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RECOGNITIONS

The Board of Trustees recognized the following students and staff members for their achievements:

• Cypress Ridge High School World History teacher Ashley Howard, for being selected as the Texas Council for the Social Studies NOVA Teacher of the Year for 2007-2008. Candidates for the NOVA Teacher award must be nominated by the local council, the Cypress-Fairbanks Council for the Social Studies, then compete against other candidates from local councils across the state in elementary, middle and high school. The state award was presented at the awards luncheon during the TCSS Fall Conference in San Antonio in October.

The superintendent recognized a group of students and staff members for honors and achievements earned in recent weeks. Congratulations were extended to the following:

• Cypress Falls High School teacher Ann Wurst, for receiving the 2008 Texas Alliance Distinguished Service Award for Geographic Education at the Texas Council for the Social Studies Conference in October. Wurst was chosen based on outstanding leadership in promoting the quality of geographic education;
• Hamilton Middle School seventh-grade student Megan Jicha, whose artwork was selected as the cover design for the Cypress-Fairbanks ISD holiday cards;
• Goodson Middle School student Myria Perez, whose drawing titled “Leonardo’s Death” won an award at the Houston Museum of Natural Science and also earned her a $200 gift card from Texas Art Supply. Another Goodson student, Zoha Hasan, had her essay titled “The Elections” published in an anthology by Creative Communication;
• Goodson Middle School coach John Griffin, who recently received the Oklahoma State University College of Education’s Rising Star Award. Griffin, an OSU alumnus, was selected for this honor based on his commitment and heart for children, as both an educator and a volunteer with the Muscular Dystrophy Association. He also serves as an assistant girls basketball coach at Cypress Creek High School;
• Three Langham Creek High School FFA students, who placed third at the State FFA Leadership Competition in the Radio and Broadcasting category with an announcement about the impact of bees on the environment. The students, seniors Erika Forshee and Jackie Wagner and junior Lindsey Nyquist, had previously placed second at the district meet and first at the area meet;
• The Cypress Woods High School volleyball team, for qualifying for regionals and finishing their season as regional quarterfinalists;
• Seven CFISD volleyball players , for being named to the Texas Girls Coaches Association 5A All-State and Academic All-State teams. The All-State selections are Ashley Vrana, Cypress Creek, junior; Chiney Ogwumike, Cy-Fair, junior; Kendall Cleveland, Cypress Falls, senior; and Desiree Elliott, Cypress Woods, junior. The Academic All-State selections are Leah Whitney, Cristina Arenas and Caliegh McCorquodale, all Cypress Woods seniors;
• The Cypress Creek, Cypress Ridge, Cypress Woods and Langham Creek football teams for qualifying for the playoffs. Langham Creek finished its season as the fourth-place team in district and the Division I Region II bi-district finalist. Cypress Creek finished its season as undefeated district champion and Division II Region II area finalist. Cypress Ridge and Cypress Woods both advanced to the regional semifinal round, where they finished their seasons. Cypress Ridge was the district runner-up and the Division II Region II semifinalist, and Cypress Woods was the third-place team in district and the Division I Region II semifinalist;
• Winners and finalists for the Touchdown Club of Houston’s annual awards . Cypress Woods senior Anthony Villamagna, was runner-up for the Scholar Athlete of the Year award and received a $1,250 scholarship. Cypress Ridge senior Russell Shepard was named Offensive Player of the Year and was also named the Honda Player of the Year by the Houston Honda Dealers Association. Cypress Falls senior Kolby Gray was a finalist for Offensive Player of the Year and Cypress Ridge senior Princeton Jackson was a finalist for Defensive Player of the Year. Cypress Creek head coach Greg McCaig and Cypress Woods head coach David Jones were finalists for Coach of the Year. McCaig was also named District Coach of the Year by his peers; and
• Cypress Woods senior Melissa Mahoney, for placing 23rd out of 110 runners in the Class 5A girls race of the UIL Cross Country State Championships.

PUBLIC HEARING

The Board held a public hearing on Dec. 11, 2008 at 6 p.m. to discuss the required 2007-2008 district performance report from the Texas Education Agency titled the Academic Excellence Indicator System (AEIS).

TRAINING

In accordance with the provisions of the Texas Education Code, Section 11.159, David Thompson with Bracewell & Giuliani LLP conducted continuing education for Board members under the Texas Administrative Code, Title 19, Section 61.1, related to team building.

BOND UPDATE

The administration provided a written report on the progress of the design of Elementary School No. 51. The school will be located west of Greenhouse Road on Round Robin Drive and will be designed by PBK Architects, with a scheduled opening date of August 2010. The school will be built using funds from the 2007 Bond. It is anticipated that the district will present a construction contract award recommendation to the Board for approval at the January 2009 Board meeting.

The Board approved changing the opening date for Elementary No. 52 from 2010-2011 to 2011-2012. Based on current enrollment projections and budget implications resulting from the existing state school finance system, the administration recommended postponing the opening date to 2011-2012.

2009-2010 BUDGET AND BOARD GOALS

The administration reported on the dates of the public hearings for the 2009-2010 Budget and Board Goals. The public hearings will be held at Francone Elementary School on Tuesday, April 28, 2009 from 7 to 9 p.m. and at Labay Middle School on Thursday, April 30, 2009, from 7 to 9 p.m.

2009 SUMMER SCHOOL DATES

The Board approved the 2009 summer school dates for elementary, middle and high school. The dates are as follows:

• Elementary summer school — June 15 – July 2, 2009
• LEP, pre-kindergarten and kindergarten summer school — June 9 – July 2, 2009
• Secondary summer school, first session — June 10 – July 2, 2009
• Secondary summer school, second session — July 13 – July 31, 2009

Other details for summer school, such as locations and exact times, will be presented to the Board for approval at a later date.

2009-2010 INSTRUCTIONAL CALENDAR

The Board approved the Calendar Committee’s recommendation for the 2009-2010 instructional calendar, which includes the following key dates:

• Aug. 24, 2009 – first day of school
• Sept. 7, 2009 – Labor Day, student/staff holiday
• Nov. 25-27, 2009 – Thanksgiving holiday
• Dec. 21, 2009 – Jan. 5, 2010 – Winter Break for students
• Dec. 21, 2009 – Jan. 1, 2010 – Winter Break for staff
• Jan. 4-5, 2010 – professional development days
• March 15-19, 2010 – Spring Break
• June 2, 2010 – last day of school
• Dec. 21-22, 2009, Feb. 15, 2010 and June 3, 2010 – inclement weather makeup days*

*If makeup days are required, student absences will be addressed as they are with any other instructional day.

SUPERINTENDENT’S BRIEFING

District schools and the Instructional Support Center will beclosed to the public for the holidays from Dec. 22, 2008 – Jan. 2, 2009. All support facilities will be closed Dec. 25, 26 and 31 , and Jan. 1 and 2, 2009 in observance of the holidays. Classes will resume on Monday, Jan. 5, 2009.

Monday, Jan. 19, 2009 will be a student holiday honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

In case of an emergency during the holidays, please contact Security at 281-897-4337.

Dr. Anthony extended his warmest holiday wishes to CFISD students, employees and their families and said he hopes that it is a safe, restful and joyous holiday season for all.

A special-called meeting will be held on Monday, Jan. 12, 2009 to recognize 151 students who have been identified as 2008-2009 National Merit Scholars. Dr. Anthony said he looks forward to this special event to honor these students for their achievement of academic excellence.

The fall commencement exercises will be held for Windfern High School on Friday, Jan. 16, 2009 at 7 p.m. at the Berry Center, located at 8877 Barker Cypress Road. The Windfern graduating class of January 2009 is expected to include 120 students. Dr. Anthony commended these students, their parents and the Windfern staff for this great accomplishment.

AGENDA ITEMS

In other action, the Cypress-Fairbanks ISD Board of Trustees:

• approved bids and contracts to the recommended vendors;
• approved the tax refunds of $500 or greater for Cypress-Fairbanks ISD and/or Harris County Education District;
• approved use of existing facsimile signatures on all checks until the new plates for the 2008-09 Board of Trustees Officers are received;
• approved on second reading additions, deletions or revisions to district policies:
• DAA (LOCAL) EMPLOYMENT OBJECTIVES: Equal Employment Opportunity;
• DIA (LOCAL) EMPLOYEE WELFARE: Freedom from Discrimination, Harassment and Retaliation;
• FFH (LOCAL) STUDENT WELFARE: Freedom from Discrimination, Harassment and Retaliation;
• FFI (LOCAL) STUDENT WELFARE: Freedom from Bullying;
• FM (LOCAL) STUDENT ACTIVITIES;
• FNC (LOCAL) STUDENT RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES: Student Conduct; and
• GF (LOCAL) PUBLIC COMPLAINTS;
• approved on first reading additions, deletions or revisions to district policies:
• FCC (LOCAL) STUDENT WELFARE;
• authorized the superintendent or designee to execute an engagement agreement for legal services with Thompson & Horton LLP;
• approved a proposed resolution outlining the public purpose served and benefit to the Cypress-Fairbanks Independent School District by providing compensation for contractual employees in accordance with the district’s revised instructional calendar of Oct. 13, 2008, which addresses days missed due to evacuations and recovery from Hurricane Ike; and
• approved the 2009 Harris County Constable Contracts for police services provided to Cypress-Fairbanks Independent School District .

ADDENDA

The Board approved the 2009 Precinct IV Inter-local DARE Contract for two full-time deputies provided to Cypress-Fairbanks ISD.