2012-13 Points of Pride

Transcription

Alief ISD Points of Pride
Did you know. . .
Week of Jan. 14, 2013
Elsik High School’s Speech & Debate Director John Lemaster was announced as the National
Forensic League’s newest diamond coach after being awarded his third diamond. A diamond
award recognizes a professional career that combines excellence and longevity and is based
on the number of coach points received.
Hastings High School’s Junior Achievement program took first place in Most Innovative Product
at JA’s annual Company Program Trade Fair. The organization, sponsored by Jo Gassen, also
placed third in Best Sales Presentation and in Best Booth. Student participants include Michelle
Nguyen (President), Lisa Truong (VP of Finance), Donna Arellano (VP of Human Resource), Mimi
Dinh (VP of Human Resource), Chi Mai (VP of Production), Anh Ho (VP of Public Relations), Natalie
Bonilla (VP of Marketing) and members Megan Nguyen, Kathy Kinh, Tu Trinh and Hoaj Nguyen.
Kerr High School’s Thespians recently won the All Star Troupe Award at the Texas Thespian
Festival. Enrique Vasquez is a National Qualifier in Monologue after earning three superior ratings,
while the Makeup Team, consisting of Nga Nguyen, Nour Alia, Krystal Uchem and Anh Lu, took
first place for the second year in a row. Technical Crew Team (Jackie Cruz, Enrique Vazquez,
Valerie Hanna, Saira Martinez and Sara Siboldi) also placed second in Tech Challenge.
Taylor High School’s varsity football player Torrodney Prevot recently played in the Army High
School All American Game, making four key tackles as a member of the West Team. The game
was nationally televised and played at the Alamodome in San Antonio. He plans to attend and
play football at University of Southern California. Teammate Trevorris Johnson was honored
as a finalist at KUBE-TV Thursday Night Showdown awards and appreciation luncheon today.
The event honors greater Houston area athletic directors and coaches, plus presents special
awards for the player of the year, best plays and top halftime performances. Trevorris plans to
attend and play football at Texas Christian University.
Renee Canales, assistant principal at Mahanay Elementary, was recently featured in author
Jon Gordon’s newsletter for the inspiring t-shirt she created for her campus. Gordon said, regarding
her creation, “What a great reminder to teach with more compassion, passion, focus and purpose.”
Watch for regular updates of great things happening in Alief ISD!
Help us share the news about our Points of Pride!
Did you know. . .
Elsik High School junior Benjamin Ikwuagwu made the Texas All-State Men’s Choir. More than
15,000 students from across the state try out for this prestigious group, but only 250 students
become a member each year.
Hastings High School teacher Wendy Warren has been selected as one of the 2013 honorees
of the Texas Exes Awards for Outstanding Teachers. This award is sponsored by The Texas Exes
(UT Alumni Association), the President’s Office and the College of Education at The University
of Texas at Austin. Warren is one of 12 teachers selected from across Texas for her outstanding
professional accomplishments as a teacher.
Alief ISD principals Patrick Cherry (Albright Middle), Janine Hoke (Miller Intermediate), Dr.
Nancy Lewin (Holmquist Elementary), Bernadette Bentley (Petrosky Elementary), Paul Baez
(Rees Elementary) and Beth Smith (Alief Early College High School) have been accepted into the
Rice University – REEP Business Fellowship for Education Leaders Program. This is a year-long
program designed for dedicated leaders to cultivate critical thinking, leadership and innovation.
Seventy-five students qualified for regional science fair last week. Congratulations to the
following first, second and third place district winners:
Junior Division (7th-8th Grades)
1st Place (tie): Excel Luna (Holub) and Meet Patel (Holub)
2nd Place: Nancy Vu (Albright)
3rd Place (tie): Melanie Vu (Holub) and Chinwe Chidume (Holub)
9th Grade Division
1st Place: Beverly Moreno (Alief Early College)
2nd Place (tie): Gisell Gaviria Florez (Elsik NGC) and Sarah Faulhaber (Hastings NGC)
3rd Place: Mariela Ramirez (Taylor)
Senior Division (10th-12th Grades)
1st Place (tie): Luis Schwedler (Taylor) and Aditi Busgeeth (Taylor)
2nd Place (tie): Valeria Espinosa (Elsik) and Sally Chiu (Taylor)
3rd Place: Sakina Sharif (Taylor)
Did you know. . .
Elsik High School student Troy O’Neil was recently recognized as the District Defensive MVP. In addition,
seven students were named First Team All District Honors for offense, and including O’Neil, six defensive
students were given First Team All District Honors.
Chancellor Elementary student Cesar Delgado’s poem was chosen to be published in A Celebration
of Poets. Delgado, a third grader, won Poetic Power, a poetry contest through Creative Communication.
The anthology will be released in June.
CenterPoint Energy presented a rebate check of $15,402.47 to Alief ISD as part of the Schools
Conserving Resources (SCORE) program. In the past six years, the district has earned more than $465,000
in rebates through the program and has also saved more than $3 million in energy costs.
Elsik High School Athletic Director Bill Barron was named District 18-5A Football Coach of the Year.
Barron has coached in Alief for 17 years. He spent all 17 years as head coach and campus athletic director.
Killough Middle School teacher Lauren Mitchell was recently selected for the Fellowship Program in
the prestigious National Science Teachers Association’s Teacher Academy. Mitchell, along with 25 others
chosen from across the country, will participate in a year-long professional development program and will
contribute to the 2013 NSTA National Science Conference in Austin.
Martin Elementary librarian Erin Hamm Milton was inducted into the Randolph-Macon College Hall of
Fame for her contributions to the athletics program. According to the school, Milton, who played soccer,
is “arguably the best defender...in the history of the Old Dominion Athletic Conference.” Milton was a twotime All-American, a three-time All-Region selection and made First-Team All-State four times.
Youens Elementary Principal Nancy Trent was named Regional Director for Raise Your Hand Texas,
a non-profit education advocacy organization working to strengthen public education in Texas. The
organization has a partnership with Harvard and Rice University to provide school leadership training to
Texas principals.
Congratulations to the following Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo’s art contest winners:
2-D Best of Show: Brandy Vallecilla (Hastings)
2-D Gold Medal: Jamie Wells (Kerr); Marco Hernandez (Elsik)
3-D Best of Show: Alondra Lugo and Victoria Villarreal (Hastings); Jamie Wells (Kerr)
3-D Gold Medal: Marcis Rosales, Crystal Castellanos and Hebah Darby (Hastings);
Dorys Mejia (Elsik)
Did you know. . .
Week of Feb. 4, 2013
Congratulations to the Culinary Arts team for capturing first place in the Houston Westchase Rotary Club’s 1st
Annual Soup’er Bowl Cook-Off. The team, led by instructor Kathleen Meisenheimer, created a chicken tortilla soup
that beat out nine other cook-off teams. The event benefits Houston Westchase Rotary Club charities, including
scholarships for Alief ISD students, and the West Houston Assistance Ministries.
Hastings Ninth Grade Center students Savana Aji Fatou Jagne and Michelle Andrea Lopez won Blue Ribbons for
placing first in the annual Alief ISD Houston Rodeo Art Competition. Eunise Velazquez placed second and received
the Red Ribbon.
More than 100 Alief ISD high school choir students medaled at the Region 23 UIL Solo and Ensemble Contest.
Over 40 students advanced to State Solo and Ensemble, which will be held in May.
Students in Alief ISD’s Intermediate School Honor Orchestra entertained hockey fans before the Houston Aeros
game in the Toyota Center on Feb. 1. The Honor Orchestra, which was also invited last year, performed popular
selections, such as Queen’s “We Will Rock You” and Journey’s “Any Way You Want It.”
Speech & Debate students Jimmy Ha and Quang Vu from Elsik High School took first place at the UIL District CrossExamination (CX) meet this past weekend and advanced to state. Kerr High School students Misti Fulmer and Huy
Pham placed second and also advanced.
Alief ISD’s boys and girls swim and dive teams were recognized as district champions for a second year in a row.
Swimmers Caitlyn Faulhaber and Vera Melendez each received four first place finishes. Other outstanding swimmers
include: Jackie Vu with three first and one third place finish, Dimitri Lide with two first and two second place finishes,
Christian St’Clair with one first and three second place finishes and Ricardo Espinoza with one first, two second and
one sixth place finish. In addition, Carter Williams placed first at the district diving meet while Uriel Vazquez received
a silver medal.
Alief ISD elementary, intermediate and middle school students also competed in the Houston Livestock Show &
Rodeo art competition. Congratulations to the following winners:
Best of Show: Marie Nguyen (Albright Middle School); Kevin Larin (Owens Intermediate School)
Gold Medal: Ezra Clark (Mata Intermediate School); Tatiana Okoronkwo (Kennedy Elementary School)
Nine students from the Hastings Chapter of the Business Professionals of America were named state qualifiers
at the regional conference recently. Students Victoria Coto, Caitlin Roberts, Stuart Sayre, Jenny Tran, Gustavo Osorio,
Ashley Duncan, Luis De Lira, Karen Buenrostro and Emily Bennett will compete at the state conference in March.
Business partners CITGO Petroleum and Shell Oil Company recently donated generously to the district. CITGO
donated $50,000 in holiday gifts to more than 200 deserving students from eight Alief ISD campuses. Shell donated
$37,820 to Alief, with $20,000 of the funds towards science and engineering and the remaining amount towards
science teacher training.
Did you know. . .
Owens Intermediate teachers Lesley Ayers and Wendy Cox have been named recipients of the 9/11
Tribute Center’s 2013 Teacher Awards. They received the award for engaging students in a personal and
meaningful manner as they explored the history and lessons of Sept. 11. Ayers and Cox are among eight
national recipients of the award and will receive a Certificate of Merit and a $500 gift for Owens.
Kerr High School student Sumaiya Asif was selected as a 2012-2013 winner of the National Center for
Women & Information Technology Award for Aspirations in Computing by the NCWIT’s Houston Affiliate.
Recipients are recognized for their computing-related aspirations, for demonstrating outstanding aptitude
and interest in information technology and computing, for solid leadership ability, for good academic history
and for having plans of post-secondary education. She will be honored in an award ceremony in April.
Alief ISD students won 52 awards at the Future Business Leaders of America district competition
recently. Chapters from Hastings, Taylor and Kerr had students competing in a variety of business related
competitions. Six Hastings students placed in individual events and one Taylor student placed. Kerr
students returned with 45 team or individual awards.
Fifth grade intervention students, led by teacher Kim Silas, won “Battle of the Books.” The students
competed against the entire 5th grade at Mata Intermediate. Language Arts Specialist Michael Leerssen and
librarian Alicia Cashion created a campus-level version of the district competition to encourage kids to read.
The Alief Special Olympics competed at the State Winter Games in volleyball and bowling recently. The
bowlers came home with one silver medal and two fourth place ribbons. The volleyball team came home
with a bronze medal.
Hastings High School graduate Chris Cormier (Class of 2011) signed with University of Indiana to be a
defensive lineman on National Signing Day. Cormier, who played defensive tackle in high school, previously
played for Navarro College and Arizona Western Community College. He was named Old Spice Red Zone
Player of the Year while at Hastings, and while playing for Arizona Western, his team won the El Toro Bowl
and the conference championship.
Taylor High School’s varsity football athletes won five All District Awards for 18-5A. Ogbonnia Okoronkwo
was named District Most Valuable Player, while Trevorris Johnson was named Offensive Player of the Year.
Offensive Newcomer of the Year Award went to Xavier Russell, while Joshua Kalu was named Defensive
Newcomer of the Year. Chris Hardeman was awarded the Return Specialist recognition. Taylor also had
six other First Team All District players. Okoronkwo and Johnson signed with Oklahoma University and
Texas Christian University, respectively, on National Signing Day.
Did you know. . .
Kerr High School student David Vien was named a National Merit Scholarship finalist. About 15,000
semifinalists from across the United States become finalists, and out of those finalists, about 8,300
students will receive a Merit Scholarship award. The program is an academic competition for recognition
and scholarships.
Miller Intermediate School student Vincent Iwunze has been selected to participate in the Education in
Action’s Lone Star Leadership Academy Camp. Iwunze’s selection was based on his outstanding academic
success, his involvement in school and community and for demonstrating leadership ability. The non-profit
organization, which is dedicated to empowering young people to be informed and active leaders in their
communities, offers the camp to outstanding fourth through eighth grade students.
Albright Middle School teacher Gary Watson was recognized as the Teacher of the Game by the Houston
Rockets and Devon Energy during halftime on Feb. 8. Exemplary teachers are nominated by their peers
and are chosen by the sponsors for this award.
Taylor High School’s World Affairs Council swept the competition during the Young Leaders Forum on
“European Union (EU) Today.” The two winners of the essay contest on issues of the EU both attend Taylor.
Congratulations to Lakesha Smith and Bridgette Bilson.
The Elsik High School boys varsity basketball team clinched the District 18-5A basketball championship,
and Taylor High School finished as the runner-up. Both teams will begin their playoff games this week.
Hastings High School students Iris Mejia, Angelica Garcia and Berenice Millan are heading to state
competitions for the Visual Arts Scholastic Event. Hastings brought back more than 70 regional medals
and three area medals.
Tim Martin, the Elsik Boys Head Basketball Coach, was voted in as the 2013 South All-Star Game’s
basketball coach. He will coach the south team this summer at the Texas High School Coaches Association
convention in Fort Worth. The game will be held on July 29 at Texas Christian University.
Albright Middle School Orchestra students, under the direction of Patrick Sloan, recently received
Superior First Division ratings in the Orchestra Solo and Ensemble Contest. Students were awarded 119
First Division Solo and Ensemble medals.
Hastings High School Head Swim Coach David Bargainer was named the 18-5A Swimming Coach of
the Year. The Hastings boys and girls swim and dive teams were recently recognized as district champions
for a second year in a row.
Did you know. . .
Congratulations to Alief ISD’s Teacher of the Year finalists. Collins Elementary’s Courtney Rees,
Liestman’s Gwendolyn Lavine, Martin’s Victoria Gebbs and Miller Intermediate’s Michele Waddy are finalists
for the elementary level. Secondary finalists are Alief Middle School’s Michael Hachicho, O’Donnell Middle
School’s Christopher Minton and Taylor High School’s Susan Brunell. The winner from each category will
be announced at the Teacher of the Year Ceremony on April 18 at Taylor High School.
Superintendent of Schools HD Chambers was chosen as the CEO of the Month by the West Houston
Chamber of Commerce Young Professionals. Mr. Chambers was the featured speaker at their meeting
and discussed with the organization his career path towards becoming a superintendent.
Kerr High School senior David Vien was awarded the President’s Volunteer Service Award. Vien received
the award for his commitment to volunteering in his community.
The Marine Cadets from the Alief Hastings MCJROTC program were named first place overall meet
champs at the Midway High School Drill Meet on Feb. 23. Students brought back 30 awards, trophies,
medals and certificates. Eleven JROTC programs from Texas and Louisiana competed at this meet.
Congratulations to the following Taylor High School varsity football players who made the 62nd
Annual Collin Street Bakery/Texas Sports Writers Association’s Class 5A All-State Football Team: Torrodney
Prevot (First Team Defense lineman), Chris Hardeman (Second Team Defense back), Jonathan Wiggins
(Second Team Defense back), Trevorris Johnson (Third Team Offense running back) and Ogbonnia
Okoronkwo (Third Team Defense lineman).
The Elsik High School Colorguard received a Superior Rating of First Division for their recent performance
at Katy Taylor High School. This is the second year in a row for the program to receive high ratings.
Hastings High School Head Diving Coach Dan Hanrahan was named the District 18-5A Diving Coach
of the Year.
Congratulations to the following students: Alief Early College High School-Adaluz Castilla; Elsik-Jason
Cardenas, Quang Vu, Zaira Alanis, Jasmine Garcia, Brenda Vazquez, Valerie Okeke, Edith Rubio, Chi Duong,
Dorys Mejia and Miriam Valadez (two works of art); Kerr-Jamie Wells, Tam Vu, Lina Bui, Jason Nguyen,
Dung Phan and Boldeesi Poi; and Taylor-Quynh (Michelle) Vu and Celest Herrera. These students are
participating in state competitions for the Visual Arts Scholastic Event. In total, 22 Alief students advanced.
Hastings High School graduate Attica Locke returned to Hastings to promote her latest book, The
Cutting Season, and to speak to students about writing and her journey towards becoming an author.
Did you know. . .
Week of March 4, 2013
Kennedy Elementary’s LIFE Skills teacher Gecian Nealy and his cooking team won “Overall Grand Champion”
at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo Bar-B-Que Contest. The “Across the Track Cook-off Team” competed
against 435 other teams, and their winning entry was crowned “Champion Ribs.”
The Houston Area Alliance of Black School Educators (HAABSE) spotlighted several Alief ISD teachers
during their annual Outstanding Teacher Awards & Recognition Ceremony. Olle Middle School teacher Robert
Christian was named an Outstanding Secondary Teacher. Teachers Kathy Barker (Hearne), DeAnna JarverHunter (Landis), Alicia Joseph-Lewis (Kennedy), Arturo Montero Lopez (Bush), Shalonda Powe (Horn) and
Samantha Pratt-Woods (Collins) were named Outstanding Elementary Teachers. Hastings High School student
Nakita Zano was also named a HAABSE scholarship recipient during the ceremony.
Bush Elementary student Flor Hernandez and Albright Middle School student Moises Lara were recognized
by Reliant Energy as part of the company’s student recognition program. The program recognizes students
from 37 Houston area school districts who were nominated by their teachers, principals and parents based on
most improved performance.
Kerr High School student Tuong-Phi Le was named one of the top 25 winners in the Gulen Youth Platform
Essay Contest, an international contest that received over 500 essays from over 40 different countries. Le,
whose essay examined force migration, will receive a cash award and a trip to Washington, D.C. in April, where
she will receive the award from Congressmen Ted Poe and Gene Green.
Hastings High School’s Business Professionals of America (BPA) student Emily Bennett is a national
qualifier in Medical Office Systems and Procedures. She will compete at the national conference in Orlando in May.
Alief ISD intermediate and middle schools will be featured in a book written by Dr. Daniel Duke, professor
from the University of Virginia, on the district’s implementation of STEM (Science Technology Engineering and
Mathematics) Education using the JASON Project curricula.
Hastings High School junior Ruby Gonzalez won first place in a state-wide fashion design competition that was
recently held at the University of Houston. Gonzalez received a $750 scholarship as a part of her recognition.
Alief ISD high school students competed in the 54th Science and Engineering Fair of Houston’s Regional
Science Fair. Alief Early College High School freshman Alondra Martinez won second place with her Microbiology
science project, titled “Chlorinated Hair.” Taylor High School students Sakina Sharif and Utkarsh Patel received
Special Awards for their respective projects on radiation and solar power.
Taylor High School’s varsity basketball players Will Taylor and Martin Barron made First Team All District,
while Stephen Walker was awarded Second Team All District.
Did you know. . .
Alief ISD Purchasing Department earned the Texas Association of School Business Officials Award of Merit with
Recognized Status for Purchasing Operations. The department was honored for its commitment to professional
standards in the acquisition of goods and services. Only 17 districts statewide received the Purchasing Award of Merit
with Recognized Status. Districts receiving this designation are considered the most innovative in Texas.
Alief ISD Superintendent of Schools HD Chambers was presented the Golden Apple Award by the Texas
Association of Mid-Size Schools (TAMS). Mr. Chambers received this award, which is TAMS’s highest award,
for his active role in pushing for graduation plan flexibility and a reduction in mandated testing at the state level.
Mr. Chambers is one of only two superintendents in the entire state to ever receive the honor.
Eighteen Kerr High School students’ works were published in the fall/winter 2012 edition of English in Texas, a journal
of the Texas Council of Teachers of English Language Arts. Submissions from Kerr, which focused on Informational
Texts of the 21st Century, accounted for more than 70 percent of the publication’s submissions.
Bush Elementary Principal Gloria Price was selected as a finalist for the 2013 National Distinguished Principal
Award by the Texas Elementary Principals & Supervisors Association. Principals serving pre-kindergarten through
eighth grade are nominated by their peers, employers, faculty members or members of their communities for their
commitment to excellence, educational leadership and other criteria. The recipient will be announced in late May.
Eleven Youens Elementary students were awarded certificates for the 2013 Reliant Student Recognition Program.
These students were nominated by staff members and were recognized in the areas of Academic Achievement, Most
Improved Academic Performance and Outstanding Citizenship.
Landis Elementary transitional/bilingual teacher Laura Pena’s poem was recently featured in the 2013 Texas
Poetry Calendar by Dos Gatos Press. Pena has been published in several anthologies and is currently president of
Gulf Coast Poets Chapter of the Poetry Society of Texas.
Alief Taylor High School and Principal Dr. Walter Jackson were spotlighted in Dr. Frederick M. Hess’s book, CageBusting Leadership. Dr. Hess, who is the resident scholar and director of education policy studies at the American
Enterprise Institute, researched some of the best instructional practices of school leaders from across the country and
highlighted Taylor’s hiring of Reading/English Language Arts teachers to teach struggling learners.
Alief FFA students Eduardo Bustos, Bryan Molina and Uriel Diaz participated in the Calf Scramble competition
at the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo. Bustos came out a winner by catching a calf during the Rodeo Houston
performance and will now have the opportunity to purchase, raise and show a heifer or steer of his choice at the
2014 show. Charlotte Sturm showed a Longhorn heifer in the Texas Longhorn Breeders Association of America Show
(TLBAA) and the International Texas Longhorn Association Shows (ITLA). She received first place in class at the
TLBAA show and received Grand Champion Heifer at the ITLA show
Alief Learning Center staff members have lost over 243 pounds together as part of the campus’s version of The
Biggest Loser. The staff began the wellness initiative since returning from Winter Break.
Did you know. . .
Seventy-nine Career & Technical Education students from Elsik, Hastings and Taylor High Schools, who are
currently enrolled in coursework from the Architecture & Construction and Manufacturing Clusters, received the
nationally recognized industry certification. The certifications were awarded upon successful completion of the
WorkKeys curriculum and certification program.
Holub Middle School students Julia Ta and Danny Phan were named school finalists in the Do the Write Thing
writing contest. The students will be recognized in a ceremony at Minute Maid Park. The contest asks students
to write about how violence has affected their lives, the causes of violence and what they can do about it. The Do
the Write Thing Texas Challenge is a youth anti-violence program that equips students with the tools necessary
to combat violence in their lives.
Elsik High School was chosen as the first school to kick off a new project with READ3Zero, a non-profit literacy
organization. The new program, Open Doors: Title One School Project, will feature founder and children’s author
Melissa Williams. Elsik student Maya White, a student author, was invited to the event and will accompany Williams
as they discuss the impact the literacy foundation has had on both of them and their passion for reading and writing.
Many Alief ISD Speech & Debate students competed at the 40th annual Texas Forensics Association State
Tournament recently. Taylor High School sophomore Adeteju Adenji placed third in Prose Interpretation. Hastings
High School freshmen Muhammad Yunus finished second in Poetry, and senior Kenny Chiaghana finished 3rd in
Student Congress House. Hastings junior Abigail Onwunali was a semifinalist in Dramatic Interpretation, Senior
Alexia Leontoudis was semifinalist in Prose, and Onwunali and sophomore Sidney Odom was a semifinalist in
Duo Interpretation. Over 200 schools from across the state competed in this prestigious event. The Taylor team
reached finals and received special recognition at the awards ceremony.
Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) members recently convened to compete in leadership events
at the state competition in Dallas. Kerr High School students Emily Tran (1st place), Princess Adentan (3rd place)
and Mohit Agarwal (first place) advanced to nationals. They advanced in Accounting II, Business Communication
and Personal Finance respectively. Hastings High School student Ling Chen is the first alternate for nationals for
Accounting I, while Kerr student Rebecca Rodriguez is the first alternate for nationals for Help Desk. More than
50 school districts from across the state competed at the convention.
The Elsik boys track team took the top rank at the Port Arthur Titan Relays this past weekend. Elsik won with
a score of 158.5.
Hastings Ninth Grade Center teacher Marcus Blomquist and Hastings High School teacher Brian Roher were
selected to participate in the E3: Enrichment Experiences in Engineering Program at Texas A&M University. Held
in cooperation with the National Science Foundation, the program aims to involve enthusiastic math and science
teachers in a research experience with TAMU engineering faculty members. Together, they will develop ideas to
incorporate engineering into math/science curricula and lesson plans.
Did you know. . .
Week of April 1, 2013
The Alief Special Olympics basketball teams brought medals home from Area 4’s basketball tournament recently. The
Superstar Team was awarded a gold medal in their bracket, while the Rookie Team won a bronze medal.
Hastings High School student Manuel Tunchez was accepted into the WonderWorks/University of Houston School of
Community Filmmaking Pre-College Workshop. Tunchez was awarded a full scholarship to attend the five-week summer
program, where he will gain hands-on experience in all aspects of filmmaking.
Albright Middle School students Hop Le, Duy Vo, Alice Vu, Iyanna Henderson, Khanh Nguyen and Irene Mei will represent
Alief ISD as a team at the Texas State Historical Association’s Houston Regional “Texas Quiz Show” on April 20. The show
tests students’ knowledge of Texas trivia, including history, geography, economics, current events and pop culture.
Several Alief ISD teachers received grants from Fund for Teachers. Elsik High School teacher Ronald Christensen was
awarded a fellowship grant to study woodcarving and New Zealand’s preservation of traditional culture this summer. Landis
Elementary teachers Anna Escobar and Melisa Perez won a grant, which will allow them to attend and observe different
schools in the United Kingdom and their approaches in their bilingual programs. Escobar and Perez will receive money for
educational materials and cultural souvenirs as a part of this grant. Fund for Teachers is a program that invests in teachers
by enriching their personal and professional growth.
Elsik High School student Verenice Bautista was spotlighted in the Spring 2013 edition of the Kids Matter, a Communities
in Schools (CIS) publication. Bautista, a CIS student, received a Gold Key for her submission to the Scholastic Art & Writing
Awards by the Harris County Department of Education.
Olle Middle School students Rebeca Lopez and Anthony Conner were named school finalists in the Do the Write Thing
writing contest. The students will be recognized in a ceremony at Minute Maid Park. The contest asks students to write about
how violence has affected their lives, the causes of violence and what they can do about it.
Kerr High School student Melissa Ramos was nominated Best Actress for her role as Kate Monster in Avenue Q: The
School Edition by the Tommy Tune Awards. The ceremony is scheduled for April 16 at Theatre Under the Stars. Students
Cindy Wang and Alex Vinh were also selected to perform, and Jason Quach was chosen to work backstage at the awards.
The students will showcase their talents on one of the largest stages in Houston.
Alexander Elementary teacher Gary James is a published author and illustrator. His storybook, titled Velocity Man and
Fusion, was published under the name “Garee.”
Alief ISD graduate Robert Jackson was named one of the inaugural Disney Dreamers Academy Champions. As one of
the five selected among alumni to serve for a year as Disney brand ambassadors, Jackson, who is a Hastings High School
Class of 2012 graduate, will serve as a national spokesperson and will become a guest contributor to the Disney Dreamers
Academy social media. The Dreamers Academy is a national program designed to inspire high school students to achieve
successful career paths.
Hastings High School’s Jazz Bands I and II recently received Division I ratings at the 7th Annual Waltrip Jazz Festival.
The Jazz Band I was also named the Outstanding High School Jazz Band for the Festival.
Did you know. . .
Elsik High School’s boys soccer team advanced to the regional quarterfinals by defeating Morton Ranch 3-2 last week.
Elsik will play Strake Jesuit on Tuesday, April 9, at Cinco Ranch High School at 7 p.m.
Taylor High School’s student organization Mademoiselles was named the Citywide Chapter of the Year. This is their fifth
consecutive year of winning due to excellence in academics, community service and school involvement. The Mademoiselles
also received the Community Service Award.
Hastings High School students were spotlighted at the awards ceremony for the 15th Annual Wells Fargo Student Visual
Art Contest by the Society for the Performing Arts. Student Kenia Perez won first place in her division, while Shawn King
was awarded Artistic Excellence. King was also awarded a $1,500 scholarship.
Chancellor Elementary teacher Shelly Stasney was published on author Donalyn Miller’s website last week. Stasney’s
piece, “Lit(erature) Like Christmas” was spotlighted on the “Nerdy Book Club” website. The site aims to help writers like
Stasney share their love of reading with others.
Alief ISD Police Department Officer Joel Simpson Jr. was awarded the Academic Recognition Award by the Texas
Commission on Law Enforcement Officer Standards and Education. Winners must have at least two years of experience,
must have graduated from an accredited college or university with at least an associate’s degree and the institute of higher
education must be accredited or authorized by specific associations.
Alief ISD schools took the top two spots at the recent T.H.E. Relays. Elsik boys varsity track team came out on top with 158
points, while the Taylor boys team took second place with 96 points.
Alief Early College High School had three proposals selected for presentation at the AVID National Conference this
upcoming December. Staff members Kevin Sevin, Tamara Porras, Maura LePori and Wanda Harrell will present on the
following topics: AVID Tutorials in the Content Classroom, AVID and Early College a Perfect Match and We are Family:
Building AVID School Wide.
SOAR students Lily Portillo, Taylor Edwards, Alazia Clay and Jaylan Gable were awarded full-ride scholarships to the
Internship Program of City Catering College. The Culinary Arts On-Site Training Program will work with the students on the
weekends and will provide training materials, uniforms and supplies. The students will be given assistance with job placement
in a partnering restaurant upon completion of the program.
Two Hastings High School teachers were recently accepted into prestigious professional development seminars. Adrienne
Hollander was accepted into the professional development seminar on “Slave Narratives in American Literature” at Yale
University this summer. The seminar, sponsored by The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, will be taught by Yale
Professor of American History and Gilder Lehrman Center Director Dr. David Blight. Katie Batenhorst was accepted into
Goethe-Institut’s seminar and will spend two weeks in Germany in June to learn about the country.
Sneed Elementary students Malcom Marshall, Stephen Coleman and Luz Perez were highlighted by Reliant’s Student
Recognition Program. These students, from Crystal Thomas-Hoof’s third grade class, were awarded t-shirts and certificates
for their hard work. Marshall and Coleman were nominated for their academic achievement, while Perez was spotlighted for
her exceptional citizenship.
Did you know. . .
Eleven Alief ISD high school students were welcomed into the Dell Scholars Program Class of 2013. The following students
will each receive a $20,000 scholarship to be used over six years, as well as resources and support, including technology, a
private scholar networking community, and mentoring to ensure they have the support needed to achieve their college degrees:
Taylor High School: Han Dinh, Reina Olivas, Chelsea Vaughn
Alief Early College High School: Bella Escot, Ikram Hersi, Alexis Leonard, Tracy Nwalie, Alejandro Sanchez,
Taiye Shittu, Kehinde Shittu, Tina Tiec
Kennedy Elementary was presented a $1,500 check by Recyclebank for its Green Plan project. This sustainability project
was funded through the Green School grant award. The campus will use the award to purchase and plant bushes, plants,
flowers, trees and select fruit and vegetables, to create new garden and landscape areas for each grade level and to turn
these gardens into outdoor science classrooms.
Alief ISD Superintendent of Schools HD Chambers was recognized on the court at halftime by the Houston Rockets on
Sunday, April 14, as part of the festivities celebrating Educator Appreciation Night.
Miller Intermediate teacher Larry Ponder is a published author. His book, “Elementary School Structures,” studied the
student achievement of third and fourth grade students in the areas of math and science.
Landis Elementary was named the winner of the “Read Nation” School Book Drive sponsored by the Houston Rockets and
the UPS Store. Landis collected 1,893 books, and the winning class, led by teacher Teisha Lacour, collected 295 books and
received 40 tickets to a Rockets game. Landis will receive a school rally with the Rockets mascot, Clutch the Bear, and other
prizes. Hearne Elementary, who also participated in the contest, will receive prizes for its contribution, and Mazie Hamilton’s
class will win prizes for being the top class at that school.
Taylor High School student Nicholas Alejandre, a HCC Dual Credit Economics student, has been nominated for the Student
Leadership Award in Economics, a prestigious student award presented by the Houston Community College’s Northwest
Campus. Alejandre competed with HCC students in a challenging sophomore-level college course for the honor and will be
recognized in an awards banquet in May.
Athletics Results:
• Elsik High School’s boys soccer team advanced to the state tournament by defeating Deer Park 1-0 over the weekend.
Elsik will play Brownsville Hanna on Friday, April 19, at Birkelbach Field in Georgetown at 6 p.m.
• Alief ISD swept the top spots in the recent district tennis tournament. Elsik took first place for varsity girls, varsity boys,
JV girls and JV boys. Hastings placed second in varsity girls and JV boys and third in varsity boys, JV girls and freshman
girls. Taylor’s JV girls won second place and the freshman boys took first place. The Elsik boys and girls teams were
both named 18-5A Varsity and Junior Varsity Spring District Champs for the third year in a row.
• Alief ISD students medaled at the recent District 18-5A Golf Tournament. The Elsik varsity girls golf team was named
District 18-5A Girls Team Champions. Hastings High School students Olubukoa Are and Lehi Cordova and Taylor High
School’s Rene Sanchez Jr. also advanced to the regional tournament.
• Alief ISD’s track teams were well represented at the recent District 18-5A Championship at Bill Smith Stadium. Elsik
High School’s varsity boys track team was named District Champions. Elsik’s varsity girls placed second. Hastings High
School’s JV girls took the top spot, while the freshman boys placed second. Taylor’s freshman boys placed first, varsity
boys placed second and the JV boys took third.
Did you know. . .
The 2013 Alief ISD Teachers of the Year were named in an exciting ceremony at Taylor High School recently. Collins Elementary teacher
Courtney Rees, who graduated from Hastings High School, was named the Elementary Teacher of the Year. Taylor High School art teacher
Susan Brunell was named the Secondary Teacher of the Year.
Kerr High School was named one of Children at Risk’s top ten high schools in the Houston metropolitan area. Kerr, given an “A” grade, was
ranked fourth out of 150 Houston-area high schools, and ranked 11th out of 1,171 Texas high schools. The rankings serve as an accessible
guide for the community on the performance of local schools and to spark important dialogue on the quality of Texas public education.
Thirty-seven Alief ISD students in fourth to sixth grade were named Duke Tip Talent Search participants by Duke University. Students from
Cummings, Kennedy, Outley, Holmquist and Horn Elementaries and Klentzman and Budewig Intermediates were chosen based on their
exceptional academic ability.
Congratulations to the following campuses for their high levels of participation in the After School Rocks! Fun Run:
•
Klentzman Intermediate and Best Elementary won first and second place respectively for the highest percentage of staff participants.
•
Martin Elementary had the highest number of student participants for the second year in a row.
Hastings High School is one of the top 10 finalists in the Southwest Region category in the 2013 Vans Custom Culture Competition.
Represented by students Eduardo Medina, Anhthu Nguyen, Ivan Martinez and Cedrick Smith, Hastings is one of the top 50 schools from
across the nation to participate in this high school shoe customization contest. Participants have a chance to win money for their art programs
and for their winning shoes to be produced and sold in Vans stores. To vote, please visit this link. Voting ends May 13.
Elsik High School’s Student Council delegates participated in the largest gathering of student leaders in the United States recently.
Students joined nearly 5,000 students and advisors representing 400 student councils from across Texas at the annual Texas Association
of Student Councils (TASC) Annual Conference. Student Brigitte Robayo served as TASC State Secretary and represented Elsik and Alief.
Alief ISD students came out on top at the recent Texas Art Education Association State Visual Art Scholastic Event (VASE) competition.
Eleven of Elsik High School’s works medaled, and student Miriam Valadez won a Gold Seal for her three-sided vase. Three Hastings High
School students medaled at State VASE as well.
Horn Elementary’s kindergarten teachers and students recently received a thank you note from Sandy Hook School for sending notes and their favorite
winter story books to the students in response to the tragedy. The note stated how grateful the students and staff were for the overwhelming support.
Alief Early College High School teachers Dr. Noemi Dimaliwat and Kevin Sevin were recently selected as Teachers of the Game by Devon
Energy and the Houston Rockets. Exemplary teachers are nominated by their peers and are chosen by the sponsors for this award.
Taylor High School teacher Sana Aleem was selected as one of two Texas high school teachers to participate in the Summer 2013 Brussels
European Union Centers of Excellence study tour through the University of Texas at Austin.
Kerr High School student Jamie Wells won $5,000 for her sculpture submission to the Culture Shapers Visual Arts Contest. Out of the 212
sculpture category entries, Kerr had the most students of any single school to place in the Top 10.
Alief ISD students recently competed in the Conference 5A Region 3 Academics Spring Meet. Kerr and Hastings High School each have two
state qualifiers, while Taylor and Elsik High School each have one state qualifier. The following students placed in their respective categories:
•
Kerr students Mohit Agarwal placed third in Current Issues, Adam Aitbouchireb placed fifth in Computer Applications, and Nadia Zulfa
placed second in News Writing.
•
Hastings’ Speech Team won second place. Student Abigail Onwunali swept the top spot in Prose Interpretation, while Muhammad Yunus
and Sidney Odom placed third and fifth respectively in Poetry Interpretation.
•
Elsik student Lucia Aremu placed second in Prose Interpretation.
•
Taylor student Emily Court took second place in Feature Writing, and Aditi Busgeeth placed fourth in Editorial Writing.
Did you know. . .
Thirteen Alief ISD students were selected as 2013 Jones Scholars by the Houston Endowment’s Jones Scholars Program. Recipients are eligible
to receive up to a total of $16,000 over six academic years. Congratulations to the following students: Alejandro Sanchez (Alief Early College High
School); Johnny Lu, Phuc Nguyen, Brigitte Robayo and Luis Rodriguez (Elsik High School); Natalie Bonilla, Toney Duong, Michelle Nguyen and
Tu Vo (Hastings High School); Heba Ahmad (Kerr High School); and Alexus Cottonham, Dorcas Mbaeri and My Van Truong (Taylor High School).
The Hastings High School Wind Ensemble competed in the UIL concert and sight-reading contest recently. They received a Division 1 rating in
Concert and a Division 1 rating in sight reading, earning a Sweepstakes A award. This is the first time since 1992 the Hastings Band has earned
a Sweepstakes A award, which is a Division 1 rating in Marching band, concert, and sight-reading.
Taylor High School student Aditi Busgeeth was the featured “Class Act of the Week” on Channel 39’s Newsfix recently. The segment highlighted
Busgeeth’s accomplishments in speech and journalism, most recently winning a national journalism contest with her article about sustainable foods.
She is also the 2012 University Interscholastic League (UIL) State Champion in Editorial Writing.
Kerr High School graduate Peter Ton’s short film was accepted into the Cannes Film Festival in France. Ton, a Class of 2011 graduate currently
attending Sam Houston State University, directed “eumenides” and will attend the film festival and the showing in May. The short film was accepted
into the Short Film Corner under his new film production company, “Second Peak Shorts.”
Four Alief ISD students participated in Education in Action’s 2013 Lone Star Leadership Academy. Holmquist Elementary student Justin Anaemejeh,
Outley Elementary student Andrei Llamido, Budewig Intermediate student Carlos Llamido and Miller Intermediate student Vincent Iwunze were chosen
to participate in this week-long academy. Outstanding students were selected based on their academic success, leadership ability, involvement in
school and community activities and an educator nomination.
Horn Elementary students hit a reading home run last week. Students and staff successfully met their goal of reading 4,000 books in eight weeks,
and the mascot of the Sugar Land Skeeters celebrated the achievement with the students. Principal Kathy Jahn kissed animals during a special
assembly as a part of the festivities.
O’Donnell Middle School student Sebastian Grajeda successfully completed the MS 150. The BP MS 150 is a two-day fundraising cycling ride
organized by the National Multiple Sclerosis Society: Lone Star. This ride is the largest event of its kind in North America and consists of a two-day,
180-mile journey from Houston to Austin.
Hastings High School teacher April Sbrusch was named by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) as a recipient of the Lemelson-MIT
Excite Award and will attend MIT’s EurekaFest in June. The Innovative Design Club, sponsored by Sbrusch, is also a finalist for the program’s
2013-14 InvenTeam grant, a $10,000 grant to design and prototype an invention. The club, which was created to allow students to apply for
design-based scholarships outside of the classroom, submitted a proposal to design an energy efficient outlet that reduces the amount of standby
power appliances use.
Alief ISD schools placed in the top ten spots in the Children at Risk’s Greater Houston Rankings for 2013. Kerr High School placed sixth in Shell’s
Top High Schools for Math and Science ranking. Elsik High School and Hastings High School placed seventh and eighth respectively in the Best
Urban Comprehensive High School category. This ranking represents the top comprehensive high schools located in urban districts that house a
high concentration of economically disadvantaged students.
Kerr High School student Kevin Nguyen was awarded the “Tops in Texas” award in Computer Art at the Interscholastic League Press Conference
(ILPC) Spring Convention. Nguyen, the Kerronicle student newspaper’s graphic designer, received first place in the 5A-1 division at the convention,
and his artwork was chosen as the top entry among the first place winners in all eight divisions. ILPC, the journalism branch of the University
Interscholastic League (UIL), recognizes work published in student publications with Individual Achievement Awards in writing, design and photography
categories. Kerr and Hastings High School students placed in various categories at the prestigious event.
Elsik High School teacher Jeorge Vegafria was recently selected as a Teacher of the Game by Devon Energy and the Houston Rockets. Exemplary
teachers are nominated by their peers and are chosen by the sponsors for this award.
Taylor High School students Dang Pham, Khanh Hoang, Juan Lopez and Cindy Diep performed at the iFest Houston International Festival this
past weekend. The students performed Chinese Yo Yo.
Did you know. . .
Week of May 6, 2013
Alief ISD Adaptive Physical Education teacher Cathy Schreiber will receive her 30-year Special Olympic volunteer
pin at the Special Olympic Spring Games on May 11. Schreiber, who is the Head of the Delegation for the Alief Special
Olympics program, will also recite the Special Olympic volunteer oath during the opening ceremonies. Houston Texans
linebacker Brian Cushing will be presenting Schreiber with her pin. All of her 30 years of volunteering with the Special
Olympics have been with Alief ISD.
Elsik and Hastings High School students in Alief’s International Languages Program participated in the 20th Chinese
Speech Contest sponsored by the Global Federation of Chinese Business Women in the Southern United States.
Run Ze Ge (Hastings), Chante Gilbert (Hastings), Maritza Pancorbo (Hastings) and Wenqing Lei (Elsik) competed,
and Ge and Lei advanced to the finals.
Albright Middle School student Nancy Vu competed in the state competition of the “You Be the Chemist” challenge
recently and tied for fourth place. The contest, sponsored by the Chemical Education Foundation, emphasizes the
central role of chemistry and aims to inspire our future leaders to pursue science-related careers.
Alief ISD graduate Syreeta Archie is currently seventh out of 48 competitors in the Open for Brandy contest. The
winning contestant will be actress and Grammy Award-winning singer Brandy Norwood’s opening act during her
performance at the War Memorial Auditorium in Nashville on June 8. To vote for Archie, who graduated from Hastings
High School in 2003 and also attended Boone, Olle and Holub, click here and vote from home.
Taylor High School students Dang Pham, Khanh Hoang, Juan Lopez and Cindy Diep, along with teacher Simon
Lin, were invited to perform Chinese Yo-Yo and Techno Prince Dance at the British School of Houston on May 4.
Athletics Update:
• The Hastings High School varsity baseball team’s season came to an end with a 0-5 loss to Cy Woods. This
marked the fourth straight playoff appearance for this senior group, which included two district championships
and an overall record of 66-37 and a district record of 39-12 in the last four years.
• Region III 5-A Track & Field Championship Results:
• Elsik High School will send two students to the state meet. Debra Taylor won first place in the 1600 meter run
and advanced to state competition in Austin. Taylor also placed sixth in the 800 meter run. Ishmael Zamora
placed second in the 110 meter hurdles and 300 meter hurdles and placed third in the long jump. Zamora
will also compete in Austin on May 11.
• Taylor High School students Simon Imagbe, Kevin Winters, Trevorris Johnson, Chris Hardeman and Keenen
Brown advanced to state competitions in the 4x100 meter relay. The team was the district and area champions
in this event and ran one of the top times in the state of Texas this year.
• District 18-5A All District Boys Soccer Team:
• Elsik High School student Gafar Dauda was named Overall MVP, while Herberth Calderon received the
Newcomer Award.
• Hastings High School teacher Jesse Castanon was named Coach of the Year, and student Erick Trigueros
was named Defensive MVP.
Did you know. . .
Week of May 13, 2013
Elsik High School student Marian Ebhamen has been chosen as a Gates Millennium Scholar. More than 54,000
students from around the country apply for the scholarship, and only 1,000 students are selected. The GMS Scholarship
Award provides support for the cost of education by covering unmet need and self-help aid, renewable awards for
scholars, graduate school funding and leadership development programs. Ebhamen plans to use the scholarship at
the University of Texas at Austin, where she will pursue a degree in communication.
Alief ISD’s Health Services Department named Kimberly Goodly as the School Nurse of the Year. Mary Keys and Mary
Ann Hernandez were also recognized as License Vocational Nurse of the Year and Clinic Aide of the Year respectively.
Alief ISD Education Foundation announced the scholarship recipients from the Class of 2013. Alief Early College
High School student Lesley Delgadillo was named the recipient of the Jason Best Scholarship. Delgadillo is eligible to
receive $1,500 per year for up to four years of post-secondary instruction if she maintains a 2.5 grade point average.
Kerr High School student Heba Ahmad was awarded the Joseph Borkey Scholarship.
Career & Technical Education students Donna Melendez, Berenice Baltazar, Rosa Amaya, Elizabeth Perez, Thao
Vu and Sagrario Toledo passed the Texas State Floral High School Certification and will be honored at a convention
in July. The certification consists of a written portion and a second part, in which the students are timed and must
complete two floral arrangements. Toledo scored the highest in both floral arrangements with a score of 96 on each.
Kerr High School teacher Laura Negri has achieved Certified Journalism Educator status from the Journalism
Education Association. The certification recognizes teachers who meet national standards of preparation to teach
high school journalism classes and advise student media.
Elsik High School student Ishmael Zamora was named the Texas 5A Boys State Champion in the 110 meter high
hurdles at the State Track & Field Meet. He ran 13.7 seconds. He also placed second in the 300 meter hurdles and
fifth in the long jump.
Hastings High School student Amber Le received two Individual Achievement Awards from the Interscholastic
League Press Conference for photos she took. She received an honorable mention for a sports feature photo in this
year’s newspaper and first place for a student life photo in last year’s yearbook.
Five Alief ISD campuses’ staff members received grants from Fund for Teachers. Elsik High School’s Ronald
Christensen, Landis Elementary’s Anna Escobar and Melisa Perez, Horn Elementary’s Lori Lyn, Alief Middle School’s
Anna Philpott and Alexander Elementary’s Rhea Brookter and Sarah Milianta-Laffin received funding. Projects include
traveling along Route 66 to observe its historical significance, volunteering in the Burmese Learning Center in Thailand
and attending a creativity workshop in Crete.
Hastings High School students received two of the 11 awards at the annual AIA Michael G. Meyers Architecture
Competition. Domingo Perez received Best Renderings, and Brandon Hill received Most Imaginative Design. Hundreds
of designs were submitted by Houston-area high schools.
Did you know. . .
Janine Hoke, Kathy Jahn and Dr. Walter Jackson were respectively announced as Alief ISD’s Director for Professional
Growth and Improvement, Executive Director for Curriculum and Instruction and Area Superintendent. Hoke is currently
the principal of Miller Intermediate, Jahn is the principal of Horn Elementary, and Dr. Jackson is the principal of Taylor
High School.
About 50 participants graduated from Alief ISD’s Side by Side Program on May 16. Side by Side is a home-based
school readiness program where parents come to school weekly and pick up lessons to teach to their own three-yearold children at home. The program is available to parents in English or Spanish at no charge.
Elsik High School student Kayode George was named the 2012-13 Gatorade Texas Boys Soccer Player of the Year.
He was also named the 2013 Houston Chronicle Player of the Year.
Many Alief ISD teachers were rewarded with the 2013 Barbara Mathews Award for Excellence in Middle School
Science Teaching. Albright’s Laura Smith and Conrad Fertitta, Holub’s Kenyata Ohuonu, Alief Middle’s Christa Hale,
Olle’s Amelia Cote, O’Donnell’s David Covarrubias and Patty Adams and Killough’s Lauren Mitchell were recognized.
Youngblood Intermediate and Holub Middle School came out on top during the annual Battle of the Books competition.
Intermediate and middle school students spent the year reading and studying a list of young adult titles and were tested
on their knowledge at the contest.
The Alief ISD Education Foundation recently held its annual mini grant ceremony, and thirty grants were awarded
to Alief ISD staff members. Recipients presented their projects to their peers, to members of the Alief ISD Education
Foundation and to Alief ISD Board Members and administrators. Chambers, Collins, Cummings, Hearne, Horn, Kennedy,
Liestman, Mahanay, Rees, Youens, Mata, Olle, Hastings, Kerr and Taylor each had at least one winner as well.
Boone Elementary fourth grade student Kaleb Davis was awarded a camp scholarship to the Houston Museum
of Natural Science Xplorations Summer Camp. He will spend a week as a junior engineer designing speedy motion
machines and creating model cars, boats and planes.
The staff at Killough Middle School recently raised $500 to create the Soaring Eagle Scholarship. The scholarship
will be awarded annually to a college-bound Alief senior who previously attended Killough. Eleven Alief high school
seniors applied for the scholarship.
Elsik High School students Summer Roberson and Linda Yado were named the 2013 Scholar Athlete Finalists of
the Touchdown Club of Houston and will be recognized on May 22 during the Spring Sports Scholar Athlete Dinner.
Roberson is a finalist in the softball category, while Yado is a female soccer finalist. They are two of the 69 finalists that
will be honored at the event from about 240 nominations that were submitted by coaches.
Petrosky Elementary’s kindergarten students came out on top in HEB’s Earth Day recycling contest. The winning
grade level received a healthy snack and a visit from the HEB mascot Buddy. In this contest, each grade level was given
a week to collect as many plastic bags as possible to be recycled. Petrosky students collected a total of 11,805 bags.
Did you know. . .
Superintendent HD Chambers received the prestigious President’s Award at the Third Annual Guiding Star Award Program
presented by the Parents for Public Schools of Houston organization. Mr. Chambers is the only superintendent to ever win
this award. Business Partners/Mentoring Specialist Delores “Dee” Jones also received a 2013 Guiding Star Award. This
is the second Guiding Star Award for Jones. The Guiding Star Awards were created to identify and acknowledge previously
unsung heroes from the greater Houston area.
Horn Elementary, Rees Elementary and Kerr High School were recognized for Outstanding Academic Performance by the
Texas Education Agency’s Division of Federal and State Education Policy. These State Distinguished Performance Schools
must be a Title I, Part A campus for 2010-11, 2011-12 and 2012-13 and must meet other requirements.
Alief ISD will be recognized during a mayoral proclamation ceremony on June 11 at the Houston City Hall. The district will be
recognized for its participation in the See to Succeed Program, which is led by the Houston Department of Health and Human
Services. The initiative aims to improve vision and vision-related health, education and social factors by performing annual
vision exams and providing eyewear to children.
Elsik High School student Summer Roberson was named the 2013 Scholar Athlete of the Year for Softball by the Touchdown
Club of Houston during the annual Spring Sports Scholar Athlete Dinner. Linda Yado was also recognized at the dinner as a
finalist in female soccer.
Taylor High School graduate Nickolas “Nick” Muckleroy is competing on season 10 of the Fox show So You Think You
Can Dance. Judges said his audition performance was “a religious experience,” and it had one judge’s hair “standing on end.”
Muckleroy, a Class of 2009 graduate who was on the cheer team and in the Alief Jazz Ballet, will be moving on to Vegas for
the next round of competitions. You can vote for him during the show, which airs on Tuesdays.
Hearne Elementary’s fourth grade student Dominique Ramirez won a first place Gold Medal and Certificate in the Houston
Bar Association Black History Art Contest.
Youens Elementary kindergarten teacher Joly Giraldo was recently named the First Year Teacher of the Year by The Kappa
Kappa Chapter of Delta Kappa Gamma Society International. This award is given to a first-year female teacher in Alief ISD
who has demonstrated potential for distinctive service in the field of education.
Various Alief ISD students placed in the annual University Interscholastic League (UIL) State Academic Meet in Austin. Kerr
High School student Mohit Agarwal placed second in Current Events. Hastings High School student Abigail Onwunali received
a third place medal in Prose Interpretation.
Killough Middle School’s girls softball team finished the season undefeated and as the middle school district champions.
The majority of the girls on the team are seventh grade students.
Alief Early College High School was spotlighted by Educate Texas and the Teaching Channel. Educate Texas, a public-private
initiative of Communities Foundation of Texas, showcased teachers Kevin Sevin and Monica Baines, and the two AECHS
teachers modeled best practices for teachers in other early college high schools as a part of the filming.
Best Elementary Principal Dr. Lorena Augustus successfully completed her doctorate degree in Education at the University
of Houston in Professional Leadership.
Did you know. . .
Week of June 3, 2013
The Alief ISD Special Olympic Superstars basketball team brought home a silver medal from the Special
Olympics Summer Games held in Arlington. Martha Chang won a gold medal for her 50 meter walk and a
seventh place ribbon for her softball throw. Jesus Patino won second place in the 50 meter run and a fourth
place ribbon for his softball throw.
Taylor High School held a coin drive to raise money for our neighbors to the north. Taylor student organizations
joined together with the Student Council to raise awareness of the devastation in Oklahoma. In one week,
students and staff donated spare change and met their goal and raised $1,000.
Kerr High School senior Tiffany Thai received a renewing scholarship from international law firm Vinson &
Elkins LLP and was selected to be one of four interns to assist the firm this summer.
Two Olle Middle School students won first and second place in the House of Blues art competition. Gregory
Cantu won first place and a $300 award. His piece will advance to the national competition held in Los Angeles
this summer. Christan Acevedo won second place and a $200 award.
Multiple Alief ISD schools gave out free books to students to add to their personal libraries. Hastings High
School’s Think Through Summer program gave out more than 10,000 books to students. The school passed
the left over books to the library or gave them to Horn and Youens Elementary. Olle Middle School gave away
more than 1,300 books, and the leftover books will be given to teachers for their classrooms.
Elsik High School teacher Halehma Naseer was nominated for the Educator, Poet, and Ladies of Elegance Sponsor
Award by Essence of a Lady, Inc., a group consisting of females coming together to empower other females to
greatness through education, mentoring and networking. The award recipient will be announced at their conference.
The O’Donnell Middle School tennis team won the girls and co-team district titles. This marks the ninth year
in a row that the ODMS team, headed by Coach Bryan Jones, has won the tennis title.
Crossroads students Juan Mercedo and Taliyah Lynch were named Soccer and Basketball MVP, respectively,
during the 5th annual TAKS and STAAR Sports Tournament at the campus.
UIL State Competition Results:
• Hastings High School choir student junior Deji Fadahunsi earned a gold medal at the contest. He was
judged by Dr. Suzanne Pence, the head of the choral music department at the University of Texas at Austin.
Fadahunsi was also personally invited by Dr. Pence to attend the UT All-State Choir Camp this summer.
Sophomore Laurel Rowe placed and earned a silver medal.
• Kerr High School orchestra student Omar Escobedo received a superior rating and a gold medal for his cello
solo at the competition. Student Laura Vu received an excellent rating and a silver medal for her violin solo.
Did you know. . .
Month of June 2013
Olle Middle School students swept the competition at the National Junior Forensic League (NJFL) National
Tournament in Birmingham. Faiza Qazi finished third in the nation in Original Oratory. Diamond Alexander
also advanced to the quarterfinals (top 24 in the nation) in Poetry Interpretation, and Alaynna Smith advanced
to the quarterfinals (top 25 in the nation) in Storytelling. Coach George Tennison was also honored at the
tournament as one of the first two coaches to receive a diamond award in the NJFL, which is based upon
having a minimum of five years as a NJFL member and on the points earned by their students during
competitions. Assistant Principal Andrea Sandles accompanied the team to their competition in Alabama.
Business Partners and Mentoring Specialist Dee Jones was presented the President’s Citation for
Outstanding Achievement by the Houston Westchase Rotary Club. Jones received the prestigious award
recognition of meritorious service and for furthering the principles and ideals of the Rotary way of life. It was
presented by Paul Dickens, the immediate past president of the club.
The Alief District Film Festival recently recognized high school students for their video submissions.
Hastings High School student Steven Duong’s video, Jumper, was named Best Video. Taylor swept the
competition in 11 categories, while Hastings took home five awards total. Elsik was awarded the top honor
for animation and special effects, while the PSA Award went to Kerr High School’s Van Tran.
Miller Intermediate’s Ladies of Distinction and Men of Excellence recently raised a total of $5,054.84
in support of the March of Dimes. The organizations exceeded their goal of $4,500. To date, Miller has
raised more than $19,000 to support the cause. The funds will support programs that help mothers have
healthy, full-term pregnancies and funds research to find answers to problems that threaten babies.
Alief ISD’s business partners, the Sugar Land Skeeters, recently celebrated Alief Night, and Superintendent
HD Chambers kicked off the event by throwing out the first pitch. The Taylor High School JROTC presented
the colors, and Holmquist Elementary Principal Dr. Nancy Lewin sang the national anthem.
Several Alief ISD students were recognized at the Junior Visual Arts Scholastic Event (VASE) recently.
Klentzman Intermediate students Cynthia Reed, Ricky Tran and Victoria Lodico received a rating of IV
(superior). Lodico also received top honors with a silver medal for her mixed media piece. Holub Intermediate
students Janice Duong and Doan Pham also placed regionally for their pieces.
Natasha Skaggs Breaux, a Class of 2002 graduate, recently received her law degree and MBA. She
graduated from Hastings High School and also attended Hearne and Albright. She will be working for
Judge David Hittner for two years and will later join the law firm, Fulbright and Jaworsky LLP, which is a
member of the global legal practice, Norton Rose Fulbright.
Did you know. . .
Month of July 2013
Approximately 100 Alief Early College High School students will receive their diplomas on August 1,
making them the first graduating class of that campus. Out of those 100 students, about 60 have already
received their associate’s degree from Houston Community College. The graduation ceremony will begin at
7 p.m. at the Don Coleman Community Coliseum at 1050 Dairy Ashford.
Miller Intermediate School was chosen as July 2013 Spotlight School for Thinking Maps. The campus is
featured on the Thinking Maps website for successful implementation of Thinking Maps as a tool to increase
student achievement.
Holmquist Elementary won third place in the Big Lots Lots2Give video contest. The school will receive
$2,000 and a percentage of in-store donations.
Elsik High School graduate Levi Saucedo was recently awarded the Leo of the Year 2012-13 by the Lions
District 2-S2. Saucedo, who was a member of the Elsik Leo Club, received a certificate from the State Leo
Council. Saucedo graduated in June and will attend Rice University in the fall.
Albright Middle School Orchestra Director T. Patrick Sloan Sr. traveled to Kansas City to rehearse and
conduct the 4th Army Band Symphony. The concert was held on June 25 in the Yardley Concert Hall at
Johnson College in Olathe.
Killough Middle School raised $4,500 during the 2012-13 school year to donate to charitable causes.
The campus donated $1,700 to the American Heart Association in May, and $2,100 to the Susan Komen
Foundation in October. Killough staff also donated $750 through the KMS Soaring Eagle Scholarship.
Alief ISD graduate Marcus McCarty is currently a Research and Development Intern at Procter and GambleDuracell. McCarty was the Class of 2012 salutatorian at Elsik High School.
Mayor Annise Parker proclaimed July 9, 2013, as Alief Early College High School (AECHS) Alpha Active
Knights Day and AECHS Leo Club Day in the City of Houston. The students participating in these programs
have logged more than 75,000 volunteer hours in the past three years.
The Alief FFA recently participated in The Autobahn Youth Scholarship Show in Fort Worth. The students
in the show were Charlotte Sturm, Bryan Molina and Emily Rodriquez. While at the show, all three students
won with their longhorns and received college scholarships. Rodriquez also participated in the art show and
won first place. She won an additional scholarship for her achievement.
Did you know. . .
Three students in the Alief Kerr chapter of Future Business Leaders of America placed in their individual events
at the National Leadership Conference in San Antonio. Mohit Agarwal placed 1st in Healthcare Administration, Nam
Nguyen placed 10th in Help Desk, and Bao Trinh placed 10th in Networking Concepts. Ten Alief students attended
the conference and competed against students from around the world who were ranked in the top of their individual
competitions at the state level.
Two Taylor High School varsity football players were selected for the 2012 Preseason All-Greater Houston UIL
High School Football team at the Touchdowner of the Year Dinner. Defensive players Torrodney Prevot (defensive
lineman) and Jonathan Wiggins (linebacker) were recognized at the celebration.
Six Elsik and Hastings Career & Technical Education (CTE) students were recently honored at the Texas State
Floral Association Convention for receiving their high school floral certification. Tanya Hernandez, Rosario Aguirre,
Connie Gonzalez, Gabriella Pacheco, Ana Karen Olvera and Thi Vu assisted with several floral designs that were
given to local hospitals. Agscience Instructor Johnny Hackett also received his master certification in floral design
and was honored at the event.
Kerr High School teacher Jan Kolk was named one of the top five secondary teachers of the year in Region 4
during the Region 4 Teacher of the Year Banquet. Kolk is Alief ISD’s 2012 Secondary Teacher of the Year. Region 4
Education Service Center provides service to 51 school districts in the Greater Houston Area.
Hastings High School teacher Wendy Warren has been named as a recipient of the 2012 Outstanding Teaching of the
Humanities Award by Humanities Texas. Warren is among 12 teachers from across the state to receive the recognition,
which includes a $5,000 cash award and an additional $500 for their respective school to purchase humanities-based
instructional materials.
Chi Vu, who teaches seventh grade mathematics at O’Donnell Middle School, has been named Teacher of the
Year by the Asian Chamber of Commerce. Vu has 12 years of teaching experience and was a finalist for 2012 Alief ISD
Elementary Teacher of the Year. Dinh Huynh, a Hastings High School Class of 2012 graduate, was also recognized
as one of the recipients of the Asian Chamber of Commerce Scholarship.
Klentzman Intermediate teacher Omar Rouchon has received a fellowship to Harvard University to continue his
studies. Rouchon, who is Alief ISD’s 2012 Elementary Teacher of the Year, received his bachelor’s degree from Yale
University and originally came to Alief through the Teach for America program.
Jose Santana, a junior at the Early College High School, has been invited to attend the Rice University Centennial
Gala. He is a member of the university’s Young Owls, an honors program for outstanding young Latinos.
Elsik Head Basketball Coach Tim Martin was nominated for South All-Star coach and won in Region 5. His peers
will vote to determine if his staff gets to coach the Texas High School All-Stars at the February regional meeting.
Alief ISD staff attended The JASON Project National Training Conference in
Ashburn, Va. in June to become project coaches and mentors. The conference
provided 28 staff members, including intermediate and middle school principals,
teachers, specialists, district interventionists and science coordinators, with the
knowledge and skills necessary to motivate sixth, seventh and eighth grade students
to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
Did you know. . .
Week of Sept. 4, 2012
Students from Alief Middle School, Albright Middle School, Taylor High School and Hastings High
School showcased their work at the Houston PREP Engineering Day in July as a culmination of a monthlong STEM initiative grant funded through the University of Houston-Downtown.
Alief Early College High School sophomore Deja Terry was named the second runner-up in the Texas
Jr. Teen National American Miss Pageant. She also took first place for Casual Wear Modeling and second
place for Top Model. She will compete in Anaheim, Calif., for the national title of All American National
American Miss during the Thanksgiving Holiday. Terry previously attended Youens Elementary and Alief
Middle School.
Albright Middle School teacher Jesse Grimm, a 7th grade math teacher, has been accepted into Rice
University’s MBA program for educators, and Albright 7th grade science teacher Conrad Fertitta is
celebrating his 40th year as an Alief ISD educator this year.
Staff members from Youngblood Intermediate walked through the Mint Apartments on Dairy Ashford
to pass out school supplies and to inform parents of key dates and times for the new school year. They
wanted to make sure students had the tools necessary for success on the first day of school.
Hastings sophomore Abigail Onwunali was a semi-finalist in Prose and Poetry Interpretation at the
2012 National Forensics League National Tournament held in Indianapolis, Ind., this summer. Nearly 3,000
students participated in the tournament, billed as the world’s largest academic competition.
Amelia Hernandez, an Alief Early College High School senior, was recognized by the College Board
as a 2012-2013 National Hispanic Recognition Program Scholar. This award is based on her PSAT score
and academic success. She was one 5,000 chosen from a pool of over 253,000 students in the nation.
Carleen Johnson Polk, Alief ISD nursing coordinator, has been named the 2012 Texas School Nurse
Administrator of the Year for demonstrating outstanding efforts in advocating and promoting school nursing
leadership and the health of Texas school children. She will be presented with the award at the Texas
School Nurses Organization Conference in Austin in November.
Did you know. . .
David Vien, a senior at Kerr High School, is a semifinalist in the 2013 National Merit Scholarship Program. He now
has the opportunity to compete for a National Merit Scholarship. He is one of the highest scoring entrants in the state
based on his preliminary SAT score.
Alief ISD’s Health Science Program, which is part of the Career and Technology Education Department, began
implementing an initiative that supports students who want to pursue their Certified Nursing Assistant credentials. The
course consists of classroom instruction and hands-on clinical rotation. Upon completion of the 13-week program,
the students will be recommended to take the State of Texas Certified Nursing Assistant exam. Once they pass their
State Boards, they will be eligible for employment as Certified Nursing Assistants in area hospitals, extended care
facilities and clinics.
Elsik High School’s Student Council was elected to the Texas Association of Student Council’s State Board as
secretary school in April. Over the summer, the group’s representatives, junior Brigitte Robayo and advisor Pre-AP
English II teacher Courtney Goldberg, attended a state-wide leadership retreat, in which Elsik’s program was a
catalyst in the creation of the state project. This is the first time in TASC’s 76-year history that a school from Alief is
serving on the Executive Board.
Mata Intermediate’s Assistant Principal Ann Scott recently published an article in Teaching Tolerance, a project
of the Southern Poverty Law Center.
Albright Middle School Director of Orchestras, Piano Keyboard Studies and Choirs T. Patrick Sloan participated in
and completed the Cancer 2 Cure Ride to the Arctic Circle in North Alaska on his 2001 Ultra Classic Harley Davidson.
The purpose of the ride is to raise money for M.D. Anderson Cancer Research Center.
Sneed Elementary teacher Carol Kaufmann has been accepted to the Rice University Elementary Model Science
Lab program.
Scholar Athletes for September
Kyle Hoffmaster, representing Elsik High School and the Mighty Ram football team, has lettered all four years in
football, baseball and track. Kyle, who attended Hicks, Mata, Holub and Elsik, has earned Academic All District every
year and was named to the 18-5A All District Honorable Mention football team. Kyle is also an Eagle Scout, and is
an active volunteer for the Santana Dotson Foundation.
Thao Loi, representing Hastings High School and the Fighting Bear tennis
team, attended Collins, Mahanay, Youngblood, Killough, and Hastings. Thao is
a three-year tennis letterman and also is a 2013 class officer. She is involved in
Student Council, Teen Leadership, and is a second-year student in the culinary
arts program. In her spare time, Thao teaches a first grade class at her church.
Did you know. . .
Alief ISD graduate Christine Ha won FOX Television’s “MasterChef” competition. Ha, who attended Heflin
Elementary and Albright Middle School, graduated from Elsik High School in 1997. She was the first blind
contestant to appear on the series and was the only Houstonian to earn a spot among the top 100 during season
three’s first audition.
Elsik Ninth Grade Center’s Renee Dillon and Elsik High School’s Halehma Muhummadi-Naseer were
presented with the 2012 Guiding Star Award from the Greater Houston Education Village for their contributions to
success in education as classroom teachers. Dillon went on to earn the 2012 Educator of the Year Award.
Matthew Davis, an 8th grader at Albright Middle School, is a member of the Congressional Youth Leadership
Council Distinguished Alumni.
Taylor High School’s Amy Brown (Math Department) and Hastings High School’s Tila Hidalgo (Science
Department) were selected to participate in the Texas A&M E3 program, which stands for Enrichment in Engineering
Experience for Teachers of Math and Science. The program is part of the National Science Foundation’s RET Program.
Alief ISD Special Education Department, in connection with the Hobby Center, awarded tickets to 22 Alief
students with Autism and their families for a special production of The Lion King.
Patrick Dang, a 4th grade AIMS student at Outley Elementary, was selected as one of the top 10 essay writers
in the nation in the 4th-6th grade category. His essay will be published in the Creative Communications’ anthology,
“Celebrating What Is Important to Me.” Thirty-two students’ essays were selected from Outley Elementary’s
AIMS classes to be published in the same book.
Elsik High School senior Levi Saucedo passed three of the AP exams he took last school year with a 3, a 4
and a 5 in AP Psychology. Saucedo also attended summer classes at Brown University.
Ariana Ortiz, an 8th grader at Olle Middle School, recently modeled the true spirit of giving by donating her hair to
M.D. Anderson for cancer patients who have lost their own. She has been growing her hair for more than a year.
Owens Intermediate’s Read 180 students and the LIFE Skills class have teamed up to start a school garden.
Owens Intermediate’s goal is to show students how to maintain a garden and how to cook healthy meals with
the vegetables they harvest.
Taylor High School’s ESL teacher Jennifer Payne will be inducted into Albright College’s Athletic Hall of Fame
for badminton on Oct. 19. She was a 4-time All-American, 4-time conference singles champion, 4-time conference
MVP, 4-time Albright College Team MVP, overall record holder with 86-16, conference record holder with 29-1, NCAA
Woman of the Year nominee and was featured in Sports Illustrated’s “Faces in the Crowd.”
Elsik High School’s two step teams, the Gentlemen of Elsik and Ladies of
Elegance, won first place in a competition at the beginning of the summer, winning
a trophy and $500. The teams are currently practicing for their next competition in
November under the direction of Crossroads’ teacher Michael Miller.
Did you know. . .
Kerr High School senior Jesse Anylaebechi is a semifinalist in the 2013 National Achievement Scholarship
Program and now has an opportunity to continue in the competition for an Achievement Scholarship, which will
be awarded in the spring. Sponsored by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation, the Achievement Scholarship
Program recognizes academically promising black students throughout the nation.
Olle Middle School’s Illya Peters, a 7th grader, received a $1000 scholarship from the University of Arkansas
at the New Futuro conference on Saturday, Sept. 22, at Elsik High School.
Taylor High School student Cindy Onyekwelu was named one of the Super Teen Winners in the Super Teens
Contest and was spotlighted in NextStepU Magazine. Onyekwelu, who is actively involved with Students Against
Drugs and Violence, Student Council, yearbook and tennis, plans to pursue a career in pharmacy.
Chasmin Cousins, a member of the Elsik High School Class of 2009, has been named Miss Prairie View
A&M 2012-13. She is a senior at the university and will graduate this spring with a B.S. in elementary education.
Hastings alumni Attica Locke will be in Houston on October 1-3 to read and sign her newest novel, The Cutting
Season. Attica will be at the University of Houston on Oct. 1 at 5:30 p.m.; Brazos Bookstore on Oct. 2 at 7 p.m.; and Blue
Willow Bookshop on Oct. 3 at 7 p.m. An award-winning novelist and screenwriter, she currently lives in Los Angeles.
Taylor High School’s Orchestra Director Lester Lopez and Instructional Materials Coordinator Jane
Waguespack, along with 50 other singers, performed the National Anthem for the fans at the Sugar Land
Skeeters game on Friday, Sept. 7. The Skeeters won against the Long Island Ducks.
More than 600 Alief ISD students
and staff participated in the Alief
International Parade on Saturday, Sept.
22. Students from Kerr, Alief Early
College, Hastings, Taylor and Elsik
High School, Martin and Cummings
Elementary, Killough Middle School
and Crossroads showcased their
talents to the community.
Did you know. . .
Week of Oct. 1, 2012
About 400 students from Alief ISD’s middle schools and high schools attended the 2012 HCC Chancellor’s
Symposium on Engineering at the Johnson Space Center this past Saturday. Students from Albright, Alief
Middle, Holub, Killough, O’Donnell, Olle, Hastings, Elsik, Taylor, Kerr and Alief Early College High School
mingled with engineers, scientists and astronauts and participated in hands-on, informational activities at
the Space Center.
Compared to 2011, Alief ISD students made significant strides when it comes to taking Advanced
Placement (AP) exams:
• 2,083 Alief ISD students took at least one Advanced Placement (AP) exam, representing a 35.2%
increase.
• A total of 3,669 AP exams were taken by AISD students, which is an increase of 29.5%.
• 840 AP exams earned scores of 3, 4 or 5, representing a 14.9% increase.
Kerr High School’s Varsity Choir will perform at the University of Houston’s 22nd Annual High School
Invitational Concert on Nov. 5 at the Moore’s Opera House. Four distinguished high school choirs are
chosen each year to perform at this prestigious event. Kerr’s Cambiata Orchestra, under the direction of
Kerr teacher Cynthia King, will accompany the choir on one of the songs they are performing that evening.
Killough Middle School is raising the bar in hopes of raising $3,500 for the Susan G. Komen for the Cure
campaign this month, in observance of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Killough’s theme this year is
“KMS Pink Out 2013.” Students and staff raised $3,000 in support of the campaign last year.
Elsik High School’s National Art Honor Society students recently participated in the Fall Adopt-A-Beach
Cleanup program sponsored by the Texas General Land Office. Thirty-two students and adults picked up
trash from about a mile of beach at Surfside.
Alief Learning Center’s Patricia Greenleaf was chosen to represent 5,000 teacher fellows who have
received the Fund for Teachers Fellowship Grant. Greenleaf, who received a fellowship last year to study
math and science curriculum in Italy, will speak at the Fund for Teachers Fundraiser Dinner later this month.
Her “I Am A Fellow” profile will be featured on the Fund for Teachers website and in their newsletter.
Students who attended Collins Elementary’s Open House on Sept. 27 received a free book to take
home and enjoy. Books were purchased for the students from FirstBook.org, an organization that works to
make sure all children have access to books at home. Students who did not attend Open House received
books the following day.
Did you know. . .
Twenty Alief Early College High School students made the Houston Community College’s Dean’s List
by maintaining a grade point average of 3.5 or above for the semester while enrolled in 12 semester hours.
They are: Oscar Alas, Alejandro Sanchez, Giovanna Moreno, Tracy Nwalie, Anh Phung, Ikram Hersi, Lesley
Delgadillo, Stephanie Sebastian, Masera Narira, Micah Peoples, Hieu Nguyen, Oby Ebere, Taiye Shittu,
Kehinde Shittu, Frederick Nelson, Anh Tran, Thanh Bui, Maria Martinez, Jose Medrano and Willa Hung.
Taylor High School senior Nicholas Alejandre has earned “AP Scholar with Distinction” from the College
Board in recognition of his exceptional achievement on AP Exams. Nick received a 3+ score on five AP exams
with a 3.8 overall average. Nick is currently taking AP Chemistry and hopes to add one more passing score
to his academic achievements before enrolling next fall at Texas A&M to study biomedical engineering.
Students who attended Collins Elementary’s Open House on Sept. 27 received a book to keep, thanks
to the generosity of FirstBook.org, an organization that works to make sure all children have access to books
at home.
Two Alief ISD graduates, Jarell Rochelle and Astin Nebonta, appeared on season nine of Fox’s So You
Think You Can Dance and are pursuing careers in dance.
The Alief ISD Intermediate School Honor Orchestra has been invited to perform before the Houston
Aeros game on Friday, Feb. 1, 2013, at the Toyota Center. This will make their second guest appearance.
Lizette Zeren (Assistant Principal-Horn Elementary), Melissa Ramos (Kerr High School student), Yvonne
Scisco (Taylor High School student), Tepanga Fontenot (Taylor High School student), Lester Lopez (Orchestra
Director-Taylor High School), Michelle Lopez (Music Teacher-Martin Elementary), and Olga Scisco (SPEDHastings High School), will all be starring in Broadway Bound Theatre Company’s Winter production of Wizard
of Oz directed and choreographed by Monroe Moore (SPED-Horn Elementary).
Elsik High School graduate David Patrick Galloway (Class of 1996) is currently finishing his Pediatric
Gastroenterology Fellowship at the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital. Upon graduation in June 2015, he plans
to move back to Texas to join a hospital-based practice in pediatric gastroenterology.
Hastings High School graduate Grace Parmar (Class of 2008) was recently named the National Director of
Awareness with Mountain Movers International, a non-governmental organization accredited with the United
Nations. The organization supports crisis relief worldwide and international anti-human trafficking. Parmar,
who recently graduated from Houston Baptist University with honors, plans to
pursue a master’s degree at Villanova University next fall.
Did you know. . .
The Alief Superstars took 10 athletes to swim at the University of Houston for the area aquatics meet
on Oct. 6. The athletes received many different ribbons and medals in various events, and six will be
swimming in the State Special Olympics Competition at Texas A&M University on Oct. 25-27.
Hastings High School senior double bassist Christian St. Clair, and freshman violinist Steven Gu have
advanced to the Region 23 Texas Music Educators Association Orchestra auditions. They are the only
Alief representatives, and will compete in two weeks for the All-State Orchestra.
The Killough Speech and Debate team received the second place Sweepstakes trophy at the Annual
Hastings Speech, Debate, and Theatre Festival on Oct. 6. Eighth grader Sean Nguyen received the
competition’s Best Actor trophy, and Samantha Lopez and Chudi Duru received the second place trophy,
and William Phi and Thanh Nguyen received the third place trophy in Public Forum teams debate.
The Alief Dual Language program was recently featured on the news on our local Spanish television
network, Univision. Pat Rios, one of the district’s Bilingual/ESL specialists highlighted the program in the
morning news and shared the benefits of learning a second language. Holmquist Principal Nancy Lewin,
as well as a teacher, parent, and three students were also interviewed.
Dionne Jones, an eighth grade Language Arts teacher at Killough Middle School, was inducted into the
Alabama A&M University Athletic Hall of Fame for Track and Field. She went to AAMU on a full athletic
scholarship in 1985. While attending AAMU, Dionne earned numerous honors and led her fellow Bulldogs
to their 10th SIAC track title, breaking a conference record in the high jump.
Smith Elementary’s parents are busy learning about Thinking Maps! Staff members are training parents
through their Family Engagement Center on Thursdays and Fridays. As a result, parents are seeing what
their children are learning in school and are better able to help them at home with homework and projects.
Alief ISD’s middle school cheerleaders have been invited to perform at the University of Houston
Halftime Extravaganza on Oct. 27. Students from Alief Middle School, Albright and Olle will perform a
routine with their peers from other Houston-area schools. This game against the University of Texas at El
Paso will be televised.
Fifty Outley Elementary students were recently recognized during an awards breakfast for being Star
Students of the Month for September. Each homeroom teacher nominated a student who radiated respect
during that month, and parents wrote letters to the class telling them how special their child is to them.
Did you know. . .
Landis Elementary Principal Dr. Christopher Pichon was named the Principal of the Year by the National
Alliance of Black School Educators. The NABSE Awards recognizes distinguished individuals that have
made national and international contributions to the education of African American learners.
Speech & Debate Director George Tennison was recognized as the Middle School Educator of the Year
by the Texas Speech Communication Association. Tennison, who teaches at Olle Middle School, is the
third Alief teacher to receive this prestigious award.
Hastings High School students recently participated in the One Million Bones project, which aims to
bring awareness to genocide and human conflict in the world. They created “bones,” which will be part of
an art installation in Austin on Nov. 13, and later in a national installation in Washington, D.C. in April 2013.
Olle Middle School Principal Nelda Billescas was recognized as a Latina Hero during the recent New
Futuro College Prep Fair. More than 80 Alief students and staff attended the event.
Taylor High School’s Speech & Debate team recently competed at the Elsik High School tournament.
Aditi Busgeeth won first place in Congressional Debate, while Kaily Edison took first in Novice Oratory.
Alief ISD campuses held Open House throughout September, and many campuses donated books
to their students during the event, including Collins Elementary. Books were purchased for the students
through FirstBook.org, an organization that aims to ensure all children have books in their homes.
More than 50 Cummings Elementary students dressed for success when they recently submitted
applications and interviewed to work at the school store. References were also submitted by teachers and
staff on behalf of the candidates. Sixteen students made the cut, and the store opened the following week.
Scholar Athletes for October are Taylor High School students Jasmine and Jalon Leviege, the first
brother and sister duo to receive the honor. Jasmine, who represents the Lady Lions volleyball team, is a
two-year volleyball letterman and also letters in golf and track and field. She is a member of the National
Honor Society, Student Council and Ladies of Elegance. She plans to study nursing to become a neonatal
nurse. Jalon, who is on the varsity football team, plans to continue to play football at an Ivy League school
and to study engineering. Both of their coaches noted they are great leaders who are self-driven and who
strive for excellence in the classroom and on the field.
Did you know. . .
Collins Elementary Principal Kim Vu will be honored as one of Houston’s most influential Vietnamese
American women by the Vietnamese American Chamber of Commerce. The award celebrates individuals for their
contribution to society and those who set a great example for females in our community. Vu will also facilitate a
workshop at the NorCal UVSA (Union of the Vietnamese Student Associations) Summit at Stanford University.
This year’s Alief Education Foundation golf tournament broke all records, netting the most money and
drawing the largest number of participants in its 11-year history. Held at Cinco Ranch Golf Club, the event
attracted 138 sponsors and 41 teams of golfers. Preliminary figures indicate that the Foundation cleared nearly
$62,000 to support our students and teachers.
Taylor High School’s Torrodney Prevot has been selected to play in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl in the
Alamodome on Jan. 5, 2013, which will be broadcast live on NBC. Prevot, who plays defensive end, plans to
attend USC next year. For 12 years, the Army All-American Bowl has been the nation’s premier high school
football game, serving as the launching pad for America’s future college and NFL stars. Reggie Bush, Mark
Sanchez, Tim Tebow, Andrew Luck and Vince Young all made their national debuts as U.S. Army All-Americans.
The Elsik and Hastings High School varsity volleyball teams are playoff bound! The teams completed
district play earlier this week and have moved forward to the playoffs. Elsik is the 18-5A district champion and will
face Cy Falls today at Elsik. Hastings, who finished in third place, will play Cy Fair at Morton Ranch High School.
Hastings High School’s Marching Band competed at the UIL Area E Marching Contest this past weekend.
They received a Division I rating at the Region 23 Marching Contest last week and were the first Alief high school
band to advance. Elsik and Taylor’s Marching Bands received Division II ratings at regionals.
The Golden Brigade performed this past weekend at the University of Houston football game halftime show.
The girls were featured on the 50-yard line for the entire performance and were spotlighted on the jumbotron.
Alief ISD’s middle school cheerleaders also performed at this game against the University of Texas at El Paso.
In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Alief ISD students and staff have shown their support throughout
October by participating in various activities, including the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure, and by raising
more than $3,200 through fundraising efforts.
Sneed Elementary’s Mighty Milers were recently featured in USA Today. Sneed makes up New York Road
Runners’ largest group of Mighty Milers outside of New York City. More than 1,100 students were previously
recognized back in May for collectively running about 65,000 miles. District business partner CITGO sponsors
the Mighty Milers program, which promotes physical fitness for children.
Did you know. . .
Week of Nov. 5, 2012
Alief ISD teachers have received more than $32,500 in grants from Chevron’s Fuel Your School campaign,
which partnered with DonorsChoose.org to fund classroom projects. Teachers can submit project requests
until Nov. 30 or until the available funds are exhausted. For more information, please visit this web page.
Students brought home many recognitions from the 2012 Harris County Livestock Expo. Valeria Garza
received first place in Floral Division, while Lisabed Rodriguez placed second. Magali Bustamante took
second in the Floral and Horticulture Division. Mayra Fuentes took home third place and Best in Class.
Hastings High School students Shikyra Jack and Jerome Manson placed third in the TexElects Public
Service Announcement Contest, which invites middle and high school students to produce campaign
messages that encourage citizens to vote.
Alief Culinary Arts student Sang Ngo’s cupcake creations were named “Most Creative” at the second
annual Cupcake Battle on Oct. 27 in Pasadena. Ngo competed against 100 other cupcake entries for the
recognition and won an assortment of kitchen tools. Ngo plans to study in the hospitality field after he
graduates.
Chambers Elementary teacher Monique Sells was recognized by the Houston Texans and First Community
Credit Union as a “Star in the Classroom.” Sells was nominated by student Jorge Ibanez because of her
impact on his education. Sells, who received a surprise visit from Texans running back James Casey, won
an autographed jersey and game tickets, and Chambers received a $500 grant. Casey presented Jorge
with a signed football.
Welding students won second place in the Overall School Award Category at the Youth Expo Welding
Contest in Humble. Elsik and Hastings students competed against welders from 11 other school districts.
In the speed cutting contest, which had more than 120 contestants, Elsik senior Santiago Garcia won first
place, and received a $500 scholarship to Tulsa Welding School and $1,000 worth of tools and equipment.
More than 30 Alief ISD parents, students and employees recently participated in the Autism Speaks
Walk at Reliant Stadium.
Elsik High School student Babiker Babiker qualified for the UIL State Cross Country Championship this
past weekend. Babiker finished fifth out of 182 runners.
Taylor High School senior Trevorris Johnson was named the Built Ford Tough Player of the Week for
District 5A. This award recognizes excellence on the field, in the classroom and in the community. Johnson
was featured on Saturday’s edition of Built Ford Tough Player of the Week TV show on Fox Sports Southwest.
Did you know. . .
Alief ISD is the only school district in Texas who has participated for 15 years or more in the
Association of School Business Officials International Meritorious Budget Award Program. The
program, sponsored by ING, promotes and recognizes excellence in school budget presentation
and enhances the school business officials’ skills in developing, analyzing and presenting a
school system budget.
Elsik High School’s Head Baseball and Assistant Football Coach Robert Copley will be
inducted into the 2013 Texas High School Baseball Coaches Hall of Fame. Only three coaches
will be inducted at the Hall of Fame banquet in January.
Taylor and Elsik’s football teams have advanced to Division I State Playoffs and will be playing
bi-district games this upcoming weekend. Taylor, the 18-5A top seed, will play Cy Fair at the
Berry Center on Friday, Nov. 16. Elsik, the 18-5A second seed, will compete against Cy Falls on
Friday at Pridgeon Stadium.
Hastings High School freshman Fortune Onwunali placed ninth in the tenor two section of
the Texas Music Educators’ Region 23 region choir auditions. This qualifies him to move on to
the pre-area auditions.
Three Alief Early College High School teachers were recognized by the Houston Texans and
First Community Credit Union as “Stars in the Classroom.” Texans running back James Casey
congratulated teachers Monica Baines, Noemi Dimaliwat and Kevin Sevin. Each teacher won
an autographed jersey and game tickets, and AECHS received a $500 grant per winner. Texans
and FCCU representatives noted it is very rare to have three teachers from the same campus
receive the award.
Did you know. . .
Elsik High School’s football team has advanced in the Division I State Playoffs and will be
playing North Shore at 3 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 1, at Reliant Stadium. Elsik previously defeated
Cinco Ranch High School on Nov. 24 with a score of 27-17.
Bush Elementary was awarded $90,000 from Leonore Annenberg Scholarship and School
Funds for the 2012-2013 school year. A team of Wendi Carpenter, Carlos Romero, Tamikia Reed,
Julie Fitzgerald, Marilyn Sabbagh and Gloria Price were the grant writers.
Youens Elementary student Karla Portillo’s artwork, featuring the entrance at Youens, will
be printed in the 2013 calendar for PBK, a local architectural firm. The principal, art teacher and
student will each receive a copy of the calendar, and Portillo will also receive a $25 gift card.
Taylor High School’s Speech & Debate students Aditi Busgeeth, Sao Bac and Gabriela Escobar
earned a bid to compete at the Tournament of Champions, a prestigious national competition
held at Northwestern University. The TOC attracts the best high school speakers from across
the country each spring.
Alief Early College High School students Victor Aguilar, Ann Tran and Willa Hong have been
accepted to attend the Saturday Morning Science (SMS) program at Baylor College of Medicine
from January to May of 2013.
Albright Middle School teacher Suzanne Dawkins presented the wreath inside George and
Martha Washington’s tomb at Mt. Vernon recently, and her name has been entered into the official
Mt. Vernon’s Veterans Honor Roll. She received a certificate of appreciation for service to our
country in the U.S. Naval Reserves.
Did you know. . .
Week of Dec. 3, 2012
Boone Elementary volunteer Carol Zelle was awarded the 2012 Heroes for Children Award by
the State Board of Education. Zelle, who is one of 15 Texans honored, has volunteered for the last
10 years and works with prekindergarten through first grade. She will have her name engraved
on a plaque that is permanently displayed at the Texas Education Agency headquarters in Austin.
Klentzman Intermediate students Huy Bui and Ricky Tran took first place with “Mission Bacteria”
at the annual Alief ISD Intermediate Science Fair. Klentzman’s Ericka Vasquez and Henrietta
Barretto, Mata Intermediate’s Alaze’ Tatum and Youngblood Intermediate’s Rebecca Faulhaber
tied for second place, while Mata’s Jaylynn Smith placed third. More than 20 students received
medals.
Alief Early College High School students were invited to perform in the Mayor’s Holiday
Celebration and Tree Lighting ceremony on Friday, Nov. 30, in downtown Houston. AECHS
sophomore Deja Terry recently won Top Ten in the National Jr. Teen All American Miss Pageant.
Elsik High School student Maya Nicole White became one of 43 students from across Texas
to win READ3Zero’s annual short-story contest “I Write” and have her work published. Her work
was printed in the third short-story anthology in the I Write: Short Stories by Kids for Kids collection
by the Texas-based non-profit literacy foundation.
Kerr High School’s Cambiata Orchestra has been invited by Dr. John Yarrington from Houston
Baptist University to be the featured orchestra accompaniment for the HBU Choral Department’s
spring performance of Schubert’s Mass in G.
Did you know. . .
Week of Dec. 10, 2012
Alief ISD was recognized as one of the top five school districts in the United States to empower
students, parents and teachers in local education planning and decision making, according to
Project Tomorrow, a national education nonprofit. Hearne Elementary and Taylor High School
were also highlighted.
A total of 568 Liestman Elementary students will receive bikes and helmets from the Elves &
More goal program on Dec. 15. Second grade teacher Gwen Lavine implemented the incentive
program for kindergarten through third grade students. To earn a bike, a student must enter into
a “contract” with his or her teacher by setting and meeting an academic or behavioral goal.
Elsik High School’s Theatre Director James “Joey” Watkins is garnering positive reviews
for the holiday musical he directs, Sanders Family Christmas. The musical runs through Dec.
31 at A.D. Players at 2710 W. Alabama. For more information, please visit the website. Three
of Watkins’ students, Emily Tunon, Steven Behrmann and Ashlan Walker also recently qualified
for the 2013 International Thespian Festival.
O’Donnell Middle School’s Teacher of the Year, Chi Vu, was awarded a full scholarship through
a collaborative effort between Shell Oil and the University of Houston to participate in the Masters
Mathematics Teaching Program.
Taylor High School seniors Chelsea Vaughn and Jeffrey Nguyen participated in a student
panel at the Principals’ Visioning Institute, a consortium of principals from across Texas. The
students provided their perspectives on technology integration, student-teacher relationships, what
is needed to prepare students for the global community and strategies to close the digital divide.
Thirty six student essays from Outley Elementary have been selected to be published in an
anthology titled “Celebrating What Is Important to Me.” The students are all from Mrs. Sengupta’s
4th grade Reading classes.
Did you know. . .
Alief Elsik Stage Company took their show, “Driving Miss Daisy,” all the way to the Area UIL One-Act
Play Competition at San Jacinto College. Along the way, Daniel Smith won Best Actor; Emily Tunon won
Best Actress; and Mario Yang took home an Honorable Mention All-Star Cast Award. Three crew members
were recognized as Outstanding Technicians: Alma Acosta, Nathaly Garcia, and Derek Ngwu.
Lupita Villanueva, a junior at Kerr High School, is one of 24 Houston area students selected to
participate in the Accounting Career Awareness Program this summer at the University of Houston.
Participants will have an opportunity to compete for scholarships.
The Hastings UIL team took 1st place in this year’s 18-5A Academic Meet. Students won 1st place in
Accounting, Current Events, Computer Science, Editorial Writing, Informative Speaking, Mathematics, Prose
Interpretation, Science and Spelling, and were top scorers for Chemistry and Physics. Hastings also had
the top teams for Accounting, Current Events, Computer Science, Journalism, Mathematics, and Science.
Youens Elementary Gifted and Talented students created an electronic comic book on religious
tolerance and entered it in a contest sponsored by EZ Comics (www.ezcomics.com) The students won
an iPad and the Houston Chronicle will be doing a story on them.
Thirty-three Killough Middle School students attended the 5th annual “WOW! That’s Engineering” event
on Saturday, which brought female engineers and female middle school students together to perform handson, engineering and science-based activities and experiments. The students learned about educational
opportunities and financial aid options to pursue college studies. The event was held at Schlumberger’s
collaborative visualization iCenter facility in West Houston.
Robert Jackson from Alief Hastings High School was named the Space City National Forensics
League (NFL) District Student of the Year. Nominees must demonstrate strong academic credentials and
a commitment to the speech and debate community. He is now in the running for the national award. Three Alief Early College High School juniors, Mayra Romero, Jose Silva and Jency Perez, have been
selected to participate in the Rice Owl Leadership Program this summer. The program prepares rising
high school juniors as both leaders in their communities and competitive applicants to top-tier colleges
and universities.
Alief ISD’s underlying bond ratings are higher than 90% of the school districts across the country.
Alief”s AA rating by Standards & Poors and Aa1 by Moody’s reflect the
district’s financial strength.
Watch for updates of great things happening in Alief ISD!
Did you know....
High School art student Quang Vu received the “High School Best of Show” award at the
 Elsik
Houston Area Youth Art Month Contest, eight other student pieces were selected for “Judges
Choice” awards and eight additional pieces were selected to be taken throughout the southeast
Texas as part of a traveling youth art exhibit.
Alief ISD 7-12 grade students are regional winners in The Scholastic Art and Writing Awards
 55
competition, including 12 Gold Key and 15 Silver Key winners who will represent Harris County in
the national competition in New York City later this year.
Alief ISD high school students recently received their “CareerSafe” certifications after
 115
successfully completing a 10-hour certification exam. These Hastings, Elsik and Taylor students
participate in the Practicum in Hospitality and Tourism, Principles in Manufacturing, Human
Resources and Health Scence Clinical Rotation courses.
Alief ISD students will represent the district at the 54th Annual Science and Engineering Fair of
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Houston Regional Fair at the George R. Brown Convention Center.
Elementary third-grader Hayat Hasan was selected to ask Mrs. Bush the first student
 Youens
question of the day during a recent “Reading Discovery with Barbara Bush” event.
ISD’s Culinary Arts Competition Team took top honors at the regional competition and are on
 Alief
their way to the Pro Start State Competition in Round Rock, Texas.
Elsik Lady Rams basketball team is District Champion for the fourth consecutive year and
 The
have won the first two rounds of the regional playoffs.
Elsik Rams boys basketball team also won the District Champion title and will play their first
 The
round in the regional playoffs tomorrow evening. The Alief Taylor Lions tied for runner-up and will
play their first playoff game tomorrow night. The Hastings Bears took fourth place and will play their
first round on Friday night.
friendly competition between members of the Instruction Department and their co-workers in the
 ABusiness
Services Department resulted in nearly 5,000 items being donated to the House of Amos.
The goal of the “Caring Hearts Food Drive” was to restock the pantry’s shelves which are often quite
bare after the holidays.
ISD’s annual “Stuff A Bus” event resulted in more than $500 in cash donations and a bus filled
 Alief
with school uniforms and school supplies to benefit the Alief ISD Education Foundation’s Uniform
Effort Clothing Pantry.
Watch for regular updates of great things happening in Alief ISD! Help us
share the news about our Points of Pride!
Did you know. . .

Alief ISD students captured 14 top awards at the recent 53rd Regional Science and Engineering Fair! A
team project by Cindy Diep and Van Vo from Alief Middle School and an individual project by Dat Nguyen
from Alief Early College High School took first place and are headed to the state competition later this
month. Carolina Ramirez from Alief Taylor High School won the poster contest, and her art will be seen
on all posters, brochures, and t-shirts for next year’s event.

District 13 of the Texas Association of Student Councils (TASC) nominated Courtney Goldberg, Student
Council advisor at Elsik High School as their 2012 nominee for high school Advisor of the Year. She will
be recognized at TASC’s Annual Conference in Arlington. Goldberg has been named as Advisor of the
Year for District 13 for two years in a row.

Six members of the Alief Taylor High School Speech and Debate team were invited to compete in the
38th Annual Harvard National Forensics Tournament of Champions. Students participating in the competition included seniors Kehinde Agoro, Taiwo Agoro, Joseph Paz and Lynn Phan, junior Saad Al Hasan
and sophomore Aditi Busgeeth.

Hastings High School junior Richard Vargas has been selected to participate in the NASA High School
Aerospace Scholars (HAS) Program this summer. Students are nominated by their state legislator and
must have an interest in pursuing a career in math, science, engineering or computer science.

Over the past two weekends, more than 30 Alief high school students have volunteered their time to help
set fence posts in the Alief Community Garden for a tree farm. More students have signed up to volunteer
for the next two Saturdays.

Alief ISD art students Carolyne Nguyen, Tiffany Valdez, Lan Pham and Jasmine Otanoart will have four of
only 101 art pieces chosen from across the state to be displayed at the State Capitol as part of the 2012
Texas Art Educators Association Youth Art Month celebration.

CenterPoint Energy awarded the district a $96,219.00 rebate check for participating in its Schools
Conserving Resources (SCORE) Program. The district’s energy saving projects included replacing
gymnasium lighting with more efficient lighting and changing out lights in classrooms at 13 campuses.

Ten Alief ISD athletes have been named to the Academic All-State Team: Brandon Bowman, Jeffrey
Charles, Charles Igbokwe, Tien Nguyen, Kelvin Obimah, Manuel Pitts, Michael Rivas, and
Edidiong Utin, all from Elsik; and Kyrone Riley and David Salazar of Hastings.