The Woodlands School News, Info and Sports News

Woodlands Prep Infinity Class Meets with SMU Professors and Students - The Woodlands Preparatory School’s Infinity Project class flew to Southern Methodist University in Dallas to meet with SMU ’s Infinity Project team. Students spent the day with professors and graduate students at SMU discussing careers in engineering and future plans for The Infinity Project.

This course, which is offered exclusively in north Houston at The Woodlands Preparatory School, was designed between Texas Instruments and SMU to inspire more students to become engineers. The course shows students how the very technology that they have in their backpacks (MP3 players, CD ’s, IPOD’s) were designed using math equations.

Jo Anne Mackay Nasti, who teaches Infinity at The Woodlands Preparatory School, has a dual degree in Chemical Engineering/Chemistry from The University of Notre Dame and spent 25 years in the Chemical Industry with Exxon Chemical and Union Carbide.

The Woodlands High School soccer team members who participated in the MCUW Valentine Day of Caring for Ms. Barfield and Ms. McDonald (middle) are: (l-r) Jon Gori, Sam Tesh, Ryan Parker, Drew Lawson, John Bat, Alex Phillips, Devin Sauer, Connor Cahill, Cameron Chollett and Danny Weimer.

A Soccer Team Valentine - The Woodlands soccer team made two ladies very happy on Valentine’s Day. The team gave a wonderful Valentine’s gift to Donna Barfield, who is disabled, and her sister, Kathi McDonald, who works to support the two of them. The 23 students and 10 parental supervisors spent an entire Day of Caring at the sisters ’ home raking and bagging 30 bags of leaves, power washing the entire exterior of the home, cleaning the deck, cleaning the interior of the home, painting a portion of the dining room, cleaning the roof and hauling debris.

Days of Caring is a program initiated by Montgomery County United Way designed to connect resources to those in need like Ms. Barfield and Ms. McDonald. Individuals and groups from corporations, faith based and civic groups and local schools can be connected to individuals and nonprofit agencies in need of assistance.

Oak Ridge Cheerleaders Donate to Women's Center. The Oak Ridge High School cheerleader squad made a donation to the Montgomery County Women ’s Center. The toys will go to the children currently residing at the agency’s emergency shelter.

New High School Building for The Woodlands Christian Academy - High school students Brighton Cook, Kristin Kuplinski, Ashlee Sweep and Emily Stibbs added their thoughts and prayers on a steel beam to be used in the construction The Woodlands Christian Academy ’s new high school building. The 14,000-square-foot facility is scheduled to open at the beginning of the 2009-10 school year.

Oak Ridge HS Theatre Department Teams Advance to State Contest - The Oak Ridge High School Theatre Department ended its Texas Forensic Association contest year in with two duet acting teams advancing to the state contest at Cypress Ranch High School.

With attendance at only five state qualifying tournaments this year, the team of seniors Judith Glatt and Sydney Bertrand were in the finals every time, and the team of juniors Paige Wharton and Sara Sheppard were in the finals twice. These four girls, who went to TFA State, are members of Connie Sue Godwin’s Theatre Production class and had major roles in both Charlotte’s Web and A Mid-Summer Night’s Dream earlier in the year.

This is the end of their competitive speech tournament season and theater teachers Val Prahl and Connie Godwin are pleased with the success of the students.

Larry Wood and Sandra Erlandson, who are past Texas Educational Theatre Association Educators of the Year, volunteer their time to assist in directing the students.

Third Grader’s Colorful Artwork Showcased in State Capitol - Madison Maass, a third-grade student at The John Cooper School, had her artwork selected by the Texas Art Education Association as one of 100 pieces that will celebrate Youth Art Month by hanging in the Texas State Capitol.

Maass’ tempera painting, Seasons, hung in the South Extension of the capitol from March 7-14 as part of the TAEA Youth Art Month Capitol Celebration. The exhibit showcased works of art from students in schools throughout the state who range in age from pre-K through 12th grade.

The selected piece was created following a six-week unit titled Extraordinary Landscapes taught by Cooper artist-in-residence Jayla Ash Davis. During each of the weeks leading up to the final painting, students viewed slides showing various aspects of the sun, trees, forests and clouds and practiced drawing each, using various media.

Davis joined the Maass family at a special awards program and reception for student artists in Austin.