Walking the Walk: YES Prep Northbrook Students Make Physical Connection to High School

If a journey of 1,000 miles begins with a single step then symbolically, at least, the first class of ninth graders at YES Prep Northbrook High have a leg up on high school graduation.

After participating in a promotion ceremony at YES Prep Northbrook Middle on Thursday, June 4, the rising ninth-graders braved the sweltering afternoon heat and walked the mile or so from Northbrook Middle School down Rosefield to Kempwood to Crestdale to Raider Circle, which encompasses Northbrook High School.

Leaders of both schools say it’s the start of a new tradition.

“We thought the transition would be so much more powerful walking from one school to another,” said Jeremy Jones, school director of YES Prep Northbrook Middle.

Adds Bryan Reed, Jones’ counterpart at YES Prep Northbrook High: “(The physical transition) would happen anyway in a traditional YES Prep school,” Reed said. “We wanted to recreate that symbolically.”

Some 125 of the 140 newly promoted YES Prep students will comprise the first class at YES Prep Northbrook High. Most of the students started at YES Prep Northbrook Middle in sixth grade.

At Northbrook High School, the students were greeted by Reed and his staff, then took part in a short program in the school’s auditorium where they heard an inspirational talk by former YES Prepper Mayra Valle, a graduate of Connecticut College who’s currently in graduate school at Texas A&M.

Perhaps more significantly, Valle is a graduate of YES Prep North Central, where Bryan Reed planned her eighth-grade promotion ceremony.

YES Prep Northbrook Middle and YES Prep Northbrook High, along with Spring Branch ISD and KIPP Courage at Landrum Middle School, make up the SKY Partnership, an innovative collaboration between the district and the state charter schools.

SKY got off the ground three years ago, and the YES Prep Northbrook Middle students will make up the first class at YES Prep Northbrook High. KIPP Courage started with fifth grade – those students will be eighth-graders next school year and will join the next class of YES Prep Northbrook Middle students at YES Prep Northbrook High to form the class of 2020.

But June 4 was for the rising freshmen from YES Prep Northbrook Middle. The promotion ceremony at Northbrook Middle was about looking back, Reed said, while the program at Northbrook High was about looking forward.

“The promotion is (just) a step along the way,” said Reed. “We wanted to set the vision for them (with the program at the high school)."

“(The rising eighth graders) are the founding class at YES Prep Northbrook Middle,” said Jones. “They’re the first group of students who have experienced this – across the country,” he added, referring to the SKY Partnership. “They’re setting traditions and expectations for groups behind them.”

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SBISD will be open today, Wednesday, June 17, 2015

Posted June 17, 2015
5:00 a.m.

SBISD will be open today, Wednesday, June 17, 2015.

All summer school classes and summer programs will resume today at their regularly scheduled times, and transportation will resume normal summer schedules and routes.  All professional development planned for today will be held.

All employees who work during the summer should report to work as usual.

Thank you.

SBISD Communications

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Posted June 16, 2015
6:50 p.m.

SBISD officials continue to monitor potential severe weather related to Tropical Storm Bill. Based on the uncertainty of its impact over the next 24 hours, we will not make a decision about summer school and summer programming for Wednesday, June 17 until early Wednesday morning.
 
Please continue to monitor local news media, and the SBISD website (www.springbranchisd.com) and social media (Facebook and Twitter).
 
Thank you for your understanding as we continue to monitor this tropical storm.

 
Thank you,

SBISD Communications

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Posted June 16, 2015
5:45 a.m.

Spring Branch ISD will be closed today, Tuesday, June 16, 2015, due to potential severe weather and flooding expected in the Houston area as a result of Tropical Storm Bill.

All student programming, teacher development, administrative Leadership U, and other district activities are cancelled today, Tuesday, June 16, 2015.

Additionally, the Groundbreaking for Spring Branch Education Center planned for this afternoon is also cancelled.

SBISD officials will continue to monitor weather reports and post any updates to our website at www.springbranchisd.com, and local news media.

Thank you,

SBISD Communications

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Tiger Trail Grads Head Off to College

Here’s more proof that prekindergarten matters! When the Tiger Trail School for Early Learning opened in 2001, its first class of 4-year-olds began a journey of academic success.  Many of these same students graduated with the Spring Woods High School Class of 2015 during ceremonies at Don Coleman Coliseum on May 30. Earlier this week, Tiger Trail graduates from that first-ever prekindergarten class showed up in caps and gowns at Tiger Trail to share their memories and take photographs.

The Tiger Trail student group included these recent graduates:

Jesse Acosta – He plans to attend Houston Community College this fall.
Miguel Angel – Miguel will attend the University of Texas at Austin to study computer science.
Salomon Cabrera – He will attend Lonestar College this fall.
Emilee DeLeon – Emilee will attend Texas A&M in College Station to study biomedical science and nursing.
Ramiro Espinoza – Ramiro hopes to soon join the U.S. Border Patrol.
Severiano Razo – Severiano will study business at Lonestar College.
Maria Rojas – Maria will attend Sam Houston State University in Huntsville to pursue dentistry studies.
David Romay – David will attend Texas A&M University to study sports medicine.
Read about David's recent Sports Medicine scholarship >>
Ismael Villafana – Ismael is pursuing web certification at attend Lonestar College.

Tiger Trail graduates with Tiger Trail School for Early Learning director Vidal Garza.

 In separate but related news, Northbrook High’s valedictorian and salutatorian are also graduates of the SBISD Early Childhood program. They both are members of the first student class enrolled at the Lion Lane School for Early Learning, which also opened in 2001. Read more about these students >>

Spring Branch ISD has five, full-day prekindergarten programs headquartered in stand-alone buildings with secure playground courtyards. The program is free to those who meet eligibility guidelines; tuition of $595 per month is charged to all others for nine months when the schools are in session. Scholarships are available.

For more information on SBISD prekindergarten, please visit the Early Childhood page.

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SBISD Summer Food Program

As a part of the national Summer Food Service Program, breakfast and lunch meals will be served at several Spring Branch ISD campus sites. There are no income requirements or special registration required for these meals.

All children under age 18 are eligible to take part in this free program.  Each year, the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture partners with regional school districts like SBISD to provide free meals to children when school is out for the summer. This program is designed to keep children healthy while school is out.

Read more >>

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Sue Lehmann Award Semifinalist

An English as a Second Language (ESL) fourth-grade teacher at Shadow Oaks Elementary School was named a national semifinalist in the Sue Lehmann Excellence in Teaching Awards sponsored by Teach for America earlier this spring.

Second-year instructor Kristian Lenderman was one of only two teachers in the Houston region and 15 overall to be named national semifinalists in the teaching award program, which highlights innovative classrooms, as well as the academic and personal growth of students.

Teach for America (TFA) created the award to celebrate impactful teachers. Named for national board member Sue Lehmann, teacher award nominees are submitted by Teach for America team regional teams, and then evaluated by a national selection committee.

TFA considers the Sue Lehmann Award to be its most prestigious teaching and leadership award possible for second-year teachers. Lenderman was named to the semifinalist rankings in April.

Lenderman grew up in Richmond, Texas. A 2013 graduate of Southwestern University in Georgetown, Texas, she prepared for her first teaching position at Shadow Oaks through the five-week, TFA-affiliated Rice University Institute.

Earlier this month, she cried as her first class of ESL students graduated from the fifth grade. Being named a Sue Lehmann semifinalist has helped her appreciate a brief, but much acclaimed teaching career.

“This award showed me that the work that I am doing is important and valid. The work involved in teaching is important and it’s about more than one classroom. It makes reaching our goal of T-2-4 that much more relevant,” she said.

In addition to Lenderman, first-year teacher Ally Voss, who also works at Shadow Oaks Elementary, was in the running for Teaching Excellence’s Texas Teaching Intern award.

To learn more about Teach for America, please visit:
https://www.teachforamerica.org/

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Literacy Celebration (with Green Slime!)

Don’t ask students at this Spring Branch ISD campus if they have read any good books lately. You might get thousands of responses!

Shadow Oaks Elementary students exceeded their annual goal of reading 50,000 books and related reading material set last fall. As a result, school Principal Julie Baggerly was “green slimed” on the outdoors basketball court. The June 2 event was both uplifting in its literacy goal and full of fun to mark the end of school.

Watch the Slime! >>

Principal Baggerly showed great poise and good patience when the slime rolled over her head and down her face. Students and staff shrieked at this uncommon sight.

Hundreds of students gathered on the campus play court waving handmade signs that showed just how committed Shadow Oak’s grade levels were to literacy and reading goals:

Prekindergarten – 2,650 books
Kindergarten – 7,750 books
First Grade – 15,900 books
Second Grade – 10,450 books
Third Grade – 6,150 books
Fourth Grade – 9,650 books
Fifth Grade – 4,850 books

In all, 57,450 books were read this year in Shadow Oaks classrooms. In only the second year of operation, the Literacy Celebration has doubled its goal. Just one year ago, Principal Baggerly strutted up an end-of-year Chicken Dance when the students sailed past an initial goal of 25,000 books and related materials.

Goal setting for the Literacy Celebration was highly planned. Last fall, Librarian Natalie Mcginness met with teachers to set up an ambitious, but do-able, reading target goals for the year. Shadow Oaks Elementary has nearly 750 students.

When the 50,000 book-level was chosen, a highly visual “reading barometer” was displayed on a vertical column in the school library. Students heard about the big literacy goal, and then submitted and voted on a fun set of “celebration” tasks for their principal.

The list was narrowed to several options, and a few requests like handling a live snake were ruled out by Principal Baggerly. The green slime won by a landslide student vote.

Door frames at Shadow Oaks were decorated with book spine icons as students met reading goals, and each grade level had a Genre Wall where the grade level posted titles under separate types of writing ranging from fiction to biographies and science fiction, to name just a few.

“It was a big deal,” Librarian Mcginness said of this year’s effort. “The goal last year was 25,000 books, so going to 50,000 books was a high goal. With a month remaining, students had read 42,000 books, and they really went after it. Student grades met the goal and then they topped it.”

“We asked the students to double their reading goal, and they did!” she praised.

Shadow Oaks students and staff have no intention of taking a summertime book break. For a second year, the campus’ library staff will implement an eight-week summer reading program on Wednesday afternoons.

During two-hour periods, the library will open each week for host activities based on themes ranging from the South American rainforests to “Chilling with a Good Book,” which focuses on frigid Antarctica. Weekly activities run from traditional crafts to technology time.  

Shadow Oaks Elementary is building readers, one annual book goal at a time!

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Summer Seminar for Parents - Taming Perfectionism

On Tuesday, July 28, Lisa Van Gemert – the Gifted Guru – will offer an evening seminar just for parents on the topic of perfectionism. Join us for a special evening!

Perfectionism is an occupational hazard of giftedness, and its effects can be truly debilitating.Learn what perfectionism looks like in gifted kids, and come away with a toolbox full of big ideas and strategies for turning this terrible master into a compliant servant.

View flyer >>

Tuesday, July 28, 2015
7:00 p.m.

Westchester Academy - Auditorium
901 Yorkchester
Houston, TX 77079

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Let Me Run

It’s not just girls who need a boost to achieve at the highest levels and feel good about themselves, too.

Two Spring Branch ISD elementary schools piloted a seven-week athletic training and fitness program for young boys recently that combined a 5K personal run with special life lessons about feeling and emotions, respect and anti-bullying behavior.

Called Let Me Run, the pilot program was a first for Texas schools. With support fromSpring Branch ISD Athletics and Fitness Department and Advanced Movers, staff at Pine Shadows and Sherwood elementaries held twice-a-week sessions for 24 boys.

View Let Me Run video >>

The boys trained for a practice 5K at the annual Running for the Arts event held at Memorial City Mall in early May. The two schools then held a personal 5K race at Terry Hershey Park on May 16.

The Let Me Run pilot is based on the popular, school-based Girls on the Run program, which now includes more than a half dozen school-based programs in SBISD elementary and middle schools.

Samuel Karns, who coordinates the district’s Advanced Movers program, said he is impressed with pilot program results.

“The boys made bonds and built relationships with one another that will last them a lifetime,” Karns said. “They got a chance to be themselves, and this was evident as they lived by these words: ‘Be yourself because everyone else is taken.’ [They] just finished a chapter of their journey in life [recently] as they completed their 5K at Terry Hershey Park.”

The founder of the Let Me Run program is a Girls on the Run Coach who had two sons and saw the need for just such a program, and started one in Charlotte, N.C.

SBISD school and parent groups interested in learning more about the Let Me Run program or in starting a campus program for fourth- through eighth-graders should attend a planned Aug. 11 training.

Cll Samuel Karns at 713-251-8460 to learn more, or follow the Advanced Movers program through these social media options:

www.twitter.com/advancedmovers
www.facebook.com/sbisdadvancedmovers

www.twitter.com/futurecoachesac
www.facebook.com/sbisdfuturecoachesacademy

www.twitter.com/SBISD_CSH

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Spring Branch Education Foundation Announces Spring Grants

Record $125,140 awarded to projects for SBISD students

Spring Branch Education Foundation (SBEF) directors have approved $125,140 in grants that will fund diverse education-enhancing projects throughout Spring Branch ISD. This is the largest amount the Foundation has awarded in a single granting session.
           
The grants are designated for district-wide projects and SBISD campuses. Twice each year, the Foundation calls for grant applications from any of its 47 school campuses or district departments. Volunteers, as well as faculty members, are encouraged to apply.
           
“Generous community members support the Foundation’s fundraisers and make donations to support these grants,” said Donnie Roseman, a member of the SBEF Board of Directors and chair of the Program and Assessment Committee. “The committee is always impressed with the creativity of the requests. All applications are carefully evaluated for the long-term affect they will have for students.”

“We encourage PTAs, principals and teachers to apply for these grants,” said Cece Thompson, SBEF executive director. “We will call for fall 2015 grant applications in September, and the recipients will be announced in December.”

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 it for that school. Call 713-251-2381 or visit sbef@springbranchisd.com for more information.

Grants that will benefit students on a district-wide basis include:

• Altharetta Yeargin Art Museum – The grant will help fund Road Shows that take the museum to first-grade classrooms and Study Trips for second graders who travel to the museum. Both programs are closely coordinated with grade-level curriculum.
• Houston Prep Summer Camp – A grant of $18,600 will assure transportation for up to 80 high-performing students from SBISD schools to The University of Houston Downtown Houston Prep Program where they will study science, technology, engineering and math. This first-time exposure to a college campus can be life-changing.
• J. Landon Short Mini-Grants for Educators – Thanks to a $12,500 block grant, individual grants will be awarded to SBISD educators who wish to go beyond standard curricula activities and materials to enrich the learning environment. This program fosters new best practices for teaching and learning.
• The Kinesthetic Classroom – Pre-K and kindergarten students on seven campuses will use kinesthetic classrooms designed to strengthen basic gross motor development skills that correlate with academic brain function.
• National Hispanic Institute Freshman Project – SBISD freshman students will be recruited for a four-year program that includes leadership, support and college readiness. Students will meet twice monthly to prepare for participation in The Great Debate in June 2016.
• SpringBoard Mentor Program – More than 550 mentors spend an hour each week with students on 30 SBISD campuses. This relationship helps students build self-confidence, develop communication and interpersonal skills, discover their passions and find meaningful connections between school and the future. A grant of $28,302 will benefit the program.

Grants for individual campuses include:

• Cedar Brook Elementary School – Students will touch, feel and hear their own music with new “elemental” instruments – xylophones, metallophones and glockenspiels.
• Edgewood Elementary School – Learning Together® provides proven cross-age tutoring for second and third graders who are struggling with math and reading. They will be tutored by fifth graders, emerging leaders, who will benefit from additional instructional time.
• Frostwood Elementary School – A garden educator will help kindergarten through third-grade students, teachers and parent volunteers with hands-on learning opportunities in the school’s vegetable garden.
• Meadow Wood Elementary School – Up to 30 first and second graders will be selected to participate in a Fall Prep Program prior to the 2015-16 school term.
• Northbrook High School – Sophomores will be introduced to the Chromebook Classroom in preparation for becoming digital learners before college.
• Nottingham Elementary School – New books will be available to kindergartners and first graders who will read the texts with parents and discuss the books with friends in their classroom Itty Bitty Book Club.
• Spring Oaks Middle School – A school-wide literacy program will transform the campus into a language-rich environment.
• Spring Woods High School – Ninth graders will receive student planners to foster a smooth transition into high school and begin practicing organization and time management skills.
• Valley Oaks Elementary School – The school library will turn into a public library during June, as students, accompanied by an adult, enjoy daily read-alouds, learn keyboard skills, create projects and read, read, read.
• Westchester Academy for International Studies – Sixth graders will enjoy a field trip to the Pine Cove Institute of Wilderness Studies where they will enhance their team work, peer encouragement and self-confidence.
• Westwood Elementary School – First through fifth graders will learn to solve problem using the 4 Cs: communication, collaboration, critical thinking and creativity.

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News from the Spring Branch Education Foundation - Thank you for a great year!

Our Mission: Spring Branch Education Foundation is committed to supporting our students and educators. We partner with the district and community to fund programs that enhance education and prepare our students for the future.

Here is how SBEF has helped SBISD and its 35,000 students.

Thank you to the SBISD community for a successful 2014-2015 year!

Awarded $207,368 in grants to campuses and district          

• Bendwood Elementary - Functional robots for SPIRAL Gifted and Talented students
• Cedar Brook Elementary - Percussion instruments for the music program
• Edgewood Elementary - Cross-age tutoring in reading and math
• Frostwood Elementary - Gardening skills education
• Hollibrook Elementary - Portable hands-on science labs for K-5
• Hunters Creek Elementary - Campus gardens and a school-wide recycling program
• Landrum Middle and Northbrook Middle - Graphing calculators for 7th and 8th graders
• The Lion Lane School - A young reader program that includes siblings and family
• Meadow Woods Elementary - A Fall Prep Program for 30 students
• Memorial High - iPads and college-level coursework apps for Language Arts III students
• Northbrook High - A Chromebook Classroom to promote digital learning
• Nottingham Elementary - An Itty Bitty Book Club to promote reading
• The Panda Path School - Science-related staff development for Pre-K teachers
• Pine Shadows Elementary - An action-based learning lab for K-2 students
• Rummel Creek Elementary - iPads and creative techniques apps for music classrooms
• Sherwood Elementary - Drying racks for the art classroom
• Spring Forest Middle - A multi-sensory lab for Life Skills students
• Spring Oaks Middle - A school-wide literacy program
• Spring Woods High and Stratford High - Student academic planners
• Valley Oaks Elementary - The school library opens to the public during June
• Westchester Academy for International Studies - 6th grade field trip to Pine Cove Institute of Wilderness Studies
• Westwood Elementary - Netbooks for 3rd graders & 21st-century problem-solving
• District-wide projects

• Altharetta Yeargin Art Museum - Road Shows for 1st grade and Study Trips for 2nd grade
• Houston Prep Summer Camp - Transportation for 80 students to learn science, technology, engineering and math at UH Downtown
• J. Landon Short Mini-Grants for Educators
• Kinesthetic classrooms on seven campuses to help K and Pre-K students strengthen gross motor skills that correlate with academic brain function
• National Hispanic Institute Freshman Project - a 4-year program to promote college-readiness
• SpringBoard Mentor Program - matches adult mentors with students
• SBISD Council of PTAs - student scholarships 

Added to SBEF's Endowment

Fund for the Future is a permanent endowment that provides a perpetual source of income to the Foundation. Earned income is now funding education-enhancing programs, while the principal is preserved. Endowment funds are being conservatively invested with the Greater Houston Community Foundation.

Raised funds for grants and scholarships

• The 19th annual Spring Classics golf tournament, co-chaired by Doug Goodson and Rob Stewart, raised nearly $86,000.
• The 4th annual Style Show and Luncheon, co-chaired by Susan Griffin and Debbie Slack, featured Trina Turk fashions and raised more than $41,000.
• SBEF's 3rd annual Sporting Clay Tournament, co-chaired by Kirk Guilanshah and Pat Zadow, raised $24,000.
• The 2nd Legacies of Spring Branch Gala, co-chaired by Duncan and Marissa Klussmann, raised $134,000 for SBEF and an additional $7,900 for scholarships. The event honored Mallory and James Shaddix with the SBEF Lifetime Achievement Award, Chief Judge Diane P. Wood with the SBISD Distinguished Alumni Award and Mike Feinberg with the Susan and Larry Kellner Champion for Education Award.
• The 23rd annual Running for the Arts celebrated 2,243 registrations and participation from 41 SBISD's schools. The event benefits SBISD's Fine Arts and Health Fitness departments and the Altharetta Yeargin Art Museum.

Save these dates for 2015-2016 special events - you're invited!

• Friday, October 9, 2015 - Style Show and Luncheon, co-chairs: Patty Busmire, Lara Bell
• Saturday, November 21, 2015 - Legacies of Spring Branch Gala, co-chairs: Melissa and Mano DeAyala
• Thursday, February 18, 2016 - Sporting Clay Tournament, chair: Kirk Guilanshah
• Sunday, April 3, 2016 - Golf Tournament, co-chairs: Rob Stewart and Doug Goodson
• Saturday, April 30, 2016 - Running for the Arts
• Friday, May 13, 2016 - Bright Stars of Spring Branch, co-chairs: Michelle Majewski, Leanne Newton, Casey Rowe

SBEF awarded 89 scholarships in the amount of $118,000. The Foundation hosted the second annual Bright Stars of SBISD, Celebrating Academic Excellence event to recognize a record number of scholarship recipients as well as Teachers and Principals of the Year.

SBEF Employee Campaign Scholarship   

Thanks to very generous employees, SBEF's 2014-15 Employee Campaign had a banner year! Scholarships of $1,500 were awarded to 32 graduates, children of SBISD employees.

• Memorial High School - Molly Balderach, James Iler, Mason Montgomery, Nathaniel Morgan, Richard Reese, Alexandra Younger
• Northbrook High School - Joshua Lee Castro-Donathen, Cristina Ochoa
• Spring Woods High School - Miguel Angel, Carly Batterson, Natasha Camarillo, Zasha Cantu, Makayla Franco, Megan Greer, Hannah Harlow, Christopher Rice, David Romay
• Stratford High School - Clay Addison Barden, Abigail Boessling, Jack Brasher, Autumn Crawford, Emily Demeris, Jonathan LaBaume, Hildamari Marin, Julia Matteucci, Nathaniel Scott, Callie Terrell, Kendall Ward
• Westchester Academy for International Studies - Alexus McNeil, Alyssa Mahabir, Alex Schmidt, Elizabeth Ucles

Altharetta Yeargin Art Museum Scholarship, $1,000: Stratford High School - Christina Gregory

Mike Feinberg Scholarship, $1,000: Stratford High School - Riley Green

Friends Scholarship, $1,500: Memorial High School - Sarah Salas

Frostwood PTA Scholarship, $1,000: Memorial High School - Jason Walker

Goldstein Altman Scholarship, $2,000: Memorial High School - Rebecca Grekin, Hudson Lorfing, Madeline Margraves, Jisoo Park, Sarah Thomas, Elvira Tobias, Kaela Todd

Dr. Hal Guthrie Scholarship, $1,000: Stratford High School - Jacob Frenza, Polina Golikova

Houston Westchase Rotary Club Scholarship, $4,000: Stratford High School - Abigail Jackson, Justin Todes

Hunters Creek PTA Scholarship, $1,000: Spring Woods High School - Rebeca Castro

Meadow Wood PTA Scholarship, $1,000: Stratford High School - Matthew Martin

Memorial Middle PTA Scholarship, $1,000: Stratford High School - Timothy Purvis

Monica Neubauer Scholarship, $1,000:Memorial High School - Laura Aguilar, Soraya Pashaei-Marandi

Northbrook High School Scholarship, funded by Stratford High PTA, $1,000: Northbrook High School - Maribel Paredes, Genaro Uriostegui

Prosperity Bank Scholarship, $1,000:

• Spring Woods High School - Lauren Vierling
• Westchester Academy for International Studies - Filipe Sanchez, Nancy Tran

Rachel Pendray Scholarship, $1,000: Spring Woods High School - Bram Sebio-Brundage, Lesley Campos Cruz, Luis Fernando Sanchez

Rummel Creek PTA Scholarship, $1,000: Stratford High School - David Humphrey

Mallory & James Shaddix Scholarship, $1,000, Stratford High School - Reginald Green

Shadow Oaks Elementary Scholarship, funded by Valley Oaks PTA, $1,000, Spring Woods High School - Morgan Jump

Shantamboo Charity Scholarship, $1,000:

• Memorial High School - Inchan Hwang
• Westchester Academy for International Studies - Konnie Le

Spring Branch Education Foundation Scholarship, $1,000:

• Memorial High School - Andrea Olvera
• Spring Woods High School - Christopher Hivnor
• Stratford High School - Charles Boyle, Michaela Cherry, John Goss, Harper Jones, Emily Lindsey, Griffin Rathgeb

Spring Branch Lions Club Scholarship, $1,000: Academy of Choice - Regina Salazar

Valley Oaks PTA Scholarship, $1,000: Memorial High School - Alexandra Kaldis

Judy Weisend Memorial Scholarship, $1,000: Stratford High School - Noah Garcia

Chief Judge Diane P. Wood Scholarship, $1,000: Stratford High School - Adrian Sanchez Lohff

Also at the Bright Stars event, the SBISD Council of PTAs awarded scholarships:

Duncan Klussmann Legacy of Leadership Scholarship, $1,000: Stratford High School - Kory Casanover, Reese Davis, Benjamin Johnson, Tucker May, Kristen Peck, Jacob Peter

SBISD PTA Council/SBEF Scholarship, $1,000:

• Stratford High School - Kylen Chen-Troester, Alexandra Hayes, Emily Hunter, Sarah Nash
• Spring Woods High School - Natalie Elizondo, Lillian Monteiro

Wells Fargo Scholarship, $1,000: Stratford High School - Anna Whitmire

Now, we're preparing for next year   

Lisa Schwartz will lead the Board of Directors as chair, with J. Carter Breed serving as secretary-treasurer. The Board welcomes new members Jennifer Cobb, Becky Fenn, Sheri Gross, Tamma Howell, Daniel Irving, Marc Magness, Jeff Majewski, Vincent Montalbano, Kristi Robishaw, Warren Sloan, Laura Stein and Dmel Tatum.

The SBEF Board and staff work throughout the summer to prepare for the next school year. Please consider making a tax-deductible donation. You may send a check to SBEF, 955 Campbell Road, Suite 206, Houston, TX  77024, or click here to make a donation electronically. For information about upcoming events, or to volunteer, e-mail sbef@springbranchisd.com.

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Spring Woods Middle School Designated FEMA Mobile Registration Intake Center

REPRINT FROM: District A News Council Member Brenda Stardig June 5, 2015 FEMA Assistance  A Mobile Registration Intake Center (MRIC) by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has been set up at Spring Woods Middle School to answer questions and to provide information on assistance.  Spring Woods Middle School (Hammerly side) 9810 Neuens Road Houston, Texas 77080 8:00 AM - 8:00 PM, 7 days a week until further notice. If you had storm damage, you can either come to the MRIC and/or register online at www.DisasterAssistance.gov or via smartphone at m.fema.gov. You may also call 800-621-3362 or (TTY) 800-462-7585 6:00 AM - 9:00 PM daily.  Multilingual operators are available. Assistance can include grants for temporary housing and home repairs for other serious disaster-related needs such as medical and dental expenses.  Those eligible may register with FEMA even if they have insurance.  FEMA cannot duplicate insurance payments, but under-insured applicants may receive help after their insurance claims have been settled. If you are interested in donating to the Greater Houston 2015 Flood Relief Fund, please visit www.ghcf.org/GreaterHouston2015FloodReliefFund    Please share this email with your neighbors!

Storm Debris Clean Up  Beginning tomorrow, the Solid Waste Department will begin picking up storm debris in District A. Although it will take time to reach all areas of the district, please be ready with your storm debris outside.  For safety reasons as well as Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) regulations, the City asks residents to help by separating storm debris into the following six categories: Normal Household Trash - Normal household trash and bagged debris of any kind will not be picked up with debris as part of this program. You should continue to follow your normal garbage schedule. Vegetative Debris - leaves (do not put in bags), logs, plants, tree branches. Construction & Demolition Debris - building materials, carpet, drywall, furniture, lumber, mattresses, and plumbing. Appliances & White Goods - air conditioners, dishwashers, freezers, refrigerators, stoves, washers, dryers and water heaters. Electronics - computers, radios, stereos, televisions, other devices with a cord. Household Hazardous Waste - cleaning supplies, batteries, lawn chemical, oils, oil-based paints, stains and pesticides. Residents should place debris in the segregated piles as detailed above but not near other objects like fire hydrants and mailboxes or under power lines. Call 3-1-1 for Structural Flooding If you had water in your home, please call 3-1-1, or use the 3-1-1 app on your phone.  Click here to download the app.  Reporting structural flooding to 3-1-1 is the only way for the City of Houston to know that you are experiencing a problem.  After making the report, you will be given a Service Request Number (SR#).  Make sure you write it down.  If you need further assistance, please either call my office at 832-393-3010 or email us at districta@houstontx.gov with the SR#.

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Southwest Region AP Award Winner

Denise Loftin, an Advanced Placement (AP) calculus teacher at Spring Woods High School, has received the 2015 Southwestern Region AP Award from College Board officials.

Loftin, who has taught in Spring Branch ISD for 26 years, earned the AP honor from the College Board for her significant and positive impacts at Spring Woods High in the Advanced Placement program.

The College Board recognized her during the Southwestern Regional Forum, held in Dallas several months ago. Loftin is a Spring Woods High graduate herself and says that she is “thrilled” to return to her former high school.

She began teaching AP calculus at Stratford High School and says she learned that in classrooms with several National Merit Semifinalists, class instruction had to be totally accurate or she would be quickly challenged as an instructor.

She attended every AP conference possible to be the best instructor possible, first at Stratford High and then again more recently at Spring Woods High.

“I realized quickly that teaching students to get the answer was never going to be enough. If the students didn’t understand the material backwards, forwards, and upside down, then they were not going to do well,” Loftin states.

“I know today that I became a better teacher because of this experience. AP and the College Board reinforced my passion to teach math for understanding,” she adds.

After teaching district elementary Gifted and Talented students for several years, she returned to AP math workshops and training when she joined Spring Woods.  

“I feel like this is an award that is shared by the high school,” she said. “I had the support of the administration while working to improve the AP program here, and I have the students who will work with me. My Advanced Placement colleagues keep me going on days that are tough, and they are part of this award, too.”

AP Award Nomination excerpts for Denise Loftin:

“When I took this job at Spring Woods High School, I was told that I would find many diamonds in the rough, students who would shine if expectations were high and the teaching consistent, and I have.

“I love the students here, and once I let go of my desire to focus mainly on AP scores, I found gold in the students who were willing to work every day at their schoolwork while holding down at least one job. I found gold in the students of limited English proficiency who never give up when they rarely if ever rise above the passing level. I find satisfaction when I hear that a student who barely passed my class became an honors student in college after realizing, finally, that education requires hard work.

“This is, I think, one of the strengths of the AP program. It is uncompromising in its curriculum, and so students learn how to meet an unwavering standard. Or, they learn that if they don’t work, they will miss this opportunity.”

“I need both the challenge of working with the urban and diverse students of Spring Woods High School and the joy of watching these students realize their own capabilities. My students deserve a teacher who believes in them and their ability because they often do not believe in themselves.

“I look around my room at the students I teach and think about the endurance they show by continuing to work in the hardest class offered here, in spite of grades that are hard to make and outside pressure and demands on their time, and I know that I am lucky to be here, to be the teacher that shows them what they are capable of, and to be the transition that helps them to be successful in college.”

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She’s a Google Summer Intern!

It’s shaping up to be a dream summer for one graduate at Westchester Academy for International Studies (WAIS), the kind of internship any tech-minded young adult would love to put on a professional resume. 

On Monday, June 1, Cassandra Ung graduated magna cum laude with her 2015 WAIS class at Don Coleman Coliseum. Next month, she heads to Boston for a prized appointment to the Google Computer Science Summer Institute (CSSI), which will be held July 12-August 1.

CSSI is a three-week introduction to the field of computer science for students historically underrepresented in the heavily male dominated field. The institute isn’t your average summer camp either. Here is what Google states about it: “It’s an intensive, interactive, hands-on and fun program that seeks to inspire the tech leaders and innovators of tomorrow by supporting the study of computer science, software engineering and other closely related subjects.”

Cassandra’s travel and board is fully paid to Cambridge, Mass., the location of top schools like Harvard University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Google students attend learning sessions that include several computer languages, as well as programming fundamentals. Students may even design or develop their own applications.

No previous computer language or computer coding skills are required, but for Cassandra her winning Google application fits like a glove into her college and career plans.

An International Baccalaureate student at WAIS, she will study this fall at the University of Texas at Austin where she hopes to major in either electrical or computer engineering, or both. She is also interested in film animation and in software applications that support film and video.

One of her WAIS instructors, Math Department chair and campus technology representative Anthony Carandong spotted the Google summer internship. He encouraged her to apply.

“I was completely shocked when I received the email [notification],” Cassandra says. “It came right after I had received some rejections from universities, and I was feeling down so that really changed my day!”

She credits the IB program at WAIS and the district charter high school’s small size and close student-teacher interaction with her own success as a top student.

Her interests include volunteer work in schools in Cambodia, where her parents grew up. She has traveled to the Southeast Asian nation and volunteered at Don Bosco High School in Phnom Penh, the capital city.

She helped several students there remain in school rather than dropping out and working to support their families. “Two or three girls that I knew when I was in Cambodia graduate this summer. I’m so proud of them,” Cassandra says.

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First in Class & Full-Day PreK Program

Maribel Paredes (in gown on left) and Heybi Torres (in gown on right) with Lion Lane Director Sharee Cantrell (middle) and The Lion Lane School employees

Northbrook High’s valedictorian, Heybi Torres, and salutatorian, Maribel Paredes, made district history for more than their stellar academic grades as they graduated May 30 in Don Coleman Coliseum alongside the high school’s Class of 2015.

In 2001, Heybi and Maribel were 4-year-olds enrolled at the Lion Lane School for Early Learning as that self-contained educational facility at 2210 Ridgecrest began its first year of operation. The two future top students were enrolled in Lion Lane’s first class of 300 students of which 90 graduated with the Class of 2015.

On May 30, these two proved in a deeply human way on the stage at Don Coleman Coliseum just how powerful full-day PreK education can be. Their dreams are big!

Heybi is focused on a medical career. She will attend Texas A&M University this fall. “I remember coming over to Lion Lane to be enrolled and taking a language test. I thought everything was cool. I think prekindergarten prepared me well and that by kindergarten I was already reading,” she said. “That was a big deal for me.”

Maribel recalls a bashful 4-year-old who loved naptime and the first Water Day at Lion Lane, a fun-filled celebration. “Being able to go to Lion Lane, and then to be prepared for kindergarten, helps you in the future,” she said.

The first in her family to attend college, Maribel will head to Texas A&M, too. She plans to major in environmental design. Her dream is a career in architecture where she designs homes for others.

Both Lion Lane students attended Ridgecrest Elementary, Cornerstone Academy and Northbrook High. At Ridgecrest, they were in the same classroom.

Top row, third student from left:  Heybi Torres in The Lion Lane School
2001-2002 class photo

Lion Lane Director Sharee Cantrell isn’t surprised by the success of the two girls. She has been following Lion Lane and other preK students since district program options began 20 years ago, as well as since the five, full-day district Schools for Early Learning opened 14 years ago.

Spring Branch ISD has five, full-day prekindergarten programs headquartered in stand-alone buildings with secure playground courtyards. The program is free to those who meet eligibility guidelines; tuition of $595 per month is charged to all others for nine months when the schools are in session. Scholarships are available.

All prekindergarten teachers at The Lion Lane School are degreed teachers, with state certifications and unique training in child development and early education.

Top row, second student from left:  Maribel Paredes in The Lion Lane School
2001-2002 class photo

“I’m just really proud of them,” Cantrell said of the two grads before turning her remarks to the overall performance of Spring Branch ISD prekindergarten grads.

Cantrell said that data shows that prekindergarten students score higher than the district and state averages on assessments throughout their elementary, middle and high school years.“We know from the data that prekindergarten makes a difference," she said.

Heybi and Maribel have simple advice for those coming up after them. “Don’t let your Zip Code define your future,” Heybi said. “Everything is possible as long as you have a goal and you stick to that goal no matter the obstacles.”

“Work hard, and don’t be afraid to ask for help,” Maribel said. Lion Lane’s rules live on in their first graduates, their former teachers and Director Cantrell report. 

For more information on SBISD prekindergarten, please visit the Early Childhood page.

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Outstanding PTAs

The SBISD PTA Council recognized the work of many district PTAs during its annual Leadership Celebration Luncheon held on May 7.

Named as Outstanding Elementary and Secondary PTAs were Rummel Creek Elementary and Spring Forest Middle schools.

Other PTA awards announced during the luncheon include the following:

Outstanding Secondary Communications – Memorial Middle School PTA
Outstanding Primary Communications – Wilchester Elementary PTA
Outstanding Secondary Cultural Arts – Bunker Hill Elementary PTA
Outstanding Drug and Alcohol Education – Rummel Creek Elementary PTA
Outstanding Parent Education Program – Memorial High School PTA
Outstanding PTA Membership Campaign – Rummel Creek Elementary PTA
Outstanding Sister School Partnership – Valley Oaks Elementary PTA
Outstanding Initiative Awards were issued to the following five schools:

• Bendwood PTA
• Hollibrook Elementary PTA
• Spring Shadows Elementary PTA
• Sherwood Elementary PTA
• Wood View Elementary PTA

For general questions regarding the SBISD Council of PTAs, contact Dmel Tatum PTA President at sbisdcouncil@gmail.com.

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Sports Medicine Scholarships

Spring Woods High School: (left to right) Sarah Sturm, Spring
Woods High Athletic Trainer; April Hernandez; David Wilkinson,
Memorial Hermann; David Romay; and Tyra Harrell, Spring Woods
High Head Athletic Trainer

Six district student athletic trainers were recently awarded Sports Medicine scholarships from Memorial Hermann Memorial City Medical Center.

Northbrook High School’s Amanda Arredondo and Yenifer Rivas, Spring Woods High’s April Hernandez and David Romay, and Stratford High’s Alexis Romero and Sindi Romero each received scholarships ranging from $400 to $1,000 in recognition of the distinguished service they provided to Spring Branch ISD athletic programs during their high school careers.

Northbrook High School: (left to right) Twyla Shannon, Northbrook
High Assistant Athletic Trainer; Amanda Arredondo; David
Wilkinson, Memorial Hermann; Yennifer Rivas; and Johnny Gomez,
Northbrook High Head Athletic Trainer

The students, all seniors, graduated May 30, and each has big plans for the future.

Arredondo will attend the University of Texas at San Antonio this fall to pursue a degree in nursing.  Rivas is headed to Texas A&M in College Station to study psychology.  Both Hernandez and Romay plan to pursue careers in athletic training at the University of the Incarnate Word and Texas A&M, respectively.  Alexis Romero is enrolled at The University of Houston-Downtown and Sindi Romero plans to attend San Jacinto College and Texas Southern University.

Stratford High School: (left to right) Sean Plake, Stratford High
Assistant Athletic Trainer; Alexis Romero; David Wilkinson,
Memorial Hermann; Sindi Romero; Cathlene Webb, Stratford High
Head Athletic Trainer

For more information on the hospital, including orthopedic programs and community outreach, visit www.memorialhermann.org.

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Welcome, Dr. Muri!

Reprint: A Letter to the Community from SBISD Board President Chris Vierra (June 2)

Dear SBISD Staff, Parents and Community Members:

I’m excited to inform you that tonight the Board of Trustees named Dr. Scott Muri as the district’s next Superintendent, effective July 1, 2015. The unanimous vote for Dr. Muri is the culmination of a six-month search process that included input from multiple stakeholder groups and the identification of several stellar candidates.

Dr. Muri shares the district’s vision of educating every child, every day, regardless of that child’s circumstances, and he brings with him a proven record of accomplishment. He believes strongly in T-2-4, the district’s singular goal of doubling the number of students completing a technical certificate or military training, two-year or four-year degree.

For more information about Dr. Muri, please click HERE.

Please join me in welcoming Dr. Muri to our community.
Sincerely,

Chris Vierra President,
SBISD Board of Trustees

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Cedar Brook Elementary Promotes Wellness

Cedar Brook Elementary School marks the end of the current school year with a long list of activities and actions promoting campus wellness among its campus staff and faculty.

Highlights of health promoting activities and awards at Cedar Brook include:

• In October 2014, faculty and families were involved in the Great Pumpkin Fun Run.
• Last December, Shape Up Houston named the campus as the leader in the SBISD Employee Wellness Challenge. The school was also highlighted on Shape Up Houston’s Facebook page.
• Recipes for Success, a 10-year-old health-based initiative to promote good habits and healthy eating, featured campus staff and parent volunteers on its group website.
• The Recipe for Success partnership widened when the school took part in the citywide Veg Out Challenge for 30 Days, which resulted in the school finishing second in Houston for the most participants; the school was also named Veg Out Super Veg Promoter Champions. Several family members and faculty won prizes through this contest.
• In April, Health Fitness Coach Courtney Roberts arranged for students at Cedar Brook to be part of Houston’s Run for the Rose 5K.
• Cedar Brook supports the Spring Branch Education Foundation (SBEF) by promoting and participating in the Running for the Arts 5K annually.

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VASE Student Art Results

"Reflections of Youth" by Memorial High School's Julia Delaney

Spring Branch ISD art students advanced 25 separate works of art to the annual State Visual Arts Scholastic Event (VASE).

View SBISD student artwork in the VASE competition >>

Nineteen student works received a top rating of 4, and a student drawing titled “Reflections of Youth,” by Memorial High’s Julia Delaney earned the coveted Gold Seal as one of the best student art works in all Texas.

View the full gallery of 2015 VASE State Results >>

For her high achievement, Delaney’s drawing will be displayed in venues across the state in the year ahead.

Other SBISD student works with 4 Ratings in State VASE competition include:

Memorial High School
Anna Cho, “Waiting,” Mixed Media
Inchan Hwang, “Transition,” Mixed Media
Grace Lee, “Grace,” Painting
Flora Thevoux-Chabuel, “Reluctance,” Painting
Phrut Yimmongkol, “Mentor’s Point of View,” Drawing
Min Kyung Yun, “Last Summer,” Mixed Media
Anna Zhuravleva, “Embrace of the Mother Hen,” Painting

Spring Woods High School
Susana Resendiz, “In My Father’s Hands,” Mixed Media
Kira Slentz, “Reincarnation,” Mixed Media

Stratford High School
Suzannah Frazelle, “Looking Back,’ Fibers
Savanna Kuhn, “Thoughts Intertwined,” Mixed Media
Claire Pena, “The Power of the Cube,” Sculpture
Chayse Sampy, “The Blues,” Drawing
Juliana Parody Sanchez, “Contained Storm,” Drawing
Macy Tinkler, “For Logan,” Mixed Media
Juwon Yoo, “Beneath the Surface,” Painting
Juwon Yoo, “Dissection,” Drawing
Husain Poonawala, “Child at Heart,” Photography

Student art teachers include Cathleen May at Memorial High; Crystal Fiocchi at Spring Woods High; and Jennifer Clouse, Melane Hyche and Suzan Lynch, all of Stratford High School.

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Fund for Teachers Award

A Spring Woods High School history teacher has been named a Fund for Teachers award winner and will travel this summer to pursue both professional and personal interest in the impact of World War II on California and Hawaii.

Lora Clay teaches Advanced Placement U.S. History and other history classes at the Spring Branch ISD high school campus. She will join 38 other Houston area teachers from 33 schools who will embark on self-designed odysseys in the days ahead.

The grant will support Clay’s interest to “explore through a historical lens the impact of World War II on California and Hawaii to create a more engaging classroom in which students can better comprehend the effects of Pearl Harbor and Japanese Internment Camps.”

The grant proposal was written by Clay and former Spring Woods Middle teaching colleague Erica Robinson, an intervention specialist. The two teachers are planning a mid-July trip with stops at the Manzanar Internment Camp north of Los Angeles, and then at the Pearl Harbor Memorial in Honolulu, Hawaii.

The two teachers resubmitted the education proposal after trying once before, and were selected this time around. “I believe that I may have screamed out in class, ‘I’m going to Hawaii!’ Then I texted Erica with the good news,” Clay said.  

The Fund for Teachers supports educators’ efforts to develop new skills, learning and confidence in teaching that will impact student achievement. The fund trusts teachers to design their own unique summer fellowships, and it uses its grants to deepen both the professionalism and leadership of the chosen educators.

Since 2001, the Fund for Teachers has invested almost $22 million in nearly 6,000 teacher grants. Once issued only to Houston area teachers, the grants are given out today to educators across the nation.

The Fund for Teachers believes that after pursuing scientific data, participating in seminars, volunteering with community organizations and observing best practices, these teachers will return to their classrooms as lead learners to inspire their students and campus communities.

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Spartan Star Mosaic Dedication

By Ellie Herrmann of Stratford High School’s Oracle student newspaper

Stratford HS Principal Danny Gex (left) and former Principal Christopher Juntti

Former Principal Christopher Juntti dedicated eight years of his career to improving the quality of life and learning for the students of Stratford High School. This service was commemorated
on May 29 with a large, star-shaped mosaic outside of the school’s front doors, depicting a red, white, and blue Spartan head at its center.

This piece of art is a product of the collaboration between the current Principal Danny Gex, the campus Parent Teacher Student Association President Debby Slack, and artist Rose Toro.

Toro has worked on many mosaic art projects at several different Spring Branch ISD schools. Through her expertise and Gex’s creativity, Stratford’s campus has been brightened by a beautiful and intricate work of art.

“We wanted to send the message that we are a great community, that we are America, and that we are proud and honored to be Spartans,” Toro said.

The green star and red, white and blue mosaic Spartan head at the center all scream, ‘Stratford America,’ the phrase written in colorfully oxidized metal above the masterpiece—a phrase
coined during Juntti’s years as principal.

The dedication to Juntti was a small, yet memorable event, complete with short performances from Stratford’s drum line and cheerleaders. Speeches were given honoring Mr. Juntti’s service
from Principal Gex, the artist Rose Toro, Student Body President Abigail Jackson, and PTSA’s Debby Slack.

After the presentation of the official plaque, Juntti gave a humble speech of thanks. “No one worked for me,” Juntti said, “they worked with me. We were a team.”

The plaque, soon to be adorned below the star, reads, “In honor of Christopher Juntti for his eight years of service as Principal of Stratford High School. Once a Spartan, always a Spartan.”

This small dedication panel took months of behind-the-scenes work. The process, beginning in February, was lengthy, but unsurprisingly went unchallenged. Principal Gex proposed the idea of commemorating Juntti’s years at Stratford High to the SBISD Board of Trustees, and not a single person disagreed.

At the end of it all, Juntti was touched by the effort given on his behalf. “It’s nice to see that how hard you worked and how dedicated you were to making something special is being acknowledged. It means a lot,” he said.

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