Whether entering the workforce directly out of high school or attending a college or university, students are well prepared for either route after graduating from top-notch schools right here in Huntsville and Walker County.
Huntsville ISD
Huntsville Independent School District’s new superintendent, Dr. Scott Sheppard is proud that his district offers something for every student to excel in.
“Preparing students to fulfill their dreams and ambitions in life is a focus in Huntsville ISD. To this end, we provide academic rigor along with programs designed to meet the needs of ALL students. Huntsville Hornets are competing in athletics, fine arts, academics, and almost every other program available to students in the largest of school districts in Texas. We provide experiences to our students that are highly sought after by employers and top tier universities.”
From crayons to college or career, HISD is truly the BEST place for children to be! Offering a full day Pre-K to advanced career and college options along with a wide variety of extra-curricular activities, students are achieving. Exposure to music and arts begins in early elementary with choir, dance, and theatre arts available to secondary students where they can express their creativity and showcase their talents through exceptional performances. The district band program simply can’t be beat! Hundreds of students participate in the intermediate and middle school bands learning the basics and perfecting their skills hoping to earn one of the prestigious spots in the acclaimed Huntsville High School Military Marching Band. This 200+ member band is rich in tradition, excellence, and pride routinely competing and achieving at superior levels. Everyone’s a Hornet in HISD! With a championship athletics program, both boys and girls are offered 11 different sports to participate in. During the 2017-2018 school year, 728 student-athletes were involved in Hornet sports with teams and individuals excelling far beyond their regular seasons – many clinching district to state-level titles. Promoting college readiness and workforce development is the focus of the Career & Technical Education Program (CTE). Proudly offering all 16 of the career clusters recognized by the Texas Education Agency as well as options for obtaining industry-based licenses and/or certifications such as Cosmetology, Certified Nursing Assistant, and Welding, help to make students more marketable. With over $3M in scholarships awarded to seniors, Hornet graduates can compete with students from anywhere whether they choose to attend a 2-year college, 4-year university, or join the military. Student success depends heavily on parent and community involvement and HISD is proud of the increased volunteer, mentor, faith-based, business, and Sam Houston State University partnerships that provide that necessary support for our students.
New Waverly ISD
From kindergarten through high school, New Waverly Independent School District positions students for a bright future. Together, along with community stakeholders, New Waverly ISD helps students grasp class concepts, retain lessons and prepare a path for a rewarding career.
Composed of New Waverly Elementary School, New Waverly Intermediate School, New Waverly Junior High School and New Waverly High School, the district puts its students first.
As a District of Innovation, New Waverly ISD has greater control over the educational and instructional model for its students; increased flexibility relative to state mandates on educational programming; and empowerment to be innovative and think differently. The district was bestowed this recognition after House Bill 1842 passed in 2015, giving the district the chance to design a comprehensive education plan that meets the needs of the district.
The district’s career and technical education programs allow students to pursue pathways that interest them, and give them an opportunity to explore jobs they would like to have after graduation. New Waverly ISD offers career and technical education programs in arts, A/V technology and communications; business marketing and finance; agriculture, food and natural resources; and family consumer science.
Aside from rigorous academics, students can participate in extracurricular activities that enhance their educational experience. These activities include athletics, Beta Club, Bulldogs for Christ, FFA, University Interscholastic League Academics and yearbook. Love of Learning
Schools Offer Alternatives
Positioned for far-reaching success, families looking for an alternative or faith-based education for their kids will find just that in Huntsville-Walker County.
Alpha Omega Academy
Alpha Omega Academy provides a classical, Christ-centered education that equips pre-kindergarten through 12th grade students with the tools to be lifelong learners partnering with parents in the training of their children to be effective Christian leaders who will impact the world for Christ.
Established more than 20 years ago, the school’s desire is to develop young adults who love God with all their heart, soul and mind.
The faculty and staff endeavor to instill in them a dedication to the lifelong pursuit of truth, moral goodness, aesthetic beauty and a commitment to serving others. In all its levels, programs and teaching, Alpha Omega Academy seeks to do the following: emphasize grammar, logic and rhetoric in all subjects; encourage every student to develop a love for learning and live up to their academic potential; and provide an orderly atmosphere conducive to the attainment of the above goals.
Alpha Omega Academy also supports a strong program of athletics and extracurricular activities because through those shared experiences, students are prepared to be humble and gracious leaders.
Discovery Days Preschool
The dedicated staff of educators and caregivers at Discovery Days Preschool considers your child’s growth, well-being and safety as top priorities. At Discovery Days, educators strive to create a structured environment that feels like family in order to facilitate the social, emotional, spiritual and educational development of each child. The school is age-appropriate and faith-based curriculum is designed to ensure that all learners leaving the program are kindergarten ready.
The school welcomes all children, from birth to pre-K, with flexible enrollment options to fit the needs of any family. Select any or all weekdays from 8 a.m. to either 1 or 3 p.m. Additionally, the teacher-to-child ratios are low and facilities are top-notch.
To keep parents well-connected to the development of their children, Discovery Days offers frequent skills evaluations and periodic parent-teacher conferences. Each child’s teacher will keep a student portfolio of milestones and artwork to share with parents at the end of the semester.
Faith Lutheran School
Educating from age 6 weeks to fourth grade, Faith Lutheran School provides students with an excellent learning environment while sharing the love of God. On top of engaged early childhood educational opportunities, the school offers before and after school care too.
Likewise, pupils enjoy small class sizes, which allow them to receive the hands-on instruction they need from teachers. Students can also participate in arts classes and technology courses that lay the groundwork for their next level of education and, eventually, the workplace.
Children also have the opportunity to take Bible classes, attend weekly chapel services, as well as go on field trips and partake in special events.
Premier High School
For students who prefer smaller class sizes and an independent learning atmosphere, Premier High School in Huntsville is a great option.
The school is ideal for those in need of credit recovery, who want to graduate early or individuals trying to find a balance between family, work and earning a diploma.
On top of that, Premier High School offers career and technical education classes, the opportunity to earn college credits while in high school and a flexible schedule.
Tomorrow’s Promise Montessori School
Tomorrow’s Promise Montessori School is the only area school offering an individualized curriculum, an expectation of mastery of a concept before advancement and a classroom designed to allow students to excel beyond grade level in their favorite subjects. Every program is based on core Montessori beliefs: respect for each other and for the environment.
Students are free to work at their own pace with materials they have chosen, either alone or with others. The teacher relies on observations of the students to determine which activities and materials to introduce to an individual student, small group, or large group. The aim is to encourage active, self-directed learning and to strike a balance of individual mastery with small-group collaboration within the whole group community.
The three-year age span in each class provides a family-like grouping, where learning can take place naturally. More experienced students share what they have learned while reinforcing their own learning.
Because this peer group learning is intrinsic to Montessori, there is often more conversation-language experiences in this type of classroom than in conventional early education settings. n Information
in this article was provided by Alpha Omega Academy, Discovery Days Preschool, Tomorrow’s Promise Montessori School and Sarah Lancaster.
Home of the Bearkats
University Excels in High Achievement at all Levels
Recognized as one of the “Best in the West” universities by the Princeton Review, Sam Houston State University continually strives to honor its historical roots through academic excellence. The university is home to exceptional teaching from faculty members who care as much about student success as they do about furthering the knowledge of their fields.
For more than 139 years, SHSU has been preparing students for meaningful lives of achievement. Its motto, “The measure of a Life is its Service,” resonates among its 21,000 students and echoes across seven colleges and beyond its Huntsville roots.
With over 90 bachelor’s degree programs, more than 60 master’s degree programs and 10 doctoral programs, including the nation’s first Ph.D. in forensic science, and 260 student organizations to join, SHSU offers an exceptional college experience. In fact, SHSU was named to USA Today’s Top 50 in the U.S. for “Commitment to Civic Engagement and Global Awareness,” in addition to being classified a “Community Engaged” university by the Carnegie Commission on Higher Education. This honor, bestowed to only 311 public institutions nationwide, acknowledges the university’s significant commitment to serving the community.
Competing in 17 sports at the NCAA Division 1 level, Sam Houston State also provides an intercollegiate athletic program that is successful on both a regional and national level. After clinching the 2018 regular season conference championship in baseball, the Bearkats once again claimed the Southland Conference Commissioner’s Cup which recognizes the best overall athletic department. Bearkats also secured a second-place finish in football, a top finish in indoor track and field and a fourth-place finish in basketball in the Southland Conference.
The university’s athletes excel in the classroom and on the playing field. The overall grade point average for the 400+ Bearkat student-athletes is higher than the general student population. Small class sizes and student to faculty ratio of 23:1 allow for more personalized attention to academics.
Through cutting-edge research, creative endeavors, service learning, volunteering and more, Bearkats have a head-start on their future. More than 50 percent of enrolled students at SHSU are first-generation college students. Sam Houston State is one of the top 15 universities nationwide for keeping students on track to graduate and placing students in the Texas workforce within 12 months of graduation.
Sam Houston State University is more than an institution of higher learning; it is also a great employer. For the past eight years, The Chronicle of Education has named it a “Great College to Work For.” Information in this article was provided by Sam Houston State University.