ROYSE CITY, TX – Royse City ISD hosted a dedication and ribbon cutting ceremony for the new Sara Moss Elementary which opened its doors to welcome students this year. The dedication ceremony celebrated the opening, and honored Mrs. Sara Moss's 41-year career in public education, 38 of which were spent serving the Royse City community.
Mrs. Moss was joined by dozens of family members and friends at the event, including fellow RCISD namesakes Paula Walker, Ruth Cherry, Bobby Summers, Shirley Magness and Bill Fort, as well as Virginia Anderson (wife of namesake Harry Herndon) and David Arnold (husband of namesake Glenda Arnold). She shared that her journey with RCISD began with a transformative phone call in 1977 from her friend Barbara King, who recruited her to join Royse City High School as a Home Economics teacher. Mrs. Moss expressed deep gratitude to the RCISD school board and former Superintendent, Bill Fort, “for having faith in me to help start what was a valuable resource for the parents of Royse City ISD...completing a vision to begin a program that provided children with a safe place after school until their parents could pick them up.”
Mrs. Moss was a fixture at Royse City High School, where she taught Home Economics for 25 years, imparting essential skills from sewing and meal preparation to balancing a checkbook, preparing students for adulthood. During her time at RCHS, she faithfully sponsored the Student Councils, Future Homemakers of America, and One Act Play.
In addition to her high school tenure, Mrs. Moss was a pioneer for designing an extended day program, opening the first after-school care unit in 1999. Moss attributes the success of the program, especially during the district’s growth and expansion to serving multiple campuses, to being a “team effort of educators, with many helping hands.” Moss went on to say, “It makes my heart happy knowing many of those high school student helpers have gone on to become teachers.”
The ceremony included a heartfelt tribute from former student and current RCISD teacher Ashlee Poor, who introduced Mrs. Moss, and spoke about the significant impact Moss had on her as a high school student. Poor shared, “Her praise and support kept me going. The words a great teacher speaks can echo in a student's heart and mind for decades, and Mrs. Moss has been a source of encouragement for me since I was 16. She showed me what love truly is.”
RCISD Superintendent, Dr. Amy Anderson, recognized the School Board and the work that goes into a growing district, and introduced the other school namesakes who were in attendance, acknowledging their combined commitment to the community and the district’s promise to uphold their values.
Sara Moss Elementary is RCISD's 8th elementary campus located in the Creekside development just east of Ouida Baley Middle School on SH 66. Principal Dr. Ryan McCoy and Assistant Principal Jennifer Arnold currently lead this beautiful new campus.
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