Wednesday, December 13, 2017

SBEF Harvey Relief Fund Continues to Grow Past $1 Million Mark

A modest idea blossoms into help for more than 1,000 Spring Branch ISD families

When Spring Branch ISD Superintendent Scott Muri began assessing the damage caused by Hurricane Harvey, he found more than he ever expected. Surprisingly, the SBISD buildings suffered very little damage; however, SBISD staff and student families told a different story.

It was a story of resilience. He talked with staff members who had seemingly lost everything—home, cars, possessions—but showed concern for how he and others weathered the storm. He heard from student families who were displaced and sheltering out of district, but making travel arrangements to keep their children in their home schools.


For every story he heard, he knew there were many more. He felt that by working with the district’s leadership team and the Spring Branch Education Foundation, the community could help.


While the water was still high and first responders were still housed at the district’s Darrell Tully Stadium, he explored the idea of a relief fund. He approached SBEF Executive Director Cece Thompson and challenged the Foundation to raise $20,000. Thompson and the SBEF board of directors created the SBEF Harvey Relief Fund.


Three months later, the Fund had collected $1,027,536 and was helping 1,083 SBISD families.


“When the Spring Branch Education Foundation launched the Harvey Relief Fund,” Muri said, “we could never have imagined how swiftly and how generously our community and many others across the globe would respond. With more than $1 million raised, families of more than 1,000 SBISD students and employees have received much-needed resources and support. We are grateful beyond measure to SBEF and the many donors whose #CollectiveGreatness has made this critical financial assistance possible at this unprecedented time of great need.”


“I’ve always known the generosity of this community,” Thompson said. “For more than two decades, it has funded grants and scholarships that enhance education for SBISD students. The outpouring of support in the wake of Harvey, surpassed anything I would have imagined. A community member called to say her family wanted to donate $100,000, and that was just the first of our surprises.”


Donations came from near and far. SBISD students got busy: Memorial Markettes shared proceeds from its fall fundraiser, and Cornerstone Academy pledged funds from its December fun run. The Wilchester Men’s Club contributed $9,000. Waterous Energy Fund, a Canadian company with an SBISD parent on its executive team, donated $100,000.


Gifts arrived from Muri’s former colleagues and acquaintances—and from strangers who saw his Twitter appeal. The Discovery Channel donated $25,000. A Kentucky native who met Muri at her daughter’s church sent $500. The Fund received gifts from student fundraisers from schools as far away as Pittsburgh, PA; Avon, IN; and Barrington, IL.


The largest gift came from the Greater Houston Community Foundation to the tune of $500,000. SBEF was one of only three education organizations to receive a grant from GHCF’s Hurricane Harvey Relief Fund.


“The grant felt like an affirmation of our efforts,” Thompson said. “As far as we know, the SBEF Harvey Relief Fund is the only one that specifically helps families in Spring Branch ISD. Our gifts help families fill gaps not met by other local and federal efforts. Since the Fund is managed by SBEF staff, there are no administrative costs. Every dollar goes directly to SBISD student and staff families.”


SBISD staff members who were displaced by Harvey and are receiving help from the SBEF Harvey Relief Fund are grateful. Thank you notes have poured in to the SBEF office.


From an employee, “I was just called to the front office to pick up some ‘mail,’ and I received the generous donation from SBEF. All I could do was laugh and then cry. We literally lost everything in the flood and have two small babies at home. What a perfect time to receive this gift/blessing. I’m so blessed to work for this district and want to say thank you from the bottom of my heart. This is a huge undertaking on your part, and I know it’s probably been a very difficult task. You have no idea how much this means to my family and how far this will go for us. Thank you, thank you from the bottom of my heart. I PROMISE to continue to pay this forward once we get back on our feet. Thank you so much.”


A parent wrote, “Thank you so much for providing the very generous Target gift card for our family. We have two boys…a freshman and a senior, and we feel so fortunate to have such a supportive school district. Having our downstairs destroyed by five feet of water for two weeks, losing all our cars and being displaced has been so very hard for us. I know there are many other families in the same situation as well. As a parent, the hardest thing has been that my senior will not be able to celebrate this Christmas (the one before he goes to college next year) in our family home. That is heart breaking. A big thank you for reaching out to us and providing support, as this is a long, tiring process! We will always remember your kindness.”


SBEF has distributed Target and Walmart gift cards to help families meet their most pressing needs, whether it’s food, clothing or supplies. The Foundation has awarded grants of $50,000 to Community In Schools – Houston (CIS), which identifies specific needs. CIS provides vouchers to families to assist with rent, utilities and other necessities.

Hurricane Harvey dumped 51 inches of rain on Houston, but the SBEF Harvey Relief Fund, which started with a dream, is an example of the community’s support and resilience.

A note sent to SBEF: “I have been an SBISD teacher for 37 years and have always felt supported and respected in my professional career. After losing my home, contents and cars to Hurricane Harvey, I have been overwhelmed by love and support in my personal life.”

A parent wrote about her family’s rescue via boat. “In the days that followed, so many kind friends, colleagues and good Samaritans…like you came forward to help us…. We want you to know you will forever be a part of our family and thank you so much for your kindness and love.”

Community members who wish to donate to the SBEF Harvey Relief Fund may visit www.springbrancheducationfoundation.com.

Friday, December 8, 2017

Family Sax Finds Home with A Cornerstone Student

Cornerstone Academy seventh-grader Jocelyn Munguia applied for a local music scholarship last spring valued at several hundred dollars.

Today, the charter school seventh-grader is the proud owner of a gently used, professional Yamaha alto saxophone valued at about $2,000.  The instrument was a family donation made by an official with the local Houston Masonic Library and Museum Foundation and Freemason Authors.

Chris Martin, whose group hosts the scholarship, presented the saxophone to Jocelyn at Cornerstone Academy earlier this fall. He was joined at the Spring Valley school campus by James Passamano, who is chairman with the Mozart Hammond Music Scholarship.

Jocelyn originally applied for the Mozart Hammond Scholarship with help from her music instructor, Stephen Bundrick. As a district charter campus with its own operating rules, the Cornerstone Academy music program is neither funded nor supported through the district’s Fine Arts Department.

As a consequence, Bundrick often visits eBay and local pawn shops so his music students like Jocelyn have adequate quality instruments for practice and performance.

In her scholarship application, Jocelyn said the $300 grant would help her buy her own personal saxophone. She played on one of Bundrick’s older instruments before the special donation.

The Mozart Hammond Music Scholarship Awards are awarded through the Masonic Library and Museum Foundation to elementary and middle school students. The scholarship funds are linked to past founding of the Houston Conservatory of Music in 1917. Today, the Spring Branch-Memorial Rotary Club is also a chief sponsor of the scholarship.

Jocelyn was named a scholarship winner with 14 other students, but wasn’t able to attend the initial award ceremony earlier this fall.

When music instructor Bundrick emailed Passamano about her absence, the scholarship chair replied that the group wanted to give Jocelyn a high quality saxophone, not a $300 donation. On Oct. 24, Passamano and Martin presented the Martin family’s sax to a deeply thankful Jocelyn.

Martin said that he wanted to “lovingly pass this on to Jocelyn to help her continue her musical endeavors,” Bundrick reports.

In separate but related news, recent voter approval of the 2017 Bond will help replace aged student musical instruments and uniforms for campus programs.

For more information, visit Mozart Hammond Music Scholarship Award.

Navy ROTC Unit Earns Top Marks and Ranking


For a third year in a row, the student Navy Jr. ROTC unit based at the Guthrie Center has earned an Outstanding ranking (100 percent in all areas) during its recently completed Area Manager’s Inspection.

In separate but related news, the Guthrie Center-based ROTC group has also been named once again as a Navy Jr. ROTC Distinguished Unit with Academic Honors for the 2017-2018 school year.

The Distinguished Unit designation is given to ROTC programs ranked in the top 30 percent of all regional programs. SBISD’s unit has now won the Distinguished Unit with Academic Honors ranking for 12 years in a row. As such an exemplary unit, SBISD’s program may nominate three eligible unit cadets to the U.S. Naval Academy, U.S. Military Academy and the U.S. Air Force Academy.

Although no historical records of every Outstanding unit ranking across the greater Houston region is maintained, Junior ROTC leaders report that one such ranking for any student unit is noteworthy. Earning multiple high-level rankings like SBISD’s unit is considered unusual.

Cadet Lt. Cmdr. Devin Williams, the unit’s Cadet Executive Officer (second in command) and a a Spring Woods High senior, notes that inspection this year was difficult due to Hurricane Harvey’s impact.

“We lost two weeks of school so it was as if the inspection came two weeks early,” he said. “We also had a challenge with instructors with Master Chief Heuser retiring last summer and being replaced by Hospital Corpsman First Class Dominic Monita, so we were also adjusting to a new instructor.”

“I feel blessed that as an Executive Officer, I was given the opportunity to learn from the experience of being in a real leadership and management project. What I learned is you get what you inspect, not what you expect,” he also said. “This isn’t really an award, it’s the results of the inspection.”

Cadet Williams serves with Cadet Lt. Cmdr. Azucena Gonzales, the unit’s Cadet Commanding Officer and a Northbrook High senior. SBISD’s Jr. ROTC unit is led by retired Navy Cmdr. Jerry Coufal and retired Hospital Corpsman First Class Dominic Monita.

The SBISD unit’s 12-year Distinguished Unit with Academic Honors ranking is based on its annual military inspection results, competition placements, community service hours, academic performance and related factors.

Navy Jr. ROTC Area 10 Area Administrator Curtis St. Pierre credits Coufal and Monita with excellent instructional leadership after the Area Manager’s Inspection.

“Commander Coufal and Hospital Corpsman Monita have been outstanding examples of showing the cadets what right looks like,” he wrote in a report.

The Area Manager’s Inspection helps to showcase what the student ROTC cadets have learned through drill performances, personnel inspections and reviews of the supply, material and administrative records that cadets must administer as part of their program.

Expanding Your Horizons Conference



Register Now for Feb. 24 Gathering for Girls in Grades 6-8

Ginger Kerrick, a NASA Mission Control flight director for 13 International Space Station and five joint Shuttle missions, will be the keynote speaker for the 26th Expanding Your Horizons (EYH) Conference at Spring Forest Middle School. Registration is now open for young women in grades 6-8. The conference will be held on Saturday, Feb. 24.

In a modern way, Kerrick is a kind of “Hidden Figure” movie character, one of the unsung women located behind the space capsules or floating space station who make life possible for astronauts circling the Earth.

The daylong conference is sponsored by the West Harris County branch of the American Association of University Women (AAUW), which plays a key role in providing career information and role models for middle school girls.

During its annual conference, professional women associated with AAUW share their enthusiasm, career information, educational requirements and salary levels for scientific, technical and financial careers with hundreds of girls, parents and teachers.

“These creative people don’t lecture kids, but involve them in various ways to create hands-on experiences in every one of the conference workshops. The message to our middle school girls is that there are both personal and monetary rewards for taking math and science in middle and high school,” reports AAUW’s KarenJean North.

“Our goal is to inspire young women to study science, technology, engineering and math so they can reach their dreams. Ginger Kerrick will share how she reached her dreams,” North also said.

Growing up, keynote conference speaker Kerrick dreamed of being either a basketball player or an astronaut. While she is not an astronaut today, each International Space Station mission astronaut “is taking a little piece of [her] with them” into space because of her Mission Control support.

Kerrick became the first non-astronaut Capsule Communicator (CapCom), a NASA Flight Control position that relays information from Mission Control to the astronaut crew flying high above Earth. With 25 years of experience, she is now providing leadership in development, testing and certification of new spacecraft to restore U.S. launch and landing capabilities involving the International Space Station and regions beyond low-Earth orbit.

Through hard work and perseverance, Kerrick won academic scholarships. She earned both her bachelor’s and master’s degree in physics, an area of study that demands mental focus, acuity and deep thinking skills.

Read more about Ginger Kerrick’s life and watch her NASA video here:
https://women.nasa.gov/ginger-kerrick/

Read Ginger Kerrick's Bio here.

Download Expanding Your Horizons brochure here.

Learn more about Expanding Your Horizons in Science and Mathematics:
http://aauw.azurewebsites.net/

Register for the Feb. 24 Expanding Your Horizons Conference:
http://aauw.azurewebsites.net/registration.html

Thursday, December 7, 2017

NextGen for the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)



A new APP promises to make the FAFSA process more accessible for low-income and disadvantaged students, a demographic with the lowest application completion rate in the nation.

The new APP boasts a host of features along with simplifying the financial aid process. Promised features include: the ability to fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) on a phone; the ability to manage a borrower’s federal student loans in the APP, and the ability for students to check their credit score.

“This is a significant first step in our commitment to improving the experiences students, parents and borrowers have with Federal Student Aid (FSA) and in bringing federal student aid programs into the 21st century,” Education Secretary Betsy DeVos said earlier this month.

Planned for launch in the spring of 2018, the new APP is a part of what the education department calls the “NextGen” approach to financial services by the FSA Department. The department also plans to integrate the current FASFA website into the larger StudentAid.gov website, allowing applicants to seamlessly switch between web and mobile platforms, enabling applicant access and choice.

The Federal Student Aid Department, a part of the U.S. Department of Education, is the largest provider of student financial aid in the nation. Every year, $120 billion in federal grants, loans, and work-study funds from FAFSA help 13 million students paying for college or career school. For complete information about FAFSA, visit the current FAFSA website at: https://fafsa.gov

Be on the lookout for updates and changes to both websites in 2018. Students and parents can contact campus counselor for additional details or assistance.

Video - What will the APP look like?
https://twitter.com/twitter/statuses/935949192421363713

Additional Resources for FAFSA:
https://financialaidtoolkit.ed.gov/tk/learn/fafsa/updates.jsp
https://financialaidtoolkit.ed.gov/resources/federal-student-aid-resources-for-fafsa-outreach.pdf
https://blog.ed.gov/2017/09/5-things-filing-fafsa-form/?ep_mid=11420992&ep_rid=38940580

Terrace Students Named to National O.A.K.E. Choir

Donations sought to fund related travel expenses



Four Terrace Elementary School students were chosen recently to join the Organization of American Kodály Educators (O.A.K.E.) National Children’s Choir, which will perform during the group’s national meeting next spring.

Donations are being sought online through the campus and greater Spring Branch community to support family travel needs of $5,000 or more for the four students. See GoFundMe details on this topic below.

Selected for the O.A.K.E National Children’s Choir is Terrace fourth-grade student Jonathan Hogue and fifth-graders Saray Noyola, Ricardo Costilla and Isabella Hernandez. Their Terrace music teacher is Eric Murillo. They are the only SBISD students selected this year for the national choir.

The four students will train, rehearse and perform as part of the O.A.K.E national conference. The Kodály method is an experience-based music educational program developed by a mid-20th century Hungarian composer, educator and philosopher, Zoltan Kodály.

The Kodály (pronounced KO-die) method focuses on using experiences with movement, sight and sound to teach musical concepts. It is famous for the use of solfege, or “do-re-me,” as featured in the Rodgers and Hammerstein song performed in the popular Sound of Music film.

“We are so proud to have these students representing Terrace and Spring Branch ISD at a national level,” Principal April Falcon-Blanco said.

“This experience will provide our students with opportunities to learn, share their talent, build their confidence and meet other students who share their hopes and dreams. They are all really great kids and very deserving of this honor,” she also said.

Music Specialist Eric Murillo said the audition requirements for the students were quite challenging. The four worked with Murillo for weeks after school on choir audition materials.

Training and rehearsals led the students to these vocal accomplishments:
  • Singing four designated, five tone ascending and descending scale passages on a neutral syllable, a cappella, after only being given a starting pitch
  • Singing upper/middle/lower parts of a basic chord progression using solfege (a system for singing notes) while Murillo played an outline of chords with the parts they were not singing
  • Singing America the Beautiful a cappella after a given starting pitch
“I told my students that I’d be proud of them for just making it through the audition process regardless of the outcome,” Murillo said. “The fact that all four of them made it (into the national choir) is beyond exciting! I’m thrilled that their perseverance paid off and that we’ll head to Oklahoma.”

The National Children’s Choir is composed of 4th and 5th grade students.
The Terrace students will perform March 24, 2018, inside the Civic Center Music Hall downtown in Oklahoma City. O.A.K.E choirs usually perform with renowned conductors.

Murillo estimates that each student’s family will now need to raise between $1,200 and $1,600 to travel and participate. GoFundMe accounts were set up recently for all four students. Individual campaign links:

Saray Noyola
https://www.gofundme.com/saras-national-choir-trip

Ricardo Costilla
https://www.gofundme.com/ricardos-trip-for-nat-choir

Jonathan Hogue
https://www.gofundme.com/national-childrens-choir-trip

Isabella Hernandez
https://www.gofundme.com/isabella-oake-choir-opp

Related Links:

Organization of American Kodály Educators
http://www.oake.org/

Kodály Concept & Theory
http://www.oake.org/about-us/the-kodaly-concept/

National Conference Choirs
http://www.oake.org/choirs/

SBISD Students Participate in Inventathon

A group of Memorial High School and Westchester Academy for International Studies students won the coveted Hart Award at Inventathon@HCC, a recent two-day hackathon event.

Hosted by Houston Community College and Clements Inventors Club, the annual event is an opportunity for attendees to rapidly prototype inventions that are designed to improve the quality of life for humans. Areas of focus for improvement include education, poverty, community well-being and economic advancement. Inventathon@HCC was attended by over 150 student inventors.

The Hart Award, named after a teacher who inspires students to learn through practical applications of academic concepts, is given to students who create a fun invention with technological complexity. The SBISD team utilized boost converters, delivering CAD models, electrical schematics and professionally grade soldered board.

Mentors from local business club groups such as TiE Houston, ITTAGH, and Good Works Houston donated time and professional insight to student participants in idea generation and product development. HCC COE Advanced Manufacturing at HCC Stafford provided the space and tools to host the program. 
Inventathon - A Student Perspective from SBISD on Vimeo.

SWHS Computer Science Students Take Coding to the Capitol



Spring Branch ISD was well represented at the state Capitol Monday, Dec. 4, for an Hour of Code with several legislators. Spring Woods High School teacher Daniel Angel and four students demonstrated their coding skills while helping the elected officials with basic coding.

“We’re (in Austin) to spotlight the need for science education for all students,” said Karen Justl, coordinator of educational technology in SBISD, from the Capitol. “We’re honored to have one of our Spring Woods High School teachers here with several of our computer science students to participate and teach legislators all about Hour of Code.”

Separately, students from teacher John Foshee’s computer science classes at Stratford High School last week mentored students at Thornwood Elementary and Nottingham Elementary with coding. And “Alex” from the mega-popular Minecraft is visiting with students at Buffalo Creek Elementary and Valley Oaks Elementary in support of Hour of Code.

Hour of Code is a global movement reaching tens of millions of students in more than 180 countries.


SWHS Computer Science Students Take Coding to the Capitol from SBISD on Vimeo.

#IMPACT: Understanding the Harvey Story



Rummel Creek Elementary Principal Nancy Harn (left) was one of several Houston-area principals who met with Secretary of Education Betsy Devos (right) recently at Kingwood Park High School in Humble ISD.

Following a tour of Humble ISD facilities affected by Hurricane Harvey, including Summer Creek High School, which is hosting Kingwood High School students during repairs at KHS, Harn met with Devos and other prinicpals where she was able to tell Devos about Harvey’s impact in SBISD.

“I came away with a better understanding of how Harvey impacted other districts,” Harn said of the visit. (Photo courtesy Humble ISD)

Stratford Playhouse's The Addams Family



Smash hit comedy combines creepy, kooky, mysterious and “ooky” The award-winning Stratford Playhouse has announced its rendition of the hilarious musical, The Addams Family, which will be performed Jan. 25 – Feb. 3, 2018.

The weird and wonderfully beloved Addams Family created by cartoonist Charles Addams comes to devilish life in this bright and comically macabre new musical. In the kooky, upside-down world of the Addams Family, to be sad is to be happy, to feel pain is to feel joy, and death and suffering are the stuff of their dreams.

Nonetheless, this quirky family still must deal with many of the same challenges faced by any other family, and the spookiest nightmare faced by every family: the Addams kids are growing up! Gomez and Morticia’s now 18-year-old daughter, Wednesday, upsets her family by bringing home her “normal” boyfriend and a big secret.

A zany night unfolds with the rest of the Addams clan, including little brother Pugsley, Uncle Fester, Grandmama and Lurch. Even Thing and Cousin It make appearances. The ensemble in this show features the Addams family ancestors who rise from the grave – ranging from Pilgrims to nurses and all the family characters in-between.

“The result is a truly witty and exhilarating show, full of satirical energy, superb musical numbers, much dancing (including, of course a tango), and hilarious one-liners all brought to life by an exceptional student cast, crew and impressive student orchestra,” Stratford Playhouse Director CeCe Prudhomme said.

“I know audiences both young and old will enjoy this hilarious and heartwarming story with all of their favorite Addams Family characters.” Tickets for The Addams Family are $17 and available for purchase online at shsplayhouse.org, or at the Stratford Box Office.

Performances are scheduled for 7:30 p.m., Jan. 25-27 and Feb. 1-3, with matinee performances on Jan. 27 and Feb. 3 at 2:30 p.m. Performances will take place at Stratford High’s main stage theatre, 14555 Fern Drive. For more information or to buy tickets, go online or call 713-251-3449.

The Addams Family was written by Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice with music and lyrics by Tony-winning composer Andrew Lippa and presented through special arrangement with Theatrical Rights Worldwide.