Rapoport Academy Public School

📆Monday, Sept. 2: Labor Day Holiday Campuses Closed 🎨Artwork by Vanessa V., 10th Grade Taught by Mrs. Ward

Cortney Baugh joined the Rapoport Academy Secondary team as a Teaching Assistant & English III/IV Teacher. Ms. Baugh has worked with 1st through 3rd graders in her 7 years as an educator in the community she grew up in. She is currently attending Grand Canyon University to pursue her Bachelor's degree in Elementary Education with a specification in reading. She has collaborated with teachers in whole-group instruction, small-group, and intervention roles. Meeting students where they are is something she loves to do. She also prioritizes helping students to build character, learn important values, and how to socialize in positive, meaningful, and productive ways. In her off time, you can find Ms. Baugh at any of the Waco libraries, sitting at home enjoying a PC game or two, cooking meals for her family, or cruising around at the lake on their family boat. Ms. Baugh has two students enrolled in Rapoport Academy, Nykolas, an 8th grader, and Emma, a 3rd grader. She is engaged to her partner of 11 years and has two very spoiled dogs. She is honored and excited to join the Rapoport family to grow as an educator and be a part of its thriving community! Welcome to the RAPS Family! #WorkatRAPS #RAPSFamily

Raquel Hill joined the Rapoport Academy Elementary team as a Special Education Teaching Assistant. Mrs. Hill has worked as an autism specialist at Central Texas Behavioral Solutions. She has been working with students for more than 9 years. Raquel is married to her husband of 9 years, Paietric, who is mental health counselor. They have one son Paietric Jr. who will be in the 3rd grade this upcoming school year. Mrs. Hill is passionate about kids and helping them strive to be who they need to be in life. In her free time, she likes to spend time with her family and work with the youth at her local church. Welcome to the RAPS Family! #WorkatRAPS #RAPSFamily

Natalie Watson joined the Rapoport Academy Elementary team as a 3rd Grade Teacher. A recent graduate of Ozark Christian College with a degree in Organizational Leadership, Ms. Watson hails from the panhandle of Oklahoma. She is excited to marry her fiancé, Christian Bevill, this upcoming year. Passionate about the success of the next generation, Ms. Watson enjoys serving her local church, drinking coffee, playing guitar, and baking delicious cupcakes in her free time. Welcome to the RAPS Family! #WorkatRAPS #RAPSFamily

August Board Celebrations! 🎉 At our most recent board of directors meeting, we recognized our new hires and our long-term employees who recently achieved 20 & 25 years at Rapoport Academy. Thank you for making RAPS an amazing place to learn and grow!

Grace Millican joined the Rapoport Academy Secondary team as a 6th Grade English Language Arts Teacher. Ms. Millican is a recent graduate of Texas Tech University at Waco’s TechTeach program. She achieved a Bachelor of Science in Education with the highest Latin Honors. She spent her year-long internship working with 6th and 7th graders in English Language Arts at Lorena Middle School where she found her passion in working with 6th graders and cultivating a love for learning. She lets her students call her Ms. M and loves attending their games and events. Growing up, Ms. M had a lot of teachers she couldn’t connect with. She always knew she wanted to be a teacher like the ones she could connect with. That inspired her philosophy for education: connect with the students, find what they are interested in, and develop meaningful relationships with them. In her personal life, Ms. M has 3 older siblings, a niece, two nephews, and parents she likes to play board games with. She has a cat named Loki and a bearded dragon named Willow. She loves to read, write, and draw. She enjoys nothing more than a nice cup of coffee or tea, a blanket on her lap, a TV show on in the background, and a craft in front of her. Welcome to the RAPS Family! #WorkatRAPS #RAPSFamily

Sherell Whitfield joined the Rapoport Academy Elementary team as a Teaching Assistant. As a self-taught artist with a passion for art, Mrs. Whitfield is a Waco native who values family above all else. Happily married for 13 years, she is the proud mother of two, Xzavier and Kamille. In addition to her role as a devoted parent, Mrs. Whitfield works as a Paraprofessional, finding fulfillment in supporting students’ educational journeys. Having recently relocated back to Waco from Fort Worth, Mrs. Whitfield can often be found attending art events around town. Art has always served as her creative outlet, allowing her to express herself and connect with others on a deeper level. She believes in the power of art to inspire, uplift, and bring joy to the world. Welcome to the RAPS Family! #WorkatRAPS #RAPSFamily

We're celebrating our amazing staff for their dedication to Rapoport Academy Public School! From 5 to 25 years, your hard work and commitment to our students are invaluable. Join us in thanking these amazing educators! #ThankfulThursday 25 years: Angi Cotton Cindy Kubacak 20 years: Lindsay Carney Karen Davila 15 years: Stephanie Schattschneider Donald Tanner Lauren Teague 10 years: Keren Campbell Nadine Cobbs Kristen Collard Kathy Norman 5 years: Ami Andrade Carolyn Benton Julie Caspers Kristin Foreman LaPorsha Holston Theresa Jurls Michael Kibitt Min Lho Carole Meriwether Christopher Nason Dallas Oran Lina Pelaez Ernie Sample Amanda Santiago Diana Silva Amanda Witherspoon

Ileane Santos is joining the Rapoport Academy Elementary team as a 1st Grade Teacher. Mrs. Santos comes to us from Saint Paul's Episcopal School. She taught at SPES for five years. Prior to that, she worked at different schools, both here in Waco and in California, in the SpEd department as an Educational Interpreter for the Deaf. Mrs. Santos just celebrated her 11-year anniversary with her husband, Tim! They enjoy living the mini farm life with their two boys- both of whom will also be joining the RAPS family (kindergarten and 3rd grade)! In their spare time, the Santos' enjoy gardening, camping and exploring new places together. Mrs. Santos is very excited to share her love of learning with the RAPS students and faculty! Welcome to the RAPS Family! #WorkatRAPS #RAPSFamily

We kicked off the school year STRONG with a fantastic day of professional development for our returning teachers and a warm welcome to our amazing new hires! 📚 So excited to have these incredible educators on our RAPS team. 🤩 #RAPSRavens #WorkatRAPS #RavenPride