HEB ISD School & Family Magazine Winter 2015 | Page 16

Hurst Junior High
Great things are happening at Hurst Junior High
Going above and beyond the call of duty are Hurst Junior High’s very
own Mrs. Townsley and Mrs. Smith. Every year, these librarians host a book club party based on
a particular book or genre. Past themes have been Grimm’s fairytales, “Fright Night”, and “The
Hunger Games Capitol Couture”. This year was Sci-Fi based and consisted of a Tardis future
and a Jurassic World past. The construction of these transformations is done primarily by strongminded and diligent library aides, who decorate in detail and execute plans with precision. Food
at the party is a big deal; it has to match the theme and be creative, which is what Hurst’s lovely
library ladies always do! This year’s food included Raptor Toenails (Bugles), Fossil Finds (fossil
print sugar cookies), Molten Lava Rocks (meatballs), Yoda Soda (Ginger Ale and sherbet), and
Volcanic Eruptions (mini bundt cakes erupting with flaming icing). The sensational event promotes
literacy and encourages student involvement at Hurst Junior High.
An exciting new addition to Hurst Junior High is Fitdesks!
Fitdesks are similar to stationary bicycles but with a flat
desktop to work on. They are practically noiseless and
meant to keep students in motion, increasing alertness
and focus on academics. Behavior management is also
changing in a positive way. It was Nurse Keohane’s vision
to study the impact Fitdesks would have on a small group
of HJH students. With a few others in support of her vision
and a written grant to the HEB ISD Education Foundation,
these sensations have become a very real part of two HJH
classrooms. Mr. Ciesla, one of the lucky teachers in whose
rooms the Fitdesks are being tested, predicts students will
stay on task better and improve academically. He says that
students who tend to use the desks during lunch time are
visibly more alert and animated. Mrs. Whitley’s classroom
also has a couple of Fitdesks, and she is impressed with the
results already. With the exception of a very few problems of
getting upset with the taking of turns, the Fitdesks have been
nothing but efficient and fun!
And last but most definitely not least is the amazing Advanced
Placement/International Baccalaureate (AP/IB) Native
Speakers program at Hurst Junior High. Students enter in
7th grade and leave HJH with high school AP credit through
Spanish IV. HJH’s Mr. Bean won the Global Excellence Award
for his students’ scores, which are above the global average
for AP Spanish. This program opens doors of opportunity for
many families with first generation college students.
Based on an original report by Kierra Ashford, 8th grade student,
with support from Nichelle Wright, English and yearbook teacher.
14