Spring Forest Middle School (Houston, Texas)
Encyclopedia
Spring Forest Middle School is a middle school
in west Houston, Texas
. It is one of seven middle schools in the Spring Branch Independent School District
(SBISD).
Constructed in 1968, Spring Forest Middle School (commonly referred to as SFMS) serves the numerous subdivisions, also dating to the late 1960s, that surround it. It shares its campus with Meadow Wood Elementary School. The school is one of the thirteen in Spring Branch that have won the much-renowned United States government National Blue Ribbon Award
, which it claimed in the 1994, 1995 and 1996 school years.
Spring Forest Middle School was originally named Spring Forest Junior High School when it first opened, and this name can be seen on the dedication plaque. The school was renamed when it shifted from the junior high school to middle school
educational format along with most of the rest of the country.
SFMS operated throughout the 1970s, 80s and 90s with minimal changes to the campus layout. Today, the school's structure remains mostly unchanged. In 2004 a second gym was constructed (this was also done at many nearby schools, including Nottingham Elemenatry
and Westchester Academy for International Studies
) and new lockers were installed. The arts hall, known as Hall M, was also recently added as a wing of the main building.
In the 2008—2009 and 2009—2010 school years, Spring Forest received a number of Promethean
ActivBoards - interactive whiteboards, connected to local computers
that function through a touchscreen
- as part of the district's goal to make their campuses more technologically advanced.
. In accordance with this, the school's slogan is "Go Bobcats!"
The school colors are navy blue
and gold
, both of which can be found painted across the school.
(TAKS). Although Spring Forest frequently performs above average on many tests, it still has been unable to reach the higher standards set by surrounding Spring Branch middle schools, namely Memorial Middle School and Westchester Academy for International Studies
, both of which consistently reach into the higher 90% range (for percent of students passing), compared to Spring Forest's low 90% and mid 80% scores. This can be attributed to Spring Forest's wealth-diverse student population, which is a mix of lower-income and upper-middle class families. Memorial Middle is located in the wealthier Memorial district of Houston, while Westchester Academy only accepts well-performing students to attend, as it is a charter school
.
, and Thornwood elementary schools are zoned to Spring Forest. Some residents zoned to Sherwood and Wilchester elementary schools are also zoned to Spring Forest. All Spring Forest-zoned residents are zoned to Stratford High School
.
Middle school
Middle School and Junior High School are levels of schooling between elementary and high schools. Most school systems use one term or the other, not both. The terms are not interchangeable...
in west Houston, Texas
Houston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
. It is one of seven middle schools in the Spring Branch Independent School District
Spring Branch Independent School District
Spring Branch Independent School District is a school district headquartered in Hedwig Village, Texas, United States. The district serves portions of western Houston. It also serves several small municipalities known as the Memorial Villages in its jurisdiction, such as Hedwig Village and Spring...
(SBISD).
Constructed in 1968, Spring Forest Middle School (commonly referred to as SFMS) serves the numerous subdivisions, also dating to the late 1960s, that surround it. It shares its campus with Meadow Wood Elementary School. The school is one of the thirteen in Spring Branch that have won the much-renowned United States government National Blue Ribbon Award
Blue Ribbon Schools Program
The Blue Ribbon Schools Program is a United States government program created in 1981 to honor schools which have achieved high levels of performance or significant improvements with emphasis on schools serving disadvantaged students. The program centers around a self-assessment conducted by the...
, which it claimed in the 1994, 1995 and 1996 school years.
History
The Memorial area of Houston experienced a boom during the late 1960s and through the 1970s, resulting the expansion of SBISD further westward. Spring Forest was one of many campuses constructed in the area to service the new population.Spring Forest Middle School was originally named Spring Forest Junior High School when it first opened, and this name can be seen on the dedication plaque. The school was renamed when it shifted from the junior high school to middle school
Middle school
Middle School and Junior High School are levels of schooling between elementary and high schools. Most school systems use one term or the other, not both. The terms are not interchangeable...
educational format along with most of the rest of the country.
SFMS operated throughout the 1970s, 80s and 90s with minimal changes to the campus layout. Today, the school's structure remains mostly unchanged. In 2004 a second gym was constructed (this was also done at many nearby schools, including Nottingham Elemenatry
Nottingham Elementary School (Houston, Texas)
Nottingham Elementary School is a primary school in Nottingham Forest, Houston, Texas. It is part of the Spring Branch Independent School District. It was constructed in 1968 along with the neighborhood in which it is located...
and Westchester Academy for International Studies
Westchester Academy for International Studies
The Westchester Academy for International Studies is a public charter school in the Spring Branch Independent School District in Houston, Texas. It serves grades 6-12 and is a part of the International Baccalaureate program. The principal of WAIS is Dr...
) and new lockers were installed. The arts hall, known as Hall M, was also recently added as a wing of the main building.
Promethean Ltd
Promethean World plc is based in Blackburn in Lancashire. It is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE SmallCap Index...
ActivBoards - interactive whiteboards, connected to local computers
Local area network
A local area network is a computer network that interconnects computers in a limited area such as a home, school, computer laboratory, or office building...
that function through a touchscreen
Touchscreen
A touchscreen is an electronic visual display that can detect the presence and location of a touch within the display area. The term generally refers to touching the display of the device with a finger or hand. Touchscreens can also sense other passive objects, such as a stylus...
- as part of the district's goal to make their campuses more technologically advanced.
Theme
Since the school's opening in 1968, the mascot has been the bobcatBobcat
The bobcat is a North American mammal of the cat family Felidae, appearing during the Irvingtonian stage of around 1.8 million years ago . With twelve recognized subspecies, it ranges from southern Canada to northern Mexico, including most of the continental United States...
. In accordance with this, the school's slogan is "Go Bobcats!"
The school colors are navy blue
Navy blue
Navy blue is a very dark shade of the color blue which almost appears as black. Navy blue got its name from the dark blue worn by officers in the British Royal Navy since 1748 and subsequently adopted by other navies around the world....
and gold
Gold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au and an atomic number of 79. Gold is a dense, soft, shiny, malleable and ductile metal. Pure gold has a bright yellow color and luster traditionally considered attractive, which it maintains without oxidizing in air or water. Chemically, gold is a...
, both of which can be found painted across the school.
State testing performance
Spring Forest performs around average in the state-mandated Texas Assessment of Knowledge and SkillsTexas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills
The Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills is a standardized test used in Texas primary and secondary schools to assess students' attainment of reading, writing, math, science, and social studies skills required under Texas education standards. It is developed and scored by Pearson Educational...
(TAKS). Although Spring Forest frequently performs above average on many tests, it still has been unable to reach the higher standards set by surrounding Spring Branch middle schools, namely Memorial Middle School and Westchester Academy for International Studies
Westchester Academy for International Studies
The Westchester Academy for International Studies is a public charter school in the Spring Branch Independent School District in Houston, Texas. It serves grades 6-12 and is a part of the International Baccalaureate program. The principal of WAIS is Dr...
, both of which consistently reach into the higher 90% range (for percent of students passing), compared to Spring Forest's low 90% and mid 80% scores. This can be attributed to Spring Forest's wealth-diverse student population, which is a mix of lower-income and upper-middle class families. Memorial Middle is located in the wealthier Memorial district of Houston, while Westchester Academy only accepts well-performing students to attend, as it is a charter school
Charter school
Charter schools are primary or secondary schools that receive public money but are not subject to some of the rules, regulations, and statutes that apply to other public schools in exchange for some type of accountability for producing certain results, which are set forth in each school's charter...
.
2008-2009 TAKS scores
Green denotes tests where the passage percent was above average, red denotes below average.| Test | Students passing | State average | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| |
|||||||||||
| Reading | 93% | 91% | |||||||||
| Math | 85% | 80% | |||||||||
| |
|||||||||||
| Reading | 85% | 84% | |||||||||
| Writing | 91% | 93% | |||||||||
| Math | 84% | 79% | |||||||||
| |
|||||||||||
| Reading | 97% | 87% | |||||||||
| Social studies | 91% | 92% | |||||||||
| Science | 82% | 72% | |||||||||
| Math | 86% | 67% | |||||||||
Feeder patterns
All residents of the zones of Meadow Wood, NottinghamNottingham Elementary School (Houston, Texas)
Nottingham Elementary School is a primary school in Nottingham Forest, Houston, Texas. It is part of the Spring Branch Independent School District. It was constructed in 1968 along with the neighborhood in which it is located...
, and Thornwood elementary schools are zoned to Spring Forest. Some residents zoned to Sherwood and Wilchester elementary schools are also zoned to Spring Forest. All Spring Forest-zoned residents are zoned to Stratford High School
Stratford High School (Houston)
Stratford High School is a secondary school in Houston, Texas, United States. The school is one of four high schools in the Spring Branch Independent School District , the district's westernmost secondary school...
.