A retired Spring Branch ISD resident has donated an etching by famous Flemish artist Anton Van Dyck to the privately financed Altharetta Yeargin Art Museum, located on the campus of Westchester Academy for International Studies, 901 Yorkchester. Spring Branch’s only public art museum is home to 600 artifacts and fine art pieces. Plan a museum visit this fall.

The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo has announced that it is increasing most of its scholarship awards from $12,000 to $15,000. This year’s awards by the nonprofit organization will go to more than 500 graduating seniors who qualify through the application process and attend college in Texas.

The reunion tradition that began soon after the closing of Spring Branch Senior High School in 1985 lives on. The Spring Branch Senior High School Foundation Inc. will hold its biennial All Class Reunion from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 6, at Spring Branch Education Center, 9016 Westview.

The SBISD Board of Trustees honored Robin Howell and Christine Wilson as September Volunteers of the Month during the Board’s Sept. 24 regular meeting. Robin and Christine organized and co-chaired the refurbishing of the campus's leveled literacy library.

On Sept. 21, students from four Spring Branch ISD campuses took part in Pinwheels for Peace, an international art and literacy project, by “planting” pinwheels with peace messages around their school flag poles. Taking part were students from three district middle schools and one elementary school.

Five students at Stratford High were recently named National Merit Semifinalists, based on student scores on the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test, commonly called the PSAT. They are Sarah Byerley, Matthew Furman, John Hollywood, Justin Schneider and Andrew Waddell. As semifinalists, they rank among the top scorers in Texas.

Bands, dancers and martial arts performers are a few of the entertainers scheduled during the upcoming Haden Park Dedication and Celebration. The dedication will be held from noon until 4 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 29, at the city park, located at the intersection of Witte and Long Point. The park serves several Spring Branch neighborhoods and campuses near these bustling streets.

Spring Woods High’s award-winning Theater Arts program will present the Italian Comedy classic, Carlo Goldoni's The Servant of Two Masters, at 7:30 p.m. on Oct. 4-6 and Oct. 8, and at 3:15 p.m. on Oct. 5. A matinee will also be presented at 2:30 p.m. Oct. 6 in the SApring Woods High mini-auditorium.

Spring Woods High senior Hallie Jordan, who is co-editor in chief of the high school’s Regit student newspaper, has published two separate articles recently in the Houston Chronicle’s Yo! section, which is designed to appeal to younger readers.

Dust off those dancing shoes! Spring Branch residents 65 years old or older who are STAR (Seniors Take a Role) Card holders are invited to join the best party in town from 5:30-7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 23, during the eighth annual “Senior” Prom at Northbrook High School, #1 Raider Circle.

A Northbrook High student who was born in Houston but raised in Mexico until a teenager has won an essay contest on the topic of energy conservation sponsored by the Institute for Real Estate Management (IREM). Senior Felipe Murillo, a National Honor Society member, was honored during a recent luncheon attended by Mayor Bill White and other city officials.

An Odyssey of the Mind Awareness Meeting for parents, teachers and students will be held at 7 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 28, at Westchester Academy for International Studies, 901 Yorkchester. During recent years, district elementary and secondary teams have won regional, state and national awards.

The Spring Woods High Cheerleaders invite all prekindergarten through eighth-grade students to join them for the upcoming 2007 Youth Cheer Clinic, which will be held from 9 a.m. until noon on Saturday, Sept. 22, at Spring Woods High School, 2045 Gessner.

Valley Oaks Elementary School fifth-grade teacher Marcia Looper will receive the 2007 Preserve America Elementary History Teacher of the Year Award on Friday, Sept. 14, during a special 9 a.m. morning ceremony on the Westview campus.

Spring Woods High School and the school district’s award-winning Odyssey of the Mind program will sponsor a Theater Arts & Odyssey of the Mind Workshop for students in second through 12^th grades from 8:30 a.m. until 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 15, at Spring Woods High, 2045 Gessner. The workshop cost is $20.

Two Spring Branch elementary campuses have received Toolbox for Education grants valued at $5,000 each through the Lowe’s Charitable and Educational Foundation. The grants have helped beautify the grounds at Terrace Elementary School and create a pond habitat and outdoor classroom at Spring Shadows Elementary.

Stratford High quarterback Andrew Luck was featured as a standout regional player Aug. 30 in the Houston Chronicle’s annual High Schools Football 2007 special section. He lived up to his advance press during the Stratford-Cy Fair game played recently at Tully Stadium.

The Gifted and Talented Parent Advisory Committee (GT PAC) will host its noontime speaker series, beginning Sept. 20, with a talk by University of Houston Professor F. Richard Olenchak. His topic is Gifted Boys.

More than 75 volunteers will knock on doors in neighborhoods surrounding Northbrook and Spring Woods high schools on Saturday, Sept. 8, to encourage students who are no longer enrolled to return to school.