H.R. No. 255
R E S O L U T I O N
1-1 WHEREAS, The Texas House of Representatives is proud to join
1-2 the faculty, staff, students, and alumni of Westwood Junior High
1-3 School in commemorating the 20th anniversary of the school's
1-4 founding and in celebrating its two decades of dedication to
1-5 excellence in academic and extracurricular pursuits; and
1-6 WHEREAS, In the two decades since its founding, Westwood
1-7 Junior High School has earned an outstanding reputation for high
1-8 standards of scholastic achievement in large part because of the
1-9 exceptional level of support it has received from the community and
1-10 the unwavering commitment of its dedicated faculty and school
1-11 administration; and
1-12 WHEREAS, Among the first of the countless men and women who
1-13 helped establish the school's tradition of perseverance in the
1-14 pursuit of excellence was Bob Stamps, the current athletic director
1-15 for Richardson Independent School District and the first to serve
1-16 as principal at Westwood Junior High School; and
1-17 WHEREAS, Appointed to that post in May 1972, Mr. Stamps
1-18 worked tirelessly throughout the summer amid soaring temperatures
1-19 and the chaos of ongoing construction work to prepare for the
1-20 school's scheduled opening in the fall; thanks to his hard work and
1-21 that of everyone involved in launching the new school, Westwood
1-22 Junior High School opened its doors in the fall of 1972; and
1-23 WHEREAS, Having surmounted the difficulties of establishing a
1-24 new school, the administration and faculty immediately faced
2-1 another great challenge on opening day, when more than 900 students
2-2 arrived; although the school had been prepared to greet
2-3 approximately 550 pupils, the faculty and staff responded in
2-4 exemplary fashion, hurriedly assembling classes in every available
2-5 space to accommodate the unexpected number of new students; and
2-6 WHEREAS, Undaunted by the difficulties attendant to the
2-7 school's opening, the faculty and administration not only coped
2-8 with but thrived from the experience, developing a close-knit sense
2-9 of community that has endured into the present as a shared vision
2-10 of the school's purpose; and
2-11 WHEREAS, In 1976, Ron Parks succeeded Mr. Stamps, taking over
2-12 the administration of a junior high school with a growing
2-13 enrollment of more than 1,200 students; within three years of
2-14 Mr. Parks's arrival, Westwood Junior High School reached an
2-15 all-time high enrollment of 1,540 students; and
2-16 WHEREAS, During Mr. Parks's tenure, the school's reputation
2-17 for outstanding achievement also continued to grow as Westwood
2-18 students excelled in district and statewide competitions; the
2-19 Westwood Junior High School band and orchestra particularly
2-20 distinguished themselves and brought honor and prestige to the
2-21 school by being named Texas Best Band and Texas Best Orchestra at
2-22 this time; and
2-23 WHEREAS, In the fall of 1980, Jacky Russell was appointed to
2-24 the post of principal, in which capacity Mr. Russell continues to
2-25 serve today with the same degree of dedication and success as his
2-26 worthy predecessors; under his capable leadership, the school has
2-27 undergone tremendous changes, both in its facilities and in its
3-1 student population, but despite these changes has maintained and
3-2 added to its superior record of achievement; and
3-3 WHEREAS, In the last five years alone, the school has
3-4 garnered such prestigious honors as the Governor's Excellence
3-5 Exemplary Performance Award, a Texas State Board of Education
3-6 Certificate of Achievement for superior mastery on all TEAMS test
3-7 areas, and a Presidential Academic Fitness Award; the school also
3-8 was recognized as a demonstration school by the President's Council
3-9 on Physical Fitness and Sports; and
3-10 WHEREAS, The school's tradition of quality extends to all
3-11 areas of scholastic endeavor, as evident in the school band's
3-12 receipt of the Sudler Cup award, in the school choir's designation
3-13 by the Texas Music Educators Association as a Select Performing
3-14 Choir for the State of Texas, and in the numerous individual and
3-15 team trophies in district, regional, and national art, science,
3-16 mathematics, Latin, and academic pentathlon competition; and
3-17 WHEREAS, This consistently high level of achievement is
3-18 attributable not only to the hard work and dedication of the
3-19 school's students, teachers, and administrators, but to the
3-20 steadfast support they have received from parents who desire the
3-21 best education possible for the community's youth as well, and
3-22 special recognition is due to the stellar role played by past PTA
3-23 presidents Ed and Sue Long, Jim and Valerie Coffee, Marv and Joan
3-24 Lane, Dennis and Bettye Stripling, and John and Julie Price; and
3-25 WHEREAS, The occasion of Westwood Junior High School's 20th
3-26 anniversary is indeed a joyous moment in the school's history and
3-27 an appropriate time to salute the dedicated teachers and
4-1 administrators, past and present, and the generations of
4-2 schoolchildren who have contributed to the school's enduring spirit
4-3 of pride and accomplishment; now, therefore, be it
4-4 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 73rd Texas
4-5 Legislature hereby commemorate the 20th anniversary of the opening
4-6 of Westwood Junior High School and commend the entire community on
4-7 its two decades-long record of commitment to excellence in
4-8 education with best wishes for continued success in the future;
4-9 and, be it further
4-10 RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
4-11 prepared for Westwood Junior High School principal Jacky Russell as
4-12 an expression of high esteem by the Texas House of Representatives.
4-13 RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
4-14 prepared for Westwood Junior High School principal Jacky Russell as
4-15 an expression of high esteem by the Texas House of Representatives.
4-16 Goolsby
4-17 H.R. No. 255
4-18 _______________________________
4-19 Speaker of the House
4-20 I certify that H.R. No. 255 was adopted by the House on
4-21 February 15, 1993, by a non-record vote.
4-22 _______________________________
4-23 Chief Clerk of the House