Tuesday, May 28, 2013

Persistence=Success!

They did it! Showing phenomenal teamwork and grit, the KIPPsters reached the summit of Guadalupe Peak, the tallest mountain in Texas. It was a very difficult climb, 8.5 miles and over 3,000 feet of elevation gain. At the top, with El Capitan in the background, our students unfurled a banner thanking the many generous sponsors who made the trip possible.

Thank you for your support!
Early in the hike: upward and onward
Resting and signing the register at the summit

The trip included other compelling learning opportunities (and a little bit of fun).

Hiking in Carlsbad Caverns

The flora and fauna of the Chihuahuan Desert at Living Desert Zoo and Botanical Park

Preparing for Capture the Flag on the beach of Brantley Lake
Thank you for helping us climb the mountain!
The students now know that with hard work they can accomplish things they never thought possible. Thank you for helping them have this life-changing experience.

Friday, March 1, 2013

The Big Read is Over

Thanks to the generosity of many in the Houston community and beyond, all of our students were fully sponsored! Thank you!

Our students brought in their final reading logs this morning. Their teachers were excited to see that not only had almost every student met the challenging goal of reading for 40 hours in March, many of them went above and beyond!

Congratulations, KIPPsters! We are on our way to a fantastic trip to Guadalupe Peak. To learn more about the Read-a-Thon, read on.

The hard-working 6th graders of KIPP Sharpstown College Prep in Southwest Houston go to school from 7:30 to 5:00 every day, go to a mandatory summer school, and do homework every night so that they can achieve their college and life dreams. To practice the persistence and teamwork required to succeed in life, they also want to climb the tallest mountain in Texas: Guadalupe Peak! 

To raise the bus, hotel, and equipment funds for this big goal each KIPPster has committed to reading 40 hours in March--on top of their usual load! They are doing fantastic. Most kids--whether they've been fully funded or not--have read over 30 hours and have a long weekend to finish!

Watch the YouTube video about their goals here.

Check out how our KIPPsters are doing...

Adrian -  Fully funded! 
Adriana - Fully funded!
Aislinn - Fully funded! 
Alex - Fully funded! 
Alicia - Fully funded!
Andrea - Fully funnded!
Angel C. - Fully funded! 
Angel - Fully funded! 
Anthony -  Fully funded! 
Bernardo - Fully funded! 
Brandon -  Fully funded! 
Carlos -  Fully funded! 
Carlos M. -  Fully funded! 
Cristal - Fully funded!
Cynthia - Fully funded!
Daniel -  Fully funded! 
Daniela - Fully funded! 
Daniela H. - Fully funded!
Daniella - Fully funded! (check, not online)
Danthe -  Fully funded! 
David - Fully funded! 
Deidra - Fully funded!
Destiny - Fully funded! 
Dyshod - Fully funded! 
Eduardo - Fully funded! 
Elba - Fully funded! 
Emely - Fully funded! 
Eric -  Fully funded! 
Fatima - Fully funded!
Felicia  - Fully funded! 
Flory - Fully funded! 
Frida - Fully funded! 
Genesis - Fully funded! 
Gerson - Fully funded! 
Gustavo - Fully funded! 
Iona - Fully funded!
Irving - Fully funded! (check, not online)
Isabel - Fully funded! 
Isaias - Fully funded! 
Israel -  Fully funded!
Jacky - Fully funded!
Jailinne - Fully funded! 
Jasmine - Fully funded! (check, not online)
Jason - Fully funded! 
Jazmine - Fully funded! (check, not online)
Jefferson - Fully funded!
Jennifer - Fully funded! 
Jennifer R. - Fully funded! 
Jeremy - Fully funded! (check, not online)
Jesus - Fully funded!
Jeyna - Fully funded! (check, not online)
Joselyn -  Fully funded! 
Jocelyn H. - Fully funded! 
John - Fully funded!
Jordy - Fully funded! 
Jose - Fully funded! 
Jose G. - Fully funded! (check, not online)
Juana - Fully funded! 
Justice - Fully funded! 
Kalkidan - Fully funded!
Karla - Fully funded!
Katherine - Fully funded! 
Katherine Q. - Fully funded! (check, not online)
Kelsey - Fully funded! 
Kevin - Fully funded! 
Lina - Fully funded! 
Linda - Fully funded!  
Lindsey - Fully funded! 
Maranda - Fully funded! 
Marcos - Fully funded!
Maresa - Fully funded! 
Mariah - Fully funded! 
Mary - Fully funded!
Maynor - Fully funded! 
Michael - Fully funded!
Michael B. - Fully funded! 
Nelson - Fully funded! 
Nicole - Fully funded! 
Obiefuna - Fully funded! 
Obinna - Fully funded! 
Odalys - Fully funded!
Oluwaseun - Fully funded!
Pedro - Fully funded! 
Pedro N. - Fully funded! 
Perla - Fully funded! 
Priscilla - Fully funded!
Rafael - Fully funded! 
Richard - Fully funded! 
Roberto - Fully funded! 
Ryan - Fully funded!
Sadie - Fully funded!
Samuel - Fully funded!
Saul - Fully funded! 
Sharon - Fully funded! 
Sheyla - Fully funded!
Stephanie - Fully funded!
Tania - Fully funded! 
Veronica - Fully funded!
Victor - Fully funded!
Vy - Fully funded!
William - Fully funded!
Yaremi - Fully funded! 
Yaritssa - Fully funded! 
Yodit - Fully funded! 


Also, thanks to the generosity of folks from Rice and elsewhere who served as "Sherpas" for the following students!

Adrian -  Fully funded! Thanks, Eric, for getting Adrian to his goal and beyond!
Adriana - Fully funded! Thanks, Jianlei, for getting Adriana to her goal and beyond!
Aislinn - Fully funded! Thanks, Meredith, for getting Aislinn to her goal! 
Alicia - Fully funded! Thanks, Matt H., for getting Alicia to her goal!
Andrea - Fully funded! Thanks, Matt, for getting Andrea to her goal!
Angel C. - Fully funded! Thanks, Renato, for getting Angel C. to his goal!
Angel - Fully funded! Thanks, Weekenders, for getting Angel to her goal!
Anthony -  Fully funded! Thanks, David, for getting Anthony to his goal and beyond!
Bernardo - Fully funded! Thanks, Samia, for getting Bernardo to his goal!
Brandon -  Fully funded! Thanks, Todd, for getting Brandon to his goal!
Carlos -  Fully funded! Thanks, Zach, for getting Carlos to his goal and beyond! 
Carlos M. -  Fully funded! Thanks, Toby, for getting Carlos M. to $100!
Daniel -  Fully funded! Thanks, Lawrence, for getting Daniel to his goal!
Daniela - Fully funded! Thanks, Alma and Francisco, for getting Daniela to her goal!
Danthe -  Fully funded! Thanks, Laura, for getting Danthe to his goal and beyond!
Destiny - Fully funded! Thanks, Jessica, for getting Destiny to her goal!
Dyshod - Fully funded! Thanks, Mimi, for getting Dyshod to his goal!
Eduardo - Fully funded! Thanks, Cindy, for getting Eduardo to his goal and beyond!
Elba - Fully funded! Thanks, Nikki, for getting Elba to her goal!
Emely - Fully funded! Thanks, Kevin, for getting Emely to her goal! 
Eric -  Fully funded! Thanks, Will for getting Eric to his goal!
Felicia  - Fully funded! Thanks, Baraynia, for getting Felicia to her goal!
Flory - Fully funded! Thanks, Marcelo, for getting Flory to her goal!
Frida - Fully funded! Thanks, Beth, for getting Frida to her goal!
Gustavo - Fully funded! Thanks, Yi, for getting Gustavo to his goal!
Isabel - Fully funded! Thanks, Brooklyn, for getting Isabel to her goal!
Isaias - Fully funded! Thanks, Emily, for getting Isaias to his goal and beyond!
Israel -  Fully funded! Thanks, Dane, for getting Israel to his goal and beyond!
Jacky - Fully funded! Thanks, Cal, for getting Jacky to her goal!
Jason - Fully funded! Thanks, Brooklyn, for getting Jason to his goal!
Jennifer - Fully funded! Thanks, Andres, for getting Jennifer to her goal!
Jennifer R. - Fully funded! Thanks, Jillian, for getting Jennifer to her goal!
Joselyn -  Fully funded! Thanks, Jose, for getting Joselyn to her goal!
Jocelyn H. - Fully funded! Thanks, Sarah, for getting Jocelyn to her goal!
Jordy - Fully funded! Thanks, Ron and Jan, for getting Jordy to his goal!
Jose - Fully funded! Thanks, Eduardo, for getting Jose to his goal!
Juana - Fully funded! Thanks, Gabriela, for getting Juana to her goal and beyond!
Justice - Fully funded! Thanks, Eric, for getting Justice to his goal!
Katherine - Fully funded! Thanks, Donald, for getting Katherine to her goal!
Kelsey - Fully funded! Thanks, Kellie, for getting Kelsey to her goal and beyond!
Kevin - Fully funded! Thanks, Brooklyn, for getting Kevin to his goal!
Lina - Fully funded! Thanks, Andrew, for getting Lina to her goal and beyond!
Linda - Fully funded!  Thanks, David, for getting Linda to her goal!
Lindsey - Fully funded! Thanks, Claire for getting Lindsey to her goal!
Maranda - Fully funded! Thanks, Malina, for getting Maranda to her goal!
Maresa - Fully funded! Thanks, Jennifer, for getting Maresa to her goal and beyond!
Mariah - Fully funded! Thanks, Alicia, for getting Mariah to her goal and beyond!
Maynor - Fully funded! Thanks, Ryan, for getting Maynor to his goal!
Michael B. - Fully funded! Thanks, Zack, for getting Michael to his goal and beyond!
Nelson - Fully funded! Thanks, Andres and John, for getting Nelson to his goal and beyond!
Nicole - Fully funded! Thanks, Claire, for getting Nicole to her goal and beyond! :)
Obiefuna - Fully funded! Thanks, Katie, for getting Obiefuna to his goal and beyond! 
Obinna - Fully funded! Thanks, Scott, for getting Obinna to his goal and beyond!
Pedro - Fully funded! Thanks, Heather, for getting Pedro to his goal and beyond!
Pedro N. - Fully funded! Thanks, Laurel, for getting Pedro to his goal! 
Perla - Fully funded! Thanks, Matt T., for getting Perla to her goal!
Rafael - Fully funded! Thanks, Victoria, for getting Rafael to his goal!
Richard - Fully funded! Thanks, Matt, for getting Richard to his goal!
Roberto - Fully funded! Thanks, Clif, for getting Roberto to his goal!
Saul - Fully funded! Thanks, Greg, for getting Saul to his goal and beyond!
Sharon - Fully funded! Thanks, Mimi, for getting Sharon to her goal!
Tania - Fully funded! Thanks, Brandon, for getting Tania to her goal!
Yaremi - Fully funded! Thanks, Weekenders, for getting Yaremi to her goal!
Yaritssa - Fully funded! Thanks, Samantha, for getting Yaritssa to her goal!