Monday, December 16, 2013

Take A Student To Your Employment (TASTE) Field Trip

Students from Hollibrook Elementary recently took time as part of the SpringSpirit Take A Student to Your Employment (TASTE) Field Trips series to visit law firms in downtown Houston.  The students earned the field for their participation in the fall SpringSpirit After-School Program.  During the trip, students heard why education is important and how the work they are doing in school now will have a lasting impact on their future.  Students enjoyed lunch with employees and attorneys from law firms as part of the day's activities and were able to take an escalator below ground to experience the downtown tunnels.  Each student received a gift bag with school supplies.  Thank you to SpringSpirit for their support.

Principals return for Westwood Elementary’s 50th anniversary

Several hundred current students, teachers, staff and families joined four campus principals and dozens of former staff members and campus graduates to mark 50 years at Westwood Elementary School, 10595 Hammerly.
The Dec. 12 anniversary event was held in the cafeteria of the new school, built about a block west from the original 1963 facility located at the intersection of Tiger Trail and Shadowdale. The old school is now used for transitional training and office needs.
One highlight of this late afternoon gathering was the return of three principals, including the current superintendent of schools in Katy ISD, to Westwood. Four principals were present for the 50th anniversary gathering. They include:
  • Alton L. Frailey, Katy ISD Superintendent. Alton was Westwood principal from 1990 to 1994, and then served in numerous SBISD leadership roles, including assistant superintendent, area superintendent and as executive director of governmental operations.
  • Claudia Iselt, who was Westwood principal from 1994 to 1999. During her leadership, the school earned Recognized status from the Texas Education Agency through school and community efforts.
  • Cheryl Glasser, Westwood principal from 1999 to 2005. Principal Glasser is noted for establishing a community outreach program called SWAN, which helped inspire related district efforts, including the highly successful Good Neighbor program in operation today.
  • Kay Kennard, who is current campus principal. Today, Westwood is held in high district regard for its school-based programs ranging from KSHAC (Kids School Health Advisory Council) to problem-based learning through campus integration of technology.
Westwood’s 50th anniversary event began with remarks from the Student Council President, Cynthia Sanchez-Hidalgo, and SBISD Community Relations Officer Linda Buchman.
Cynthia Sanchez, a fifth-grader, compared the 50-year old school community to a attributes that describe the school’s mascot, the Westwood Lion: leadership, self-confidence, generosity, wisdom and passion.
Westwood’s KSHAC program helped her develop leadership skills, she said. “With this program, I’ve been able to see great leadership skills in action by doing events like community service at the Houston Food Bank,” she told the gathering.
“I am pretty sure that during these 50 years our Westwood family has been full of these characteristics of a lion because Westwood is all about helping our students reach their potential so they can be ready for the present and the future,” Cynthia said. “So, like I said, ‘Let’s roar like lions!’”
Community Relations Officer Buchman reminded many in the audience of how a day five years marking the new school groundbreaking was much like this anniversary – cold, damp and chilly outside, but warm, inspiring and filled with traditions on the inside.
Westwood students and staff continue to benefit from the enduring support that Westwood neighbors, parents, students and alumni continue to provide. “In Spring Branch, we are a unique enclave where community and our community schools are so important,” the Community Relations officer said.
Principal Kay Kennard introduced special guests and former principals. In her own remarks, she noted that 50 years is a significant milestone for any campus.
“We pride ourselves in being a school that offers academic excellence as well as a school culture that focuses on our students’ success through team learning and innovative practices,” she said.
In addition to its integration of learning and technology, KSHAC program and Seed to Plate nutrition program that promotes healthy meals and diet, Westwood is an innovator that has earned district and state-recognized afterschool program. “Our after-school programs support students in taking leadership roles as they move to our secondary schools, including a mentor program with past students,” Principal Kennard said.
Former Principal Claudia Iselt described how the school’s teachers, staff and local community worked together to win a Recognized state rating. “The biggest thrill I had was this: We did it together!”
In closing remarks before a reception with cake and library activities and displays, Principal Kennard urged guests to take part in the school’s ongoing 50th activities. These include a time capsule project with students and families contributing brief notes that will be opened 25 years from now; a Wall of Fame where all graduates are encouraged to submit photographs.
During the library reception, a well-edited collection of clippings and photographs from each decade was available for browsing. The time capsule project and many student-built displays were also popular.
School 50th anniversary sponsors included Chapelwood United Methodist Church, Oliver Foundation, Party PiƱata and the Westwood PTA.

New Teacher Laptops


Teachers in Spring Branch ISD are looking forward to January 2014 for one work-related reason: The district is replacing its 6-year-old teacher-issued laptops with new Dell laptops equipped with the latest-generation Intel chips, solid state disks, webcams and Windows 8 touch screen options.

The voter-approved 2007 Bond program made it possible for SBISD’s teachers and students to stay in step with the dramatic changes in classroom technology. SBISD first issued standardized Dell laptops six years ago. The Board of Trustees gave its approval to replace 2,800 teacher laptops earlier this fall.

Dell laptops are used routinely by teachers for instruction-related classroom tasks that range from the electronic whiteboards known as ACTIVboards to audio/video projection and student survey and analysis. Since 2008, SBISD has installed more than 1,600 ACTIVboards in classrooms across the district.

Teacher laptops are paired in SBISD with thousands of student laptops and other devices, including Netbooks, iPads and iPods, along with a local Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) initiative that allows students to bring their laptops, tablets or smartphones to use for learning in the classroom.

“Teachers are excited about getting their new laptops,” said the district’s Chief Information Officer, Venu Rao. “We went through a long selection process to pick a winner, including asking a pilot group of teachers to test laptops and then using a Vendor Fair to get feedback and ratings from several groups in the district to be as inclusive as possible about the range of user needs in this important decision.”

SBISD’s Technology Department used a detailed selection process to pick the Dell E7440 as its enterprise market choice for teachers. Such devices must be standardized, rugged and centrally manageable with long warranties, the department reports.

The Dell E7440 was chosen after these steps were taken: First, a group of teachers tested Apple and Windows 8 laptops to make sure they worked with ACTIVboards and other key software programs. After initial screening, a “Vendor Fair” was held to test several of the possible laptop models. Several groups – principals, campus librarians and technology representatives, and pilot teachers – rated models in the Vendor Fair and picked top candidates.

The final laptop selection was based on factors that included Vendor Fair scores, ruggedness, screen size and resolution, and cost. The Dell E7440 laptop, now in its first production run, won the highest overall rankings in the process.

The new Dell laptop is considered rugged. It also has a 5-year warranty, the Intel fourth-generation Haswell chipset for long battery life and a solid state disk (SSD) for storage. The E7440 has a webcam, and the device has a touch screen and comes with Windows 8.

The new teacher laptops will be loaded with Camtasia, making it easier to produce multimedia content, too. Teachers will be able to choose between the Windows 8 “tile” interface, or the older Windows XP version or Windows 7 user interface.

Teacher orientations are planned in the weeks ahead. An internal website will ease the learning and transition process, and teachers will have the option to hang onto their older laptops until April, if desired.

The Gift of Knowledge

During the holiday period between Thanksgiving and Christmas, every Spring Branch ISD third-grade student received “the gift of knowledge” as part of an intentional giving program sponsored by the district's Community Relations Team through the national Dictionary Project program.

Third-graders took home a gift dictionary along with supporting lessons about spelling, reading and proper word use. That’s a holiday message with a strong meaning!

A grant this year from the Houston CPA Society along with continuing financial support from individual community sponsors and organizations made the local distribution of about 2,500 dictionaries possible once again.

The Dictionary Project in SBISD was created more than a decade ago when one Housman Elementary School volunteer, Ormonde Smith, spotted a Wall Street Journal article about the Dictionary Project, an effort to promote language arts skills among the young by giving them a main tool for reading, spelling and oral pronunciation.

Ormonde’s dictionary distribution project soon grew from one school, Housman, to an expanding district effort. Ormonde, who died several years ago at 96, and his wife, Margaret, led fundraising and distribution efforts for years through the couple’s friends and their local church.

Margaret, at 93, is not able to physically hand out dictionaries any longer. She is aware of the special impact that continuing donations have had in this program.

The Houston CPA Society donation will be used over two years and paired with other donors to meet the needs at all SBISD elementary schools, reports Abby Walker, coordinator for strategic partnerships and volunteer programs.

“We aligned all of our school presentations with the holiday season to ensure that each student receives a ‘gift of knowledge.’ SBISD Community Relations believes a donation to programs like the Dictionary Project continues to impact the students in SBISD long after it is initially received,” Coordinator Walker says.

To become a Dictionary Project donor or to join SBISD’s Good Neighbors program, please call 713.251.2286 or learn more at our program website:
http://cms.springbranchisd.com/community/GoodNeighborProgram/tabid/27422/Default.aspx

SBISD Purchasing Department earns state’s highest recognition

Spring Branch ISD’s Purchasing Department has been honored for best practices in school district purchasing. The department was recently issued the Award of Merit for Purchasing and Operations with Recognized Status. The award was issued by the Texas Association of School Business Officials, known as TASBO.

Director of Purchasing and Contracts Barbara Robillard leads this SBISD department. The recognition is the third consecutive award won by the district in recent history. The state group will issue the award formally in February 2014 during its annual Austin conference.

The TASBO Award of Merit for Purchasing Operations recognizes and honors state public school districts that are committed to following professional standards in the acquisition of goods and services. School districts that earn the award are considered to be among the top innovators in their field.

“This award has been a real professional and personal goal for myself, and a professional goal for Spring Branch ISD and for our team in Purchasing Services to be recognized for our excellence in Purchasing and Central Warehouse services to the district and community,” Director Robillard said. “To win this award a third time is phenomenal!”

To be considered for the Award of Merit, school districts must submit an electronic review and application that details the following: organization; policies and procedures; contract operations; staff training and certifications; warehouse process and procedure; plus processes involved in technology use, communication and management. Each application was reviewed by two independent reviewers.

“The team is dedicated to providing quality goods and services to the district daily. They embody a tireless work ethic and a passion for their craft in supporting the districts’ mission of T-2-4,” Director Robillard also said.

To learn more, please visit the SBISD Purchasing Department website at www.springbranchisd.com.

Texas Thespians Hall of Fame inducts Terry Hibbert-Ismert

Spring Woods High School’s longtime theatre director Terry Hibbert-Ismert was inducted into the Texas Thespians Hall of Fame recently during the state group’s annual meeting. The group is an affiliate of the Educational Theatre Association, which met last month in Dallas.

During her Nov. 23 induction, Memorial High School’s Theatre Director Nicole Morgan extolled Hibbert-Ismert’s support for local high school theatre, the state association, and theatre performance around the world. Hibbert-Isbert’s Hall of Fame induction is the first ever for a Spring Branch ISD theatre educator.

“Terry has been teaching for the past 30 years, and 29 of them in Spring Branch. She has many students working successfully in theatre across the country and in Europe. She puts students first. She works many long hours for the betterment of us all. She is inclusive, making sure the middle schools and new teachers are made to feel welcome. She is an example we should all follow,” Director Morgan said.

The Spring Branch ISD Board of Trustees will honor her and recent Hall of Fame induction during its regular monthly meeting on Dec. 16.

The Texas Thespians Hall of Fame honors adults who have given 20 or more years of service to serving and promoting state educational theatre. Texas Hall of Fame members are chosen for their dedication to student theatre in Texas as well as to the Educational Theatre Association, and for their contributions to high standards of excellence in Texas educational theatre.

Hibbert-Ismert has taught student theatre since 1986 at Spring Woods High. She was named 2003 Spring Woods Teacher of the Year. She’s a National Thespian Scholarship adjudicator for The International Thespian Society, and she has directed plays and also served as an educational outreach coordinator for the Country Playhouse. She holds a Lifetime PTA Award, among other recognitions.

Known for her love of students and her campus, Hibbert-Ismert has an expression that she proclaims often: “Spring Woods is the best kept secret in Spring Branch.” During her tenure, Spring Woods Theatre students and leaders have earned state, national and international recognition. Many former students work professionally in theatre, television or film, or have teaching careers in theatre and other areas. 

Spring Woods High School theatre grads work professionally in New York, Los Angeles and across the globe. Some of these former students include Trey Carnley, Rachel Baron, Travis Horstmann and Tyler First, working in technical theatre and design; Brian Nichols at Second City Los Angeles and Jason Ronje in Chicago; and Brandon Sonnier, who writes, edits and produces for television and film, also in Los Angeles; two-time Tommy Tune Award winner Paul Sabala, a New York City professional; Kristina Love, who appeared in the original Hamburg, Germany, production of Rocky; and Christina Stroup, famed in Houston as a Wonderette, and in other roles.

Graduates who are currently teaching include Ed Lingan, a University of Toledo theatre professor; Luke Fedell, a UH-Downtown theatre professor and certified stage combat coordinator; Erin Colston, who operates an acting school in Paris; and area teachers Anne Yancey (Spring Woods High), Kelly Harkins (Spring Forest Middle School), Bobby Linhart (Houston Christian High), Stacy Erskine (A&M Consolidated Middle) and Matthew Peters (The Woodlands High).

In other highlights, Hibbert-Ismert’s students have earned consistent excellence in UIL One Act Play Competition and numerous Tommy Tune Award nominations and awards. They performed Les Miserables, School Edition and The Pirates of Penzance at the Hobby Center for the Performing Arts downtown. Those shows were also performed during the International Thespian Festival in 2003 and 2005, and Pirates was performed at the American High School Theatre Festival in Edinburgh, Scotland, to sold-out audiences and glowing newspaper reviews.

The school theatre department was also nominated to take part in the first year of a New York Fringe-style workshop with Broadway directors, including session work with three Broadway directors. Four performances are planned at The New School in New York during June 2014.

Among other activities, she co-sponsored the ComedySportz High School League, organized workshops and camps, and served as a mentor, cadre member, Faculty Club officer, District Advisory Team and Budget Committee member. At Spring Woods High, she holds a Fired Up Tiger Award, too.

Hibbert-Ismert was inducted last month into the Hall of Fame along with Luiz Munoz, who is UIL state theatre director. She co-teaches at Spring Woods High with Anne Yancey.

“At the awards luncheon, I was truly honored to see my name flash onto the screen with all of the other members who have been mentors and dear friends of mine throughout the years. This is a thrilling moment in my life,” she said.

“I would never, ever be at this point in my teaching career if it were not for talented and dedicated students, a strong administration, a teaching partner who is a joy to work with, and a husband and a family that understands the level of commitment that this job requires,” she also said.