HEB SELECTS TWO FROM AHISD AS EXCELLENCE IN EDUCATION FINALISTS
Two Alamo Heights ISD teachers have been named HEB Excellence in Education finalists. Congratulations to Woodridge Elementary School’s Alma Gonzalez, named in the Elementary Lifetime Achievement category, and AHHS’s Colin Lang, in the Secondary Leadership category. Each won $1,000 for her school and will now move to the state level for competition.
SUMMER AT HEIGHTS OPEN FOR 20TH SEASON
What are your kids doing this summer? Summer at Heights registration is now open and offers creative and fun ways to engage kids in a camp experience like no other. With 20 years of experience, Summer at Heights camps make great gifts for friends, birthdays and other celebrations. Grandparents are always looking for a great gift for their grandkids … to learn more, go to www.ahisd.net/summeratheights.
AHJS STUDENT REPORTS FOR SPORTS ILLUSTRATED
Alamo Heights Junior School student Brian Yancelson has published his latest story for Sports Illustrated Kids featuring news of the major league baseball game between the Rangers and the Dodgers played in San Antonio in March. To gather information for his story, he spent his Spring Break interviewing Mayor Ivy Taylor, Judge Nelson Wolff and the director of community venues, Mike Sculley.
He also wrote an article featuring Spurs Coach Gregg Popovich’s 1,000 NBA career wins. Brian is one of only 15 students in the nation writing for the magazine and is the only one from Texas.
Check out his stories at http://www.sikids.com/writers/brian-yancelson.
WOODRIDGE ELEMENTARY EARNS TOP AWARD IN TEXAS CAVALIERS CHILDREN’S ART CONTEST
The Texas Cavaliers announce the winners of their Children’s Art Contest, honoring two fifth-grade artists from Woodridge Elementary. Itchetl Ruiz earned the top award in the City Council District 10 category, earning $3,000 for her school and a one-week summer scholarship to the Southwest School of Art.
Ashley Goforth was runner-up in the same category, earning $1,500 in art materials and supplies for her school. Both girls are gaining valuable skills from their art teacher, Kelly Hankamer.
The girls were excited with the initial honors, but soon learned that Itchetl’s entry was the grand prize winner and the recipient of a $10,000 prize. This is the first time that an Alamo Heights student has earned this top award. The grand prize winner’s school will receive $10,000 for its art programs.
King Antonio will pay a visit to the school to present the checks to the girls, and Itchetl’s artwork will be featured in this year’s Texas Cavaliers River Parade program. (The aforementioned grand prize will be in lieu of the $3,000 awarded to the individual City Council District winners.)
MACARTHUR AND ROOSEVELT HIGH SCHOOLS COMPLETE IN CYBERPATRIOT
Teams of students from MacArthur and Roosevelt High Schools recently concluded an exceptional round of competition in the seventh season of CyberPatriot – the National Youth Cyber Defense Competition. Both MacArthur (All Service Division) and Roosevelt (Open Division) competed at the Platinum Tier level.
The two teams were recognized at the Mayor’s Cyber Cup lunch reception on Feb. 27. The CyberPatriot Teams received $3,000 in scholarships at the event. Established by the Air Force Association, the CyberPatriot National Youth Cyber Education Program was created to excite, educate and motivate students toward careers in cyber security and other science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) disciplines critical to our nation’s future. In all, 2,175 teams registered to compete in CyberPatriot VII, including 256 teams from Texas.
AHJS ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL TAKES HEB SLIM DOWN SHOW DOWN CAHLLENGE
Alamo Heights Junior School Assistant Principal David Nungaray weighed 310 pounds at the start of 2015. Determined to turn his life around, he accepted the challenge of the H-E-B Slim Down Showdown. In order to better his health and inspire others to do the same, David is working to improve his health, educating himself and others while competing for the $10,000 grand prize, part of which he has promised to AHISD for student-led health and wellness initiatives. Follow him along his journey by visiting his blog, sharing his story via social media, and taking the H-E-B Community Challenge for yourself. Register at www.hebcommunitychallenge.com.
Follow David-
Facebook: facebook.com/DavidSDSD15
Twitter: AHJS_AP
Instagram: DavidSDSD15
KID’S INVOLVEMENT NETWORK
Students in the NEISD Kids’ Involvement Network (KIN) after-school program will show off their inventions in the second annual Robotics Invention/Challenges Showcase April 18. The KIN robotics clubs in 12 Title I elementary schools will compete in two different divisions: the Challenge Competition and the Invention Showcase.
The EV3 Lego teams will program their robots to go through a series of challenges designed by each school team. The NXT Lego teams will showcase their inventions and research presentations focusing on the theme “Robotics, a great adventure into the future.” The competition is made possible by a grant from the City of San Antonio.
The North East ISD Career and Technical Advisory Council will host the 17th annual Career Expo for middle and high school students April 30. The event will take place from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Blossom Athletic Center, 12002 Jones Maltsberger Road. The purpose of Career Expo is to inform students of training, educational programs and career opportunities in many different fields. This event may be the first step students have in choosing their career pathways.
ST. LUKES STUDENTS COLLABORATE ON FLOAT FOR BATTLE OF FLOWERS PARADE
St. Luke’s Episcopal School’s float in the Battle of Flowers Parade this April will be themed “Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs — Kentucky 1875.” The school’s Fiesta Club, fourth- through eighth-grade students, will ride on the float with Head of School Tom McLaughlin.
Students collaborated on the design of the medal and worked alongside Mary Rose Garcia, owner of Fiesta Floral Designs, to create decorations for the float. Garcia, who comes from a family of floral designers, supervises the “flower ladies” and has been creating flowers for the parade for over 40 years. The Fiesta Club eagerly awaits the Battle of Flowers Parade and the opportunity to display their creativity.
CONSTRUCTION IGNITES S.T.E.A.M. TEACHABLE MOMENTS
The innovative teachers at St. David’s Episcopal School are integrating campus construction into their daily lesson plans. Tightly coupled with S.T.E.A.M. educational method (science, technology, engineering, art, and math), the lessons allow students to observe firsthand building demolition and reconstruction, engaging their natural curiosity.
Kindergarten teacher Jennifer Woodland says, “Students get to experience engineering feats right before their very eyes, which is a powerful learning experience. We’ve been learning about simple machines, and we get to see them in action daily as the construction progresses.”
Additionally, physical construction blockades around campus have become canvases for students’ artistic process and expression. When plywood barriers were put up around the perimeter of the school courtyard, pre-K 3 teacher Marcela Hernandez painted them with chalkboard paint. “When students have the freedom to draw and express themselves in a nontraditional setting, they unlock creative thinking in a fun and exciting way,” Hernandez says.
