August 25-29, 2025
Brave of the Week - August 25-29 - Dedrick Fletcher
Brave of the Week honors go to Mr. Dedrick Fletcher, a coach, teacher, and boys athletics coordinator at Community Trails Middle School! See the full nomination from Mr. Russell Smith of Community Trails Middle School below.
Coach Fletcher had a great first year of teaching and coaching last year at Trails. 2 weeks into summer, he got chosen to be the new boys coordinator at Community Trails. He has worked extremely hard with everyone in the building to help all of our Trails boys successful and is learning on the job every day, gracefully accepts criticism, learns from it, and is doing a great job leading these young men. I'm super proud of how much he has grown and the additional responsibilities he has taken on.
Thank you so much for your nomination Coach Smith, and congratulations to Coach Fletcher for earning the honor!
Other Brags Submitted This Week
Elizabeth Ijames - Passionate
Nominator
Maygan Wall
Which Trait was this person exhibiting?
Passionate
Why are you nominating this person?
Mrs. Ijames goes above and beyond for every one of her students, and we are so blessed to have her here at McClendon! A perfect example is when she noticed a student who loved to drum with his pencils. Instead of seeing it as a distraction, she turned it into an opportunity. She brought in a drum pad, and now when he finishes his checklist of goals for the day, he earns a few minutes of drum time! We are so fortunate to have such an amazing teacher in our district—one who truly sees, values, and loves her students.
Sharon Echols - Passionate
Nominator
Maria Romo
Which Trait was this person exhibiting?
Passionate
Why are you nominating this person?
I would like to nominate the entire SPED team at Community High School for the Brave trait PASSIONATE this week. As a parent, the ARD process can be extremely overwhelming and frustrating, but Sharon Echols, Amber Swindle, and Natalie Cleeson, made the ENTIRE process and ARD meeting a wonderful experience. These ladies actually displayed all traits of a Brave during a recent ARD meeting that I attended for my child this week, and I could see that this was evident because of their PASSION for student success. Thank you so much for your continued support and dedication to our students at Community High School.
Amber Swindle - Passionate
Nominator
Maria Romo
Which Trait was this person exhibiting?
Passionate
Why are you nominating this person?
I would like to nominate the entire SPED team at Community High School for the Brave trait PASSIONATE this week. As a parent, the ARD process can be extremely overwhelming and frustrating, but Sharon Echols, Amber Swindle, and Natalie Cleeson, made the ENTIRE process and ARD meeting a wonderful experience. These ladies actually displayed all traits of a Brave during a recent ARD meeting that I attended for my child this week, and I could see that this was evident because of their PASSION for student success. Thank you so much for your continued support and dedication to our students at Community High School.
Natalie Cleeson - Passionate
Nominator
Maria Romo
Which Trait was this person exhibiting?
Passionate
Why are you nominating this person?
I would like to nominate the entire SPED team at Community High School for the Brave trait PASSIONATE this week. As a parent, the ARD process can be extremely overwhelming and frustrating, but Sharon Echols, Amber Swindle, and Natalie Cleeson, made the ENTIRE process and ARD meeting a wonderful experience. These ladies actually displayed all traits of a Brave during a recent ARD meeting that I attended for my child this week, and I could see that this was evident because of their PASSION for student success. Thank you so much for your continued support and dedication to our students at Community High School.
Amanda Kaufman - Generous
Nominator
Stacey Romo
Which Trait was this person exhibiting?
Generous
Why are you nominating this person?
I would like to nominate Mrs. Kaufman for recognition. She truly exemplifies what it means to be a Brave, but I especially want to highlight her generosity. Mrs. Kaufman consistently goes out of her way to support others, often stepping in to take tasks off their plate without hesitation. She produces exemplary work and manages to make it look effortless. Her selflessness and commitment set a powerful example for both colleagues and students, and we are so fortunate to have her on our team.
Michelle Clark - Passionate
Nominator
Sean Conway
Which Trait was this person exhibiting?
Passionate
Why are you nominating this person?
She has always been nice to me since elementary school, and I thought, 'Why not brag about her because she is so awesome to me?' She always makes me smile when I enter school, and goes out of her way to help me. So that's why I nominated her!
Cristian Garcia - Generous
Nominator
Kristen Christensen
Which Trait was this person exhibiting?
Generous
Why are you nominating this person?
Cristian immediately stepped in to help and make sure another classmate was okay when they were hurt. We saw such a great example of kindness and teamwork. He didn’t hesitate and displayed compassion and leadership. Way to go Cristian, thank you for showing us what Brave leaders do!
Adolfo Vega Rico - Generous
Nominator
Kristen Christensen
Which Trait was this person exhibiting?
Generous
Why are you nominating this person?
He helped his classmates two separate times, reminding a friend of expectations and helping.
William Session - Passionate
Nominator
Brandi Vestal
Which Trait was this person exhibiting?
Passionate
Why are you nominating this person?
He exhibits all the traits, but I chose passion because he cares for every student. I can tell that it’s not just educating about his students; he truly cares about their mental and emotional health as well. His passion is beautiful. He loves his students like good parent would., and that’s what every teacher should strive to do.
Yuliana Fonseca - Wise
Nominator
Kristen Christensen
Which Trait was this person exhibiting?
Wise
Why are you nominating this person?
Yuliana is always there to help her peers when she sees they need help communicating in PE. Some students struggle to find the right words in English and she jumps in without being asked. Yuliana demonstrates all the traits of a Brave, and demonstrates the trait of WiSE as she knows when to help her fellow friends so they can be successful in PE.
Brandee Murphy - Passionate
Nominator
Allison Jinks
Which Trait was this person exhibiting?
Passionate
Why are you nominating this person?
I would like to nominate Brandee Murphy and Kandice Sarles for their outstanding dedication and passion for teaching. They both consistently go above and beyond to ensure every student not only masters grade-level expectations, but also leaves their classroom fully prepared for the following year. Their tireless work ethic is evident in the engaging lessons they plan, the extra time they devote to supporting students, and the way they build confidence in every learner. Students in these two classes know they are cared for, challenged, and capable of success.
One of the most remarkable strengths Mrs. Murphy and Mrs. Sarles bring is the strong rapport built with students. They foster a positive, supportive classroom community where students feel safe to take risks, ask questions, and grow academically and personally. Parents and colleagues alike recognize that these teachers make a lasting difference in students’ love of learning.
Kandice Sarles - Passionate
Nominator
Allison Jinks
Which Trait was this person exhibiting?
Passionate
Why are you nominating this person?
I would like to nominate Brandee Murphy and Kandice Sarles for their outstanding dedication and passion for teaching. They both consistently go above and beyond to ensure every student not only masters grade-level expectations, but also leaves their classroom fully prepared for the following year. Their tireless work ethic is evident in the engaging lessons they plan, the extra time they devote to supporting students, and the way they build confidence in every learner. Students in these two classes know they are cared for, challenged, and capable of success.
One of the most remarkable strengths Mrs. Murphy and Mrs. Sarles bring is the strong rapport built with students. They foster a positive, supportive classroom community where students feel safe to take risks, ask questions, and grow academically and personally. Parents and colleagues alike recognize that these teachers make a lasting difference in students’ love of learning.
Ryan Seabolt - Passionate
Nominator
Paula Seabolt
Which Trait was this person exhibiting?
Passionate
Why are you nominating this person?
This is Ryan’s first year in school and he is loving it! 3 weeks in and he has not complained once. He’s ready to learn new things and make new friends!
Brantley Burton - Passionate
Nominator
Adrienne Foster
Which Trait was this person exhibiting?
Passionate
Why are you nominating this person?
He noticed my son and his friend in Braves gear at Wylie Elite (they had football practice after lil sis tumbling). He came up to them talked to them and hyped them up about their upcoming season! It was super cute and he dabbed them up after and told them good luck!!
Kallie McClellan - Generous
Nominator
Jamie Ehnis
Which Trait was this person exhibiting?
Generous
Why are you nominating this person?
During the breakfast rush the cafeteria ran out of donuts and she had one on her tray and gave it to a younger student because she saw that they were upset. She showed kindness and generosity just to make someone's morning better!
Nyla Wright - Humble
Nominator
Allen Cokers
Which Trait was this person exhibiting?
Humble
Why are you nominating this person?
They do all of their work, and are always helpful.
Makyra Wright - Humble
Nominator
Allen Cokers
Which Trait was this person exhibiting?
Humble
Why are you nominating this person?
They do all of their work, and are always helpful.