Spring Woods High student named Congressional Fulbright Scholar

Spring Woods High’s Annie Lui is the definition of a global citizen. Fascinated by culture and the human language, she’s embarking on what will be her third international move to Germany in early August as a Congressional Fulbright Scholar.
 
Lui was born in the United States, but moved with her parents to Hong Kong when she was a child. Four years ago, she decided to come back to stay with her aunt and uncle for high school so she could improve her English. Her return to the United States made traveling to other parts of the world more appealing.


“When I moved back here four years ago, I became interested in traveling and learning different languages. I really want to see Europe because I’ve never been so I started looking for exchange programs in a number of countries there earlier this year,” Lui said.

Lui’s current French teacher, Claire Breaux, told her about the Congressional Fulbright Scholarship (CBYX) that Breaux was selected for in 1993. After speaking with her and Michael Stoneham, a former Spring Woods student who won the CBYX Scholarship two years ago, she decided to apply.

This prestigious scholarship covers a week’s stay in Washington, D.C., where she will meet U.S. senators and congressional representatives who provide scholarship funds and tour many national landmarks. Funds will also cover travel to and from Germany, several excursions throughout the year, and a month long language camp when she arrives in Germany.

Lui will live with a host family and go to German high school, or “Gymnasium” as it is called, for 11 months.

Lui doesn’t currently speak any German, but she is fluent in Mandarin, Cantonese, Taiwanese and English; she hopes to add German to the list by the end of her stay.

“When I came to the U.S. my English was really bad, but I adjusted and managed to get good grades, so I am more excited than nervous to move to an entirely new country,” Lui said.

“I love learning new languages because a language represents a history or culture of a group of people, and I think it is fascinating to see how other people perceive the world.”

In the months leading up to Lui’s departure she plans to start familiarizing herself with the German language through lessons with Mrs. Breaux.  The exact date of her departure hasn’t been set, but it’s expected to be sometime in late June or early August.

Communications Dept. intern Kali Venable of Stratford High wrote this story.

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SBISD Makes Good News

Spring Woods High School’s boys and girls soccer teams, SBISD’s partnership with two highly regarded public charter schools, and an innovative, peer-to-peer student mentoring program in reading called Learning Together are a few of the notable district events and programs making local news recently.

Spring Woods High School Boys and Girls Soccer

Spring Woods High’s Girls and Boys Soccer teams competed in the 4A Region III semifinals April 11-12 at Turner Stadium in Humble. It marked the first time for a boys and girls team from the same high school to move on to regional competition.

Buoyed on April 11 by the support of 1,200 Spring Woods High classmates, Tiger Boys soccer defeated Jacksonville 2-1. That team lost a day later against Lee High in a 3-1 overtime game. Spring Woods High girls fought hard, but lost 1-0, also in overtime, to College Station on Friday.

To read more about Tiger soccer, please visit this Houston Chronicle news report:

http://www.chron.com/sports/highschool/article/Spring-Woods-brings-the-house-down-5397003.php?cmpid=email-mobile

Learning Together at Terrace Elementary with United Way

United Way's Learning Together program at Terrace Elementary School was the focus of an upbeat, April 12 news feature in the Houston Chronicle newspaper.

Piloted this school year with nearly 140 students at six Houston-area campuses, United Way's Learning Together program puts older students in charge of tutoring younger peers – in this case, fourth-graders overseeing second-grade students who attend Terrace Elementary.

Some students in the program begin behind grade level, but they all have made great gains, educators said. Not only are they reading better, they're raising their hands to speak in class more, they're checking out harder books from the library and they're more confident when reading aloud.

Houston Chronicle subscribers can read more about this story here:

http://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-texas/houston/article/Kids-help-their-peers-improve-reading-skills-5399622.php?t=fe0c0fbacf6a414591

SKY Partnership in SBISD earns praise from USA Today columnist

The author of an upcoming book on charter schools in the United States praises the work that Spring Branch ISD has done in recent years with the KIPP and YES Prep programs at two district middle schools.

Richard Whitmire, author of “On the Rocketship: How High Performing Charter Schools are Pushing the Envelope,” writes about charter schools and how debate about public schools vs. charter schools in New York City might be a sign of the future in education – or in education politics – in a recent USA Today newspaper column.

SBISD’s SKY Partnership includes the KIPP Courage College Prep at Landrum Middle School program and YES Prep Northbrook at Northbrook Middle School. These two programs operate alongside traditional middle school programs, and in some areas like fine arts and sports they are combined.

“In recent years these top charters have shown they can partner with regular school districts in ways that help both. If (New York City Mayor Bill) de Blasio ever visited schools in Denver or the Spring Branch district in Houston, he might start rethinking his hostility toward charters, They could help him achieve his goal of narrowing the gap between the haves and have-nots,” Whitmire states in the

http://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2014/04/01/bill-de-blasio-cuomo-charter-schools-new-york-column/7158071/

 

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2014 Running for the Arts set for May 3

Spring Branch Education Foundation (SBEF) will host the 22nd annual 5K Running for the Arts 5K (RFA) on Saturday, May 3, at Memorial City Mall outside JC Penney. Competitive runners will begin at 8 a.m.; 5K walkers will follow. The Kids K (1K) non-competitive run for participants in eighth grade or younger will begin at 9 a.m.

“The beauty of this run is the community atmosphere,” says Laura Cannaday, event chair. “Families run together, elementary students participate in their first race and professional runners come back year after year. Thanks to our health fitness teachers, our students are learning that exercise is important for a healthy lifestyle and that it can be fun.”

A Good Time for a Good Cause
SBEF uses the day’s proceeds to provide cultural arts field trips for SBISD students in grades one through eight. Students experience performances and exhibitions by premier arts organizations such as the Houston Symphony or the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, many for the first time.

A portion of the proceeds benefits the Health Fitness Teachers Association. Members help with the event. The Association sponsors student scholarships for college, teacher scholarships for professional development and community awareness programs.

Register Today
Runners/walkers may download registration forms or register online at www.runningforthearts.com. Information is also available at www.facebook.com/SbefRunningfortheArts and at all SBISD schools. Participants may solicit support from friends and family through the Running for the Arts website. Registration fees, which include a t-shirt and race packet, begin at $20 per person for participants 18 years and younger, $25 for adults. Fees increase in $5 increments on April 30 and at packet pick-up.

Community members are invited to be a Student Sponsor at the $275 level (15 SBISD students) and $125 level (five SBISD students).

“Saturday Sleep In” sponsorships are $70 prior to Apr. 30 and $80 after. These sponsorships include four Running for the Arts t-shirts, and four registrations count toward a selected school in the Highest School Participation Contest. T-shirts should be picked up during the packet pick-up times.

Race packet pick-up and additional registration is scheduled at Memorial City Mall’s food court area on Thursday, May 1, 11 a.m.–7 p.m., and Friday, May 2, 11 a.m.–4 p.m. Packets will be distributed on Saturday morning, 6:15–7:45 a.m. There will be no late registration on Saturday.

Volunteer to help with the event by visiting www.runningforthearts.com or by calling 713.251.2381.

Fun for Everyone
In addition to the run/walk, children will enjoy jump rope and hula hoop contests, face painting, a bean bag toss and other fun activities. SBISD performing arts groups, including a marching band, jazz ensembles and singers, will perform throughout the morning. A silent art auction will be held in the Mall on race day, 9 a.m. until 2 p.m.; the auction features student works from SBISD schools.

All participants are invited to the awards ceremony outside the Mall’s food court entrance. Runners will be treated to an after-race party, thanks to generous donations by Chick-fil-A, Shipley’s Do-nuts, My Fit Food, SBISD Child Nutrition Services and SBEF.

Awards
Male and female overall winners will each receive a $300 gift certificate provided by Memorial City Mall. Overall male and female master (over age 40) winners will receive $200 gift certificates provided by Memorial City Mall.

The SBISD school with the highest participation will win a $500 gift certificate from Young Audiences of Houston and a $500 Academy Sports & Outdoors gift certificate for the health fitness department. All other SBISD schools with a minimum of 10 participants will be entered into a drawing to win one of two prizes: a gift certificate from Young Audiences of Houston or a gift certificate from Academy Sports & Outdoors.

All registered runners and walkers will be eligible for numerous door prizes from community merchants. Winners must be present.

Community Support
The community is generous in its support of Running for the Arts and SBISD students. Sponsors include Memorial City Mall; ER24-7Plus/AOK Medical Center; Mallory and James Shaddix; Memorial Hermann Memorial City Medical Center; and Perdue, Brandon, Fielder, Collins & Mott, LLP. Other sponsorships are available; visit www.runningforthearts.com.

Running for the Arts is sanctioned and certified by the USA Track and Field Association.
For more information, call 713-251-2381.

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