Fort Bend Lifestyles and Homes Magazine Dec 2009: Fort Bend School News 1

Lamar CISD Students Named Commended Students - Foster High’s Catherine Moore, Kevin Robson and James Whiting, Lamar Consolidated High’s Timothy McComiskey, Chase Romere and David Sung, and Terry High’s Lauren Schulte have been notified that they are among the 34,000 Commended Students throughout the nation being recognized for their exceptional academic promise. Although they will not continue in the 2010 competition for National Merit Scholarships, Commended Students placed among the top 5 percent of more than 1.5 million students who entered the 2010 competition by taking the 2008 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test.

Campbell K4K Members Promote “Respect” - “Respect” continued into October with a “No Place for Hate” school-wide kick off sponsored by the Anti-Defamation League and promoting fairness and kindness to everyone. Campbell counselor Suzanne Stavinoha called for students to voluntarily sign a “Resolution of Respect” created specifically for Campbell students.

Although no collection was held for the month of October, 30 new club members focused on the virtue “Courage” and promoted Campbell Cougar’s “Pawsitively Drug Free” campaign. Members created and hung posters throughout the school, setting the tone for Red Ribbon Week at the end of the month.

St. Laurence Families Gather for “Movie Under the Stars” - It may have been a rainy night outside, but St. Laurence families were warm and dry inside the gym at St. Laurence School on Oct. 9 and enjoyed the second annual “Movie Under the Stars.” The PTO sponsored the showing of Monsters vs. Aliens. Admission to the movie was free. Each family could bring their own picnic dinner. Concessions provided by The National Junior Honor Society, Leo Club, Student Council and Spirit Shop were available for purchase. Proceeds benefited the St. Laurence athletic department. Renee Mock and Kristin Holy coordinated the big event. The evening was a huge hit.

Foster Students Named Outstanding Participants in National Achievement Scholarship Program - Foster High School students Michelle Emedo, Camary Smith and Gabrielle Webster were recognized by the National National Achievement Scholarship Program, an academic competition established in 1964 to provide recognition for outstanding Black American high school students. Only a group of about 3,100 outstanding participants are referred to colleges for their potential for academic success. A smaller group of about 1,600 are named semifinalists, the only students who have an opportunity to advance in the competition for National Achievement scholarships.

Kempner Graduate Teaches Business and Entrepreneurship to Elementary Students - The award-winning Students in Free Enterprise Team (SIFE) from Texas State University-San Marcos is committing many hours to expanding its legacy project, Free Enterprise City, into four additional start-up businesses in local San Marcos elementary and intermediate schools. Katherine Brooks (Kempner H.S., ‘06) along with three other SIFE members taught fourth-grade, gifted and talented students at Travis Elementary. This project has three learning modules which include: learning the principles of free enterprise at Free Enterprise Clubs; practicing the principles at Free Enterprise Depots, and finally, learning about a global view of how communities function together at a one-day event entitled Free Enterprise City.

The SIFE team undertakes many projects, which fulfill SIFE’s mission of teaching others, through action learning, about the concepts of free enterprise. Their free enterprise projects also involve many other local partners such as the San Marcos Chamber of Commerce and Gary Job Corp.

The fourth- and fifth-grade G-T students are learning the entire business cycle and participating in learning both the principles of free enterprise and successful operation of Free Enterprise Depot. The students will be issued stock certificates for their ownership, secure additional funding, elect officers,
buy supplies, advertise and manage operations.

A key component of the learning experience is the need to be socially responsible and ethical. So, at the conclusion of the project this winter, each group will donate a portion of their proceeds to a worthwhile cause of their choice.

Campbell’s K4K Club Commences - Campbell Elementary’s Kids for Kindness Club started its second year with a bang collecting 521 food items for Richmond-Rosenberg Helping Hands and focusing on the virtue “RESPECT” during the month of September.

The Kids for Kindness Club (K4K) was created last year by Campbell’s principal, Michelle Koerth, for third- to fifth-graders. The club’s service projects center around a different virtue each month. Selected students meet on their designated month to discuss what that virtue means to them and how it defines the kind of people they want to be. These students then put this virtue into action by working on the designated project.

Troop 147 Girls Earn Girl Scout Silver Award - “Scouting rises within you and inspires you to put forth your best,” said Juliette G. Low, the founder of Girl Scouts USA. This is exactly what the girls from Troop 147 (Rainbow Stars Service Unit – New Territory) did while earning the Girl Scout Silver Award. The ninth-graders received the award at a ceremony held at Parkway United Methodist Church.

Designed as the highest Girl Scout honor for girls in the 11-14-year-old age group, the Girl Scout Silver Award is a national recognition.

To complete the Silver Award, girls must find a need in the community outside of Girl Scouting and plan and execute a 40-hour project. The following people/organizations benefited by the girls ’ efforts: St. Vincent de Paul, third-graders at Walker Station Elementary, CAPs (Citizens Animal Protection), Texas Children ’s Hospital, The Fort Bend Women’s Shelter, the Gabriel Project, Meals-On-Wheels and the TWRC (Texas Wildlife Rehabilitation Coalition).

“The Silver Award is the best measure of a young woman’s achievements as a Girl Scout and as a future leader,” said Jane Sullivan, leader of Rainbow Stars Service Unit Troop 147. “Through the goals laid out by the award, our Girls Scouts were able to put together a project and see the happiness it brought to the recipients. ”

Back Home in Fort Bend, Dancing for Joy - In the 26-year history of Clements High School, the Stars Dance Team has only had a handful of dance directors. This year, Clements is proud to announce the arrival of the Fort Bend dynamic duo, Chelsea Harrison, director, and Michelle Barth, assistant director. Each day they bring energy and enthusiasm to the dance room that has been infectious to the girls. “I tell the girls LLD, which means, live, love, dance,” says Harrison.

Newly engaged Chelsea lives by that standard. She was born and raised in Sugar Land, attended Austin High School, and was a member of the Austin Angels Dance Team. She then went to Texas State University where she received a Bachelor of Science in Dance.

Michelle, also educated in the Fort Bend school district, was the top officer with the Dulles Dolls in high school. She received a bachelor ’s degree in dance from the University of Texas, then traveled with a competition dance convention, and taught classes at a local dance studio.

Clements Student Honored as Youth of the Month - Kyle Krueger was honored on Oct. 7 by The Exchange Club of Sugar Land as October Youth of the Month. Her academic achievements include National Honor Society, English Honor Society and a National Merit semifinalist. She is captain of the CHS swim team and co-chair of Ranger Camp, a member of the CHS Student Council and a leader in the PALS program. She is a strong volunteer with the First Colony Dream Team, which is a baseball league for special needs children. Kyle plans on a degree in engineering.

September’s K4K group includes: (back row) Bill Freeman and Norm Short; (third row) Principal Michelle Koerth, Karla Rivera, Emily Comeaux, James White; Counselor Suzanne Stavinoha; (second row) Hannah Flores, Emma Saha, Diego Velasquez, Caroline Richey, Ricky Lester, Anna Velasquez; (front row) Milo Williams, Andrew Spencer, Colton Turner, William Alexander and Brayden Turner.