.50 made on the last meeting’s raffle.
• Linda Russell reported that all paperwork for the Annie Award has been
submitted.
• President Cathie Ritchie bought and donated disposable cameras to the
Cinderella/Cinderfella Project from Delta Kappa Gamma – Lambda Sigma
Chapter. It was voted on and approved to reimburse Cathie ~$131.00 for the
cameras.
• Our next meeting will be our annual salad luncheon on May 21, 10 a.m. to 1
p.m., at the home of Christi Chrisman.
• The meeting was adjourned at 8:05.

After the meeting, fun was had by all playing Bunco.

Minutes submitted by Lana Petrizzo, Recording Secretary