Fielder fifth-grader wins math challenge
When Joshua Okolo’s feet first touched American soil just a short year ago, he was already a step ahead.
Intelligent, friendly and attractive with a brilliant smile he flashes successfully, he seemed marked for success.
Now the Fielder Elementary School fifthgrader has been named the best math student in Texas based on his performance in Think Through Math’s 2015 Texas Summer THINK Challenge, Katy Independent School District officials have announced.
To win the title and the prize — a Samsung Galaxy tablet — the 10-year-old completed and passed 158 math lessons this summer. According to district officials, the eight-week challenge lessons are the equivalent of 2,047 complex math problems and 52 hours of study.
“At first, I didn’t like math,” Joshua said. “My parents were making me do math every day. Then, I was doing math without them even asking me.”
The son of Kenneth and Ifeona Okolo, Joshua has two younger brothers and a younger sister. The family immigrated to the United States from Nigeria, by way of England.
“At first, my father had a school picked out for me in London,” Joshua remembered. “But it was a boarding school and it would have been hard for me to come home and teach my brothers what I learned (at the time, Joshua said, his sister was an infant).”
“Joshua is a quiet student who is very bright and a leader among his peers,” said William H. Rhodes, principal of Fielder Elementary.
“Think Through Math is used throughout Katy ISD and other districts . . . to encourage math practice at home during the school year and during the summer,” Rhodes explained. “During the school year we track lessons successfully completed by grade level and home rooms and announce the highest accomplishments each month.”
Think Through Math is based on the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills curriculum standards, district officials said, and combines teacher support with student motivation in a web-based learning system.
The young scholar said he thinks school is more difficult in Nigeria.
“In Nigeria, you have homework every night and it’s always due the next day,” he said with a grin.
While claiming math and science as his favorite subjects, Joshua said he wants to be an engineer one day, but he’s not yet certain what kind of engineer.
“My mother was expecting me to win one of the monthly contests,” Joshua admitted. “I don’t think she expected this.”
‘Romeo and Winifred’ headed for Ren Fest
Seven Lakes Junior High School performers “Spartans on Stage 2” are taking the show on the road.
The young actors are scheduled to perform “Romeo and Winifred,” a oneact parody of one of Shakespeare’s most famous plays, on Tuesday, Nov. 3, at the Texas Renaissance Festival, theater instructor Julia Becker said.
One of 32 junior high schools performing at the competition, Seven Lakes Junior High actors are set to present the play to the public in December, Becker added.
KISD Parent Portal is ready for use
Katy Independent School District residents have a new tool for accessing district and campus information, KISD officials have announced.
The new Parent Portal offers information on curriculum, health and safety issues, technology and volunteering, as well as school lunch menus, the instructional calendar and campus directories.
“The information has been available before,” said Lindsey Sanders, a KISD communications officer. “We’ve just made it easier on the parents.”
The Parent Portal is available at www.katyisd. org/parents, Sanders said.
Evening tour at Faith West
Faith West Academy has scheduled an evening tour for prospective students and their parents on Thursday, Oct. 29, beginning at 7 p.m., according to school officials.
The tour also includes an opportunity to speak with academy administrators and faculty.
Parents and prospective students are to meet at the fountains inside the main entrance, officials said.
Faith West Academy, an accredited, interdenominational private school,offers education for boys and girls from preschool through the 12th grade. The academy is located at 2225 Porter Road. For more information, call the academy at 281-3915683.
Early dismissal for KISD Schools
Katy Independent School District officials have scheduled an early dismissal day on Friday, Nov. 6. The date coincides with the end of the second grading period for secondary students.
Elementary schools are to dismiss students at 12:40 p.m.; secondary students are to be dismissed at 11:35 a.m., district officials said.
Adams named to state school board group
Longtime Katy Independent School District trustee Joe M. Adams has been elected second vicepresident of the Texas Association of School Boards, district officials have announced. He is a graduate of Leadership TASB and a master trustee, officials said.
Adams, who has served on the KISD board since 1989, has held every office on the board at least once, officials said. He also serves as a director of the Gulf Coast Area Association of School Boards and chairs the board of directors of the Southern Federal Credit Union, according to officials.
Adams, a KEYS volunteer for six years, is a mentor at Taylor High School and was named Mentor of the Year in 2013, records show. The Katy school board trustee is a founding director of Katy ISD Education Foundation as well as a member of the Katy and Houston A&M Clubs, 12th Man Association and IMPACT.
A member of Kingsland Baptist Church, Adams also serves as a deacon and adult Sunday school director.
Following a 30-year career in the oil industry, Adams has owned and operated Budget Blinds and Bluebonnet Painting and Renovation in the Katy area since 2005.
Adams, who was elected at the TASB’s annual Delegate Assembly and Convention held in Austin recently, holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Texas A&M University.
HCC’s Hodges named to Katy EDC board
Houston Community College President Zachary R. Hodges has received an appointment to the Katy Economic Development Council’s Board of Governors.
As a member of the board, Hodges is expected to make key decisions on the organization and economic development of the Katy area, HCC officials said.
Hodges brings to the board more than 20 years’ experience as a college president as well as 40 years’ service in the field of higher education.
The nonprofit Katy EDC includes 180 members who have assisted in the creation of 13,500 jobs and $1.4 billion in capital investment, officials said. According to school officials, nearly 4,000 Katy ISD residents attend an HCC campus.
Kilpatrick teachers are “connected”
Five Kilpatrick Elementary School teachers have been selected to participate in the Connected Learner Program, district officials have announced.
As members of the program, third-grade team members Amy Dufrene, Ashley Mayzer, Lori Augustine, Barb Tyler and Aimee Weathers are expected to work with other KISD teachers in helping students gain proficiency with new educational and communication technologies.
According to Dufrene, Kilpatrick classes have an Apple TV and four iPads in each classroom, as well as the ability to check out additional iPads for the classroom.
“The Connected Learner program is an initiative to get technology into the classroom,” said Dufrene. “We teach the technology, but we also teach what we call ‘digital citizenship,’ which includes teaching students how to speak to and respect others online. Online safety and no bullying are also important aspects of what we teach.
“The program ties teachers to other teachers so we can stay on top of the coming technology. It’s not just iPads,” said Dufrene. “The Connected Learner program helps us stay grounded.”
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