Friday, September 23, 2016

WAIS Alumni in the media


Mariame Aana, WAIS Graduate of 2006, was recently featured in CultureMap's Top Texans under 30, a list comprised of only 26 individuals.
Supervising attorney, Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston
Driven to help immigrants live the life of their dreams, Mariame Aana oversees the St. Frances Cabrini Center for Immigrant Legal Assistance’s pro bono program and coordinates the program’s outreach efforts. Proficient in French, Spanish, and Arabic, Aana also dabbles in Mandarin, and she has an MBA in addition to her law degree. She uses these skills and her passion for service to help DACA applicants, legal permanent residents seeking citizenship, and others make a life for themselves in the United States.
see the rest of the Top Texans under 30 >> 

Alyssa Nguyen, WAIS Graduate of  014, was recently featured on the University of Houston's Her Campus page.  She co-founded UH's Honors in Community Health organization.

“I helped with much of the foundation of the organization in the beginning, and I continue to help with internal development. The project that I helped lead last year was with the residents at New Hope Housing. This year, my project is with creative care. I will be working on projects that link health and well-being with creative approaches such as art and fitness.”

“These projects have included creating narratives with residents at New Hope Housing, gardening at local gardens such as the NuWaters Co-Op, and creating lead education models and a community voice toolbox that can be utilized by people across the nation. This semester we're also getting a Community Health Worker certification class for some of our students. Many of our students commit to 10 hours of service per week.”
read the rest of the article >>

These two particular graduates were featured in recent media, but many of our students are note worth in their continued hard work to make a difference in our community, or wherever they move to after completing their studies here. The class of 2017, graduating next May, will be the next group to take the next step toward making their mark in the word.


Saturday, September 3, 2016

Second Annual WAIS Color Run


The second annual WAIS Color run was held September 9th, during school.  The money raised in the color run will help support our students in their many learning adventures this year at WAIS.  Fun Run, who we are partnering with for this event, will also make a contribution of 3 meals, to people in need within our region, for each class that is able to bring in ~$1.5 per lap per student.

See images from this year's Color Run >>
Photos taken and provided by IB DP student Santiago Moreno.
Photos can be purchased, and proceeds will also help fund student activities at Wais.

Education funding continues to be an issue in Texas. Education funding in Texas is about 30% lower than the US average. Not only this, but education funding in Texas per student is about 10% lower than it was six years ago.

To make matters more complicated, education funding within the state is also not equitable due to the states' recapture practice, commonly referred to as the "Robin Hood" plan. The issue occurs in how districts are categorized as 'wealthy' or not, based on estimated taxable land value, not the actual economics of the area or families they serve.

Spring Branch serves a student body with more than 50% economically disadvantaged. However, Spring Branch is, and for years has been, classified as a wealthy district and has to send back millions of funding each year. Within the next couple years, Spring Branch will have to forfeit about a third of its funding to the state. Houston ISD is also affected by this same policy, and will be sending back more than $150 million, despite about 80% of students being from low-income families.

To see images and more info from last year's color run, 

see last year's coverage of the event.

To learn more about education funding in Texas:

How is the district funded?
Article on SBISD financial health (from April 2014)
Judge rules Robin Hood unconstitutional- again (from August 2014)
- News on State Funding of Education (from May 2016)



Thursday, September 1, 2016

German Summer Trip Inspires High School Students



The Spring Branch School Zone published an article on students from WAIS and Stratford taking part in the German American Partnership Program this past summer.

A group of 19 students from Westchester Academy and Stratford High School boarded a plane in June for a four-week exchange adventure in Germany. They were accompanied by German teachers Stanley Stifflemire and Juergen Mueller of Westchester Academy as well as Stratford High School teacher Rachel Crain.
The June 7th trip marked the fifth annual student exchange between SBISD high schools and a partner school, called Gymnasium Ganderkesee, near Bremen. The program began in 2006 when five students from Westchester Academy (WAIS) and Stratford High spent three weeks in the northwestern German city of Ganderkesee.



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