Blog entries tagged Education

Alvin ISD Anxiously Awaits an Official EXEMPLARY Status

Daphne Hager — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 20:22:54 +0100

According to the preliminary TAKS test results released earlier this month, Alvin ISD students performed well on their tests, which were given earlier this year. Although results are still unofficial, overall test scores indicate that Alvin ISD may be closer than ever to receiving the coveted Exemplary rating!

The final results will be determined by factors including individual campus scores and their completion rate. If ASID predictions are accurate, the school district will have more Exemplary rated campuses than ever before in a given school year.

“Alvin ISD is extremely pleased with the efforts and hard work of our students, teachers, support staff, board and community members,” said Brent Shaw, Director of Accountability and Testing for Alvin ISD.

“This is great news and is what we expected because it has been our goal to reach Exemplary status again,” said Tommy King, Interim Superintendent. “The students and teachers are working in the classrooms, the Board and support staff working in the background, and parents working with students at home are what make this happen. I am so proud of everyone,” he said.

Way to go Alvin ISD students! An especially big THANKS goes out to all the hard-working teachers and staff who are excelling at educating Lakes of Savannah children.

Nolan Ryan 8th Grader Advances to National Spelling Bee Once Again

Greg Rivera — Wed, 07 Apr 2010 00:00:12 +0100

Nolan Ryan Jr. High eighth-grader, Aditya Chemudupaty, is returning to Washington, D.C., once again to compete in the Scripps National Spelling Bee after winning the 2010 Houston PBS Spelling Bee over the weekend. By spelling the word verism, Chemudupaty returns to the National contest in which he placed in the top 12 last year.

The Houston PBS Spelling Bee is the third largest Bee in the country with 1,049 schools participating. This is the second year the station has served as sponsor.

“We feel the Spelling Bee fits perfectly with our educational mission to empower, engage and enrich the lives of the people in Southeast Texas. We want to wish Aditya the best of luck as he heads to Washington for Bee Week,” said John Hesse, General Manager at HoustonPBS.

The Scripps National Spelling Bee is the nation's largest and longest-running educational promotion, administered on a not-for-profit basis, local spelling bee sponsors in the United States, American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, and Department of Defense Schools in Europe; also, the Bahamas, Canada, China, Ghana, Jamaica, New Zealand, and South Korea.

By winning the Houston PBS Spelling Bee, Chemudupaty earned a chance to compete against 274 fellow spellers from all over the country for more than $35,000 in cash and prizes during his all-expenses-paid trip for two to Washington, D.C. He will represent Houston at the Spelling Bee during Bee Week from June 1-4.

Good luck Aditya, from the your neighbors in the Lakes of Savannah!

Sources: Scripps Spelling Bee and Pearland Journal

Lakes of Savannah Elementary Offers a World of Opportunity

Cheryl Boe — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 03:39:09 +0100

Savannah Lakes Elementary, located in the master planned Lakes of Savannah community, can truly be considered one of the best kept elementary school secrets in the Houston area. In its first full year, the school earned an exemplary rating from the Texas Education Agency for outstanding student performance.

However, beyond its impressive test scores it’s the school itself and its diverse array of programs.

With an enrollment of about 600 students in grades Pre-K through fifth, Savannah Lakes Elementary offers students the opportunity to learn 13 different languages that include Spanish, French, Italian, Latin, Hebrew, Arabic, German, Japanese, Mandarin, Tagalog (official language of the Philippines), Cantonese, Korean and Russian.

The school’s extra curricular and special programs are also impressive, with everything from various arts ranging from film and video production to ceramics and sculpture, to a large number of sports and to even more special programs such as student government, science and technology, debate and community service to name a few.

The school is also known for its outstanding gifted and talented program.

For more information on Savannah Lakes Elementary, visit the Alvin Independent School District website at www.Alvinisd.net.

Lakes of Savannah Schools Earn Gold Performance Acknowledgements

Cheryl Boe — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 03:36:38 +0100

The elementary and junior high schools serving students in Lakes of Savannah, located just off SH 288 in the Pearland area, have earned Gold Performance Acknowledgements.

Located in the Texas Education Agency Recognized Alvin Independent School District, the three schools – Savannah Lakes Elementary, Nolan Ryan Junior High and Manvel High School were acknowledged for Gold Performance results in different areas.

Texas uses the Gold Performance system to acknowledge campuses for high performance on indicators other than those used to determine accountability ratings.

Those indicators include Advanced Course/Dual Enrollment Completion, Advanced Placement results, Attendance Rate, Commended Performance for Reading/ELA, Mathematics, Writing, Science and Social Studies, Comparable Improvement on Reading/ELA and Mathematics, Recommended High School Program/DAP, SAT/ACT Results, TSI-Higher Education Readiness Component for ELA and Mathematics and new this year, College Ready Graduates, which is the number of graduates in 2008 who scored at or above the college-ready criteria on both ELA and mathematics, divided by the number of graduates with results in both subjects to evaluate.

The district overall was honored with a Gold Performance Acknowledgement for its commended performance in Social Studies.

Individually, Gold Performance Acknowledgements went to Nolan Ryan Junior High - Commended in Reading and Social Studies, and Savannah Lakes Elementary - Commended in Math, Writing, and Science.

Alvin ISD Bond Election

Cheryl Boe — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 05:00:00 +0100

Residents in Lakes of Savannah will have the opportunity to vote on bond elections benefiting Alvin I.S.D. on November 3, 2009. Early voting is open from October 19 through October 30, 2009.

The bonds, if passed, will help to purchase new school locations, build new campuses and update older schools.

General facts and information are provided below to help voters make an educated decision regarding this election.

click here to download Facts and Figures information

click here to download information on What's Included in the bond

click here to download information on regular and early voting

UV Country Donates Vehicles To Pearland Police and Schools

Daphne Hager — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 05:00:00 +0100

Shannon Tracy, president of UV Country has outdone herself on behalf of the community. UV Country, dealer of Kawasaki Mule utility vehicle and Teryx recreational utility vehicles donated 5 vehicles to Galveston Police Department and Chambers County after Hurricane Ike. During the aftermath of Hurricane Rita they donated vehicles to Reliant Energy.

Now, it is Pearland's turn. Tracy has provided a donation of a customized Teryx utility vehicle to the Pearland Police Department and another for Pearland and Dawson High School football programs.

The caring Tracy said "We want to be involved in the community as much as we can be. We want to do as much as we can to give back and be involved."

The Pearland Police Department will take advantage of the Teryx off-road capabilities to stave off vehicle trespassing and damaged property in areas with limited vehicle access. It will be used in emergency situations, and is fully equipped with police radio, extra lighting with strobes, and more. In short, an enhancement to the safety of citizens in Pearland.

For Pearland High School, this isn't the first time UV Country has brought them something special. For the past six years UV Country has donated vehicles to the school. This year the new vehicle is a 20 horsepower Teryx, to be shared by both Pearland High and Dawson High Schools.

Kudos to Shannon Tracy and their tremendous charitable donations to Pearland and Houston, as a whole. If you would like to know more about UV Country, please visit their site at www.uvcountry.com.

Image Courtesy of The Journal of Pearland

Source: The Journal of Pearland

Back to School News: New Immunization Requirements for Texas Kids

Daphne Hager — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 05:00:00 +0100

Texas kids are getting ready to go back to schools, and for many children, preparation includes getting a few more immunizations. This year, big changes have been made in immunization requirements which will impact incoming kindergarten and seventh grade students.
The changes to the requirements were made to bring Texas into line more closely with what the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Advisory committee on Immunization Practices recommend. These changes started on August 01 and include:Hepatitis A Vaccine: All students entering kindergarten will be required to have two doses of Hepatitis A vaccine.Measles, Mumps, Rubelle (MMR) Vaccine: All students entering kindergarten will be required to have two doses of the MMR vaccine.Varicella (chickenpox) Vaccine: All students entering kindergarten and 7th grade will be required to have two doses of the Varicella vaccine. However, a written statement from the parent/guardian, school nurse or physician attesting to the child already having had chickenpox may replace the vaccine.Tetanus, Diptheria and acellular pertussis-containing Vaccine (Tdap): All students entering 7th grade will be required to have one dose of Tdap vaccine. Students in the 7th grade are required to have a booster shot of Tdap only if it has been five years since their last dose. Students in grades 8-12 are required to have a booster shot of Tdap if it has been ten years or more since their previous dose of a tetanus-containing vaccine.Meningococcal Vaccine: All students entering 7th grade will be required to have one dose of meningococcal vaccine. For more information on immunization requirements for Texas kids:
http://www.dshs.state.tx.us/IMMUNIZE/

Alvin ISD Earns Recognized Rating, Savannah Lakes is Exemplary

Cheryl Boe — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 05:00:00 +0100

In its first year, Lakes of Savannah Elementary, located in the Lakes of Savannah master-planned community, earned an “Exemplary” rating by the Texas Education Agency. The district in which it is located – Alvin Independent School District, has earned the acclaimed “Recognized” rating – an accomplishment that represents hard work and outstanding achievement by students and teachers.

Overall, nine Alvin ISD campuses achieved exemplary status while 10 were recognized in the 2009 TEA ratings released this week.

Nolan Ryan Junior High School also in its first year and serving children in Lakes of Savannah, achieved a “Recognized” rating. And, Manvel High School, where high school-age students living in Lakes of Savannah attend, received a “Recognized” rating as well.

Alvin's "Recognized" rating is comparable to Pearland ISD and higher than Ft. Bend ISD's rating which is "Acceptable."

“This is an outstanding accomplishment for the schools and the district, and shows the commitment of teachers, students and parents,” said Misty Watkins, Marketing Director for Lakes of Savannah. “Children at all levels are receiving an outstanding education in the Alvin ISD – a district in which we are proud to be located.”

Back to School in Alvin I.S.D

Daphne Hager — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 05:00:00 +0100

Lakes of Savannah parents will soon have school on their mind, as the Alvin ISD 2009-2010 school year kicks off on August 25th. We hope to bring our community a bundle of resources for the new school year:

New Students/Enrollment

If your child is new to Lakes of Savannah and Alvin ISD, registration is an easy process. Simply assess which school your child will attend (Lake of Savannah students attend Savannah Lakes Elementary, Nolan Ryan Junior High, and Manvel High School), and call that particular school's registrar to set up a registration appointment.

Savannah Lakes Elementary: 281-245-3214
Nolan Ryan Junior High: 281-245-3221
Manvel High School: 281-245-2272

New registrants must have shot records and a previous transcript/report card or birth certificate bearing the county clerk's seal for Kindergartners.

More information on PreK and Kindergarten Round Up can be found here.

Bus Schedules

To find your child's bus stop, use this online Alvin ISD Bus Finder.

School Supplies

View the Elementary School Supply List.

Secondary students do not have a required list, as their study habits and preferences should be developing. They are expected to be prepared, and it is suggested that they wait until after the first day of school to make an assessment on what each teacher will need.

School Calendar

Most importantly, parents need to know when students will be in and out of school. View the Alvin ISD 2009-2010 school year calendar.

Good luck to all Lakes of Savannah students and parents; the community wishes you a productive, fun-filled year!

ACC offers classes for Pearland/Alvin residents of all ages

Cheryl Boe — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 05:00:00 +0100

Kids College Activities Set

The Pearland Center of Alvin Community College, located close to home for residents in Lakes of Savannah, is offering a full slate of summer classes and activities that will appeal to everyone from kids to seniors. Following is a list of scheduled activities an d classes:

Alvin Community College will be hosting Busy Bodies Kids’ College at the Pearland Center on July 20-23 at the center, 2319 N. Grand Blvd. Children entering kindergarten through the sixth grade for the 2009-10 school year are eligible to participate in numerous classes.

Participants will have the opportunity to learn skills in art, sports, investigation, cheerleading, history and social interaction.Registration is held Monday through Thursday, from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., at the new Enrollment Services Center on the main campus in Building A. Deadline to register for each sessi on is four working days prior to the first day of the session. Registration must be done in person.The cost per child is $95 per session and T-shirts can be purchased for $10 each while supplies last. For more information, call special events coordinator Rhonda Myers at 281-756-3729.

Life story writing class offered to older adults
Area residents who are 50 and older can learn how to write their life’s story with a class offered by the college starting July 15.

The class will be held at the main campus 1 to 3 p.m. Wednesdays through July 29. The cos t is $20. To register, call 281-756-3787.

The college will host its annual new student orientation July 30. It will be held from 8:30 a.m. to noon in the gym. Speakers will provide tips and advice for making the most of college, advisers will be available and tours of the campus will be given. For more informati on, call 281-756-3531.

Digital photography course scheduled
The college’s continuing education department is offering a class in digital photography.

It will be held from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. July 21 and July 28 at the main campus, 3110 Mustang Road. The cost is $60. To register, call 281-756-3787.

Learn to research family roots
Learn the basic concepts of researching a family tree, including identifying the techniques and sources for the compilation and preparation of family trees and records, with a class offered at the college.

The class will meet Tuesdays from 6 to 8 p.m. from July 28 to Aug. 11.
To register, call 281-756-3787.

Alvin ISD Student Makes Pearland Proud at Scripps National Spelling Bee

Cheryl Boe — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 05:00:00 +0100

Alvin Independent School District has another reason to be proud. Recently one of its students earned local and national attention at the Scripps National Spelling Bee in Washington, D.C.

Aditya Chemudupaty from Pearland is a student at Nolan Ryan Junior High in the Alvin Independent School District. He was one of 41 semifinalists in the spelling bee and when eliminated, was just one of 11 spellers who remained in the competitions. Rankings indicate that he is tied for 12th in the country. After competing against hundreds of students from around the county, Chemudupaty, Speller No. 255, got stuck on the word 'grenache' and spelled it incorrectly as 'granache'.

Chemudupaty was one of 41 semifinalists in the spelling bee. When he was eliminated, there were only 11 spellers left. Rankings indicate that he is tied for 12th in the country.

His fellow classmates, educators in the Alvin district and the Houston area are proud of his accomplishments. Chemudupaty is an accomplished seventh-grader just for making it to the competition, which only accepted 293 contestants. The purpose of the spelling bee is to help students improve their spelling, increase their vocabulary, learn concepts, and develop correct English usage that will help them all their lives.

His school, Nolan Ryan Junior High, is one of three outstanding schools that serve children living in Lakes of Savannah, located just minutes from SH 288 in the Pearland area. New homes by top Houston builders are priced from the $140,000s to the $300,000s and new models are now open in the community. Visitors can tour beautifully decorated model homes by Lennar, Brighton Homes and J. Patrick Homes.

In addition to Nolan Ryan Junior High, students in Lakes of Savannah students attend Savannah Lakes Elementary, which is right in the community and Manvel High School. All three schools are among the newest in the TEA Recognized Alvin Independent School District.

Pearland Center Hosts Job Symposium

Melissa Burnham — Tue, 26 May 2009 05:00:00 +0100

In order to make way for evolving technologies, expanding global markets and fiscal challenges within the Texas workforce development, the Texas State Technical College, in partnership with Alvin Community College, will host the Inaugural Horizon Technologies Summer Symposium on June 4th at the Pearland Center.

The purpose of this symposium is to discuss the restructuring of Texas employment trends as they relate to hiring young employees and their educational status. “Our nation’s education dropout crisis poses a significant threat to economic growth and competitiveness,” says Michael Bettersworth, the TSTC Associate Vice Chancellor for Technology Advancement. “Employers can no longer afford to hire and train dropouts and are more likely to go where skilled labor already exists,” he continued. This can be seen by the remarkable low statistic of high school and college graduates who have recently had no luck in procuring stable employment. Of the students who do actually graduate, there is as of yet an un-ideal percentage, made up of an annual 7,000 high school dropouts and only one quarter of college students returning after their sophomore year. Bettersworth believes it is necessary to “rethink and restructure our approach to education in light of this understanding, in terms of courses, awards, and the definition of student success.”

Thus, the goal of the TSTC Symposium is to “accelerate skill acquisition so that people are aligned to medium and high paying jobs quickly,” states Jim Brazell, a technology forecaster, president of VentureRamp, Inc. and featured guest speaker. According to him, there are plenty of good jobs available and are waiting to be filled. The only hold-up is that the people needing those jobs have not properly gained the skills necessary to fulfill the open positions. TSTC addresses these needs by providing individuals searching for a career with high skills training as well as industries and businesses searching for highly trained employees, specifically by adapting to the training needs of each individual to build the knowledge and experience they already possess. There is an evident gap between the needs for employers versus employees; this symposium stands to eliminate this trend.

Guest speakers at the symposium will also include District 29 Texas Representative Randy Weber, Wyle Integrated Science and Engineering Senior Scientist Kathleen M. Rosendahl-Garcia, TSTC Vice President of Innovative Solutions William Thompson, TSTC Wind Energy Technician Program Chair Dan Templeton and ACC Continuing Education Workforce Development Program & Curriculum Development Director Dr. Arthur "Pete" Linkins, III.

The Inaugural Horizon Technologies Summer Symposium will be held 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. The cost is $145 per person or $75 per person if two or more register together. Lunch and snacks will be provided. For more information or to register, call (281) 756-3900. The Pearland Center is located at 2319 N. Grand Blvd.

Source: Houston Chronicle

Alvin Community College: 2009 Kids' College Registration Begins May 18th

Daphne Hager — Mon, 11 May 2009 05:00:00 +0100

Alvin Community College presents: ACC Busy Bodies Kids' College on three campuses in June and July. Pearland/Lakes of Savannah parents should all look into registering their children entering 1st through 6th grades.

Registration begins May 18th, from 9:00 - 4:30, Monday - Thursday at the Alvin Community College - Main Campus.

The cost per child per week is $95, and t-shirts can be purchased for $10 while supplies last.

There will be three locations (Mary Marek Elementary, and Alvin location, and a Pearland location) as well as multiple sessions depending on the location. Early registration options are available as well.

To learn more, view the informational PDF.

Children will participate in activities such as cheerleading, writing, directing, designing, acting, kickball, basketball, dodgeball, investigations, pottery, relay races, crafts, and more.

New On-Site Alvin ISD Elementary School Now Open

Greg Rivera — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 05:00:00 +0100

When the school year officially begins in August, children at all grade levels living in Lakes of Savannah will attend the newest schools in the Alvin Independent School District, including an elementary school right in their own neighborhood.

Savannah Lakes Elementary, located in the heart of the Lakes of Savannah community, will serve children in grades K-5. Like all of the Alvin ISD schools providing an outstanding education to Lakes of Savannah children, the new school will offer state of the art technology, an outstanding curriculum, experienced teachers and an appealing design.

Children in grades six through eight will attend the new Nolan Ryan Junior High, also scheduled to open in August. The school, which is the district’s fourth junior high, will accommodate up to 1,000 students.

High school age children in Lakes of Savannah attend Manvel High School, which opened in 2006 and has become known for its state of the art design and technology and outstanding teachers.

Visitors to the community can learn more about the schools serving Lakes of Savannah and tour new models and view homes by Lennar, J. Patrick Homes and Brighton Homes. J. Patrick Homes and Brighton Homes have just opened new decorated models and are building in the newest neighborhoods in Lakes of Savannah.