Fort Bend Lifestyles and Homes Magazine Jun 2009: Fort Bend Campus News 1

Tomahawk District Holds Spring Camporee Weekend - The Tomahawk District holds a Spring Camporee Campout each year as an opportunity for Boy Scout Troops to come together for fellowship and competitions. There were more than 500 in attendance at this year ’s event. The theme was R U Prepared, which centered on the Emergency Preparedness Award.

Saturday’s activities featured organized first aid activities and competitions such as First Aid Baseball, Rescue Carry Relay and assembling a first aid kit. The Boy Scouts and the adult scouters also participated in a functional exercise designed as a competition with reactions to emergency scenarios judged as part of the overall exercise.

Winners of the competitions were: First Aid Baseball – first place, Troop 1282 Pink Flamingo Patrol; second place, Troop 301 Falcon Patrol; third place, Troop 616 Viking Patrol; 4-Handed Carry Relay – first place, Troop 1282 Pink Flamingo Patrol; second place, Troop 731 Wolverine Patrol; third place, Troop 301 Falcon Patrol; Emergency Drill Exercises – first place, Troop 731 Scorpion Patrol; second place, Troop 1282 Pink Flamingo Patrol; third place, Troop 911 Raven Patrol; Cooking Competition – first place, Troop 616 Tiger; second place, Troop 1845 Eagle Patrol; third place tie, Troop

1282 Pink Flamingo Patrol and Troop 828 Falcon; Adult Savory – first place, Mike McNeff, Troop 1282; second place, Ruth Smith, Crew 1960; Adult Sweet – first place, Mike McNeff, Troop 1282, second place, Guy Lombardo, Troop 616; third place, Ruth Smith, Crew 1960; Campsite Inspections – first place, Troop 615; second place,Troop 659; and third place, Troop 616.

On Sunday morning, Camporee was concluded with a Scout is reverent service that observed many different faiths and was led by the Tomahawk District Chaplain Doug Acker.

Fort Bend MS Band Receives Sudler Silver Cup Award - The Fort Bend Middle School Band received the Sudler Silver Cup award for 2009 from The John Philip Sousa Foundation. It is the highest recognition of excellence that can be awarded to a middle school band program. During the 24 years the award has been in existence, only 37 junior high or middle school bands from the United States and Canada have received this honor.

The Sudler Cup identifies, recognizes and honors outstandingly fine junior high school and middle school concert band programs that have demonstrated high standards of excellence in concert activities over a period of seven or more years.

Walker Station Elementary Explores New Ways to Learn - The teachers at Walker Station Elementary are always using nontraditional approaches to reach their students. With the help from the WSE PTO, the teachers are able to carry this approach to entirely different level. While preparing for the Science TAKS exam, fifth-grade students were able to use the new wireless laptop cart with 25 laptops. The portable laptops were able to enhance content delivery, student learning and collaborative interaction. Utilizing laptops in the face-to-face classroom allowed the students to instantly access and integrate information, including library resources, course materials and research sites.

Each student also had the opportunity to experience ExploreLearning, an interactive learning software. This learning tool is all about the “A-Ha!” moment—the miraculous instant when something inside a student’s brain clicks and suddenly whatever was puzzling the student now makes perfect sense.

Calvary Episcopal Student Places Second in PSIA Academic State Meet - Shelby Racca III, an eighth-grader at Calvary Episcopal School in Richmond, competed in the Private Schools Interscholastic Association State Meet in Fort Worth. He placed second in the state for the eighth-grade Vocabulary test.

Approximately 3,100 students from across Texas qualified for the 2009 PSIA Academic State Meets. Shelby qualified for the state competition by placing first in vocabulary at the PSIA District Meet. He won three other medals at the district level for Math, Number Sense and Spelling.

Fort Bend ISD Congratulates 2009 ESL and Bilingual Teachers of the Year

- Norma Sanchez of Holley Elementary School was named the 2009 FBISD Bilingual Teacher of the Year, and Janet Roberts of Arizona Fleming Elementary School was named Fort Bend ISD’s 2009 ESL Teacher of the Year. Both were selected and honored by the Houston Area Association for Bilingual Education at its annual Bilingual/ESL Teacher of the Year banquet.

Roberts is a 23-year teaching veteran and has been with FBISD for 10 years. She currently works as an English as a Second Language Specialist/Coach. She has a master ’s degree in curriculum and is certified in biology, life/earth science and ESL.

Sanchez has been teaching for four years. She began as a first-grade bilingual teacher at Burton Elementary School and currently works as a Reading Recovery teacher for pre-kindergarten students. Before becoming a teacher, she worked as a human rights attorney in Mexico. Sanchez will go on to compete in the Texas Association for Bilingual Education ’s Teacher of the Year competition.

Lamar CISD Offers Free Chinese Classes This Summer - Lamar CISD will offer a free program this summer to introduce students to the Chinese language and culture.

The Chinese Language Summer Academy will provide a rigorous, but fun, activity during the summer. Students will meet new friends and learn the Chinese language, as well as about the richness of Chinese culture.

Classes will be held Monday-Friday, June 15-July 10 at Lamar Junior High School from 8 a.m.-11:30 a.m. Students must be an incoming Lamar CISD 7th-, 8th- or 9th-grader and interested in taking Chinese I as a high school freshman or sophomore. This is an introduction to Chinese and will not count as a high school credit.

Register online at www.teachingchinese.org/houston and scroll down to Lamar Junior High. Click on the link “Apply for this program.” Paper versions of the application are available in the counselor’s offices at the middle schools and junior highs. For more information, contact Kevin McCune at kmccune@lcisd.org.

Highlands Elementary Holds Annual Parade of Nations - Highlands Elementary School students and staff held their annual Parade of Nations to celebrate the diverse cultures represented among students and staff on campus and throughout their community.

The parade was a culminating activity to conclude a week-long study on cultures. The event included a campus parade with participants dressed in clothes representing their native countries or depicting American culture through the years as well as an assembly that featured musical presentations, sing-a-longs and a video presentation. Students also greeted guests in various languages.