Posted on Aug 10, 2009 | Tagged in: Friendswood ISD , education
West Ranch community students will officially be attending school in an Exemplary school district this 2009-2010 school year. With the recent release of Texas Education Agency ratings, all six Friendswood Independent School District campuses earned Exemplary status - the highest ranking possible.
This accomplishment surpassed last years ratings, which left all six still Exemplary, but the district overall as "Recognized."
Superintendent Trish Hanks claimed Exemplary was a "very challenging" rating to receive, and attributed the district's success to continued concentration on helping at-risk students, additional planning time for teachers, and an increased number of students who reached the commended level of proficiency on the state assessment.
To receive an Exemplary rating, at least 90% of a school's students must score passing rates in reading, social studies, mathematics, and science on the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills test. Student subgroups at the high school level must also score a 90% passage rate in those four areas.
Learn more about the TEA's rating systems.
Source: Chron.com.
Posted on Jul 24, 2009 | Tagged in: community , City of Friendswood
Friendswood residents and sisters Denise Beard and Malinda Garcia are showing their love for the community in their own in-home care business, Askew Alternative Caregivers. The business, named in honor of their grandparent, strives to provide the highest quality of in-home care for Bay Area residents, especially the elderly.
What's the difference with Askew? The sisters emphasize that their service provides more than nursing can. Through building relationships with those they care for, Askew caregivers make the lives of the cared and their loved ones easier. Services include companionship, light housekeeping, help with bathing, dressing, feeding, grocery shopping, errands, and transportation.
The business' clients include not only seniors, but new moms recuperative care, and those in need of personal assistance.
West Ranch residents interested in working for a hospice/at-home care service or in need of service for themselves or a family consider might find that this quality locally-owned business could be just what they need.
Visit the Askew Alternative Caregivers
website.
Source: HCOnline.com and HomeHelpers.cc
Posted on Jul 15, 2009 | Tagged in: Friendswood ISD , education
West Ranch parents and children will soon have school on their mind, as the Friendswood I.S.D. 2009-2010 school year kicks off on August 24th. We hope to bring our community a bundle of resources for the new school year.
New Students/Enrollment
If your child is new to West Ranch and Friendswood I.S.D., registration is required, but an easy process. Simply assess which school your child will attend (West Ranch students attend Cline Elementary K-3, Windsong Intermediate School 4-6, Friendswood Junior High 7-8, and Friendswood High School 9-12), and register on location.
Friendswood, Texas has once again been recognized nationally as one of America’s best places to live. The new issue of Money magazine cites America’s top 100 best small towns, which were judged by readers in terms of a solid job base, affordable housing, great schools, and area attractions.
Friendswood, home of the new master-planned West Ranch community, was ranked No. 32 on the magazine’s list of the top 100 Best Small Towns. The magazine cites, “Friendswood was founded by Quakers and remains dry, but that doesn't mean its residents don't know how to have fun. The community hosts frequent parades, summer concerts in Stevenson Park, and an opening ceremony for the baseball season. Residents can travel north to Houston, south to the Galveston beaches, or east to the Kemah boardwalk; all are less than an hour away.”
Money lists major employers in the area: Boeing, Valero, BP, NASA as well as the busy Port of Houston. The magazine also reports, “Friendswood has a strong jobs base. And the housing market here is healthier than most.”
West Ranch, the master-planned community located in the city of Friendswood, is developed by Friendswood Development Company and features beautiful new homes by Trendmaker and Village Builders. Prices range from the $270,000s to the $700,000s.
This summer, West Ranch residents are enjoying their own pool and recreation center, in addition to the numerous summer attractions and activities that are close to home.
Students in West Ranch are served by the Friendswood Independent School District and attend exemplary rated schools at all grade levels.
Posted on Jul 13, 2009 | Tagged in: amenities
In many Friendswood Development Company communities, new-home buyers can take advantage of a special incentive that will add what many consider a very important feature to their new home. For a limited time, Village Builders is offering buyers a unique incentive: a free built-in natural gas generator in addition to free Design Studio options.
The offer applies to contracts written on homes until July 19, 2009 and homes must close by a specified contract date.
Now more than ever, a permanent standby generator has become a feature that many people have chosen to add to their home, often spending as much as $10,000. The natural gas generator is designed to power a home during a loss of electrical power, something many Houstonians experienced for weeks in the aftermath of hurricane Ike.
The popularity of this feature has grown significantly since the hurricane hit Houston last year and now, new-home buyers who take advantage of this special incentive from Village Builders can experience the benefits of having this feature in their own home.
Village Builders New Home Consultants have complete details on the offer, and sales offices are open daily.
Posted on Jul 8, 2009 | Tagged in: community , City of Friendswood
FC Holdings, Inc., the parent company of First Community Bank, N.A., has come back to its ‘roots’ with its new headquarters facility located at 12941 Gulf Freeway, on the northeast corner of the I-45 and Beltway 8 intersection.
The new bank facility will be a gold LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified green building. "This building represents our commitment to bringing First Community Bank back to Houston and the Bay Area where we originally got our start," said Nigel Harrison, CEO of FC Holdings, Inc. "It also represents our commitment to innovative environmental design and energy efficiency as one of Houston's first gold LEED certified green buildings."
A number of green features include a landscaped roof that will generate enough oxygen for 700 people and filter 19 tons of outside matter and better insulate the building from the heat and cold. A rainwater recycling system with a capacity of 250,000 gallons will be used to water landscaping, roof vegetation and flush toilets. These green innovations are projected to help keep operating costs at 50% less that a non-green building of the same dimensions.
Design and construction of the FCB headquarters, overseen by Jacob White Development, will have the same features as the 251 Medical Center physicians complex that won the 2008 Landmark Award for the best green building, and will be able to provide 20 new full-time jobs to the Southwest Houston area. It will be one of only three gold LEED certified buildings in Texas.
The branch will have a drive-thru that will join Webster and Friendswood as the third full service FCB location opened in the Houston area this year. The facility will be expected to be complete by the spring of 2010.
Posted on Jul 2, 2009 | Tagged in: events , community , City of Friendswood
Just like the new home community of West Ranch, Friendswood resident Daniel Rockey has a way of standing out. The local high school student literally stands heads and shoulders above your average 16 year old, when walking on stilts, that is.
He’s been stilt walking for over a year and will soon be able to show off his skills in the City of Friendswood’s annual Fourth of July Parade. Dressed from head to homemade stilt in patriotic red, white and blue, be-spangled with stars and stripes, Daniel will be tromping in his Uncle Sam costume that he painstakingly made himself.
“It’s fun to see everybody’s reaction…” he said. “You’d either get the children who were totally engrossed with how someone could stand on stilts or (some who) were just terrified. Everybody reacts differently.”
You can catch this friendly lumbering giant as he makes his way down Friendswood Drive for the Grand Parade, beginning at 10 am. So come and enjoy the festivities this Independence Day!
Source: Houston Chronicle
Posted on Jun 24, 2009 | Tagged in: sports , community , City of Friendswood
The City of Friendswood has its eye on a juicy piece of land that it plans on turning into a park and ball-sports area. It’s all a go, too, but only if Alvin says so.
The land in question is 60 acres of prime undeveloped property located in Brazoria County within Alvin city limits and therefore under the city’s control. If the deal goes through, the land ownership will be transferred to Friendswood, but as of right now the city won’t know if they can purchase it until next month when a state judge issues his ruling in Austin.
Friendswood only wishes to provide a fun and close area where youth residents “can play ball in Brazoria County.” Alvin city officials think it’s a great idea, but have yet to formally meet with Friendswood council members and officially go over plans. Both cities have “expressed optimism that an agreement will be reached,” but as of yet, the plans are still in their initial development stages.
“For what they're using it for, I think it's going to be a great thing. I think it's going to be awesome,” said Alvin City Council member Charles Batty. The friendly optimism was also reciprocated by Friendswood’s Mayor David Smith: “Alvin, they've been great neighbors," he said. "We have inter-local agreements with them, we work wonderfully with them on many different things and I don't expect it to be any different with this.”
To learn more, read the full article at Houston Community Newspapers .
Posted on Jun 19, 2009 | Tagged in: community , City of Friendswood
For over 25 years, the City of Friendswood has known and celebrated one of its most precious establishments, The Cake Lady Bakery. Beginning as a small home business venture by founder and baker Rose Girouard in 1979, the bakery is now a veritable enterprise, catering to not only Friendswood, but also to Clear Lake, Galveston and throughout the greater Houston area.
Even though The Cake Lady Bakery is now in the able hands of Rose’s son, Grant, who manages and oversees every facet of the bakery, the name remains a hallmark to the community. “We’re part of the community and we have been for so long,” he said. “I can remember my mom making cakes for my friend’s graduations and now we’re doing cakes for their kids.”
Posted on Jun 19, 2009 | Tagged in: Friendswood ISD , education
Two new gifts were recently bestowed upon Friendswood ISD. The Board of Trustees has officially and unanimously approved the purchase of three additional school buses, as well as repairs to the foundation of the Friendswood Junior High girl’s gymnasium.
"The number of buses in our fleet needs to be increased," FISD Superintendent Trish Hanks said. "The Transportation Department has had several times this past school year where they have had to combine routes because extra curricular trips were using buses that should have been on a route."
