Fort Bend Lifestyles and Homes Magazine Feb 2010: Fort Bend County School News

Greatwood Grizzlies Take Second in Jingle Bell Dinger - The Greatwood Grizzlies 8U select baseball team took second-place honors in the Lamar Little League Jingle Bell Dinger.

Team members are: Jackson Jobes, John Paquette, Jeffrey Greer, Matt Echelberger, Trent Bielitz, Harrison Elliott, Brandon Kostelnik, Nick Cassapo, Justin Webb, Michael Imhoff, Kamran Mohmand and Tyler Diamond. John Cassapo and Greg Imhoff are coaches, and Jay Greer is the team manager.

Scout From Troop 731 Earns Eagle Rank - Blake Hermes from Troop 731 earned the rank of Eagle Scout. Blake’s Eagle Project took more than 430 service hours and included construction of an all-metal 20-by-20 picnic table pavilion with a concrete foundation for Beth-El Ministries ’ After-School Program. His fundraising efforts of $3,000 allowed him to construct the facility and donate more than $300 for after school meals at Beth-El.

While a Boy Scout in Troop 731, Blake earned 34 merit badges and held several leadership positions including assistant senior patrol leader, patrol leader, quartermaster, OA rep and senior patrol leader. He is a Brotherhood member of the Order of the Arrow and is an active member of Troop 731 ’s Arrow of Light Ceremonial Team.

Blake has accumulated 137 camping nights including camps in Colorado, North Carolina, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas and has attended National Youth Leadership Training. During his last high adventure summer camp, Blake ’s crew rafted the Arkansas River, backpacked and reached the summit of Mount Shavano, a 14,229-foot peak near Poncha Springs, Colo.

He is a sophomore at Clements High School where he plays football and was awarded an Academic Excellence Award for his 2008-09 school year performance.

Troop 731 Completes Winter Camp - Boy Scout Troop 731 spent several days during December at Winter Camp at Camp Urland in the Three Rivers Council.

Seventeen scouts ranging from 11-13 years were accompanied by five adult Scouters. Brian Swinney was scoutmaster for the campout, assisted by Dakota Homewood as senior patrol leader and Luke Dixon as assistant senior patrol leader.

Sixty-five merit badges were begun in diverse areas such as Citizenship, Communications, Archery, Rifle Shooting and Pioneering. In addition, Polar Bear patches were earned as the temperature was below freezing several nights.

Kevin Kline, founder of the Snow Drop Foundation, accepts a check from Campbell Elementary Principal Michelle Koerth. Kids for Kindness Club members include: (middle row) Austin Koerth, Christine Bonaparte, Emma Saha, Jake Haldiman, Kasey Litzman, Brittany Cherry; (back row) Garrett Arredondo, Emma Elkins, Aamir Sarani, Dalen Swain, Evan Elkins and Katie Koerth.

Campbell Elementary Kids for Kindness Club Helps Snow Drop Foundation - Lamar CISD’s Campbell Elementary Kids for Kindness Club hosted a volleyball benefit to raise money for the Snow Drop Foundation in honor of Campbell student Madison Matula.

The Snowdrop Foundation is dedicated to assisting patients and families at Texas Children ’s Cancer Center through funding for continued research to eliminate childhood cancer and scholarships for college bound pediatric cancer patients and survivors.

Campbell Elementary’s collection was an early kick off salute to Strides Across Texas. On Dec. 20, Kline stood at the Cotton Bowl and begin his odyssey, running 481 miles from Dallas through Austin through San Antonio to Houston in 13 days.

Stafford Primary and Elementary Art Contest Winners Awarded New Bikes - Seventeen students from Stafford Primary and Elementary schools were honored during an assembly for their winning entries in the Fort Bend Regional Council on Substance Abuse ’s annual Drug-Free Art Contest. Each of the winners was awarded a new bicycle and helmet thanks to a grant from Walmart and support from FBRC.

Stafford students are encouraged to participate in the contest each October as part of Red Ribbon Week. The entries were judged on their theme, creativity and drug-free message. Winners were selected from each grade level, and were presented with their new bikes in front of fellow students, teachers and parents.

Girl Scouts Spread Holiday Cheer - Girl Scout Troop 28104 made care packages for soldiers in Afghanistan during their holiday party. Girl Scout Troops 721, 724 and 277 made holiday placemats from old holiday cards for the senior citizens at Silverado Senior Center to brighten their holiday tables during this season. Brownie Troop 28083 reused materials destined for the landfill (tissue paper and plastic bottle lids) to create a large assortment of unbreakable ornaments for the tree at the Club in New Territory.

Some of the girls from Troop 721, like Megan Whitworth, worked at Gifts of Love, sponsored by Parkway United Methodist Church and Second Mile Mission. Girls from Troop 721 and 724 made two large platters of holiday goodies and dropped them off at Fire Station No. 1 to help the fireman who had to work on Christmas Day celebrate the holidays.

Clements Student Named Miss Teen Houston - Katerina Pasat of Missouri City was crowned 2010 Miss Teen Houston. She will move on to compete in the Teen Texas pageant in Arlington at the end of June. Contestants competed in interview, fitness, talent, formalwear and onstage question as part of Miss America ’s Outstanding Teen system, part of the Miss America pageant.

Katerina is a freshman at Clements High School and participates on the school’s color guard.

Chess Club Members Win at State Championship - Nicolas Corredor and Katherine Crockett, second-grade members of the St. Laurence Catholic School Chess Club, participated in the 13th Annual Texas Grade Championships Chess Tournament. Their combined performance at the tournament earned St. Laurence
the fifth-place trophy for second-grade teams.

Hightower Media Academy Awarded Three Grants - The Hightower Media Academy is the recipient of three grants this school year. Two in the fall and one this year. The grants are the Sienna Plantation Community Grant for the recycling program for $990; Kids In Need $1,000 grant; and Target Field Trips $800.