Get to Know Cathy Kostanian from Calahan Elementary

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“Every single day she has gone above and beyond the call of duty. Every single day.” That’s why Calahan ES Principal Wells nominated Cathy Kostanian as a School Hero.  “She’s embarrassed to be recognized, and that’s the sign of a true super-hero.”

Cathy has been active at Calahan ES for 27 years, first volunteering to help her daughter’s Kindergarten teacher. “Everywhere my kids went, I was helping those teachers, but also staying with the first teachers.”  Today, she is the Parent Representative at the school.

Principal Wells goes on: “Every time, anytime we need anything, she just makes it happen. She’s everywhere, every time you turn around there’s a kid saying, “I’m looking for Ms. Cathy because I need to .. xyz. She’s like Grandma. Every day and in every way, she’s there for the kids, the staff and the parents. She puts a plan together and she makes it happen.”

That’s how it was with the Gingerbread houses. “It was the Kindergarten teacher who taught me how to make them. We started with just a couple of classrooms. To see the kids walk out with a smile on their face, that’s my favorite part!”

But soon, she won’t have to be looking for any available room to work with parents because in August, Calahan will have a ribbon cutting for a Parent Center!  Cathy is looking forward to having more meetings, to have more meetings, more PDs, more workshops of all kinds, especially in the various languages that parents speak. 

Without a doubt, with Cathy there, the Parent Center will be a welcoming place. She says: “If you greet kids with ‘hello, good morning’ it makes them smile.  And that’s the most important thing, if they’re happy, of course they want to learn there.”