Mildred Hawk, beloved Denton County historian and champion of reading, helped establish the Bayless-Selby House as a historic site, and her writing remains a key resource on local history. In 1999, she partnered with Denton ISD to launch the Hawkeye Readers program, originally honoring top third grade readers across the district. In 2004, just before her passing, she created the Hawkeye Reader Endowment to sustain the program for future generations, thoughtfully planning for Denton ISD’s continued growth. The student recognition later shifted to second grade, and each spring two students from every elementary campus are selected as Hawkeye Readers of the Year.

Around 2011, the initiative expanded to honor exceptional literacy teachers. Each Denton ISD elementary and Pre-K campus may name a Hawkeye Literacy Teacher, with one districtwide winner selected annually. The district honoree receives $500 to support classroom literacy.

This year’s Denton ISD Hawkeye Teacher of the Year is Marissa Smith from Sandbrock Ranch Elementary!

Mrs. Smith focuses on nurturing a genuine love of reading, ensuring every student experiences meaningful growth through intentional, data-informed instruction. Her balanced literacy block blends read alouds, spiraled skills, word study, guided reading, and writing about reading, all supported by mentor texts and ongoing student reflection. She models her thinking aloud to help students tackle complex texts and creates a classroom culture where risk-taking and problem-solving thrive. She also closely partners with families, meeting monthly to strengthen reading habits at home.

Mrs. Smith believes, “literacy is life-changing work. I choose texts that reflect my students and by transforming challenges into opportunities for discovery, it helps them grow into confident thinkers, communicators, and lifelong readers.”