Blog entries tagged education

School Starts Soon for Lamar Consolidated ISD

Melissa Burnham — Fri, 06 Aug 2010 20:57:47 +0100

It’s almost that time again!

The 2010 School Year is set to begin August 23 at the River Park
West schools of Hutchison Elementary, Wessendorff Middle School,
Lamar Junior High School, and Lamar Consolidated High School. Some
early pre-year and school-year information is already available to
view at several schools, and here are some of the published
important dates you won’t want to forget:

On Thursday, August 5, from 9-11 a.m. the Wessendorff Middle
School will hold student orientation.On Wednesday, August 11, Lamar Consolidated High School (LCHS)
will hold orientation for new students and incoming freshmen. Find
additional info with the Fish Camp Schedule.On Thursday, September 2, the Balfour Company will be at the
LCHS campus to display, discuss and accept orders for the ever
popular Senior Class Rings! Please see LCISD Senior Rings.

Be sure to check www.lcisd.org in the coming days for more information
and updates!

LCHS Students Earn Technology Honors This Summer

Daphne Hager — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 20:11:07 +0100

July has been a great month for Lamar Consolidated High School (LCHS) scholastics.

Lamar Consolidated Students competed and won the Texas State-Level competition for the Technology Students Association (TSA) in May, qualifying 21 students to compete at the national TSA conference in Baltimore, Maryland, from June 28 to July 2, 2010. Competing at the conference against 4,300 students from all over the United States, the LCHS team achieved three 2nd place finishes and one 8th place finish.

Gregory Heugel and Grayson Clark finished 2nd in “Debating Technological Issues”, and Heugel also earned 2nd place in “Extemporaneous Speech”. As well, the team of Andrew Fails, Alise Isaksen and Mitchell Williams took 2nd place in “Scientific and Technical Visualization”, while Federico Chow finished 8th in “Transportation Modeling”.

With their proven superior technical attributes, River Park West is proud to send its students to LCHS!

Art Teacher at Wessendorff Middle School Receives Award

Daphne Hager — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 20:56:38 +0100

A local art teacher, Charlene Tevis, from Wessendorff Middle School has been chosen to participate in the East-West Center’s prestigious Fulbright-Hays Group Projects Abroad Program this summer. Tevis is famous for taking her stuffed Froggy on all her travels, which have included Washington, D.C. and The Great Wall of China, and bringing pictures of Froggy in these places back to her classroom to share and help educate her students on the world.

Tevis has achieved much for Wessendorff in her tenure there, including securing $60,000 in an equipment grant from Samsung that arrived on an 18-wheeler to the more than excited school.

The East-West Center is located in Honolulu, Hawaii, and for the last fifty years has been dedicated to improving relations between the USA and pacific countries and educating participants in the differing cultures. Find more information on the center at EastWestCenter.org/education.

Congratulations Ms. Tevis, and to the students of Wessendorff for being blessed with such a great teacher!

2010 Summer Programs for Budding Fort Bend Area Child Singers & Performers

Daphne Hager — Wed, 26 May 2010 02:03:50 +0100

Registration is open now for Fort Bend Theater’s Kids’ Summer Musical Camp, but some classes are already full—so act fast!

Kids from 6-14 will learn acting, singing, and dancing over a week (either mornings or afternoons), performing on the last day to an audience of family and friends. The available summer musical camps with openings this season run from June through August are Oliver, Cinderella, Jungle Book, Annie, Wicked, and HSM II are run $200 each.

For more information on pricing, ages, casting availability and performance openings, see FortBendTheatre.com or call 281-208-3333.

Fort Bend Theater is located at 2815 N. Main, Stafford, Texas, but has a long history of supporting arts and theater in the Fort Bend area since being founded in 1989. There’s always a new play or musical to see, and the summer musical camps are just another reason to enjoy the fun and beauty of the Fort Bend Theater!

Lamar Consolidated High School Criminal Justice Students Advance to CSI Nationals

Greg RIvera — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 22:44:58 +0100

After competing in March, three criminal justice students at Lamar Consolidated High School have advanced past the state Crime Scene Investigation (CSI) competition and will advance to the national level in June—a first for both LCHS and for Fort Bend County!

The students—Darienne Cornell, Malenda Sacaza and Winona Vo—advanced by competing and beating 21 other teams from across the state of Texas. Their instructor, Dr. Fred Guess, teaches criminal justice at LCHS and had 27 LCHS students competing through their SkillsUSA Criminal Justice Chapter 3696. SkillsUSA is a national program that helps students at the high school level identify and focus on specific job skills for various careers, providing information, instruction, and competition for workforce preparation that also helps build character.

Visit Skillsusa.org for more information on the 2010 competition.

Through the LCHS Criminal Justice program, the students received classroom instruction, but they also benefited greatly from the support and tutelage of the Richmond and Rosenberg police departments. In the program, students learn skills such as evaluating a crime scene, handcuffing and how to handle a felony traffic stop. The three outstanding LCHS students will compete at the 46th annual, June 20 through June 25, in Kansas City, Mo.

Fifty-seven years of Excellence continues for LCHS. Congratulations to LCHS and Fort Bend County!

Lamar Consolidated Seniors Win Youth in Philanthorpy Awards

Greg RIvera — Tue, 20 Apr 2010 01:43:19 +0100

Lamar Consolidated Independent School District (LCISD) students achieved some key awards from a local Fort Bend foundation. Amanda Onyewuenyi, graduating senior at Lamar Consolidated High School (LCHS), received a $750 college scholarship from the Fort Bend Youth In Philanthropy (YIP) organization supported by The George Foundation. YIP teaches youth to participate in local charity and volunteerism.

LCHS YIP students also achieved a $500 for Recognized Leadership for partnering with the Fort Bend County Women’s Center and the Rosenberg Railroad Museum. These awards are given to Fort Bend students yearly by The George Foundation, which wants the community to also recognize these great students and citizens: “We would be remiss if we didn’t let you, our community and corporate partners, know the role your investment in youth plays,” said Dee Koch, The George Foundation grant officer.

LCHS students were joined with other award winning students from Calvary Episcopal College Prep, Fort Bend ISD, Needville ISD, and Stafford Municipal School District. All award winners worked across several community projects that Koch said supported area nonprofits in one way or another.

The George Foundation itself was established by Albert and Mamie George to preserve the heritage of the Fort Bend area, as well as to encourage and support the efforts of youth to help the community. To learn more visit www.thegeorgefoundation.org.

Way to go Lamar Consolidated High School seniors!

Sources: Fort Bend Herald and The George Foundation

Do You Know LCISD?

Greg RIvera — Tue, 13 Apr 2010 09:54:15 +0100

Here are a few fun and important facts about your child’s schools in LCISD!

Hutchison Elementary: As we DO know, all public education starts in elementary, and in 2009-10, with a LCISD “Principal of the Year” and a TEA Exemplary School Rating, Lamar Consolidated ISD’s Hutchison Elementary School has had a great year! Congratulations to Principle Eric Nicholie and his student’s and faculty’s “Exemplary Ranch” program.

Wessendorff Middle School: What a great academic program at Wessendorff, winning in 2008 and 2009 the TBEC Honor Roll School that recognizes Wessendorff as one of the top four percent performing schools in Texas. Hat’s off to the excellent staff and students at Wessendorff Middle School in LCISD!

Lamar Junior High School: Staff and students have all been very successful over the years at LJHS. To name just a few great moments, six teachers have earned LCISD District Secondary Teacher of the Year Awards and Honors, the LJHS Band has placed “Outstanding” at the Blinn Music Festival, fourteen students qualified with State Honors in the Duke University Talent Search, and four teachers were nominated for The Disney Outstanding Teacher Award. What a great school with a great history!

Lamar Consolidated High School: LCHS has been open since 1949, which makes the upcoming Class of 1960 Reunion on October 16 one for the books. What an Alma Mater over the last five decades! Did you know that songwriter BJ Thomas of “Raindrops Keep Fallin’ on My Head” is a LCHS alumnus? Or, that LCHS has produced at least five NFL players, including former quarterback Donald Hollas of the Oakland Raiders? And, with LCHS poised to achieve Exemplary School status again this year…there is reason to cheer. Go Mustangs!

What a track record! And, that’s just a few fun and important facts about the LCISD schools River Park West children attend!

Source: LCISD and Wikipedia

Lamar Consolidated High School Host Sneak Peak at 2010 Schoolyear

Greg RIvera — Mon, 05 Apr 2010 20:53:38 +0100

Lamar Consolidated High School of Lamar Creek Independent School District (LCISD) will host the School Year 2010 Sneak Peek for all new and current high school students on Monday night, April 12th, from 7:00pm to 9:00pm. LCH’s academics, athletics, and student organizations will all be present for an early and BIG student and parent welcome to the upcoming school year!

Drinks and refreshments will be provided, and current student organizations, school staff, teachers, and coaches will be in booths to meet with parents and students throughout the evening. As well, a video loop will run continuously with highlights of the history and achievements of LCHS. Accomplished alumni of LCHS will also be present.

Lamar Consolidated High School first opened in 1949, and has a long history of academic and athletic excellence to a very diverse student population. LCHS is poised to achieve Texas “Exemplary School” status, and it has a strong computer program that produced 38 Microsoft Certified Application Specialists this year alone. Junior Choir Member Porsche Shaw has been singing with the prestigious Houston Grand Opera High School Voice Studio and in 2007, the LCHS Mustang Football Team was 4A Division 1 State Football Champions.

To get more information on the LCHS 2010 School Year Sneak Peak, please call 832-223-3154 or 832-223-3000.

Source: www.lcisd.org

LCHS Student Advances as National Merit Finalist

Greg RIvera — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 06:00:00 +0100

LCISD's Lamar Consolidated High School student Leslie Montes, along with Foster High School students Dorothy Bateman and Florencia Ghinaglia, are proud Finalists in the National Merit® Scholarship Program.

This is an impressive accomplishment for Lamar Consolidated I.S.D., as only 15,000 high school students in the nation achieve this rank and less than one percent of high school seniors in the nation are names as Finalists.

The National Merit Scholarship Corporation is dedicated to three goals: - to identify and honor academically talented U.S. high school students; - to stimulate increased support for their education; and - to provide efficient and effective scholarship program management for organizations that wish to sponsor college undergraduate scholarships.

In order to receive recognition, students must achieve the highest PSAT/NMSQT® Selection Index scores (critical reading + mathematics + writing skills scores) . Once finalists are selected and recognized, the sinners are chosen from the Finalist group based on their abilities, skills, and accomplishments - without regard to gender, race, ethnic origin or religious preference. Information such as academic records, the Finalist's school's curricula and grading system, test scores, school official's written recommendation, academic leadership and activities, and the Finalist's own essay are taken into consideration when selecting National Merit® Winners.

For more information, visit NationalMerit.org

Lamar CISD Mustang Band Goes to Alamo Bowl

Greg RIvera — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 00:35:39 +0100

The 17th Annual Valero Alamo Bowl was more than a year for a Texas tradition, and for many people in Richmond January 2nd was more than a competition between Texas Tech and Michigan State. This year it was a once in a lifetime chance for 160 kids from Texas. The Lamar Consolidated High School Mustang Band was chosen to perform at the Alamo Bowl halftime show, but their performance on the field didn’t stop there.

Upon arrival on Thursday December 31 the band competed in the Alamo Bowl Marching Contest which determined the top notch band who would take center stage in the pregame march, performing prior to the Texas Tech and Michigan State bands. “The Mustang band – the only band from Texas to compete – placed first in every category in the large band division,” said Jason Levin, LCHS band director.

The Mustangs swept the field, receiving first place awards for Outstanding Marching, Outstanding Music, Outstanding Percussion, Outstanding Drum Majors, Outstanding Colorguard, and Outstanding General Effect. The band not only made the play in the large band division, it was also named Overall Outstanding Band, meaning it had the highest score of all the bands regardless of size.

Due to their outstanding performance the Mustangs were chosen to play during the Alamo Bowl pregame and began their performance as Texas Tech football players exited the field. They were the only high school band of the 12 performing at halftime chosen to play during the pregame, an experience they won’t soon forget.

It wasn’t luck that got these kids on the field, it was hard work and serious practice. “We always tell the kids it’s not OK to just be OK,” said Levin who has been directing the band for two years. “We push them to perform at the highest level, and we want them to take individual responsibility for their performance. Before the contest we were practicing in the rain, in the cold,” Levin shared of their determination. “These kids took it seriously – performing at the Alamo Bowl was a major goal for them.”

The Mustang’s hard work and enthusiasm exemplified the Texan spirit as they worked hard to achieve their goal, and they made their hometown proud as they went from Richmond to San Antonio, sweeping the field with their music, marching and eyes wide, full of excitement and joy.

Source: www.fbherald.com

Lamar CISD Picks Out New Textbooks

Greg RIvera — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 23:09:37 +0100

Lamar Independent Consolidated School District is getting ready to select textbooks for next year and would like community feedback.

For the 2010-2011 school year new textbooks, will be implemented in K-1 for English Language Arts and Reading, and Spanish Language Arts and Reading; in grades 2-5 for Reading, and Spanish Reading; in grades 6-12 for Literature; in grades 6-8 for Reading Electives; and in grades 9-12 for AP Language, AP Literature, English for Speakers of Other Languages I & II, and English Language Proficiency Standards.

From now until December 18, all textbooks will be on display at each applicable campus based on grade level. Community residents are encouraged to review the textbooks and give their feedback by writing to Bonnie Walker, Executive Director of Curriculum, 3911 Avenue I, Rosenberg, TX 77471.

The textbook choices for next year were first approved by the Texas State Board of Education, then selected by the Lamar CISD Textbook Adoption Committee, a group of 51 professional employees many of whom are teachers. Once the public has had a chance to view the textbooks and the committee has been able to discuss the choices, the final recommendations will be presented at the March 27, 2010 Board of Trustees meeting.

If you would like to view the textbooks and give your feedback please visit the school nearest you with the applicable grade level. Education is critical and your input is important in picking out teaching material for the next generation of Lamar CISD students.

UT Physicians Group Expanding to Suburbs

Greg RIvera — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 05:00:00 +0100

By KATHERINE FESER
HOUSTON CHRONICLE

UT Physicians, the medical group practice of The University of Texas Medical School at Houston, has signed on to anchor the Sienna Village shopping center to serve the Missouri City and Sugar Land areas.

“Our strategic plan is to take the quality of care of the Texas Medical Center out into the community,” said Andrew Casas, chief operating officer of UT Physicians.

The practice has leased 8,882 square feet from developer Weaver, Davis & Jacob Realty Group and could expand to 24,000 square feet. Opening is planned in the spring.

About 25 physicians will work at the center, including doctors who would rotate in to provide specialized services such as gastroenterology, rheumatology and endocrinology, based on patient demand. Eventually, an array of diagnostic imaging services will be added such as those available at the group's 6700 West Loop location in Bellaire.

The deal brings a medical component to the shopping center at Texas 6 and Sienna Parkway at the gateway of the Sienna Plantation master-planned community. The developer kicked off Sienna Village with an H-E-B Plus grocery store last November after polling the community to see what types of services were most in demand. Now they're hoping to fill another void.

“Medical services were right there at the top,” said Peter Jacob, principal of Weaver, Davis & Jacob Realty Group. “With the closure of Fort Bend Hospital in 2006 and the large growth that's taking place in this particular part of Missouri City, there's really no health care other than a few minor emergency clinics.”

Stores will begin opening in Sienna Village early next year. About half of the development's 40,000-square-foot first phase has been leased. Among the recent leases are: Primarily Kids Pediatric Dentistry, Sports Clips, Verizon, Which Wich, Milagro Hair and Spa and Whataburger. A second phase also consisting of 40,000 square feet is planned.

UT Physicians is also eyeing two other locations, in Memorial City and west of Houston, Casas said. UT Physicians consists of about 900 doctors certified in 80 medical specialties.

Texana Center Expands

Greg RIvera — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 05:00:00 +0100

Now children in Rosenberg and Fort Bend have a center better equipped to help in educational and motor skills training. The Texana Behavior Treatment and Training Center in Rosenberg has recently undergone a $734,000 expansion.

Texana and Central Fort Bend Chamber Alliance commemorated this expansion with a ribbon cutting earlier this month. Texana provides its behavioral healthcare and developmental disabilities services throughout Fort Bend, Waller, Wharton, Austin, Colorado, and Matagorda counties.

Programs such as the Day Treatment Program, which uses Applied Behavior Analysis training to teach children skills necessary to succeed in school, and theOutreach Program, which aids individuals with mental retardation or autism spectrum disorders, have helped chilren all throughout Texas.

The new expansion adds seven treatment rooms, a new training kitchen, a fun room with a mini rock climbing wall, and video viewing area for parents/guardians. This will greatly meet the needs of people diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders.

"Texana is proud of its success in helping children with autism through Applied Behavior Analysis,"CEO of Texana, George Patterson said. "This expansion means that we can help more children." If you would like to learn more about the Texana Behavior Treatment and Training Center call 281-239-1497 for the Day Treatment Program, or 281-239-1328 for the Outreach Program.

Source: Fort Bend Herald

Houston High School Spotlight

Melissa Burnham — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 05:00:00 +0100

For the next 10 weeks, Comcast digital cable provider will be airing local Houston high school football games every Thursday night at 7 pm. Now local fans and proud families can watch their favorite teams in the comfort of their homes.

The premiere game was last night with Richmond's Travis Tigers vs. Katy's Morton Ranch Mavericks. Produced by Texas Mobile Broadcasting, the games will be available to digital cable customers on Channel 29 through Nov. 5th. Schools included in the program are in the Houston, Katy and Clear Creek independent school districts.

15 LCISD Schools Achieve Exemplary Rating By State

Melissa Burnham — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 05:00:00 +0100

Great news for Fort Bend residents! Nearly all of the Lama Consolidated Independent School District's ratable schools received either "Exemplary" or "Recognized" status by the Texas Education Agency (TEA) this year. The ratings were revealed last Friday, showing 15 LCISD schools with the highest rank of "Exemplary", which is 3 more than last year's 12.

This is no simple feat since, according to TEA information, schools must achieve a 90% or better passing rate in all Assessment of Knowledge and Skills test subjects “for all students and all student groups that meet minimum size criteria, and a completion rate of at least 95% and an annual dropout rate of 2% or lower”. This is nothing short of remarkable for all of these schools.

11 other schools within the district received the “Recognized” rating, which is the second highest score given out by the TEA. This is up from 7 schools last year.

Here is a list of the Exemplary Schools:

Navarro Middoe School
Wertheimer Middle School
Bowie Elementary
Jane Long Elementary
Travis Elementary
Taylor Ray Elementary
Williams Elementary
Austin Elementary
Dickinson Elementary
Pink Elementary
Campbell Elementary
Frost Elementary
Hutchison Elementary
Velasquez Elementary
McNeill Elementary

LCISD Schools ranking Recognized status are:

Terry High School
Foster High School
Lamar Junior High
George Junior High
Wessendorff Middle School
Beasley Elementary
Smith Elementary
Huggins Elementary
Meyer Elementary
Seguin Elementary
Jackson Elementary

Congratulations go out to LCISD for a job well done in excelling school performance throughout Fort Bend.

Source: FortBendNow.com FortBendNow.com

Fort Bend ISD is Declared 'Healthy'

Melissa Burnham — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 05:00:00 +0100

Fort Bend Independent School District was recently recognized as one of the top five Texas school districts for health instruction implementation. It was then awarded the 2008-2009 Awards of Excellence for local School Health Advisory Councils, and will also receive $2,000 to strengthen school health services. The recognition was granted for FBISD’s excellence in implementing community health education initiatives specifically aimed at reducing obesity and other diseases, namely cardiovascular disease and Type 2 diabetes.

The award was given by the Southern Collaborative on Obesity Reduction Efforts team, or SCORE, which was organized by The Council of State Governments. SCORE is a group of team members and state leaders that work to create change at the state level for supporting obesity prevention.

The state awarded the highlighted work of FBISD in effectively incorporating instruction to help promote healthy lifestyles through health education, physical activity, nutrition services, parental involvement and tobacco prevention.

Now, under the guidance of Fort Bend ISD, school attendance can be a tool for strengthening knowledge as well as physical health.

Source: Fort Bend Sun