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AN
EXEMPLARY SCHOOL DOING EXCEPTIONAL THINGS
Bandera, Texas
● September 21, 2007
Hill Country
Elementary School opened its doors on September 5th,
1995 to serve 384 students from the Lakehills/Pipe Creek
area of Bandera County. A bond election held on December
4th, 1993 in the amount of $3,000,000 funded
the construction of this new facility. Hill Country
Elementary was built to ease the overcrowding at Alkek
Elementary School, and to provide a campus home for the
children of the Lakehills and Pipe Creek area.
Success has not been a
stranger to Hill Country Elementary. This past August,
the announcement was made by the Texas Education Agency
that the campus once again received the State’s highest
rating for academic performance – “Exemplary”. Less than
8% of the schools in Texas received “Exemplary” status
this year! This was the fourth time that Hill Country
has earned this rating, while earning the State’s second
highest academic performance rating “Recognized” a total
of five times.
Higher standards set by
the State in curriculum and testing, has made it more
and more difficult for students to achieve higher
scores in standardized testing. The TAKS test (which was
first administered in the 2002-2003 school year)
measures the statewide curriculum in Reading, Writing,
English Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, and Social
Studies. At the elementary level, the TAKS tests is
administered each year to third, fourth, and fifth grade
students. Successful completion and passing of TAKS
tests at certain grade levels is a requirement for
promotion to the next grade.
Renee Gase has been
Principal of Hill Country Elementary since 2004 and is
proud of how the campus has become a central hub of
activity for the Pipe Creek and Lakehills community.
“The campus has been used as a meeting place for so many
great organizations like 4-H and the Girl Scouts” stated
Gase. “We also regularly have civic groups, community
groups, and even church groups utilizing our
facilities”. She noted that opening the doors to the
public has instilled a real sense of pride to the
community. “We support our community, and they are
always willing to support our students” Gase explained.
This past year, Hill
Country’s Relay for Life Team raised the most money out
of all the teams that were put together in Bandera
County. Each year the students participate in a
Math-A-Thon which raises money for St. Jude’s Children’s
Hospital, and each year they are among the top money
raisers in the nation. “Our community goes out of their
way to support our students and staff with every one of
these great causes” said Gase. Hill Country Elementary
also took on the challenge to keep the Recycle Bin alive
in their community. The student council collects and
takes paper from the school to the bin for recycling.
Community support is not
the only reason behind the school’s success. Gase
credits her teachers who take on the challenge to teach
at the highest level and her students who accept the
challenge to learn at the highest level. “Everyone
contributes to our success”, she explained. “Our
custodians are responsible for keeping the school
looking great, our cafeteria staff prepares delicious
meals for our students, and our parents contribute their
time and energy volunteering in so many ways”.
After so many successful
years in the Lakehills and Pipe Creek community, how
does a school stay sharp and at the top of academic
success? Ms. Gase explained that “It’s not a matter of
keeping good programs in place, but you have to realize
what programs need to be improved on and what programs
need to be studied in order to implement forward
thinking initiatives that address both academic and
psycho social needs”.
With the addition of
14,000 square feet of classroom space built as a result
of the District’s Bond Referendum in 2002 – Hill Country
Elementary is poised to meet the growth of the area it
serves. The campus can accommodate up to 750 students.
At the present time, over 500 students are enrolled at
the school.
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PHOTO ATTACHED:
Entrance
The
entrance of Hill Country Elementary School.
PHOTO ATTACHED:
Cajun
Prior
to the Lakehills Cajun Festival, Cajun Dancers always
make a trip to Hill Country Elementary to share their
culture with the students.
PHOTO ATTACHED:
Mata
The
Bandera ISD Education Foundation pays a visit to Hill
Country Elementary to present a check to Carla Mata to
fund a Playground for Tots initiative.
PHOTO ATTACHED:
Python
Organizations like Sea World help Hill Country students
learn about nature by bringing wildlife into the
classroom. |
