Spring Branch ISD Featured News

Spring Branch ISD is nearing the end of its school year with 81 percent of students back learning in person, and the school board Monday night will honor Memorial Hermann Health System and the Spring Branch Community Health Center for helping the district have a safe year during the pandemic.

At a 7 p.m. Board of Trustees meeting Monday, April 26, at Northbrook High School, the board will honor Memorial Hermann and Spring Branch Community Health Center for working closely with the district to provide critically important recommendations in a school year like none other in history. Spring Branch ISD has more than 33,000 students in 46 schools in Houston.

Memorial Hermann doctors gave Spring Branch ISD leaders expert guidance as the district developed its masking, social distancing and other health and safety protocols. These protocols helped SBISD operate the entire school year without ever having to close a school because of COVID-19.

“With support from Memorial Hermann leaders and medical professionals, our health and safety protocols have enabled us to successfully navigate the uncharted waters of this pandemic,” Superintendent Jennifer Blaine said. “We could not have had this kind of safe and successful school year without the help of Memorial Hermann, and we will be eternally grateful.”

“Throughout the year, Memorial Hermann continued to provide us with expert guidance and support, resources, and communications tools for students, staff and the community; and vaccination opportunities for our educators,” Dr. Blaine said. “For decades, Memorial Hermann has been a key district partner. This year, Memorial Hermann has helped us successfully bring 81 percent of students back on campus for in-person learning and has helped keep our schools open and operating safely.”

The board also will honor long-time partner Spring Branch Community Health Center (SBCHC) for its help this year. As the school year got underway, SBCHC medical professionals provided Spanish language information sessions to raise awareness and understanding of COVID-19. This spring, SBCHC worked with the district and Spring Branch ISD nurses to offer vaccination clinics for school district staff. Nearly 500 SBISD employees were vaccinated over spring break as a result of the partnership. 

“We thank Spring Branch Community Health Center for their dedicated service to our community and for their outreach and support of the health and wellness of our families and staff during the COVID-19 pandemic,” Dr. Blaine said.

The board also will recognize:

• Spring Forest Middle School for winning first place in the biennial Student Video Contest sponsored by the Texas Association of School Boards (TASB).  One of three first-place winners statewide, Spring Forest will be awarded a prize of $5,000 for use in the students’ classroom or campus. Students were asked to highlight how their schools have boldly overcome barriers to support students, teachers, and public education as a whole, and what makes Texas public schools the best choice. Led by sponsor Faralynn Rasberry, the winning team included students Orion Bui, Elliot Harlan, Allison Hibbetts, Braden Vanderschoor and Rafe Williams.
• The Spring Branch Academic Institute (SBAI) for its success at the Science and Engineering Fair of Houston. SBAI students were led by Dr. Mohammad Haidar, the 2020 Engineering Fair Teacher of the Year winner, junior division.

Winning SBAI students included:

• Adam Teske first place in Plant Sciences, junior division on the subject of Plants’ CO2 Consumption under Different LEDs;
• Savera Karia, second place in Medicine and Health, junior division, on the subject of Can BDGs, a protein found in dates, inhibit cancer cell proliferation;
• Aaron Xiong (team) third place in Medicine and Health, junior division on the subject the effectiveness of face masks;
• Zoe Ju (team), third place in Medicine and Health, junior division, also on the subject of the effectiveness of face masks.
• David Osorio, outstanding investigator award for the study of whether masks affect blood oxygen levels;
• Andrew Hopkins, outstanding investigator award and science explorer award for his work on whether there is a better way to test for the effectiveness of sunscreen;
• Lucy Hamilton, science fair scholars award for founding the Science Fair Club;
• Savera Karia, fourth place, junior division, Harris County Medical Society and Houston Academy of Medicine, for work on the question of can BDG’s inhibit cancer cell proliferation. 

In addition, the board will discuss plans for a Career and Technical Education Long Range Facilities Committee.

The Spring Branch ISD Board of Trustees will hold a special meeting Monday starting at 6:30 p.m. before the regular meeting. At that meeting, the board will convene in executive session starting to consider personnel matters and then will discuss in public session employee contract recommendations for the 2021-22 school year, nonrenewal of contracts and terminations of employees.