By Johnson                                             H.R. No. 418
       74R5662 BNL-D
                                  R E S O L U T I O N
    1-1        WHEREAS, The citizens of Martinsville recently marked a
    1-2  momentous occasion in the history of a favorite local landmark when
    1-3  they commemorated the centennial of Martinsville School; and
    1-4        WHEREAS, Founded in 1894, this unique school has educated
    1-5  several generations of Martinsville residents, and many of today's
    1-6  students are studying in the same classrooms where their
    1-7  grandparents first learned to read and write; and
    1-8        WHEREAS, Through the years, the physical structure of the
    1-9  school has undergone many changes, most notably after a 1934 fire
   1-10  swept through the original building; the school's outhouses and
   1-11  wellhouses were rendered obsolete by modern plumbing, but the
   1-12  school's original commitment to the children and families of that
   1-13  community has remained unchanged for more than a century; and
   1-14        WHEREAS, The original gym, which once housed a woodburning
   1-15  heater, is still used for athletic competitions, dances, and
   1-16  community activities, as well as for physical education; the girls'
   1-17  athletic program has flourished under the direction of Coach Hoyt
   1-18  Woodle, and their basketball and cross-country teams have won
   1-19  district titles for the past five consecutive years; and
   1-20        WHEREAS, Other extracurricular and academic programs  also
   1-21  have fared well in University Interscholastic League competition,
   1-22  with students earning statewide recognition in Ready Writing and
   1-23  One-Act Play competitions; the school's challenging curriculum has
   1-24  expanded over the years to include foreign language, special
    2-1  education, and English as a second language programs, and the
    2-2  facility has added two computer labs to prepare students for the
    2-3  technological demands of the future; and
    2-4        WHEREAS, When the school district faced consolidation in the
    2-5  early 1980s, parents and community leaders successfully fought to
    2-6  keep Martinsville School independent and locally controlled; their
    2-7  efforts have been rewarded in recent years as enrollment increases
    2-8  have necessitated the addition of seven new classrooms and five
    2-9  mobile units to educate the growing East Texas population; and
   2-10        WHEREAS, For 100 years Martinsville School has educated
   2-11  succeeding generations of Texans in Nacogdoches County, while
   2-12  serving as an important reminder of our rich pioneer history; the
   2-13  school has kept alive the unique tradition of the rural
   2-14  schoolhouse, and thus it is a proud monument to our shared
   2-15  heritage; now, therefore, be it
   2-16        RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 74th Texas
   2-17  Legislature hereby commemorate the centennial of Martinsville
   2-18  School and extend to its faculty, administration, and students
   2-19  warmest best wishes for many more years of continued success; and,
   2-20  be it further
   2-21        RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
   2-22  prepared for prominent display at Martinsville School as an
   2-23  expression of high regard by the Texas House of Representatives.