West Birdville Elementary takes top honors
Austin, Texas (October 3, 2019)—On October 1, 2019, the Texas Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (Texas ASCD) announced the recipients of the 2019 Texas Whole Child School and Texas Whole Child Aspiring School awards.
The Texas Whole Child School Award program recognizes schools implementing a culture and approach that ensures each child is healthy, safe, engaged, supported, and challenged. These tenets provide every student access to a successful education. The award program increases visibility to the Whole Child philosophy. Texas ASCD believes more schools will transition from a narrowly defined academic focus on achievement as measured by state tests to a focus promoting the development of the whole child.
The Texas Whole Child School Award program has two award levels. Texas ASCD recognizes academically successful schools that exemplify all five tenets of the Whole Child philosophy with the Texas Whole Child School Award. The second level recognizes schools implementing most, but not all of the tenets with the Texas Whole Child Aspiring School Award.
The winner of the 2019 Texas Whole Child School Award is West Birdville Elementary, Birdville ISD, led by Principal Tim Drysdale. Birdville West Elementary has set a standard for sustainable school improvement resulting in long-term student success. Birdville West Elementary will receive $5,000, an award, and a banner in recognition of their efforts. Two additional schools received honorable mentions for this category: Cypress Lakes High School, Cypress-Fairbanks ISD, Principal Sarah Harty, and Seabourn Elementary, Mesquite ISD, Principal Jewel Kern.
The Texas Whole Child Aspiring School Award recipient is Bailey Junior High, Arlington ISD, Principal Benavides. Bailey Junior High will receive a $2,500 and a certificate as part of their recognition. An honorable mention was awarded to Jose Damian Elementary, Canutillo ISD, Principal Jesus Barba.
Award recipients will be recognized at the Texas ASCD 2019 Annual Conference at the All-Attendee Breakfast and Awards ceremony on Tuesday, October 29, 2019, at the Irving Convention Center. The Texas Whole School Award is sponsored in part by the American Heart Association.