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Duke TIP Recognizes 210 SBISD Seventh-Grade Scholars

May 8, 2017, 7:25 am
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If you think America’s got talent, then just look around Spring Branch ISD – the district has academic talent galore.

For instance, take the Duke University Talent Identification Program (Duke TIP). SBISD had 210 students enrolled in the seventh-grade Duke TIP program, which identifies students across the country who have scored at or above the 95th percentile on a grade-level standardized test.

In SBISD, eligible students are notified based on former Stanford, Iowa, CogAT and STAAR results, said Amy Ellingson, facilitator of advanced placement.

As part of the Duke TIP program, students take above-level college entrance exams to learn more about their abilities. Ellingson said that 175 SBISD students, from seven middle schools, took either the ACT or SAT this year.

Of those 175 scholars, 74 qualified for State Recognition, which meant scoring at least a 22 on any section of the ACT, or at least 550 on the SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing or 540 on the SAT math. These students are invited to a state recognition ceremony, held in various locations around the state.

Four Duke TIP seventh-graders qualified for the Grand Recognition Ceremony, held at Duke University.  To qualify, students taking the ACT had to score at least a 28 in science, a 29 in math or a 31 in either English or reading. Students taking the SAT had to score at least a 670 on Evidence-Based Reading and Writing or 680 in math.

Those scores are approximately equal to the 90th national percentile rank for college-bound seniors taking the ACT and SAT.

Students qualifying for grand recognition are invited to a ceremony at Duke University over the summer.

Duke TIP Executive Director Shawna Young knows firsthand the pride and the thrill of being recognized for academic success at an early age.

“As an alum of our 7th Grade Talent Search, I still remember how it felt to be recognized by Duke and TIP in seventh grade, as well as my excitement and anxiety at taking the SAT at such a young age,” Young said. “As an organization, we cherish the opportunity to celebrate each of our ceremonies honorees for such an outstanding accomplishment.”

SBISD’s Advanced Academic Studies department identifies academically gifted students, offers programs to enhance those students’ learning and supports those students and their teachers throughout the system.
Duke TIP has identified more than 2.8 million students to benefit from its programs and resources since 1980.

For more information about SBISD Advanced Academic Studies, please go to https://cms.springbranchisd.com/curriculuminstruction/academic-performance-support/departments/advanced-academic-studies.

For more information about Duke TIP, please go to www.tip.duke.edu.

Duke TIP 2017 Talent Search Results >>

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May 6 Trustees Election Update

May 8, 2017, 8:04 am
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Complete but Unofficial Results: Two Trustees Re-elected

Two incumbents have been re-elected to the Spring Branch ISD Board of Trustees, based on complete but unofficial results in the May 6 election.

In Trustee Position 2, incumbent Chris Gonzalez, a director, won with 810 votes over Mary Curry Mettenbrink, a nonprofit executive, who received 248 votes, according to complete but unofficial election results.

Running unopposed for Position 1 was Board Member Josef Klam, a local pastor. Klam received 888 votes.

The seven members of the SBISD Board of Trustees are selected at-large to serve overlapping, three-year terms. Trustees serve without pay. Results of the May 6 election will be canvassed and certified during a Board of Trustees Special Meeting scheduled for May 15.

To view complete but unofficial Election results online by voting location, please visit the district's homepage.
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AYAM is Worth Another Peek

May 8, 2017, 10:28 am
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Participants in the 2017 Running for the Arts 5K
If this year’s Running for the Arts 5K and ArtFest was your first exposure to the Altharetta Yeargin Art Museum (AYAM), you’re in for a treat. You can’t help but smile when you see the Daniel Anguilu mural outside. Inside is just as good. Imagine this experiential art space filled with 90 inquisitive second-graders or a group of art students capturing their version of an African mask or a John Biggers painting.

You and your children can take advantage of all the museum has to offer. And you can help continue its success by being part of its 2020 Campaign.

Running for the Arts 5K and ArtFest auction items on display at AYAM 

AYAM is believed to be the country’s only school district art museum, thanks to Altharetta Yeargin, the district’s first art teacher. As she traveled the world with her photographer husband, she collected art and artifacts from around the world. By donating her vast collection to SBISD, she hoped students and community members would gain a deeper understanding and respect for other cultures.

A generation of students has. They experience first-grade Road Shows, second-grade field trips, hands-on First Saturday art programs for families and Tall Tales summer programs for children. Last year, AYAM was selected by the National Endowment for Humanities to host the traveling exhibit, The Power of Children, which tells the story of Anne Frank, Ruby Bridges and Ryan White. Spring Branch’s best-kept secret is getting out, and tour groups are coming from Clear Lake, Spring and further.

SBISD generously provides and maintains the museum’s beautiful facility, but all the programming, supplies and operations are funded through grants, donations and memberships. Members enjoy free admission and receive invitations to exhibits and events. At the PTA Sponsorship level ($150 and above), they may use the museum for a two-hour private event.

In the second year of its 2020 Campaign, AYAM’s goal is to raise $50,000 to support programming and double its membership by 2020. Leann Newton and Kathy Goss, co-curators and community leaders, believe the goal is within reach. “We not only want to increase the community’s awareness of the museum, we want to grow programming and expand our reach throughout the region.”

You can help make that vision a reality. Visit www.springbranchisd.com/ayam to learn more about the museum.

Donate to AYAM 2020 >>

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Running for the Arts 5K & ArtFest Enjoys New Look

May 8, 2017, 10:51 am
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Participants in the 25th annual Running for the Arts 5K & ArtFest
You couldn’t have asked for a better day to host nearly 1800 runners for Spring Branch Education Foundation’s 25th annual Running for the Arts 5K & ArtFest on Saturday. Blue skies, mid-70s temperature and an occasional breeze greeted runners, vendors, performers and community members.

This was the event’s first year at the Altharetta Yeargin Art Museum, and everyone seemed to embrace the move. Runners Caleb Oliphant and Tim Berranger, both Stratford High School freshmen, loved the new venue. They enjoyed the shaded streets, but more important, they live in the area and liked seeing their neighbors as they ran.

Debbie Slack, SBEF board member and special events chair, believes the new location is perfect to grow the ArtFest. “There’s room to expand and showcase the district’s fine arts groups and involve the community,” she said. “Our entertainment is superb.” Performers ranged from string ensembles to choirs and jazz bands. Bach to Rock, a community partner that draws from district residents, joined SBISD’s talent.

Debbie envisions the art booths becoming an even larger part of the day – growing to 100 vendors – as community members anticipate the event as an art destination.

“We didn’t know you were here.”

Art lovers added to their personal collections as they browsed the art auction.

Kathy Goss, AYAM co-curator, said, “For the first time, the auction is where it should be – inside an art museum. The auction has great art from local artists. They’re happy to support us, and we’re thrilled to increase visibility for the art community and the museum.”

The art was on display for two weeks before the festival. “We had people come in and say they didn’t know the museum was here. We’re happy they’re finding us,” said Leann Newton, co-curator.

Running for first

Housman Elementary took home the Top Participation prize with 47 percent of the student body – yes, 47 percent! – registered to run. The school wins $500 certificates from Academy Sports and Outdoors and Young Audiences of Houston.

“We’ve come in second place for the last four or five years,” said Carmelo Pastrana, the school’s health fitness specialist. “There was no reason we couldn’t be first.” So he set out to make it happen. A two-finger typist, he personally completed online registration for each runner. But first, he involved every teacher, and classrooms competed against each other. It helped that HUG tutoring volunteers and teachers donated $1,305 for registration fees. The classroom with the most participation can look forward to a pizza party. Second and third place classrooms will enjoy popcorn parties.

True community

For participants, Running for the Arts 5K and ArtFest was seamless from the starting line to award presentations. Still, it takes a village of volunteers to make it happen. Spring Branch Education Foundation offers huge thank yous to everyone who made this expanded – and growing – event a success: board members, Health Fitness teachers, PTAs, ROTC students, fine arts performers, district facility staff, AYAM curators and board members, National Charity League volunteers, donors, sponsors, artists and vendors. And of course, the runners and community members who anticipate next year’s 26th annual event.
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Teachers Head to Big Apple for STEM Conference

May 8, 2017, 12:50 pm
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SBISD team and 100kin10 Summit Chair Jennifer at evening social & networking & social in NYC
Pine Shadows Elementary teachers Josephine Stringer, Miranda Wilson and Kathleen Hartsell, along with Westwood Elementary’s Angelique Moulton, were among the nearly 300 partners, educators and guests in attendance at the 2017 100Kin10 Summit, a national STEM learning event host by 100Kin10, in New York City last month.

Held at the Intrepid Sea, Air, and Space Museum, the summit featured presentation and feedback sessions by educators from around the nation.

100Kin10 unites the country’s top academic institutions, nonprofits, foundations, companies, and government agencies to train and support STEM educators. 100Kin10 is committed to adding 100,000 excellent STEM teachers to America’s classrooms by 2021.

STEM is a curriculum based on the idea of educating students in four specific disciplines – science, technology, engineering, and mathematics – in an interdisciplinary, applied approach. STEM education builds critical thinking, increased science literacy, and the capacity to solve problems and innovate.

SBISD educators at the summit were all recently recognized for their work on a STEM-focused, district-led design challenge initiative aimed at cultivating curiosity and problem-solving.

The district design challenge initiative, spearheaded by the SBISD Research and Design Division, is part of ongoing learning collaboration with other educators through Ideo and the Teacher’s Guild.

From curiosity cabinets to connecting with astronauts planning a mission to Mars, educators and students in the challenge had an exciting and diverse range of learning experiences. Winning challenges included:

•    Josephine Stringer – Literature and STEM Connections
•    Miranda Wilson and Kathleen Hartsell – STEM Bins for Early Finishers
•    Angelique Moulton – Mars Colonization and Roaming Rovers

While open to all SBISD educators and any challenge, the use of STEM as part of the solution was critical in the process. This laser focus was a catalyst for problem-solving that served to bridge the district challenge and the national summit event.

For Kathleen Hartsell, the entire experience was a way to “walk the walk” when it comes to the school district’s core values.

“This opportunity demanded radical thinking, limitless curiosity, and a passion to be a change agent in the field of education,” said Hartsell. 

“It was an honor to be picked as a winner in the SBISD STEM challenge and to be able to attend the 100K in 10 Summit in New York,” said Josephine Stringer who was selected for her marriage of literacy and STEM. “I truly just feel like a representative of so many teachers in our district who deserve the same recognition for their work in STEM education.”

For Stringer, the ability to find peers and a platform to share are paramount for educators facing the current, fast-evolving landscape of effective, relevant teaching and learning.

“We must work collaboratively to design sustainable, meaningful solutions that work for our kids,” said Stringer. “I was able to collaborate with other educators and partners. It’s thrilling.”

As Hartsell and her peers settle back into end-of-year routines and reflect on their experiences in the design challenge and the summit in New York, they’re already looking ahead to next school year.

“It reminded me that I never, ever want to stop learning, whether it’s from my students, other educators, like-minded individuals or those who challenge my ideas,” said Hartsell. “It is a driving force in my development to be the best teacher I can.”

Recognizing the importance that educators, schools, businesses and local leaders have as partners in the success of today’s students, Moulton’s already hard at work curating a list of potential community and industry leaders to contact as thought partners and supporters.

“It is well understood that future astronauts, authors, engineers, scientist, policy makers, etc. are sitting our classrooms today,” said Moulton. “Their learning only becomes relevant once we connect them beyond the school building and to the real world.”

To learn more about 100Kin10, click here. If you’re interested in supporting educators in SBISD, visit our partner page here. Or, contact SBISD Coordinator for Strategic Partnerships and Volunteer Programs, Abby Walker at (713) 251-2289.
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WAIS, Pin Oak Take Top Honors in Inaugural Chess Tourney

May 8, 2017, 1:08 pm
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Westchester Academy for International Studies and Pin Oak Middle School took home first-place trophies from SBISD’s First Annual Chess Invitational Tournament at Spring Oaks Middle School.

Nearly 40 middle and high school players competed in the tournament.

Watch the video >>

The tournament ran as a five-round system in which each participant played five games.

Trophies were awarded to the five highest scoring teams and individual players in the tournament. The tournament was open to all secondary students.

Broch Rhebergen of WAIS took individual first place for high school, while Pavan Marathi of Pin Oak won individual first place for middle school.

Students from middle and high schools throughout Spring Branch ISD, the Greater Houston Area and the state of Texas were invited to participate.

Chess Director John Vargas with Community In Schools at Spring Oaks Middle led the event. Spring Woods High School math teacher and chess coach Alex Teich along with several volunteers assisted Vargas in producing the event.

SBISD 1st Annual Chess Tournament Results

Individual High School Players
1st – Broch Rhebergen, Westchester Academy for International Studies
2nd – Joshua Castillo and Carlos Lopez, Spring Woods HS
3rd – Osvualdo Cabrera, Spring Woods HS
4th – Rodolfo Arroyo, Spring Woods HS

High School Teams
1st – Westchester Academy for International Studies – Upper School
2nd – Spring Woods High School

Individual Middle School Players
1st – Pavan Marathi, Pin Oak
2nd – Jorge Galvon, Hamilton MS; Oscar Lay, Pin Oak; Max Hsu, Pin Oak
3rd – Marcus Beasley, Pin Oak

Middle School Teams
1st – Pin Oak Middle School
2nd – Hamilton Middle School
3rd – Spring Oaks Middle School
4th – Landrum Middle School
5th – Westchester Academy for International Studies – Middle School
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H-E-B Excellence in Education Awards Winner!

May 8, 2017, 2:03 pm
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Spring Woods High School chemistry teacher Jamie Flint was named as Leadership category winner among all secondary teachers across Texas on Sunday during the 16th annual H-E-B Excellence in Education Awards held in Austin.

For her deserved recognition as one of the state’s best educators, Flint earned a $10,000 personal check and a $10,000 grant for Spring Woods High School. H-E-B Chairman and CEO Charles Butt personally handed out more $430,000 in cash and grant awards during the Hilton Hotel in Austin ceremony.

Honored in Austin by H-E-B’s Butts were eight educators, two school districts, one early childhood agency and a public school board for being tops in Texas. Since its start in 2002, the H-E-B Excellence in Education Awards has issued more than $8.5 million in cash awards and grants.

“We have been treated like rock stars. People say it’s the Oscars of teaching, and it really is,” Flint was reported saying. She was selected for the Leadership award from a small pool of nominees. Across all H-E-B categories, only 58 finalists were judged by former award winners, public school administrators and university and community leaders.    

She was named in February as a finalist for the secondary-level award, which goes to a teacher with 10 to 20 years’ classroom experience. As a finalist, she earned a personal check for $1,000 and the high school was given $1,000, too.

Flint was Spring Branch ISD’s 2012 Secondary Teacher of the Year, and was named last year as a Cohort I Vanguard Fellow by the district.

A 2004 graduate of Texas A&M University at College Station, she has taught at Spring Woods High since her graduation. In addition to teaching three levels of chemistry – academic, Pre-Advanced Placement (AP) and AP – she is department co-team leader, a TAKS chemistry tutorial teacher, and an ACTIVboard trainer at the high school.

She has presented at the region, state and national level on her topics of interest in chemistry, teaching and technology, and was among early adopters in SBISD to “flip” instruction through the use of digital devices and video lectures.

“I like to see success in all my students,” Flint says. “Effective teachers radiate their passion and tell their students that failure is not an option and, if they try hard enough, they will prevail.”

H-E-B’s Excellence in Education is the largest monetary awards program open to educators in Texas, and among the largest such programs in the nation. Teacher nominations are open to H-E-B customers, employees and community members.

To learn more about Jamie Flint, please visit:
https://cms.springbranchisd.com/district/news/educator-spotlight/flint

To tweet about the H-E-B Excellence in Education Awards, tag @HEB and use the hashtag #HEBEeducation. You can also find the awards on Facebook: facebook.com/HEBExcellenceinEducationAwards
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District Debaters Earn Spots at National Competition

May 8, 2017, 2:11 pm
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Memorial debaters Samuel Yang, Olivia Du, Kendrick Foster and Parth Misra are headed to the national debate tournament.

Eight debaters from two SBISD high schools will be competing in National Speech and Debate Association (NSDA) national tournament next month in Birmingham, Ala.

Spring Woods High School seniors Jeremiah Menslage, Joel Melendez and Cesar Bautista will compete in at the national tournament – Menslage in Senate, Melendez in Orignal Oratory and Bautista on the Space City World’s Debate Team. Spring Woods sophomore Hunter Brown will compete in Congressional Debate.

Spring Woods High School debater Cesar Bautista is going to Nationals.
From Memorial High School, sophomore Parth Misra and freshman Olivia Du will compete in Policy Debate, while juniors Samuel Yang and Kendrick Foster will compete in World’s Debate.

The national debaters placed recently at the NSDA Space City district tournament.

Menslage will compete Persuasive Speaking in the UIL State tournament this month after placing first at the UIL Regional. Also competing at the UIL tournament will be Misra and Du from Memorial, who qualified as a Policy Congressional team. MHS debate sponsor Cecil Trent said that Du was the first freshman he’s coached who has accomplished that feat.
Spring Woods High School debaters going to the Nationals are Jeremiah Menslage (left), Joel Melendez (top right) and Hunter Brown (lower right).
Menslage, Misra and Foster also competed recently in the Tournament of Champions, held at the University of Kentucky in Lexington, Ky.

Yang is a third-year debater who has also earned his third trip to the national tournament. He has earned a spot on the Space City World’s Debate team, a relatively new event in which the U.S. is beginning to participate on an international level, Trent said.

Menslage placed fifth in Domestic Extemporaneous Speaking at the Texas Forensic Association’s state tournament – the largest state tournament in the country. He also received Most Outstanding Presiding Officer in Congressional Debate. Misra and Du also competed at the Texas Forensic Association event.

Trent coaches debate at Memorial High School. Victoria Beard coaches debate at Spring Woods High School.
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Board Approves the Formation of a Bond Advisory Committee (BAC)

May 9, 2017, 7:39 am
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Superintendent Dr. Scott Muri (center) introduces Bond Advisory Committee co-chairs Lewis Gissel (left) and David Slattery at the committee’s initial meeting at Hunters Creek Elementary on May 3.
Based on the Bond Oversight Committee’s recommendation, a 96-member Long Range Facilities Committee (LRF) has spent the last seven months studying and evaluating SBISD facilities, aided by consultants AECOM. The LRF delivered a preliminary report to the Board of Trustees in March, finding that the district’s facilities needs approached the $1 billion mark.

Memorial High School junior Charles Fenn participates in the Wednesday, May 3, Bond Advisory Committee meeting at Hunters Creek Elementary.

The Board heard the report and tasked district staff with forming a Bond Advisory Committee (BAC) to consider the recommendation of a bond package based on the work of the LRF. On April 24, the Board approved the charge, composition and membership of the 103-member BAC.

The BAC kicked off on Wednesday, May 3, at Hunters Creek Elementary, the first of seven meetings. The BAC is to deliver its recommendations to the Board of Trustees by June 30. Trustees will review and can act on the recommendations, or take no action.

Links of Interest:

2007 Bond Website
Long Range Facility Charge and Composition
Long Range Facility Membership
Long Range Facility Board Presentation
Long Range Facility Draft Summary Costs
Bond Advisory Committee Website



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SBISD Names 2017 Teachers of the Year

May 11, 2017, 11:52 am
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An elementary school health fitness instructor and a high school math teacher were named as Spring Branch ISD’s Elementary and Secondary Teachers of the Year on May 9.

The district’s new Teachers of the Year are Terri Doherty of Ridgecrest Elementary and Jonathan Claydon of Northbrook High, who teaches calculus and pre-calculus. They both received a $1,000 cash prize made possible through the generous local support of Memorial Hermann Memorial City Hospital and First Community Credit Union.

In a new event setting, the two winners, district Teacher of the Year Finalists and big group of SBISD retirees were all honored on field at Minute Maid Park before Tuesday evening’s Houston Astros-Atlanta Braves game. The Astros won 8-3.

As a part of the change, the district’s yearly Service Awards celebration honoring retirees and employees with service-year recognitions included a fun, pre-game reception in Union Station. Hundreds of SBISD employees attended the reception and received Astros tickets and pre-loaded food vouchers for event use.

The game’s start put everyone on their feet cheering as the Astros’ Carlos Correa and Carlos Beltran hit back-to-back home runs during a five-run first inning. The team’s win Tuesday was the seventh in nine games, for a 22-11 season opening.

SBISD Superintendent Scott Muri presented Gold Apple awards in gift bags for Doherty and Claydon during a brief, on-field announcement that played larger than life on the Jumbo Tron screen above the third baseline ceremony. Board Member Josef Klam represented Trustees on the field Tuesday evening.

Elementary Teacher of the Year Terri Doherty, a 17-year teacher at Ridgecrest, holds a bachelor of science degree from the State University of New York (SUNY) at Cortland in physical education. She earned her master’s degree in elementary education from the University of Houston.

Early Wednesday morning, Doherty was watching fourth-graders as they clocked outdoor track miles in the school’s Marathon Kids program, supported through a grant from the Oliver Foundation’s Healthy Choices program.

Keeping mileage logs for the third- and fourth-grade students is one of dozens of student-based programs that she helps operate at this large SBISD elementary.

“This is an incredible recognition for Ridgecrest,” she said. “Everyone here really works hard, and we are such a family, I could not receive this award without the people here and the support they have for what we do. And it’s also a great, big recognition for the work done by so many in SBISD Health Fitness.”

At the family level, she won new respect from her husband, Rich Doherty. “He said, ‘You were on the Jumbotron!’” Doherty recalls, joking.

Doherty’s award is the first in recent memory won by a Ridgecrest educator. As such, it’s a big deal for campus community and neighborhood.

“All of Ridgecrest is incredibly proud that Terri has won this honor. She truly does exemplify the best of both Ridgecrest Elementary and the district. She’s dedicated to educating the whole child by providing our students positive experiences in and out of school that promote a healthy body and mind,” Principal Michelle Garcia said.

“She genuinely cares about our community, and she goes above and beyond the call of duty to ensure their overall wellness. We are so proud of her!”

Northbrook High’s Jonathan Claydon has taught eight years at the high school. He is no stranger to educational awards, being named as a state-level finalist with the highly competitive Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching two years ago. Also in 2015, the University of Houston featured him as a Young Alumni Profile standout.

Claydon earned a bachelor of science in mechanical engineering from UH in 2006, graduating cum laude with university honors. He worked in construction planning and management for several years, but found his real passion in teaching calculus and promoting math to teenagers, many of whom have a limited knowledge of its possible academic and career importance.

“I have a unique approach to math education,” Claydon says of his philosophy. “My students do not listen to lectures. My students produce something every day. My students do well because they know I believe in their ability to do well.”

On Tuesday, his students took the Advanced Placement test in calculus, the same day Claydon was named district Teacher of the Year. By Wednesday morning, the news was already “been-there, heard-that” with his students, who were taking it easy by calculating 20 percent down payments on first homes and monthly costs associated with home ownership, based on Google’s top rated sites.

“They are over it,” he said of his award, chuckling, “but it is a nice validation for me for the work that is involved with my students. Teacher of the Year is a neat way to be recognized for the work we do every day.”

He was surprised by the sudden announcement of his name on the baseball field, but had a feeling that something might be up when he was told to stand adjacent to Doherty, the elementary-level finalist. His parents were in the stands watching, and his phone blew up with congratulatory texts much of the night.

On Wednesday, Principal Randolph Adami was one of his first classroom visitors. The high school has now had back-to-back Teacher of the Year winners, which is rare from a district historical view. A math colleague, Amanda Tysor, was named secondary Teacher of the Year last year.

At Northbrook, where he finds time to help coach ninth-grade soccer, Claydon is well known for his large, digital classroom screens and emphasis on small group student projects. His students learn by doing and working together.

During his yearly Sidewalk Chalk Day, more than 250 pre-calculus and calculus students decorate the school walkways with images of graphed functions, polar equations or slope regions. A drone snapped aerial photographs from up above this year.

Claydon blogs about students’ projects and he has presented curriculum ideas and updates to math educators, both locally and nationally, online and at math conferences. His enthusiasm for math has even generated a coveted student T-shirt at Northbrook. 

“Jonathan is a highly innovative, student-centered teacher who makes learning both fun and real for his students,” Principal Randolph Adami said. “Whether his class is working outside while he films them with a drone or inside at their team tables, Mr. Claydon’s students are able to engage in true real-world learning. He creates a positive learning environment for some of our highest performing students. He is exactly the type of teacher parents want for their children.”

As district Teachers of the Year, Doherty and Claydon will represent SBISD next in regional competition. If successful, they will compete at state and national levels.

SBISD’s Teacher of the Year Finalists receive a framed certificate and a cash prize of $250.  This year’s finalists included Rebecca Ramey of Rummel Creek and Amy Griffith of Meadow Wood at the elementary level and Stephanie Mosley of Memorial High School and Ali Robbins of Spring Forest Middle School.

Named earlier this year as the district Principals of the Year were Stefanie Spencer of Sherwood Elementary School and Spring Branch Middle School’s leader, Bryan Williams.

The district this year is honoring about 100 retirees, who will be honored during a separate recognition at the May 22 Board of Trustees regular meeting. That event will be conducted at Memorial High School due to potential large crowd capacity.

Combined, these educators and supporting staff represent thousands of years in public education and in service to SBISD students and families.

The Union Station reception and Houston Astros event was coordinated by SBISD Community Relations and Communications teams with special event coordination by Becky Wuerth, who serves as SBISD Customer Services & Community Relations Program Specialist.

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Vote Certified, Trustees Sworn-In

May 16, 2017, 11:12 am
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Josef Klam was sworn-in following the election.
Incumbent Josef Klam and Chris Gonzalez were sworn-in Monday night following their re-election on Saturday, May 6, after Trustees certified the election results.

Position 2 Trustee Gonzalez defeated challenger Mary Curry Mettenbrink. Klam, who sits in Position 1, was unopposed.


Chris Gonzalez was sworn-in following the election.
Trustees re-elected Karen Peck as Board President for 2017-18. Peck served as president during the 2016-17 school year. Klam was elected vice-president and Gonzalez was elected secretary for 2017-18. Klam replaces Trustee Pam Goodson, while Gonzalez replaces Trustee Katherine Dawson.

Board members are elected to staggered three-year terms.

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Spring Branch Education Foundation Awards 149 Scholarships

May 23, 2017, 8:10 am
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A record number of Spring Branch Independent School District seniors—149— received a total of $177,675 in scholarships at the Spring Branch Education Foundation (SBEF) 2017 Bright Stars of SBISD, Celebrating Academic Excellence awards program on May 18 at The Westin Houston, Memorial City.

The event, hosted by SBEF, honored scholarship recipients as well as 2016-17 Teachers and Principals of the Year. “These seniors and educators are stand-outs who represent the many bright stars in Spring Branch ISD,” SBEF Executive Director Cece Thompson said. “It’s a privilege to recognize them.”

“The evening is not just another opportunity to award higher education scholarships,” Warren Matthews, SBEF board member and Scholarship Committee chair, said. “We publicly pay tribute to our seniors for their achievements and also to the educators and district employees who have helped prepared our honorees for the next stage of their lives.

“We are especially proud of the community’s help in making this possible. While we received a record number of scholarship applications this year, we also had several donors wanting to award a scholarship to each qualified applicant. An anonymous donor family stepped up to the plate with an additional $10,000 donation, and Nexen Petroleum USA donated another $5,000 to boost our scholarship funds over the top! We are grateful the community places such value on our graduates.”

Throughout the school year, Spring Branch ISD staff members contribute to the SBEF Employee Campaign, funding scholarships for SBISD graduates who are children of district employees. When employees were asked in August 2016 to contribute to SBEF’s 2016-17 Employee Campaign scholarship fund, they eagerly responded.

“The response was so great we awarded a $1,000 scholarship to every applicant – 58 graduates,” Thompson said.

Employee Campaign Scholarship, $1,000
Memorial High School – Kyle Culver, Riley Culver, Carson DeVaney, Rebecca Michelle Hail, Lynette Marie Leal, Joseph Quinn Ledgard, Maria Daniela Serrano Martinez, Anthony Quinn Tomaro McCall, Jasmine Norton, Austin Peterson, Katherine Reese, Ulf Rieder, Gladys Sofia Isart Ruiz
Northbrook High School – Sydney Giselle Lopez, Erik Rodriguez, Anthony Andres Santos
Spring Woods High School – Bruce Beth, Cole Everett Brast, Amanda Cerda, Michael Ethan Gallagher, Maritza Hernandez, Amanda Lee, Hannah Morphey, Daria Ostrovsky, Alejandro Patino, Yuliana Razo, Hector Rodriguez, Brittany Schneider, Quinn Richard Walstead, Karah Welch
Stratford High School – Hani Ahmad, Emma Barden, Andrew Nicholas Demeris, Darius Benjamin Dixon, Mark Duna, Samantha Englund, Samuel Evetts, Katelyn Hamilton, Madeleine Hay, Sol Herrera, Blake Elizabeth Machen, Courtney McCord, Donavon Rixie, Rachel Miriam Stone, Riley Timmreck, Nomaris Velez, Megan Weaver
Westchester Academy for International Studies – Elizabeth Aldana, Alyssa Barry, Isabella Boone, Akashsai Chella, Lorena Del Toro, Assael Guzman Monreal, Roldan Santiago Moreno, Karizbet De La Paz-Castillo, Mario Sifuentes, Raman Srivastava, Samantha Jane Verduzco

Other scholarships were presented to SBISD graduates by individuals or organizations, funded through SBEF.

Advocates for Education Scholarship, $1,000
Arushi Guddanti – Memorial High School
Celeste Gonzalez, LaSean Roy – Spring Woods High School
Kellan Cerveny, Jessica DeVlieger, Theodore Kimana, Claire Lewis, Justin Moore, Shaima Taheri, Paige   Wright – Stratford High School

Warren Barfield Memorial Scholarship, $1,000
Patrick Lewis – Stratford High School

Andres Bautista Memorial Scholarship, $1,000
Jessica Aguilar, Alfredo Aguiluz – Spring Woods High School

Sarah Chidgey Memorial Scholarship, $4,000
Salma Almasri – Stratford High School
Daniel Rahimzadeh – Westchester Academy for International Studies

CITGO STEM Scholarship, $1,000
Breanna Alvarez, Emily Ellis, Jung Woo Park, Andrew Su – Memorial High School
Jillian Ebanks, Rebekah LeMaire – Spring Woods High School
Mays Al-maliki, Mehmet Felek, Adam El-Tablawy, Ernest Kohnke, Heavin Oh, Mackenzie Schlief –Stratford High School
Kalman Mahlich, Grace Tran, Gregoria Uroza – Westchester Academy for International Studies

Melvin Eldridge Memorial Scholarship, $1,000
Ruiyang Liu, Sydney Milanesi – Memorial High School

Friends Scholarship, $1,000
Anali Alejandra Cervantes – Stratford High School

Frostwood Elementary PTA Scholarship, $1,000
Daniel Fonseka – Memorial High School

Goldstein Altman Scholarship, $2,000
Elizabeth Bik, Amelia Caven, Lan Ly Nguyen, Davis Palmie – Memorial High School

Dr. Hal Guthrie Memorial Scholarship, $1,000
Rachel Lootens – Memorial High School

Hunters Creek Elementary PTA Scholarship, $1,000
Wesley Jones – Stratford High School

Sylvia Kirkland Scholarship, $1,000
Zachary Harkins – Stratford High School

Shirley Bales Lincoln Memorial Scholarship, $1,675
Katelyn Coolidge – Westchester Academy for International Studies

Meadow Wood Elementary PTA Scholarship, $1,000
Travis White – Stratford High School

Memorial City Mall Scholarship, $6,000
Katie Dickerson, Katherine Linda Pietsch Koslan – Spring Woods High School

Memorial Middle PTA Scholarship, $1,000
William Donald Ellis III – Memorial High School

Monica Neubauer Memorial Scholarship, $1,000
Samantha Stinson, John William Tucker – Memorial High School

Rachel Pendray Memorial Scholarship, $1,000
Pamela Ortiz Hernandez, Huybinh Ma, Tam Tran – Spring Woods High School

Prosperity Bank Scholarship, $1,500
Ludguin Ruiz Garcia – Northbrook High School

Lary Reap Memorial Scholarship, $1,000
Diana Campos Flores – Northbrook High School

Rummel Creek Elementary PTA Scholarship, $2,500
Joshua Chan, Jessica Sheldon – Stratford High School

Shadow Oaks Elementary PTA Scholarship, funded by Valley Oaks Elementary PTA, $1,000
Ericka Reyes – Spring Woods High School

Spring Branch Education Foundation Scholarship, $1,000
Alexis Bennett, Guadalupe Flores, James Herrington, Brian Kim, Holly Kurisky, Sarah Murchison, Melanie Rodriguez-Mejia – Memorial High School
Lizbeth Galicia, Genesis Godinez, Estefania Castro Ramon – Northbrook High School
Matthew Gilmore, Dean Ramirez – Spring Woods High School
Andrew Christopher Ferguson, Jacob Harrison Finkelstein, Alexis Gervasio, Adam Glover, Oriana Molleda, Alice Morse, KenAsia Woods, Camila Zapater – Stratford High School

Spring Branch Education Foundation Young Leaders Scholarship, $1,000
Dominique Anderson-Rivera – Spring Woods High School
Ronnie Johnson, Jordan Meza – Stratford High School

Spring Branch Lions Club Scholarship, $1,000
Joshua Bryant Arnold – Northbrook High School
Liliana Rodriguez – Spring Woods High School

Spring Branch Middle School PTA Scholarship, $1,000
Samuel Chase Gonsoulin – Northbrook High School

Spring Forest Middle School PTA Scholarship, $1,000
Madison Aycock – Stratford High School

Stratford Senior High PTSA Sister School Scholarship, $1,000
Juana Erik Gamarra Zambrano – Northbrook High School

Valley Oaks Elementary PTA Scholarship, $1,000
Johnny Kaldis – Memorial High School

Judy Weisend Memorial Scholarship, $1,000
Luis Nucette – Stratford High School

Wells Fargo & Company Scholarship, $1,000
Toni Pavlovic – Stratford High School

Wilchester Elementary PTA Scholarship, $1,000
Jacqueline Miriam White – Stratford High School

Wilchester Men’s Club Scholarship, $2,500
Caroline Crawford, Hannah Pruitt, Heream Yang – Stratford High School

Community members who wish to support scholarship programs are invited to make tax-deductible donations to the Foundation and earmark it for scholarships. Call 713-251-2381 or visit sbef@springbranchisd.com for more information.

About Spring Branch Education Foundation:
Spring Branch Education Foundation is committed to supporting SBISD students and educators. It partners with the district and community to fund programs that enhance education and ̅students for the future. In 2016, Caruthers Institute ranked SBEF 42nd in the nation among 188 K-12 education foundations and in the top 10 of its division of foundations with $1 million to $1,999,999 in revenues. Since 1993, the Foundation has donated more than $10 million to the district. SBEF is a 501(c)3 organization; all donations are tax deductible.
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MetroNational Partners with SBEF to Offer Scholarships and More

May 23, 2017, 8:16 am
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From left: Mark Christensen, human resources director, MetroNational; Katherine Koslan and Katie Dickerson, both from Spring Woods High School; Sharonda Daniels, employment coordinator, MetroNational
Partnership is important to Spring Branch Education Foundation and Spring Branch ISD. For 25 years, the two have worked together to fund education-enhancing projects and scholarships that ensure student success. Along the way, community leaders, organizations and businesses have worked with the Foundation toward this common goal.

One such collaboration is with MetroNational, the firm that develops and manages 265 contiguous acres at the center of the Spring Branch/Memorial area.

This year, MetroNational has donated two $6,000 scholarships. Named the Memorial City Mall Scholarships, they are earmarked for graduates of Spring Woods High School: Katherine Koslan and Katie Dickerson.

“As part of the community, we understand supporting education is good for the community’s long-term health,” says Steve Nisenson, MetroNational’s director of marketing. “We work with Spring Branch Education Foundation to look for ways to contribute.”

“We’re especially interested in helping students who are the first in their families to go to college,” Mark Christensen, director of human resources, says. Scholarship recipients are encouraged to follow their dreams, whether that means college or trade school – a philosophy that mirrors SBISD’s T-2-4 measures designed to double student post-graduation success.

Supporting SBISD schools isn’t new to MetroNational.

Shadow Oaks Elementary welcomes its generosity of donations and people power at the school’s fall festival, teacher’s appreciation events and the fifth-grade observation of Earth Day. Every day is Earth Day when students walk through the butterfly garden built by MetroNational’s landscaping group.

MetroNational’s interest in the community is evident when one considers its acreage and buildings, and especially its people. “The majority of our 125 employees live in the area. We’re seeing our second generation of employees who are committed to the district,” Christensen says. Two employees, father and son, both graduated from Spring Woods High School.

MetroNational and the Foundation work well together, according to SBEF Executive Director Cece Thompson. When she was looking for a neighborhood venue for the 2nd annual Cookin’ for a Cause event, she turned to Scooter Hicks, MetroNational’s chief operating officer and an SBEF board member. Very quickly, he offered the former Sports Authority site at 10225 Katy Freeway. That’s what partners do.
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Hollibrook Students Hoot, Twitter with Mentors at Sanctuary

May 23, 2017, 6:30 pm
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A Hollibrook Elementary student uses pieces of bread to attract mosquito fish, then catch them in his net.
More than 20 Hollibrook Elementary mentors and their mentees enjoyed an outing earlier this month to the Edith L. Moore Nature Sanctuary. Hoots and twitters were heard from the students (and the resident birds, turtles and frogs) as groups were lead through the sanctuary trails by Audubon Society docents.

The majority of the mentors in attendance participate in the SpringBoard Mentoring Program through their affiliation with Memorial Drive United Methodist Church (MDUMC), which is adjacent to the nature sanctuary.

During the school year, mentors meet one-on-one with their mentees during the students’ lunch periods at school. They normally spend time chatting, playing games, doing puzzles, reading, drawing pictures and other friendly activities. These friendships grow in depth each year, and most mentors follow their mentees from grade to grade, all the way to graduation and beyond.


“We see relationships get stronger whenever mentors and mentees get out of the school routine during an outing like this,” said Becky Wuerth, SBISD community relations specialist who works with recruiting and training new mentors for the SpringBoard program. Wuerth is also a mentor at Hollibrook, and she and her mentee, Emeraude, had a terrific experience at the nature sanctuary.

“My friends back at school told me this trip would probably be boring,” said Emeraude. “But, no way! This is awesome. I love it here.”

Julie Eisenhauer is the mentor coordinator for MDUMC and planned the wonderful “outside-the-school-walls” experience for the Hollibrook mentors and mentees, with help from Cindy Rojas and Juan Sosa from the school.

A Hollibrook Elementary student points out an insect she’s discovered.
During this year’s annual field trip to the Edith L. Moore Nature Sanctuary, the mentor and mentee duos learned about the ecology of the forest, creek and ponds, getting a close up look at birds with binoculars and the fish through magnifying containers. The third- through fifth-grade students got to feed the mosquito fish in the pond, and attempt to catch some with nets.

Eisenhauer’s mentee was intrigued by a container of various animal skins in the sanctuary’s Nature Center, which is the log cabin where Edith Moore lived from 1932-1975. Mentee Sharahi took pictures of her classmates with the skins because, she said, “they are all so different looking and feeling.”

“All of the students had a great time, and for many of them, this was the first time they have been outside their apartment complexes,” said Rojas, Community in Schools social worker at Hollibrook. “One mentee told me he couldn’t believe he was still in Houston, and that he felt he was in ‘another country’.”

This is a wonderful experience for our students,” said counselor Sosa. “In Spring Branch ISD we encourage individuals to never stop growing and learning, and this type of event provides an opportunity for our children to unleash their potential by interacting with nature and expanding their knowledge through hands-on activities. It was fascinating to see the kid’s faces as they touch and feel arthropods inside the log cabin. I didn’t hesitate to take a picture and tweeting “limitless curiosity to the fullest potential!”

Following the tour of the nature sanctuary, the group was treated to a taco lunch at MDUMC’s youth center. The bashing of a piñata was a fun post-lunch activity for the students.

The students returned to school energized and refreshed from the visit to the great outdoors with their mentors. Hoot, hoot hooray for MDUMC for making this outing possible!

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‘Rotary Readers’ Share Love of Books with SBISD PreKs

May 25, 2017, 9:03 am
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Memorial-Spring Branch Rotary Club president Ed Wilson reads to a class of preK students at Bear Boulevard.

Inspiration often comes from the unlikeliest of places.
When Memorial-Spring Branch Rotary Club member Sarah Miorin – who works in SBISD’s Innovation and Redesign division – gave a presentation on literacy to the club, wheels started turning.

Club president Ed Wilson – who works in technology services at SBISD – was intrigued and started asking club members if they’d like to do a book drive to help out.

Did they ever. What started as a book drive for Bear Boulevard turned into a cash donation from Rotary Charities and the purchase of a new book for every PreK student in SBISD’s five PreK centers.

Readers from the Memorial-Spring Branch Rotary Club at Bear Boulevard on Friday, May 5.
“We were just going to do one school and give those kids books,” Wilson said. “We got lucky.”

Leveraging the purchasing power of the Barbara Bush Literacy Houston Foundation, the Rotarians parlayed $1,300 into about that many books and were able to give every SBISD PreK student a book.

Many club members went another step and volunteered to read to Bear Boulevard students on Friday, May 5. At 11 a.m. that day, from classroom to classroom, young students sat cross-legged on the floor, their attention focused on the adults who sat reading before them.

Students were eager to both share what they knew about topics the books introduced, or to ask questions of the readers, questions that were patiently answered.


Memorial-Spring Branch member Mark Harrington faces an eager classroom while reading at Bear Boulevard.
“We were delighted when approached by the Rotary with their desire to give a book to each child and to come read a story to each class,” said School Director Kim Hammer. “The Rotary provided an opportunity to reinforce our love of books and joy of reading at Bear Boulevard.”

One teacher said that having the Rotary reads was a “great, positive opportunity” for students to use their learned social skills in welcoming outside friends to the classroom, Hammer said.

Another class put together a “thank you” book of drawings and thank yous for the Rotary readers.

Bear Boulevard staff are going through books donated to Rotary through the book drive at several area Kroger stores and at Keller-Williams Memorial office.

“There were even enough books for teachers to add some to their classroom libraries,” said Hammer.

Wilson said that he likes service projects that affect the Spring Branch area.

“This project got everybody excited,” he said. “My goal as (club) president is to do more right here, in Spring Branch.” He said that nearly half of the club’s 60 members were involved in the book project – “an all-time high for us,” he said.

Hammer said that several of the Rotary readers are registering as volunteers and are planning to read to classes on a routine basis.

“We’re grateful to the Rotary for their collective greatness to support the love of literacy with every child at Bear Boulevard, and their vision to expand their reach,” she said.

Wilson said that based on what he’s seen and heard from club members, the project will be ongoing.

“Everybody was excited,” he said. “It was great.”

by Rusty Graham
russell.graham@springbranchisd.com
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Zaida Morales: Defying Odds to Graduate With Class

May 25, 2017, 9:56 am
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Zaida Morales wasn’t supposed to walk across the stage this Saturday. She wasn’t supposed to graduate with her Spring Woods High School classmates. She wasn’t even supposed to be walking at all, not so soon anyway.

None of those things were supposed to happen after the evening of Jan. 29, 2016, when the then-junior’s legs were crushed by a drunk driver and everything changed. Could surgeons save her legs? Would she ever walk again? How long would that be? With what kind of assistance?

We might have to amputate, the surgeon said, but her legs were saved, rebuilt through hours of surgery. You likely won’t walk for two years, she was told, but she was walking without assistance seven months after going home from the hospital.

A member of the Spring Woods High swim team, Zaida was able to compete in a race earlier this year and earn her fourth varsity letter. It was a moment all in itself.

Zaida says that graduation won’t feel real until she’s actually there, sitting with her classmates then walking across the stage.

“Just wearing that cap and gown,” she said, “I’ll likely be the only one bawling my eyes out.”

All due respect, but that’s not likely at all. Zaida has touched a multitude of lives along her journey – doctors, nurses and the staff at Ben Taub Hospital; coaches, teammates and the entire SBISD swim community; principals, counselors and teachers at Spring Woods. Many will be at graduation. They understand the power of the moment.

“Missing the entire second semester of her junior year was the most crushing for Zaida,” said SWHS Swim Coach Emma Knowles. “Missing school, missing her friends – that was her concern, not would (she) walk again.

“She was bound and determined not to miss her senior year.”


SWHS Swim Coach Emma Knowles (right) says senior Zaida Morales is “right where she’s supposed to be.”


A Normal Friday

It was a Friday night like most others, the night of Jan. 29, 2016. Zaida and some friends went to try the tacos at a food truck parked near Kempwood and Blalock, in Spring Branch.

Standing in line, Zaida remembers seeing a black truck enter the parking lot but make no attempt to park. She was wondering what was happening when she heard the truck accelerate and saw the headlights approaching her, “full speed,” she said.

She was somehow able to put her hands on the hood of the truck and jump up a little as it rammed into her, a move that likely saved both her hips and her feet. She was dragged a little ways then fell to the ground.

She remembers lying on the ground, watching the truck backing up and thinking that ‘he’s going to hit me again … I’m going to die’ when a man, a bystander and a stranger, came over and “held me like a baby,” she said.

“He said that everything is going to be OK. Don’t look at your legs,” Zaida said. “I thought ‘why?’ I wasn’t in pain.” She thought her legs were just broken, not crushed and turned in directions that legs aren’t supposed to be turned, one of them stuck in a fence.

That’s when she felt pain. “I screamed, but nothing came out of my mouth.”

Sinking In

She was still in tremendous pain as doctors at Ben Taub Hospital worked with her and her badly mangled legs. She was told that her left leg would likely be amputated, that there was a 5 percent chance of saving it.

“It was like someone splashed ice water on me,” Zaida said. “I remembered how much I loved swimming and dancing. Then I sort of accepted it all, all in the moment. I was OK with it. I had seen active (amputees) on TV. I just wanted to do the things I loved (like swimming and dancing.)”

She remembered the district swim meet the next day and just before blacking out thought, ‘What am I going to tell coach?’

Where’s Zaida?

Swimmers and coaches from across SBISD started gathering early on the morning of Saturday, Jan. 30, 2016, the morning of the district meet and the morning after Zaida’s accident.

SWHS swim coach Knowles noticed that Zaida wasn’t there, then messages started popping up on social media about the accident, with no way of knowing what was true. Knowles and assistant coach Ricardo Bello didn’t know what to believe nor what exactly to do.

They took up team members’ cell phones, contacted then-SWHS principal Jennifer Parker and district athletic director Paige Hershey, who went to work finding Zaida at Ben Taub and setting support mechanisms in motion.

Meanwhile, Knowles and her team went on with the meet. By 4 p.m. the meet was over.

“We pulled everyone together and told them (Zaida) was going to live,” said Knowles. “Then the coaches all went down to the hospital. We heard the whole story … it was horrifying. But through it all, Zaida never passed out.”

At Ben Taub

Zaida awoke after wondering about the district meet and saw her mother.

“I told her I was really sorry (about what happened),” she said. “It must have been the pain. My mom was saying that it wasn’t my fault. She grabbed my face and told me everything was going to be all right.”

Later, when Zaida woke after her first surgery – 13 hours of reconnecting arteries, setting broken bones, reconstructing both knees – she saw metal fixators on both legs, meaning her left leg had indeed been saved.

She spent the next two months at Ben Taub as surgeons repaired damaged tissue, nerves and muscles, 14 surgeries in all. But Zaida had a steady stream of visitors, including her coach and swim team.

“We drove the girls to Ben Taub once a week through March (of that year),” said Knowles. “The hospital staff was so cool with us being there.”

The Stratford swim community got involved, raising money to help the family defray expenses. Stratford mom Tracy Ashworth said that she was struck by Zaida’s absence from the district meet, the day after the accident. “You see an empty lane, you wonder,” she said, learning the following day of Zaida’s accident. The Memorial community made a contribution too.

The staff at Ben Taub was enamored of Zaida as well. A lady from the cafeteria, she said, would put two cups of grapes on her tray because she learned that Zaida loves grapes. And a lady who cleaned her room would kiss her forehead each night before leaving, whispering “good night, princess.”

“I was the youngest in my area of the hospital,” said Zaida. “I was the little sister.”

Back To School

Zaida returned to Spring Woods in August 2017 for her senior year, in a wheelchair, a semester behind –and determined to fix both situations. By early October, Zaida had progressed from wheelchair to walker to crutches to walking on her own, because she wanted to walk on her own like everyone else at school.

She was walking seven months after her release from Ben Taub, nine months after the accident.

SWHS principal Denis Blais marvels not only at her physical recovery but also her academic recovery.

“She missed a whole semester of school,” Blais said. “She couldn’t even do home school. For her to be a candidate for graduation is unbelievable.”

Blais said that Zaida won the Counselor Award at the recent senior awards night.

“There wasn’t a dry eye in the house – except for her,” he said. “She has that whole attitude of ‘This is who I am … if this is the hardest thing life has to give me, then I got this … life is not going to shake me’.”

In The Water

A few weeks before school started, Knowles said, Zaida showed up at the pool. Zaida’s therapist had said that she could get back in the water.

On Oct. 28, Zaida swam by herself for the first time, two laps of freestyle, her event. Knowles said they had lifeguards and extra people in the water with her.

“We didn’t know what to expect,” she said. “But it was the coolest thing.”

Knowles had kept Zaida on the swim roster to maintain her eligibility, with Zaida training twice a week after school.

On Jan. 12, in a meet versus Stratford, Zaida swam competitively in the 50-meter freestyle, earning her varsity letter. It was less than a year after the accident.

“She was less than 10 seconds off her personal best time,” Knowles said. “That was the miracle.”

Knowles – and Zaida – said everyone was crying when Zaida got out of the water.

“After I got out of the water I found my mom,” said Zaida. “I looked around and everyone was crying.”

“It was the sweetest way to end it, with that group of girls … and everyone who had supported her, and who she had supported,” said Knowles. “It was an honor that our school and district would let us do that. (Zaida’s) biggest concern had been swimming.”

Return to Normalcy

Zaida had a breakthrough of sorts in October of last year, when her orthopedic surgeon told her that the rods in her legs would stay, that he wouldn’t remove them.

“I said ‘Yes!’” said Zaida. “That meant I was done with surgeries.”

She said she felt even better when that doctor told her that she was a “miracle.” Zaida said that she relied on her faith to help her through the accident and the recovery, and she finds her faith even stronger today. “He’s a man of science,” she said of the doctor, “but he still believes in God and miracles.”

Zaida wants to study for a few years at Houston Community College, then fulfill her dream of traveling by becoming a flight attendant. She might also become a physical therapist.

“I want to help people like they helped me,” she said. “I want to help them walk again, to give them hope, to tell them that you can do it if you really want it. There’s nothing impossible in this life.”

Knowles said that one of Zaida’s doctors told her that the muscle strength that Zaida had built up as a swimmer gave him more to work with when rebuilding her legs. A competitive swimmer herself, Knowles said that she’s now an even bigger fan of swimming as part of a healthy lifestyle.

Knowles likes that Zaida was “rebuilt” with parts from around her body, that the parts from all over help in telling her story.

And she especially likes Zaida’s steely character, the can-do attitude that drove her remarkable recovery and has her graduating with her class this Saturday.

“The work ethic that she showed catching up with her classmates – that’s always been Zaida,” Knowles said. “That’s the part that wasn’t surprising. That’s where she was going in the first place.”

Zaida is happy that, for the most part, things are back to normal. Some people ask about the accident but just as many or more don’t know anything about it. And that’s OK with Zaida.

“Sometimes I don’t want to be the girl in the car accident,” she said. “I just want to be a normal senior.”

by Rusty Graham
russell.graham@springbranchisd.com
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Class of 2017 Valedictorians and Salutatorians

May 25, 2017, 12:36 pm
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Spring Branch ISD’s five high schools have announced valedictorians and salutatorians for the graduating Class of 2017.

Four SBISD campuses will host graduation ceremonies on Saturday, May 27, and one high school will conduct its graduation ceremony in the early evening on Tuesday, May 30.

Northbrook High School names 2 co-valedictorians and a salutatorian

Northbrook High School has named two co-valedictorians and a salutatorian to represent the Class of 2017.

Graduating Northbrook High seniors will receive their diplomas at 10 a.m. on Saturday, May 27, at Don Coleman Coliseum.

The Class of 2017’s co-valedictorians are Samuel Chase Gonsoulin and Alejandro Vazquez Martinez. Salutatorian this year is Maria Isabel Lopez.

Memorial High names 18 co-valedictorians and 4 co-salutatorians

Memorial High School has named 18 co-valedictorians and 4 co-salutatorians to represent the Class of 2017.

Graduating Memorial High seniors will receive their diplomas at 1 p.m. on Saturday, May 27, at Don Coleman Coliseum.

The Class of 2017’s co-valedictorians are Alexis Catherine Bennett, William Ryan Caesar, Conner Michael Callahan, Miguel José Caranti, Matthew Lawrence Catalano, Margaret Bailey Coulter, Max Robertson Hardy, Trent Thomas Herndon, Vincent Zhihao Huang, Davis Kelly Kirchhofer, Lan Ly Nguyen, Jung Woo Park, Tucker Blake Reinhardt, Samantha Leigh Stinson, Robert Cameron Trout, Henry Arthur Wilhelm, Liyun Xu and Frank Yuan-shaw Yang.

This year’s co-salutatorians at Memorial High are Justin Earl Bryant, Tiger Gue Im, Claire Lynn Miller and Grace Ann Winburne.

Spring Woods High School names 5 co-valedictorians and 2 co-salutatorians

Spring Woods High School has named 5 co-valedictorians and 2 co-salutatorians to represent the Class of 2017.

Graduating seniors at this SBISD campus will receive their diplomas at 4 p.m. on Saturday, May 27, at Don Coleman Coliseum.

The Class of 2017’s co-valedictorians are Katie Blaine Dickerson, Katherine Linda Pietsch Koslan, Caleb Luke Ray, Ericka Natalie Reyes, Tam Minh Tran.

Co-salutatorians this year at Spring Woods High are Courtney Roxanne Obermiller and Gloria Helen Sparks.

Stratford High names 22 co-valedictorians and 11 co-salutatorians

Stratford High School has named 22 co-valedictorians and 11 co-salutatorians to represent the Class of 2017.

Graduating Stratford High seniors will receive diplomas at 7 p.m. on Saturday, May 27, at Don Coleman Coliseum.

The Class of 2017’s co-valedictorians are Madison Rose Aycock, Madison Elaine Bryant, Joshua Lew Chan, Caroline Anna Crawford , Mark Jacob Duna, Matthew Joseph Hopper, Carly Ruth Keusseyan, Nazlee Kristy Khadjeheian, Ernest Andrew Kohnke, Sini Sofie Lehtinen, Bolin Edward Mahaffey, Jordan Alexander Meza, Kathryn Nicole Moses, Alena Elizabeth Nederveld, Alec Richard Norman, Heavin Oh, Hannah Elizabeth Pruitt, Jessica Lauren Sheldon, Olivia Grace Siciliano, Morgan Noelle Thornton, Nathan Stuart Winn and Ju won Yoo.

This year’s co-salutatorians at Stratford High are Kyle Franklin Brastrom, Hannah Marie Broom, Darius Benjamin Dixon, Samantha Ellen Englund, Samuel Givens Evetts VII, Samantha Sasha Hanslip, Ashley Catherine Joyner, Elena Danielle McInroe, Anna Caroline Skelly, Mia Huong Trinh and Grayson McNeil Whelen.

Westchester Academy names 3 co-valedictorians and 2 co-salutatorians

Westchester Academy for International Studies has named 3 co-valedictorians and 2 co-salutatorians to represent the Class of 2017.

Graduating seniors at Westchester Academy will receive their diplomas at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, May 30, at Don Coleman Coliseum.

The Class of 2017’s co-valedictorians are Akashsai Venkatesh Chella, Katelyn Coolidge and Raman Kumar Srivastava. Co-salutatorians are Robert Kidd and Roldan Santiago Moreno Duarte.

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Anali Cervantes: Hard Work Starting to Pay Off

May 26, 2017, 6:31 am
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Anali Cervantes was a hurdler when she ran track, a talent that, metaphorically, has served her well.

High school has been something of a hurdle for Anali, a Stratford senior, but a strong character and work ethic have her ready to graduate with the rest of her class.

“Despite some pretty great odds, Anali wanted to be a Spartan,” said Stratford counselor Greg Fore.

To say Anali works hard is something of an understatement. Besides maintaining her grades, Anali is a trainer for the varsity football and track teams. She holds down two part-time jobs. She’s an intern with the Health Occupations Students of America (HOSA), where she periodically goes to Memorial Hermann Memorial City and observes rounds.

At 17, she’s one of the youngest students in Stratford’s class of 2017. But she’s also one of the more morally centered – she was named Stratford’s Character Without Question student this year, which recognizes students who always seek to do the right thing.

It might have been easy for Anali to just give up, to give in to circumstances beyond her control when her family lost the house where they’d been living, and when her mom and siblings had to move in with her father in another school district.

But a family from Anali’s Mormon church reached out and took her in, letting her live with them so she could finish her high school studies – including athletic training, three hours every day after school – at Stratford, as a Spartan. She could also continue to work her part-time jobs.

While it may be no surprise that Anali wants to be a nurse, her reasons come from a deeper place, from a family place. Anali is the second oldest of six siblings, but a brother who died as an infant spurred her interest in medicine.

Her little brother was the first male child in a family of girls, but he was born with multiple defects and died two months later. “He never came home from the hospital,” said Anali.

Still, it was spending that time at the hospital that spurred her interest in medicine. She hopes to turn nursing into a career as a nurse practitioner.

She plans to attend Brigham Young University-Idaho (BYU-Idaho) in the Pathway program, where she’ll take three semesters online while also taking classes at Houston Community College (HCC). She plans to move to Idaho after that to finish her studies at BYU-Idaho.

She’s gotten some scholarships – one through athletic training, one from the Assistance League of Houston, another from the Camacho Foundation – and is working on others. She’s a good student and a member of the National Honor Society.

Anali doesn’t have much free time, but likes to spend what little she has with her family – “I don’t get to do that much,” she said. She also likes to paint, and she said that she’s “always liked distance running.”

She does get to see her mother and siblings every morning at church – she said her mom picks her up before school every day. She gets to see her dad on Sundays when she goes to visit. Her little brother tells her that she’s his favorite, she says, with not a small amount of pride.

Fore will remember Anali as perceptive, kindhearted and genuine.

“She used to come by the office and ask, ‘How are you doing, Mr. Fore,” he said. “I’d always say ‘fine’ but she had the skill to read me. She could always tell if I was tired or stressed.”

He’ll also remember her perseverance.

“She’s worked her tail off for those scholarships,” he said. “The work she has done has been incredible.”

by Rusty Graham
russell.graham@springbranchisd.com
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Conner Johnson: Looking Out for the Underdog

May 26, 2017, 6:40 am
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Conner Johnson asks a most intriguing question: “Do you want to talk about my eye?”

OK. Sure.

Your eye?

Seems Conner has a prosthetic eye – a glass eye, as they’re commonly known – and has since he was 9. Born with cataracts and glaucoma in his left eye, he was in and out of the hospital those first years of his life, until at age 9 his doctors decided it was time to remove the eye.

“It was only in one eye,” Conner said. “I got lucky.”

You’d never know about the eye unless you were looking for it, and even then you might not notice. There’s nothing physically that makes the prosthetic eye stand out.

But that’s Conner. While he’s a terrific student – he has completed every dual-credit course offered and will graduate on May 27 with 24 hours of college credit, credit that he’ll take with him to Texas A&M this fall – he’s a student who’s comfortable in the background. He sang in choir for four years, and is a member of the National Honor Society.

“His vision is not that great,” said Stratford counselor Greg Fore. “But if ever a kid had a vision in his heart, this is the kid.”

And that heart has room for everyone, Fore said.

“Conner does not subscribe to any one group (at Stratford),” Fore said. “For instance, at lunch he sits off to the side with a few of his buddies, and anyone else who wants to join them. He accepts them all.

“You know, the best way to have a friend is to be a friend,” said Fore. “That’s Conner.”

It hasn’t been that easy for Conner, who grew up in SBISD and West Houston and attended Wilchester Elementary, Memorial Middle and now Stratford.

He said people described him as a “social” baby, but all the hospital visits as a child made him more reserved. He said one of his hardest transitions was into sixth grade because he was so far behind in his schoolwork.

And he dealt with “his share of mortality,” as Fore puts it, during spring semester of his freshman year and the subsequent summer.

His dad, Craig Johnson, hadn’t been feeling well when he and Conner’s mother, Annette, took an anniversary cruise to Mexico. Things worsened while aboard the ship; Craig Johnson came home in a wheelchair. The diagnosis was late-stage bone cancer that had already invaded most of his body. He died soon after.

An uncle was diagnosed with terminal cancer, then an aunt was diagnosed with the same sarcoma and died about a year later.

“It was a very strange summer,” said Conner. “I was hit right and left with cancer.”

His dad had been the one who handled the school issues while his mom was working. It was a difficult adjustment for the family, made even more difficult when the family lost their home and had to move in with relatives.

“My mother is an amazing woman,” said Conner. “She’s a real trooper about all this.”

A self-described video gamer, Conner can likely be found at his PC when not studying for those demanding dual-credit courses. He said his father and brother got him into video games at an early age.

“It’s a way of communicating with people all around the world,” he said. “I play – I’m even friends with – people around the world.

Fore, who says he’s known as “the Johnson family counselor” because he worked with Conner’s older sister at Stratford, said that Conner cracks him up.

“He’s just a funny kid,” Fore said.

Conner wants to study history, or maybe economics, at Texas A&M. And while he remains undecided on the major, if he studies history he does have a career in mind.

“I know it sounds weird,” he said, “but I like the idea of being a high school history teacher.”

by Rusty Graham
russell.graham@springbranchisd.com
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Kayla Dixon: AOC Senior Hopes Graduation Brings Stability

May 26, 2017, 6:50 am
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Ask Kayla Dixon where she went to school and you might get more than you bargained for.

The graduating senior at SBISD’s Academy of Choice (AOC) will tell you that she’s likely been to every school in the Spring Branch area.

“We moved around a lot, in the heart of Spring Branch,” Kayla said. And around HISD too. During high school alone, she’s attended Lamar High School in HISD, the Academy of Choice in SBISD, Waltrip High School in HISD, Spring Woods High School then back to AOC.

And she was pulled from public schools when she was a freshman to be home-schooled. That didn’t really work out, Kayla said, and put her far behind her public school classmates. “It took me about two years to catch up,” she said.

With graduation – she’ll walk across the stage on May 27 with Spring Woods High School, her home school – she hopes for more stability in her life.

Kayla’s father was a maintenance man at apartment complexes, so wherever he landed a job was where the family lived. Her father and mother divorced when Kayla was 2, and her mother has since been in and out of her life.

Kayla is the primary caregiver for her father, now disabled, a job she gets paid to do, and a disabled aunt who lives with them. But she doesn’t get paid for a daily routine of waking up at 6 a.m., getting her little sister, 7, ready for school then doing chores around the house before heading off to school herself. The pattern repeats when she comes home from school.

“I’m the mother of the house,” she said.

She’s also serves as mother to her younger sister, a first-grader who’s already been to three different schools.

Kayla, 19, yearns for independence and wants a full-time job upon graduation, to start saving up for a car. Then she’ll start thinking about more education, possibly HCC, she said, and maybe something culinary because she likes cooking.

“I feel like when I have more control over my finances I’ll be less a child and more an adult,” she said. “I don’t want to move around so much, and I want more stability for my little sister.”

Director Jill Wright said that AOC is tailor-made for students like Kayla, who she said is “pretty characteristic” of an AOC student.

“(AOC) is a place for kids who have fallen behind, for whatever reason,” Wright said. “They can earn more credits per year here. Teachers will go way beyond the norm to help students.”

AOC students can earn up to nine credits a year through a variety of methods, including night school, “mini-mesters” – semester courses condensed into several weeks – and courses that cram a year’s worth of material into a semester.

AOC held a graduation celebration for its 60 graduating seniors on Wednesday, May 17. But like Kayla, many will also choose to graduate with their home schools on Saturday, May 27.

Kayla is a former self-harmer who signed a non-suicide contract with AOC. But she said that she doesn’t have time to worry about herself now, that she has too many other things going on.

She said she mostly goes to school and does her work at home, that she’s grown-up when she has to be but has rules put on her otherwise, such as curfews. Still, she does occasionally go out with friends.

An ‘A’ student, Kayla realizes the value of education.

“You can’t be good at home and bad at school,” she said. “It doesn’t work like that. That’s why I don’t understand kids who don’t like school.

“It’s the most important thing.”

by Rusty Graham
russell.graham@springbranchisd.com

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