The Education Village ~ e Information & Tour

Welcome to Education Village

Hello, I’m Greg Smith, the proud superintendent of the largest, high performing school district in Texas. In Clear Creek ISD, we believe innovation requires a commitment to bold ideas which is why we are pleased to open the first K-12 educational park in Texas, and one of only a few across the nation. Here at the Education Village, you will find an elementary, intermediate, and high school on one piece of acreage.

Architecturally, the Village is awe-inspiring and has been rated as one of the top ten projects in Texas by the Texas Construction Magazine. During this online presentation, we will take you behind the walls and inside the instructional vision of the Village, share with you our plans for the Village, specifically Clear Falls High School, and answer your questions about the opportunities these schools will offer the children of Clear Creek ISD.

It takes strong leadership to bring the vision of Education Village full circle. I do not mind bragging here, but we have hired some exceptional principals in Clear Creek ISD, and all of our schools benefit from their leadership. Stephanie McBride is the principal of Sandra Mossman Elementary. We moved Ms. McBride from P.H. Greene Elementary where she brought the school to an Exemplary rating. A former associate principal of Clear Creek High School, Jamey Majewski is the principal of Bayside Intermediate. He is currently a Director in Human Resources. We know he’ll be doing some great things on this campus. The principal of Clear Falls High School is Ms. Karen Engle. Ms. Engle is a Clear Lake High School Alum. Before joining the village team, she was the high school principal at Clear View Educational Center, an assistant principal at Clear Lake City Intermediate and principal of Clear Lake City Elementary. Ms. Engle is an innovative leader and has the Village concept down! Ms. Engle is also CCISD’s Principal of the Year. These three leaders are at the helm of the most innovative educational complex in the state.  I am confident their collaboration and experience will ensure Education Village will lead the way in 21st Century learning!

Education Village K-12 Instructional Vision

Hi, I’m Karen Engle, Principal of the Education Village High School and I’m pleased to talk with you today about the instructional vision of the Village and this unique opportunity for our students to transition seamlessly from Kindergarten through grade 12. This 144 acre campus combines three schools with shared multi-use cafeteria and other facilities. Clear Falls High School is a 2500 capacity high school, Bayside Intermediate is built for 1200 students and Mossman Elementary is a 900 capacity campus. This PreK-16 facility has been created with a community of learners in mind.

The Education Village is based on an academic design to prepare students for the 21st century. A national organization, the Partnership for Developing 21st Century Skills, created a national framework which establishes criteria designed to prepare students for the 21st century. Dr. Smith, along with other superintendents in Texas, came together to develop a document – Creating a New Vision for Public Education in Texas – which outlines key principles for preparing our students to be college and work force ready in the 21st century.

Our primary focus at Education Village is threefold: Developing 21st Century Skills, Developing Community and Developing Leadership.

Developing 21st Century Skills includes incorporating the four core academic subjects along with opportunities for students to develop learning, innovation, information, media, technology, life and career skills. Some of the opportunities our students will have at Clear Falls High School include:

• A Biotechnology Lab which will be focused in the career areas of engineering, health science and agriculture science. Career opportunities in these fields are exploding and most Biotechnology programs are at the college level. A Biotechnology Advisory committee has already been working together and includes business, education, and medical experts from across Houston.
• An Information Technology Lab at Clear Falls High School will lead to A+ and Net+ certifications for students interested in computer repair and networking.
• Clear Falls High School students will have the opportunity to take advantage of courses in Audio Video Production & Animation Labs. These resources will be used by high school students and will also be available for students on all three campuses at the Education Village for broadcasting opportunities.
• Additional Career and Technology certifications at Clear Falls High School are anticipated to include: Microsoft Certified Specialist, Certified Nursing Assistant, Pharmacy Tech, and Welding.
• Engineering Project Lead the Way courses will be taught at Clear Falls High School just as they are at the current four comprehensive high schools in Clear Creek ISD. The focus at Clear Falls will be on biotechnical & aerospace engineering as we continue to encourage students interested in careers in engineering.
• Other exciting opportunities that are in the planning stages for the Education Village include a Kindergarten – 12th grade Greenhouse, Farmer’s Market, and a Financial Center.
• Technology will be integrated into all subject areas and will include student multimedia presentation capabilities, mimeos, document readers, dance mats, podcasting, and social networking. You can also follow Education Village updates and information on Twitter!
• College credit will be provided at Clear Falls High School through Advanced Placement Tests, Career and Technology Advanced Technical Credit and Dual Credit Courses through College of the Mainland.  These opportunities will support our goal to increase the number of students identified as college/workforce ready.

The Education Village is committed to providing rigorous learning opportunities that meet the needs of ALL students. The goal is profound learning – student learning of facts and information, with the application of that information to new situations, the ability to synthesize, solve problems, and create knowledge. Students will cultivate and utilize the full range of their capabilities at all grades in the Education Village.

Developing Community is the second area of focus for the Education Village as we prepare students for the 21st century. All three campus leaders have set a goal to make the Education Village the hub of our community for students and adult learners. We have a unique opportunity at The Village for collaboration and building community.

• Administrators and teachers will work together and learn from each other across grade levels and campuses. Vertical curriculum alignment, literacy education and sharing teachers and other resources are all possibilities at the Education Village.  
• “Purposeful movement” across the three campuses will be evident throughout the day. Some courses will provide immediate opportunities for this exchange. Clear Falls High School Ready Set Teach and the Child Development Laboratory both introduce students to careers in the field of education. Clear Falls High School students will have learning experiences without leaving the Education Village. Bayside Intermediate students taking Synergistics will have an opportunity to use the high school Biotechnology Lab. Students at Mossman Elementary and Bayside Intermediate will be able to take high school courses if appropriate.
• Community will be developed through specialized tutoring and mentoring in athletics and fine arts. Intermediate and high school students can participate in athletic demonstrations, combined pep rallies, and field days. Younger Education students will be special guests at intermediate and high school events. Older students can develop lessons and tutor younger students in art, choir, band, and dance. Younger students can perform with the older students or use the intermediate and high school facilities for special events.
• Village-wide organizations such as the PTA, Campus Watch Dogs, Booster Clubs, and parent-community advisory boards will support building community at the Education Village and connecting students on all three campuses.  

The third key aspect to preparing our students to be successful in the 21st century is Developing Leadership.

• The Education Village will provide leadership opportunities for 3rd-12th grade students through a democratic student government and Student Council
• Village-wide Go Green projects will provide opportunities for student leadership at all levels.
• A mentoring model will support students transitioning into 6th grade and into 9th grade. Bayside Intermediate students and Clear Falls High School students will be role models and provide support for younger students as they make often difficult transitions to intermediate and high school.
• Service Learning is another opportunity for all students to develop self-direction and leadership skills. Students at the Education Village will participate in a service learning project each year. These projects can be aligned with campus, community, or world needs. The goal is to instill a sense of personal responsibility and commitment to the community.
• The first few years at the Education Village will provide unique opportunities for student leadership that cannot be over emphasized. Through clubs and organizations students must courageously step forward as leaders and fill the roles of president or secretary of a club, captain or leader on a sports team, establishing traditions and setting high standards for excellence. These roles are usually filled by seniors, but at Clear Falls High School they will all be filled by sophomores and freshman. There will be high academic and behavioral expectations of the students that fill the hallways of Bayside Intermediate and Clear Falls high school next year – but we know our students will demonstrate the Courage, Collaboration, Innovation, and Self-Direction that will be required to open two new exemplary schools and together with Mossman Elementary, establish a community of learners who will excel in the 21st century!

Athletics Programs Start Up Information

I’m Bill Daws, Clear Creek ISD Director of Athletics, PE and Health and I’m proud to share information with you today as we are in a full court press developing first class athletics programs for the Education Village!

With regards to the facilities infrastructure, the high school athletic facilities include three practice fields with a competition field and track. The tennis accommodations include 10 courts for practice, competition and the hosting of large tournaments. A state-of-the-art 8-lane swimming pool has significant seating capacity for spectators and the ability to host large meets. Additionally, Clear Falls High School is outfitted with two practice gyms and one large competition gymnasium within the athletic complex. Also included are one large and one small weight room for our athletes in training.  On the Bayside Intermediate side of Education Village, there is a track and football complex, one competition gym, one practice gym, 6 tennis courts and a weight and training room located adjacent to the gymnasium area.

The Village High School will offer every sport that is sanctioned under the UIL in the state of Texas. Note that Football will be the only sport that will not include Varsity level competition until the third year due to the UIL developing program formula and the safety of our kids. However, it is likely that lower level varsity teams will be included in the competition line up to simulate varsity level play and complete the schedule for the first two years. The individual sports can begin varsity level play and competition during the first year of the school’s operation.

Bayside Intermediate will include the full complement of sports available at all Clear Creek ISD Intermediate schools.

We’re excited about the Education Village athletics programs coming on line and plan to staff these programs with the best and the brightest as is tradition in Clear Creek ISD athletics!

Fine Arts Programs Start Up Information

Greetings, I’m Dean Muths, Director of Visual and Performing Arts for Clear Creek ISD. I’m excited to share with you important information regarding your child’s Clear Falls High School experience in the areas of band, choir, orchestra, theatre, art and dance.  It is our intention to provide the complete high school experience for your child in each of these creative areas.  It will be exciting when, in the fall of 2010, band members take the field to march and drill team members perform at each of the football games throughout the season.  It’s important to know that the drill team this first year will be made up of only Sophomore students following our practice district-wide of using only Sophomore through Senior students for this activity.  Although the numbers in each program may be smaller than other campuses at first, Clear Falls students will enjoy starting, building and leading the programs and the traditions that will last the lifetime of this spectacular campus.  All fine arts students will compete in the same contests as our other schools throughout the year, which ensures that the experience will be equally as challenging and rewarding.  Music students will perform in many concerts, theatre students will perform their productions, dance students will develop and perform their dance pieces, and art students will display their creations at art exhibits throughout the area and state. Clear Falls will have state-of-the-art music, theatre, dance and art facilities providing an environment that will allow its students to follow their passion for the arts in the perfect setting.

Student tryouts for the various programs will be held in spring 2010, most likely in the late March to April time frame.  Information about these tryouts will be shared with each of the newly-zoned campuses throughout the district once a director for each program is selected from the many impressive applicants who have already communicated their interest.  Clear Creek ISD will continue to keep you informed of our progress with staffing the fine arts department via the district website.  We are intent on treating each event as a “varsity” experience for our students as the school enrollment builds throughout the early years.  This is a rare opportunity for our freshman and sophomores to develop true leadership abilities that would not be available to them on an established high school campus.  I know they will cherish the experience for years to come.
I look forward to an outstanding first year and hope you will join me in supporting arts education at Education Village!

What’s It Like to Start a New High School?
Hear from the Students of Clear Springs High School

Hello, I'm Michael Sanchez, and I'm Matthew Sanchez.

MICHAEL:As students of the youngest high school in CCISD, Clear Springs…

MATTHEW: …We'd like to tell you a bit about what it's like for the STUDENTS when starting up a new high school campus.

MICHAEL: In a new school environment, you are introduced into leadership roles a lot quicker and your sense of maturity is accelerated.

MATTHEW: I know WE really enjoyed the opportunities that came our way for being the oldest class on campus, not for just one year but for THREE years.

MICHAEL: It was the students' job, and a lot of fun at that, to start up everything that the future students of our campus would use for years to come. For instance, our school has started many traditions such as chants at the games, a class ring ceremony, and a group of students got to select the style of the graduation invitations that will be used FOREVER for Clear Springs commencement announcements.

MATTHEW: There is something also very special about how quickly we all came together, whether it be attending or participating in sports events and performances or joining a club, the fact that everybody is so young and you're perceived as "the underdog" brings everyone closer together. It didn't matter what school everybody came from, we become united in this unique environment and the endless opportunities that it provided us.

MICHAEL: Everybody likes new stuff right? -

MATTHEW: Right!

MICHAEL: Because Clear Springs was new, we were exposed to everything new. From new technology and sports equipment to new books and furniture - everything was new!

MATTHEW: We want to assure you that your experience at Clear Falls will be an unforgettable journey.

BOTH: Good luck and really seize this once in a life time opportunity!!!