As the large and lovely snowflakes fell upon Heath on Wednesday, February 25, 2015, the Heath Student Council Pride Patrol carefully made its way to Cain Middle School, where they staged a cafeteria surprise for Mr. Kenneth Bailey, Cain Instructional Assistant, and “Mr. CMS.”

Ironically, in spite of the treacherous weather conditions, it was one of the larger Pride Patrol member showings thus far. The high school students were especially excited for the opportunity to re-visit their old stomping ground, if only for a few meaningful minutes.

“Being able to go back to a school I attended 4 years ago and being able to celebrate someone who IS Cain was such an amazing opportunity this morning. There are so many amazing teachers and staff all around the district and I can’t wait to recognize those who are outstanding!” Senior Kenzie Woessner said.

The nomination, submitted by Cain Principal Megan Gist, reads as follows:

First, I would like to express my sincere gratitude that you have taken it upon yourselves to do something so amazing, thoughtful, and kind for the staff of Rockwall ISD. I am incredibly proud of each of you!

I would like to nominate Mr. Ken Bailey. Mr. Bailey is an instructional assistant here at Cain Middle School, but his title doesn’t begin to describe all that he does for our students, staff, and campus each day. Mr. Bailey doesn’t just work at Cain Middle School. He IS Cain Middle School. He shows up earlier than he has to and stays later than required just to make sure that everything is all taken care of that day. He goes way above and beyond the call of duty with every task that is assigned to him. He is kind and courteous to every person he meets, and he has more energy than I have ever seen one person have. Mr. Bailey exemplifies all that is good about Rockwall ISD. We are proud to have him as a vital member of our Cain team!

 Gist arranged for the assistant principals and a small group of Cain students to accompany Pride Patrol representatives Woessner, Mackenzie Long, Aaron Stubbs, Lexi Greenhill, Sage Wells, and Carly Brown to the school cafeteria, where they quickly observed Mr. Bailey holding the door and enthusiastically greeting shivering students as they scurried out of the snow and into the warm building. As the celebrants drew closer, they began cheering and clapping and were rewarded by a mega-watt smile from Mr. Bailey. They formed a circle around him to allow him to better hear their purpose amidst the hustle and bustle of the busy environment.

“It was wonderful to see the Pride Patrol come and celebrate Mr. Bailey.  He truly is a reflection of the hard work and dedication that we want to model for the future generation,” Cain Assistant Principal Steven Pesek said.

“Pride Patrol not only puts a smile on the face of the teacher being honored, but also puts a smile on our faces. Being a part of something so great makes me feel amazing,” Junior Sage Wells said.

“I could tell how much Mr. Bailey is appreciated at Cain by the amount of kids that surrounded us as we presented his award!” Senior Lexi Greenhill said.

“Thank you so much for coming and honoring Mr. Bailey! He is a special person to us!  Mr. Bailey is the heartbeat of our campus. He knows every student and staff member and greets each one with kindness. I often tease him that he is worth at least three people, because he works so hard. He is someone I count on to always give his best. We are so blessed to have him on the Cain team!,” Gist said.

Photo: Heath Student Council Pride Patrol members Mackenzie Long, Morgan Thomas, Sage Wells, Cain honoree Kenneth Bailey, Carly Brown, Lexi Greenhill, Kenzie Woessner, and Aaron Stubbs