Friday, February 28, 2014

Spring Branch ISD Earns Top Crystal Commendation

Each year, the Texas School Public Relations Association (TSPRA) honors and recognizes exceptional work and superior effort by Texas school public relations professionals at its annual conference. This year, Spring Branch ISD earned state-level honors for nine separate, recently produced and submitted works.

The SBISD Community Relations and Communications departments received the 2013 Crystal Commendation trophy for its Good Neighbor Program special event celebration. This successful program encourages and recognizes the many efforts of hundreds of individuals, businesses, governmental entities and area community groups who actively support district schools and students.

The Crystal Commendation is the most prestigious award of its kind issued for a school district or association special event or celebration. It was awarded in front of hundreds of Texas school public relations officials, and it represents a “Best in Texas” distinction for SBISD.

This highly coveted honor and others were awarded Feb. 19 in Austin at TSPRA’s yearly Star Awards Celebration during a combined dinner and awards program.

In addition to a high-level Crystal Commendation, SBISD’s Communications and Community Relations staff won eight separate TSPRA awards. They include two Best of Category Gold Medals, one Gold Star award, four Silver Star Awards and one Bronze Star award for excellence in school communications.

Among other superior achievements, Stratford High School senior Kali Venable, a two-year Communications Dept. intern, earned a Best of Category Gold Medal for her published feature, titled “Student Spotlight.” This fall, Kali plans to enter the Moody College of Communications at The University of Texas in Austin, Texas.

SBISD competes in the More Than 30,000 Student division, which includes state and local school districts with much larger student populations and representative community relations and communications staffs.

2013 Crystal Commendation – District/Association Special Event/Celebration
“SBISD Good Neighbor Program,” Community Relations Officer Linda Buchman and SBISD Community Relations and Communications team members. This team includes staff members Steve Brunsman, Paul Bryant, Amy Byrom, Amanda Caro, Monica Creixell, Betty Head, Pat Waldrop, Abby Walker, Melissa Wiland and Becky Wuerth.

2013 Best of Category Gold Medal – Communication Plan 
“Communications Plan 2013-18,” Melissa Wiland and Communications Team

2013 Best of Category Gold Medal – Published News Release, Edited
“Student Spotlight: Fernando Trujano,” Stratford High Student Intern Kali Venable

2013 Gold Star Award – Published News or Feature Story/Article
“Rummel Creek Celebrates 50th Anniversary!” Steve Brunsman and Paul Bryant

2013 Silver Star Award – External Newsletter
“Back to School 2012-13/Regreso a la Escuela 2012-13,” Communications Team and Linda Buchman

2013 Silver Star Award – Video: News/Information
“”Rummel Creek Educator Rocks Instruction,” Melissa Wiland and Paul Bryant

2013 Silver Star Award – Video: Special Interest/Feature Series
“Stratford High School Robotics Team: Welcome to the Sharc Tank,” Melissa Wiland and Paul Bryant

2013 Silver Star Award – Video: Promotional/Marketing
“Science is Cool!” Melissa Wiland and Paul Bryant

2013 Silver Star Award – Annual Report
“The Gift of Time, Talent & Treasure: The SpringBoard Mentoring Program Celebrates 10 Years,” Linda Buchman, Melissa Wiland and the Community Relations Team

Community Celebrates Inaugural Legacies of Spring Branch Gala

Spring Branch Education Foundation Hosts New Event

Chairs Katherine and Lane Dawson welcomed more than 500 community members to the first Legacy of Spring Branch Gala, hosted by Spring Branch Education Foundation on Feb. 21, 2014.

In honor of its 20th anniversary, SBEF recognized three community leaders who have championed education and are legacies of Spring Branch Independent School District. 


Doug Foshee, a graduate of Spring Branch High School, received the Spring Branch Independent School District Distinguished Alumni Award. Barry Abrams, a Westchester High School alum, was honored with the Spring Branch Education Foundation Lifetime Achievement Award. Andrea White, who graduated from Memorial High School, accepted the Susan & Larry Kellner Champion for Education Award.

“These recipients personify the awards’ emphasis of learning, achieving and sharing,” said Katherine Dawson. The event raised $160,000; all proceeds benefit Spring Branch Education Foundation and will be used for programs or scholarships that enhance the education for every SBISD student. 

The evening’s Raise the Paddle event added $6700 to the Foundation’s Fund for the Future Endowment. About Spring Branch Education Foundation The Foundation’s mission is to enhance the quality of education for every student in SBISD.

Founded in 1993, SBEF provides donors with a vehicle for making tax-deductible gifts to the district. The Foundation has raised almost $8 million and received the Houston Business Promise Award from the Greater Houston Partnership.

Related Media/Video Spotlights:

Visit the SBEF website for more details and information on how you can support our students and programming!

BIG ART DAY - March 6

TEA's BIG ART Day is Thursday, March 6, 2014. There are excellent events happening across our state. 

Excellent events can be found at: http://bigartday.org/BigArtDay/big-art-day-events.asp

Be part of putting art education front and center in your community on March 6, 2014.  Be visual!

Share photos from your art activities with us and they may be featured on the SBISD website, Facebook or social media sites!  snapshots@springbranchisd.com

Sherwood 
Dana Wade will be presenting a workshop on making Mexican Suns.

Spring Woods High
On Thurs. March 6, 2014 during T24 (9:30-11:05) SWHS art students plus 11th & 12th grade T-2-4 classes will attend Reverend Butter’s high energy ice carving show complete with music and chainsaws in the Tiger Gym.

Hollibrook 
March 4- All day
When I Grow Up….. Mural Large pieces of butcher paper will be placed in the main hallway with a variety of writing utensils. As students pass by to go to specials, lunch, recess, etc, they can stop and do a quick drawing of what they want to be when they grow up.

Thornwood
Art, music and health fitness teacher to let all students participate in big art day. We are going to let younger students use chalk to decorate our sidewalks. The older students will use sidewalk paint to create mandalas or collaborative circle paintings on the side of the gym's brick wall.

Bunker Hill
We are doing a writing activity where I’m creating a writing prompt based on Magritte and surrealism. Students will do this in class during Language Arts

Woodview 
All of Woodview will participate in a cooperative art project.  Each student and teacher will draw a self portrait (bust) on a sticky note.  Sticky notes will be put together in the shape of a beagle (our mascot)to be displayed.

Spring Branch Middle
At SBMS we are having an art gallery.  Our goal is to have a piece of art from every Pre AP student hanging in the gallery. The gallery will be open to the public and to our students and parents.  We are working with the 6th grade Language Arts teachers to provide a Cross Curriculum lesson. 6th grade students will attend the gallery with a Critical Analysis check sheet.  The 6th grade students will pick a piece of artwork to analyze.  6th grade students will then go back to their rooms and write about the piece of art they choose to analyze.

Memorial High
Jose Perez will be spending the day with me/sharing about his life as an artist and demonstrating how to start and finish a portrait

WAIS
School wide art display and promote Big Art Day

Nottingham
Doing artist trading cards and are putting in a garden loom at the end of the month.

Wilchester
Wilchester Elementary will be having a school wide art display  with art from all grade levels as well as art, music and physical education joining forces to create a Walk of Fame Sidewalk Chalk Walk throughout our playground area.  All teachers will create an aluminum sculpture for display in our library, the mural “One Piece” will be completed and unveiled and 5th graders are creating Random Acts of Art that will be placed in random places throughout the community with a link taking them back to the Wilchester Art website explaining Big Art Day and Youth Art Month!

Cornerstone
Cornerstone is doing "HEARTS FOR ART" for "Big Art Day".
The entire school is participating! Plans are that all 300+ hearts will be hung on the very large display
board outside the Cornerstone Office for all to see!!!


1st Saturday Family Event This Weekend!

This Saturday March 1st
Sessions begin at
10:00, 11:00 and 12:00

Join us as two of SBISD's amazing art teachers lead us in two fun projects.

After looking at the animals exhibited throughout the museum's artifacts, you will take that inspiration to sculpt your own unique animal.

After you design your animal you will design a human!

Using your creative skills you will decorate and adorn your own human mannequin.