Nancy Sanchez, Principal

Dear Armstrong Family,

I understand the importance of strong family connections to help our students succeed, as I am very close to my personal family. Both of my parents were not able to continue their education past elementary school, but they understood the importance of education for their children, so they decided to move to Houston to give us the opportunity to have an education.  Trying to speak two languages at once and having a hearing deficiency made school difficult for me.  Once I had surgery, things started to fall into place.  Both my older sister and I attended schools in Alief ISD, graduating from Elsik High school.  My brother, who is much younger than I am, became more of a son to me.  Identified as Learning Disabled, I would often need to help him with his homework and reteach key concepts.  These experiences helped shape the way I taught and interacted with students.

I chose to pursue a degree in psychology at the University of Houston, but what started as a volunteer project for child psychology, changed my entire life.  I continued volunteering for another two years, changed my major to Education, and was hired as a paraprofessional.  As a teacher, I have had the opportunity to teach first through fifth grade, monolingual and bilingual, special education and gifted students, and served as an English Language Development Specialist and Science Lead Teacher in Alief ISD.  Shortly after teaching, I enrolled at the University of Houston-Clear Lake to obtain my Master’s degree in Educational Leadership in hopes of making a greater impact on student learning.

Fort Bend ISD gave me my first opportunity as an Assistant Principal.  During my first four years at FBISD, I served as Heritage Rose Elementary’s Assistant Principal.  In addition, I served as the Principal in Fort Bend ISD’s Kangaroo Kamp and Bilingual/ESL Summer School programs during my first four summers.

Having supportive educators that served as mentors throughout our schooling has had a profound effect on us.  As Og Mandino stated, “Always do your best.  What you plant now, you will harvest later.”  Becoming an educator has allowed me to provide students with support and guidance so that they too can succeed later in life. I look forward to working with you all to continue to build on the success at Armstrong Elementary.

nancy.sanchez@fortbendisd.gov

Alysia Chatman, Assistant Principal

Alysia Chatman earned her Bachelor of Arts in Education from Huston Tillotson University and her Master of Arts in Special Education from the University of Texas at Austin. She is working towards her Doctoral Degree in Organizational Leadership, explicitly focusing on implementing culturally responsive interventions for students in Response to Intervention. Alysia brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise from fifteen years of experience in different educational environments. She has held various academic roles throughout her career, including Elementary Assistant Principal, School Climate and Culture Specialist, Campus Instructional Coach, Special Education Teacher, and General Education Teacher. During her free time, Ms. Chatman takes on the role of a Program Director for a Girl Scout Camp. She has a passion for
camping, crafting, and forming meaningful connections with the campers to create a supportive environment where all can develop skills and leadership abilities.  As a campus leader, Alysia aims to assist teachers in fostering an environment in the classroom that encourages kindness, creativity, and curiosity to create academically exciting learning experiences.

Julie Bennight, Counselor

I have more than 50 years of experience in Education. I have held the following jobs in the District: Speech Pathologist, Counselor, Assistant Principal, and Principal.  I retired and returned to work as a substitute in Administration and Counseling.

I decided to take the full-time Counseling position (11 years ago) at Armstrong Elementary by reapplying.  The reason I applied to return full-time was because I was substituting as much as a full-time employee.  Armstrong is near my home in Quail Valley, as well.

My Counseling passion is hopefully, ‘helping make a difference at a Title 1 campus like Armstrong Elementary’.  I also enjoy mentoring others to become Counselors; I have assisted 2 counseling interns, one from Lamar University and one from the University of Houston.  I currently serve as an Area District Counselor Leader for Area 4. 

I feel like I am a good resource for Counselors and Elementary Administrators because of my background and experiences in Education.  I have two grown daughters, both Fort Bend ISD former students; one is now a teacher and the other works at Methodist Hospital HR Department.  I have one granddaughter currently teaching in New Braunfels ISD and three granddaughters and one grandson currently in school from fifth grade to freshman in college.

Julie.Bennight@fortbendisd.gov