Spring Branch Education Foundation Grants $63,652 for District Students

At its May 30 Board meeting, Spring Branch EducationFoundation (SBEF) directors approved $63,652 in grants that will fund diverse education-enhancing projects throughout Spring Branch Independent School District.

The grants are designated for district-wide projects and SBISD campuses. Twice each year, the Foundation calls for grant applications, up to $5,000 each, from any of its 47 school campuses or district departments. Faculty members and volunteers are encouraged to apply.

"Generous community members support the Foundation’s fundraisers and make donations to provide funds for these grants,” said Donnie Roseman, a member of the SBEF Board of Directors and chair of the Program and Assessment Committee. “All applications are carefully evaluated for the affect they will have for students. It’s always gratifying to learn about the creative approach our teachers take to engaging students.”

Grants that will benefit students on a district-wide basis include:

• Altharetta Yeargin Art Museum – The grant will help fund Road Shows that take the museum to first-grade classrooms and Study Trips for second graders who travel to the museum. Both programs are closely coordinated with grade-level curriculum.
• Athletic Department – SBISD Athletics will partner with Cypress ECG to provide voluntary EKGs for students in grades 6 through 12 who participate in athletics, band, drill team, cheerleading and ROTC. This valuable screen is needed only once throughout middle and high school.      
• J. Landon Short Mini-Grants for Educators – Ten grants, up to $500 each, will be awarded to SBISD educators who wish to go beyond standard curricula activities and materials to enrich the learning environment. This program fosters new best practices for teaching and learning.
• Love and Logic Initiative – All SBISD students benefit from this program that enhances social and emotional support in classrooms.
• SpringBoard Mentor Program – More than 600 mentors spend an hour each week with students on 31 SBISD campuses. This relationship helps students build self-confidence, develop communication and interpersonal skills, discover their passions and find meaningful connections between school and the future.

Grants for individual campuses include:

• The Bear Blvd. School – A Kids Count manipulative program will make pre-kindergartners math ready as they learn number concepts, shapes and patterns.
• Edgewood Elementary School – Now!Boards will make interactive technology available to kindergarten classrooms, providing a foundation of technology skills that students will use throughout elementary school.
• Landrum Middle School – Students will create Convection Connection, a multimedia literacy project, that will include a screenplay and storyboard and culminate in a student-produced video, reinforcing the scientific concept of convection.
• The Lion Lane School – Additional ActivBoards will make this technology available in all classrooms and launch pre-kindergartners on the technology learning path they can expect in elementary school.
• Northbrook High School – Students will participate in DALE (Dynamic Achievers Legitimizing Excellence), a leadership conference that prepares students for college and careers.
• Northbrook Middle School -- Selected rising 8^th-graders will be provided transportation to a six-weeks University of Houston Downtown Houston Prep enrichment program for high-achievers.
• The Panda Path School – Pre-kindergarten teachers will enjoy staff development that will enhance math instruction and engagement.
• Sherwood Elementary School – Spanish texts, in a variety of genres, will help students learn to read Spanish as a first or second language.
• Spring Branch Middle School – Life in Texas in the 1800s will come alive for 7^th-graders as they participate in The Texian Time machine, sponsored by the Fort Bend Museum Association.
• Spring Forest Middle School – The SFMS Orchestra will receive new violins of all sizes for classroom and home use.

“We encourage PTAs, principals, and teachers to apply for these grants,” said Cece Thompson, SBEF executive director. “We will call for fall 2013 grant applications in September, and the recipients will be announced in December. Our PTA volunteers and faculty are very creative, so we always receive applications for creative projects.”

Additional grants were awarded as the result of a successful Running for the Arts event on May 4. SBISD’s Fine Arts department received $38,500 for ArtsPartner field trips to the city’s premier performing and visual arts venues. The district’s Health Fitness department received $12,000, and the Altharetta Yeargin Art Museum received $3,986.

Community members who wish to support a specific program at a designated campus can make a tax-deductible donation to the Foundation and earmark it for it for that school. Call 713-251-2381 or email sbef@springbranchisd.com for more information.

Founded in 1993, SBEF’s mission is to enhance the quality of education for every student in SBISD. The Foundation provides donors with a vehicle for making voluntary, tax-deductible gifts to the district. The Foundation has raised more than $7.5 million and received the Houston Business Promise Award from the Greater Houston Partnership.

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Health Fitness Scholarships

The Spring Branch Health Fitness Teachers Association (SBHFTA) has awarded two scholarships to graduating seniors at Spring Woods High School. The scholarship award winners are Miriam Toj, who received $1,200, and Hope Vasquez, who received $1,500.

These two seniors were supported by instructors Cathlene Webb and Tyra Harrell. Miriam Toj will attend Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches this fall. Hope Vasquez begins studies at Texas A&M University in College Station soon.

The students were awarded Tier 1 and Tier 2 scholarships by SBHFTA. The two scholarships are designed to help support the district’s main goal of doubling the number of graduates who earn either a technical certificate, two-year degree, or a four-year college diploma.

Inside the district, this goal is often called T-2-4. In separate health fitness news, five SBISD schools had students and families that took part in the second annual Walk for Wellness.

The Wellness Walk was held at Terry Hershey Park on May 18. Sponsor for the 5K event was the Spring Branch Community Health Center.

In all, about 250 students and adults participated from three elementary schools – Hollibrook, Pine Shadows and Westwood – and Spring Oaks Middle School and Spring Woods High School.

An animoto compiled after the Walk can be viewed here: http://animoto.com/play/FLuBKogcmqQP41jFr66jqw

“It was extremely powerful to see families running hand in hand throughout the event, and this aligns perfectly with our district Advanced Movers initiative. We had buddy runners from Spring Woods High’s cross country and track teams who ran with our students throughout the race,” SBISD Intramural Coordinator Samuel Karns said. Karns also serves as the health fitness specialist at Westwood Elementary School.

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SBISD Student MediaFest

Spring Branch ISD’s first Student MediaFest program and awards presentation on May 24 drew hundreds of students, teachers and supporting family members to the auditorium at Cornerstone Academy.

Sponsored by the district’s Educational Technology Department, the evening event included opening remarks by SBISD Associate Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction Jennifer Blaine and closing remarks by Chief Information Officer Venu Rao.

Director of Educational Technology Sheri Alford spoke about Student MediaFest, including the strong response that followed the request for projects to be judged in a variety of digital areas – audio, graphics, video animation and live action video – as well as website content and design. Educational Technology Facilitator Carrie Foster presented dozens of grade-based awards to students and student teams.

Winning the top award, Best of Show, was a group of ninth-grade friends from two high schools. Named as Best of Show winners for a live action video that explores the topic of cyber bullying are ninth-graders Michael Kim, Patrick Liou, Nathan Yoo, Jessica Lu and Yoolim Seo.

Four students attend Memorial High School; Yoolom Seo is a Stratford High ninth-grader. “We were totally surprised,” Michael Kim says. “We thought ‘No way!’ We knew that the Guthrie Center students would be participating and so we weren't expecting to do so well.”

The idea for their live action video was born inside Jyusef Larry’s multimedia class at Memorial High, and then grew organically into their MediaFest submission. “We were thinking about everyday issues. We all saw a cyber bullying video back in middle school where the students were texting. We thought that Facebook is the place where students are today, more than texting. So we tried to do cyber bullying from a student’s point of view in our video,” Michael Kim said.

The Memorial High students plan to start a film making club called MHS Studios as a result of their surprise Best of Show win.

Click here to visit the MediaFest website and Winner's Gallery.

MediaFest Awards

Digital Audio K-2 Grade Division

• First Place Camila Trujillo, Cassie Buegeler, Kaitlyn Stoehr 2nd Grade - Frostwood Elementary School Kookaburra Song

6-8 Grade Division

• Third Place Xavier Ybarra 6th Grade - Northbrook Middle School First Chair
• Second Place Kevin Morales 6th Grade - Northbrook Middle School YES Prep Student
• First Place Shane Lau 6th Grade - Northbrook Middle School My Life in Sixth

Digital Graphics

K-2 Grade Division

• Third Place Margaret Watkins 2nd Grade - Frostwood Elementary School When I Held A Hummingbird
• Second Place Gwendolyn Beach and Pierce Kettler 2nd Grade - Rummel Creek Elementary School Lightning
• First Place Dev Patel 2nd Grade - Rummel Creek Elementary School New York

3-5 Grade Division

• Third Place Majd Soliman 5th Grade - Rummel Creek Elementary School Diary of a Wimpy Kid
• Second Place Madeleine Dawson 5th Grade - Rummel Creek Elementary School RCE 50
• First Place Anna Herrmann Rummel Creek Elementary School 50 Years of Fun

6-8 Grade Division

• Third Place Fabian Mendoza 8th Grade - Northbrook Middle School The Amazing Light
• Second Place Cortland Rawlinson 8th Grade - Spring Branch Middle School Untitled
• First Place Yuan Gao 8th Grade - Memorial Middle School Fairytale Reverie

9-12 Grade Division

• Third Place Daniel Rodriguez 12th Grade - Spring Woods High School The Quote With In
• Second Place Monica Davila 11th Grade - Northbrook High School CD Cover - Frustrations
• First Place Gloria Hernandez 11th Grade - Guthrie Center Stop Teen Abuse

Website

K-2 Grade Division

• Third Place Chris Nyambura 2nd Grade - Westwood Elementary School Dog Pound
• Second Place Adrian Payan 2nd Grade - Westwood Elementary School The Three Little Monsters
• First Place Logan Erfurdt 2nd Grade - Westwood Elementary School The Lucky Rabbit

3-5 Grade Division

• Third Place Eric Diaz, Jacob Mata, Jacob Lea-Espinal 5th Grade - Edgewood Elementary School 13 Colonies
• Second Place Alexander Bocanegra 5th Grade - Edgewood Elementary School Energy Transformations
• First Place Jake Spann and Dawson Finklea 5th Grade - Rummel Creek Elementary School A-Team

6-8 Grade Division

• Third Place Emmanuel Salas 8th Grade - Northbrook Middle School How-To Website
• Second Place Katie Lazarine, Jacqueline Media, Julia Perez 6th Grade - Northbrook Middle School Teen Advice
• First Place Luz Granados 6th Grade - Northbrook MS YES Prep

Special Award
Outstanding Student Owned Project

• Camille Asmus
• Olivia Cone
• Taylor Dixon
• Rob Espey
• Joseph Harp
• Adam Kral
• Caroline Latta
• Ana-Sofia Ruiz
• Meta Sapien
• Evelyn Silsby
• 5th Grade - Hunters Creek Elementary School The Cougar Times

Digital Video - Animation

K-2 Grade Division

• Third Place Dylan Hood 2nd Grade - Frostwood Elementary School Ancient Egypt
• Second Place Margaret Watkins 2nd Grade - Frostwood Elementary School Life Cycle of the Butterfly
• First Place Hannah Otness and Isabel Jakobsen 2nd Grade - Frostwood Elementary School Recycling

3-5 Grade Division

• Third Place Katherine Latiolais and Kirby Koster 5th Grade - Rummel Creek Elementary School Fig Pudding
• Second Place Audrey Crawford, Cameron Queal, Caroline Bruce, Caroline LaVern, Catherine Hastings 5th Grade - Wilchester Elementary School Watch Your Words
• First Place Ethan Kwon, Daniel Oh, Meggie Nop 5th Grade - Rummel Creek Elementary School My 13th Winter

6-8 Grade Division

• Third Place Emmanuel Salas 8th Grade - Northbrook Middle School Name Dropping
• Second Place Alyssa McNeil 6th Grade - Westchester Academy for International Studies The Winter Spring Became My One and Only Friend
• First Place Trent McCausey 8th Grade - Cornerstone Academy Anaconda

9-12 Grade Division

• Third Place Brandon Aldana 12th Grade - Northbrook High School Get A Job
• Second Place Lorelei Shannon 11th Grade - Spring Woods High School On The Ball
• First Place Paul Brastrom 10th Grade - Guthrie Center Silverware on the Weekends

Digital Video - Live Action

K-2 Grade Division

• Third Place Anastasia Rubio 2nd Grade - Frostwood Elementary School Our Class Guinea Pig
• Second Place Sam Trimble, Holden Taylor, Alex Choi 2nd Grade - Frostwood Elementary School Hoops4hope
• First Place Cole Coolidge, Max Landwermeyer, Erikson Pittman 2nd Grade - Frostwood Elementary School Welcome to Frostwood

3-5 Grade Division

• Third Place Greydon Fenn, AJ Francios, Kunyang Li, Patrick Smith 4th/5th Grade - Frostwood Elementary School Healthy Living
• Second Place Kassie Martin, Alyssa Luna, Frida Carbajal, Mary Bulnes 3rd Grade - Westwood Elementary School Saving the Dolphins
• First Place Dusty Cutler, Damian Arzate, Bria Singh, Alexandra Tristan, Amarys Gonzalez, Daniel Barrios, Susan Torres 3rd-5th Grade - Westwood Elementary School Ghost School

6-8 Grade Division

• Third Place Emmanuel Salas and Brain Truong 8th Grade - Northbrook Middle School How To Project
• Second Place Karen Suarez, Allison Mairena, Oscar Jimenez, April Infante 8th Grade - Northbrook Middle School How To Make A Perfect Cupcake
• First Place Esmeralda Rocha, Maria Godines, Sofia Hernandez 6th Grade - Northbrook Middle School Sky Partnership

9-12 Grade Division

• Third Place Niall Miner 11th Grade - Westchester Academy/Guthrie Center Life in Ink
• Second Place Valeria Dominguez and Grayson Blackburn 12th Grade - Memorial Middle School/Guthrie Center Life of Shoes
• First Place Michael Kim, Patrick Liou, Nathan Yoo, Jessica Lu, Yoolim Seo 9th Grade - Memorial HS and Stratford HS The One Never Seen

Best In Show

• Michael Kim, Patrick Liou, Nathan Yoo, Jessica Lu, Yoolim Seo 9th Grade - Memorial High School and Stratford High School The One Never Seen

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Landrum Lions Alumni Scholarships

Six former Landrum Middle School students who are graduating from Northbrook High School this week have been awarded the first-ever Landrum Lions Alumni Scholarships.

These new scholarships provide $500 to graduating seniors who are Landrum Middle School alumni as an incentive to help them pursue technical, community college, or university-level degrees.

“Spring Branch ISD and Landrum Middle School are focused on instilling in every student that they can successfully complete a technical certificate, a two-year degree, or four-year college or university degree. This district goal is known as T-2-4,” states the alumni scholarship committee. “With the help of generous donors including staff and community members, community agencies, and the scholarship committee, we were able to raise more than $3,000 to award to these deserving students,” the committee also said in a statement.

Scholarship recipients from Northbrook High School:

• Maria Mosqueda will attend the University of Houston, major in biology, and pursue a nursing career.
• Fernando Pachuca will attend Texas A&M University and major in biomedical engineering.
• Vicente Perez will attend the University of Houston, major in mathematics, and pursue a career in teaching.
• Franklin Quiroz will attend San Jacinto College and major in criminal justice.
• Cindy Ramos will attend Sam Houston State University, major in psychology, and be a doctor one day.
• Angela Perez will attend the University of Houston-Downtown, major in kinesiology, and pursue a career in teaching.

Members of the Landrum Lions Alumni Scholarship Committee were Michele Flores, Andres Bautista, Maricela Olivarez, Abigayl Flores and Yolanda Macias.

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Retirement Celebration

Staff members in the Spring Branch ISD Transportation held a celebration May 22 for bus drivers and bus assistants who will be retiring this year. Among retirements announced recently is the district Director of Transportation, Henry Behne.

Behne led the SBISD Transportation Department for the past 12 years. He has more than 20 years of experience in public school transportation and worked in Judson and Belton ISDs as director of transportation.

In addition to Behne, drivers and bus assistants who were photographed together recently were Francis and William Riske, Pamela Walker, Susan Manning, John Higginbotham, Janie Mondelli and Charles “Chuck” Warwick.

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Junior Architects: Michael G. Meyers Design Awards & Scholarships

Nine students enrolled in the Guthrie Center’s Architectural Design program won seven of 15 scholarships awarded for projects submitted as part of the Michael G. Meyers Design & Scholarship Competition. This design competition is sponsored each spring by the Houston Chapter of the American Institute of Architecture (AIA).

The Buffalo Bayou Partnership, as part of this year’s contest, was the client for the design project, called Re-inventing the Community Center. Students were asked to design a new community center on Houston’s eastside for the competition. Students have designed buildings ranging from a soccer stadium to a fire station in previous competitions.

District students honored in this competition with top awards are:

• Cecilia Zambrano (Guthrie/Memorial High) – 1st Place, Individual Entry: Cecilia won $1,200 and an $800 scholarship to the University of Houston Architectural Summer Discovery Program.
• Chance Hill (Guthrie/Memorial High) – 3rd Place, Individual Entry: Chance won $800 and an $800 scholarship to the University of Houston Architectural Summer Discovery Program.
• Darius Zacharakis/Walker Waughtal (Guthrie/Memorial High) – 3rd Place, Group Entry: Darius and Walker each won $800 and an $800 scholarship to the University of Houston Architectural Summer Discovery Program.

Five district students won Honorable Mentions in the AIA design competition:

• Marco Echavarria/Mason Arnold (Guthrie/Stratford High) – Best Use of the Silos
• Dakota Ransom (Guthrie/Stratford High) – Individual Entry
• Saul Lopez (Guthrie/Westchester Academy) – Best Building Model
• Holly Bohae Kim (Guthrie/Stratford High) – AIA Houston Director Favorite

District students were honored during a special presentation held April 26 at the Architecture Center Houston.

Guthrie Center students have submitted projects and won scholarships in the competition for 12 consecutive years. This year, students attended a design workshop sponsored by Kirksey Architectects. They were also invited to a guided tour involving the Buffalo Bayou Partnership’s planned building site. Guthrie students have used the project competition to complete portfolios for employment or admission to competitive university programs.

Over the past decade, students in this program have been accepted into well-rated architecture programs nationally, as well as overseas programs in France and Japan.

Judges this year for the AIA student competition were Susan Rogers, assistant professor in the UH College of Architecture; Anne Olson, Buffalo Bayou Partnership president; Ernesto Alfaro, with the urban planning and landscape architecture firm of SLA Studio Land; and Christian Sheridan, architect at Brave Architecture. Project sponsors donated more than $10,000 for student awards.

In addition, the University of Houston awarded scholarships to its Architectural Summer Discovery Program and the Architecture Center Houston Foundation gave lifetime membership awards.

Other sponsors were:

Platinum Members: Kirksey Architecture and Acuity Brands

Gold Members: Avadek Walkway Cover Systems and Canopies; Gensler Architects; HOK; E&C Engineers and Consultants

Silver Members: Lesco Architectural Lighting; Seeberger Architecture; DBR Engineering Consulants; Tandus Flooring; Forbo Flooring Systems; HFP Acoustical Consultants; Bihner Chen Engineering, Ltd.; Educators’ Depot, Inc.; Othon; RogersMoore Engineers, LLC; America Olean; Upchurch Kimbrough Co.; and ASA Dally Structural Engineering Architecture Program instructors are Sonia Greiner and Xavier Martinez.

The Guthrie Center offers three separate levels of Architectural Design classes to sophomores, juniors and seniors.

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Texas Science Association President

A Spring Branch ISD instructional specialist will begin duties soon as president of the Science Teachers Association of Texas (STAT). Donald Burken, SBISD instructional specialist in elementary science, is preparing to take the reins of the state association. His term begins on August 1. Burken has served as the group’s president-elect for the past year.

“As incoming president, I am very excited about next year. I’m thrilled to be able to continue working on behalf of all science teachers in Texas and to partner with exemplary representatives from this stellar organization,” he said in a statement. “It is my desire to increase membership, support all state science teachers through science communities and professional development opportunities, and bolster science education in our great state,” Burken also said.

Burken has served as the district’s elementary science instructional specialist for the past six years. Before that, he taught fifth grade at Treasure Forest Elementary for three years. From 1987 to 2003, he worked as a fifth-grade teacher and Title 1 coordinator for Houston ISD. STAT, which was founded in 1957, now represents about 6,000 members.

This nonprofit organization represents several educator groups, including elementary and secondary teachers, college educators, and supervisors of science.

The state organization keeps members informed about current trends in science education, and provides members with opportunities to view the latest technology, curriculum, materials and services.

Joining Burken in STAT’s executive leadership will be President-elect Melana Silva of Calallen ISD and Vice President Matthew Wells, who science department chair at Cypress Lakes High School.

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Career Day Speakers

A U.S. Congressman. A female firefighter. A cake decorator. Two local small business owners. A meteorologist. A cancer specialist. These are among the 30 Career Day adults who spoke to fifth-graders enrolled at Ridgecrest Elementary School during special presentations in April and May.

A visit in April by U.S. Congressman Ted Poe (R-Humble) kicked off the Career Day presentations. Congressman Poe met with the fifth-grade class in the library. The attendance boundaries of the school are part of Rep. Poe’s 2nd Congressional District.

He spoke to fifth-graders about his federal duties and personal interests. He is well known for his interest in Texas history. His advice for Spring Branch ISD students included the following: • Listen to your parents. “If you treat your mom badly, you will pay for it.”

• Don’t use alcohol, drugs or tobacco.
• Stay in school. “For some reason, too many boys quit school in ninth grade.”
• Be your best. Don’t be a loser. “Pick something that you really love to do when you pick a future profession.”

Congressman Poe is vice chairman of the House of Representative’s Immigration Subcommittee. In response to a question on immigration, he said: “There are a lot of things we have to fix because there is a lot in the current law that is broken.”

Many Ridgecrest students raised hands when asked by the congressman if they had any family members currently serving in the U.S. military. “Tell all of your family members, ‘Thank you!’ for their service,” he said proudly. In addition to Congressman Poe’s April visit, a Career Day was held at the campus on May 9 that attracted more than 30 speakers. Presenters included:

• KHOU TV-Channel 11 meteorologist Mario Gomez
• Lail’s Carpet Cleaning owner Harvey Lail
• Missouri City Police Dept. officer Daniel Monroy
•  M.D. Anderson Cancer Center specialist Dr. Victor De Leon
•  Lyondell Co. industrial firefighter Reynaldo Lopez
• R&M Service Co. Inc. project manager Kyle Hovarth
• Female Houston Fire Dept. firefighter Terri Salinas

On May 9, Channel 1’s Mario Gomez featured Ridgecrest Elementary and his school visit on his station’s 5 p.m. weather newscast. Ridgecrest Principal Trish Thomas said the Career Day was tied to learning and district goals. “Our students were so excited to see the possibilities of choices in careers and the educational steps needed to reach those possibilities.

The goal of Career Day was to have a wide variety of speakers aligned with Spring Branch ISD’s district goal of informing and preparing all students to reach their career goals,” she said.

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Elizabeth Brand Teacher Excellence Award

Two Spring Branch ISD secondary educators have been honored with this year’s Elizabeth Brand Teacher Excellence Award, which was presented recently by the Houston Association of Professional Landmen, or HAPL. Winners of the Elizabeth Brand Award are Memorial High Orchestra co-director Danielle Prontka and Stratford High physics teacher Tracey Jensen.

The two teachers were honored May 16 at a luncheon held at the Petroleum Club and hosted by the professional association. As honorees, HAPL presented both SBISD teachers with a check for $3,250. Both Prontka and Jensen also received a gift basket valued at about $2,000. It included gift cards, spa packages and a Moody Gardens family membership. In May, Prontka was named this year’s SBISD Secondary Teacher of the Year.

Jensen was one of the district’s Secondary Teacher of the Year finalists. To win the Elizabeth Brand Award, educators must display outstanding teaching performance and demonstrate all-around personal development at the secondary teaching level.

Elizabeth Brand taught in SBISD for a number of years before her death. A special award in her memory was started by her husband, who was active with HAPL and also was a member of its board of directors. This annual award is widely viewed as one of the region’s first such recognition programs.

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Simply Charming Art Car

A SPARK School Park Program official and a popular accessories and jewelry retailer addressed Spring Branch ISD Board of Trustees recently in praise of a Northbrook Middle School art project that led to several trophies in the recent Houston Art Car Parade.

Kathleen Ownby with the SPARK, School Park Program, and Patty Fadhouli with Charming Charlie, the women’s accessories and jewelry retailer, spoke at the May 20 Board of Trustees meeting. Ownby publicly praised the work of students and a Northbrook Middle art teacher, Stephanie Walton, who led students to decorate her first car, a 1997 Mitsubishi.

It was covered in beads from Charming Charlie to create an award-winning Art Car Parade entry. Walton displayed her trophies during the recent Board meeting.

The “Simply Charming Dragon Fly Car” created by Walton, her special needs and Art Club students, staff members and others, won second place as Best Youth Car and as the Best Daily Driver Car in the Art Car Parade held on May 11.

The fashion accessories retailer Charming Charlie donated colored beads and many damaged jewelry pieces, all of which were sorted and glued onto Walton’s donated car. The retailer has also worked with the SPARK program to create collages and other student art work out of damaged materials, including at several SBISD schools.

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Student Athletes Honored

More than 50 of the district’s top high school athletes were honored at the May 20 regular meeting of the Spring Branch ISD Board of Trustees. This meeting was held in Memorial High School’s auditorium so that all students and their families could be seated comfortably.

Memorial and Stratford high school students who qualified for state-level University Interscholastic League (UIL) competitions in either the 5A or 4A levels, respectively, were honored. SBISD Executive Director of Athletics Paige Hershey presented students to the Board of Trustees and discussed their remarkable 2012-13 achievements.

Memorial High School

Memorial High School Team Tennis students represent a group that has won regional championships four times, competed in Texas semifinalist play and been state finalists for the last three years.

Memorial High School Team Tennis: Seniors include Margot Cordova, Katy Davis (State Quarterfinalist, Mixed Doubles), Juan Fidalgo, Russel Frank, William Jou (State Champion, Boys Doubles), Paulina Lanzagorta, Sophie Macicek, Nova Nowamooz (State Quarterfinalist, Girls Doubles), Thomas Peco (State Finalist, Boys Doubles), Sebastian Perez, Brittany Ramesh, Grant Reichmann (State Champion, Boys Doubles), Mary Beth Schatzman, Kaitlyn Smith, Christian Vieira (State Finalist, Boys Doubles), and Nicholas Vieira.

Team Tennis juniors include Neik Khansari, Rod Khansari, Ciro Lampasas (State Quarterfinalist, Mixed Doubles), Austin Marks, Anna Nguyen, Nousha Nowamooz (State Quarterfinalist, Girls Doubles), Melissa Putterman, James Whitehead, Thomas Whitehead, and Courtney Wright.

Freshmen and sophomores on the Memorial Team Tennis are Dane Esses (State Semifinalist, Boys Singles), Maxwell Palmer, Quashi Philips, Candice Wright, Angela Zhang, Libby Bender, Tige Collins, Samuel Giammalva, Meredith Hughes, Miranda Ruzinsky, and Parker Siller.
Memorial High tennis coach is Budd Booth; assistant coach is Lee Ann Berk.

Memorial High Cross Country: Ninth-grader Khayla Patel (Ranks 31st in State Cross Country and 8th in 3,200 meter Track & Field) and senior Carlos Arias (Ranks 20th in State Cross Country) Vicki Bevan is Cross Country coordinator and head Girls Track coach.

The Memorial Mustang swimmers ranked 4th as a team this year and for the fourth straight year, this team finishes in the Top 10 inTexas.

Memorial High Swimming: Sophomore Alex Buscher (State Champion in 200 Freestyle, State Runner-up in 200 Medley Relay, 4th in 500 Free, and 5th in the 200 Freestyle Relay), Briana Burns (8th in 100 Breaststroke), Kelly Denkler (2nd in 200 Medley Relay, 5th in 200 Freestyle Relay), and Danielle Yoon (5th in 200 Individual Medley, 6th in 100 backstroke, 2nd in 200 Medley Relay, and 5th in 200 Freestyle Relay)

Team head coach is Jason Mauss; assistant coach is Brett Neal.

Stratford High School

Stratford High School Boys Cross-Country: Sophomore Austin Richard (24th in State Cross Country). This is Austin’s 2nd time to qualify for the state cross country meet. As a freshman, he finished 70th at state. Head coach is Tony Brillon. Stratford High Girls Track and Field: Senior Shamaujae Crockett (5th in State in Long Jump)

Head coach is Jason Reed.

Stratford High Boys Swim Team is now a two-time defending state champion.

The Girls Swim Team finished 7th in Texas at the 4A level.

Stratford High Swimming: Seniors include Taylor Cash (4th in 200 Freestyle Relay, Michael Miller (State Champion in 200 Individual Medley with a new 4A State Record, 100 Butterfly, and 400 Freestyle Relay with new State Record, and 2nd in 200 Medley Relay), Kyle Rathgeb (400 Freestyle Relay with new State Record, 2nd 200 Medley Relay, 5th 100 Backstroke, 6th 100 Freestyle), Cai Rohleder (400 Freestyle Relay with new State Record, 2nd 200 Medley Relay, 4th 200 Medley Relay), Alec Willrodt (400 Freestyle Relay with new State Record, State Champion 50 Freestyle, 2nd 100 Freestyle, 4th 200 Freestyle Relay).

Junior Stratford swimmers include Sam Cordova (2nd 200 Medley Relay and 4th 200 Freestyle Relay), Rachel McCleary (200 Freestyle Relay), Kaysey Weber (14th Individual Medley), and Leana Fautra (11th 50 Freestyle, 6th 200 Freestyle, 5th 400 Freestyle).

Stratford High sophomores are Erin Avary (5th 200 Medley Relay, 6th 200 Free Relay), Gaby Cruz (5th 200 Medley Relay), Courtney Jackson (6th 200 Free Relay), Kristen Peck (5th 200 Medley Relay, 5th 400 Free Relay), and Hannah Stuart (5th 200 Medley Relay, 5th 400 Free Relay).

Stratford’s Freshman swimmer is Erica Stephenson (5th in the 400 Freestyle Relay, 6th 200 Freestyle Relay, 11th 200 Freestyle.

Stratford varsity swimming coach is Mike Hoskovec; assistant coach is Jaime Denton.

Stratford High Tennis: State Quarterfinalists are junior Kaylin Kruseman and sophomore Josh Hollaway, both in Mixed Doubles; and senior Thomas Leyden and junior Nicholas Butler, both in Boys Doubles. Kaylin Kruseman competed at State for a third year in a row.

Stratford High Tennis coaches are Rory Frazee, varsity coach, and Tom Courson, assistant coach.

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Trustees sworn in and Board officers elected

Three newly elected Spring Branch ISD Board of Trustees members were sworn in Tuesday after results of the May 11 election were canvassed and then certified during a special meeting of the Board of Trustees. Board of Trustees officers were also elected for the year ahead during the May 21 special meeting.

Sworn in as Trustees after official canvass of the May 11 election were the following SBISD residents:

• Bob Stevenson, Position 5. Trustee Stevenson was unopposed in the May 11 election. He has served since 2010 and begins a second term.
• Pam Goodson, Position 6. Board of Trustees President Pam Goodson was unopposed. She has served since 2010 and begins a second term.
• Karen Peck, Position 7. This newly elected Trustee serves in the seat held by former Board Member Mike Falick, who has retired from the Board after serving three terms as a Trustee.

During their Special Meeting, Trustees also elected three officers in a series of unanimous votes. Pam Goodson was re-elected Board President; Trustee Chris Vierra was elected Vice President; and Wayne Schaper, Sr., will serve as Board of Trustees Secretary after re-election to that post. The seven members of the SBISD Board of Trustees are elected at-large to serve overlapping, three-year terms. Our Trustees serve without pay.

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It's All About the Students

Commencement marks a significant milestone in life. The staff and educators in Spring Branch ISD are very proud of all of our students. We've been inspired by the hard work and accomplishment of our Class of 2013 and created a special publication featuring some of our outstanding graduates and their achievements - awarded scholarships and honors - as well as information about our upcoming graduation ceremonies on June 1st and 3rd.

So, take a moment to read more about the Class of 2013 and the bright future awaiting them. Congratulations to all our graduates. We look forward to seeing each of you walk across the stage next week at Don Coleman. 

Read this special SBISD publication >>


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Spring Branch Education Foundation Awards Night

More than 70 graduating seniors were honored with scholarship awards during the annual Spring Branch Education Fund (SBEF) Awards Night, which was held May 9 at the Westin Memorial City Hotel. Student scholarship awards totaled more than $78,000.

In all, 71 scholarships were awarded. They include 30 student scholarships sponsored either by the SBEF or individuals, organizations or companies.

In addition, 41 seniors got SBEF Employee Campaign scholarships of $1,250 each as graduates who are sons and daughters of Spring Branch ISD employees. By comparison a decade ago, SBEF awarded nine scholarships.

The honorees were chosen by SBEF’s Scholarship Selection Committee. Student applicants were asked for a description of their school activities and top accomplishments, a recommendation letter from a teacher or counselor, and a short essay outlining their education goals.

SBEF Scholarship Awards Chair Warren Matthews presented the student honorees after a dinner at the hotel. The recent Award Night drew several hundred people to the Westin at Memorial City.

To read more about the scholarships and SBISD students recognized at the SBEF Awards Night, click on the links provided below:

Don Coleman Scholarship ($1,000)
Parker Lund – Stratford High
Imani Webster – Spring Woods High

Monica Neubauer Scholarship ($1,000)
Timothy Davis – Memorial High School
Kaitline Wesneski – Memorial High School

Spring Branch Lions Club Scholarship ($1,000)
Marlene Alfaro – Spring Woods High
Alan Caballero – Westchester Academy for International Studies *
Cinthia Garcia – Northbrook High *
Jennifer Hoang – Westchester Academy for International Studies
Joshua Lee – Stratford High
Aditya Srinivasan – Memorial High *

Houston Westchase Rotary Scholarship ($1,000)
Sandy Aguilar – Spring Woods High
Rena Dang – Spring Woods High
Destiny Lewis – Westchester Academy for International Studies

Shantamboo Charity Scholarship ($1,000)
Fernando Trujano – Stratford High

Spring Branch Education Foundation Scholarship ($1,000)
Jack William Rodgers – Spring Woods High
Kaijia Tian – Memorial High

Roy Brown Scholarship ($1,000)
Taishiro Okazaki Rachel –Memorial High

Pendray Scholarship ($1,000)
Cecilia Lopez – Spring Woods High
Chinh Pham – Spring Woods High
Brittany Toy – Spring Woods High

Prosperity Bank Scholarship ($1,000)
Kelly Griffin  – Stratford High

Cuellar Scholarship ($1,000)
Graham Baker – Stratford High

Nabors Industries ($500)
Wendy Castillo – Spring Woods High
Taylor Lancaster – Spring Woods High *
Kathryn Romero – Spring Woods High
Brittany Trevino – Spring Woods High *
Itzel Vasquez Gonzalez – Spring Woods High
Melody Rightmire – Spring Woods High *
Kevin Malone – Spring Woods High *
Jennifer Guitterrez – Spring Woods High *
Bertha Gonzales – Spring Woods High *
Jill Gregory – Spring Woods High *

Diane Jackson Scholarship ($1,000)
Joo Baek – Memorial High
Juliana Baik – Memorial High
Ryan Baumgartner – Memorial High

* No photo available at time of publication.

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H-E-B Healthy Campus Award

Edgewood Elementary School was named as one of 12 schools in Texas to earn the title of “Healthy Campus” during the recently held
H-E-B Excellence in Education awards ceremony. The campus award was announced May 3 in Austin.

Edgewood Elementary earned recognition for its efforts to fight childhood obesity by promoting healthy food and wellness choices.

The award includes a $15,000, three-year school grant. Atkinson Elementary in Pasadena ISD and 10 other schools across Texas also won the “Healthy Campus” award and grants this year. Health Fitness Specialist Art Nevarez and Coach Todd Walstead worked on school programs that led to the state-level award.

For the past three years, Edgewood Elementary has had a Healthy Living Initiative as a school-wide goal, Nevarez said. The campus had applied for the H-E-B award due to concerns over childhood obesity rates, especially among Hispanic youth, he said. Edgewood Elementary then developed an action plan that involved students, staff, parents and community members.

“We feel that our focus on the entire community is what makes our plan special,” Nevarez said. “To date, we have used these grant funds to pay for healthy media resources and events for our students, healthy cooking classes from Chef Tim for our parents, weekly exercise classes for both staff and community members, and much more.”

Chef Tim is Tim Saddler, the founder and owner of Tim & Co. Catering. He is a former U.S. Navy cook. In his business, he focuses on “healthy foods,” and he is active with the local Oliver Foundation, which advocates on behalf of good food choices and the prevention of childhood obesity.

At Edgewood Elementary, Chef Tim presented a healthy cooking demonstration, and actually made dinner for all campus families that attended his presentation. “We are excited about the opportunities that the grant provides us to educate our students, parents and community members and to get them on a healthy living track,” Nevarez adds.

Coach Walstead noted that the grant award allows the campus to add experiences like Chef Tim’s presentation that are conducted outside the classroom.

The grant also supports Spring Branch ISD’s student-focused health fitness initiative known as K-SHAC. K-SHAC stands for Kids School Health Advisory Club, a student-led organization on many SBISD campuses that educates and promotes active healthy lifestyle and wellness choices to other students and family and community members. Edgewood Elementary School is located at 8757 Kempwood.

The school principal is Suzanne Mercado.

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Employee Campaign Scholarships

A record 41 graduating seniors were rewarded with Employee Campaign scholarships at the annual Spring Branch Education Foundation Awards Night celebrated May 9 at the Westin Memorial City Hotel.

This year’s group of seniors each received a $1,250 scholarship. Spring Branch ISD employees contribute annually to the Foundation’s Employee Campaign, which funds scholarships for all SBISD graduates who are the children of district employees and apply.

“Every single donated dollar is set aside to fund scholarships for the children of our employees that are graduating from high school,” said Scholarship Awards Chair and Foundation member Warren Matthews.

“Due to the generosity of all the team members across SBISD, we have once again been able to award a sizeable scholarship to every student that applied. In SBISD, we’re proud to once again say ‘We take care of our own!’,” he said.

By 2017, SBISD has set a district goal to double the number of students completing a technical certificate, two-year degree or four-year degree.

In addition to the Employee Campaign honorees, dozens of students received other awards and scholarships. In all, 71 graduating seniors were honored during the evening program.

Employee Campaign Scholarships were presented to district seniors by SBISD Board of Trustees President Pam Goodson, SBEF Chair Mike Rome and SBEF Executive Director Cece Thompson.
SBEF’s Warren Matthews read individual student profiles, which were compiled by the Awards Committee team.

Employee Campaign Scholarship honorees:

Click here to read more information on our 2013 honorees.

Mitchel Barry – Westchester Academy for International Studies
Parker Blome – Spring Woods High School
Martha Caballero – Spring Woods High School
Jasmine Alexa Cano – Stratford High School
Taylor William Cash – Stratford High School
Patrick Christie – Memorial High School
Jacob Cribbs – Stratford High School
Emily Davis – Stratford High School
Elisha Cristopher Diaz – Westchester Academy for International Studies
Kathryn Dickinson – Stratford High School
Adrian Garcia – Northbrook High School
Devan Green – Memorial High School
Mara Justine Heitkamp – Memorial High School
Patrick Janacek – Stratford High School
David Kassir – Westchester Academy for International Studies
Aileen (Allie) Lail – Spring Woods High School
Ryan Lay – Memorial High School
Stacy Lopez – Northbrook High School
Jared Lowrie – Stratford High School
Mackenzie Mayo – Stratford High School
Dua Mazhar – Stratford High School
Brittany McCune – Westchester Academy for International Studies
Robert (Ty) McGowen – Memorial High School
Marvin Mendoza – Westchester Academy for International Studies
Leslie Olivares – Memorial High School
Anna Pendergrass – Memorial High School
Veronica Santos – Spring Woods High School
Ian Sharp – Stratford High School
Daniel Shelton – Spring Woods High School
Kathleen M. Slattery – Memorial High School
Bonnie Slattery – Stratford High School
Soumya Srivastava – Westchester Academy for International Studies
David Tod Stewart II – Memorial High School
Evan Stone – Stratford High School
Jeremy Suarez – Spring Woods High School
Daniel David Tabor – Memorial High School
Kimberly Taylor – Stratford High School
Kaitlin Trahan – Memorial High School
Jessica Watts – Memorial High School
Bradley Whitten – Spring Woods High School

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PTA Council Awards Night

More than 100 Spring Branch ISD students were honored May 7 at Stratford High School during the annual SBISD Council of PTAs Awards Night.

District students and graduating seniors were honored for their participation in the Odyssey of the Mind, PTA Reflections and Environmental Contest programs, and as 2013 scholarship winners selected by the PTA Council and Spring Branch Education Foundation (SBEF).

In addition, eight SBISD campuses were awarded Council of PTAs Awards for their outstanding work during the evening program at Stratford High. Presenting these awards was Carrie Goolsby, Council of PTAs Awards Committee chairperson.

SBISD Council of PTAs Awards:

Outstanding PTA Award – Secondary

Memorial High School PTA

Outstanding PTA Award -- Elementary

Frostwood Elementary School PTA

Outstanding PTA Communication Award

Memorial Middle School PTA

Outstanding Membership Campaign Award

Frostwood Elementary School PTA

Helen Huey Outstanding Newsletter Award – Elementary

Valley Oaks Elementary PTA

Helen Huey Outstanding Newsletter Award – Secondary

Memorial High School PTA

Outstanding Sister School Solution Award

Memorial Middle School PTA

Outstanding Parent Education Program Award

Memorial Middle School PTA

Mary Kay Coleman Highest Percentage Increase in Membership Award

Zebra Zone Early Learning Center PTA

Scholarship Awards:

SBISD Council of PTAs Scholarships
Three students received SBISD Council of PTAs Scholarships funded by the Houston Chronicle Share Program, PTA Founder’s Day Dinner and individual donations from Friends of the SBISD Council of PTAs. Students were each awarded $1,000.

Presenting these awards was Carrie Goolsby, Council of PTAs Awards Committee chairperson.

Scholarship recipients are:

• Connor McCampbell, Memorial High School
• Katrina Benwell, Westchester Academy
• Isaiah Ramos, Spring Woods High School

Spring Branch Education Foundation Scholarships

Six students received scholarships funded by the Spring Branch Education Foundation.
Warren Matthews with the SBISD Council of PTAs Scholarship Awards Committee presented students with this scholarship award. Students were each awarded $1,000.

The honorees are:

• Michael Walker, Memorial High School
• Kaitlin Kargar, Westchester Academy
• Parker Lund, Stratford High School
• Brittany Trevino, Spring Woods High School
• Aaron Sunstrum, Memorial High School
• Marie Evans, Memorial High School

Wells Fargo Scholarship

One student was awarded this scholarship, which is funded through a donation from Wells Fargo through the Spring Branch Education Foundation. Warren Matthews with the SBISD Council of PTAs Scholarship Awards Committee presented this $1,000 individual scholarship award.

Katie Redd, Spring Woods High School

Odyssey of the Mind Student Recognitions:

Odyssey of the Mind is an international education program that provides creative problem-solving opportunities for students from kindergarten through college. Students apply their creativity to solve problems that may range from creating mechanical devices to presenting their own interpretations of literary classics.

The following SBISD Odyssey of the Mind teams were named as State Finalists. Teams are scored on their creativity, risk taking, talent and problem-solving skills.

Elementary School

Problem 1: “Pet Project”
Ridgecrest Elementary School – Nicholas Garcia, Sally Hernandez, Jose Herrera, Mayreli Rodriguez, Flavia Tepozotian, Jessica Rosella
Bunker Hill Elementary School – Connor Cook, Chad Ellaham, Russell Creighton, Gabriel Mercio, Bradley Creighton, Nicholas Ojeda
Terrace Elementary School – Kaiden Guillemette, Michelle Young, Emily Gomez, Alexis Castillo, Hannah Kmiecik, Christopher Hogue, Kiera Yetiv

Problem 2: “The Email Must Go Through”
Valley Oaks Elementary School – Anna Sucec, Abigail Mohun, Ava Speros, Rachel Sedita, Valerie Lucio, Elena Sucec, Claire Fournier

Problem 3: “ARTchitecture: ‘The Musical’”
Terrace Elementary School – Caroline Sparks, Haven Harlow, Edin Garibovic, Lauren Kmiecik, Summer Strohbehn, Brandon Le
Ridgecrest Elementary School – Kenya Cruz, Leah Holewyne, Colby Nguyen, Bryan Menchaca, Bryanna Salinas, Maritza Hernandez, Kaitlyn Menchaca

Problem 4: “Tumble-wood”

Rummel Creek Elementary – Tetsuki Morita, Jessica Bucek, Rachel Whipple, Ethan Kwon, Paul Choi, Emily Whipple, Nicholas Pao

Problem 5: “It’s How You Look at It”

Nottingham Elementary – Branham Banks, Ashlyn Whitefield, Kinsey Jeansonne, Dylan Schick, Samantha Banks, Alexander Thurow, Sara Duvall

Middle and High School

Problem 1: “Pet Project”
Cornerstone Academy – Division 2: Geoffrey Baring, Adair Fulweber, Michael Stewart, Bryan Dumesnil, Riley Shelby
Spring Woods High School – Division 3: Jeremy Jackson, Emily Mitchell, Lillian Monteiro, Miguel Angel, Paul Harman, Charles Bellow, Kyle Modlin. This team advanced to World Finals.

Problem 2: “The Email Must Go Through”
Memorial Middle School – Division 2: Raymond Zrike, Jacob Lewis, Andrew Teske, Sam Curry, Gavin Young
Cornerstone Academy School – Division 2: Natalie Lee, Jacinda Isbell, Wesley Jones, Madeleine Wylie, Addison Barrett, Elizabeth Glover, Krista Drysdale
Westchester Academy – Division 3: Sam Farrokhi, Gustavo Rocha, Diana Villarreal, Sara Farrokhi, Lilian Velez, Adrian Villalobos. This team advanced to World Finals.

Problem 3: “ARTchitecture: ‘The Musical’”

Spring Oaks Middle School – Division 2: Katie Dickerson, Hannah Morphey, Jay Moyle, Meg Schomburg, Amy Dickerson, Karly Anderson, Joshua Castillo

Cornerstone Academy – Division 2: Rachel Williamson, Mary Mouton, Eleanore Green, Grace Barrett, Kati Stubits-Gallagher, Channing Green, Kara Hildebrand

Memorial Middle School – Division 2: Kieran Cremins, Kendrick Foster, Nickzad Rafieha, Demetri Zacharakis, Varun Dixit, Jun-Yong Kim, Carl Wolff

Problem 4: “Tumble-wood”

Spring Forest Middle School – Division 2: Madeline Harms, Taran Morford, Marissa Hormell, Rebekah LeMaire, Alexis Hyde, James Martinson, Alex Parizot
Memorial Middle School – Division 2 Max Wolff, Josephine Lim, Jerry Han, Connie Lee, Nia Choi, Zachary Lay, Trey Gregory
Spring Woods High School – Division 3: Richard Young, Parker Blome, Odalis Garcia, Nathan Lerner, Adam Tutt, Brenda Rivera. This team advanced to World Finals.
Westchester Academy – Division 3: Mia Alfonso, Mitchell Benson, Josh Diaz, Ted Bauer, Caroline Bik, Paige Williams, Cassandra Ung. This team advanced to World Finals.

Problem 5: “It’s How You Look At It”

Westchester Academy – Division 2: Katelyn Coolidge, Laura Rincon-Bianchi, Michelle Diaz, Darius Dixon, Isabella Boone, Nazlee Khadjeheian, Jordan Meza
Spring Woods High School – Division 3: Parker Blome, Richard Young, Adam Tutt, Emily Mitchell, Odalis Garcia, Jeremy Jackson. This team advanced to World Finals, and won 1st Place at Odyssey of the Mind (OM) Eurofest.First Place.

Reflections Contest Awards Student Recognitions

The goal of the National PTA’s Reflections program is to promote the arts in education and to create opportunities for every child to see himself or herself as a creative success. The theme of this year’s contest was “Magic of a Moment.”

These students’ works received an Award of Excellence at PTA Council level and received the awards listed below at the State level. Presenting these awards to honorees was Rebecca Zeigenhorn, who is SBISD Council of PTAs Reflections chairperson.

Frostwood Elementary

• Kate Weir as Special Artist – District Award of Excellence

Nottingham Elementary

• Maura Hoffman in Music Composition – District Award of Excellence, State Honorable Mention
• Sara Duvall in Visual Arts – District Award of Excellence, State Award of Merit
• Tristan Smith in Literature – District Award of Excellence, State Award of Merit

Hunters Creek Elementary

• Rob Espey in Musical Composition – District Award of Excellence
• Samantha Talbot in Film Production – District Award of Excellence

Wilchester Elementary

• Emma Dunwoody in Visual Arts – District Award of Excellence, Overall State Award of Excellence. Emma’s work is currently in National competition.
• Kenneth Owen in Photography – District Award of Excellence, State Award of Merit
• Alex Lasater in Photography – District Award of Excellence, State Honorable Mention
• Ceri Roberts in Film Production – District Award of Excellence
• Hailey Bates in Literature – District Award of Excellence

Valley Oaks Elementary

• Skylar Rauen in Dance Choreography – District Award of Excellence

Memorial Middle School

• Lauren Dodds in Photography – District Award of Excellence
• Allison Delgado in Music Composition – District Award of Excellence
• Joshua Chan in Film Production – District Award of Excellence
• Blakeley Kress as a Special Artist – District Award of Excellence

Spring Forest Middle School

• Taran Morford in Literature – District Award of Excellence

Memorial High School

• Anna Lai in Visual Arts – District Award of Excellence, State Award of Merit
• Sami Palermo in Photography – District Award of Excellence, State Award of Merit

Stratford High School

• Christopher Ramey in Musical Composition – District Award of Excellence, State Award of Merit
• Evan Moore in Film Production – District Award of Excellence, State Award of Excellence, Outstanding Interpretation State Award. He is currently in National competition.
• Emily Lindsey in Literature – District Award of Excellence, State Honorable Mention
• Josh Goldsberry as a Special Artist – District Award of Excellence, Overall Award of Excellence. He is currently in National Competition.

Westchester Academy

• Rachel Chan inVisual Arts – District Award of Excellence

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2012-13 WAIS Valedictorians & Salutatorians

Westchester Academy names valedictorians and salutatorians

Westchester Academy for International Studies has named five co-valedictorians and one salutatorian as its Class of 2013 representatives.

Graduating seniors at this district public charter campus will receive their diplomas at 7 p.m. on Monday, June 3, during a planned Graduation ceremony at Don Coleman Coliseum.

The Class of 2013 co-valedictorians:

Angela Nicole Dodd
Jennifer Lynn Hoang
Kaitlin Paricheher Kargar
Brittany Nicole McCune
Jay Ching-En Wang

Salutatorian at the high school this year is Destiny Moriah Lewis.

Principal at Westchester Academy is Nancy Bertin.

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2012-13 SHS Valedictorians & Salutatorians

Stratford High announces valedictorians and salutatorians

Stratford High has named 19 valedictorians and four salutatorians as Class of 2013 representatives.

Graduating seniors at this Spring Branch ISD campus will receive their diplomas at 7 p.m. on Saturday, June 1, during a planned Graduation ceremony at Don Coleman Coliseum.

The Class of 2013 co-valedictorians:

Jordan Alexander Bernstein
Anna Christine Chong
Steven Noel Cisneros
Isabel Hamlin Deakins
Kathryn Elizabeth Dickinson
Timothée Marie Nicolas Flichy
Amy Elizabeth Fox
Katherine Elizabeth Goss
Hyo-Won Jeon
Kurt Hamilton Kaiser
Nahyeon Kim
Matthew James Lastrapes
Elaine Lui
John Hall Lynch
Andrew Joseph Palughi
Olivia Elaine Pope
Kyle Thomas Rathgeb
Paige Louise Tormey
Ruoxi Wu

The Class of 2013 co-salutatorians:

Nicholas Preston Jones
William Stephen Strong
Allison Waller Sunderhaft
Tian Yao

Principal at Stratford High School is Christopher Juntti.

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2012-13 SWHS Valedictorians & Salutatorians

Spring Woods High announces valedictorians and salutatorians

Spring Woods High has named five graduating seniors as valedictorians for the Class of 2013.

They are:

• Wendolyne Catalina Castillo
• Candace Marie Edgley
• Kim Uyen Nguyen
• Jack William Rodgers
• Ruby Mayra Salazar

Co-salutatorians this year at Spring Woods High are:

• Michelle Adil Balsara
• Diane Tuyen Duong
• Shawna Kittipa Promsakanasakolnakorn

Seniors at Spring Woods High School will receive their diplomas at 4 p.m. on Saturday, June 1, during Graduation at Don Coleman Coliseum.

Spring Woods High principal is Lance Stallworth.

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2012-13 NBHS Valedictorians & Salutatorians

Northbrook High announces valedictorian and salutatorian

Northbrook High School has named Fernando Nazario Bello as its Class of 2013 valedictorian and
Sandra Lara as its 2013 Salutatorian.

Seniors at Northbrook High will receive their diplomas at 10 a.m. on Saturday, June 1, during Graduation ceremonies at Don Coleman Coliseum.

Principal at Northbrook High School is Randolph Adami.

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2012-13 MHS Valedictorians & Salutatorians

Memorial High names 16 co-valedictorians

Memorial High School has named 16 valedictorians and seven salutatorians as its Class of 2013 representatives.

Graduating seniors at this Spring Branch ISD campus will be receive their diplomas at 1 p.m. on Saturday, June 1, during a planned Graduation ceremony at Don Coleman Coliseum.

Memorial High School 2013 co-valedictorians:

Emily Renee Ackerman
Casie Shea-Gia Chen
Timothy Michael Davis
Marie Catherine Evans
Andrew McIntosh Frewer
Alexander Paul Gerome
Jack Wright Henington
Dmitry Khripkov
Min Woo Kim
Rachel Elizabeth Moore
Caroline Helen Peck
Anna Lucia Peel
Mary Elizabeth Schatzman
Colleen Nicole Sitton
Aditya Srinivasan
Audrey Anna Vinall

Memorial High School 2013 salutatorians:

Yezhou Feng
Mitchell Mark Groesbeck
Leslie Lynn Lugrin
Kelsey Elizabeth Moreland
Marc-Antoine Pichon
Sunidhi Singh
Kaijia Tian

Memorial High Principal is William Lakin.

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Summer Community Education

Online registration is being conducted now for Spring Branch ISD’s Community Education summer classes ranging from pottery and ceramics to GED preparation and youth and adult dance instruction. Online, instructor-led classes are offered by this community-based program, too.

To register online, visit the Spring Branch ISD Community Education website at this address: http://communityed.springbranchisd.com. Summer semester begins on June 10 and classes will end Aug. 3. Some classes have separate first meeting dates. Residents should register now to reserve their class of particular interest.

In-person registration for Summer 2013 classes will be held these dates:

• May 29-30, 9 a.m. until 4 p.m.
• June 5, 9 a.m. until 6 p.m.
• June 6, 9 a.m. until 7 p.m.
• June 8, 9 a.m. until 1 p.m.

In-person registration will be held at the Spring Branch Education Center, 9016 Westview, Room E-106. The Community Education entrance faces the building’s northwest side behind Westview.

Registration fees are nonrefundable and cost $15 for Spring Branch residents; $20 for out-of-district residents. For more information, call the main office at 713-251-1695.

The Summer 2013 Program will include Day, Night and Saturday class offerings. Classroom-based courses will meet at the Spring Branch Education Center, 9016 Westview.

Dance programs for youth and adults may meet at separate locations, including Spring Forest Middle School’s campus and Westchester Academy for International Studies.

Please review the course listings online, or visit the center and obtain a Summer 2013 brochure. Online, Instructor-led Classes Available 24-7 Online instructor facilitated courses are currently being offered on topics ranging from Start Your Own Business to Personal Finance.

A dedicated teacher supports each course, pacing students through the lessons and answering questions. Course work in this format runs for six weeks with a two-week grace period.

This format gives students the flexibility to study at their own pace, but with the structure and support to complete a course. Online instruction is project-oriented and may include quizzes, assignments, demonstrations, discussion, links to other supplementary material, and more.

To learn more about online instruction, please visit the Instruction Center at www.ed2go.com/sbisd.

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2013 Jones Scholars

Twelve graduating seniors in Spring Branch ISD have been named 2013 Houston Endowment Jones Scholars and are now eligible to receive up to $16,000 in scholarship funds toward a four-year university or college bachelor’s degree.

Jones Scholars are nominated by participating high schools. A Rotary Club of Houston committee made the final selection based on academic achievement, economic need, leadership skills, community service and character.

The Houston Endowment is a philanthropic foundation founded in 1937 by Jesse H. and Mary Gibbs Jones to improve the lives of Houstonians through donations to charities and educational institutions. Since it was established in 1958, the Houston Endowment has given more than $97 million to help send more than 11,000 students to college.

SBISD seniors named as Houston Endowment Jones Scholars this year:

• Memorial High – Ryan P. Neal, Aditya Srinivasan, Kaijia Tian
• Northbrook High – Fernando Bello, Lucia A. Meras-Torres
• Spring Woods High – Sandy A. Aguilar, Rena Dang, Aileen A. Lail
• Stratford High – Anna C. Chong, Fernando Trujano, Tian Yao
• Westchester Academy for International Studies – Angela N. Dodd

For more information about Houston Endowment and the Jones Scholars program, please visit www.houstonendowment.org or www.jonesscholars.org.

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Houston West Chamber Awards

Pictured: Principal Gary Henry (left) with Jeanne Bollinger, Chamber President & CEO and James Mutters (right) at the 23rd Annual Teacher of the Year and Business Partnership Awards Luncheon

A local Tae Kwon Do business that has provided classes and uniforms for an after-school program at Valley Oaks Elementary School was named Business Partner of the Year in the small business category during the recent 23rd annual Teacher of the Year and Business Partnership Awards Luncheon sponsored by the Houston West Chamber of Commerce.

Boudreaux's Country Kitchen won in the business category of 26 to 150 employees. The restaurant provides extensive culinary and restaurant training management, tours and catering for many Spring Branch ISD district events.

Spring Branch Tae Kwon Do owner James Mutters received the category award in businesses with 1 to 25 employees during the May 2 program at Lakeside Country Club-Westside.

Valley Oaks Principal Gary Henry nominated Mutters and his business. As a part of the award recognition, Valley Oaks Elementary School will receive $250 from the Houston West Chamber of Commerce.

The annual luncheon is held, in part, to recognize the educational support provided by business and community partners across the west Houston region. Keynote speakers this year were Dr. James Nelson, Jr., an engineering and computer dean at the University of Texas at Tyler and James Bowen with FIEEE Electrical Power Systems. The two men spoke on the need for engineers and a career-ready U.S. workforce.

Spring Branch ISD business and teacher nominations this year included:

SBISD 2011-12 Teachers of the Year Jamie Flint and Mario Romero
Both nominated for the Christa McAuliffe In Search of Excellence Award

Businesses with 1 to 25 Employees:

• Office Effects, Ellie Elam
• Crossroads Animal Clinic, Butch Miller
• Starbucks Coffee, Lindsey Levy
• Appleton Learning, Ray Brown
• Spring Branch Tae Kwon Do, James Mutters

Businesses with 26-150 Employees:

• Klotz Associates, Katherine Ostroff
• Boudreaux’s Cajun Kitchen, Monica Levitz

Nonprofit Organizations:

• NewSpring, Kristen Gonzales
• Chapelwood United Methodist Church, Bill Jensen
• Northbrook Middle School, Valerie Johnson

At the May 2 luncheon, 17 students from SBISD’s Guthrie Center took part in a workforce program exhibition. Our students showcased their works in computer animation, agricultural science, architecture, culinary arts, films and video, hotel management and student work internships.

The Houston West Chamber of Commerce is a business advocacy organization dedicated to enhancing the economic growth and vitality of the West Houston business community through leadership and business development.

The Chamber currently has more than 600 business members representing 45,000 employees and was recently recognized as one of the top 25 chambers of commerce in Houston by the Houston Business Journal.

For more information about the Chamber and its programs, please call 713.785.4922 or visit www.hwcoc.org.

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Mickelson ExxonMobil Teachers Academy

Five elementary teachers in Spring Branch ISD have been chosen to participate this summer in the 2013 Mickelson ExxonMobil Teachers Academy, which will meet June 16-21 at The Woodlands Resort and Conference Center.

The residential-style academy is designed to enhance the science and mathematics teaching and learning of third-, fourth-, and fifth-grade teachers. Those chosen for this year’s academy include the following SBISD instructors:

• Jeanne Breidenthal and Miguel Nava, both of Spring Shadows Elementary
• Marianela Amaya of Cedar Brook Elementary
• Dagoberto Duran of Pine Shadows Elementary
• Nelda De La Rosa of Westwood Elementary

The Mickelson ExxonMobil Teachers Academy is an ongoing partnership with the professional golfer Phil Mickelson and his wife, Amy, the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA), and Math Solutions. In addition to the local professional development opportunity for SBISD educators, science instructor Mario Romero of Thornwood Elementary was chosen earlier this spring for the national Mickelson ExxonMobil Academy, which will be held at the Liberty Science Center in Jersey City, N.J.

Romero, a fifth-grade teacher who is a former SBISD Teacher of the Year, met the golfer Phil Mickelson and learned about his award during a surprise announcement held at the Shell Houston Open in late March.

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