Spring Branch Education Foundation Announces Fall Grants

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

December 10, 2014
Contact:  Elaine Reeder Mayo, 713.882.2517

Spring Branch Education Foundation Announces Fall Grants
$82,228 Awarded to Projects for SBISD students

At its November Board meeting, Spring Branch Education Foundation (SBEF) approved $82,228 in grants to fund diverse education-enhancing projects throughout Spring Branch Independent School District.

Twice each year, the Foundation calls for grant applications, up to $5,000 each, from any of its 46 school campuses. District-wide projects are eligible for larger grants. Both faculty members and volunteers are encouraged to apply.

“Through these grants, the Education Foundation provides students and staff with opportunities for innovative projects,” said Donnie Roseman, a member of the SBEF Board of Directors and chair of the Program and Assessment Committee. “Donations to the Foundation and fund-raisers make these grants possible.”

On a district-wide level, the Foundation awarded $6,000 to the Spring Branch ISD Council of PTAs to underwrite scholarships for SBISD college-bound students. A grant of $9,500 will subsidize an Operation Graduation Post-Secondary Success Facilitator who will guide students at risk of not graduating. The Early Childhood department received a grant of $5,000 to fund instruction for kindergarten teachers at Spring Shadows, Hollibrook and Edgewood Elementary Schools to focus on early reading behaviors.

The balance of the money was designated for projects on SBISD campuses:

• Bendwood Elementary – SPIRAL Gifted and Talented students will build and program functional robots.
• Hollibrook Elementary – Students, K-5, will benefit from portable labs for hands-on science exploration.
• Hunters Creek Elementary – Students will learn good citizenship as they maintain several campus gardens and a school-wide recycling program.
• Landrum Middle and Northbrook Middle – Graphing calculators, available to 7th and 8th graders, will help students master higher math reasoning tasks.
• The Lion Lane School – Toddler siblings and parents will be invited to the school for a young reader program; they will receive books to begin a home library.
• Memorial High – Language Arts III students will use iPads and apps for advance placement and college-level coursework.
• The Panda Path School – Staff development for Pre-K teachers will focus on science activities involving water, structures and young naturalist projects.
• Pine Shadows Elementary – An action-based learning lab will support physical and academic growth for K-2 students.
• Rummel Creek Elementary – iPads and appropriate apps will be used in the music classroom to teach creative techniques.
• Sherwood Elementary – The art classroom will receive a drying rack for art projects.
• Spring Forest Middle – A multi-sensory lab will provide Life Skills students with stations and activities to help improve motor and social functioning.
• Stratford High – This grant will help defray the expense of providing each student with an academic planner.
• Westwood Elementary – Netbooks will be available to third graders for research and project-based learning.

“We encourage PTAs, principals and teachers to apply for these grants,” says Cece Thompson, SBEF executive director. “Our next call for grants is February 2015, and the recipients will be announced in May.”

Community members who wish to support a specific program at a designated campus can make a tax-deductible donation to the Foundation and earmark it for that school. Call 713.251.2381 or visit sbef@springbranchisd.com for more information.

About Spring Branch Education Foundation
Spring Branch Education Foundation is committed to supporting SBISD students and educators. It partners with the district and community to fund programs that enhance education and prepare students for the future. Since 1993, the Foundation has raised more than $8 million and received the Houston Business Promise Award from the Greater Houston Partnership.

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The Gift of Knowledge

This holiday season, every Spring Branch ISD third-grade student received “the gift of knowledge” thanks to The Dictionary Project, a program sponsored by the district’s Community Relations department.

Ten years ago, 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. What began as a gift of a single dictionary from a mentor to his student, The Dictionary Project continues to be an annual district-wide initiative.

Thanks to the generosity of community members and organizations, more than 2,500 third-graders took home their dictionaries this year along with supporting lessons about spelling, reading and proper word use.

Sponsors of the program this year include United Way of Greater Houston, the Village Republican Women, Larry and Patricia McDowell, Doug and Pam Goodson, Joni Baird, Mary Sherwood, the Spring Branch Lions Club, Katherine Dawson, Chris Gonzalez, Barbara Potts, Germaine Champion, Kids Hope Mentors at Our Lady of Walsingham Catholic Church, Theresa Kosmoski, and Daniel Measurement & Control. Additionally, a grant from the Houston CPA Society was used for a second year to support a number of the district’s Title I campuses.

“Thanks to the continued generosity of our community members who believe in our students, our schools and this wonderful program, this year we distributed more than 2,500 dictionaries,” program coordinator Abby Walker says. “Providing this gift of knowledge is a powerful way to ensure we are instilling a love of learning in our students for years to come.”

Supporting the Dictionary Project is just one of the ways community members participate in SBISD’s Good Neighbor program. To learn more about the Dictionary Project or the Good Neighbor program, please contact Abby Walker at 713.251.2289 or visit our website: www.springbranchisd.com/goodneighbor.

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Scholarship for Champions

A Stratford High School senior who became legally blind and deaf at age 11, but overcame those disabilities to earn a berth on the high school’s varsity golf team was one of eight students in Houston to receive a $5,000 scholarship through the Reliant ninth annual Scholarship for Champions program.

Golfer Keith Woodruff joined his parents, Angela and Randy Woodruff, on Dec. 1 in the school cafeteria as Houston Texans Ambassador J.J. Moses presented Keith with his scholarship award. Also present were his coach, Tim Johnson, and retired coach Mary Stephens.

Keith has been accepted by Texas A&M University in College Station, but he has applied to Stanford University in Palo Alto, Calif., and is waiting to hear from the college admissions office there, school officials report.

The Scholarship for Champions award was created as a partnership between NRG Reliant and the Texans. It celebrates an athlete's academic performance, as well as the values and dedication to his or her community and high school sports team.

All winners play on varsity teams, and they maintain a minimum 3.0 grade point average with plans to pursue a college degree.

NRG Retail and Reliant President Elizabeth Killinger said that all student athletes honored were simply amazing in a prepared statement.

"Their stories are inspiring and demonstrate how courage, hard work and perseverance have laid the foundation for them to become leaders and make a difference in their communities," Killinger said. "These scholarship winners represent the next generation of leaders. It's truly a privilege and an honor to recognize them and give back to the various communities Reliant serves."

A judging panel with representatives from Reliant selected the winners, who were surprised at their schools and then recognized during a special, on-field ceremony held during the Nov. 24 Texans game. Reliant’s full list of student winners:

• Chirac Hitimana of Davis High School - Chirac plays on his high school varsity soccer team. He has faced many challenges in his life but has remained determined to move forward. Whether on or off the field, Chirac is a great team player, partnering with his teammates - to develop their skills, score goals or cheer them on from the side lines.
• Jaron Dillard of North Forest High School - Jaron plays varsity football. He is a leader on his school's campus and excels both in the classroom and on the field. He consistently demonstrates his maturity and intelligence in his daily dealings with his teammates, classmates and teachers. Additionally, Jaron is active in his community and church.
• Emily Burns of Waller High School - Emily is the catcher on her softball team. According to her coach, "Emily is a young lady who never quits, and she is truly an admired young lady with so much heart, dedication, fire and fight to achieve her goals." Additionally, Emily started working at the age of 16 to pay for select ball so she could continue improving her skills outside of her school sport.
• Tyler Twardowski of Waller High School - Tyler has played football and baseball throughout his life. During his senior year of high school, he experienced several debilitating injuries that he has learned to accept through courage and faith. Tyler now wants to become a physical therapist so he can help others navigate through experiences similar to his.
• Joshua Cooper of Summer Creek High School - Joshua is the varsity track and field captain at his school. His strength and confidence have been a beacon of light for the rest of his teammates. He is constantly giving them positive advice and encouragement to do their best, not only in the realm of athletics, but also in their academics.
• Victoria Meza of Clear Creek High School - By participating in her school's wrestling program, Victoria has made a dramatic transformation in her health. Not only is she the wrestling captain at her school, she is a band section leader, Girl Scout, and honor student.
• Keith Woodruff of Stratford High School - Keith plays on the varsity golf team. At age eleven, Keith became legally blind and deaf. In spite of his disabilities, Keith has succeeded in overcoming any obstacles thrown his way.
• Sarah Redding of Friendswood High School - Sarah is captain of her school's varsity volleyball team and can always be counted on to put her team first. She is also involved in other activities for church and is a volunteer at a youth camp.

Since its beginning in 2005, Scholarship for Champions has awarded more than $325,000 to 65 students from the Houston area. For more information about the program, visit http://scholarship.myreliantenergy.com/.

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