By Hochberg                                            H.R. No. 165
       74R5589 PAN-D
                                  R E S O L U T I O N
    1-1        WHEREAS, With the opening of The Rice School/La Escuela Rice
    1-2  in the fall of 1994, the Houston Independent School District has
    1-3  ushered in an exciting new era of educational opportunity for
    1-4  future generations of Texas schoolchildren; and
    1-5        WHEREAS, A collaborative effort between the school district
    1-6  and Rice University, the state-of-the-art institution was initially
    1-7  envisioned in 1990 as an attempt to alleviate overcrowding in
    1-8  nearby schools and has since evolved into a school that combines
    1-9  within its curriculum all of the elements needed to offer its
   1-10  students the finest public school education available in the United
   1-11  States today; and
   1-12        WHEREAS, From its architecture to its curriculum, this
   1-13  remarkable new facility has been 100 percent community planned;
   1-14  hundreds of parents, teachers, and volunteers came together to
   1-15  participate in designing every aspect of the school and Rice
   1-16  faculty members not only helped to develop the curriculum but
   1-17  remain an integral factor in the school's success, offering their
   1-18  expertise to teachers on a regular basis as well as teaching
   1-19  minicourses on campus; and
   1-20        WHEREAS, The school is both an elementary and a middle school
   1-21  and clusters grades K-2, 3-5, and 6-8 to foster leadership among
   1-22  the older children within each level, to provide role models to the
   1-23  younger set, and to allow all children to develop a sense of
   1-24  community; and
    2-1        WHEREAS, A small percentage of slots are reserved for the
    2-2  children of Rice University faculty members, while the majority of
    2-3  the 1,307 children in attendance at the school have been drawn from
    2-4  neighborhood schools and other parts of the city through a lottery
    2-5  system; the school's dress code, which requires the children to
    2-6  wear a uniform, has enabled children from all walks of life to take
    2-7  pride in their appearance and come together as equals, regardless
    2-8  of their family's financial resources; and
    2-9        WHEREAS, The school also has eliminated University
   2-10  Interscholastic League athletics from its campus, preferring
   2-11  instead to have students participate in intramural sports in a move
   2-12  that will enable them to reap the positive benefits that team
   2-13  sports have to offer without concerns of championship tournaments
   2-14  stealing in to deplete their enjoyment; and
   2-15        WHEREAS, The HISD-Rice campus is a dual-language school at
   2-16  which all students are expected to become fluent in both English
   2-17  and Spanish over the course of their education; all classes are
   2-18  taught in English and Spanish, and every sign in the school has
   2-19  been printed to reflect both languages; children also will become
   2-20  well-versed in community service, as all students are required to
   2-21  participate in annual community service projects and to uphold the
   2-22  tenets of a school honor code that was drafted to emphasize high
   2-23  expectations and strong community values; and
   2-24        WHEREAS, A place of learning for teachers and students alike,
   2-25  the school employs an excellent staff of 70 educators and serves as
   2-26  a districtwide professional development center that focuses on
   2-27  effective teaching strategies for urban students; and
    3-1        WHEREAS, Every aspect of the 167,000 square foot structure
    3-2  has been built with its mission in mind, from small conveniences
    3-3  like sinks in the kindergarten rooms to its focal point, an
    3-4  enormous library and resource center serving parents, students, and
    3-5  all HISD teachers; and
    3-6        WHEREAS, The Rice School/La Escuela Rice has dedicated itself
    3-7  to the total development of its students, helping to develop
    3-8  tomorrow's leaders with pride and determination; on the momentous
    3-9  occasion of its dedication ceremony, it is an opportune time to
   3-10  honor the many people who have played a part in the establishment
   3-11  of this shining example of excellence in education; now, therefore,
   3-12  be it
   3-13        RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 74th Texas
   3-14  Legislature hereby commemorate the dedication of The Rice School/La
   3-15  Escuela Rice and commend all who have given generously of their
   3-16  time and talent over the past four years to ensure the success of
   3-17  this remarkable institution of education; and, be it further
   3-18        RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
   3-19  prepared for prominent display at the school as an expression of
   3-20  highest regard by the Texas House of Representatives.