TREA is excited to announce a new FREE service to our member districts and their staff members.  This professional development offers many 6 hour modules in a variety of topics you can use as local credit for your PD needs.  This service is available now, and goes through May of 2026.   Please see the link below to set up your account and access the modules, free of charge.  If you have any questions, contact Bill Tarleton or Jared Bigham at [email protected]

https://learn.mycredential.com/dashboard/?invite=369d3902aeb06fac2ceecaa97825e275

• The Texas A&M University Telehealth Institute is partnering with the Texas A&M University College of Medicine K-12 Rural Medicine Outreach Program to offer a specialized ECHO program aimed at supporting school counselors and administrators in rural Texas districts! This program is designed to help counselors and administrators guide students interested in pursuing a medical degree, providing them with the tools, resources, and knowledge to navigate the path from high school to medical school. Through expert-led sessions by our Texas A&M School of Medicine Assistant Dean of Student Affairs, Dr. Chris Diem, and collaborative learning, participants will gain insights to better support their students' aspirations in the medical field. 

• February  5: Overview of the Pre-Med Pathway
• February 12: Medical School Admissions Process
• February 19: Mentoring and Networking for Aspiring Medical Students

• https://forms.office.com/r/JnZLSFUFZn  

Dear Educators,

 https://sciencemuseum.utexas.edu/

https://events.esc13.net/ruralschools/

There's still time for the ESC Region 13 Rural Schools Conference in Georgetown, February 19-20, 2026.  See you there!

https://www.reliancearchitecture.com/project/thrall-isd-new-elementary-school/

Thrall Elementary School is a newly opened, two-story campus designed by Reliance Architecture to serve Pre-K through 5th grade students in Thrall ISD. Built around a “Culture of Togetherness,” the 75,000-square-foot school organizes classrooms and shared spaces around a central commons to support connection, collaboration, and student-centered learning.

https://texasfarmbureau.org/youth/scholarship-apps/?utm_source=TexasFarmBureau&utm_medium=SocialMedia&utm_campaign=2025-Scholarships

These are separate from the TREA Scholarship applications, but many of our TREA Member District students would be eligible to apply for these, as well.  Also, Texas Farm Bureau has sponsored TREA scholarships in recent years.  

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Lx9VG7_LpYII00i4vGuq7j9y_7Gt7Zfv/view

This may be something your students and school community could benefit from.  If you have questions, please reach out to Dr. Brewer, as her contact information is on the document.  

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1f4BAd1C0TxwSzJAl8UEg_wzKIO3XzW-Z/view?usp=sharing

Please share this with your staff and board as you see fit.  These are the businesses and vendors that support TREA.  Thank you!

Below are some excerpts of elementary school students' Dear Santa letters. They're from Hico, a TREA Member District, but they are probably typical of the ones printed in your local small town paper in December.  There are the usual requests for toys and video games,  wishing Santa a safe trip, wondering how he can eat all those cookies, etc.    I picked these because they're a little different.  Some are funny, some are tear jerkers. 

Even though it's been years since I've lived in Hico, I still take the paper and the first thing I do is read my friend, former board member,  and paper owner Jerry McAdams' editorial column.  One of those is reprinted in this blog, it's about moving to a small town, and you should read it.  Then again, it's the most popular read on the blog at over 4500 hits, so maybe you already have.  I moved it toward the top of the list in case you haven't.  

I remember how hot it was in July of 1997.

We were hauling and unloading all our worldly possessions, including a one-year-old child, at the old Hafer place on the edge of town.

Good luck to Jayton-Girard in the State 1A Division II Championship Game, as well as Gordon and Rankin, who square off in the 1A Division I Championship Game. 

 Hamilton vies for the 2A, DI state game, and Newton is in the hunt for the 3A, DII title.  

See the Newsletter from our friends at the Robotics Education Competition Foundation:

https://mailchi.mp/recf/recf_newsletter_december25?e=451fc603f0

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1D5GXuGXqY/

Congratulations and good luck with the new Rural Schools Innovation Zone, a great asset for the students in your districts!