By Gutierrez H.R. No. 447 74R7958 SAJ-D R E S O L U T I O N 1-1 WHEREAS, The Texas House of Representatives is proud to 1-2 congratulate Travis Middle School of McAllen on the noteworthy 1-3 achievement of its designation as a state Blue Ribbon Award winner; 1-4 and 1-5 WHEREAS, This prestigious accolade is sponsored by the United 1-6 States Department of Education and recognizes schools that are 1-7 proven leaders in the area of education reform; and 1-8 WHEREAS, Travis Middle School was selected by the Texas 1-9 Education Agency as one of 27 outstanding secondary schools in the 1-10 state and will go on to vie with schools from across the country 1-11 for top national honors; and 1-12 WHEREAS, The school has been heralded for its exceptional 1-13 efforts to increase parental involvement; to this end, 1-14 administrators joined with Valley Interfaith's Alliance Schools 1-15 Initiative to coordinate the efforts of the school, the parents, 1-16 and the church, which are the most important influences in a young 1-17 person's life; and 1-18 WHEREAS, Valley Interfaith met with parents to identify their 1-19 concerns about education and also provided training sessions on how 1-20 parents could most effectively communicate with their children's 1-21 teachers, while educators took the time to acquaint themselves with 1-22 the neighborhoods in which their students reside; and 1-23 WHEREAS, The school also restructured several of its programs 1-24 and allowed some of its students to attend classes at McAllen High 2-1 School, thus giving them an opportunity to acquaint themselves with 2-2 the high school environment; and 2-3 WHEREAS, In addition, the school conducts its eighth-grade 2-4 English classes in a workshop fashion, which allows students to 2-5 choose individualized courses of study and greatly enhances 2-6 creativity; students also have experienced the joys of publishing 2-7 their own work in the school's innovative and entertaining Conejo 2-8 Magazine; and 2-9 WHEREAS, The success of the program has become evident as 2-10 many parents have become active participants in their children's 2-11 education and have gone on to contribute to the betterment of the 2-12 Travis Middle School campus in a variety of ways; families have 2-13 donated patio furniture for the school's courtyard, and some 2-14 parents are involved in safety issues and direct traffic after 2-15 school; and 2-16 WHEREAS, The campus has embarked on a number of 2-17 beautification projects that make it a truly lovely place in which 2-18 to study and work; trees have been planted throughout the area, and 2-19 a mural depicting a prehistoric landscape now graces one of the 2-20 courtyard walls; and 2-21 WHEREAS, Most importantly, these efforts have had a positive 2-22 effect on the school's 700 students, all of whom have benefitted in 2-23 countless ways from increased parental involvement in their 2-24 education, and the members of this chamber take great pleasure in 2-25 commending the many dedicated and caring individuals who have made 2-26 the school the outstanding academic institution that it is today; 2-27 now, therefore, be it 3-1 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 74th Texas 3-2 Legislature hereby honor Travis Middle School on the occasion of 3-3 its designation as a state Blue Ribbon Award winner and wish the 3-4 school continued success in the competition as it vies for top 3-5 national honors; and, be it further 3-6 RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be 3-7 prepared for prominent display at Travis Middle School as an 3-8 expression of high esteem by the Texas House of Representatives.