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

Dulles MS Student Wins Gold Medal in Rodeo Art Festival - Krista Picciotti, a Dulles Middle School student, won the Gold medal at the FBISD Rodeo Art Festival. Her painting is on display at Reliant Stadium during the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo.

Kempner Cougars Capture Awards at Foreign Language Contest - Fort Bend ISD recently hosted the Farrington Language Contest. This competition is sponsored by the Houston Area Teachers of Foreign Languages, and challenges students to demonstrate their expertise in languages other than English. Approximately 300 students from area districts including the Conroe, Klein, Katy, Cy-Fair and Spring Branch competed in the contest.

Kempner High School students were very successful and brought home several awards. Cougars who excelled in Spanish include Jose Barahona, first place in Spanish Heritage Speakers – Intermediate; Anaisa Gordillo, third place in Spanish Heritage Speakers – Intermediate; and Ryan Khondker, second place in Spanish II. Other competitors included Precious Ude, Diego Lagos and Santiago Garcia. Elly Lai placed in the Japanese III category.

FBISD Culinary Arts Students Help “Pass the Pencil” - The Culinary Arts class at Fort Bend ISD’s Technical Education Center took part in the Pass the Pencil community service project to provide school supplies for students at the Early Childhood Learning Center in La Marque ISD. The center was heavily damaged by Hurricane Ike.

The Culinary Arts classes held a school supply drive and delivered the supplies to Principal Jo Ann Stringfellow, who was moved to tears when she saw the supplies. The Culinary Arts classes will also provide gardening supplies to the center to help with its outdoor gardening facility.

(Back row) Greg Duhon, Jon Tauzin, Conner Kelleher, Elliott Marshall, David Tillman, Coach Basset, Mark Fisher; (front row) Justin Koonce, Matt Reilly, David Gallo, Chris Reilly and Marcus Phipps. Not shown: Umair Siddiqui

Sartartia MS 8B Boys Basketball Team Takes Top Honors- The Sartartia Middle School 8B boys basketball team won first place in the West Houston Tournament at Memorial Middle School. The team played Spring Branch Middle, Memorial Middle School and Sugar Land Middle School to take top honors.

Kempner HS Provides Resources to GMS Career Day - Kempner High School athletes took part in Garcia Middle School’s eighth-grade Career Day by providing tools and resources to middle school students. Their goal was to communicate with middle school students the many choices that are available at the high school level including sports and clubs. This was a way to help middle school students understand what options are available; allowing students to explore their choices and set up an action plan for high school.

Marcia Chen Wins Cello Performance - Marcia Chen, a ninth-grader at Clements High School, won the title at the Houston Civic Symphony ’s Young Artist Competition with her performance of Haydn’s Cello Concerto in C Major. Her duet with pianist Louis Liao has also advanced to the finals in Houston Young Artist’s Concert, where they performed Shostakovich’s electrifying Cello Sonata.

At the age of 4, Marcia received her first cello lesson from her mother, Olive Chen, a prominent cellist and an educator. She takes lessons from Ann Victors and Ann Witherspoon, who nourish her in the domains of cello, piano, composition and theory.

In the summer of 2008, she performed Saint-Saen’s Cello Concerto with the orchestra of American Festival of Art at the amphitheater of Discovery Green Park, as a result of her winning at AFA ’s own competition.

Marcia’s performance with the Houston Civic Symphony will take place on March 12 at 7:30 p.m. at Houston Baptist University ’s Morris Cultural Art Center in Dunham Theater. Admission is free.

LEAF Announces New Board Members -The Lamar Educational Awards Foundation announced six new members to its board of directors: Alicia Casias, Pam Dostal, Jim Gonzales, Marcia Holmes, Dorothy Puch-Lillig and Janet Neal. All bring a wealth of knowledge to L.E.A.F. in areas of management, marketing and community volunteering. L.E.A.F. awarded more than $170,000 to LCISD teachers in the form of grants in November 2008.

Serving as officers this year are Lonnie Meadows, president; Judi Vernon, vice-president; Kenny Kucherka, treasurer; Teresa Gibson, secretary and Vincent Morales Jr., past-president.

Others serving on the L.E.A.F. board include Steve Crow, Liz Hamlett, Jennifer Hartmann, Melody Hess, Richard Hunton Jr., Tom McClung, Jim Miller, Barbara Minton, Marjorie Pollard, Lisa Regan, Jan Russell, Andy Sanford, Robyn Stone, Bobbi Treacy and Tom Zachman.