Spring-Klein Community News

New Students Encouraged to Enroll Before Start of School

The Tomball-Spring Times — Sun, 25 Jul 2010 01:46:00 GMT

Students new to the Klein ISD are encouraged to enroll before the first day of school, August 23. Students who were enrolled in the KISD when the school year 2009-2010 ended are automatically enrolled for the 2010-2011 year.

To enroll, a student needs proof of residence in Klein ISD (a gas, water, or electric bill in the name and address of the parent or guardian), proof of identity (birth certificate preferred), complete immunization record, and last report card from previous school.

Students will complete enrollment at the schools they will attend for this school year.

Elementary enrollment (grades K–5) may be completed from August 4-20, 8:00 – 11:30 a.m. and 1:00 – 3:00 p.m.

Intermediate enrollment (grades 6-8) will be offered August 2-20. Please call the school for an appointment with the appropriate counselor.

High school enrollment (grades 9–12) will be offered July 29 – August 20. Please call the school for an appointment with the appropriate counselor.

Additional information is available on the district website at www.kleinisd.net or by calling the public information officer at 832-249-4173.

The first day of school for Klein students will be August 23.

Information about enrollment for students who are new to the Klein ISD can be found on the district’s Web site at www.kleinisd.net on the scrolling bar. Orientation schedules can be found at that location.

Seminar Focusing on Classroom Management For African American Students

The Tomball-Spring Times — Sun, 25 Jul 2010 01:33:00 GMT

Lone Star College-Tomball Holds Culturally Responsive Instruction As Topic of UpComing Seminar

Lone Star Corporate College presents a seminar on culturally responsive instruction from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. July 29 in the Beckendorf Conference Center at Lone Star College-Tomball.

The seminar will provide information about differentiating instruction and classroom management for African American students in K-12. For more information or to register, visitwww.LoneStar.edu/culturallyresponsiveinstruction or call 281-357-3676.

Augusta Pines In July, Wyndehaven Terrace in August

The Tomball-Spring Times — Sun, 25 Jul 2010 01:23:00 GMT

CONGRESSMAN TED POE MEETS WITH NWFRW

By Janet Rolston

Congressman Ted Poe will no doubt talk about what Congress has been doing lately when he visits with the Northwest Forest Republican Women (NWFRW) in August. He probably will also give his audience some amusing stories of incidents as seen from his own perspective. Whatever he talks about, he leaves time for questions and answers. It is an excellent opportunity to get some straight answers to questions.

The NWFRW luncheon meeting of August 9, 2010, will be held at the Wyndehaven Terrace, 12716 Cutten Road, south of FM 1960. Registration and Social time starts at 11:00 A.M., with the program and speaker at 11:30 A.M.

For more information please call: 281-586-9282. New members are always welcome to this large and highly respected Republican organization. Early arrival is suggested.

KISD Board Approves Initiation of Building Elementary #28

The Tomball-Spring Times — Sun, 25 Jul 2010 01:14:00 GMT

The Klein ISD Board of Trustees, at its July board meeting, approved the project initiation for Elementary School #28. The school is scheduled to open in August 2012. Funds for this school were approved by voters in 2008.

Elementary School #28 will be located in the new Park at Klein subdivision under development off Spring-Stuebner east of Rothwood. The estimated construction cost is $15 million.

The architect is PBK Architects. Elementary School #28 will be the prototype design for the next few elementary schools in Klein. It will be the first elementary school designed from the start employing the Collaborative for High Performing Schools (CHPS) standards.

Houston Area Church Opens its Doors to Host a Free Multicultural Concert Series

The Tomball-Spring Times — Sat, 24 Jul 2010 18:35:00 GMT

Spring Cypress Church and Recording Artist Jennifer Grassman bring Family Friendly Live Music to the Northwest Houston Community

July 14, 2010 – Spring, Texas – Beginning on Saturday, August 14, the beautiful, acoustic sanctuary of Spring Cypress Presbyterian Church will play host to a concert series spearheaded by resident recording artistJennifer Grassman. Dubbed Concerts at Spring Cypress, its goal is to provide the northwest Houston community with family friendly performances of artistic integrity, without the cover charge or trek downtown.

“I’m very excited to kick off Concerts at Spring Cypress,” said Grassman. “For me it’s not just about giving our community a wonderful thing to do on a Saturday night, it’s also about recognizing local and touring musicians, and giving them not only a comfortable and acoustic venue, but an appreciative audience to play to.”

The debut Concerts at Spring Cypress event will feature a performance by Grassman herself, as well as a new jazz group called The Young / English Singers, which is lead by renowned pianist Paul English and recording artist Horace Alexander Young.

English is well-known to Texas audiences as an exceptional jazz pianist who has performed and recorded with such greats as Dizzy Gillespie, Arnett Cobb, David Liebman, Fathead Newman, Will Kennedy and John Patitucci. A prolific and versatile composer, English has written music for symphony and chamber orchestras, as well as jazz and theater groups, film and television.

Young is a versatile recording artist, multi-instrumentalist, vocalist and composer. He has appeared on over sixty-four recordings and performed numerous times with the likes of Sam “Lightnin” Hopkins, B.B. King, Bill Withers, McCoy Tyner, The Manhattans and Regina Belle. Having performed in nineteen countries across five continents, Young conducted the National Symphony of South Africa (NSO) during a nationally televised concert in 1993 honoring South African composer-pianistAbdullah Ibrahim. Young was the first Black American to conduct an orchestra.

Young and English’s latest collaboration is the vocal power-group, The Young / English Singers. Made up of sixteen respected vocalists and recording artists, includingCatherine Woodruff, Kayce Glasse and Danielle Reich, they perform classic songs like Somewhere There’s Music and How High The Moon, in addition to more unusual selections such as Bach’s Fugue in D Minor arranged for vocals.

Upcoming Event:

Saturday, August 14, 7:00 PM (doors open at 6:30)

Jennifer Grassman & The Young / English Singers

Free Concert (Cash Donations will be accepted)

Spring Cypress Church, 6000 Spring Cypress Rd. Spring, TX 77379

No Medal?

The Tomball-Spring Times — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 22:49:00 GMT

Debbie Riddle Voted as 4th Most Conservative

AUSTIN - Representative Debbie Riddle (R - District 150) has been ranked as the fourth most conservative member of the Texas House of Representatives, according to an analysis of voting records done by the James A. Baker III Institute of Public Policy at Rice University.
Representatives Linda Harper-Brown, Sid Miller, and Randy Weber all scored above Riddle by less than three-hundredths of a point each. In all, only 12 of the 150 members of the House were rated as "Very Conservative" by the study.

"Fourth place is hard to swallow," Riddle joked. "This being an Olympic year, I would have liked to have at least medaled."

Exposing The Fraud In Texas' Assessment Of Its Schools

The Tomball-Spring Times — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 13:03:00 GMT

By Bill Duffy

In a recent article published in a local newspaper on (7/14/2010), columnist Rick Casey expressed his indignation regarding the new means that Texas has adopted for assessing the progress of students in its schools. Casey says,

The more I think about the statistical chicanery that nearly tripled the number of "exemplary" Texas school districts while cutting the number of "unacceptable" districts by half, the more outraged I get.

The Texas Education Agency (TEA) has approved the use of a "Texas Projection Measure" (TPM) whereby students who take the TAKS achievement test are graded, not on their actual performance but on what they might be "projected" to score on the test two or three years from now. In other words, the "progress measure" is designed to count a student as "passing" a writing test if she gets not a single question right - as long as she barely passed the reading and math tests!

As Rick Casey states, Texas State Rep. Scott Hochberg is to be applauded for unmasking the TPM fraud at a recent legislative committee hearing. TEA defends the Texas Projection Measure by saying that it has 90% accuracy in projecting students' future scores. However, as Rep. Hockberg pulled out of TEA officials at the meeting, the 90% rate of accuracy includes ALL students who take the test, including those who are high academic achievers. As Casey says, "That's like predicting the survival rate of Texans with cancer by studying the life expectancy of all Texans." When looking at just the failing students, the accuracy of TPM is as low as 52 percent. In its zeal to make it seem like Texas is doing a good job of providing a quality education to its children, the Texas Education Agency is resorting to statistical tricks.

The children of Texas deserve better. The emphasis of the Texas Education Agency should be upon improving the performance of our children on tests that assess their academic skills rather than just making it look like our kids are doing well. If something is broken, fix it!--don't just give it a coat of new paint.

Email Bill your comments and feedback on this issue at wduffyark@sbcglobal.net.

Schindewolf Intermediate Students Combat Bullying

The Tomball-Spring Times — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 18:13:00 GMT

KPRC Channel 2 reporter Hasti Taghi (center talks with Schindewolf Intermediate School students McKenzie Scoppa (left) and Taylor Bennet (right) about their efforts to combat bullying on July 6. Groups represented in the filming were the school’s No Place for Hate Coalition and peer mediation. Staff members present were Ms. Judy Linville and Ms. Kimberly Walters with No Place for Hate and Dr. Charlye Jo Ivy and Ms. Meredith Waggoner who lead students involved in peer mediation.

Ms. Taghi is creating a week long series that will run nightly in August to highlight how area schools combat bullying.

Spring-Klein Chamber Recognizes Business of the Year

The Tomball-Spring Times — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 17:29:00 GMT

2^nd annual Toni Award for Business of the Year to be Awarded at the 2010 Christmas in July Gala

The Spring-Klein Chamber of Commerce (SKCC) proudly announces that the 2010 Toni Award for Business of the Year will be awarded during this year’s Christmas in July Gala to be celebrated on July 31, 2010.

The SKCC presents the Toni Award for Business of the Year in recognition of the business that has made measurable service contributions to the chamber and its member businesses. Runaas Resources LLC, a public relations company, was the first business to receive the Toni Award in 2009.

“What an unexpected honor it was,” recalls Candace Runaas, principal at the PR agency, “It means such a great deal to business owners to be recognized for their efforts in establishing a positive brand image for Spring. And I look forward to watching the surprised face of the recipient of this year’s award during the Gala.”

Another significant development occurring during the event is the presentation of the first Spring-Klein Chamber business directory. The SKCC is actively encouraging businesses to establish or renew their membership status as soon as possible to ensure that they are included in this critical community resource. “Our chamber receives calls daily from consumers requesting information on businesses that provide particular products or services,” says Toni Richard, SKCC president, “therefore we are concentrating our efforts to process and update all membership information to produce a business resource directory to additionally support SKCC businesses.”

The Chamber invites all area businesses and the public to attend the third annual banquet and awards ceremony. The Christmas in July Gala will begin at 6:30 p.m., Friday, July 31, 2010 at the Augusta Pines Banquet Hall, 18 Augusta Pines in Spring, Texas. The evening will feature a live auction, holiday buffet style dining, dancing, seasonal music and décor and Congressman Ted Poe as the Chamber’s special guest speaker.

Congressman Ted Poe is serving his third term as the Second Congressional District of Texas in the United States House of Representatives, which includes the Spring and Klein communities. Congressman Poe is widely known for his humorous stories involving his years as a judge sentencing criminals with penalties that fit the crime.

Tickets for the event are available online for $55 per person ($50 for SKCC members) and there will be no increase in ticket prices as the event nears. Marchel Peterson, Event Chairperson, remarks that ‘in light of the current economy and its effect on some businesses in the area, the SKCC board unanimously decided to maintain the current pricing to enable all businesses to join us at this year’s event.’

Funds raised from ticket sales, directory advertising, and the auction are used to further increase awareness about the Chamber and its member businesses, boost membership and contribute to the overall economic health of the community.

The SKCC is still accepting underwriters and advertisers for the event program which is being designed to also serve as directory for the community. To learn about sponsorship of the event, purchase tickets, or contribute to the auction, please visit us online at www.springkleinchamber.org or contact Marchel Peterson, Event Chair, via email info@springkleinchamber.org or phone at (281) 351-0888.

The list of auction items collected includes a one year family of four YMCA membership donated by YMCA North Houston, field box tickets to the Houston Astros, Chick-fil-A for a year, paintings from local artists and other donations from SKCC members, Louetta Foot and Ankle, Runaas Resources PR and realtors Terry McDougle and Robert Harris. This year’s Christmas in July media sponsors include KSEV Radio AM 700 and the Tomball-Spring Times.

Texas Children’s Hospital acquires “Partners in OB/GYN Care”

The Tomball-Spring Times — Mon, 05 Jul 2010 19:41:00 GMT

as part of a new era of maternity and newborn care

HOUSTON – (July 1, 2010) – Texas Children’s Hospital announced today that it has completed the acquisition of Partners in OB/GYN Care, a prominent private obstetrics and gynecology practice based in Houston. As the construction of Texas Children’s new 15-story maternity center progresses, this acquisition is a strategic cornerstone of the hospital’s expansion into a new era ---caring for women prior to pregnancy, during pregnancy and after delivery. For more information on the new maternity center, see: http://bit.ly/MaternityCenter

“Because high-risk births need specialized attention and care, the maternity center will focus on and respond to the escalating need for obstetrical research and treatment. The development of an OB/GYN program is an essential part of our maternity center and will be a key component in providing a holistic approach to caring for mothers and babies,” said Cris Daskevich, Senior Vice President for Texas Children's Hospital. “We are extremely pleased to welcome this well established and respected practice to Texas Children’s.”

Partners in OB/GYN Care is staffed by five physicians including Bart Putterman, M.D.; Lynn Hoffman, M.D.; Samuel Law, II M.D.; Ava Erin Manning, M.D.; and Susan Shi, M.D. The practice provides a full range of obstetric and gynecological services and currently delivers about 600 babies each year. The discussion of the acquisition was initiated by Dr. Putterman, one of the group’s founding partners. The group’s interest in joining Texas Children’s was sparked after hearing of plans for the new maternity center in 2006 and again in 2008 when they learned of Texas Children’s acquisition of Women’s Specialists of Houston, another respected OB/GYN practice. The acquisition will have little effect on current patients, as the group plans to remain in their current location in Scurlock Tower.

“Our practice is very excited to participate with Texas Children’s in creating a model that offers comprehensive services for the benefit of families,” said Dr. Putterman. “Our mothers will continue to receive the same excellent personalized care delivered in our clinic, but will now have the resources of one of the country’s most experienced neonatal intensive care units, a state-of-the-art fetal center, comprehensive diagnostic imaging services and a host of many other subspecialties for mother and baby under one roof.”

Expanding upon its premier reputation in fetal and neonatal medicine, the addition of maternity

services is enabling Texas Children's Hospital to provide a full continuum of care to mothers and their babies, beginning before conception and continuing after birth. The maternity center is expected to open in late 2011.

For more information on Texas Children's Hospital, go to www.texaschildrens.org. Get the latest news from Texas Children’s Hospital by visiting the online newsroom and on Twitter at twitter.com/texaschildrens.