Tami, husband Tony, and daughter Ava (fifth grade) moved to Frisco when Ava was 6 and she started first grade at Hicks. Tami soon joined PTA, became an assistant room parent, took on grade level lead (when Ava was in third grade), and has most recently served as room parent coordinator for the past two years. Tami enjoys serving and helping the school in many areas of PTA, whether with the Fall Festival (her family made generous donations this year to encourage teachers to get dunked!), creating silent auction baskets, baking for the bake sale, supporting teachers and staff, helping with spirit wear and supplies, and planning and coordinating parties.  

Tami says, “I love being inside the classroom with my kiddo the most (as a room parent). As you can imagine, with Ava being an only child, she is our world. She is in Ms. Harris’s fifth grade class this year (we love Ms. Harris). We can’t believe how the years have flown by. We are sad that this will be her last year Hicks. Ava was lucky enough to have so many amazing teachers and the best staff and school nurse." 

For those considering joining PTA but thinking they don't have the time, Tami says, "There are so many areas you can help in. I know I wanted to be involved while my daughter still enjoyed having me at school. These elementary years have really flown by, and I am really going to miss helping out at Hicks.” 

One of her nominators describes her servant heart: “Tami and her family go above and beyond to help our school. She brings a special treat for each and every staff member for their birthday and her family donated $50 for each staff member who participated in the dunk tank during our fall festival. She is always here helping however and whenever she can. She has a "yes is the answer, now what is your question" attitude and goes above and beyond for us here at Hicks.” 

When not helping clients as a realtor, Tami is busy with her family (her parents moved in them in 2020), keeping up with daughter Ava’s activities, and volunteering at church. Hicks PTA will miss you, Tami!

Melissa has been a PTA member for 18 years! She was a member while teaching and served as the staff liaison at her school for several years. As a parent member of Hicks students Jackson (fifth grade) and Emma (second grade), she has served as room parent and grade level lead, staff appreciation coordinator, secretary, book fair coordinator, supplemental income coordinator, and currently as marquee coordinator.

“I have really valued my time as a member of the PTA here at Hicks. I feel honored to have spent the past few years supporting the staff and cheering on our amazing kids,” Melissa says.

Fellow PTA members who nominated Melissa highlight her strong support for all PTA programs and her willingness to help when and where needed.

 “Melissa Dooley is always going above and beyond. No matter what area she is needed in, she always steps up and helps out. She has been PTA Secretary (and has currently stepped in to fill the role again, after previous Secretary moved), she has taken on special events, she is a room parent and a grade level lead (and has been for the last few years). She is always trying to improve the process for the students and teachers (this is near and dear to her, being a former teacher herself). These are things I have only seen in the last few years. She is an awesome person and has a heart of gold.”

“Melissa is a super star advocate for kids! Her teaching background and love for education pours into PTA. One of her passions is reading and access to books, which is evident in her consistent promotion of book drives to donate to local underserved LISD libraries. Melissa recognizes the opportunity Hicks has to spread love for learning to not only our own kids, but also how encourage the kids to share that with others! Melissa consistently tries to rally PTA to better the school and foster support for students and staff (like instituting Chalk the Walk, special meals and decorations around the school, and providing encouragement to teachers, staff, and parents).”

In her personal time, Melissa enjoys volunteering at her former school and at Scottish Rite Hospital. She loves playing golf, snow skiing, reading, and hanging out with her family (husband Jon and her kids).

Mrs. McIver has been an educator for 14 years and has been at Hicks for five years. She previously taught third and fourth grades, second grade Spanish Immersion (at Hicks), and currently serves as the Dyslexia Interventionist.  

“My role as a Dyslexia Interventionist is undeniably rewarding! I am able to build relationships with my students, build their confidence, and empower them to be great readers,” she says.

Her students benefit greatly from her extensive knowledge and skills as well as a never-ending personal desire to help them succeed. Several parents who nominated Mrs. McIver highlighted her strong advocacy for children:  

“She holds conferences and meetings with staff members to help teach them on the complexities of dyslexia. Ms. McIver has also served as the special ed team leader. She is a staunch advocate for our Hicks students with this disability. She is soft hearted and kind. Her students greatly respect her and love attending her classes. In her program she takes the challenges of learning to read and re-programs each student’s brain to fit their learning style. This takes great skill that goes beyond the classroom. I think she should be awarded the PTA lifetime membership because of her leadership at Hicks and for the support and teaching she gives every grade level at our school.” 

“Linh always goes above and beyond for her kids. She invests so much time in helping these kids overcome obstacles that not many teachers can. She makes them feel good about themselves. She spends her own money on rewards, extra classroom materials and much, much more. Linh has deserved this award for many years!”

In addition to being an expert on dyslexia intervention, Linh enjoys gardening and spending time reading about different plants and gardening techniques. Mrs. McIver and her husband, Johnathan, have been married for 12 years. Their 8-year-old daughter Amelia is in the third grade SI program.

It's National School Counseling Week! Thank you, Mrs. Brooke Stenson, for being our amazing Hicks counselor and strong supporter for our students! Visit Hicks Elementary Counseling Site for resources and more info.

Each year, Texas PTA accepts applications for our Lead Like Marni Award to recognize a deserving leader from a local elementary, local secondary, and council PTA. Do you know a PTA volunteer who leads like Marni did? https://bit.ly/3s6knP5

With the help of RBFCU, PTAs in Texas will be able to SHARE THE LOVE and nominate an outstanding educator from their community! Nominate your outstanding educator today: www.txpta.org/share-the-love.

Spread the love to our February birthdays!

17 - Erica Jaime

17 - Tracy Rehfuss

27 - Leah Jackson

LISD requires cleared background checks for all on-campus visitors. Register on Voly and submit your background check ASAP so you can sign up for volunteer opps, field trips, and general meetings. Be sure to become a fan of Hicks Elementary so our school opps appear in your feed first. (Note: It could take up to three weeks for your background check to clear.)

Questions? Email the Hicks PTA Volunteer Coordinator, thesvolunteer@gmail.com.

Use the Amazon Smile link to donate a portion of your purchases to Hicks!