Free Flu Vaccinations for Adults and Children

The Spring Branch Community Health Center is offering free flu vaccinations for adults and children in Spring Branch.  AVAILABLE AT BOTH LOCATIONS WHILE SUPPLIES LAST.

Main Clinic
1615 Hillendahl Suite 100
Houston, TX 77055
713-462-6565

Monday– Friday
8:00am - 5:00pm

For more information, call 713-462-6565 or visit us at www.sbchc.net

Pitner Clinic
8575 Pitner Rd.
Houston, TX 77080
713-462-6545

Mon, Wed, Fri
8:00am – 5:00pm

Tues, Thu
8:00am – 8:00pm

1ST & 3RD SATURDAY OF EVERY MONTH
9:00AM—1:00PM

VACUNAS CONTRA LA INFLUENZA GRATIS PARA ADULTOS Y NIÑOS
DISPONIBLES EN LAS DOS CLÍNICAS
*Mientras duren las existencias

NO NECESITA CITA
SE PREFIERE CITA
Para obtener más información, comuníquese 713-462-6565 o visítenos en www.sbchc.net

Main Clinic
1615 Hillendahl Suite 100
Houston, TX 77055
713-462-6565

Lunes – Viernes
8:00am - 5:00pm
Para obtener más información, comuníquese 713-462-6565 o visítenos en www.sbchc.net

Pitner Clinic
8575 Pitner Rd.
Houston, TX 77080
713-462-6545

Lunes, Miercoles, y Viernes
8:00am – 5:00pm

Martes y Jueves
8:00am – 8:00pm

1ER Y 3ER Sábado de
cada mes 9:00AM—1:00PM

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Connecting to Nature

Willing thumbs, no experience needed.

Connecting students with the natural world all around them is one of Spring Branch ISD’s goals in educating young people for the future. Adult volunteers are needed at one SBISD elementary school to inspire and to connect students with garden dirt and green plants, insects and birds.

At Thornwood Elementary School, 14400 Fern, students and staff learned how important nature can be when volunteers at St. Thomas Presbyterian Church designed and then installed a school garden overflowing with hardy native plants that attract beneficial insects and birds.

Dedicated St. Thomas volunteers have maintained the area garden, doing Saturday upkeep with occasional help from volunteers like local Cub scouts. In the past year, the school’s garden was registered officially as a National Wildlife Federation (NWF) certified schoolyard habitat, a big recognition.

In order to be certified, the garden had to meet all of the requirements for classification as a natural habitat, including food, water, shelter and a place to raise the young. Now, new and additional volunteers are needed to work with and supplement St. Thomas’ volunteers.

“As a group of adults, our volunteers first saw the garden as an opportunity to rekindle a lost relationship between children and the natural world. The youth of today are the key to the future of tomorrow and, therefore, they must understand how important our environment is,” says Allyn Dukes, one of the St. Thomas volunteers who created the school garden.

The garden habitat serves a student population that includes children who live in apartments, not homes with yards. Many lower-income families at the school are also highly mobile.

Thornwood Principal Lynn Austin reports that students adore visiting the garden during planned science lessons.

Science teachers have incorporated activities such as bird watching, identifying plants, and examining insects into their lesson plans to create an interactive experience. In kindergarten, students have visited the school garden with personal magnifying glasses and report back on what they observed. Many teachers now take their school photographs in the garden.

“For some students, this may be the first permanent plant and vegetation establishment that some students have had the chance to interact with,” volunteer Dukes says. “While the sponsors at St. Thomas Presbyterian have thoroughly enjoyed planning and creating a wonderful addition to Thornwood, we are striving to build a larger community ownership so that other volunteers will come and help with garden upkeep.”

Communications Dept. intern Kali Venable compiled this report.

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Thank you for being a mentor! Julie Eisenhauer

Moving the Walls Out to Bigger Places - Julie Eisenhauer

A desire to continue follow students’ growth and progress from year to year is what inspired Julie Eisenhauer to become a mentor following her retirement from 37 years of teaching in SBISD. She currently has the pleasure of mentoring two young girls: Jasmine, a fourth grader at Hollibrook Elementary and Cyndia, an eighth grader at Northbrook Middle School.

Jasmine stated that she looks forward to visiting each week with Ms. Julie because, “She teaches me more words in English and we have fun.” One of the fun things they have done this year is learn to play Monopoly. Jasmine even requested and received a Monopoly game for Christmas!  They also draw together and do some craft projects.

Ms. Eisenhauer notes that she just loves being with children and likes to help them “move the walls out” from their own environments by expanding their world views. As the mentor partner coordinator for a large group of mentors from Memorial Drive United Methodist Church, she keeps the mentor room at Hollibrook Elementary stocked with a wide variety of activities for the mentors and mentees to do together, and she has a world map posted on the wall to foster conversations about places and possibilities beyond Houston. She also plans holiday parties and field trips for the mentors and mentees.

Jasmine explained she wanted to have a mentor to see if it would be fun or boring, and definitely finds Ms. Julie not boring! In fact, the word Jasmine uses to best describe her mentor is “creative.” Ms. Eisenhauer chose the word “receptive” to represent Jasmine’s willingness to learn and try new things. They both look forward to a long term relationship, and nothing would please Ms. Eisenhauer more than to help Jasmine realize her dream of becoming a doctor.

At Northbrook Middle School, Ms. Eisenhauer visits Cyndia on a weekly basis. They have been together for five years, and enjoy talking together, which Cyndia finds helpful for “helping her with grades and solving problems.” This year, they have added discussions about their favorite books to the mix. Cyndia is trying to convince Ms. Eisenhauer to try a scary mystery book by her favorite author, Margaret Peterson Haddix, but Ms. Eisenhauer isn’t so sure about the scary part!

Some of Cyndia’s friends also have mentors, and they enjoy the opportunities, provided by mentor coordinator Minga Herrera-Fernandez at Northbrook Middle School, when several mentors and mentees get together for holiday celebrations, games and conversations.

Ms. Eisenhauer noted their conversations have improved Cyndia’s English conversation skills tremendously over the years. Cyndia says her family has noticed that having a mentor has “changed me for good.” She is a top student, usually making straight A’s, and is a member of the National Junior Honor Society. When they first met, Ms. Eisenhauer said her mentee said she wanted to be a mom when she grew up, but now through some opportunities to explore other career options (including an eye-opening visit to The Guthrie Center), she sees many other possibilities are available. As of today, Cyndia has her sights set on being a lawyer.

When Cyndia moves to high school next year, her “good friend” and mentor, “Ms. Julie,” will encourage her to continue to excel, be involved in many interests like Choir, and maintain her good grades, so her opportunities for success after high school will also flourish. Ms. Eisenhauer hopes Cyndia’s strengthened language skills will empower her to be inquisitive, and seek assistance and solutions to any obstacles that may come along.

Ms. Eisenhauer’s ‘can-do’ spirit and willingness to support the achievements of her mentees will serve as inspirations for Jasmine and Cyndia to reach for the stars, and “achieve more than they think possible.”

SBISD will be sharing the stories of outstanding leaders in our community who take on the role of mentor.  Look for this feature and make sure to thank someone in your life who listens, takes time to care, and supports you! When we work together...anything is possible.

For information on being a mentor, or volunteering in Spring Branch ISD, visit the Community Relations section of the SBISD website.  Click here to read more about our mentoring programs.

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Thank you for being a mentor! Beth Shaw

In Spring Branch ISD we believe student success depends on all of us working together.  

Staring this month, in honor of National Mentoring Month, SBISD will be sharing the stories of outstanding leaders in our community who take on the role of mentor.  Look for this feature and make sure to thank someone in your life who listens, takes time to care, and supports you!

When we work together...anything is possible.

We need more community. - Beth Shaw, SBISD Mentor

Beth Shaw got involved as a mentor as a way to make a more human connection to the work she and her daughter were doing as volunteers for SBISD through the National Charity League’s Houston Hearts Chapter. She could see there was a need for kids to learn better communication skills like conversation and making eye contact. Since Mrs. Shaw is a natural good listener, she felt being a mentor would be a good fit for her. She was joined by 10 other NCL mothers to form a strong and steady mentor group at Spring Branch Elementary.

Mrs. Shaw’s mentee, Alaynah, is currently in fourth grade, and gets so excited on the days she knows her mentor will be coming to visit. They have done many fun projects together like making a jeweled treasure box, a photo album, Mothers’ Day card, and a Christmas ornament, which Alaynah gave to her mother.  They tried making some woven bracelets last year, and both decided they would wait until they were ‘older’ to try that project again!

Alaynah’s favorite activity, though, is to talk while they are working on projects. She likes it when they each get to share what they did during holiday breaks. Mrs. Shaw mentioned she often shares stories about her own three children with her mentee, to let her know about how other families operate. Alaynah was very interested in discussing the dog that was included in the Shaw family Christmas card photograph as she also has dogs at home.

On a couple of occasions, Mrs. Shaw has had the opportunity to meet Alaynah’s parents, and it has been nice to let them know that someone in the community cares. “We just need more community,” says Mrs. Shaw. This, along with mentoring, ties in nicely with the Search Institute’s finding that one of the 40 Developmental Assets (the building blocks for healthy development to help young people grow up healthy, caring and responsible) is that the “young person perceives that adults in the community value youth.”

Alaynah looks forward to having Mrs. Shaw as a mentor for as long as possible. “I want to stay connected to her because she is so kind,” she said. Alaynah’s favorite subjects in school are Math and Science, and she hopes to become a veterinarian one day. Maybe she will be able to take care of the Shaw’s dog!

For information on being a mentor, or volunteering in Spring Branch ISD, visit the Community Relations section of the SBISD website.  Click here to read more about our mentoring programs.

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Stratford Playhouse is “Crazy for You”

Stratford High School Playhouse plans to tap its way into another great show on Jan. 31 with the opening of the new Gershwin musical comedy Crazy for You, where cowboys meet showgirls in the pre-Vegas days of Nevada.

Stratford Playhouse actors getting into character for the musical comedy, Crazy for You, are Caitlin Ellinger, Calli Martin, Hannah Goodearle, Graham Baker, Katie Moore and Kirby Morris. Photo by Claire Sharp.

Directed by CeCe Prudhomme, the show is about a stage-struck, but down-on-his-luck New Yorker, Bobby Child, who is sent to s small town in Nevada to close down the local theater. Soon Bobby falls in love with the theater owner’s daughter, Polly, and hatches a plan to save the theater by putting on a show of his own.

Through twists and turns, incredible dancing, and lots of George and Ira Gershwin tunes, the plot thickens. Featuring classics like “Someone to Watch Over Me,” ”I’ve Got Rhythm,” “They Can’t Take That Away From Me,” and “Embraceable You,” spectators are sure to get carried away by this show.

Tickets are $16 in advance, and some shows are already starting to sell-out. Performances will be at 7:30 pm Jan. 31-Feb. 2 and Feb. 7-9, with matinees on Feb. 2nd and Feb. 9th at 2:30pm.

Tickets for Crazy for You are available to purchase online now, or can be purchased at the Box Office beginning Jan. 23rd.

For more information or to buy tickets, go to www.shsplayouse.org or call 713-251-3449. 

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New American Sign Language show among student productions

A new year in Spring Branch ISD theater opens in February with a classic George and Ira Gershwin comedy and a unique musical about the biblical Garden of Eden story told in both English and American Sign Language by student actors.

Stand-out productions will include Gershwin’s Crazy for You at Stratford High, Children of Eden at Spring Woods High, Westchester's Murders of 1940 and the much honored South Pacific at Memorial High. Many other student band, choir and orchestra performances have also been announced.

At Spring Woods High, the student cast is preparing to recount the origin stories associated with the biblical Garden of Eden as history through songs and dialogue told in both English and American Sign Language.

Children of Eden follows the stories of Adam and Eve, Cain and Abel, as well as Noah and the biblical flood. However, no religious background or particular faith perspective is needed to appreciate this musical story, producers report.

Spring Woods High show co-directors Terry Hibbert and Anne Yancey have wanted to incorporate sign language into a show for many years, but searched to find the production with just the right fit for using sign language.

Theater students take on the challenge of learning to act, sing, speak, dance and use sign language as part of the Spring Woods High production of Children of Eden.

The student troupe at Spring Woods High has taken on the challenge of learning how to act, sing, speak, dance and use sign language all at once. A former sign language teacher, Cynthia Gerall, taught students how to transfer the script and its emotions into something as whimsical as their hands.

Based on music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz and a book by John Card, the story is told with simplicity, using minimal props and breathtaking costumes. “Children of Eden is about people. It is about real relationships and the beauty of creation. The story will leave you puzzled in awe,” Spring Woods High’s Hibbert says.

Other popular shows in SBISD this winter include Stratford High’s Crazy for You and Memorial High’s South Pacific. The George and Ira Gershwin musical comedy Crazy for You is a high energy romp that includes a case of mistaken identity, plot twists, fabulous dance numbers and a famous Gershwin score.

Cast members from Stratford High's Crazy for You 

Unforgettable tunes in Crazy for You include such songs as I Got Rhythm, They Can’t Take That Away From Me, Nice Work if You Can Get It, and Someone to Watch Over Me. Stratford Playhouse hit the road in pre-show performances at several locations, including Blue Willow Bookshop.

Westchester Academy's production of the musical comedy, Murders of 1940, takes the stage on Feb. 21, and promises to be a sidesplitting good time with generous servings of biting satire and irreverent wit. Join the fun as mayhem ensuses, victims drop and fingers point!

Memorial High’s South Pacific, beginning Feb. 21, is one of Broadway’s greatest musicals. It won 10 Tony Awards in 1949-50, including Best Musical, then won eight more Tony Awards the Broadway revival in 2008.

With music and lyrics by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II, South Pacific deals frankly with the issue of racial prejudice as told through the separate love stories of an American nurse and a U.S. Navy lieutenant during World War II.

Many of its songs, including Bali Ha’i, I’m Gonna Wash That Man Right Outa My Hair, Some Enchanted Evening, and Happy Talk have become popular American Songbook standards.

Tickets for many shows may be purchased online or in person through the following campus box offices:

· Stratford Playhouse – http://www.shsplayhouse.com/
· Memorial High Theatre – https://www.ticketturtle.com/index.php?theatre=mhs
· Spring Woods Safari Players – http://www.safariplayers.com/tickets

See Calendar Listings below for more upcoming events.

January 2013
31, Crazy for You, Stratford HS Playhouse (7:30 p.m.)

February
1, SBISD Boys Choir Show, Memorial HS Auditorium, (5:30 p.m.)
1-2, Children of Eden, Spring Woods HS Auditorium (7:30 p.m.)
1-2, Crazy for You, Stratford HS Playhouse (7:30 p.m.)
2, SBISD String Solo & Ensemble Festival, Spring Forest MS (All Day)
2, Crazy for You, Stratford HS Playhouse (2:30 p.m.)
2-3, Children of Eden, Spring Woods HS Auditorium (2:30 p.m.)
5, ComedySportz vs. Katy Taylor, Memorial HS Black Box Theatre (7 p.m.)
6, Crazy for You Children’s Matinee, Stratford HS Playhouse (10 a.m.)
7-9, Crazy for You, Stratford HS Playhouse (7:30 p.m.)
8, Broadway Concert for Band, Choir & Orchestra, Memorial HS Auditorium (7:30 p.m.)
8, ComedySportz vs. Faculty, Spring Woods HS Auditorium (7 p.m.)
8-9. UIL Solo & Ensemble Orchestra & Band Contest, Northbrook HS (All Day)
8-9, Children of Eden, Spring Woods HS Auditorium (7:30 p.m.)
9, Crazy for You, Stratford HS Playhouse (2:30 p.m.)
9, Children of Eden, Spring Woods HS Auditorium (2:30 p.m.)
12, ComedySportz vs. Spring Woods HS, Memorial HS Black Box Theatre (7 p.m.)
21, Crazy for You selections, SBISD Celebration of Sharing, Memorial City Mall (8 a.m.)
21-23, South Pacific, Memorial HS Auditorium (7:30 p.m.)
28, South Pacific, Memorial HS Auditorium (7:30 p.m.)
28, Murders of 1940, Westchester Academy Theater (7:30 p.m.)

March
1-2, Murders of 1940, Westchester Academy Theater (7:30 p.m.)
1-2, South Pacific, Memorial HS Auditorium (7:30 p.m.)
2, South Pacific, Memorial HS Auditorium (2:30 p.m.)
7, ComedySportz vs. Cy-Ranch and Cy-Falls, Spring Woods HS (7 p.m.)
22, Talent Show, Memorial HS Auditorium (Contact campus for times.)
26, Spring Choir Concert, Spring Branch MS Auditorium (6 p.m.)

April
5, ComedySportz vs. Seven Lakes HS, Memorial HS Black Box Theatre (7 p.m.)
11, ComedySportz vs. Memorial HS, Spring Woods HS Mini-Auditorium (7 p.m.)
16, ComedySportz vs. CyFalls HS, Memorial HS Black Box Theatre (7 p.m.)
19, String Orchestra Concert, Memorial HS Auditorium (7 p.m.)
19-20, Saving the Greeks: One Tragedy at a Time, Cornerstone Academy (6:30 p.m.)
26-27, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Stratford HS Playhouse (7:30 p.m.)
30, ComedySportz City Tournament, Memorial HS Auditorium (7 p.m.)

May
2-4. Radium Girls, Memorial HS Auditorium (7:30 p.m.)
4, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Stratford HS Playhouse (2:30 p.m.)
5, Radium Girls, Memorial HS Auditorium (2:30 p.m.)

10, Spring Band Concert, Memorial HS Auditorium (7 p.m.) 

13, Spring Pop Concert, Spring Branch MS Auditorium (6 p.m.)
16, Beginners Band Concert, Spring Oaks Middle School (6 p.m.)
16 Symphonic/Concert Bands Concert, Spring Oaks Middle School (7 p.m.)

Note: Special reservation and pricing policies may apply for some theater and other campus events. Seniors who are 65 years old or older seeking STARCard discounts should check special reservation and pricing policies in advance.

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SKY Partnership Celebrates Collaboration

Northbrook Middle School and YES Prep Northbrook leaders joined school system leaders from each group Jan. 15 to share their thoughts on early success during a special celebration held at the middle school.

Northbrook's Yes Prep students provided a tour of program classrooms as part of event.

Promising stories stood out at the celebration, titled “Going Far Together: Advancing Student Achievement Through Innovative Collaboration.” The meeting combined first-semester reviews by school leaders and superintendents along with a student-focused video presentation and a question-and-answer panel session.

The gathering attracted 155 people, including Spring Branch and Aldine ISD Board of Trustees members, local government and corporate leaders, as well as supporters and stakeholders in the Spring Branch ISD (SBISD) and YES Prep Public Schools (YES).

The school-within-a-school collaboration at Northbrook Middle reflects one half of the initial SKY Partnership between SBISD, KIPP Houston Public Schools (KIPP) and YES. The SKY name is derived from the first initials of these three organizations.

YES Prep Northbrook currently serves 140 sixth-graders and will add a grade each year until it reaches capacity as a 6^th -8^th grade program. The partnership has also created KIPP Courage at Landrum Middle School, currently serving 105 fifth-graders within Landrum Middle School. KIPP Courage at Landrum will expand each year to become a 5^th-8^th grade program. The two groups of students will eventually feed into a YES high school program at Northbrook High School.

The Jan. 15 celebration included remarks from SBISD Superintendent Duncan F. Klussmann, Ed.D.; President of YES Prep Public Schools Jason Bernal; Northbrook Middle Principal Valerie Johnson; YES Prep Northbrook School Director Cendie Stanford; and YES Prep Director of Strategic Initiatives Ellen Winstead.

Dr. Klussmann and Mr. Bernal spoke about how their collaboration is “dispelling the myth of us vs. them” when it comes to districts and charters, and about the importance of educating “all of our children.”

Superintendent Klussmann recalled the four years of planning it took to open the doors of both programs in August 2011. He praised all three organizations for their ability to define a strong vision at the top, but then turn the work over to a steering committee and working groups representing each organization.

Pictured: YES Prep School Director Stanford, NBM School Principal Johnson and YES Prep's Ellen Winstead

School leaders Johnson and Stanford both attributed changes in their performance management skills to the partnership’s collaborative efforts. As a result of the partnership, Johnson attended KIPP’s School Leadership Program in the summer of 2012. Johnson and Stanford hold weekly meetings with each other to calibrate their operations and management procedures. They often observe teachers’ classrooms together, giving staff an opportunity to receive feedback from both leaders.

 

The event celebrated the growth that the partnership is making possible for all students. “They are thinking and acting more like students [who] really see the horizon in front of them, instead of just seeing the morning they come to school,” Northbrook Middle Assistant Principal Kathy Green said of her students.

YES Prep Northbrook student Donavin Baldivia thanked Bernal, telling him and others this: “In 2019, we’re going to graduate to college…we are going to walk across that stage and we are going to get our college degree and…be successful in life.” 

While there was much to celebrate, speakers also recognized the work that lies ahead. The SKY Partnership supports SBISD’s five-year goal to double the number of students completing some form of higher education in the next five years.

School leaders Bernal and Klussmann share lessons learned and the benefits of program collaboration.

Superintendent Klussmann said collaborations are important to quicken culture change so that all students succeed. He said that the SKY Partnership programs mark the beginning of that process.

To learn more about the SKY Partnership, visit www.springbranchisd.com/sky.

This report was compiled by SKY Partnership Communications Specialist Abby Walker.

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Woodview Elementary crossing guard has history on her side

Marie Klotz has been guiding students across Bunker Hill at Cedardale near Woodview Elementary School since Ronald Reagan’s first term as president.

She has been a school crossing guard for 29 years at this location. Marie somehow knew in her heart that this increasingly busy street would be her twice-a-day job when she passed by the school way back in 1984.

Marie lives with her husband on the Spring Branch east side, near Housman Elementary. She applied for her part-time position here when her daughter, Johanna, started classes at the University of Houston. SBISD Human Resources told her that job applicants couldn’t pick their own job locations. Marie bided her time.

 “I said my prayers, and then I kept calling them. They called me back one day, and said, ‘The crossing guard at Woodview has quit. You can have the job if you still want it.’”

Three decades later, Marie is at her corner post early morning and mid-afternoon. Rain and shine. Cold. Heat. Humidity.Wind. She does it for all the small faces and the joy it gives her. “God gave me this job. I love it. I treat every child as I do my very own grandchild,” she says. Marie is the type who played toy soldiers and war games with her grandson.

Today, he is at West Point Military Academy. “I want all these children to have a future. Instead of sales, I want to see them start and own their own businesses,” she says, beaming brightly. She is not lonely. Many of the drivers know her. They wave. Neighborhood walkers stop to chat. Toddlers are impressed by her crossing guard stop sign or other job gear.

“I have to stay busy; I have a lot of energy for an old lady,” quips Marie, who is 66. She’ll need that energy to deal with morning and afternoon drivers on Bunker Hill who refuse to follow traffic rules at her school crossing.

She blows her whistle loudly if approaching drivers fail to stop promptly. Her complaints? Drivers who do not heed the 20 mph school zone speed limit and those who think that her handheld stop sign really means roll forward slowly. “Slow down. Stop!” she exclaims.

“Marie Klotz is genuinely committed to the safety of our children, and she is tireless in her efforts to protect and to serve,” says Woodview Elementary Principal Neda Scanlan.

“She is an extremely hard worker who cares about her job, and she is out there come rain or shine. She makes sure that everyone is greeted with a smile as they come to our school. She is truly an exceptional crossing guard. She’s an excellent ambassador for her school and for SBISD,” the principal adds.

 Times have changed for crossing guards. In 1984, dozens of schoolchildren walked to and from school. Bunker Hill was still a two-lane street that did not connect directly to the Katy freeway. The school operated several student patrols.

Today, Marie is lucky to greet a dozen parents and children in the morning. Many parents drive students to school and pick them up. Times just may change again, though. 

Deneen Stanfield, a school administrative assistant, recalled how Marie helped Deneen’s children cross Bunker Hill each day. The neighborhood had few young walkers for many years, but new younger families are moving in.

“They are tearing down homes and they are replacing the old with new. And we are seeing new children again at Woodview,” she says. “Marie loves children.”

Marie thinks that her many years as a Woodview crossing guard has helped her stay active and young at heart. “I feel that older people need to give back to young people. Be a school crossing guard. Read to children in a school. This is the computer generation, but they also need to have face-to-face contact with other people and have other people support them.”

To learn more about opportunities in SBISD to volunteer or mentor, please call Community Relations at 713-251-2286.

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