CCISD News - November to December 2005

Westbrook Intermediate Students Raise Funds for American Diabetes Association

December 17, 2005

LEAGUE CITY, Texas— Westbrook Intermediate School students recently raised more than $3,000 dollars for the American Diabetes Association. Pictured are Westbrook Intermediate students Jazmine Gelpi, Reed Silver, Taylor Clark and Hana Forren; along with coaches Brenda Clayton, Colleen Neal and Janelle Westhelle, and Westbrook Intermediate Principal Marlene Skiba.

Ward Students Create Stories from the Heart

By Clear Creek Independent School District

December 17, 2005

LEAGUE CITY, Texas—Elizabeth Kasbaum channeled the simple pleasures of a day with her father in the garden for her book, Tiger Lizard Hunting. Kasbaum, along with her second grade classmates at Ward Elementary, is discovering that every day life is full of wonderful stories worth sharing.

The writing project, created by teacher Cindy Kelly, is designed to teach children the elements of writing such as exposition, dialogue and grammar. For the project, students were directed to write about a special time with someone in their life.

“Writing gets easier if you keep practicing,” Kasbaum said.

The books depict simple activities filled with love. According to Kelly, the students have embraced the activity and have really put their hearts into the project. The students’ books, Baseball with My Dad, Camping, and Grandfather and Me, show the gratitude the students have for the person who takes an interest in spending time with them. The books will be presents for the special person featured in the story.

Grace Turley is the author of Sisters, a book she dedicated to her 14-year-old sister. Turley said the writing project was a lot of work, but she is willingly giving up her free time to finish the book for her big sister.

School District Has 26 Scholastic Art Contest Winners

By Clear Creek Independent School District

December 17, 2005

LEAGUE CITY, Texas—Clear Creek Independent School District students recently participated in the Scholastic Art Contest hosted at the Harris County Department of Education.

Of the Clear Creek ISD students who participated, 15 students received Gold Key awards and 11 students received Silver Key awards. Gold Key winners are now eligible to be judged for the National Scholastic Awards.

More Art Honors

Creekside Intermediate School students Jesse Hopson, Cody Stewart and Chris Piper at the Space City BEST (Boosting Engineering, Science and Technology) Robotics competition held Saturday, Nov. 12 at West Briar Middle School.

School District Intermediate Students Compete in BEST Robotics

By Clear Creek Independent School District

December 9, 2005

LEAGUE CITY, Texas—

All-Star Rookie trophy

Creekside Intermediate advanced to the semi-finals placing higher than any rookie intermediate school team has in the history of Space City BEST and earned the All-Star Rookie trophy.

Robot Award

Seabrook, Space Center and Westbrook Intermediate Schools also competed. Seabrook Intermediate team won overall BEST robot, while the Westbrook Intermediate team's robot advanced to the finals.

School District Elementary Robotics Programs Lead LEGO Ocean Odyssey

By Clear Creek Independent School District

December 9, 2005

LEAGUE CITY, Texas—The Clear Creek Independent School District recently had 18 elementary schools participate in the FIRST LEGO League Lone Star Robotics Tournament. As always, the students and their sponsors did an outstanding job representing Clear Creek ISD.

This year’s challenge was “Ocean Odyssey.” Students were required to design, build and program a robot to accomplish various missions, as well as choose an ocean activity or resource and trace its impact on the ocean’s health, biodiversity and productivity. Also, students had to create an innovative solution to improve the use of this resource, while minimizing the negative impact on the oceans.

Armand Bayou, Bay, Brookwood, Clear Lake City, Falcon Pass, Greene, Hall, Ward, Wedgewood and White Elementary Schools advanced to the play-off round. Below are the results from the competition:

Division Finals

Armand Bayou Elementary progressed to the division finals and finished in second place in their division.

Armand Bayou is one of the top eight teams that competed in the competition.

Research Finalists

Bay Elementary and Ward Elementary teams were recognized as Research Finalists.

Both Bay Elementary and Ward Elementary were two of the four teams that were recognized for the quality of their research, innovative solutions and creative presentations that showed an in-depth understanding of the various scientific disciplines involved in this year’s challenge.

Robot Design Award

- Wedgewood Elementary won the Robot Design Award.
- White Elementary was a Robot Design Finalist.

Sportsmanship/Teamwork and Spirit

- Clear Lake City Elementary won the Sportsmanship/Teamwork Award.
- North Pointe Elementary won the Spirit Award.

Judge's Award

- Hall Elementary received the Judge’s Award.

Mentor Award

In addition to the students’ achievements, after many years of hard work and dedication to robotics education in Clear Creek ISD, Terry Brandhorst, lead technology integration specialist, was recognized at the competition. He was presented the tournament’s Mentor Award.

This award goes to the coach or mentor whose wisdom, guidance, patience and devotion were most clearly evident in his team’s discussion with the judges.

League City Intermediate Students Walk with Buddies

By Clear Creek Independent School District

December 9, 2005

LEAGUE CITY, Texas—League City Intermediate School’s Advanced Theatre Arts class participated in the Down Syndrome Association of Houston's 5th Annual Buddy Walk. The name of their team is "Birthday Boys' Buddies."

The Buddies team won first place in two domains: having the most walkers and raising the most money. More than 60 students and community members participated on the team that raised more than $4,000.

Clear Lake High School Orchestra Invited to Carnegie Hall

By Clear Creek Independent School District

December 9, 2005

LEAGUE CITY, Texas—The Clear Lake High School orchestra has been invited to perform in New York City's prestigious Carnegie Hall. Their performance is scheduled for April 2006.

The invitation to perform has been extended to only four high school orchestras in the United States. Orchestras are selected based on achievements and recordings of previous concerts.

Clear Lake High School's music program has been named a 2005 GRAMMY Signature School and the orchestra program continues to be ranked among the top 10 orchestra programs in the state of Texas by the Texas Music Educator's Association.

To support the orchestra's fundraising endeavors contact Bryan Bufaloe, orchestra director, by calling (281) 226-7963.

School District Language Teacher Named to National Board

By Clear Creek Independent School District

December 9, 2005

LEAGUE CITY, Texas—Gin-Chi Wuu, who teaches the Chinese language at Clear Brook and Clear Lake High Schools, has been elected to the National Board of Directors for the Chinese Language Association of Secondary-Elementary Schools (CLASS.) She will be working with the College Board to develop the AP exams for Chinese Language and Culture.

“I am looking forward to representing the interests of our students, as well as Chinese students all across the nation,” Wuu said.

CLASS was established in 1987 as a national organization devoted to the advancement and promotion of the teaching and learning of Chinese at elementary and secondary schools in the United States.

Clear Lake High School National Scholar Bowl Champs

By Clear Creek Independent School District

December 3, 2005

LEAGUE CITY, Texas—After two days of intense competition, Clear Lake High School has been named the 2005 NHS Scholars' Bowl champions.

Clear Lake High School came to the 4th Annual Scholars' Bowl competition at the National Honor Society's National Conference in the nation's capitol to improve upon their third place finish in 2004.

The 2005 team members from Clear Lake High School are: Scott Shearouse (team captain), Gene Dan, Mary Mao, Thika Tran, and Ravi Pinjala. Sponsors for Clear Lake National Honor Society are: Lindy Goodwin, Lillian Wilson and Janna Thorum.

Individual and Team Competition

The competition, sponsored by Pearson Prentice Hall, consists of two parts, individual and team. First, each member of each team undertakes an extensive written exam, which covers five subject categories: English, Math, Science, Social Studies and General Knowledge, one person per subject category.

In addition to its first place win, Clear Lake High School also won the award for the highest team cumulative score on the individual exams.

Individual Winners

Individual winners who exhibited superlative performance on the Qualifying Exams were:

Social Studies - Scott Shearouse,
General Knowledge - Gene Dan

Three Rounds

Twenty-two teams from across the nation participated in the competition. Teams competed head to head in three rounds of short-answer questions culminating in the championship round.

"We applaud the efforts of all of the Scholars' Bowl participants," said Rick Culp, President, Pearson Prentice Hall. "It was a rigorous and impressive competition bringing together the best and the brightest students from across the country. Their hard work and preparation were evident. Congratulations to Clear Lake High School for their outstanding achievement in this prestigious event."

Crites Named Kiwanis Sports Hero

By Clear Creek Independent School District

December 3, 2005

LEAGUE CITY, Texas—Clear Brook High School Senior Sam Crites has been named as the 2005 George H. W. Bush Kiwanis Sports Hero. Crites, who was nominated for the award by his football coach Brian Garrison, was selected from among three finalists in the Houston area.

Crites has received a $5,000 scholarship from the Kiwanis organization. As part of the selection process his parents, teachers and administrators were interviewed about the impact he has had on school mates, team members and the community at large.

Space Center Intermediate Makes Honor Roll

By Clear Creek Independent School District

December 3, 2005

LEAGUE CITY, Texas—Space Center Intermediate School in Clear Creek Independent School District is being recognized by the Texas Business and Education Coalition (TBEC) and Just for the Kids (JFTK) Dec. 6.

Space Center Intermediate School is being recognized in the 2005 TBEC/JFTK Honor Roll middle/junior high schools division. Space Center Intermediate is one of 130 Texas schools being honored at the dinner and reception.

The combined purpose of the TBEC and JFTK organizations is improve the performance of the public school system by raising academic standards and increasing student academic achievement in Texas.

Relationships, communication and success for all are trademarks of Dr. Fred Hayes, Texas High School Principal of the Year

By Clear Creek Independent School District

November 23, 2005

League City, TX—At Clear Creek High School there are three standards that are posted in every room:

- Teaching and Learning for All

- High Expectations for All

- Respect for All

Meeting the needs of all students in every way is the philosophy of Clear Creek High School Principal Dr. Fred Hayes, the Texas High School Principal of the Year.

The award, given by the Texas Association of Secondary School Principals, recognizes the exemplary performance among campus level administrators in Texas. Hayes is the first principal at Clear Creek High School to have earned this honor.

“Receiving this award is a tremendous honor for Fred and his family, as well as his Clear Creek ISD family,” said Alex Torrez, Clear Creek ISD assistant superintendent of secondary education. “Those who work closely with Fred already recognized his leadership and dedication to educating students of Clear Creek ISD. Having his peers recognize the same characteristics and present him with the Principal of the Year Award is a special honor.”

This is the beginning of Hayes’ third year at Clear Creek High School. He has served as principal for two other Texas high schools before moving to Clear Creek. Hayes attended Baylor University where he earned his Ed.D. in Educational Administration and he earned his master’s degree and bachelor’s degree from the University of Texas at Tyler.

“I went into education because I wanted to have a positive influence on the lives of students, just like one of my teachers had on me,” Hayes said. “He showed me what a life of integrity and compassion can mean for a young person and that is what I hope to leave as my legacy.”

To achieve his goal of creating a positive, encouraging environment for his students, Hayes said he keeps the students’ concerns as the focal point of every decision he makes, by ensuring the culture of the school is respectful and making sure that every person on the campus knows they are valued.

“Dr. Hayes is a great guy,” said Lauren Pourghan, Clear Creek High School senior. “Whenever a student needs something, he is there to take care of his or her needs. He understands that some kids need more help than others and he will take the time for them. I see him talking to people on campus all of the time and I know that he is here for us.”

Hayes has had his hands full this year. His campus has had half the buildings demolished, the beginning of the campus rebuild, and a skyrocketing student population. The ability to stay in touch with the nearly 4,000 students, 273 staff members and the students parents is a trait that makes Hayes an extra special principal.

“He wants everyone to feel like a part of the Clear Creek family,” said PTSA President Cathy Donahoe. ”Dr. Hayes often asks, ‘How are things going?’ and you know when he asks that he is not expecting a polite response of ‘Fine.’ He would rather have the detailed version, including any concerns or positive inputs you might have to offer.”

In her letter of recommendation to the Texas Association of Secondary School Principals, Clear Creek High School journalism teacher Wynette Jameson said, “Dr. Hayes is a shining example of how important it is to listen to others and that it is essential in creating a team that works effectively and efficiently.”

District High School Students Earn National Honors

By Clear Creek Independent School District

November 23, 2005

League City, TX—Clear Creek ISD has 26 high school students who have qualified as National Merit Scholarship Semifinalists and 64 high school students who received commended status based upon their academic achievements.

The National Merit® Scholarship Program is an academic competition for recognition and scholarships that began in 1955. High school students enter the National Merit Program by taking the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT®). This test serves as an initial screen of approximately 1.3 million entrants each year. Students must also meet published program entry/participation requirements.

The students who are semifinalists are in the top one half of one percent of American High School seniors. These scholastically talented high school seniors have an opportunity to continue in the competition for some 8,200 Merit Scholarship® awards, worth $33 million, that will be offered next spring.

More National Honors

Forde, School District volunteer, named Citizen of the Year

By Clear Creek Independent School District

November 23, 2005

League City, TX—A successful school district is dependent upon the commitment, input and service of its community members. In recognition of the dedication of these volunteers, the Clear Creek Independent School District Board of Trustees recently established the Citizen of the Year award, which is managed through the Clear Creek Education Foundation.

Community member Bob Forde has been named the first Citizen of the Year recipient. For more than two decades Forde has supported the district by serving on and leading many district committees, including boundary committees, facilities needs committees and bond committees.

“A good education is the most important thing we can give our children,” Forde said.

As part of the award Forde is the recipient of an endowment that will be given to a Clear Creek ISD academic program in his honor. Forde decided to allocate his endowment to the fifth grade science labs at Bauerschlag Elementary.

Forde is a geologist, and he said that when he was in elementary school science education did not exist as it does today. He said that he did not discover the importance of science until he was a sophomore in college.

Mix It Up at Clear Creek High School

Learning tolerance, crossing social boundaries at local high school

November 12, 2005

League City, TX—Clear Creek High School is celebrating the fourth annual Mix It Up Day during lunch periods Nov. 15 in the CCHS cafeteria.

This year's theme is, "Bring Down the Walls." The walls symbolize social boundaries that high school students face on a daily basis. The Mix It Up program is intended to help students break through the social boundaries that keep them apart and encourage them to appreciate their differences.

Organizers hope students will take a fresh look at their school environments and ask why the barriers that divide student groups exist. Social boundaries can create divisions and misunderstandings in schools. By working to cross these barriers through programs like Mix It Up, students can help create environments with less conflict and fewer instances of bullying, harassment and violence.

Why Mix It Up?

For many students, social boundaries are a troublesome, daily constant. Although the types of boundaries may vary from school to school, a 2002 Mix It Up survey showed:

A majority of middle and high school students said that schools were quick to put people into categories.

Forty percent admitted that they had rejected someone from another group.

One-third said it's hard to become friends with people in different groups.

Mix it Up is sponsored by the Southern Poverty Law Center's Teaching Tolerance and Tolerance.org projects and by the Study Circles Resource Center.

The Mix It Up program supports efforts to identify, question and cross boundaries of difference in their schools and communities. On National Mix It Up at Lunch Day, students will answer a simple charge: Step out of their cafeteria comfort zones, take new seats and meet new people.

For more information about CCHS's Mix It Up at Lunch, call the Office of Public Information at (281) 284-0020 or visit http://www.tolerance.org/teens.

Source: CCISD

School District Hosts Veterans Day Memorial Ceremony

November 12, 2005

League City, TX—Clear Creek High School is hosted, "Celebrating American's Freedoms," a Veterans Day ceremony, at 11 a.m., Nov. 11, in the CCHS auditorium, 2305 East Main St., League City, TX 77573. All

Major General Bailey and other veterans spoke at the event and a video about the life of SPC Ray Hutchinson, Creek's fallen soldier, was shown. Members of the HiLife staff, the JROTC and other student organizations participated in the event. For more information, call CCHS at (281) 338-5600.

Source: CCISD

School District Increases Bond Communication Efforts

November 12, 2005

League City, TX—The Clear Creek Independent School District has modified the bond signs in front of all the campuses in the district in order to better inform the community of the progress being made on Bond 2004 projects. All Clear Creek ISD campuses are benefiting from Bond 2004. All campuses are receiving the latest technology updates and many campuses are receiving much needed facility improvements.

Below is a listing of the up-to-date percentages of completion at all Clear Creek ISD schools. Signs will be updated as work is completed. For more information on Bond 2004 completion, visit the bond section on the district web site www.CCISD.net.

Source: CCISD

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