TEMPLE, Texas — The Temple Independent School District’s Communications Department has been recognized with five Gold Star Awards and two Silver Star Awards presented by the Texas School Public Relations Association (TSPRA). The winners were announced at TSPRA’s 63rd annual conference last week (February 19) in San Antonio.
This year’s TSPRA Star Awards recognize work produced during the 2023-2024 school year. Temple ISD won gold or silver honors for all seven Star Awards entries the district submitted. The department was honored with a Gold Star Award for a news release highlighting the unveiling of a multisensory lab at Jefferson Elementary School, and added two Gold Star Awards for photography, one for a photo focusing on students celebrating Earth Day, and another featuring students sharing materials in a STEM lab. TISD also won Gold Star Awards for a pair of feature story videos, one recognizing Temple ISD alumni who returned to the district to teach called “Wildcat Rookies Return” and another featuring staff members expressing gratitude called “What I am Thankful For!” Temple ISD also claimed a Silver Star Award for a promotional video thanking Meta for its partnership with TISD’s STEM program and a Silver Star Award for a news release focusing on the growth of the district’s bilingual/ESL program. The seven Star Awards are the most Temple ISD has won in a single year. The Temple ISD Communications Department is comprised of Eric Larson – Marketing and Creative Content Manager, Amy Frei-Brown – Digital and Social Media Specialist, and Jon Wallin – Executive Director of Communications. Temple ISD competed with all districts across the state of Texas with 15,000 or fewer students, meaning Temple had to compete with districts and departments that were almost twice the size of TISD.
“The communications department focuses on sharing Temple ISD’s story with families, staff, partners, the community, and other stakeholders through a variety of platforms,” Wallin said. “Our commitment is to consistent and transparent messaging to earn and keep the trust of those who support our students, staff, and families. Earning state-wide recognition from our peers is so rewarding because it helps reenforce that we are achieving our goals.”
The TSPRA Star Awards provide recognition for the outstanding education communications and projects of submitting members each year. Submissions are judged on set criteria and there are 47 main categories of competition covering various media such as newsletters, programs, posters, reports, writing, image/identity packages, photography, graphics, video, electronic presentations, campaigns, events, and web sites. Judges award Gold, Silver or Bronze winners and schools are divided into three groups. There are separate competitions for districts with 15,000 students or less, 15,000-40,000 students and 40,000 or more students. This year’s winners were selected from a record-setting 1,940 entries.
“We had a revamping of our communications department, including new leadership. I am extremely proud that our new communications team has earned more awards than ever before, which solidifies their direction and efforts,” said Dr. Bobby Ott, superintendent of Temple schools. “Our communications department has built trust with our community through honest and timely communication. This is a responsibility we take seriously and has created a brand for Temple ISD, and one that is recognized by our peers across Texas.”
The Communications Department’s Gold and Silver Star Awards will also be recognized at the TISD school board meeting on March 17th.