Spring Branch ISD Featured News

 

More than 500 Spring Branch ISD parents, students, and employees spent a recent Saturday morning (Sept. 22) investing in the future at the Planning for the Future Parent U at Northbrook High School.

Targeting middle school and high school families, the conference-style event featured dozens of sessions including Middle to High School Transitions, Financial Aid 101, SAT vs. ACT, Human Trafficking and many more.

Sessions were available in English and Spanish. Also for the first time at Parent U, an Arabic translator was on hand for families to hear the information in their native language.

This Parent U event, one of many planned for throughout the school year, was organized by the Family Education, Engagement and Empowerment (Family E3) team in support of the Spring Branch T-2-4 Goal-- every graduate to attain a technical certification, military training, or a two-year or four-year degree.

 

A group of employees, parents, and students connected with the SpringSpirit Baseball organization attended Parent U to learn about the myriad of possibilities for post-secondary preparation and success. They learned about ways to pay for college and other technical certification opportunities so their children do not have to settle for not going on to additional learning after high school graduation.

“For our families, this was an eye-opening experience to learn about the options their students have,” said Blanca Gallegos of SpringSpirit Baseball.

SpringSpirit is a faith-based, after-school program that provides pathways for youth to realize life opportunities through sports, education and mentoring. Seven SpringSpirit employees attended Parent U and each attended three different learning sessions, for a total impact of 21 lessons. They plan to communicate the information to families and students who did not attend the conference.

“We know resources (for future planning) are available through the district, and we want our parents to know about them,” said Laura Smith of SpringSpirit Baseball. “They trust what we guide them toward, so that is why we organized the group to attend Parent U today.”

President and Founder of SpringSpirit Baseball, Kenny Baldwin, said, “We are really focusing on helping 12 seniors in our program make a plan for next year, and then will begin to apply what is learned today to support the T-2-4 success of the younger students we serve. ”

 

Through the many Parent U presentations provided by SBISD staff and community partners, the message was consistent: start early and take advantage of what your high school offers!

Some of the Planning for the Future Parent U presenters’ presentations are posted on this website.

Comments heard in the hallways between Parent U sessions:

·       “Who knew! Choosing an Endorsement for high school in eighth grade is a big decision to think about carefully.”

·        “I learned some practical tips to prepare my child for college such as helping her choose the most rigorous classes available at her high school.”

·       “I was shocked and had no idea how important a decision it is whether to allow my child’s class rank to be included on the transcript or not.”

·       “I got a much better idea of how to do research about pathways from middle school to high school, and high school to college. I didn’t know where to begin before attending today.”

·       Sixth-grade student: “I learned I need to start now for planning which classes I am going to take in high school and to keep my grades up.”

Community sponsors provided refreshments and door prizes for the Parent U attendees.

“Many thanks to our partners H-E-B, Comcast, Houston Community College, Kroger, McDonald’s, and Chick-fil-A for supporting this event and to the 40+ presenters that joined us today to share valuable information with our families,” said Betsabeth Beyk, SBISD Family E3 Specialist. “This was our biggest Parent U event ever! We are so happy to see so many families here to get information and resources to help their children succeed.”

A Parent U for elementary families is slated for Saturday, Oct. 20 at the Spring Branch Education Center, 9016 Westview from 8:30 a.m. – 12 noon. Information and a registration link are found on this website.