Gifted and Talented third-graders who attend Bendwood Campus classes are learning how to design and build high-rise bridges like the ones rising just blocks away on Interstate 10. Texas Department of Transportation’s Jeff Volk, an assistant area engineer for West Harris and Waller County, and other DOT engineers held special presentations Jan. 29-Feb. 4 for students in Carolyn Morris and Denise Howard’s classes.

Students in Northbrook High’s Childress Foundation Academy program helped prepare a winter feast recently for a group at the Ronald McDonald House in the Texas Medical Center. The winter meal included chili, spicy potato and chicken noodle soups, seafood gumbo, cornbread and four different kinds of cobbler. The students plan to return and cook once again.

Longtime SBISD employee Vaughn Branom picked up her recent award for the Best Library Blog from the comfort of her own home. Vaughn’s year-old professional blog was named the best overall by educational host Edublog during a “virtual” ceremony held in Second Life, the increasingly popular, Internet-based virtual world. Her online avatar, or electronic image, attended the out-of-this-world awards event.

More than a half dozen SBISD teachers and staff lined up on a weather-perfect morning Jan. 13 for the 36^th running of the Chevron Houston Marathon and Aramco Houston Half Marathon. Many of them ran for special reasons.

Three separate summer school sessions for SBISD high school students will be held, beginning June 9, at Spring Woods High School, 2045 Gessner. Two sessions will be offered to district middle school students. Through the three-semester option, students can earn up to 1 ½ high school credits.

Synergy Brass Quintet, known as “the most performing ensemble in all classical music,” will perform in a special benefit concert at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 12, in the Northbrook High School Auditorium, #1 Raider Circle. Tickets are $5 in advance, $8 at the door. The concert will include a special performance by the Northbrook High School Band. Proceeds will benefit the high school band’s program. For details, please call 713-365-4430 or ask any Northbrook High Band member for assistance.

The Guthrie Center will conduct its next Community Tuesday Open House at its campus Tuesday, Feb. 19, from 5 to 7:30 p.m. The Career and Technology campus, located at 10660 Hammerly, offers the public an opportunity to take a look behind the scenes of technology-intensive real-world programs and education. The Guthrie Center serves SBISD secondary students. During the Open House, students will provide advice on topics ranging from digital photography to installing new computer software. The public is invited.

Five Memorial High seniors and one sophomore have been named regional winners in the annual Scholastic Writing competition sponsored by the Harris County Department of Education (HCDE). These students and their English/Language Arts teachers will be honored with a special awards night presentation and reception in early February. Top student works will compete in Scholastic’s national writing contest. Teachers who instruct these students are Laura Kohlmaier, Todd McCardle, Patti Nommensen and Marjorie Schnell.

Rolling Stones trombonist Mike Davis and jazz composer Bill Reichenbach Jr. will bring their band, Bonetown, to Memorial High School, 935 Echo Lane, for one performance at 7 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 10. Tickets for this Northbrook Middle School Band benefit are $10. Proceeds will buy band supplies and partly fund the middle school band’s spring festival and trip. Guest artists may include members of the Houston Symphony and Houston Ballet orchestras.

Fifth-grade parents with children attending any Spring Branch ISD middle school next year are encouraged to attend an informational meeting to learn about Pre-Advanced Placement (AP) and AP programs in the district’s middle and high schools. This special meeting will begin at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 24, in the Westchester Academy, 901 Yorkchester. For more information, please call 713-365-5650.