Jennie Knapp, second from left, is congratulated by LCM Superintendent Dr. Pauline Hargrove, left, and Board of Directors members for the Lower Sabine-Neches SWCD, Barbara Winfree, Les Daigle and Dale Parish.

Two Little Cypress-Mauriceville staff members received special recognition during LCM’s End of Year Celebration, which brings together all of the District employees to celebrate the successes and milestones reached during the year.

Jennie Knapp, science teacher at Little Cypress Junior High, was honored by the Soil & Water Conservation Districts of Texas (SWCDT) for being selected as the Texas Conservation Teacher of the Year. Nominees were judged on their conservation teaching activities, their approach to teaching conservation through his or her subject matter, originality, the importance of conservation education in the teacher's program, how broad based the program is, and on examples of student initiatives and involvement.

Dr. Mike O’Dell and Dr. Dean Fontenot were on hand to recognize retiring LCM High School Principal Dr. Terri Estes for her successful leadership in establishing LCM’s Texas – Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (T-STEM) Academy.

The LCM T-STEM Academy, the only public school in the Region 5 service area designated as such by the Texas Education Agency, was founded through a partnership with the Ingenuity Center at The University of Texas at Tyler. The Ingenuity Center supports STEM education across east Texas and works to provide professional development, student resources, and inspiration for students.

Students also have the opportunity to take college level course work through partnerships with The University of Texas at Tyler and with Lamar State College–Orange. These courses can set students on the way to a college degree or prepare them for a career in business or industry. LCM High school currently provides over 70 credit hours of advanced coursework.