April 2012 archive

Patricia Thomas, Principal

The next meeting of the Ridgecrest Civic Club will be held on Monday, May 21. We are honored to have Mrs. Patricia Thomas as our speaker for this meeting.

Mrs. Thomas is the Principal at Ridgecrest Elementary School. She has been in that position for seven years and has overseen the school’s move into its beautiful new building. A native Houstonian, Mrs. Thomas earned her bachelor’s degree at Texas A&M and completed her Principal’s Certification at the University of Houston.

Ridgecrest Elementary School

As Principal she oversees a staff of 43 classroom teachers, 10 teacher assistants, four office staff, four custodians, eight cafeteria workers, several teacher specialist and two crossing guards. Ridgecrest Civic Club is honored that she is willing to take the time to speak to our group.

After an official governing board vote on April 11 by KIPP Houston leaders, all three parties involved in creating charter campus programs at two Spring Branch ISD middle schools have now given formal approvals to an innovative pair of start-up programs. The partnership between SBISD, KIPP and YES Prep is being called the SKY Partnership for general reference purposes.

In March, the SBISD Board of Trustees approved the granting of campus program charters at Landrum Middle School for KIPP and at Northbrook Middle School for YES Prep. Superintendent of Schools Duncan F. Klussmann, Ed.D., was authorized to negotiate and execute final versions of charter program contracts. YES Prep’s board also approved the program in March.

The SKY Partnership brings new educational choices to families in high-needs areas in SBISD. The partnership is the result of shared dreams, strategic visions and comprehensive planning to give new options to students, provide more charter school options for families who are now on district lottery waiting lists, and better utilize building resources in the district.

For SBISD, a new five year plan known as The Spring Branch Plan, 2012-2017, was a driving force in the partnership and campus program charters.

Said Superintendent Klussmann, “Spring Branch has a very aggressive goal for the future to double the number of students over the next five years who complete some form of higher education – a technical certificate, or two-year associate’s degree, or four-year bachelor’s degree. We need to do everything that we can to develop strong partnerships and provide educational options that allow that to happen.”
“We believe in this partnership and its ability to benefit all our students. We’re able to offer these great experiences to our students by bringing in two proven public charter systems like KIPP and YES Prep, and by combining all three high-performing systems – Spring Branch, KIPP and YES Prep schools. I’m very excited about this new partnership and this innovative approach to providing new alternatives to students within their own home campus,” the Superintendent also said.

Visit the SBISD SKY Partnership Website for more information.

Likely to be sent April 16-25, Voter Registrar Sumners says

HOUSTON – (April 3, 2012) — After months of delay caused by the dispute over redistricting, Harris County voters will be getting their voter registration certificates pretty soon, Don Sumners, the county’s voter registrar said.

“The federal court action appears to be over for now and the party primaries are scheduled for May 29. The court’s deadline for mailing the certificates is April 25. We expect to beat that by several days, perhaps mailing them as early as April 16,” he said.

Normally, in mid January of every even-numbered year, persons registered to vote in Harris County get their new voter certificate in the mail. When the certificates were delayed by the dispute, incorrect rumors began circulating on the Internet.

At that time, Sumners said, “The delay in mailing the registration certificates will not interfere with anyone’s right to vote. I and my Voter Registration Department will support and protect the rights of every qualified voter. We will prepare and mail every certificate as soon as we can after the federal courts decide this case,” Sumners said.

The certificates – yellow and white – will get a workout in May. In addition to the May 29 primaries, there is a Limited Uniform Election on May 12, with early voting beginning April 30. The last day to register in time to vote in that election is April 12.

Many jurisdictions have elections scheduled that day, including the cities of Deer Park, Galena Park, Katy and Tomball, school districts such as Clear Creek and Spring Branch, and a host of emergency service and municipal utility districts.

The last day to register in time to vote in the Democratic or Republican primary is April 30. Early voting starts May 14. Each party will be choosing candidates for a range of offices, from constable to president of the United States.

For more information, see http://www.sos.state.tx.us/elections/voter/2012dates.shtml

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Joe Abbate was 96 years old. He passed away April 3, 2012, and is survived by his wife Rosemary Abbate. Joe was a long time resident of Ridgecrest and was very active in the civic club.

Visitation will be Thursday, April 5,2012, at Woodlawn Funeral Home from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM with a Rosary at 6:30 PM. Funeral service will be 10:00 AM Friday, April 6,2012 at Woodlawn Funeral Home. Interment will follow at Woodlawn Garden of Memories.

Obituary was in the morning paper, Thursday April 5, 2012.

Note: was told by the funeral director the family is planning on a luncheon after the funeral at Terrace Methodist Church. Ridgecrest has contacted the family to help with the food.

Our prayers go out to this family in their time of need.

Woodlawn Funeral Home
1101 Antoine 713-682-3663
www.woodlawnfh.com

Three Minutes with the Mayor in Spring Branch

Mayor Annise Parker understands that many Houstonians are unable to bring their questions and concerns to her personally, so she is coming to you. After her first successful stop in February 2012, the Mayor is taking her quarterly Three Minutes with the Mayor neighborhood office hours on the road again to Spring Branch Saturday, April 14, 2012, 1 p.m. – 4 p.m. at Hillendahl Neighborhood Library, 2436 Gessner Road, Houston 77080.

Three Minutes with the Mayor offers the opportunity to meet one-on-one with the mayor on a first-come first-served basis. It is recommended that attendees prepare ahead as each conversation will be limited to no more than three minutes.

For more information, call or email the Mayor’s Citizens’ Assistance office at 713.803.1062 or ruben.vela@houstontx.gov.