Student Council Advisor of the Year

Talk about best in class. Terri Cyphers, a longtime Spring Forest Middle School Student Council Advisor, was recently named the Texas Association of Student Councils (TASC) Middle Level Advisor of the Year.

The award was announced Nov. 21 in San Marcos, Texas, during TASC’s Middle Level Conference. Terri has taught language arts at the SBISD middle school for 19 years, the last four years at the eighth-grade level.

In addition to serving as Spring Forest’s Student Council Advisor for the past 10 years, she has guided TASC District 7/13 as president, and is also a TASC board member. She has helped guide her Spring Forest students to Outstanding Student Council and Sweepstakes awards. She’s a frequent presenter at TASC conference sessions, and she is a director and advisor consultant at summer leadership workshops.

Terri also serves as an elected advisor to the TASC State Board of Directors. She was still surprised to be named advisor of the year despite her group involvement.

“There were five or six other nominees recognized before they ever announced the winner. While I wasn’t totally surprised, I wasn’t ever positive that such an award would go to me,” she recalls.
Others are not so surprised. “It is not often that a teacher displays the qualities that this advisor does. Through Student Council, she has helped create a culture that is energetic and compassionate about ‘paying it forward,’” said Spring Forest Middle Principal Kaye Williams, Ed.D.

One of Terri’s former Student Council presidents told the association this: “My advisor made a lasting impression on each of us. I am confident that was material in establishing my passion for student government. . . Through example, she taught me compassion, pride, respect for myself and others, a desire to do my best, (and) how to lead, listen and problem solve. My Student Council time with her is both cherished and missed. I will always be grateful to her for all she has done.”

A graduate of Cypress Creek High School and Stephen F. Austin State University, Terri has also taught at Housman Elementary and in Aldine ISD for five years. She is the mother of two adult daughters, both of whom attended Spring Forest Middle.

TASC is the largest student leadership organization in the United States.

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All-State Orchestra Students Named

Stratford HS Seniors Wilson Hui (left) and Kevin Han (right) 

Photo by Texas Group Photo

Six highly talented Spring Branch ISD high school students have received the highest honor possible in the musical field: They’ve been named to the Texas Music Educators Association (TMEA) All-State Orchestra.

Cellist Tiffany Hu of Memorial High School was selected for this honor for the fourth consecutive year. Violist Catherine Cai, a junior at Memorial, has been selected for a third consecutive year.

All-State is the highest honor a Texas music student can receive. Each year, more than 1,500 high school students are selected for ensembles in band, orchestra and choirs through a competitive winnowing process that begins with 50,000 or more students. Individuals begin by performing musical selections for small groups of judges.

The All-State Orchestra winners will perform at TMEA’s Convention early next year in San Antonio. The following SBISD orchestra students have qualified for All-State performances:

• Catherine Cai, Memorial High junior, viola
• Tiffany Hu, Memorial High, senior, cello
• Jonathan Keith, Memorial High, junior, bass
• Kevin Han, Stratford High, senior, cello
• Wilson Hui, Stratford High, senior, violin
• Christopher Matias Hivnor, Spring Woods High, senior, violin

In addition, Memorial High junior Meredith Aucock has been named an Alternate No. 1 in violin. If other students drop out, she will qualify to move up.

During the annual TMEA Clinic/Convention, All-State students participate in three days of rehearsals directed by nationally recognized conductors. Their performance selections are heard by thousands of attendees during the annual state gathering.

Band and choir student selections will be announced soon.

SBISD orchestra directors include Bingiee Shiu and Danielle Prontka at Memorial High; Michael Fahey and Peter Jagdeo at Stratford High; and Michael Chandler at Spring Woods High.

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