HEB ISD School & Family Magazine Winter 2015 | Page 16

Hurst Junior High Great things are happening at Hurst Junior High Going above and beyond the call of duty are Hurst Junior High’s very own Mrs. Townsley and Mrs. Smith. Every year, these librarians host a book club party based on a particular book or genre. Past themes have been Grimm’s fairytales, “Fright Night”, and “The Hunger Games Capitol Couture”. This year was Sci-Fi based and consisted of a Tardis future and a Jurassic World past. The construction of these transformations is done primarily by strongminded and diligent library aides, who decorate in detail and execute plans with precision. Food at the party is a big deal; it has to match the theme and be creative, which is what Hurst’s lovely library ladies always do! This year’s food included Raptor Toenails (Bugles), Fossil Finds (fossil print sugar cookies), Molten Lava Rocks (meatballs), Yoda Soda (Ginger Ale and sherbet), and Volcanic Eruptions (mini bundt cakes erupting with flaming icing). The sensational event promotes literacy and encourages student involvement at Hurst Junior High. An exciting new addition to Hurst Junior High is Fitdesks! Fitdesks are similar to stationary bicycles but with a flat desktop to work on. They are practically noiseless and meant to keep students in motion, increasing alertness and focus on academics. Behavior management is also changing in a positive way. It was Nurse Keohane’s vision to study the impact Fitdesks would have on a small group of HJH students. With a few others in support of her vision and a written grant to the HEB ISD Education Foundation, these sensations have become a very real part of two HJH classrooms. Mr. Ciesla, one of the lucky teachers in whose rooms the Fitdesks are being tested, predicts students will stay on task better and improve academically. He says that students who tend to use the desks during lunch time are visibly more alert and animated. Mrs. Whitley’s classroom also has a couple of Fitdesks, and she is impressed with the results already. With the exception of a very few problems of getting upset with the taking of turns, the Fitdesks have been nothing but efficient and fun! And last but most definitely not least is the amazing Advanced Placement/International Baccalaureate (AP/IB) Native Speakers program at Hurst Junior High. Students enter in 7th grade and leave HJH with high school AP credit through Spanish IV. HJH’s Mr. Bean won the Global Excellence Award for his students’ scores, which are above the global average for AP Spanish. This program opens doors of opportunity for many families with first generation college students. Based on an original report by Kierra Ashford, 8th grade student, with support from Nichelle Wright, English and yearbook teacher. 14