Rummel Creek Grand Opening Is Certain to Impress Visitors

Rummel Creek students on the school's opening day

Rummel Creek grand opening invitation >>

Teachers, staff, students, parents and neighborhood residents are still trying to find the right words to describe the airy, two-story building that marks the 13th and final elementary school to be rebuilt under the $597.1 million bond approved by district voters nine years ago.

Here are a few glowing adjectives and phrases used to describe the new Rummel Creek Elementary School, which opened officially for students and teachers on Jan. 5 – beautiful, spacious, incredible, a dream come true, transforming, top notch, unbelievable.

Several visitors to the shiny new building asked what Shirley Lincoln, the school’s longtime principal, now deceased, would think if she was touring the new facility.

“I think that she’d be looking down in amazement,” said the campus receptionist, Christine Godin, on her the first day in the new school.

That sentiment – amazement – was expressed by many on Jan. 5. “Love it,” said Martin Normand, father of Luc and Zac, who now learn in new kindergarten and prekindergarten classrooms.

“The spaces here are so wide open. Love the library, the classrooms, all the open hallways. I love that it’s so spacious, and I think the students and teacher do, too,” he said. “We’ve all been looking forward to this. It’s like going up from a minor league to a major league school.”

Students and parents are greeted at the door on Rummel Creek's opening day.

The new, two-story building replaces a neighborhood school built in 1962. Due to a combination of low interest rates and low construction prices, SBISD was able to add a 13th elementary school to its original list of 12 new elementary schools under the 2007 bond.

Highlights include walls of glass that open up classrooms, hallways, the library and common areas to the wooded neighborhood and popular walking track, playground and outdoor areas behind the school. A stepped-back building design helps the new school blend into Rummel Creek’s single-story homes. 

“It has everything,” Principal Nancy Harn has said. “Everything that we asked for is here.”

“It’s a dream come true for the whole community and school,” Karen Ross, a PTA past president, said. The Rosses and their children have lived here for more than 20 years. “The transformation between the old school and new is phenomenal – and the kids here have seen it all go up from ground breaking to this today.”

John Maddox, a Rummel Creek graduate himself, followed his prekindergartener, Mason, into a new classroom on Jan. 5. Maddox, who remained in Rummel Creek, noted that the area was a highly sought after neighborhood for families with young children even before the new school opened.

“I can’t imagine what people will say now with the new school. Rummel Creek’s reputation was top notch. It will remain a top school for families – for sure!”
Rummel Creek - Celebrating A New Campus booklet >>

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Nationally Touring Exhibition, The Power of Children: Making a Difference

Opens Monday, Feb. 1 at Altharetta Yeargin Art Museum

The stories of ordinary children who faced extraordinary circumstances inspires children today to fight discrimination and intolerance. The Power of Children: Making a Difference, a new exhibition opening Monday, Feb. 1 at Altharetta Yeargin Art Museum (AYAM), 901 Yorkchester, explores the lives of Anne Frank, Ruby Bridges, and Ryan White and their impact in making a positive difference in the world.

The Power of Children encourages children and families to explore problems of isolation, fear, and prejudice, by giving a personal face to three major issues of the 20th century: the Holocaust, the Civil Rights movement, and the AIDS epidemic. Through audio-visual presentations, original artifacts, and hands-on interactive displays, visitors will learn each child’s story, and immersive environments will take them into the spaces where each child felt safe.

Because of her Jewish heritage and faith, Anne Frank spent two years hiding from the Nazis in an annex behind her father’s office in Amsterdam during World War II. Anne dreamed of becoming a writer, and while in hiding she kept a diary about her fears, experiences, and dreams of a better future. Despite her death at a concentration camp in 1945, the power of Anne’s words continues to reach millions through her widely published diary.

In 1960, 6-year-old Ruby Bridges broke racial barriers by walking through an angry mob to her classroom each day, a key event in the struggle for Civil Rights that was immortalized by Norman Rockwell in his painting The Problem We All Live With. Today, years after making her mark on the Civil Rights movement, Ruby continues her fight against racism and hate through The Ruby Bridges Foundation, which provides educational resources and information to children, teachers, and parents nationwide.

Watch My Story: Mrs. Lucille Bridges >>

As an infant, Ryan White was diagnosed with hemophilia; in 1984, he learned he had contracted the AIDS virus from a tainted treatment for his disease. When school officials learned of his condition, Ryan was banned from returning to school because of fears and misconceptions associated with HIV/AIDS. Ryan fought back and found a voice as an advocate for AIDS research and education. Today, the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program provides care and treatment for people with HIV/AIDS.

The Power of Children demonstrates the power of words, actions, and voice when people are faced with hatred, racism, and discrimination. At the exhibition’s end, visitors are challenged to find ways they can make a difference.

The Power of Children:  Making A Difference - A Guide for Families >>

AYAM will host The Power of Children, a 1,600 square foot, interactive exhibit Feb. 1 through March 2. Throughout the month, Lucille Bridges, mother of Ruby Bridges, will speak to groups, and actors will reenact aspects of the exhibition.

The Power of Children Hours

Feb. 1 – March 2:

Monday
10 a.m. – 6 p.m.: open to the public and groups
Tuesday – Thursday
10 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.: school and home-school field trips (reservations required)
Tuesday – Thursday
1:30 – 4 p.m.: open to the public
Friday
Closed
Saturday
10 a.m. – 1 p.m.: open to the public

Cost - $5.00 per person; special pricing for field trips
For group reservations or information, call 713. 251.1987.

Altharetta Yeargin Art Museum
901 Yorkchester
Houston, Texas 77079

Organized by The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis, The Power of Children is made possible through NEH on the Road, a special initiative of the National Endowment for the Humanities. It has been adapted to tour nationally by Mid-America Arts Alliance. AYAM was selected to host the exhibition in Houston.

This program was made possible in part with a grant from Humanities Texas, the state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities.


About Altharetta Yeargin Art Museum
Thought to be the nation’s only art museum located on a public school campus, AYAM is an art experiential destination for students of all ages. When Altharetta Yeargin, Spring Branch ISD’s first art teacher, donated her art collection to SBISD, the district partnered with The Smithsonian Institution to design the current facility. It houses a collection of art and artifacts valued at more than $2 million and includes more than 600 works from around the world. The Museum is supported by individual and foundation donors.

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Awards Presented to Two Spring Branch ISD Mentors

At the Texas Mentoring Summit, Bruce Rollins (second row, left) was named Outstanding Adult Mentor, and Julie Eisenhauer (first row, right) was named Outstanding Advocate for Mentoring.

Two Spring Branch ISD mentors, Julie Eisenhauer and Bruce Rollins, won state recognition recently during the fourth annual Texas Mentoring Summit held Jan. 21-22 and hosted by The University of Texas at San Antonio.

The two SpringBoard mentors won separate awards. Eisenhauer was named the summit’s Outstanding Advocate for Mentoring, and Rollins was selected as the Outstanding Adult Mentor for 2016.

A former SBISD teacher, Ms. Eisenhauer has been the mentor coordinator with Memorial Drive United Methodist Church for about six years. A mentor herself, she coordinates recruitment of church mentors at Hollibrook Elementary School.

In addition, she plans holiday parties for mentors, student “mentees” and family members, as well as group field trips to Audubon Bird Sanctuary located next to the Memorial Drive church. She mentors several students on her own as well as juggling campus needs, schedule changes and mentoring events.

“Ms. Julie is like a second mom to me,” one mentee stated in her nomination. “She has been there since I can remember, and I can tell her things that I don’t have the courage to tell my parents and friends.”

Ms. Eisenhauer, who was interviewed by journalist Randy Beamer with News 4 in San Antonio, spoke with enthusiasm about receiving her award and mentoring.

“It’s unbelievable,” she said of the award. “I am shocked and so very honored. Mentoring is second nature to me, but everyone should be mentoring. There are so many children who need a significant adult in their lives who can broaden their horizons. That’s what we are doing [as mentors], broadening their horizons and giving them a chance to do anything they want to do.”

Bruce Rollins currently mentors three brothers at three separate SBISD campuses – Westchester Academy for International Studies, and both Northbrook Middle and Northbrook High schools. Each student wrote glowing letters of recommendation. All are growing academically and in character under the guidance of “Mr. Bruce.”

“I wish all boys like me had my mentor, Mr. Bruce, in their life . . . Mr. Bruce is helpful and you can always count on him!!!” exclaimed one of his mentees.

Although the two SBISD mentors were chosen as award winners in San Antonio, SBISD’s Customer Services and Community Relations Specialist Becky Wuerth said their example speaks for so many mentors across the district.

“They represents all of our outstanding mentors and advocates who faithfully visit mentees across the district every week and champion the SpringBoard Mentoring Program to their friends, family and co-workers,” she reports. “Mr. Bruce and Ms. Julie are proxy winners for all of our wonderful mentors who we are honoring during National Mentoring Month.”

Learn more about SBISD’s SpringBoard Mentoring Program >>

Eisenhauer encouraged others to become mentors in an interview with TV News 4 San Antonio. No special knowledge or experience is needed, she said.

• View News 4 San Antonio short segment >>
• View the full interview, including SBISD’s Julie Eisenhauer, award winner >>

“We’re not tutoring. You don’t need to know curriculum. You are an advocate for this one child. You are answering questions. They don’t know too much about the world we live in, and they don’t have many experiences. You share about your life and experiences with them,” she said.

Belinda Saldana Harmon with UT-San Antonio’s Office of P-20 Initiatives shares a best-kept secret in the mentoring world: It works!

“The research tells us that a student who has a mentor is more likely to have better attendance, more likely to avoid negative behaviors, and more likely to continue on in higher education,” she told New 4’s Randy Beamer.

“And we know that the students who are successful in school are the students who are going to graduate from high school, and then go beyond.”

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Spring Branch ISD Board of Trustees Election Set for May 7

The next election for three positions on the Spring Branch ISD Board of Trustees is scheduled for Saturday, May 7.  Ballot candidate applications will be accepted through Feb. 19 during normal business hours at SBISD’s Schaper Leadership Center, 955 Campbell Road.

The Trustee positions for the upcoming election are Position 5, which is currently held by incumbent Bob Stevenson, Position 6, which is held by incumbent Pam Goodson, and Position 7, which is held by incumbent Karen Peck. As of this report, Goodson and Peck have filed for re-election.

Two candidates have filed for Position 5: J. Carter Breed, who works in real estate, and Julie Jaehne, an educator.

Candidates may file applications through 5 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 19, in Room 128 of the Wayne F. Schaper, Sr. Leadership Center (SBISD Administration Building). The district office at 955 Campbell Road is located one block south of Interstate 10 on Campbell Road. The Schaper Leadership Center is open from 8 a.m. until 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Candidate application packets are available at the Schaper Leadership Center, and completed applications will be accepted in this building during regular business hours.

All registered voters who reside in SBISD are eligible to vote in SBISD Board of Trustees Elections. For more information, please call:

Diane Dickens
SBISD Administrative Assistant
713-251-2217

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Volunteer Named a White House “Champion of Change”

Karen North (right) at Spring Branch Middle School during the Hour of Code.

Karen North, a retired teacher who promotes computer science and programming at the district and state level, was one of nine people nationwide named as a national “Champion of Change” during a White House ceremony held on Tuesday.

Champions of Change website >>
Read Computer Science for All on White House blog >>

Nine individuals, including North, were recently selected by the White House for their leadership and innovation in helping to broaden access to computer science, programming and computational thinking. The White House views such technical education as essential to the nation’s ongoing global competitiveness and security.

The nine “White House Champions of Change for Computer Science Education” were  honored Jan. 26 during a White House-based program that included remarks by Valerie Jarrett, senior advisor to the President; John King, U.S. Dept. Of Education acting secretary; Megan Smith, the U.S. chief technology officer; Gillian Jacobs, actress/director; and Meredith Walker, a co-founder and executive director of Amy Poehler’s Smart Girls.

Karen North (second from left) and Karen Justl (second from right) attend the White House Champions of Change for Computer Science Education, starting Jan. 26.

“What an honor to be selected as a Champion of Change. I thank all those who have been part of my adventure, as they are my champions,” said Karen North, who started teaching math in 1985 and enhanced her lessons by coding with Logo and BASIC on an Apple IIE and Texas Instruments (TI) calculator.

“I experienced how coding helped students build problem-solving skills. That started my journey advocating in public and political forums for increased educational opportunities,” she said.

North planned to attend the White House ceremony with her son. Also attending was her White House guest Karen Justl, SBISD’s Educational Technology interim director.

In addition to other areas of computer science interest, Karen North helped support the district’s Hour of Code programming events last fall for students. She promotes student programming activities and learning across a variety of programs.

“My main goal is to continue to open up the world of computational thinking for every student in Spring Branch ISD through code.org workshops, Hour of Code events, Code Camps, training Code Buddies and the West Harris County Branch AAUW Expanding Your Horizons in Science and Mathematics Conference for middle school girls,” she said in a prepared statement.

Karen North (back row, second from right) with AAUW group

SBISD’s Justl nominated North for her volunteering work as a retired educator and as an “involved grandmother.”

“Karen works tirelessly to advance computer science education across the state of Texas and beyond,” Justl said in her nomination to the White House. “She advocates in public and political forums . . . and will assist districts and private schools in any way to move computational thinking and computer science forward in our schools.”

A year ago, President Barack Obama became the first President to write a line of programming code. In his recent State of the Union address, he issued a national call to expand computer science in all classrooms from kindergarten through 12th grade.

Other White House Champions of Change who will be honored today:

• Cordell Carter II, Chattanooga, Tenn., CEO of TechTown Foundation Inc.
• Andrea Chaves, Astoria, N.Y., a Spanish and computer science teacher
• Grace Clark, New Orleans, La., high school sophomore and Operation Spark student intern
• James Forde, Stamford, Conn., a seventh-grade science teacher
• Christina Li, Macomb, Mich., high school senior who created Hello World, a computer science day camp for middle school girls
• Andreas Stefik, Las Vegas, assistant professor of computer science at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas
• Jane Margolis, Los Angeles, Calif., researcher at the University of California, Los Angeles Graduate School of Education and Information Studies
• Angelica Willis, Greensboro, N.C., a computer science student at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University

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Spring Woods High Grad Named to Forbes 30 Under 30 List

Emily Woods, photo courtesy of Berkeley News

A Spring Woods High School graduate remembered as incredibly smart, energetic and determined as a teenager has lived up to her early billing – and then some!

Emily Woods, Class of 2005, was recently named to Forbes magazine’s 30 Under 30 List of accomplished young adults. Woods, a mechanical engineering graduate of Georgia Tech University, is cited for her work in Kenya with a personal health and hygiene company called Sanivation.

Emily Woods (center, second from top) at the Thespian State Festival in 2004

She designed a method for turning human waste into sustainable fuel and piloted a test project in a Kenya refugee camp. According to Forbes, Woods has raised more than $500,000 in grants to expand Sanivation’s services in the African nation.

The University of California at Berkeley reports that Emily is currently a doctoral student in its Energy and Resources Group, an interdisciplinary graduate program at this highly ranked public university.

Those that recall Emily’s days at Spring Woods High aren’t surprised by either the Forbes award or her early success and accomplishments.

During her Tiger years, Emily was a four-year regional qualifier and an All Region Swim Team member. She competed in the 100 meter butterfly, and was swim team captain her senior year. “She was a vivacious, outgoing and no-fear type of student athlete,” her coach, Lesley Rienstra, recalls. “She had a tremendous work ethic and had character without question. She was truly a gift to coach.”

Emily was one of the few Academic All-American students ever named at her high school, she won Academic All-State honors in her junior and senior years, and was also a National Honor Society member.

A Tiger mascot, she was also involved in Dance Team, Comedy Sportz and Spring Woods Safari Players theater productions, and Tiger TV.

“She was a great student and a wonderful person. I remember her as having a very outgoing personality and always having a smile on her face,” said former Principal Wayne Schaper, Jr.

She is reportedly the third family member to graduate from Spring Woods High. A member of Thespian Troupe 127, she performed and also worked as a production tech member at Spring Woods, including the 2002 premiere of Les Miserables.

She attended several Thespian State Festivals, and two International Thespian Festivals. “As a performer and a technician, she was always filled with energy, ready to work with a positive and kind attitude,” said Terry Hibbert, the theater director at the high school.

“Emily’s success as a young adult seems like the natural path for the young woman we had at Spring Woods,” Hibbert said. “She has always been brilliant, energetic, determined and innovative.”

After graduation, Emily reportedly plunged herself into local sports, club activities, student government and other facets of campus life at Georgia Tech. She followed her passions, and look at her today!

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Curtains Rise Soon on Student Theater Productions

Stratford thespians are the “top” in the musical classic “Anything Goes”. Pictured from left to right: Dustin Nichols, Marlina Brown, Marie Lauderdale, Matthew Hopper, Mackenzie Dyer, Ryan Brown, Cameron Saims, Kirby Morris, Noelle Flores, Collins Rush, Kate Schageman and Grayson LaGrange.

Several large student musicals are about to open as Spring Branch ISD’s high school theater season hits its winter peak! Talented students, directors and campuses will showcase these musicals, sure to bring fun to you and your family.

In addition, Stratford and Spring Woods high schools will be competing for the Tommy Tune Awards, created by Theatre Under the Stars (TUTS) to recognize and to reward excellence in musical production in the greater Houston area. Information on these and other student-led shows can be found below.

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Anything Goes

The Stratford Playhouse Thespians will take to the stage with the production Anything Goes, a musical set in the 1930s aboard the SS American, an ocean liner bound from New York to London. Directed by CeCe Prudhomme, the show features music and lyrics by Cole Porter.

Director Prudhomme and the Stratford Playhouse are excited to bring this classic musical to the Spring Branch-Memorial community, as well as showcase the exceptional talents of a young cast and crew. Come get a kick out of this fun show that’s great for the whole family!

Performance Dates:
Jan 28-30, Feb 4-6       7:30 pm
Jan 30, Feb 6               2:30 pm

Tickets:
$16 in advance
Available online at shsplayhouse.org, on the phone at 713-251-3449, or at the Box Office at Stratford High School

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The Producers

Bialystock and Bloom! These two scammers are about to hatch an evil plan on Broadway. The Spring Woods’ Theatre will be showcasing their production of The Producers, a musical based on Mel Brooks’ classic cult comedy film. The show, with music and lyrics by Brooks, revolves around a scheming producer and his mousy accountant who aim to produce the biggest flop on Broadway.

Director Terry Hibbert and the Spring Woods High Safari Players are excited to introduce this Tony-winning satirical smash, sure to once again set the standard for modern, outrageous, in-your-face humor. Note: This show is Rated PG-13 due to language and mature themes.

Spring Woods High School Safari Players are excited to introduce The Producers.  Pictured from left to right: Adam Pena (Max Bialystock), Annabelle Bellow (Ulla) and Matthew Rodgers (Leo Bloom)

Performance Dates:
Jan 28-30, Feb 1, 5-6   7:30 pm
Jan 30, Feb 5               2:30 pm

Tickets:
$10 in advance
Available online at safariplayers.com and by phone at 713-251-3189
 

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In separate but related student theater news, Memorial High will present Kiss Me, Kate and Northbrook High will stage a production of Guys and Dolls.

Kiss Me, Kate

Memorial High School
Performance Dates:
Jan 28-30, Feb 4-6      7:30 pm
Feb 6                           2:30 pm

Tickets:
$15 in advance
Available online at app.arts-people.com, on the phone at 713-251-2535, or at the Box Office at Memorial High School

Guys and Dolls

Northbrook High School
Performance Dates:
Jan 28-30        7:30 pm
Jan 30              2:30 pm

Tickets:
$5 in advance; $8 at the door
Call 713-251-2936, allow two business days for a response.

Written and reported by Ellie Herrmann, SBISD Communications Intern

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Two SBISD Initiatives for Students Earn Positive Press

TOTAL (Turnaround Opportunities Through Active Learning) Facilitator Sara Vercher in a Spring Branch ISD TOTAL program classroom Monday, Nov. 23, 2015, in Houston. TOTAL (Turnaround Opportunities Through Active Learning), is an innovative type of alternative school for students with mental health challenges in the district. Photo: James Nielsen, Houston Chronicle

Two separate initiatives in Spring Branch ISD to reach out to students in need have earned praise and positive recent press coverage.

SBISD’s System of Care focus on student mental health issues and a partnership with Harris Center for Mental Health and the Monarch Institute for Neurological Differences to train almost 500 staff members on related issues was highlighted in Houston Chronicle reporter Brian Rosenthal’s recent story. (See below)

The district’s alternative high school, Academy of Choice, meanwhile, resulted in a campus visit from KUHF Radio report Laura Isensee, who recorded an original audio “postcard” about AOC’s popular Restorative Justice support circles, an alternative method for dealing with issues and potential conflict.

Readers with Chronicle subscriptions can go directly to the website posting below; a text version of the article is posted below, too. The KUHF radio report is also highlighted and posted below with a link to the radio station’s web report.

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http://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/health/article/Schools-play-growing-role-in-addressing-mental-6717631.php

Schools play growing role in addressing mental health challenges

Experts believe problems can be addressed early

By Brian M. Rosenthal
Austin Bureau Reporter, Houston Chronicle

Natalia Fernández Administrator of the System of Care team poses for a portrait inside a Spring Branch ISD TOTAL (Turnaround Opportunities Through Active Learning) program classroom Monday, Nov. 23, 2015, in Houston. TOTAL (Turnaround Opportunities Through Active Learning), is an innovative type of alternative school for students with mental health challenges in the district. Photo: James Nielsen, Houston Chronicle

The first-grader was shuffling through his school papers when he stumbled across it: the test he had been taking last month when he got so angry that he had punched another student in the face.

In an ordinary classroom, the memories evoked by the finding could have triggered another outburst, furthering the damage while distracting the teacher and class.

The boy was in no ordinary classroom on this recent afternoon, however. He was in a special Spring Branch Independent School District program for students showing signs of mental illness, and the teacher, a licensed social worker, knew exactly what to do.

"Do you want to be that guy?" she asked. "Because we've met you. You have a heart of gold."

"I don't want to be a bully," the boy said.

The scene illustrates a fact that increasingly is becoming a focus of mental health experts: Schools can play a large role in addressing psychiatric issues.

Recent research indicates that half of all chronic mental illnesses begin by age 14, and three-quarters begin by age 24, making educational institutions where kids spend most of their time especially important.

In Texas, that reality is setting in slowly on policy makers. The state Legislature has approved bills in each of the last two sessions aimed at boosting school-based mental health care services but each time has left the details of implementation up to school officials, creating a patchwork of different programs and effectively leaving the level of help that kids get to chance, according to experts and an analysis of districts in the Houston area.

In Spring Branch ISD, for example, officials have created the special alternative program, struck up partnerships with the Harris Center for Mental Health and the Monarch Institute for Neurological Differences and put nearly 500 staffers through an eight-hour training called Mental Health First Aid. There have been no such trainings in nearby Cypress-Fairbanks ISD, where there are few efforts other than a short online suicide prevention course for staff.

Houston ISD also offers an online suicide prevention course and has trained about 175 staffers in Mental Health First Aid, according to a spokeswoman.

"There's very inconsistent application, in part, because the funding is limited," said Janet Pozmantier, manager at the School Behavioral Health Institute at Mental Health America of Greater Houston, an advocacy group. "We're so bad at funding basic mental health services in general, and there's very little available for schools."

As an example, Pozmantier cited Mental Health First Aid, an intensive, evidence-based training gaining praise across the country for its instruction in recognizing and responding to conditions, such as depression, bipolar disorder and severe anxiety.

Pozmantier applauded lawmakers for authorizing grants for the training in the 2013 session and continuing the program earlier this year, but she said they only provided $5 million.

To date, about 14,000 educators and non-educators have received Mental Health First Aid training, according to a report released last month by the Texas Department of State Health Services. The numbers varied widely across the state last fiscal year, with 689 educators in Harris County receiving the training, compared to 204 in the Dallas area.

Another example of the differences in implementation is Senate Bill 460, legislation approved in 2013 that required school districts to offer some type of mental health training to all staffers.

Two years later, school districts mostly are meeting the mandate through online courses, at least in the Houston area, according to a survey of districts.

Pozmantier suggested lawmakers should have gone further by requiring a more robust type of training. Online trainings are inadequate, she said, because "these are human people that we're talking about. You can't learn how to handle these situations by looking at a computer screen."

Former state Sen. Bob Deuell, a primary care doctor who sponsored the legislation, disagreed.

"My continuing medical education is mostly online these days," said Deuell, R-Greenville. "They actually have a whole set of effective online tools now."

State Sen. Judith Zaffirini, D-Laredo, who was a co-author of the bill, said lawmakers crafted it to allow each district to provide the training that worked best for their individual situation. The Legislature is monitoring the situation, however, she said.

"We included flexibility. If we see that the flexibility was not justified, we will reconsider," she said, noting that House Speaker Joe Straus recently created a special committee to comprehensively study mental health care in the state. "If action is needed, we will take action."

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http://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/news/2016/01/12/133771/support-circles-grow-at-spring-branch-school/

Support Circles Grow At Spring Branch School

Instead of suspending kids, they’re focusing on supporting them.

Laura Isensee
KUHF-FM Radio, Houston Public Media

Some schools in Houston are working to stop behavior problems before they begin. Instead of suspending kids, they’re focusing on supporting them. It’s called restorative justice.

At the Academy of Choice in Spring Branch, Anita Wadhwa coordinates support circles. The campus first used them to address conflicts. Now the circles go beyond that. Teachers, administrators and fellow students gather to support teens dealing with a range of issues, including low grades, losing a loved one and feeling excluded at school.

One recent support group was for Nancy. She’s a high school freshman at the Academy of Choice who got into a fight and was trying to figure out what to do next.  (Editor’s Note: Some students in this piece are identified only by their first names to protect their privacy.)

What students and teachers say about support circles:

• “I don’t think there’s a lot of support for these kids. I really don’t. I mean, cutting, gangs, getting jumped, miscarriages. They’re just like, ‘Well, this is my life, this is how it is.’ And when you do a circle, they’re able to step back and hear from other people and realize, ‘Hey, what I’m going through is pretty tough and I need to take care of myself, and I need to love and take care of myself, this isn’t normal, things don’t have to be like this.’ And when they see that, it’s both helpful and painful,” says Anita Wadhwa, restorative justice coordinator.
• “Some people say the circles don’t even help you. Some of them do, some of them don’t. It depends on how you take it. If you’re actually into it, you’re going to get it …  It makes a difference to me. It makes me feel like I’m special,” says Nancy, a freshman.
• “Since that circle, I let everything out and I feel new again, like newborn,” says Abdiel, 16.
• “After doing these circles … I finally feel like I can help people. It’s a good feeling, knowing that you helped somebody,” says Luis Funes, a high school senior.

For more information, visit the Restorative Justice Collaborative of Houston.

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Spring Registration Open for Community Education

The Spring Schedule is now available!  Registration (online or in person) is open through February 6.

Register online >>

Late Registration for Dance will be Sat., January 23rd from 9 a.m. to noon at Spring Forest Middle school in Temporary Bldg. T-7 (behind Spring Forest Middle School) or online at http://communityed.springbranchisd.com.

Community Education is located at

West Support Center
2100 Shadowdale Dr.
Houston, TX  77043

Visit the Community Education site >>

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Six Children’s Authors Will Speak at 2016 Bookworm Festival

Bookworm Festival Flier (Spanish/English) >>

Six popular, award-winning authors and illustrators of children’s books will speak and sign books during the district’s 2016 Bookworm Festival on Saturday, Feb. 6, at Spring Oaks Middle School, 2150 Shadowdale.

Doors will open at 9 a.m. A full morning program is scheduled from 9:30-11 a.m. on Saturday morning. The keynote talk will be delivered by Mac Barnett, a New York Times bestselling author who has written 18 children’s books, including his most recent, Leo, A Ghost Story, with illustrator Christian Robinson.

The festival program, free and open to the public, is supported by a grant from the Barbara Bush Houston Literacy Foundation provided by Phillips 66, as well as the Spring Branch Education Foundation.

Spring Branch ISD’s Innovative Resource Media Systems, which includes district librarians, and Blue Willow Bookshop sponsor this highly popular family activity and annual gathering of national-level writers and young students.  

“The best thing about Bookworm is the connection our kids make with the authors. They interact with them during the presentations and in the [book] signing lines afterwards. The questions and insights the children have about the books amazes me! The whole experience is incredibly rewarding!” proclaims Melanie Scales, a Spring Shadows Elementary School librarian who chairs the Bookworm Festival Planning Committee this year.

Keynote speaker Barnett has collaborated on two Caldecott prize-winning books in collaboration with Jon Klassen. They are Sam & Dave Dig a Hole and Extra Yarn, which has also won the Boston Globe-Horn Book Award and the E.B. White Read-Aloud Award.

In addition, Barnett wrote the Brixton Brothers mystery novel series and, with Jory John, the Berkeley, Calif., resident Barnett collaborated on The Terrible Two.

Other writers and illustrators who will share their latest works and present during the upcoming Bookworm Festival include:

• Doreen Cronin, Bloom and Click Clack Moo: Cows That Type
• Jennifer Sattler, Chick ‘n’ Pug series including The Love Pug
• Stephen Savage, Where’s Walrus? series and Polar Bear Night illustrator
• Emma Virjan, author/illustrator of What This Story Needs is series, and the new book, What This Story Needs is a Pig in a Wig
• Salina Yoon, Be a Friend author and illustrator

For more event information and to view the day’s full schedule, please visit the Bookworm Festival website at www.bookwormfestival.org.

Media queries should be directed to Cathy Berner at Blue Willow Books through contact@bookwormfestival.org or by phone at 832-452-2160.

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Community Encouraged to Attend Spring Branch FFA Show and Sale

Buyers prepare to bid on a steer at last year’s Spring Branch FFA Show and Sale.

38^th Annual Spring Branch FFA Show and Sale

Show: 2 p.m.-8 p.m. Friday, Feb. 12

Sale: 11 a.m., Saturday, Feb. 13

Spring Branch Ag Farm

1905 Brittmoore

www.springbranch.ffanow.org

For more than 50 years, Spring Branch ISD students have experienced leadership and personal growth opportunities through the Spring Branch FFA.

And in keeping with that long tradition, the Spring Branch community is invited to the 38th Annual Spring Branch Livestock Show and Sale on Feb. 12-13.

Sponsored by the Spring Branch FFA Alumni Association, the show, which features both livestock and non-livestock entries, is Friday, Feb. 12. The sale of student projects takes place the following day, on Saturday, Feb. 13. Buyer registration begins at 11 a.m. with the live auction beginning at 1 p.m. Saturday’s festivities include a luncheon and a silent auction.

Last year’s event raised more than $215,000. You can help FFA students further their education and personal growth by supporting this year’s Show and Sale. Projects sell for as little as $250 (on resale, after donated back by buyers) and in increasing amounts up to the champion levels. Last year, our large breed Grand Champions (steers, swine, lambs and goats) sold for between $5,000 and $15,000, depending on the animal type. Other animals that will sell at auction include rabbits, chickens, turkeys and non-livestock projects (typically food, art and horticulture exhibits). Buyers may also support the students with add-on donations for as little as $25.

The FFA Alumni Association is a 501(c)(3) organization and all purchases and contributions made in support of this event are tax-deductible to the maximum extent allowed by law.

You may keep any animal that you purchase (processors are available) or donate the animal back to the chapter for resale. Ninety percent of sale proceeds go directly to students, with the balance used to support other educational opportunities for students, to underwrite the Show and Sale and to provide scholarships.

FFA is a national organization that make a real difference in the lives of students by developing their potential for premier leadership, personal growth and career success through agricultural education. The Spring Branch FFA chapter includes students from Memorial, Northbrook, Spring Woods and Stratford high schools, Westchester Academy for International Studies and the Academy of Choice, as well as junior members from Spring Branch ISD middle schools.

In addition to providing hands-on learning experiences for more than 50 years at the 17-acrea “Ag Farm” on Brittmoore, the Spring Branch FFA chapter has been recognized at the National FFA Convention as a National FFA Star Chapter and by the Texas FFA Association as a Golden Horizon Chapter. These awards are evidence that the Spring Branch FFA provides high quality opportunities to its members. We are committed to continually improving our program and allowing watch member to explore their interests and develop their own unique skills and talents through FFA programs.

For more information, please go to www.springbranch.ffanow.org.

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