LSC - Montgomery Offers Second Start Courses

LSC - Montgomery in The Woodlands offers a wide variety of "Second Start" courses with start dates beginning in late August through November, even though the traditional 16-week fall semester at Lone Star College-Montgomery began Monday, August 24.

Students can register up to the first day of class for Second Start courses, which range from three to 14 weeks in length. Depending on the individual course length and start date, coursework is completed by mid December or earlier.

"We understand that many people can't fit in a 16-week course, so these classes provide a convenient alternative," said Dr. Julie Leidig, Vice President of Instruction.

Second Start offerings are designed to help students achieve academic goals set toward workforce certificates, an associate degree, or university transfer, similar to the traditional 16-week courses.

LSC - Montgomery offers Second Start classes in the following program areas this Fall: Art, Chemistry, Computer Information Technology, Drama, Economics, Education, English, Government, History, Humanities, Mathematics, Music, Physical Therapist Assistant, Psychology, Sociology, Spanish, and Speech Vocational Nursing.

Seussical presented by the New Performing Arts Center in The John Cooper School

The new Performing Arts Center in the John Cooper School in The Woodlands, Tx will be presenting Seussical, a play about the many vivid worlds created by Dr. Seuss. This new musical will be presented November 13 - 16 with evening performances beginning at 7 pm November 13, 14 and 15 and matinee performances at 2 pm on November 15 and 16.

Tickets for this play will be $15 for adults and $10 for seniors and students. Ticket order forms will also be available on the School News page of the school website at www.johncooper.org. You can also reserve your ticket by phone at 281-367-0900, ext 461 or also by email at drama@johncooper.org.

Source: www.thewoodlands.net

New Construction of K-6 School in Creekside Park

In the newest Village of The Woodlands known as Creekside Park, a new construction is under way. Tomball ISD is beginning the construction of the new school that will be based within Creekside Village. This new school will be K-6 grades and will be set on a 12.9 acre site, it is planned for opening for the school year of 2009-2010.

Tomball ISD has also bought two other sites within the Village of Creekside Park in The Woodlands. These two other schools will be located on the east and west sides of Kuykendahl Road. This site that will be currently under construction is located near the entrance of Creekside Park off Gosling Road. It is near the Rob Fleming Park and close to all the new neighborhoods in the Village. The school will have a Craftsman style that will go perfectly with the rest of the Village. The architect for this new school will be PBK and they will plan to begin construction this summer.

There will be a second K-6 school in Creekside Park and has been planned for opening in the fall of 2011. Tomball ISD will provide excellent education for the students living in Creekside Village in The Woodlands, Texas.

Source: www.thewoodlands.net

Cooper teacher receives award

Anita Pilling, an upper school social sciences teacher at John Cooper School, was named international educator of the year by the World Affairs Council of Houston.

Pilling was recognized for being a global-minded teachers dedicated to international education. Pilling travels frequently to bring her experience back to the classroom.

Source: www.Chron.com by Beth Kuhles

New college logo unveiled with a blast

The Lone Star College System is shooting into the future thanks to the recent unveiling of a new logo that represents its desire to help students achieve their potential. The five campuses and the district office hosted simultaneous events to unveil the "Star of Tomorrow" emblem that will adorn all college-related material."This is a real historic event in the life of the college," Lone Star College-Montgomery President Tom Butler said as he presided over the Montgomery campus event. "It's not every day you change your name."

The first Lone Star College-Montgomery student, Kristie Wilson, assisted Butler in unveiling the new star logo as blue and purple confetti shot into the air. Wilson was the first person to register Nov. 13 for spring classes. "I was very surprised," the 36-year-old nursing student from Conroe said about her place in history. "I don't think I could have done it again if I tried." The new logo features an open star design that represents forming students as works in progress and the college's welcoming spirit and growth potential , Butler said.

The arc hints at the district's reach to the future and illustrates its role in connecting students to the future and bridging the gap between education and employment.Up to 800 students, professors, staff and community members crammed inside the building to see the new insignia unveiled. "I think it's unique," said 20-year-old Elizabeth Quintna. "It's different and will stand out with the new name."Students weren't the only ones looking up to the new emblem. "I really like the new logo," said Pattie Harakal, the Montgomery campus' continuing education program manager. "They did good."

Todd Stephens, district director of regional policies for the office of U.S. Rep. Kevin Brady, R-The Woodlands, presented Butler with a flag flown above the U.S. Capital, which will be displayed above the door of the commons building where the flags of all nations are displayed to represent students, Butler said. Marsha Williams, the wife of state Sen. Tommy Williams, R-The Woodlands, presented the college with a Texas flag flown above the state capital and read a proclamation from Gov. Rick Perry.

The name change process began in September 2007 when the district sought to simplify its 15-symbol moniker, Butler said. More than 400 recommendations were submitted from the public, with nine semifinalist names chosen. More than 2,200 votes were cast, narrowing the choices down to three, Lone Star College, North Horizon College and North Star College. The name of Lone Star College System, helping to identify the birthplace of the Lone Star flag, was chosen as the top choice among 700 votes cast. Lone Star College is actually the second name change for the college system, Butler said.

The system began in 1973 as North Harris County College with 613 students taking night classes at Aldine High School. Conroe Independent School District voters elected to join the college district in 1991 and it became North Harris Montgomery Community College District. Soon afterwards, Montgomery College opened. The college district now has nearly 50,000 students at its five campuses, and its the largest college system in the Houston area, number three in Texas, and is in the top 20 in the nation, Butler said. "A new name and a new logo, although significant, doesn't change who we are," he said. "In the end, it doesn't matter what we're called. It's what we're called to do and that's to educate our students."

Source: The Villager by Kassia Micek

CISD committee recommends new schools to handle growth

As the 2004 bond projects near completion and the district continues to grow, the Conroe Independent School District board is considering recommendations to build seven new campuses through a future bond. The board approved recommendations from the 2008 Facilities Planning Committee during the recent board meeting that include building new campuses along with adding space to several existing schools.

Board President Lynda Sasser said the board is expected to make a decision on a potential bond in February. "It's going to mean we can take care of all the students coming into the district," Sasser said. "I think we are going to be keeping up with what the demographic study says."The previous demographic study varied less than 200 students in projections for student population in 2006-07, said Ann Stoehr, committee member and parent of three CISD students.

A recent demographic study concluded CISD will have an annual growth rate of 4.19 percent through 2011 and 4.42 percent from 2012 to 2016, Stoehr said. In the next five years, the district is expected to add more than 10,000 new students with total enrollment projected at 54,599 in 2011, she said. By 2016, enrollment is expected to increase by more than 23,000 new students to 67,757. To handle the new students coming to CISD, the committee recommended the district build two new junior highs, one new intermediate school and four new elementary schools, as well as convert Peet Junior High to a Conroe High School Ninth Grade Campus and construct major additions at Travis Intermediate, San Jacinto Elementary, Deretchin Elementary, Tough Elementary and The Woodlands College Park High School.

Other recommendations include making improvements to the air conditioning and heating units and electrical capacity at older campuses, expanding parking capacity, modifying entry configurations and making access improvements. In addition to the two land purchases the board approved for contract in December, it approved a contract for 14.88 acres at the recent meeting for roughly $647,300 in the Imperial Oaks subdivision, where an elementary school is expected to be constructed.

One elementary and intermediate school are expected to be constructed as part of a possible 2008 bond on the 186-acre site the board approved for contract in December for $4.921 million at Loop 336 and FM 3083, Superintendent Don Stockton said. That site also is expected to include a junior high and high school in the future. The 15.019-acre tract of land the board approved in December for $375,475 in the Stewart's Forest subdivision will be home to a bonus elementary school paid for by a budget surplus, Stockton said. The 124,000-square-foot elementary will have a 1,000-student capacity. For more information on the committee's recommendation, visit www.conroeisd.net and click on "Bond Update."

Principals: Ken Shapes, Vogel Intermediate principal, will assume leadership of the new intermediate school in the Oak Ridge feeder zone that will open in August.Shellie Winkler, Vogel assistant principal, was approved as the Vogel principal and Amy Muehsler, the associate principal at The Woodlands High School, was approved as the principal of Oak Ridge High School Ninth Grade Campus.

Calendar: The board got its first look at the 2008-09 school calendar. The district will continue to tweak the calendar, which is available for viewing on the district website which can be found by logging on at www.conroeisd.net.

More info
Potential 2008 bond
Two new junior high schools
One new intermediate school
Four new elementary schools
Convert Peet Junior High to ninth grade campus
Major addition to Travis Intermediate
Major addition to San Jacinto Elementary
Classroom addition to Detetchin Elementary
Classroom addition to Tough Elementary
Major addition to The Woodlands College Park High School

For more information on the 2008 Facilities Planning Committee's recommendation, visit www.conroeisd.net and click on "Bond Update."

By the numbers
CISD projected growth
4.19 percent through 2011
4.42 percent from 2012-2016
54,599 enrollment by 2011
67,757 enrollment by 2016

Source: The Villager by Kassia Micek

Law firm creates scholarship for minority law students

Students at three major Texas law schools will have a new scholarship available to them, thanks to the efforts of Winstead PC. The Winstead law firm, which has offices around Texas including in The Woodlands, has created a new scholarship with the hopes of helping minority law students. The scholarship awarded will be a one-time grant of $20,000, as well as a position with Winstead during the summer. As part of the award, the recipient will be able to select a school organization that will receive $2,000. "The student would have a job offer in hand for the summer, giving them certainly a competitive edge over other students in the class," said Tom Forestier, who chairs Winstead's Diversity Committee. "They'll compete and hopefully demonstrate they're eligible for a permanent offer."

Forestier said the idea for the scholarship originated within the Diversity Committee as a way to attract more attorneys who are minorities. "Our firm is always striving to increase the diversity of our lawyer ranks," he said. "We need to recruit with an eye towards diversity at the law schools." The selection of the scholarship recipient at each school will be based on a written application form, a 500-word personal statement, the student's grades from the first semester and the candidate's resume. Finalists at each campus will be selected, and one person from each school will be awarded the scholarship.

Winstead plans to make a presentation at each of the law schools about the scholarship sometime by the end of this month, and applications from students will be due in February. Finalist interviews will be conducted in March. The scholarship recipients will be formally introduced at the offices they will work for some time in April.

Forestier said the scholarship is one of the first of its kind in Texas."On the national level you'll see a little bit more variety, where some firms offer scholarships to minority law students. The one thing you don't see is this other part, the grant money the student can direct to the organization of their choice, and the job offer," he said. Winstead is one of the larger business law firms in Texas , with attorneys working with mid-market and large businesses. The firm specializes in real estate and financial cases, and has offices in Austin, Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston, San Antonio and The Woodlands.

Source: The Villager by Jake Muonio

Chancellor making plans for district changes

After 100 days as the Lone Star College System's new chancellor, Dr. Richard Carpenter is making some changes to what he observed is a "top heavy" institution.
Immediately after he stepped on campus at what was then known as the North Harris Montgomery Community College District (the district changed its name in November), Carpenter enacted a hiring freeze.

Now that he has eliminated six senior positions - including vice chancellor for information technology and vice chancellor for legal counsel - that freeze has thawed. Carpenter created five new positions, including vice chancellor of student success, associate vice chancellor of planning and institutional effectiveness, chief information officer and executive chancellor of eCollege.
He also eliminated the executive vice chancellor position previously held by Dr. Steve Head, who officially became president of North Harris College in November. Carpenter will replace the position with a similar one - senior vice chancellor, who will be responsible for information technology, human resources and campus safety."It will be more of a pure administrative role that supports the chancellor, not overseeing the day-to-day function of each college," Carpenter said.

He has led two-year colleges across the country, and some of his employees have followed him. Randal Key, vice president for planning and development at CCSN was also Carpenter's vice president at the Wisconsin Technical College System and worked in the Adult Basic Education program at Calhoun Community College in Alabama.

Asked if he would tap into employee pools at those locations as he looks to fill open roles at LSCS, Carpenter said, "On any vacancy we have ... I'll recruit from places I know people." Carpenter has a history as an agent of change. He was hired in 2004 as the president of the Community College of Southern Nevada to bring constancy to an instable institution, CCSN's Chancellor Jim Rogers said in a previous interview."This community college was a real mess before he took over," Rogers said.New bond possibility? But will rocking the boat in rough waters locally translate to more support for the college district than it has seen in recent years? In November 2006, voters voted down a $250 million bond referendum that would have been used to build new classrooms and labs.Carpenter hopes so.

Although no new bond issue has been proposed by the board of trustees, Carpenter said a group of citizens culled by LSCS administrators has been studying the changes and additions needed at each of the college system's five campuses.Carpenter expects the group to make a formal presentation to trustees after the first of the year.

21st-century strategiesIn addition to the personnel changes, the college system will unveil the following strategies in the next year:Virtual classroom: Saying online courses are currently not the same across the college system's five campuses, Carpenter said LSCS will introduce eCollege, a new distance learning system. Instructional designers will meet with instructors to try to find ways to craft their curriculum online. Carpenter said students have been clamoring for degree programs offered online, and administrators will try to meet those needs.

Corporate college: LSCS is joining a consortium of community colleges across the country that offer specialized training for employees of specific corporations. A sales team hired by LSCS will approach businesses that are moving or expanding in its service area to contract for the skills training. The college system already partners with companies to provide training to students who will one day join its workforce."Every one of our colleges already does this," he said. "We worked with 50 companies last year. We're not inventing something totally new, but we are inventing a new approach."

Carpenter said the college system will treat the endeavor as a business, and it won't be funded by taxpayer dollars. Report card: Carpenter said college administrators will begin measuring the institution's performance against 13 benchmark community colleges from across the county, grading LSCS based on about 20 performance metrics, including distance learning enrollment, graduation rates and faculty credentials. In the summer or fall, the college system will publicize a "report card" showing the colleges' strengths and weaknesses.

Source: The Village by Tiffany Williams

Cooper School in The Woodlands eligible for AP award

The John Cooper School is one of a very select group of schools in Texas that has been invited to apply for the Siemens Advanced Placement High School Award.

In a letter from the College Board inviting Cooper to apply for the award, Cooper is named as having one of the strongest math and science AP programs in the state, according to the College Board's Advanced Placement Report to the Nation.
Selection for the award is based on Cooper's participation and performance in Advanced Placement courses in math, science and technology. Approximately 10 to 15 schools per state have been invited to apply for the award.

Cooper students last year earned the highest pass rate in the history of the school by earning scores of 3, 4 or 5 (out of 5) on the Advanced Placement exams. AP scores last year were 97 percent for all AP tests, and 95 percent in math, science and technology, which are the categories that qualified Cooper for the Siemens Award.
The average SAT scores from Cooper's last two graduating classes are 660 in critical reading, 660 in math and 652 in writing, based on an 800 scale.

The Siemens Foundation, in partnership with the College Board, rewards exceptional achievement in AP, recognizing students, teachers and high schools. The Siemens AP High School Award, now in its ninth year, is given out annually to 50 high schools, one in each state. Winning high schools each receive a $1,000 grant to use for science and math education. Head of Upper School Joe Broccoli, who coordinates AP course selection, placement and examinations, has applied for the Siemens AP High School Award on behalf of The John Cooper School. A selection committee will review all applications and determine the winning high schools. Schools will be notified in February and winners will be announced on the Siemens Foundation website.
Above average:
The average SAT scores from Cooper's last two graduating classes are 660 in critical reading, 660 in math and 652 in writing, based on an 800 scale.