Celina Independent School District (CISD) opened its new middle school for the 2022-23 school year. It is a beautifully open, airy campus across highway 289 from Celina High School. Looking out the second-story floor-to-ceiling windows of the library, you can see across fields, train tracks and up to the high school. It is a striking mix of old and new. In something so shiny and new, full of all the latest technology and learning environments, how will the history and tradition of Celina schools be kept alive?
It starts with a very deliberate process of naming the campus. After many nominations of worthy candidates, the new middle school is named after Linda and Jerry Moore, Moore Middle School. These two and their family are staples of the community and the school district they have served for 51 years and counting. Jerry graduated from High School in Celina’s Class of 1963. After a tour in Vietnam, and several years in college, Jerry joined the staff of Celina Middle School in 1971 to teach history and coach middle school athletics. He became the principal of the middle school in 1973 where he served for 35 years. After the birth of their second child, Linda joined the school district as a teacher in 1978 and taught for 29 years until she retired in 2006.
Jerry was not finished when he stepped down from Middle School Principal. In 2010 at the request of the Superintendent and CISD School Board, he launched the new CISD Transportation Department that he shepherded for 10 years. Realizing that he wanted to slow down but didn’t want to stop working, he moved to bus driver in 2020 and still drives today.
I asked him how he felt when he first dropped off a busload of kids at the very school named after him? He shared that at first it just seemed like a normal first day of school. Then it struck him just how much of an honor it is and he still finds it hard to comprehend.
Maintaining Bobcat spirit, tradition, and history is important to the Moores. They recently attended the first middle school pep rally where Jerry was the guest speaker. Jerry shared with the kids how proud he is to be from Celina and he never wanted to work anywhere else. Linda loves that the students at the pep rally still use the same school song and Good Luck cheer at the end. Even something so small feels so good. This connection to the history and traditions of the community is an important value that Linda and Jerry share. They are happy to partner with current school Principal Jamey Briscoe to keep Celina history alive.
Moore Middle School started the year with Bobcat Bootcamp, a 1-day program that looks at the past, present, and future of Celina. Students spent a half day on the Square meeting community leaders, touring the Celina Museum, and learning how the Square used to look and the vision for its future. The second part of the day familiarized students with the new campus and the Moore Enrichment System. This system is an innovative way of dividing 900 kids into small groups, called “houses”, to build better connections in the school and with the community. These houses will compete against each other for prizes and do regular service projects with adopted community organizations.
At the end of our conversation, Linda shares the Moore's vision for Moore Middle School. They desire it to be “a safe place for kids to learn, follow their interests, and grow." They hope the children will enjoy coming to school and develop close friendships. After serving the CISD community for half a century, the Moores leave a legacy to inspire students to do just that.