Graduation ceremonies for all five Pasadena ISD high schools were held on Friday at Hofheinz Pavilion on the University of Houston's main campus. Check the school links below for additional photos.  

Dobie High School link...

Sam Rayburn High School link...  

South Houston High School link...  

Pasadena High School link...  

Memorial High School link...

Ryan Gust, holding his son Kaiden, and his wife Ashley meet with Pasadena ISD Police Department officers Joe Baez, Amber Murphy, Bill McMahan and Jason Grice outside the Joplin Command Center. Ashley Gust is holding a card signed by Pasadena ISD students.

Pasadena ISD officer Marco Vela fires a case of water to Sgt. David Garza while Joe Baez helps with the loading of relief supplies for Joplin, Mo.

De Zavala Middle School fifth-grader Stephany Viagomez-Tamayo receives congratulations from Mary Alberts, CEO of the Texas Center for the Missing.

  Jean Cain, principal at Tegeler Career Center, has been named the recipient of the LIFE Excellence Award from the non-profit organization, Solutions for Teen Life.
  Cain (pictured at right with husband Dan Cain) was nominated on the basis of her "outstanding service and dedication to youth," the organization said in a release.
  Cain was honored at the Teen Excellence Awards ceremony last Saturday (May 21) at Rice University.
  Solutions for Teen Life is a faith-based, youth development organization that offers a one-year free membership program for teenagers.

  Bob Daugherty, an American History teacher at Dobie High, has been selected for a 2011 Outstanding Teaching of the Humanities Award by Humanities Texas. Daughterty is one of 12 Texas teachers to receive the award this year.
  The award recognizes the contributions of exemplary teachers of history, literature, foreign languages, government, social studies and other humanitarian disciplines in Texas elementary schools, middle schools and high schools.
  Daugherty, now wrapping up his 14th year at Dobie, will receive a $5,000 check. Dobie will receive $500 to apply to upgrades in the school's humanities programs.
  Humanities Texas is affiliated with the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Board members Marshall Kendrick and Vickie Morgan are sworn in for new terms by Dexter Joyner, counsel for the Pasadena ISD.

  Efforts by the South Houston High dance team to raise money for summer camp will receive a major boost on Saturday from a face familiar to both Trojan alumni and to pop music fans.
  Susan Cobb Duff, a 1971 South Houston graduate and the mother of entertainment stars Hilary and Haylie Duff, will take part in a giant garage sale this Saturday in the front parking lot of the high school.
  Proceeds from the sale will help the school's Jannette dance team attend the Showmakers Dance Camp at Blinn College in Brenham, which begins on Sunday.
  The sale starts at 6 a.m. and is scheduled to conclude at noon.
  Duff, herself a former Jannette, has enlisted the help of friends in the business community to donate hundreds of items for the sale.
  "I'm coming in to sweat with the Jannettes," Duff said. "We're going to help these girls get to camp."
  "Our kids are overjoyed," said Saranya Taylor, South Houston's dance team director. "You know she has such a busy life, and for her to come all the way across the country and give up her time, it's just a real honor for us."
  Duff grew up in Freeway Manor and in an apartment complex just three blocks from the school. In addition to drill, she contributed to the newspaper staff her junior and senior years.
  In March, she was included in a group of inaugural inductees named to the school's Hall of Honor. She attended the ceremony, spoke to student leaders and was told of the dance team's need to raise funds for camp.
  She immediately pledged her help to the garage sale effort.
  Duff raised her daughters in Houston and San Antonio. While both were still young girls, the family relocated to Hollywood to allow the girls to train and audition for roles on TV and in motion pictures.
  Hilary won an audition for the Disney-produced "Lizzie McGuire" show and quickly blossomed into an internationally known acting and recording star. Haylie also landed several TV and movie roles, including a spot in the surprise hit "Napoleon Dynamite." 
  Together, the Duff girls have starred in several movies and participated in several joint productions.
  Susan Duff served as manager and a co-producer for many of the girls' early projects.

GEAR UP students Erica Garza, Veronica Delarosa and Liliana Gonzalez take a lunch break during a field trip to San Jacinto College last summer.

Appearing for board recognition on Tuesday night were (back row) Raven Wilson, Montserrat Tijerina, Heidi Tran, Catherine Thai and Kallysta Harris; and (front row) Franklin Carr IV, Erick Ponce, Sohara Zafar and Jose Marroquin.

  For the second consecutive year, the Pasadena ISD has been recognized by the state comptroller's office for financial transparency.
  The district received gold designation as a Leadership Circle Award winner. The district earned the honor by scoring 17 of a possible 20 points on the state comptroller's ratings system.

  South Houston High senior Alejandro Herrera and Vy Phan of Beverly Hills Intermediate posted perfect five-point scores to capture titles in their respective divisions of the first Pasadena ISD Secondary Chess Championships on Saturday.
  Fifty-six students from 10 district campuses competed in three divisions: high school, intermediate and middle school. Students played five rounds each, earning one point for a victory and a half-point for a draw.
  Herrera won all five of his matches to capture the high-school division. Phan took all five of his matches to win the intermediate division. 
  Chris Ramirez of Milstead Middle School won four matches and tied one to claim the middle-school division. The championships were held at Beverly Hills Intermediate.
Complete results follow:
  High Schools
  First: Alejandro Herrera, South Houston, 5 points (perfect score). 
  Second: Renaldo Ruiz, Pasadena, 4 points.
  Third: Giovanny Sigaran, Pasadena, 3.5 points.
  Intermediate Schools 
  First: Vy Phan, Beverly Hills, 5 points (perfect score).
  Second: (tie) Adam Boswell, David Ho, and Karina Anguiano, all Beverly Hills , 4 points each.
  Third: (tie) Christian Ponce, San Jacinto; Alberto Barrera and Eric Hernandez, both Southmore; Zak Furman, Thompson; Daniel Escobedo, Beverly Hills, 3 points each.
  Middle Schools
  First : Chris Ramirez, Milstead, 4.5 points.
  Second: (tie) Ricardo Duarte and Daniel Williams, both Morris; Christian Villalva, Milstead, 4 points each.
  Third: Kyle Saunders, Morris, 3.5 points.

(Left) South Houston High's Alejandro Herrera (on the left), the winner in the high-school division, takes on Abel Dominguez of Pasadena High; (right) Beth Early, a Pearl Hall student competing in the middle-school ranks, matches wits with Blas Estrada of Milstead Middle School.

(Left) Two Milstead Middle School students, Albert Rodas and Chris Ramirez, battle it out; Ramirez won the middle-school title; (right) Tom Morrison, chess coach at Park View Intermediate, takes on Carlos Rivas from Pasadena High.

The 62nd Annual Pasadena ISD Service Awards Banquet was held Thursday (May 19) at Memorial High School. Event photos and group photos of honorees and retirees follow.

Keri Scully, a 25-year honoree, and husband Matt.

Sharing a table are 45-year honoree Sandra Henry and 30-year honoree Marsha Bagley.

Yolanda Cerda, a retirement honoree, and husband Tony.

Jennifer Johnson, a 30-year honoree, makes her way through the buffet line.

Coach Gerry Cole (left), a 20-year honoree; (right) Gilbert Lopez, a 25-year honoree, and wife Rosie.

The view from above.

(Left) Stanley Oakes, orchestra director at Memorial High, conducts his student musicians; (right) Pasadena ISD Superintendent Dr. Kirk Lewis expresses his gratitude for the many years of services of those in the audience.

GROUP PHOTO: 20-year honorees.

GROUP PHOTO: 25-year honorees.

GROUP PHOTO: 30-year honorees.

GROUP PHOTO: 35-year honorees, (back) Virginia Steele, William Cleveland and Barbara Kimball; (center) Kathryn Williamson, Rebecca Garner and Barbara Berry; and (front) Lydia Sanchez and Petina Pervin.

GROUP PHOTO: 40-year honorees Patricia Dorsey, John Fowler and Donald Jones.

UNOFFICIAL PHOTO: 45-year honorees. "Thanks for the chair! We're whipped!"

OFFICIAL PHOTO: 45-year honorees Sandra Henry, Charles Knight and Brenda Roach.

OFFICIAL PHOTO: Honored retirees

WE'RE RETIRING!!! (Unofficial photo)

Former astronaut Jose Hernandez relives the tense moments he experienced during liftoff of the Discovery Space Shuttle while speaking to Jackson Intermediate eighth-graders on Monday. Hernandez was a member of the 2009 Discovery crew and spent nearly two weeks in space.

  Gardens Elementary has been named the 2011 Outstanding CASE 21st Century Community Learning Center. CASE stands for Cooperative for After-School Enrichment.
  The award is presented annually by the Harris County Department of Education and based on a vote of peer schools. Gardens was judged to exemplify the three CASE strategic directions: 1. expanding program quality; 2. building relationships and expanding resources; and 3. promotion of programs.
  Lilliana Siles-Rosales, the CASE site coordinator at Gardens, received the award at an end-of-the-year function last week in Houston.
  (Below) Thalita Reescano, the regional coordinator for the the CASE programs, presents the Learning Center award to Lilliana Siles-Rosales of Gardens.

  Memorial High's Stephen Alcala last week finished first in the senior division of the DOW Art Calendar contest, the second year in a row in which Alcala has been featured on the calendar.
  Thompson Intermediate's Dona Nguyen finished first in the junior division. Both students earned $500 and another $1,500 for their schools. 
  A reception was held at Monument Inn for the winning students, their families, teachers and principals.
  Nearly 400 entries were received from nine area districts. Pasadena ISD students dominated the awards, placing in eight of the 12 spots on the calendar. Annually, 20,000 calendars are printed and distributed internationally.
  Other district students placing in the senior division were Brittany Seay, Memorial, second place; Chelsea Maclean, Memorial, third place; Brooke Hall and Tram Le, both from Memorial and both honorable mention.
  Other district students placing in the junior division were Mariah Martinez, Queens Intermediate, third place; and Carin Gusman, De Zavala Middle School, honorable mention.
  ( Below) Thompson's Nguyen with her winning art piece.

Celebrating Memorial's big haul are teacher Miguel Herrera, student Tram Le, teacher Adam Malek and students Chelsea Maclean, Brooke Hall, Stephen Alcala and Brittany Seay.

Displaying the funds and the finished product are (back) Memorial High teacher Miguel Herrera, Jessica Vega, Kirsten Wilson, Jennifer Flores, Michael Contreras, Esteban Blanca and teacher Adam Malek; and (front) April Rosse and Amy Truong.

  By BRITTA GAMINO

 

  The Pasadena ISD's Advanced Academics Department will hold its annual GT Showcase, featuring project displays by Gifted & Talented students in the district, on Wednesday night at Beverly Hills Intermediate.
  The Showcase will run from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. in the foyer and cafeteria areas of the school.
  Most of the elementary, middle schools and intermediate schools in the district will have students participating. The Showcase has grown from about 50 projects to more than 150 projects in recent years.
  The public is invited to view the projects and ask students questions about their work.
  For additional information, contact Leslie Axel, instructional specialist in Advanced Academics, at 713-740-0102.

  The Pasadena Association of Educational Office Personnel has awarded scholarships to Pasadena ISD seniors Andrea Reynoso, from Pasadena High, and Hei Yuen, from Dobie High, to attend San Jacinto College. The scholarships are made possible through the fundraising efforts of paraprofessionals from all across the district.

Dobie seniors Chris Guy and Chelsea Jenkins use a nail gun to close up the final stretch of board fencing at the Sagemont home of Emil Zapalac.

Freeman Elementary fourth-graders raise their hands at the conclusion of singing "You Raise Me Up," the final number in the school's 50-year observance on Thursday night.

"Together We Can" winners Eric Brown of Dobie High, Jean Duffey of Sam Rayburn High and Saul Hernandez of Red Bluff Elementary display their trophies at Thursday's awards luncheon.

Members of the Pasadena ISD Education Foundation join with school district officials and corporate sponsors Tuesday morning to celebrate hitting the $1 million mark in mini-grant funds awarded to district teachers since 2003.

Welding student Allysa Flores lets the sparks fly during class at the L.P. Card Career and Technical Center.

  The PTO organization at Frazier coordinated the presentation of seven scholarships to Dobie seniors last week at an awards ceremony. 
  Scholarships presented were: 
  * The Ruth Young Memorial Scholarship, presented to Paige Sanchez by the Young family. 
  * The Lindsay Simpson Memorial Scholarship, presented to Caitlin Caughlin by the Simpson family. 
  * The Karen Gorman Memorial Scholarship, presented to Robert Timmons by the Gorman family. 
  * The Matthew Kutra Memorial Schlarship, presented to Jeremy Lacamu by the Kutra family. 
  * The Sharon Oakes Scholarship, presented to Dylan Wall by the Frazier PTO. 
  * The Frazier PTO Scholarship, presented to Jacob Lacamu. 
  * The Frazier PTO Scholarship, presented to Christoper Garcia.

Park View Intermediate English teacher Lynette Palmer (top) receives the good news from Superintendent Dr. Kirk Lewis that she has been chosen as Teacher of the Year for the secondary level; Morales Elementary science teacher Ritu Gandhi fights back tears as she accepts a congratulatory cookie from Dr. Lewis and an assortment of royal gifts from her colleagues.

  Lynette Palmer, an English teacher at Park View Intermediate for most of the past 40 years, and Ritu Gandhi, a science teacher at Morales Elementary for not quite a decade, have been selected as the Pasadena ISD's Teachers of the Year for 2011.
  Palmer was named secondary Teacher of the Year. Gandhi was named Teacher of the Year for the elementary grades. 
  The winners were treated to surprise visits on Friday by Pasadena ISD Superintendent Dr. Kirk Lewis and other district officials.
  Both will go to compete for Teacher of the Year honors in Region IV of the Texas Education Agency.
  Profiles of the two winners follow:
  SECONDARY TEACHER of the YEAR
  LYNETTE PALMER / Park View Intermediate
  Her sweet, Southern voice has been heard in the halls and classrooms at Park View for the better part of four decades. Long ago the phrase "let me tell you something, honey" became Lynette Palmer's calling card for her English students.
  But along the way, Palmer had to tell herself something.
  "Times have changed since I started and I had to change the way I teach for my students," she says. "This generation has more odds stacked against them than in years past. And it's my job to move those odds in a different direction." 
  Palmer has done just that through a variety of methods, including a generous daily dose of love and laughter. Her sixth-grade class is a flash of color, seasonal decorations, student work and illustrations. Students feel at home in her classroom, alert and motivated to absorb all that her magnolia voice has to say. 
  Palmer taught 17 years at Park View before taking a teaching hiatus to start a family. She returned to Park View in 2002, left for a year to teach at Pasadena Memorial and then bounced right back to the Home of the Cowboys.
  She sports some of the highest scores and longest rates of success on TAKS writing exams of any teacher in the Pasadena ISD.
  She is, she says, "an old-school teacher at heart."
  An old-school teacher who has learned a few new tricks along the way.
  ELEMENTARY TEACHER of the YEAR
  RITU GANDHI / Morales Elementary
  Ask students at Morales about their favorite subject and odds are you'll get the same answer: "Science!"
  "Science!" is where Morales students build nature habitats, explore aerodynamics, study weather systems and develop an understanding of chemistry. "Science!" is where students learn why whales have blubber. A youngster's hand dipped in lard and plunged into ice quickly answers the question. "Science!" is the place to be.
  And the science lab is where you'll find Ritu Gandhi, now her ninth year of transforming nearly every science-related aspect of education at Morales.
  Brought aboard in 2002 to launch a science lab at the school, Gandhi has built a learning wonderland. Her mini-grant awards over the years have reaped $15,000 worth of equipment used to acquire and develop a WeatherBug facility and videoconference systems. 
  Gandhi has largely reshaped the concept of Science Fair within the district. She created a network of community volunteers as judges -- a panel that was quickly tapped by nearly a dozen other schools. Her Science Fair journeys begin with parent workshops and provide such amenities as baby-sitting for the young siblings of participating students.
  Participation in Science Fair at Morales has grown five-fold since her arrival.
  Yet, for all her diverse ideas, Gandhi maintains a single focus: to raise the achievement level of her students and broader opportunities for additional learning.

Lynette Palmer responds to words of praise from her colleagues as Dr. Kirk Lewis listens.

Palmer, flanked by Dr. Lewis, accepts congratulations from Park View assistant principals Neal Brownlee, Keely Coufal and Jamie Lusk.

Flanked by Dr. Lewis and Associate Superintendent for Campus Development Troy McCarley, Morales science teacher Ritu Gandhi receives hugs of congratulations from her principal, Kathy Connolly, and her assistant principal, Rhonda Killen.

Back in her science lab, Gandhi is swarmed by students happy to hear the news of her Teacher of the Year honor.

TEACHERS of the YEAR
Secondary

Micah Strickland Beverly Hills Intermediate

Sonja Stephens Bondy Intermediate

Jeanie Brady Jackson Intermediate

Melissa Carpenter Miller Intermediate

Lynette Palmer Park View Intermediate

Veann Richards Thompson Intermediate

Shanen Campo Sam Rayburn High

Colleen Terrell  Memorial High

Andrew Winterle Pasadena High

Steven Higginbotham J. Frank Dobie High

TEACHERS of the YEAR
Elementary

Katie Belus Frazier Elementary

Mary Lopez Pomeroy Elementary

Esperanza Briones Kruse Elementary

Kathy Byrd Red Bluff Elementary

Chrystal Anchondo Genoa Elementary

Sharon Akers Gardens Elementary

Nilda Fuentes South Houston Elementary

Vera Kmeid Williams Elementary

Jami Lupold Pearl Hall Elementary

Hortensia Melchor Freeman Elementary

Rita Gandhi Morales Elementary

Linda Alfonso Jensen Elementary

Tom Durr Moore Elementary

Ester Flores Stuchbery Elementary

Marie Marler Bush Elementary

Irene Everette Jessup Elementary

Gloria Jaramillo Matthys Elementary

Connie Daumas Meador Elementary

Rebecca Barrios-Garcia Mae Smythe Elementary

Florimae Belvix Richey Elementary

Erminia Abowd DeZavala Middle School

Ursula Bryant Keller Middle School

Christy Farrell Lomax Middle School

Betty Haley Melillo Middle School

Oziel Chapa Milstead Middle School

Janet White Morris Middle School

Lori Muirhead Schneider Middle School

Bryan Williams Shaw Middle School

Lisa Jackson L F Smith Elementary

Sam Rayburn High's Delel Serda (top) accepts congratulations from Pasadena ISD Superintendent Dr. Kirk Lewis and school Principal Robert Stock (far right) for her selection as First-Year Teacher of the Year for the secondary level; (bottom) South Houston Elementary's Mariana Escobar, joined by Associate Superintendent for Campus Development Steve Laymon and Dr. Lewis, celebrates her Teacher of the Year award with her first-grade students.

Linda Anker's pre-kindergarten students wave their posters from the sidewalk at passing cars to promote Lemonade Day at Red Blulff Elementary.

Val Spann, a volunteer at the Madison Jobe Senior Center, makes balloon toys for the Red Bluff students.

  For the sixth consecutive year, the Pasadena ISD has been selected as one of the "Best Communities for Music Education in America." 
  The announcement of the honor was made on Wednesday by the National Association of Music Merchants.
  The NAMM selected 172 school districts across the nation for the honor. Fourteen of those school districts are in Texas.
  Pasadena, Fort Bend ISD and Katy ISD were the only three districts named from the Houston area. 
  "The district is proud of the outstanding achievements of our bands, choirs and orchestras," said Linda Fletcher, the Pasadena ISD's Executive Director of Fine Arts. 
  "Many of our student musicians receive scholarships to continue their music education in college. I salute the teachers, directors, students and their parents for their efforts in continuing to prove that our district is indeed one of the best places in the United States for music education."
  The honor is based upon a nationwide search for school districts whose scholastic programs exemplify a strong and unwavering commitment to music education. The NAMM considers such recognition an important way to support music education in times of funding cuts for many fine arts programs. 
  Districts nationwide are asked to complete surveys documenting their commitment to music education. The surveys are collected in collaboration with the Institute for Educational Research and Public Service, an affiliate of the University of Kansas.
  "Research continues to prove that student involvement in music education results in higher scores on standardized tests, including the SAT," Fletcher said. 
  "Additionally, there is documentation that students involved in music education at the secondary level have a lower dropout rate than the general student population."

  Dobie calculus teacher Kathleen Murrell has been named as one of 21 Advanced Placement teachers in seven states selected to a list of All-American teachers for 2011 by the National Math and Science Initiative. 
  Murrell will receive a $2,000 cash prize, a trophy and an expenses-paid trip to Washington, D.C., to attend for awards ceremony events scheduled for May 25-26.
  Three winners -- one in math, one in science and one in English -- were picked from each of the seven states participating in Advanced Placement Training and Incentive Program. Participating states are Texas, Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Kentucky, Virginia and Massachusetts.
Murrell was named best among the pool of Advanced Placement math teachers in Texas. 

Freeman Elementary's cornerstone, as it was laid in 1960, and now. At left, then Superintendent of Schools V.W. Miller and John T. Bean, representing the Grand Lodge of Texas, pose with two descendants of A.B. Freeman. At right, current Principal Kaye Post and Assistant Principal Susan Wadlington re-enact the 1960 photo with the help of fourth-graders Gissell Jaimes (left) and Jorge Gaona (right).

  Despite a school-record score and a standout performance from senior Jeremy Morris, Dobie High School's Academic Decathlon team was forced to settle for the runner-up spot at the national championships, which concluded on Saturday in Charlotte, N.C.
  Granada Hills Charter School won the event, giving California its ninth consecutive national title.
  Dobie became the first Texas school in five years to finish in the top two - and only the second in the past 10 years. 
  The Longhorns piled up 50,436.2 points, the most ever for a Dobie team at the national level. Dobie won the national title in 1992 and again in 1996.
  But the Longhorns' hopes for a third national championship were thwarted by Granada Hills, which finished with 52,113.5 points. The point difference - 1,677.3 - is considered razor-thin in the scoring system used.
  Waukesha West (Ill.) High School took third with 49,785 points.
  Morris contributed 9,059.4 points, the first Dobie student to break the 9,000-point barrier since Steven Higginbotham took over as the Longhorns' coach in 2006. Morris's score was second overall.
  The Longhorns carried away 31 individual medals, the most ever won by any Texas school at the national event. Dobie also won the Super Quiz and the Super Quiz Relay.
  Dobie's Quinn Velasquez went 5-for-5 in the Super Quiz Relay to secure the victory.
  The Longhorns fell noticeably short in the math portions of the competition.
  "We actually had a decent increase in all the other categories," Higginbotham said.
Morris won gold medals in art, literature, economics and in the Super Quiz. He also won a bronze in music.
  Other Dobie individual results:
  Jessica Huynh: bronze medal in art and literature.
  Ed Gonzalez: gold in Super Quiz; third overall in the scholastic category; silver in art and interview; bronze in speech.
  Katey Miille: silver in art; bronze in music, literature and essay.
  Julian Hernandez: gold in Super Quiz and also in interview with a perfect score of 1,000.
  Eddie Nunez: silver in math and speech; bronze in literature and economics; second overall in varsity category in Super Quiz.
  Mark Admani: silver in literature, bronze in social science.
  Tad Walters: Silver in economics, social science and Super Quiz.

  The high quality of schools in the Pasadena ISD was cited as an important factor in the decision of one couple to buy a home in Pasadena. 
  Paula and Michael Zikogiannis were interviewed in a story that appeared in the April 28 edition of the Houston Chronicle's "Ultimate Pasadena" section. The couple lives in the Country Briar neighborhood. 
  They have two children, one a fifth-grader at Carter Lomax Middle School and the other a kindergartener at Turner Elementary. 
  "What I like about the area, is there's a lot of up and coming shopping centers, and I like that it's in Pasadena school district, and that it's an established neighborhood," Paula Zikogiannis said.
  She said the experience at Turner has been "fantastic" for both her children. 
  "It's like a big family," she said. "Teachers go above and beyond what they're required to do." 
  The complete story can be accessed at the link below:

  "Ultimate Pasadena" article...

  Two Pasadena ISD elementary school students -- Ellie Herndon and Andrew Zayas -- are among the winners in the Earth Day Coloring/Art Contest, sponsored by the John C. Freeman Weather Museum. 
  Herndon is a second-grader at Garfield. Zayas is a third-grader at Meador. 
  Each student's classroom will receive an "On The Go" Weather Lab. A meteriologist from the museum will visit each school to set up the labs.

Community School Director Tom Swan presents a graduation cap to Hillary Adams in front of the school's Wall of Honor, a salute to all graduates this school year. Luisa Zavala, another recent Community School grad, tries on her graduation gear.

Joanna Reyna's first-grade class gets ready for its daily run.

Former Dobie Academic Decathlon Coach Richard Golenko visits with his former pupil and current team Coach Steven Higginbotham, whose classroom is lined with momentos of the Longhorns' Academic Decathlon legacy.

Dobie's 2011 Dell Scholarship recipients: Uyen Tran, Jimmy Ly and Caitlin Caughlin.

Rodeo champion Clint Cannon congratulates De Zavala fifth-grader Diego Mondragon on his winning entry in the Reliant Energy "Power of Art" contest.

Pasadena ISD Superintendent Dr. Kirk Lewis (left) and South Houston High Principal Dr. Steve Fullen swap "needle" jokes with SHHS nurse Tammy Garcia and senior Arturo Arredondo during Friday's blood drive to benefit ailing South Houston fencing coach Jerry Dunaway.

  UPDATE (May 5, 2011): Long-time South Houston High School Coach Jerry Dunaway passed away on May 4 from complications of a torn aorta.
  Dunaway had coached fencing at South Houston since 1994 when he took over an after-school club and transformed it into a varsity-level competition squad.

San Jacinto Intermediate's Dragon Boat crew gets ready to race with Coach Ryan Nygaard at the helm and faculty member Erica Garza pounding the pace drum.

Sam Rayburn Leadership members are Marcus Garza, Maklum Quiroz, Julio Jaramillo and Jose Martinez.

  Pearl Hall Elementary music teacher Jami Lupold has been named a recipient of the Yale Distinguished Music Educator Award and a participant in the Yale Symposium on Music in Schools this summer. 
  The co-director of the "Building Cultural Bridges" program, Lupold (right) often hosts scientists, musicians and astronauts from around the globe as a means to bring the worlds of science and music together for students. 
  The Yale Symposium, held once every two years at the Yale School of Music, honors fifty teachers from around the country for exceptional accomplishments in the field of music education. About 300 music teachers nationally competed for those 50 spots.
  The symposium will feature performances from internationally acclaimed cellist Yo-Yo Ma as well as a variety of presentations and workshops. 
  Lupold is currently preparing the Pearl Hall choir for a performance with the Houston Symphony at the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion as part of the Symphony's family concert series "Out of This World." 
  The performance is scheduled for next Wednesday (April 20) at 7:30 p.m. Admission is free for lawn and mezzanine areas. For more information regarding the event, visit www.woodlandscenter.org.

Raquel Trevino of Pasadena High proudly displays her first-place medalist plaque -- and gets a smile of approval from her coach, Russell Kent.

  With the help of a miracle 35-foot chip shot, Pasadena High junior Raquel Trevino this week became the first female from her school ever to win a district golf championship. 
  Trevino defeated Memorial High senior Christina Stringham, the reigning three-time District 22-5A champion, on the third hole of a sudden-death playoff to capture the district title on Tuesday at the Evergreen Point Golf Course in Baytown. 
  Trevino would never have reached the third playoff hole if not for a 35-foot chip shot that found the cup and enabled her to birdie the par-three second hole. Stringham easily converted a 5-foot putt to claim her birdie on the hole. 
  On the third playoff hole, a par four, Trevino made the green in two strokes and two-putted for par. She claimed victory when Stringham missed a 12-foot putt she needed for par. 
  Trevino followed up a first-round 82 with a second-round score of 79, the only round of sub-80 golf in the tournament. That left her tied with Stringham, both with 36-hole totals of 161. 
  "Raquel has worked hard this year to improve her game," Pasadena High golf coach Russell Kent said, "and it showed."
  The Eagles' girls team finished third in the team standings. Pictured below with Coach Kent are team members Katharine Manrique, Trevino, Gladis Rivas, Storm Villagran, Cindy Vasquez and Aracely Cortez.

  Karima Christmas, one of the most acclaimed female athletes in Pasadena ISD history, was selected in the second round of the WNBA draft on Monday by the Washington Mystics. 
  Christmas, a 2007 Dobie High grad, is believe to be the first female athlete from a Pasadena
ISD school ever to be drafted by a professional sports team. 
  Christmas started 35 of 36 games last season for Duke University, averaging 9.5 points and 6.3 rebounds. She was the 23rd overall pick in the draft. 
  A 6-foot guard/forward, Christmas was a four-year letterwinner at Dobie under Coach Doug Gibson. She led her team to a 32-7 record her senior year. 
  She earned all-district honors three times and district most valuable honors as a senior, when she averaged 18.7 points and 9.6 rebounds a game. 
  At Duke, Christmas became the 27th player in school history to top 1,000 career points.

Pasadena High Principal Joe Saavedra (second from right) with student leaders from various campus organizations: Veronica Sarabla, Christian Sanchez, Sierra Gonzalez, Raymundo Sanchez, Maricarmen Medina, Carlos Castillo, Jackeline Gonzalez, Jonathan Castrejon, Jacqueline Cardenas and Laura Arteaga.

BY AL CARTER
Pasadena ISD Communications Office
  Joe Saavedra remembers the label as if it were part of a lesson on "The Scarlet Letter."
  In this case, it was a big red "AU" -- for "Academically Unacceptable." In 2007, and again in 2008, Pasadena High was the recipient of that unhappy designation by the Texas Education Agency. 
  "People saw that label and they came to negative conclusions," says Saavedra, now the school's principal. "We've had to overcome that thinking by emphasizing all the positive things about our school."
  Nothing could be more positive than the news Saavedra and other Pasadena ISD officials received earlier this spring concerning the district's flagship high school. Pasadena High, they were informed, has been designated a National Model School for 2011 by the International Center for Leadership in Education.
  Officials from the school have been invited to attend the National Model Schools Conference in Nashville this summer to present a full report on Pasadena High's remarkable academic recovery. Saavedra, in his second year as Pasadena principal, can't wait to start sharing the details.
  "Being a Model School is a positive thing for everyone -- for the teachers, for the students and even for the parents," Saavedra says.
  "All of our parents can now proudly say, 'I'm sending my child to a Model School.'"
Pasadena High is the second district school to earn the designation in the past two years. South Houston Intermediate was named a National Model School in 2009. 
  The Pasadena ISD, itself, was named a National Model School District in 2008. 
  "The Pasadena High School staff has worked diligently to make the many positive changes that are benefitting students," said Dr. Kirk Lewis, the Pasadena ISD's superintendent of schools.
  "Their excitement and hard work have been contagious as students have grown excited about the possibilities awaiting them. They have met rigorous expectations and aimed toward higher goals for their futures. Being named a National Model School is just the first of many well-deserved awards that Pasadena High-its students and staff-will be celebrating."
  Part of the mission of the Model Schools program is to provide recognition to schools that successfully serve at-risk populations and to present those schools as models for other officials at schools in similar situations to emulate.
  "Being the oldest school in Pasadena, we had a great tradition of academic achievement," Saavedra says. "This means we have regained that respectability. It doesn't mean that we're a perfect school. But this does recognize that we're going in the right direction and that we are going to reach tremendous goals here at Pasadena High School."
  "A model school is one which has implemented the best school-wide practices and has accomplished substantial improvements," says Troy McCarley, a Pasadena ISD associate superintendent for campus development.
  "Pasadena High has worked hard to increase the instructional rigor and relevance in all curriculum areas while building positive school climate and school-wide pride."
  McCarley was appointed by the district to directly monitor campus performance at Pasadena High for the 2007-08 school year and implement a school improvement plan. The previous year, in 2006-07, Pasadena High was saddled with an Academically Unacceptable rating by the TEA because of a low completion rate. The rating was renewed in 2007-08 because of low scores on the math portions of TAKS tests.
  Now, McCarley says, campus improvements at the school "are evident in test scores, in extra-curricular achievements, in teacher retention and in the positive atmosphere you witness when walking the halls."
  "We've been through a lot," Saavedra says. "But we have a great team of teachers and staff members who really care about the kids. They made this happen."
  One of the many measures of Eagles accomplishments this year was the performance of the school's Academic Decathlon team. Pasadena finished fifth at regional competition and advanced to the state championships in El Paso.
  Other Eagles laurels this school year include high ratings for orchestra, choir and other fine arts and visual arts students. Two members of the school's Business Professionals of American chapter qualified for national competition in Washington, D.C. The Eagles' boys soccer team finished third in District 22-5A and made the state playoffs.
  "I'm proud of the students and staff for reviving the sense of Eagle Pride that has been part of the tradition of the district's original high school," said DeeAnn Powell, an associate superintendent for campus development. Powell is a 1987 graduate of Pasadena High.
  "It is evident that the climate and culture of the campus includes high expectations for all," Powell said. "I look forward to seeing the school's list of accomplishments grow as we continue to build a school community that meets the needs of all stakeholders."
  Sheri Dennis came to the campus three ago to serve as dean of instruction and assist with the school's academic recovery. She cites changes in leadership and a greater emphasis on such tools as data assessment, staff development and technology as critical factors in Pasadena High's performance turnaround.
  So many faculty and staff members are new, Dennis says, that many of the administrative veterans have been compelled to offer accounts of the "AU" days, just for the sake of perspective.
  "We find ourselves having to explain why being a Model School is so important," Dennis says.
  Saavedra says one lesson from the experience deserves special emphasis.
  "It's never an excuse to just say, 'We have at-risk kids,'" he says.  
  "We have to perform -- and we are. We're doing things to address the needs of all our kids here at Pasadena."

  Memorial High art students claimed five of the six finalist spots in the senior division of the Dow Chemical Art Exhibition and Calendar Design contest this week. 
  Pasadena ISD students claimed eight of the 12 spots in both the junior and senior divisions. Memorial students reaching the finals were senior Brittany Seay; juniors Chelsea MacLean, Stephen Alcala and Brooke Hall; and freshman Tram Le. 
  Two eighth-graders -- Mariah Martinez of Queens Intermediate and Dona Nguyen of Thompson Intermediate -- reached the finals in the junior division, as did Carin Guzman, a sixth-grader at De Zavala Middle School. 
  This is the first time in Pasadena ISD history that a sixth-grader will be highlighted on the Dow calendar. 
  Adam Malek is the art teacher for four of the five Memorial students. Memorial's Miguel Herrera and Thompson's Stephanie Albert join the ranks of select art teachers to showcase student work on the calendar.
  This marks the third consecutive year for Queens teacher Tisha Tyler to have students appear on the calendar.

  Seventeen elementary schools in the Pasadena ISD have been designated as National Title I Distinguished Schools for either outstanding performance or outstanding progress in academics. 
  Elementary schools designated as distinguished for outstanding performance are: Atkinson, Burnett, Frazier, Garfield, Golden Acres, Laura Bush, Mae Smythe, Matthys, Morales, Pearl Hall, Richey, South Houston, South Shaver, Teague and Young. 
  Two schools - McMasters and Red Bluff - earned a distinguished designation for outstanding progress. 
  All fall under the Title I, Part A provisions of the No Child Left Behind program supervised by the Texas Education Agency. 
  A Title I, Part A school is defined as one having 40 percent or more of its enrollment at a low-income level. 
  To receive an outstanding performance award, a school must have been rated Exemplary in 2010 and either Exemplary or Recognized in each of the two previous years. 
  To received an outstanding progress award, a school must have been rated Academically Unacceptable or Acceptable in 2008, either Exemplary or Recognized in 2009 and Exemplary in 2010. Schools must also have met their Annual Yearly Progress goals in both 2009 and 2010.

  The Board of Trustees election set for May 14 has been canceled because of unopposed candidates in the two Board seats to be put before the voters. 
  The two unopposed candidates are both incumbents: Marshall Kendrick in Postion No. 6 and Vickie Morgan in Position No. 7. 
  Kendrick and Morgan were declared re-elected to their seats by vote of the Board on Tuesday night. Both will be sworn in after May 14.

  By JOCELYN NICHOLS
  PISD Communications Staff
  For four members of the Bondy Intermediate School choir, Chicago provided plenty of sights. But the best sounds came from the choir members themselves.
  Bondy students Kyra Chapa, David Weiser, Alex Barosh and Michael Dinsdale - all members of the school's A Capella Choir -- were among 300 students chosen from a nationwide audition pool to participate in National Junior High Choir activities in Chicago from March 9-12.
  The trip concluded with the National Junior High Choir Concert in the Roosevelt University auditorium before an audience of nearly 900. 
  Equally important was the students' opportunity to rehearse under the direction of Dr. Rollo Dilworth, a noted composer and singer who serves as Professor of Music and Director of Choral Activities and Music Education at Chicago's North Park University School of Music. 
  Dr. Dilworth is also the director of the Music Institute of Chicago's Children Choir. 
  "These are outstanding students with gifted voices," said Margaret Jordan, Bondy's choir director. "We are so glad that they had the chance to learn from Dr. Dilworth."
  Chapa and Weiser are eighth-graders at Bondy. Barosh and Dinsdale are seventh-graders.
  All are tenors, except Chapa, who is a soprano.
  When they weren't singing, the students enjoyed sight-seeing around Chicago. They visited the Sears Tower, the Navy Pier and the Field Museum. They also attended the St. Patrick's Day Parade and watched as the Chicago River was dyed green. 
  "Chicago was a lot of fun," Dinsdale said. "I ate a real Chicago dog."
  The students were selected to perform in the National Junior High Choir by the American Choral Directors Association based upon auditions held last year.
  Each student recorded sound files in which they sang scales, "My Country, 'Tis of Thee" and additional material. More than 1,200 students from around the country auditioned, from which 300 were chosen.
  Weiser, Barosh and Dinsdale were the only tenors selected from Texas. 
  Because the students were selected to perform in this year's concert, they are also eligible to audition for the 2012 International Choir concert to be held in London. 
  The students rehearsed with Dr. Dilworth and other composers three times a day, sometimes for up to three hours per session. Dr. Dilworth taught the students vocal warm-ups and other exercises. Students also participated in question-and-answer sessions with their instructors. 
  "The rehearsals were long," Barosh said. "But I enjoyed it because we sang fun songs."
  Linda Fletcher, Pasadena ISD's Director of Fine Arts, and Troy McCarley, the district's Associate Superintendent for Campus Development, were in attendance for the concert, as were the parents of the four Bondy students.
  "To be able to perform with such a high musical caliber of students, and with Dr. Dilworth, is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity," Fletcher said. "Plus, the students sounded wonderful."
  "The director was incredible," Chapa said. "We learned a lot of good techniques from him."
  The students took what they learned back to Bondy to share with other choir students. 
  "They were so eager to share what they learned," said Lisa Morfin, Bondy's assistant choir director. "They volunteered to teach the other choir members the warm-ups they did with Dr. Dilworth."
  For Weiser, the trip not only provided him with a unique opportunity to advance his music education. He said it gave him the chance to interact with other students from other parts of the country. 
  "It was a good to meet people from different places who share the same enthusiasm for music that I do," Weiser said.

  Twenty-five seniors -- five from each of the Pasadena ISD's five high schools -- were honored by the Board of Trustees on Tuesday night as recipients of the 2011 Vanguard Community Service Awards.
  The awards are presented to seniors selected from campus volunteers who commit at least 300 hours to projects in Pasadena and surrounding communities. Winners for 2011 are pictured below:

PASADENA HIGH SCHOOL: Fidel Deaquino, Laura Arteaga, Sarah Bermudez, Cristina Garcia and Frank Cruz.

MEMORIAL HIGH SCHOOL: Josselyne Chano, Chelsea Derr, Alyssa Zarate, Abigail Cork and Sicily Caraballo.

SAM RAYBURN HIGH SCHOOL: Nicole Landry, Susan Sanchez, Juan Canales, Liliana Gonzalez and Carmen Martin.

SOUTH HOUSTON HIGH SCHOOL: Jose Flores, Ada Morales, Dominque Reyes, Aundrea Lopez and Perla Preza.

On hand for the Board of Trustees meeting on Tuesday night were Rodeo officials Jim Barron, Beth Cardono and Louis Bart.

UPDATED 3-25-2011: Employees who wish to be seen at the Wellness Center are advised, for the time being, to call ahead for an appointment. Walk-ins will be accepted on a time-available basis.

By JOCELYN NICHOLS
Pasadena ISD Communications Office
  The new Pasadena ISD Wellness Center, a provider of free basic health care services to district employees with Pasadena ISD medical insurance, opened its doors to patients on March 14.
  "We are excited about the wellness center," said Pasadena ISD Superintendent Dr. Kirk Lewis. "It will provide our staff with an affordable health care option for illness and preventative care."
  The center is located in the district's Frank Braden Center, 1850 E. Sam Houston Pkwy. S.
  Hours of operation for the center are Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Tuesdays and Thursdays from 1 p.m. to 8 p.m.
  The center will also be open on Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.
  Appointments may be made by calling 713-740-5300. Walk-ins are also welcome.
  PISD employees and their dependents who are on Plan 1 or Plan 2 coverage will be seen and be treated without charge. All other employees will be charged $50 per visit plus the cost of any tests that may be required.
  The clinic is not available for the dependents of employees who are not on district medical insurance.
  All patients with Pasadena ISD medical insurance must bring proof of that insurance. A system to identify covered employees is still being developed.
  Dr. Jaime Hurtado has been named managing physician for the center. Dr. Hurtado is board certified in family medicine with the American Academy of Family Physicians. His professional memberships include the Harris County Medical Society and the Texas Medical Association. 
  Dr. Hurtado is experienced in primary care, internal medicine and intensive care.
  "We are dedicated to patient care and we want to provide the Pasadena ISD family with the best treatment available," Dr. Hurtado said. 
  The center will offer a full range of primary care services, including physical exams, X- rays, immunizations and the treatment of acute and/or chronic illnesses.
  The center will eventually offer free prescriptions for many generic drugs. This service will be available only to employees with district health insurance. 
  The district is in the process of obtaining a license to dispense medicine. For now, patients who are prescribed medicine can get those prescriptions filled at local pharmacies.
  The district is also working to get the center approved by other health insurance companies. Once approved, employees with other health insurance may visit the center as long as they meet their deductable.
  Last September, the Pasadena ISD Board of Trustees approved a contract with First On-Site to establish the center. The district is providing $750,000 in initial funding for the center with the expectation that those costs will be recovered in the form of lower health-care costs to the district.

  For over 600 Pasadena ISD intermediate school students, the most memorable ride of the 2011 Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo probably had nothing to do with bulls or bucking broncos. The one that mattered most involved the charter buses - two city blocks worth -- required to take them there.
  And the sights and sounds most likely to last probably won't revolve around clowns or the carnival. Glowing report cards and the praise of teachers and parents could become commonplace, thanks to a new grade-incentive partnership between the Houston Rodeo and the Pasadena ISD.
  "It was a good thing because I'm doing better in my math class now," said Mireya Luna, a seventh-grader at South Houston Intermediate. "I started paying more attention in class and turning my assignments in faster to make better grades." 
  Luna and hundreds of other students at South Houston and Queens intermediate schools were treated to full day at the Houston Rodeo on March 9 as their reward for meeting criteria for good grades, outstanding conduct and regular attendance.
  The outing was the students' payoff in a pilot program which students themselves were allowed to name. "Rodeo Your Way to Success" was the winning entry. 
  "This was an amazing opportunity for our students," South Houston Intermediate Principal Laura Gomez said. "They needed this incentive to push themselves a little harder. Plus many of these students have never been to the Rodeo."
  "I've never been to the Rodeo in my life," said Michael Luarks, a seventh-grader at South Houston. "Actually, I've never been to any type of amusement park -- not even Astroworld. All that has changed now." 
  Rodeo officials provided 18 charter buses to transport the students for what turned out to be a 10-hour excursion. Students were escorted by tour guides and given a close-up look at numerous aspects of rodeo life - from bull-riding to mutton-busting to pig-racing. Some students even witnessed the birth of a calf. Others saw a baby goat being born.
  Students were treated to two hours of free amusement rides and then to a barbecue dinner. The two students who showed the most overall improvement in grades received free tickets for their families to see a Rodeo concert at a later date. 
  "I will definitely participate if they do it again," said South Houston seventh-grader Eddie Gomez. "We had fun at the Rodeo and I improved my grades."
  "They made this such a wonderful experience for our students," Queens Principal Troy Jones said of the Rodeo Houston. "They are one of the most generous organizations we've worked with."

  Winners have been announced for Pasadena ISD entries in Gulf Region competition for the Fire Prevention Poster Contest. The regional contest was sponsored by the Gulf Coast Fire Association. State competition will be held later this year. The list of winners:
  Primary Division (Grades1-2) -- Jerry Gonzalez, Gardens Elementary; and William Russell/-Rash, Ritchey Elementary
  Middle Division (Grades 5-6) -- Yisell Hernandez, Shaw Middle School 
  Junior Division (Grades 6-7) -- Patricia Flores, Park View Intermediate
  High School Division (Grades 8-12) -- Oscar Castillo, Southmore Intermediate; Anthony Lopez, Memorial High; Miguel Hernandez, Pasadena High; and Michelle Medellin, Sam Rayburn High

Hold her back! Kimberly Buskirk erupts with elation during a surprise visit to her classroom to inform her that she has been named a finalist for an H-E-B Excellence in Education Award. Providing emotional support are Gardens Principal Celia Fleischman and Assistant Principal Vicki Lenio.

  Gardens Elementary music teacher Kimberly Buskirk was somewhere between Debussy and Ravel in her lesson on impressionist influences when a rhapsody of good news arrived at her classroom door on Tuesday.

Buskirk shows off her $1,000 award to her music students other well-wishers.

A family celebration: Buskirk with (in the back) her brother, Greg Etzel; her sister, Lisa Triche; her husband, Ed Buskirk; her mom, Judy Etzel; and (front) her two kids, six-year-old Savannah and eight-year-old Nathan.

Buskirk's students, family, colleagues and well-wishers -- including H-E-Buddy -- gather for a celebration photo.

Frank Young, founder and CEO of Theater Under The Stars, answers questions from Dobie drama students about the business of show business.

  Frank Young, the former Pasadena High drama student who went on to earn national acclaim as founder of Houston's Theater Under The Stars, completed his "Award of Excellence" tour of the Pasadena ISD's five high-school drama departments on Tuesday.
  Young watched Dobie High's one-act play performance of "The Divining" and heaped high praise on the students for their efforts.
  Afterward, he addressed the cast and crew. Then, he presented the school with an "Award of Excellence" trophy that bears his name.
  A 1958 graduate of Pasadena High, Young visited drama departments at South Houston High, Sam Rayburn High, Pasadena High and Memorial High in recent weeks for trophy presentations and question-and-answer discussions with students.
  The Pasadena ISD established the "Frank Young Award of Excellence" this year to honor the many decades of contributions Young has made to the performing arts.
  Young's mother, Adella Young, was a Pasadena High teacher who went on to become the first woman to serve on the district's Board of Trustees. Young Elementary is named in her honor.

Frank Young shows Dobie students the "Award of Excellence" trophy that bears his name.

Young poses with Dobie students and staff from the school and from the Pasadena ISD.  

  By BRITTA GAMINO
  Pasadena ISD Communications
  Because of tight budget oversight in recent years, the Pasadena ISD may be in a better position than some Texas school districts to weather deep funding cuts proposed by state legislators, Superintendent Dr. Kirk Lewis told a gathering of concerned citizens at South Houston High School on Thursday night.
  But even with that tight grip on spending, the Pasadena ISD faces the certainty of teacher administrator and support staff layoffs in the coming weeks and the prospect of even deeper cuts if a state funding shortfall proves to be even greater than projected, Dr. Lewis said. 
  "We've been running on a very lean budget for years," said Dr. Lewis. "One of the only other ways to increase revenue is to raise taxes, which we have not done in four years." 
  The public forum at South Houston High was the third of five meetings scheduled by the district to discuss pending education cuts and possible solutions. 
  Dr. Lewis provided an overview of the proposed state cuts, projected to be between $4-5 billion each of the next two years. That projection, Dr. Lewis said, would leave the Pasadena ISD with a $21 million shortfall each year. 
  Dr. Lewis said he places great importance on the need to keep taxes low at the local level. A higher tax rate can only be adopted by public vote. 
  Dr. Lewis pointed out alternative means to confront the financial challenge without having to raise taxes. He said the district plans to search for additional grant revenue and could use up to half of the district's fund balance as a way to avoid additional personnel cuts. 
  If the proposed state cuts go into effect, the public could see an increase in class size at all grades levels and the loss of about 150 teaching positions, Dr. Lewis said. Staffing levels for the central office, maintenance, operations, transportation, police and crossing guards would also face reductions, he said. 
  A hiring freeze is already in effect across the district. All central office departments, including fine arts and athletics, are cutting five percent from their 2011-2012 budgets. Because of the anticipated shortfall, some renovation projects have been put on hold. 
  If state cuts result in a funding loss to the Pasadena ISD of more than $21 million a year, the district will be forced to make even more drastic cuts, Dr. Lewis said. 
  Areas of possible additional cuts could include - but might not be limited to -- swimming, golf and tennis programs, the closing of some smaller elementary schools and a further reduction of staff in areas such as business, human resources, campus aides and campus administration. 
  Concerned parents voiced their opinions at the forum. Some asked what they could do to assist the district.
  "You are all advised to contact your legislators to respectfully inform them that public education needs to be a priority," Dr. Lewis said.
  A list of area legislators and contact information can be found on the district's website - www.pasadenaisd.org - by clicking on "District Financial Updates" on the left side of the home page.
  Comments and suggestions can be directed to Dr. Lewis at klewis@pasadenaisd.org. 
  The last two public forum meetings will be held on Monday, March 21 at 6:30 p.m. at Pasadena High, and Tuesday, March 22 at 6:30 p.m. at Dobie High. The public is invited to attend and participate in any or all of these sessions.

Pasadena High Principal Joe Saavedra reads over a brochure providing details of his school's Early College Program.

  Representatives from the Pasadena Area Retired School Employees (PARSE) presented a symbolic "check" to Pasadena ISD Superintendent Dr. Kirk Lewis and to Deer Park ISD Superintendent Arnold Adair recently for nearly $900,000, that amount representing the savings to the two districts reaped from the efforts of the group's volunteers.
  PARSE is a group of retired men and women with an interest in national, state and local issues. The 346 members take on many tasks normally performed by paid personnel. Volunteers are involved in tutoring and as classroom helpers, library aides, hospital aides and other services. 
  (Below) Dr. Lewis accepts the gift of time from PARSE members Georgette Dredge, Ella Gauthier, Donna Cloteaux and Barbara Foster.

Dr. Mike McKinney, flanked by Pasadena ISD Superintendent Dr. Kirk Lewis and School Board Vice President Marshall Kendrick, poses next to a mockup of his Distinguished Alumnus plaque, to be placed on permanent display outside the Administration Building.

  A cowboy rendering by Memorial High senior Jessica Vega has been chosen for inclusion in the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo Art Contest Auction to be held on Sunday.
  Vega was one of 52 students chosen to have artwork assigned to the auction. More than 300,000 students made up the original field of entrants.
  The auction, set for 11:45 a.m. in the Reliant Arena Sales Pavilion, is open to the public.
  Meanwhile, Pasadena ISD art students who placed in the district-level Best of Show, Gold Medal and Special Merit categories, and their teachers, attended the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo School Art Awards at Reliant Center on Saturday. 
  Glassell School of Art Scholarships for a one-week workshop were awarded to Sandy Llanes Chaves, a first-grader at Bush Elementary, to Vega and to Memorial High students Maria Morales, Jessica Riojas, Tram Le and Brittany Seay.
  Seay also received the Western Art Academy Scholarship to attend an intensive one month workshop in Kerrville at the Western Museum of Art. 
  (Below left) Vega and her auction-bound artwork. (Below right) Pasadena ISD art award-winners attend the rodeo.

Polish native Agata Perez, now in her fifth year of teaching at Pasadena High, earned her U.S. citizenship earlier this year.

  Sam Rayburn High's Emily Robbins and Dobie High's Jeremy Morris have named National Merit Scholarship Finalists for 2011.
  Morris, 16, is key member of the Dobie Academic Decathlon team that won the Texas state championship last month. The Longhorns will vie for the national title in Charlotte, N.C., later this spring.
  He is active in the Latin Club at Dobie and plans to attend either Columbia or Brandeis University.
  Robbins, 17, is a member of the varsity and regional orchestras at Sam Rayburn. She also competed in academic decathlon.
  Robbins is a member of the French Club and the French National Honor Society.
  She plans to attend Stephen F. Austin and major in French.

South Houston senior Getzani Mogul, a member of the school's NJROTC, prepares to deliver a bouquet of roses to one of the family members representing a SHHS graduate killed in the line of duty. Seated to the right are family members of fallen graduates and other members of the first class of inductees to the school's new Hall of Honor. All photos on this page by Candace Ahlfinger, Britta Gamino and Alex Gladney-Lemon.

  The video technology staff at South Houston High School has established an online replay of last week's SHHS Hall of Honor dedication at the school. 
  The video includes speeches by South Houston Principal Dr. Steve Fullen and Hall of Honor inductee Emory Gadd. It includes the reading of the roll of 55 inductees, the unveiling of the Hall of Honor plaque display, the singing of the Alma Mater by the South Houston Choir and the ringing of the Victory Bell by the NJROTC.
  The rendition of the Alma Mater includes the second verse, which had not been sung in public for over 30 years.

HALL OF HONOR REPLAY

Members of Dobie's state championship academic decathlon team: (top) Ed Gonzalez, Eddie Nunez, Tad Walters, Quinn Velasquez and Julian Hernandez; (middle) Coach Steven Higginbotham, Jeremy Morris, Mark Admani and Coach Todd Geries; (bottom) Jessica Huynh and Katey Miille.

  Alison Tran, winner of last month's Pasadena ISD Spelling Bee, and Spencer Messick, the runner up, will be among 55 Houston area students vying for the title of Houston Spelling Bee champion on Saturday, March 26, in competition to be televised live from the Melcher Center for Public Broadcasting on the main campus at the University of Houston.
  Channel 8, Houston PBS, will provide live TV coverage at 2 p.m.
  Tran is a seventh-grader from Miller Intermediate. Messick is a fifth-grader from Bailey Elementary.
  Tran won the district competition on Feb. 15 in a 25-round marathon, the longest spelling bee in Pasadena ISD history.
  The Houston Spelling Bee features the top 55 spellers from 1,070 schools in 42 counties, from East Texas to Austin. The winner advances to the Scripps National Spelling Bee, the nation's highest-profile academic event, in Washington, D.C. Last year's national champion won over $35,000 in cash and prizes.

  Randomly selected Pasadena ISD students will have the opportunity to take part in a new technology-based program designed to improve and expand physical education programs at all grade levels.
  With parental permission, students selected for the program will wear a Polar Active Activity Monitor, a watch-like device that records the amount of physical activity the student engages in over a specified period of time. 
  Students from kindergarten through the fourth grade will be asked to wear the device for four days. Students in grades five through 12 will be asked to wear the device for seven days.
  Students chosen to wear the device will receive a parental permission letter that includes additional information about the project. The program is funded with the help of a Carol White PEP Grant. 
  The goal of the project is to provide teachers and students with a better understanding of healthy eating habits, proper nutrition and opportunities for increased physical activity to improve overall health.
  Data from the project will be collected from a different sampling of students four times during the school year and downloaded into a program that will provide the district with information on the average activity level of students. 
  The data will be combined with surveys on nutrition and eating habits to develop health, nutrition and physical education programs to empower students to stay active and healthy for a lifetime.
  Information gathered from the monitors will be private and will not be shared with anyone in a form that can be associated with any particular student.
  Parents with questions about the project should call Angela Balch at 713-740-0830, Ext. 62115.

  The Pasadena ISD Board of Trustees on Tuesday night adopted two resolutions, both related to financial problems brought about by pending cuts in state education funding.
  Proposed cuts in the Texas legislature could reduce state funding for education by $5 billion each of the next two years. As such, the Pasadena ISD is anticipating at least $20 million in lost funding for the 2011-2012 school year.
  At its regular meeting on Tuesday night, the board unanimously approved a "Make Education a Priority" resolution that urges state lawmakers to regard public education as "the highest priority" when considering budget issues during the current legislative session. The resolution is part of a statewide initiative by public schools to alert lawmakers to the concerns of educators.
  The resolution affirms that the board "respectfully acknowledges, applauds and joins the priority efforts to protect the pursuit of quality education for all children."
  The district has declared a state of financial exigency to deal with the anticipated funding shortfall. Officials are moving forward with plans for expenditure cuts that may include a sizable reduction in teaching and other positions for the 2011-2012 school year.
  The board also passed a resolution seeking an exemption from new drainage fees imposed by the City of Houston. According to the resolution, the new fees will cost the district an estimated $270,000 per year and could result in either an increase in tax rates or a reduction in education services in affected districts.

'MAKE EDUCATION A PRIORITY' RESOLUTION 

DRAINAGE FEE EXEMPTION RESOLUTION

Several Pasadena ISD students from Future Farmers of America programs traveled to Austin this week to take part in FFA Day activities, part of the National FFA Week observance. (Below) Visiting the state capitol are Katelyn Isbell, Lauren Pederson, Cole Brasfield and Lacie Villarreal, all from Sam Rayburn High; also America Adan, from Pasadena High, and Shea Sorgmann, from Sam Rayburn.

South Belt P.E. instructor Jon Kidwell (above) wrote the grant submission that earned South Belt Elementary $10,000 for fitness funding.

  Stephen Acala and Jessica Vega, both art students at Memorial High, recently earned Gold Key Awards for their entries in the Scholastic Art and Writing Contest.
  Alcala earned the "Trustees' Exemplary Award" while Vega earned the "Superintendent's Award." Both carry monetary prizes. Both rank among the top three regional art awards issued by the Harris County Department of Education.
  The two students attended a recent reception hosted by the HCDE. Their teacher, Adam Malek, was also recognized at the reception for his efforts to advance students' art interests.
  The winning entries will now compete at the national contest in New York City. Winners there will be honored at Carnegie Hall this summer. 
  (Below) Vega and Acala pose with their winning entries.

Music students recognized by the Board of Trustees on Tuesday night for earning All-State honors: Erik Flores and Chanse Morris, both members of the Dobie band, and Carl Hinkie, a member of the Sam Rayburn choir.

  Nearly two years into a Pasadena ISD initiative to sell advertising space on district school buses, the venture has pumped over $15,000 into the district's general fund.
  As the concern over state funding for education grows, the need for school districts to create additional streams continues to be a high priority. Those concerns prompted the Pasadena ISD Board of Trustees in March of 2009 to launch an initiative to sell appropriate advertising on its school buses.
  With more than 250 district buses traveling throughout the area, businesses have the opportunity to capture the attention of target audiences, to support local education and perhaps relieve some of the burden on local taxpayers. 
  Pasadena ISD partners with Steep Creek Media to sell advertising. Sixty percent of the revenue from those ad sales goes into the district coffers. 
  Each ad is reviewed by the district to ensure that it is appropriate for children and for the community. The state also has guidelines related to safety, such as the size and placement of the ads. 
  Several businesses have contributed to the revenue intiative by purchasing ad space. Among the district's bus advertisers are Landry's Restaurant, the Houston Astros, Women's Health Specialist, Bayside Urgent Care, Texas Family Dental, Little Caesar's, Houston Neurological, Ocean Dental, Dexter Joyner and Coastal Reconstruction.
  For more information about advertising possibilities, please visit Steep Creek Media's website at www.steepcreekmedia.com.

Pre-kindergarten students at Pomeroy Elementary have adjusted quickly to the extra time spent in school.

Miller Intermediate's Alison Tran flashes a smile after correctly spelling "imperative" and wrapping up the District Spelling Bee title on Tuesday.

  For Miller Intermediate seventh-grader Alison Tran, the imperative was to spell the word.

Tran and Messick show off their first- and second-place trophies.

(Left) Tran with her coach, Kathy Massey, her mother, Denise Tran, and her sister, Jenny Tran, a Milstead Middle School sixth-grader; (right) Messick with his parents, Laronda and Spencer Messick.

Pasadena ISD Superintendent Dr. Kirk Lewis cuts the ribbon to officially launch solar energy operations at Sam Rayburn High School. Joining Dr. Lewis are Dr. Richard Haut, senior research scientist at the Houston Advanced Research Center; Ken Kramer, director of the Lone Star Chapter of the Sierra Club; Lizabeth Price, research associate at HARC; Peter Mathey, CEO and president of Ignite Solar; Richard Long, senior project manager for Broaddus & Associates; and Alejandro Savransky, the state field organizer for Environmental Texas.

  By Britta Gamino
  Pasadena ISD Communications Office
  Clear, sunlit skies provided the ideal stage for scientists, engineers and environmentalists to team up with Pasadena ISD officials for a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Tuesday to launch revolutionary solar energy projects at two district high schools.
  Pasadena ISD Superintendent Dr. Kirk Lewis sliced through a blue "Solar Initiative" ribbon at Sam Rayburn High School before a reception crowd of more than 100 guests from the business, science and educational communities.
  The ceremony provided an official start-up of solar energy projects at Sam Rayburn and also South Houston High School. Energy provided by the systems is expected save the district about $15,000 in energy costs.
  "America's strength in the 21st Century is going to be built on creativity and the innovation of the students who we graduate," Dr. Lewis said. "I cannot think of anything that will be more challenging and more relevant to our students than green technology."
  Speakers at the ceremony also included Dr. Richard Haut, senior research scientist at Houston Advanced Research Center; Peter Mathey, CEO and president of Ignite Solar; Ken Kramer of the Texas Chapter of the Sierra Club; and Alejandro Savransky, the state field organizer of Environment Texas.
  The initiative represents the largest solar rooftop project in any Texas public school system. The solar installations are designed to produce 145 kilowatts of energy.
  Obtaining a cheaper and cleaner source of energy isn't the only goal of the project. Pasadena ISD administration and staff are incorporating the solar technology into the district science curriculum. Students will receive hands-on training that will enable them to better understand solar technology.
  "To be able to offer them this kind of opportunity is immeasurable," Dr. Lewis said. "What we are creating in this district is a learning laboratory that I think is the beginning of what I would like to see happen across the district."
  Kramer emphasized the environmental benefits of the project. 
  "The completion of the solar power installation not only benefits the environment," Kramer said, "it also enhances our ability to educate our students in a way that teaches practical solutions to society's pressing problems."
  The event concluded with guided tours of the kiosk, the inverter room and solar awning along the south side of the school. Members of the Sam Rayburn High School JROTC provided campus escorts for many of the guests.
  "This project allows our students and community to learn about solar energy and how it can be used to sustain our fragile environment," said Grace Blasingame, the science content specialist at Sam Rayburn who has served as the school's point person on the project.
  Dr. Haut said plans are in the works for two more solar projects at Pasadena ISD facilities.
  "What a vision and what an opportunity that starts right here," Dr. Haut said.

Grace Blasingame, science content teacher at Sam Rayburn, explains a project display to juniors Wyatt Long and Brian Robles, students in an environmental science class at Rayburn.
 

Rodney Richardson, a project manager for American Electronic Technologies, Inc., outlines technical aspects of the solar project for campus guests at an informational kiosk.  

Jarrell Perrin, a project manager for Tecta Solar and CEI Roofing, points out the features of the solar awning system for campus guests.  

Berny Wilson (right), project foreman for American Electronic Technologies, Inc., serves as tour guide in the inverter room for Sam Rayburn teacher Pete Lococo.

LINK FOR SAM RAYBURN HS SOLAR MONITORING 

A Video Message from Dr. Lewis

The Pasadena ISD is hosting a Middle School Math Academy to boost teachers' content knowledge and help them better prepare students for algebra courses down the road. (Pictured below) Middle school teachers participate in activities during a Math Academy session last Saturday.

Winners in the 2011 Science Fair have been announced. The listing follows:

  Candidate applications for the Pasadena ISD Board of Trustees election are currently being accepted.
  The election is set for May 14. The deadline for filing is March 14.
  Ballot applications must be submitted to the Pasadena ISD Election Office, 1515 Cherrybrook, Room N101.
  For questions about the election process, call 713-740-0027.

TEXT OF THE OFFICIAL ELECTION NOTICE FOLLOWS:

NOTICE OF FIRST DAY TO FILE APPLICATION FOR A PLACE ON THE BALLOT FOR THE PASADENA INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT TRUSTEE ELECTION ON MAY 14, 2011

Notice is hereby given of the first day to file for an application for a place on the ballot for the PISD Trustee Election to be held on Saturday, May 14, 2011. The first day to file is Saturday, February 12, 2011. The Pasadena ISD Election Office will be closed on Saturday, February 12, 2011. Therefore, the Pasadena ISD Election Office will begin receiving applications for a place on the ballot on Monday, February 14, 2011. Pasadena ISD Election Office business hours are Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. The deadline to file an application for a place on the ballot is 5:00 p.m. on Monday, March 14, 2011. The Pasadena ISD Election Office is located at 1515 Cherrybrook, Room N101, and the telephone number is 713-740-0027.

  Two Pasadena ISD agricultural science teachers -- Tim Mikolajchak of Pasadena High and his wife, Johnna Mikolajchak of Sam Rayburn High -- traveled to the San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo to assist students exhibiting their livestock.
  (Below) Pasadena High FFA member Chelsea Pavlowich preps her Grey Brahman heifer and greets two visitors from back home -- Sarah Wrobleski, the Pasadena ISD's Director of Career and Technical Education; and Jayne McFarland, the district's Coordinator of Career and Technical Education; (bottom left) Tim and Johnna Mikolajchak help out with livestock; (bottom right) Pavlowich and her heifer.

  The Texas Education Agency has announced Friday, April 22, as the makeup date for the day of school lost to bad weather on Feb. 4 in the Pasadena ISD. 
  TEA said it will not grant waivers that schools that missed only one day to the weather. 
  School was cancelled in the Pasadena ISD last Friday because of icy conditions.

  Scientists, engineers, environmentalists and Pasadena ISD officials will gather at Sam Rayburn High on Tuesday to cut the ribbon on a futuristic solar energy sytem with a dual purpose - reducing conventional energy use and educating students about alternative energy sources.
  Solar systems have been completed at both Sam Rayburn and South Houston High. The systems are expected to reap a combined savings in energy costs to the district of about $15,000 annually.
  The systems are designed to produce about 145 kilowatts of energy. The project is managed by the Houston Advanced Research Center in a partnership with Ignite Solar, LLC, and the school district.
  The ribbon-cutting is set for 10 a.m.
  Speakers will include Dr. Richard Haut, Senior Research Scientist at HARC; Dr. Kirk Lewis, PISD Superintendent; and Peter Mathey, CEO and President of Ignite Solar. Guest speakers from the funding organizations include Luke Metzger, Director of Environment Texas; and Ken Kramer, Director of the Lone Star Chapter of the Sierra Club.
  Guests will be invited to view a short solar project highlights video and visit information booths about the technologies, education and outreach, project partners and sponsors. The event will conclude with tours of the solar awning, inverter room and education kiosk.
  "We are excited to be part of this multi-faceted project and look forward to sharing all aspects with the community as we continue to develop educational and outreach activities," said Lizabeth Price, Research Associate at HARC and project manager for the installation.
  HARC contracted with Ignite Solar, LLC, a Houston-based company that specializes in the design of commercial and large-scale solar photovoltaic projects, to provide the comprehensive turnkey solar system, and with Broaddus & Associates to provide construction-site management services.
  Ignite Solar subcontracted with Houston-based American Electric Technologies, Inc. for power distribution, converter systems and coordination, and implementation of the web-based interaction for students, as well as Tecta Solar and CEI Roofing for the solar module and racking installation.
  Pasadena ISD administration and staff are incorporating the solar technology education into their curriculum.
  "The knowledge and skills students will gain through these experiences will lead to more career pathways and provide more advanced learning opportunities," Dr. Lewis said. "These lessons will help them succeed in today's global society."
  "This project allows our students and community to learn about solar energy and how it can be used to sustain our fragile environment," said Grace Blasingame, science content specialist at Sam Rayburn.
  "Our students will perform real-world experiments with the data that we collect from the solar arrays. I know of no other district that is providing this type of experience."

  Melillo Middle School's Triston Gibson and Park View Intermediate's Dominique Martinez won the boys and girls divisions, respectively, in sixth-grade competition at the Pasadena ISD Big Shoot Out on Tuesday at Phillips Field House. 
  Other boys winners were Jakoby Flores, Mae Smythe Elementary, third grade; David Amaya, South Belt Elementary, fourth grade; and Harold Simeon, Williams Elementary, fifth grade. 
  Other girls winners were Ashley Rodriguez, Moore Elementary, third grade; Alyssa Jaramillo, Matthys Elementary, fourth grade; and Melody Garza, Shaw Middle School, fifth grade. 
  A complete list of the top three finishers follows:
BOYS
Third Grade
First: Jakoby Flores (Mae Smythe Elementary)
Second: Geronimo Acre (Meador Elementary)
Third: Juan Arredondo (Jessup Elementary)
Fourth Grade
First: David Amaya (South Belt Elementary)
Second: Isaac Martinez (Genoa Elementary)
Third: Peyton Miller (Frazier Elementary)
Fifth Grade
First: Harold Simeon (Williams Elementary)
Second: Joshua Arredondo (Fisher Elementary)
Third: Dralyn Brown (Schneider Middle School)
Sixth Grade
First: Triston Gibson (Melillo)
Second: Gerald Jessie (Milstead Middle School)
Third: Raul Espinal (Lomax Middle School)
GIRLS
Third Grade
First: Ashley Rodriguez (Moore Elementary)
Second: Julissa Fariaswence (Pearl Hall Elementary)
Third: Danielle Colunga (Frazier Elementary)
Fourth Grade
First: Alyssa Jaramillo (Matthys Elementary)
Second: Milady Villalobos (Gardens Elementary)
Third: Karimeh Guzman (Red Bluff Elementary)
Fifth Grade
First: Melody Garza (Shaw Middle School)
Second: Bianca Silva (Jensen Elementary)
Third: Jamie Gray (Keller Middle School)
Sixth Grade
First: Dominique Martinez (Park View)
Second: Victoria Gariley (Lomax Middle School)
Third: Jade Giron (Melillo Middle School)

Elementary Spelling Bee champ Nayeli Martinez and runner-up Crystal Dang collect their trophies following the competition.

  Four more Pasadena ISD schools have been added to the list of those recognized as Higher Performing Schools in Texas during 2010 by the National Center for Educational Advancement. 
  The NCEA, a department of the ACT college entrance board, previously recognized Memorial High, Southmore Intermediate and Young Elementary for student performance -- Memorial for reading, Southmore for math and social studies, and Young for reading and writing.  
  Four elementary schools - Garfield, Mae Smythe, Red Bluff and South Houston - were recently added to the honor list for student performance in writing.
  Schools must meet one of two critieria to be recognized. A school must show consistent improvement in student achievement from previous years, and/or absolute student achievement using Commended Performance results, in this case, on the Spring 2010 TAKS test.

Michelle Torres, a third-grade student at South Shaver Elementary, poses a question to former first lady Barbara Bush (TV monitor, inset) as her classmates eagerly wait for Mrs. Bush's reply.

  When her turn came Thursday morning, Michelle
Torres stood up on cue and asked her question clearly and without hesitation. The woman on the receiving end was just as succinct in her reply.
  This wasn't just any kids' inquiry, however.
  Torres, a third-grader at South Shaver Elementary, delivered her question to Barbara Bush, the former first lady. 
  "What book did you enjoy writing more? Your memoir? Or Millie's book?"
 Torres' question was one of nearly 20 directed at Mrs. Bush during a video conference originating from the Bush Library in College Station.
  "Mrs. Bush's Story Time" was shown to elementary students across the state and streamed to classrooms around the Pasadena ISD.
  Some 130 South Shaver third-graders gathered in the school library at 10 a.m. to listen to Mrs. Bush read aloud stories of former first ladies - and to watch as Torres, sitting up front, became a participant.
  Mrs. Bush replied that her memoir was easy to write because she has always enjoyed keeping diaries. But, she said, her book about Millie, the family dog during the Bushes' White House years, was fun because of all the naughty things the springer spaniel did while roaming the executive mansion.
  The Bush family was so fond of Millie, the dog was given a human name - Mildred "Millie" Kerr Bush.
  Millie is actually credited as the author of Millie's Book: As Dictated to Barbara Bush. The dog died in 1997 at the age of 12, four years after the Bushes left the White House. A dog park in Houston is named in her honor.
  South Shaver also participated in the event in 2009 with a student selected to ask a question.
  Torres' mother, Claudia Rodriguez, was on hand for the event, as was her teacher, Alicia Gaytan.

  Two students from Pasadena High and another from Memorial High were recognized for their art entries in the Houston Area Youth Art Month Contest.
  Laura Arteaga, a student at Pasadena High, had her entry, "Blueberry Pie Bubblegum," selected for the program's traveling show. Another Pasadena student, Amanda Vanderpool, received judge's choice recognition for her entry, "Daisy."
  Anthony Lopez, a student at Memorial, also received judge's choice recognition for his entry, "Crash Course."
  The entries are eligible for the Youth Art Month exhibit in March at the Glassell School, 5100 Montrose in Houston. A portion of that exhibit will be included in the traveling show, which will visit several locations in the coming year.
  The artists have been invited to a Youth Art Month reception at the Museum of Fine Arts Houston on March 27.

   Leroy Scott, South Houston High School's senior
cornerback and a high-school football standout the past four seasons, signed a national letter of intent with the Texas Longhorns on Wednesday, joining a parade of a half-dozen Trojans to formally agree to college offers. 
  Scott had verbally committed to sign with the Longhorns before his junior year. He was recently visited on campus by UT head coach Mack Brown and Major Applewhite, the Longhorns' new offensive coordinator. 
  Wednesday was the first day for high-school seniors across the country to sign college letters. 
  "I'm very excited on this special day, because all the hard work that I put in is finally paying off," Scott said.
Scott's mother, Katrina Scott, was at school to celebrate his signing. 
  "To have my mother there was very special so she could see the first of my many accomplishments," Scott said. 
  Five of Scott's teammates -- Joe Allen, Simon Beltran, Breland Dortch, Guy Peel and Dennis Robertson -- signed with Grand View University in Des Moines. 
  "It means the world to me," Beltran said. "I love playing football, and I'm among the few who get that chance of a lifetime to play on a college level."
The seniors were joined by C.L. Whittington, the Trojans' head football coach; Dr. Steve Fullen, the school's principal; Pasadena ISD Athletic Director Mike Stephens and Rodney Chant, the district's assistant athletic director. 
  "Signing today is special," Whittington said, "because this puts you on a path to a bright future."

  Dobie High School's powerhouse academic decathlon team captured first place in Region V competition last weekend while Pasadena High stunned event watchers with a fifth-place finish, far better than the school has ever done before.
  Along with Dobie, Pasadena also qualified for the State Academic Decathlon Feb. 25-27 in El Paso.
  Both coaches, the Longhorns' Steven Higginbotham and the Eagles' Tricia Anderson, participated on academic decathlon teams while students at those two schools. Higginbotham graduated from Dobie in 1995. Anderson graduated from Pasadena in 2003.
  Higginbotham has coached the team for five years and each time has led Dobie to state. Anderson is in her first year as Pasadena's coach.
  The Longhorns easily swept the regional competition at Clear Brook High School. In between first-place Dobie and the fifth-place Eagles were runner-up Clear Brook, third-place Pearland and fourth-place Deer Park.
  South Houston claimed 10th place.
  Dobie piled up 49,028 points to easily claim the title. Team members are Eddie Nunez, Mark Admani, Tad Walters, Jessica Huynh, Quinn Velasquez, Ed Gonzalez, Katey Miille, Julian Hernandez and Jeremy Morris.
  Morris, a senior, won gold medals in all seven objective tests. Nunez posted the eighth-highest score ever in state history.
  Pasadena earned 34,949 points. Team members are Laura Arteaga, Diana Morales, Abel Dominguez, Jose Escalera, George Gonzales, Hugo Ramirez, Eduardo Aleman and Alondra Serna.
  The regional title is Dobie's second in a row. The Longhorns last won the state title in 2003. The school produced national championships in 1992 and 1996.

 Dobie Academic Decathlon team members are (front) Paul Sabal and Katey Miille; (middle) Coach Steven Higginbotham, Julian Hernandez, Eddie Nunez, Mark Admani, Jessica Huynh, Jeremy Morris and Coach Todd Geries; (back) Ottmar Montes, Tad Walters, Quinn Velasquez, Ed Gonzalez and Cesar Romero.


Pasadena High's Academic Decathlon team: (front)  Abel Dominguez, Alondra Serna, Laura Arteaga, Diana Morales; (back) Gilbert DeLeon, Eduardo Aleman, Jose Escalera, George Gonzales, Hugo Ramirez, Coach Tricia Anderson.

(Left) Pasadena High's Hugo Ramirez shows off the silver medal he won for math; (right) Eagles team members Abel Dominguez and Eduardo Aleman early await the awards presentation.   

 Carlos Castillo, a junior at Pasadena High,
was elected a regional president of the Business Professionals of America last weekend during the Area V, Region 4 conference at Dobie High School.
  Castillo (right) will serve as region president through January of 2012.
  As part of his responsibilities, Castillo will
take part in the state conference in Fort Worth later this month and later at the national conference in Washington, D.C. 
  Castillo was also one of six BPA students from Pasadena High to win first-place medals
at the region conference. He placed first in advanced interview skills.

  Gardens Elementary has been honored by the Texas PTA with a "Golden Apple Award" for recruiting 100 percent of campus faculty into the school's PTA. 
  The school will receive an award and a commemorative certificate for the achievement. 
  The Texas PTA presents the award throughout the school year to any school that reaches 100 percent enrollment of faculty.

  "Drug Free Week" has been set for Feb. 14-18 with multiple activities planned at The Summit to showcase the problems of prescription drug abuse. 
  Each quad will feature a gallery walk on the topic. Gallery walks are to be completed by Feb. 14. 
  On Feb. 15, Parents Against Prescription Drug Abuse will conduct a small-group presentation in the library. A parent lunch and presentation will also be offered. On Feb. 16, participants are encouraged to wear all black in recognition that drugs are deadly. A presentation by Lidarodi is set for Feb. 18.

CHANNEL 11 REPORT LINK ...

Elda Gonzalez, a science teacher at De Zavala Middle School, explains the Challenger disaster to her students. Gonzalez was a fifth-grader (inset photo) at Teague Elementary 25 years ago when the space shuttle disintegrated shortly after launch, killing the seven astronauts on board.

They're grown up now -- and many are carrying on
Christa McAuliffe's dreams as Pasadena ISD educators 

Robert Grote, the teen leadership teacher at De Zavala Middle School, holds two of the school's library books on the Challenger disaster; (inset) Grote as a kindergarten student at South Houston Elementary in 1986.  

Sandra Hatley (left) outside the kindergarten wing at Young Elementary and (inset) as a third-grader at Golden Acres Elementary in 1986; Danielle Ashlock (right) in her office at The Summit, where she teaches history and (inset) as a sixth-grader at Miller Intermediate.  

Michele Morrison, science facilitator at De Zavala, in her office and (inset) as a kindergartener at McMasters Elementary.

Memorial High's head football coach, John Snelson, and his senior fullback, Daniel Talavera, accept the big prize at the Touchdown Club of Houston's sportsmanship luncheon on Thursday.

Pasadena ISD Education Foundation President Bill Barmore (left) accepts a check for $145,000 from Ben Meador, chairman of the McDonald's Texas Invitational Tournament.

Frank and Pat Braden are recognized as the tournament's Volunteers of the Year by Ben Meador and Darla Haygood, the tournament's coordinator of volunteers.

Dr. Kirk Lewis, superintendent of the Pasadena ISD, thanks everyone involved in the tournament for their efforts and their generosity.

Dance partners Johnny Daniels and Dianna Walker from San Jacinto Intermediate perform a cha-cha routine during "Dancing With The Principals."

Contributions for Third-Annual Gala Hit $100,000 Level

  Nine dance numbers, three dance judges and an audience of nearly 600 added up to a record-setting, six-figure evening at the Pasadena ISD's third annual "Dancing With The Principals" gala at the Houston Hobby Marriott on Saturday night.
  The event ended, as has become tradition, with an audience dance party that carried close to the witching hour and with an announcement that event raked in - for the first time -- $100,000 in total contributions.
  "Dancing With The Principals" debuted in 2009 as a cooperative effort of the Pasadena ISD and the Pasadena ISD Education Foundation. Proceeds go to the Education Foundation to fund teacher grants and other foundation projects.
  The gathering attracted dignitaries from the spheres of local government, business and education.
  The top vote-getter among competing dance teams was the Keller Middle School tandem of Diane Phelan, principal at Keller, and Mark Buratti, a coach at the school.
Buratti parodied a senior citizen who gets his dancing legs back as Phelan coaxes him into a swing routine, performed to "Your Moma Don't Dance."
  The judges' award for best performance went to Memorial High Principal Dr. Angela Stallings and her chorus line of six assistant principals. The Maverick contingent performed a hip-hop routine to the song "Dynamite G6."
  Supporting assistant principals were Steve Fleming, Kevin Blain, Roneka Lee, Derek Moody, Jeremy Richardson and Tish Eubanks.
  The award for top fundraiser went to the San Jacinto Intermediate tandem of Dianna Walker, the school's principal, and Johnny Daniels, who coaches at San Jacinto.
  Judges for the event were Ron and LeeAnn Smith, the owners of Time Dance Studio, and Gerald Morris, the owner of Texas 2-Steppers.
  Emcees were Candace Ahlfinger, the district's Associate Superintendent for Communications, and Nolan Allen, president of the Pasadena Rotary Club.
  Education Foundation President Calvin Powitzky provided the welcome. And Dr. Kirk Lewis, superintendent for the Pasadena ISD, delivered emotional closing comments in which he thanked teachers, staff and supporters for their contributions to the gala and other district endeavors.
  Photo collections of all nine dance performances can be accessed by clicking on the links below.

Lisa Haws and Melissa Chamberlain, Golden Acres Elementary

Linda Garrett and Terry Webb, South Houston Intermediate

Mike Van Loenen and Cynthia Pena, Lomax Middle School

Shirlyn Ross and Dan Ross, Young Elementary

Marsha Jones and Jamelle Settles, Schneider Middle School

Dianna Walker and Johnny Daniels, San Jacinto Intermediate

Dr. Angela Stallings and staff, Memorial High School

Diane Phelan and Mark Buratti, Keller Middle School

Sandra Jobe Buckner and Ken Phelps, Kruse Elementary 

Merit scholar honorees display their certificates of recognition at the Board of Trustees meeting on Tuesday night.

  Three art students from Memorial High will be honored at the Scholastic Art and Writing Silver Key Awards Reception this Sunday for their submitted drawings.
  Stephen Acala, Ivan Velez and Alyssa Zarate all earned Silver Key recognition. They will be honored at a presentation ceremony on Sunday at 2 p.m. at Texas Art Supply on Montrose in Houston.
  Alcala, who submitted the drawing "Fragile," and Velez, who produced "Tragic Collapse," are taught by Adam Malek. Zarate, who submitted "Garden of Shoes, is taught by Daniel Reyna.

  Two students from De Zavala Middle School -- fifth-grader Diego Mondragon and sixth-grader Saul Cisneros -- were among the three Pasadena ISD students awarded "Best of Show" in this month's Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo district art contest.
  Mondragon won in the elementary school competition, which includes grades K-6. Cisneros won in the intermediate school category, which includes grades 7-8.
  Awarded "Best of Show" in the high school division was Memorial High senior Jessica Vega.
  Memorial captured all of the top awards in the high school competition. Gold medals were awarded to freshman Tram Lee and junior Jessica Riojas. Special merit awards went to junior Maria Fernanda Morales, Sam Stewart and Brittany Seay.
  Sandy Chavez, a first-grader at Bush Elementary, received a gold medal, as did Floyd Mendoza, a seventh-grader at Bondy Intermediate.
  (Below) Mondragon and Cisneros show off their winning rodeo art entries.

 Tanis McNeil, an eighth-grade history teacher at Bondy Intermediate, has been selected as the Houston Rockets' "Teacher of the Game" and will be honored on Feb. 5 when the Rockets play the Memphis Grizzlies at the Toyota Center.
  Fifteen area teachers will be honored this season for teachers who go "above and beyond the call of duty, as well as inspire their students to succeed in life and school," according to the team's website.
  McNeil (right) will receive two tickets to the game, on-court recognition at halftime, a T-shirt and a $100 gift certificate for classroom supplies.

Memorial junior Grant Brown, in the male lead role of Bobby Child, rehearses the number "Can't Be Bothered Now" with show dancers (standing) Kristen Hart, Michelle Cantu, Jazz Kristensen, Angela Austin, Scarlett Ellingson and Bene Vincent; and (front) Kalin Ybarra and Anita Jamali.

Memorial junior Grant Brown (left) as Bobby Child and senior  Sandy Valles (right) as Polly Baker, team up (center) for a dance number from the so ng "Can You Use Me."

  

Bobby Child (Grant Brown) with his dance partners in the "Can't Be Bothered Now" number.

 

  Four of the five Pasadena ISD high-school football teams have been named as finalists for the Houston Touchdown Club's 2010-2011 Sportsmanship Award in the Class 5A Division.
  Dobie, Memorial, Pasadena and South Houston were named among 16 Houston-area finalists in Class 5A.
  All the finalists will be honored at the High School Sportsmanship Luncheon on Jan. 27 at the JW Marriott in the Galleria area. The event is sponsored by Sterling Bank. Awards will be presented by the Fellowship of Christian Athletes.
  Awards will be presented to the first-, second- and third-place teams in each of three divisions - 5A, 4A and 3A/private schools.
  Also nominated in the 5A division were Channelview, Clear Brook, Clear Lake, Cy Woods, Deer Park, Dickinson, Aldine Eisenhower, Kingwood, Klein, Lamar, Mayde Creek and Houston Memorial.
  Dobie took second place in competition for the award a year ago when three teams were named without any division designation.
  Selections are based upon feedback from area football referees.
  The speaker at the luncheon will be Brad McCoy, the father of quarterback Colt McCoy of the Cleveland Browns.

  Two Pasadena ISD high schools - Dobie and Memorial - have been presented with 2010 College Readiness Awards by the Texas ACT Council. 
  The award recognizes increases in ACT composite scores over a five-year period. Schools receiving the award must also maintain or increase the number of students taking the ACT Assessment. 
  The Texas ACT Council is comprised of secondary and post-secondary educators who advise ACT, Inc., on the utilization of ACT programs and services in Texas schools and colleges.

  Five students from three Pasadena ISD high schools earned All-State recognition last weekend.
  Chanse Morris and Erik Flores from Dobie earned All-State honors in band. Dobie band directors are Richard Hicks, Kathleen Padden and Kevin Erickson.
  Sam Rayburn placed a student on both the All-State Choir and the All-State Band. Carl Hinkie earned the choir honors while Andrew Dimmick earned a band slot. Sam Rayburn choir directors are Thomas Hoffman and Pam Bridges. Jeff Embrey and David Ngo direct the Sam Rayburn band.
  David Kolachny from Memorial High earned All-State Choir honors. Memorial's choir directors are Paul Trahan and Daniel Jones.
  The five students will travel to San Antonio in February to perform.

  Tom Durr, physical education teacher at Moore Elementary, was honored recently for distinguished service by the Texas Association of Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (TAHPERD).
  Durr has taught physical education in the Pasadena ISD for 31 years, including 30 years at Moore.
  A frequent presenter at TAHPERD conventions, Durr has served as a coordinator for Jump Rope For Heart since 1980. He has served as chairman for the TAHPERD Jump Rope and Hoops for Heart programs.
  His students at Moore have raised $317,000 for the American Heart Association during his time there.

   
  January has been designated as School Board Recognition Month, a time to spotlight the more than 7,000 men and women who serve on local school boards around the state. The Pasadena ISD will join other districts across Texas to pay tribute to the contributions of these dedicated community leaders.
  The seven members of the Pasadena ISD Board of Trustees will be recognized at the next regularly scheduled board meeting, set for Jan. 25.
  The seven current board members are Jerry Speer, president; Marshall Kendrick, vice president; Mariselle Quijano-Lerma, secretary; Jack Bailey, assistant secretary; Vickie Morgan; Fred Roberts; and Nelda Sullivan.
  Morgan, in her 24th year in office, is the dean of the board. Kendrick is in his 21 year of service, Roberts and Sullivan are both in their 16th year, Speer is in his 10th year, Quijano-Lerma is in her second and Bailey is in his first.

  Tickets and tables are still available for "Dancing With the Principals" on Jan. 22 at the Houston-Hobby Hilton. The deadline for buying tickets or reserving tables is Jan. 17.
  The price for individual tickets is $50. A table for 10 is $500. A $1,000 event sponsorship provides a table for 10, recognition in the program, a DVD of the event and 100 votes in the balloting for favorite dancers.
  The event starts at 7 p.m.
  All but 10 of the 60 available tables have been sold.
  Reservations may be made by contacting Cindy Parmer, the Pasadena ISD's Director of Community Relations, at 713-740-0288, or by email at cparmer@pasadenaisd.org.
  The event features dining and ballroom-style dancing by school district personnel. Proceeds benefit the Pasadena ISD Education Foundation.
  The lineup of dancers has been set. Competing dance groups will be: 
  * Lisa Haws and Melissa Chamberlain, Golden Acres Elementary
  * Terry Webb and Linda Garrett, South Houston Intermediate
  * Mike Van Loenen and Cynthia Pena, Lomax Middle School
  * Shirlyn and Dan Ross, Young Elementary
  * Dianna Walker and Johnny Daniels, San Jacinto Intermediate
  * Marsha Jones and Jamelle Settles, Schneider Middle School
  * Dr. Angela Stallings, Steve Fleming, Kevin Blain, Roneka Lee, Derek Moody, Jeremy Richardson and Tish Eubanks, Memorial High School
  * Diane Phelan and Mark Buratti, Keller Middle School
  * Ken Phelps and Sandra Jobe Buckner, Kruse Elementary

Miller seventh-graders Martha Maldonado, Ashley Garcia, Lupita Almaguer, Iriskarina Pascual, Destiny Rodriguez and Salma Cortez watch over the hundreds of items donated to the Bridge Over Troubled Waters organization.

South Shaver Elementary librarian Kimberly Hall says goodbye to her golden braids after fourth-graders Angel Navarrete and Vivianna Govea dutifully snipped them off on Thursday.

  The Dobie Academic Decathlon team won first place overall and first place in Super Quiz at the Pasadena ISD meet last week while posting the nation's best score on the seven multiple-choice objective tests.
  This is the first time since 2001 that any team outside of California has achieved the highest score on a test.
  Top overall scorer for the Longhorns was Jeremy Morris, who finished with a score of 8,497, which also ranked first overall in the honors category.
  Other competitors of note included Jessica Huynh, who scored 8,146, and Ed Gonzalez, who scored 8147.  Team members Tad Walters, Eddie Nunez, Quinn Velasquez, Katey Miille, Julian Hernandez, Mark Admani, Paul Sabal, Ottmar Montes, and Cesar Romero won several medals and made crucial contributions to Dobie's stellar performance.
  The Longhorns now advance to regional competition, to be held at Clear Brook High on Jan. 28-29.

Board of Trustees member Nelda Sullivan (second from right) presents a mini-grant check for $1,500 to Golden Acres P.E. teachers Mary Sullivan (left) and Lorena Carrasco (far right). Also attending was Sullivan's son, Johnnie Sullivan (far left). The mini-grant is named in honor of Sullivan's late husband, Charles Sullivan.

  Like Santas descending 20 chimneys,
officials with the Pasadena ISD and the Education Foundation dropped in on a score of district campuses on Wednesday to hand out over $100,000 in mini-grants to fund various educational proposals.    
  Loaded up in four vans, officials made surprise visits as part of the district's annual "Prize Parade." Checks were handed out at 13 elementary schools, one middle school, two intermediates, three high schools and one alternative campus. 
  Emotions ran high at Golden Acres Elementary where Board of Trustees member Nelda Sullivan presented a check for $1,500 in memory of her late husband, Charles Sullivan. Receiving the check were the grant writers, faculty members Lorena Carrasco and Mary Sullivan, daughter-in-law to Nelda Sullivan. 
  This year each mini-grant was named after the funding sponsor. The Charles Sullivan Memorial Mini-Grant will fund a program to promote outdoor physical activity among students and members of the Golden Acres community. 
  Two of the mini-grants are to be spread among multiple campuses in various ways.
The LyondellBassell-Houston Refining Mini-Grant of $5,000 will provided funding for college visits for all sixth-grade students in the district through the district's Kids2College program. The $5,000 will be divided evenly among the 10 district campuses where the sixth-grade curriculum is provided. 
  All five district high schools will benefit from the $5,000 McDonald's Texas Invitational Basketball Tournament Mini-Grant. Funds will provide anatomy models for schools' sports medicine programs. 
  A total of 26 mini-grants were awarded with a total value of $107,611.99. 
  Links at the bottom of this page lead to descriptions, by campus, of other mini-grant awards, along with Prize Parade photos.

Teague Elementary teachers Stacey Redwine, Mindy Harding and Teddi Cochrane are mobbed by enthuiastic students after the announcement they have been awarded a mini-grant to start a video studio for campus news broadcasts. Presenting the check, on the far left, were Jay Bain and Chris Bezdek.  

Queens counselors Andrea Lynn (center of check) and Dana Bradshaw (third from right) accept a mini-grant check for $5,000 on behalf of all sixth-grade curriculum campuses in the district. Presenters are Pasadena ISD Foundation representatives Patti Bodkins and Randy Drake; Board of Trustees member Jack Bailey; Foundation member Sandy Brown; LyondellBassell-Houston representative Denise Jennings; Foundation member Ken Brown; Queens Principal Troy Jones; Foundation member Elizabeth Harris-Lindberg; and Chevron-Phillips representative Sophia Allison.

BAILEY ELEMENTARY LINK

FRAZIER ELEMENTARY LINK

FREEMAN ELEMENTARY LINK 

GARDENS ELEMENTARY LINK

GARFIELD ELEMENTARY LINK 

GOLDEN ACRES ELEMENTARY LINK

KRUSE ELEMENTARY LINK 

MATTHYS ELEMENTARY LINK 

MORALES ELEMENTARY LINK 

RICHEY ELEMENTARY LINK

SOUTH SHAVER ELEMENTARY LINK 

TEAGUE ELEMENTARY LINK

WILLIAMS ELEMENTARY LINK

SHAW MIDDLE SCHOOL LINK 

QUEENS INTERMEDIATE LINK

THOMPSON INTERMEDIATE LINK 

DOBIE HIGH SCHOOL LINK 

PASADENA HIGH SCHOOL LINK

SAM RAYBURN HIGH SCHOOL LINK 

L.P. CARD CENTER LINK 

Harris County Constable Bill Bailey, the "voice" of the Houston Rodeo for the past 50 years, encourages students at Queens Intemediate to do what it takes to earn a free day at the rodeo on March 9.

Arian Foster, star running back for the Houston Texans, addresses Memorial High students in the school library on Wednesday.

The King's Singers break out in applause after being greeted with a rendition of "Joy to the World" by Pearl Hall students.

  Pearl Hall Elementary students greeted one of the world's best known a cappella groups with a sterling rendition of "Joy to the World" on Tuesday and, in turn, were treated to a 40-minute concert of some of the world's most beloved music.
  The King's Singers, in Houston for an evening performance at Rice University, paid a lyrical visit to Pearl Hall hours before their show. Group members met with fourth-graders in a question-and-answer session and then entertained the student body with a Christmas-flavored lineup of songs in the school gym.
  The six-member band of Englishmen is one of the most acclaimed vocal groups in the world. The King's Singers have toured the world, produced over 150 recordings and appeared on countless TV and radio shows.
  The group accepted an invitation from Jami Lupold, Pearl Hall's music teacher, to perform at the school. Lupold helped establish Pearl Hall's "Building Cultural Bridges" initiative, which draws support through partnerships with the Houston Symphony and NASA.
  The King's Singers met with the fourth-graders as part of the "Building Cultural Bridges" program. The group finished the question-and-answer session with a version of "Danny Boy."
  Lupold introduced the group to the student body. Pearl Hall students immediately broke into a rendition of "Joy to the World" which brought smiles and applause from the King's Singers.
  The performance, Lupold said, "will forever change the way our students think of vocal music. For that I am eternally grateful to the King's Singers and their agency for supporting this educational endeavor."
  Group members are David Hurley, countertenor; Timothy Wayne-Wright, countertenor; Paul Phoenix, tenor; Philip Lawson, baritone, Christopher Gabbitas, baritone; and Jonathan Howard, bass.

BUILDING CULTURAL BRIDGES WEBSITE 

  Two second-year teachers at Memorial High -- both products of the Pasadena ISD's Alternative Teacher Certification Program -- have been honored by the National Association for Alternative Certification. 
  Amery McIntosh, an Algebra I teacher, and Kristi Trahan, who teaches physics, received honorable mention in competition for the NAAC's New Intern of the Year scholarship award. 
  Trahan and McIntosh (pictured below) will be recognized at the annual NAAC conference to be held in Chicago in March.

  Pasadena ISD schools combined for 101 Gold Performance Awards in summaries released by the Texas Education Agency.
  The awards note campus improvements in areas ranging from attendance to TAKS scores to college readiness.
  Sixty-two of the 101 awards went to district elementary schools, with Fisher Elementary and Young Elementary leading the way. Both were cited in five categories, all related to test scores.
  Among other elementary schools, Garfield, Meador, Red Bluff, Atkinson and Turner were cited in four categories each.
  De Zavala and Schneider led the pack among middle schools with three awards each. Bondy led the intermediates with four while Memorial High and Dobie were each cited in two areas, including college readiness.
  Elementary schools cited for attendance were Pomeroy, Richey, L.F. Smith, South Shaver, Atkinson and Laura Bush. Also honored for attendance were De Zavala Middle School, Melillo Middle School, Carter Lomax Middle School and Queens Intermediate.
  The summary reflected a complete accounting of TEA acceptability ratings for the 2009-2010 school year. Of the 58 campuses that were rated, all were acceptable or higher. Eighteen were exemplary, 32 were recognized and the other eight were rated academically acceptable.

Although the school opened only seven years ago, officials at Memorial High are making plans to establish a permanent school archive.

School librarian Jennifer Brabston has been chosen to lead the effort to collect memorabilia items dating back to the opening of the school in 2003.

The library plans to collect, store and routinely display sports jackets, sweaters, programs, awards, news clippings, graduation memorabilia, photos, buttons, posters and other items related to school life and campus activities.

The school is seeking donations of these types of items from graduates.

"The items collected will be carefully stored and displayed when appropriate," Brabston said. "Each will be labeled with the donor's name."

For questions or information about how to donate items, contact the library at 713-740-0390, or email jbrabston@pasadenaisd.org .

 Manuel Moreno, Dobie High's tennis coach for the past 12 years, has been named the second winner
of the Carey Caldwell Character Award. Moreno was presented the award at the Texas Tennis Coaches Association convention on Dec. 3. 
  The award is one of six presented annually by the TTCA to honor coaches who exemplify a specific characteristic: courage, vision, character, integrity, dedication or leadership. 
  The award is named after the first winner, Carey Caldwell, a former long-time tennis coach at Burkburnett High and a member of the TTCA Hall of Fame. 
  Moreno was honored at a banquet at the T-bar-M Tennis Center in New Braunfels.
  A 27-year veteran of coaching high school tennis, Moreno was named the association's Class 5A coach of the year in 2005. He has coached the Longhorns to four Region III-5A team championships during his tenure at Dobie.
  (Below) Friends, family and well-wishers surround Moreno after receiving his award. From the left, Sharon Fullen Mollenkopf, Dobie team captains Jonathan Taylor and Eun Lee, Pat Wesbrooks, Lamar University tennis coach Ron Wesbrooks, Becky Moreno with husband Manuel and son Mitchell, Stratford tennis coach Rory Frazee and United States Tennis Association official Ken McAllister.

Jeff Neal of 'Team Impact' pumps his lungs into a water bottle until it explodes, much to the amazement of Miller Intermediate eighth-graders.

  "Team Impact's" crew of muscular motivational speakers visited Miller Intermediate on Friday to speak with seventh- and eighth-graders about the dangers of drugs and the importance of ridding schools of bullies.  
  Jeff Neal, a former pro football player, and Trey Talley dazzled the students with feats of strength. Neal bent a metal bar as he held it in his teeth, while Talley snapped a wooden baseball bat over his knee.
  Neal graduated from South Houston High School in 1986 after attending Miller. He later earned small-college All-America honors at Howard Payne University.

Trey Talley snaps the wooden bat over his knee. 

Jeff Neal bends a metal bar wedged between his teeth.  

John Wright, the senior vice-president for technology at Boots & Coots, an oil-well control company, explains to Lomax students how the BP well blowout in the Gulf of Mexico started -- and ended.

Anjta Chambers, an expert on space suit and crew survival systems for NASA's Johnson Space Center, chats with sixth-graders Victoria Hernandez, Jack Nichols and Sarah West.  

Dr. Jennifer Love, director of forensic anthropology for the Harris County Institute for Forensic Science, describes the characteristics and the location of a human thigh bone.

RESULTS OF THE PASADENA FIRE PREVENTION CITY-WIDE POSTER CONTEST

Kindergarten Division (including Pre-K)

1. Aabya Sharma, Brookwood

2. Brayden joiner, First Baptist Christian Academy

3. Alexzander Castillo, First Baptist Christian Academy

Primary (Grades 1-2)

1. Jerry Gonzalez, Gardens Elementary

2. (Tie) Liz Guiterrez, Bailey Elementary; and Ariana Martinez, Red Bluff Elementary

4. (Tie) Alan Macius, Parkwood; and Jasmen Perez, Sparks Elementary

Middle Division (Grades 5-6)

1. Cecilia Facundo, St. Pius

2. Yisell Hernandez, Shaw Middle School

3. Alex Loza, Queens Intermediate

Intermediate Division (Grades 3-4)

1. Zepeda Ximena, Deepwater

2. Kenneth Marillio Flores, Red Bluff Elementary

3. Alina Dong, Brookwood

Junior Division (Grades 6-7)

1. J. Ashley, St.Pius

2. Patrica Flores, Parkview Intermediate

3. Pedro Jacobo, Queens Intermediate

High School Division (Grades 8-12)

1. (Tie) Oscar Castillo, Southmore Intermediate; and Anthony Lopez, Memorial High

3. Miguel Hernandez, Pasadena High

4. Yahia Meza,  Sam Rayburn High

Tournament MVP Antwan Space soars toward outer space for a monster jam and two of his 22 points.

Motivational speaker and magician Jason Tolentino put on a show for Turner Elementary students on Friday (Nov. 19) students that included a strong message about bullying.
 
  Tolentino discussed the issue while performing some entertaining tricks. Students enjoyed his disappearing act, his juggling skills and his sense of humor, but Tolentino's emphasis stayed on bullying. He discussed different types of bullying, the harmful effects of bullying and what students can do if they experience bullying. 
 
  The event is part of an ongoing effort to prevent bullying and to promote a safe learning environment. Earlier in the week master Tae Kwon Do instructors gave third- and fourth-graders at Turner tips on how to stand up for themselves should they encounter a bully. 

 
  "We want to take preventative measures for our students, so hopefully they won't bully others or become victims of bullying," Turner counselor Connie Cheshire said.

Winners of the Second Annual Superintendent's Art Show were recognized by the Pasadena ISD Board of Trustees at its regular monthly meeting on Tuesday night, Nov. 16.

Winners are pictured below, beginning with the top row, left to right, their names, grade, school and art teacher follow:
Heaven Rodriguez, Kindergarten, Jessup Elementary, Nataly Quiroga
Elizabeth Rico, First Grade, South Houston Elementary, Almarosa Umanzor
Jonathan Campos, Second Grade, Mae Smythe Elementary, Blanca Alvarado
Charisma Denoon, Third Grade, Meador Elementary, Cecelia Stewart
Carolyn Herrera, Fourth Grade, Turner Elementary, Pam Morren
Albert Alonzo, Fifth Grade, De Zavala Middle School, Victor Raygoza
Joel Espino, Sixth Grade, De Zavala Middle School, Victory Raygoza
Brooke Moreno, Seventh Grade, Queens Intermediate, Deborah Buckley
Gavrielle Saenz, Eighth Grade, Queens Intermediate, Deborah Buckley
Not pictured: Stephanie Perez, Eleventh Grade, Pasadena Memorial High, Able Cass

Gardens Elementary School 's cafetorium exploded with energy and excitement on Wednesday night as parents, students and staff members joined in the fun of Family Health and Fitness Night.

More than 450 parents enjoyed a variety of activities that included a Fun Run, Wii dancing, line-dancing, hoola-hoops and jump-roping. Vendors in attendance included East Harris County Midwives Association, Shared Resources Credit Union, Juice Plus, Vision Eye Care and Pasadena YMCA.

Parents were given complimentary vision screenings, tips on managing finances, and assistance with Medicaid, Medicare and CHIPS paperwork.

"As part of the CATCH (Coordinated Approach to Children's Health) committee's initiative, the goal is to tie physical fitness, health and nutrition into having fun," Gardens Assistant Principal Vickie Lenio said.

Volunteers from Jackson and Park View intermediate school --along with Pasadena, Sam Rayburn, and Memorial high schools -- helped make the night a success. Wal- Mart provided jump ropes, footballs, basketballs and gift cards as door prizes. Parents were eligible to win prizes once they completed activities. Event photos follow.

  The Memorial High Teal Club will hold a clothing drive on Dec. 11 from 9 a.m. to noon at the school. All types of clothing will be accepted. Donated clothing must be clean and gently used. Donations can not be accepted early. The school is located at 4410 Crenshaw in Pasadena. For information, contact Steve Fleming at SFleming@pasadenaisd.org.

Sam Rayburn senior Jose Ortega works his way out of the pack at the state Class 5A cross country meet. Photo courtesy of the Pasadena Citzen.

  "Cowboy University," Park View Intermediate's after-school program, has been selected by the Texas Education Agency to represent the imtermediate division for schools participating in the 21st Century Grant program for the Greater Houston area.
  The Park View program, in its third year, continues to increase the number of students and adults involved. Over 100 students now participate each day.
  "None of this would have been possible without our outstanding after-school team, and the wide range of classes offered for our students and adult ESL classes for our parents," Park View Principal Rob Hasson said.
  On Tuesday (Nov. 16), the school will host a campus spotlight presentation for TEA officials. The presentation will run from 3:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.
  The spotlight will target the following areas: academics, student enrichment, college and career awareness, and adult participation.  Representatives from the Harris County Department of Education will also be present. 
  "We are very excited about showcasing our program and all the hard work our team has accomplished," Hasson said.

William A. Staples, a U.S. Army veteran and the president of the Univesity of Houston at Clear Lake, introduces the fourth-grade class from Teague Elementary.

The Sam Rayburn High cheerleaders perform a routine as veterans from the local American Legion Post enjoy their front-row seats.

---

Army Specialist Austin Wilhelm (left) receives a certificate of appreciation from a Bondy Intermediate student after addressing the Veterans Day gathering at the school. (Right) Veterans enjoy refreshments in the Bondy library.

Veterans at the Sam Rayburn observance stand as they hear the anthem of their service branch played during the Armed Forces Medley.

Air Force veteran A.K. Love stands to salute as the colors are presented by the Sam Rayburn High JROTC.

Representing American Legion Post 521 in Pasadena are A.K. Love, Air Force; Armando Zapata, Marine Corps; Bob Bierscheid, the Army and the Navy; and Cal Greuetzmicher, Army.

Veterans and students rise to attention as Sam Rayburn High's JROTC color guard enters the gym during a Veterans Day observance on Wednesday.

Channel 13 Anchor, Packed Gym Greet Vets, Active-Duty Military
 

South Houston Intermediate's Pride Dancers perform during the ceremony .

Active-duty U.S. Army personnel, South Houston Intermediate dancers and cheerleaders rise for the Star Spangled Banner.

  Southmore cheerleaders display welcome signs for schools set to play at their school on thursday. (Back row, left to right) Estefhane Garcia, Evelyn Ibanez, Alexandra Olivares, Amanda Garcia, mascot Gladys Galvan, Jennifer Vargas, Michelle Estrada, Kassandra Hernandez, Brendaly Benavides and Ruby Delao; (front) Marisa Nino, Marisol Gomez, Nallely Rodriguez, Yesenia Rodriguez, Taylor Rodriguez and Nicole Bautista. 

In keeping with the grand scale of the McDonald's Texas Invitational Basketball Tournament, the Pasadena ISD Communications Office announces a "20 Gyms In 10 Hours" initiative for tournament pool play on Thursday.

Communications Specialist Al Carter plans to present photos from all 20 pool play games involving boys and girls teams from all five Pasadena ISD high schools.

Each of the five high schools will play four games on Thursday -- two boys games and two girls games. Those 20 games will be played from 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. at all five high school sites plus Southmore Intermediate.

Photos and scores from those 20 contests will be posted on the district website under "Texas Invitational Reports," accessible from the homepage.

The biggest challenge will be the first window of games at 10 a.m. Seven games will be played at five sites in just 90 minutes.

For the 1:30 p.m. window, six games will be played at five locations.

Campuses stretch from Pasadena High on the north side of the district to Dobie on the south side.

The "20 Gyms In 10 Hours" hunt will end with a single girls game at South Houston at 6:30 p.m.

Complete tournament schedules and results can be found at www.texasinvitational.com.

Pasadena ISD Pool Play Schedule

Jerry Speer (left), President of the Pasadena ISD's Board of Trustees, presents Bill Barmore with a plaque honoring him as the district's 2010 Distinguished Citizen. A replica plaque (below right) will be placed on permanent display in front of the Administration Building.

'Better Than Baseball Hall of Fame,'
1973 Pasadena High Grad Says of Honor

Praised for his generous contributions "of time, money and passion," Pasadena businessman William R. "Bill" Barmore was honored as the Pasadena ISD's 2010 Distinguished Citizen on Tuesday night during a reception and plaque dedication at the Administration Building.

"Bill is truly the embodiment of the kind of person for whom this award was intended," said Dr. Kirk Lewis, Pasadena ISD Superintendent. "What he has done for our district he did with servant's heart and a servant's spirit."

Barmore, the vice president of Barmore Insurance Agency in Pasadena, gave thanks to his family and friends and spoke most glowingly of his parents.

"They taught me to appreciate what's been given to me and where I've come from," he said.

Jerry Speer, president of the Pasadena ISD Board of Trustees, noted Barmore's deep love of baseball and compared Barmore's contributions to the community to those of a self-sacrificing ball player.

"If you were to compile a box score of all that our school district has accomplished the past three decades, Bill's name would definitely be in the lineup," Speer said.

"He's the guy who, looking back, laid down the bunt. The guy who moved the runner over with a well-placed ground ball. The guy who made the throw from right field. The guy who provided the big assist, who started the double play and enabled his team to get the job done. Tonight we invite him to take a home-run trot. He is our MVP."

"I can't think of a bigger honor," Barmore said. "This is better than being in the Baseball Hall of Fame."

Barmore also serves as a board member for the Pasadena ISD Education Foundation and is president-elect of that organization.

He was born and raised in Pasadena, graduating from Pasadena High School in 1973 after attending Williams Elementary School and Queens Intermediate School. He earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Texas at Austin.

Since returning to Pasadena more than three decades ago, Barmore has been a prolific and generous sponsor and supporter of district activities, including a career day event for students at his alma mater, Pasadena High.

His generous donations of time and money to the Education Foundation, and to the Texas Invitational Basketball Tournament, have earned Barmore frequent expressions of praise and appreciation from district officials.

"He has touched the lives of literally thousands of students," Dr. Lewis said. "And he has done in a way that he expects nothing in return. That's a pretty rare quality."

"I've always been a supporter of the Pasadena school district," Barmore said. "And I always will be."

Employee Training Earns Special Award;

'Secret Is Out,' Superintendent Lewis Says

The Pasadena Independent School District has been named one of the Top 100 workplaces in the Houston area, the only public school district to be selected to the list.

The district was also cited as a Special Award recipient for employee training, judged to be the best of the Top 100 companies.  An abundance of teacher workshops and technology training opportunities were cited as reasons for the award.

"We've often lamented that Pasadena ISD is one of the state's best kept secrets," Dr. Kirk Lewis, the district's Superintendent of Schools, said. "That Pasadena ISD is one of the Top 100 workplaces in Houston is evidence that the secret is out. Thanks to all our employees who make this such a great place to serve."  

Surveys used to qualify companies for the list were conducted by WorkplaceDynamics and published in a special section of the Houston Chronicle on Sunday, Nov. 7.

The Pasadena ISD was ranked No. 18 among 26 companies named to the Large Companies list. Another 34 firms were named on the Midsize Companies list and 40 more on the Small Companies list.

"I've always believed that the employees of this district are its heart and soul," Dr. Lewis said. "When you love what you do and genuinely care for the people with whom you work, there is no end to what we can accomplish together."

Of all those companies, the Pasadena ISD was fourth in the number of employees with 6,151. Only Memorial Hermann Healthcare System (20,576 employees), Methodist Hospital System (12,355) and St. Luke's Episcopal Health System (6,402) had more.

The Pasadena ISD, established in 1898, is the second-oldest of the Large Companies named. Sam Houston State University, founded in 1874, is the oldest.

Anadarko Petroleum was named No. 1 among Large Companies. Hilcorp Energy emerged as the top company on the Midsize list and Planning Design Research Corp, an architectural firm, topped the Small Company list.

Workplace Dynamics, a Pennsylvania-based research firm, conducted surveys to determine from employees what they considered to be an excellent work environment.

The firm solicited responses from 1,352 companies in the Houston area and 188 companies participated. Those 188 companies were the source for 118,555 employee responses.

The Top 100 list is composed of "great places to work in the Houston area," according to WorkplaceDynamics.

Employees participating in the survey were asked to give their opinion to such issues as the company growth and success, opportunities for advancement, manager relationships, and pay and benefits.

L.F. Smith third-grader Jan Lara holds his trophy for finishing first in his age group in the Texans' Punt, Pass & Kick team championships.

Kelly Clarkston, a seventh-grade math teacher at Park View (and a University of Arkansas graduate), hog-ties Park View Principal Rob Hasson (a Houston Cougar) into participating in a "Hog Call" with her students.

Cowboys Give It That Old College Cry

Judging by each and every door at Park View Intermediate on Friday, it was easy to see that the Cowboys just adore college.

Park View observed the end of College Week with a door decorating contest, a wide assortment of college garb, posters, drawings -- and even an impromptu Arkansas Razorback "Hog-Call" in the hallway.

Decorating judges from the Pasadena ISD central office were greeted by a loud "Sooie!" as they approached Kelly Clarkston's seventh-grade math class while making the rounds of the school.

Clarkston graduated from the University of Arkansas in 2000. Her students spilled into the hall for a "Hog-Call" that easily picked up the vocal support of Park View Principal Rob Hasson, who briefly ignored his University of Houston roots to pitch in a slew of "Sooies."

First place in the decorating contest went to adjacent seventh-grade reading teachers Brandi Johnson, Amy Aruch and Donna Rossini, who collaborated on a Houston Cougar theme.

Second place went to Clarkston's Razorback display.

Third place went to sixth-grade art teacher Hilda Cantu's class for its University of Houston display.

Pasadena ISD judges were Linda Fletcher, the district's Executive Director of Fine Arts; Assistant Athletic Director Pam Tevis; and Athletic Department Secretary Liz Tolleson.

Here come the judges: From the right, Liz Tolleson, Athletic Department secretary; Pam Tevis, Assistant Athletic Director; and Linda Fletcher, Executive Director for Fine Arts. On the left, Park View Assistant Principal Jamie Lusk and Principal Rob Hasson.

Collaborating on a display for their alma mater, UH-Clear Lake, are the teachers of Room 33: Patricia Ramos, Jennifer Summerlin and Wendy Ham.

Part of the winning display: Seventh-grade reading teacher Brandi Johnson and contributing students Phillip Cardenas and Kallysta Harris.

Seventh-grade math teacher Kelly Clarkston and her second-place exhibit, with student contributors Sabrina Hernandez, Alejandro Lopez, Vanessa Leija and Odalis Garcia.

  The Pasadena ISD has launched a new facilities study plan to review current facilities and the needs for the next five to 10 years, District Superintendent Dr. Kirk Lewis announced.

  Dr. Lewis said the study conforms to the district's new Strategic Plan and serves as a necessary step to keep school district facilities in the proper condition to meet students' needs.

  The plan will be formulated by a committee made up of community members, business leaders, parents and staff members. The committee will look at current student capacity, building conditions, technology needs, transportation needs and future trends and will then make recommendations to the district as to steps that should be taken to keep the district aligned with community and student needs.

  "Our district is much like our homes," Dr. Lewis said. "We have to take care of the day-to-day maintenance in a timely manner so that we are good stewards."

  Dr. Lewis said that most facility items, including large-ticket technology and transportation purchases, cannot be paid for out of the district's Maintenance and Operations budget.

  We always want our facilities to meet the needs of our students and staff as we prepare our students to be accomplished, self-directed, and collaborative citizen scholars in our community," Dr. Lewis said.

South Houston High School has successfully appealed to regain its "Academically Acceptable" rating with the Texas Education Agency, Pasadena ISD Superintendent Dr. Kirk Lewis announced.

"The reason for the rating was a low indicator on completion rate among African-American students," Dr. Lewis said. "In other words, according to the agency, too many of South Houston's African-American students dropped out of school.  After analyzing the data, we discovered that the only reason for their high dropout numbers for African American students was the number of Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Rita students who transferred to South Houston after the storm and then withdrew a few months later."

Dr. Lewis said the district had no means to track those students who subsequently returned to Louisiana.

"By strict definition, if we can't track them we have to include them as dropouts," Dr. Lewis said.

"When the state asked us to take in the Katrina/Rita students, they told us at the time that they would be exempted from the accountability process. We and the state had identified these 'missing' kids as Katrina/Rita students. Under the arcane accountability rules, we had to list them as dropouts, the state had to list South Houston as "unacceptable" and we had to appeal to get the rating overturned."

South Houston High will now be rated as "Academically Acceptable" for the 2009-10 school year, "just as we knew it should have been," Dr. Lewis said.

"The campus is doing amazing things," he said, "and, in fact, had the highest academic gains among any of our schools for 2009-10. They reached Academically Recognized levels on 16 of the 20 indicators on which they are measured."

Thompson cornerback John Rico bars the door on Beverly Hills running back David Eldridge while teammates rush in to provide assistance.

LIONS LAY DOWN LAW: NO SWEEP FOR BEARS

  Thompson's DeAndre Jackson forced a fumble on the lip of his team's goal-line Tuesday night at Veterans Memorial Stadium, enabling the Lions to hang on for a 16-8 victory over rival Beverly Hills and the championship of the Pasadena ISD's Eighth-Grade "A" Team Division.

The Thompson victory prevented the Bears from sweeping all four intermediate school divisions. Beverly Hills won the regular-season contest between the two schools, 14-6.

Beverly Hills appeared primed to tie the game with time winding down. But with 1:23 left in the game, Jackson forced a fumble at the Lions' 4 yard-line and made the recovery himself. Thompson easily ran out the clock to secure the title.

Earlier in the fourth quarter, Jackson scored the go-ahead touchdown on a
short run.

Thompson's offense devoured the entire
first quarter. On the first snap of the second quarter, wide receiver Ryan Williams caught a short pass from Ty Lozano and squirted 12 yards into the end zone for the game's first TD. A two-point extra-point by Alexis Saldivar gave the Lions an 8-0 lead.

Williams later made a leading interception to help keep the Bears at bay, but only briefly.

Beverly Hills tied the game midway through the third quarter following a Thompson fumble. The Bears used a 4-yard TD run by Carlos Gonzalez to cap a short drive and tie the game.

Thompson regained the late in the third quarter on a 12-yard TD burst by Jackson. Saldivar again added the two-point kick.