Sunshine

NEWS & NOTES
Q& A
with Joanna,
Waco campus resident
MCH had many youth
attend camps during the
summer. Joanna attended
a camp sponsored by the
Waco Historic Foundation.
This camp offered youth in
the Waco area a chance to
see what it takes to build a
city and be a good citizen.
We caught up with Joanna
to learn more about her
experience.
What did you do at this
camp? We learned what it
takes to build and govern
a city. We also learned
about agriculture and
emergency services, like
the fire department and
EMTs. The former mayor
of Waco came out and
spoke to us one day.
What was your favorite
memory of the camp?
I really enjoyed seeing
the firemen, fire truck and
ambulances. I got to sit in
the front seat and blow the
siren. That was fun! I also
enjoyed getting to pretend
to be a reporter for the
city and writing stories
about past events.
What did you learn from
this experience?
I learned how much work
it takes to create and run
a city.
Education
Charter School Progress
Reports: MCH’s two charter
schools that serve three
residential campuses are
among the 44 percent of
schools statewide that met
the Adequate Yearly Progress
(AYP) standards, according to
the Texas Education Agency.
MCH serves youth through
the University of Texas
University Charter School
on the Waco campus and
the Southwest School on the
Waxahachie campus.
According to the TEA, a
school or district this year
met AYP requirements if 87
percent or more of their students
passed the state reading/English
language arts test;
83 percent of their students
passed the state mathematics
test; and, depending on grade
level, 95 percent of their students
who participated in the
state testing program had either
a 75 percent graduation
rate or a 90 percent attendance
rate.
“I was very pleased to
learn that our two charter
schools met the standards requirements
for the last school
year, something achieved by
less than half of the schools
in Texas,” said Tim Brown,
MCH president. “I am very
proud of our students, educators
and entire staff for their
hard work, commitment and
extraordinary efforts as they
took hold of hope, saw the
potential for greatness and
moved forward.”
More information about the
2012 AYP report is available
on the TEA website.
ALBAUGH SCHOLARSHIP: MCH awarded its prestigious Albaugh
Scholarship to five alumni for the 2012-2013 academic year.
Recipients are (l-r): Ally Fry, sophomore, Baylor University;
Essence Stowe, sophomore, Texas A&M University; Simona
Tilahun, sophomore, University of Texas at Arlington; Josh
Sheppard, sophomore, University of Texas at Arlington; and
Amber Creason, senior, Texas A&M University (not pictured).
Waxahachie: The Southwest
Charter School on the Waxahachie
campus recognized its
first graduating class on May
23. The graduates are Jerrell,
Ryan and Destianey.
The Waxahachie school
is called the Phoenix, and it
is part of Southwest Schools
based in Houston. The school
serves grades 7-12 and offers
core classes, music appreciation,
Spanish, psychology,
sociology and health.
Alamo Community College
Angelina College
Brookhaven Community College
Hill College
Lone Star College
McLennan Community College
Midwestern State University
Montgomery College (MD)
Navarro College
North Lake College
Ogla Beauty College
Richland College
Tarleton State University
Advanced Education
The school also celebrated
success on the TAKS tests.
MCH students passed 67 of
72 sections for a 93 percent
passing rate.
“Through our on-campus
school, we are able to better
meet the academic needs of
students, as evidenced in the
increase in grades, improvements
in TAKS scores and
decrease in overall behavioral
referrals,” said Candice
Darwin, administrator.
Seventy-four MCH alumni are enrolled in the following colleges
or training programs for the fall 2012 semester. Students receive
support from Transition Services coordinators, who help
former residents make the transition to independent living.
Tarrant County College
Temple College
Texas A&M University
Texas State Technical College
Texas State University
Tyler Junior College
University of Houston
University of North Texas
University of Texas-Arlington
University of Texas-San Antonio
University of Utah
Weatherford College
14
Sunshine I Summer 2012