Spring Branch ISD (SBISD) students studying languages other than English demonstrated their academic readiness and global competency during the 2025 Farrington Competition, hosted by the Houston Area Teachers of Foreign Languages (HATFL) earlier this month.
Thirty-five students from Spring Branch Middle School (SBMS), Memorial High School (MHS), Spring Woods High School (SWHS), Northbrook High School (NHS) and Stratford High School (SHS) proudly represented SBISD among a competitive field of more than 230 students from 13 public and private districts across the Houston area.
The Farrington Competition challenges students through a two-phase event. In the initial phase, participants showcase their proficiency through grammar, reading comprehension and writing assessments. The top five scorers in each language and level then advance to a final round, where they demonstrate oral communication skills through an interview conducted entirely in the target language.
Demonstrating excellence in communication — a key Core Characteristic of a T-2-4 Ready Graduate — SBISD students earned 13 top-five awards, a remarkable increase from last year’s total of nine winners. This success reflects the caliber of SBISD’s world languages programming and the district’s commitment to preparing every student for T-2-4 success.
Congratulations to our outstanding winners:
Language/Level | Student | Placement | Campus |
|---|---|---|---|
Latin I | Sadie Michna | 1st Place | Stratford High School |
French I | Josue Duque | 4th Place | Northbrook High School |
French II | Sofia Edery | 3rd Place | Memorial High School |
French Advanced | Dominic Patyi | 1st Place | Memorial High School |
Spanish II | Natalia Ordonez | 2nd Place | Spring Woods High School |
Spanish III | Camila Ramirez | 2nd Place | Spring Woods High School |
Spanish III | Noor Klarboutly | 5th Place | Memorial High School |
Spanish Advanced | Benjamin McCord | 1st Place | Memorial High School |
Spanish Advanced | Grey Hevle | 2nd Place | Memorial High School |
Spanish Advanced | Maryuri Perez | 3rd Place | Spring Woods High School |
Spanish Advanced | Ivonne Covarrubias | 4th Place | Northbrook High School |
Spanish Native Speakers–Intermediate | Victor Matutez | 5th Place | Spring Branch Middle School |
Spanish Native Speakers–Advanced | Gabriela Cruz | 5th Place | Northbrook High School |
By excelling in a rigorous academic competition that demands high-level critical thinking, communication and cultural literacy, these students exemplify SBISD’s Core Characteristics of being effective communicators, globally competitive, critical thinkers and compassionate contributors. Their success is a powerful testament to the world-class opportunities and high academic standards found throughout SBISD’s programs.