We’ll keep the light on. The Northside Learning Tree programs held their fifth annual Lights On Afterschool celebrations, a nationwide event to recognize the critical importance of quality afterschool programs in the lives of children, their families and their communities. The Learning Tree programs are located at Ross MS, Jones MS, Rayburn MS, Cable ES, Meadow Village ES, Valley Hi ES, Mary Hull ES, Passmore ES, Linton ES and Villarreal ES.

O’Connor performs for O’Connor. The O’Connor HS choir will be performing for Justice Sandra Day O’Connor during the week of the Presidential Inauguration. The choir hopes to perform at other locations in Washington, D.C. as well.

Going bump in the night? Students at Colonies North ES weren’t watching ghosts and goblins going bump in the night, but they did host a “Habitat Night” for students and parents thanks to generous donations from Lowe’s Home Improvement. Four stations were set up: animal habitats, flowers, build a birdfeeder, and butterflies.

Northside in the News. Trustee Katie Reed shared information about Northside ISD on the City of San Antonio ’s new cable program, “The Issues,” where she was a guest of District 8 Councilman Art Hall.

Stories come alive at Cody ES. Cody ES and librarian Julie Daigle were awarded a Cultural Arts/Early Literacy grant from Target Stores in the amount of $1,500. Students in kindergarten through second grade will listen to fairy tales and folk tales, then dress in costumes with simple props to reenact the story. From this, students will gain cultural literacy by retelling traditional tales in a theater setting.

Read, White and Blue. Students at Carlos Coon ES who attended the school’s Bookfair and Family Literacy Night were treated to Superintendent Dr. John Folks' special rendition of Chicka, Chicka 123, a school favorite among the kids. They also shared in a rare opportunity to see their principal and vice principal dressed as Lady Liberty and Uncle Sam, along with third grade teacher Carol May dressed as a flag.

Pillar Feature

Pillar of Citizenship: Tamra Lynn Haby Johnson, Marshall HS – Class of ’97. As a little girl at Helotes ES, Tamra Lynn Haby Johnson wanted to be an astronaut. Since graduating from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) with a degree in aeronautics and astronautics, she is an aerospace engineer who has worked for such “outer-space” places as National Aeronautical and Space Administration (NASA), Boeing Rocketdyne, Hughes Space and Communications. She is now working on the Jupiter Mission for Northrup Gruhmman in California, and preparing to return to MIT to earn an advanced degree. While at Marshall HS, this 25-year-old learned that good citizenship can best be practiced through community service, thus she founded the MIT Hunger Hike to help Boston’s homeless, cyber-mentored kindergartners in science with MIT LINKS, and tutored high school athletes. She is also preparing to run yet another Boston Marathon.