KATY MAGAZINE NEWS
August 30, 2022
By Natalie Cook Clark
Katy Area Retired Educators (KARE) hosts a Spirit Night tomorrow to benefit Katy ISD student scholarships. For 22 years, the organization of over 250 retired educators works to serve our students and teachers.
Each year KARE awards several Katy student scholarships. Photo courtesy of KARE.
22 Years of Katy Service
Katy Area Retired Educators (KARE) is the Katy Chapter of the Texas Retired Teacher’s Association. They meet monthly to discuss topics and serve the Katy area education community. They have been serving the Katy education community for 22 years. All public and higher education retirees are invited to join.
“KARE offers retired educational personnel opportunities for social, educational and civic growth of their community. Anyone who worked in the education field is eligible to join,” says Marsha Smith, KARE President and retired Katy ISD teacher and counselor.
Spirit Night Benefiting Katy Student Scholarships
Tomorrow, Wednesday August 31, 2022 KARE will have a Spirit Night at both the Mason and Cinco Ranch Chicken Salad Chick locations. Mention KARE when ordering and 20% will go to the KARE Scholarship Fund.
Each year KARE awards several scholarships to deserving Katy ISD students as one of their many ways to give back to the educational community.
Retired Educators Continue to Impact Katy Community
“It is no surprise that a group of retired educators would spend their golden years continuing to serve the students and community that they love,” says Katy ISD Board of Trustee Rebecca Fox. “Their constant desire to fulfill a purpose and leave the world better is reminiscent of their lifelong impact in the classroom.”
Many KARE members remain actively involved in the District. They have logged in as much as 42,000 volunteer hours.
“So many teachers in our group substitute, are involved in testing, long term sub jobs, serve on advisory boards and committees, etc,” says Smith. “Most of the namesakes from schools are active in our group.”
“We are blessed with the continued support of our school board and administrators,” says Smith. “We work closely with them to assist in any way whether it is volunteering at schools, mentoring students through the Katy ISD Keys Program or our Children’s Book Project, books donated to school libraries.”
Their theme this year is “Time To Shine” and they their next meeting is September 14, 2022. They meet the second Wednesday of each month (September-May) at 11:30 a.m. at the Martha Aki Professional Development Center.
The organization enjoys educational trips from painting churches to visiting the Holocaust Museum.
While any retired educator can join, many of the 250 members have strong connections to Katy schools. Marsha Smith began teaching in Katy ISD in 1975. She opened West Memorial Junior High as a teacher and Garland McMeans hired her. She moved to Mayde Creek Junior High as a counselor in 1979 and then was a counselor at Taylor High School until she retired.
“I was in Education for 39 years and all in Katy,” says Smith, who has been retired for 8 years. She’s been a KARE member since retirement and has served in multiple leadership roles.
KARE looks forward to a great season of service and sharing their passion for education.
“We have a lot of fun while volunteering and promoting the voice of the retired educator,” says Smith. “Education is our passion.”
Learn more about KARE online.