2019-2020 Annual Report

What a difference a year makes!  2019 started out as a very normal year… then 2020 rolled around, and the world changed. Did The Branch School change?  The answer is both yes and no.  Until March, our teaching practices and school events stayed the same.  But when the global pandemic forced a lockdown and quarantine in the community, TBS responded.  Our students went home for spring break, and then did not come back to in-person school for the rest of the 2019-20 school year.  Teachers and administrators responded with the same dedication as always, beginning a robust distance learning plan for all students from day one.  With our investment in technology, both in teaching and equipment, we were able to make this happen with little notice.  Our outstanding teachers taught, encouraged and supported their students from their homes.  TBS students showed the resilience and grit we all knew they had by continuing to learn and thrive  in this new environment.  And the parents supported this effort fully, even while juggling their many responsibilities and concerns.   We’ve never been more proud of our community.

Although this year has been one of challenges, there have also been great opportunities.  Looking towards the future, we finalized our campus Master Plan for the coming years.  In keeping with the “Branch School way,” we have continued to love and support one another in our community, focusing on our core value of kindness, which is needed now more than ever.  We’ve worked to establish and maintain standards in all we do to the highest standards of Principle, no matter what the situation.  And although the learning curve has been steep, we were one step ahead as we have always enthusiastically embraced learning.  We are so grateful for our students, families, staff and our wonderful donors as we continue to look forward to more progress! 

This look back at 2019-2020 is an excellent and refreshing reminder of a more “normal” year at TBS, and we hope you will enjoy this walk down memory lane that recaps last year's activities and accomplishments.  

Emily Smith, Head of School and Ann Hightower, Board of Trustees Chair

Academics

At The Branch School, critical thinking and problem solving are integral parts of how we teach every day.  Our program implements a comprehensive, researched-based curriculum where students make connections to 21st century skills.  This is done through a cross-curricular program emphasizing science, technology, engineering, the arts, and math (STEAM).  We also incorporate a well-designed language arts program that inspires observation and original thought.  We employ a project-based learning model (PBL) where students have a “hands on” connection to the material.   
 

As an example, our middle school engineering students designed and built a “high striker” device that was used in the Fall Carnival.  Although everyone enjoyed using the game, the students who made the device learned important life skills such as perseverance and cooperation as well as physics.  They worked late after school the night before the carnival to make last minute changes in order to successfully complete the project.  Middle school students also created a campus “Oregon Trail” as part of a social studies project where the campus grounds were turned into the trek west complete with covered wagons, trading posts and a hunting field.  This social studies project really made the lesson come alive, especially as they were encouraged by the lower school students who cheered them on their “trek west.”   They also participated in a year-long project to study what goes into building a new school building.  They met with the architectural committee and architects, giving input into the project as well as learning about the complex process of building design.  Our graduating 8^th graders did complex and diverse “Capstone” projects as a year-long deep dive into a subject of interest, culminating in a paper and virtual presentation to the entire school community. 

Our Lower School students were equally busy, each completing one long-term PBL project which was completed before the switch to distance learning.   Topics were generally STEAM related and covered a multidisciplinary range of subjects.  They explored and used new online tools, Epic books and IXL, and became proficient with Zoom, Google Classroom and/or SeeSaw for communication as well as a platform for distance learning.

Our project-based learning (PBL) model has served our students well, not only captivating their imaginations, but cementing their love of learning while they delved deeply into many subjects. Our students are well equipped to think critically, write, compute, present and forge into new concepts with grit and confidence.

For example, one such project is where our students sowed seeds and grew cotton plants in the Outdoor Classroom.  Students then took a field trip to a cotton gin, so they could understand cotton processing.  With processed cotton in hand, a local artisan taught students how to spin the cotton.  Unfortunately, the final step of weaving the spun cotton into wall art was halted by the quarantine order.

Our enthusiasm for STEAM learning extends into non-school hours as well.  Student and their parents gathered at the school for STEAM Night in the fall, where each teacher devised a science, technology, engineering, arts or math game or craft in their classroom.  Attendees could go from room to room, participating in  the activities and enjoying camaraderie and hands-on learning activities at the same time. 

In a “normal” year, we’d be reporting on our student’s test scores and other achievements.  However, our students were not tested this year as testing time coincided with quarantine—another victim of the pandemic.  But as we all know, this year was far from normal.  However, our investment of time, teaching and resources into the use of technology reaped great returns as our students were well equipped both from a physical as well as a mental standpoint to jump into distance learning in the spring.  With precious little notice, our teachers pivoted to this new platform, and continued to do what they always do—inspire, love, support, challenge, cheer on and most importantly, teach their students.  After the school year was over, teachers spent a large portion of their summer break in researching ways to make distance learning even better, and planning for any eventuality required by government mandates and community needs. 

As TBS focuses on a STEAM curriculum, fine arts are pursued as diligently as math and science.   The whole community was delighted when we launched our band program.  Our talented music teacher, Mr. Britcher, has extensive band experience and was as enthusiastic as our students to begin this effort.  If our year had proceeded normally, we would have all enjoyed a band recital in the spring!  Students in all classes enjoyed music instruction every week, learning more about music history and theory, as well as getting to use instruments in class to make music.  Our art students explored a variety of mediums and concepts to create beautiful works of art.  They participated in “Doodle for Google,” as well as Via Colori and the HLSR Art contest.  Middle school art and music students went on a field trip to the Texas Renaissance Festival, where each group explored period music and art. 

Another important and beloved class at Branch is the Outdoor Classroom.  Each grade has their OC class each week, where they learn about the local ecosystem, environmental stewardship, and organic gardening.  Students plant vegetables in our organic gardens, cultivate them, and enjoy the fruits and vegetables produced when they mature.  They learn about the flora and fauna of the area, with a particular emphasis on beneficial insects, especially pollinators.  Students study the habits and habitats of our local birds, including a family of purple martins that nest in their special house on our campus.  They study the plants and creatures in our campus pond, and cultivate plants that nurture and attract butterflies.  The Branch has its own resident observational bee hive, where students can study these helpful and fascinating creatures in their natural habitat.

 

Student Life

Students at The Branch feel like they are part of a family.  Older students mentor the younger ones, and everyone knows each other’s names.  Older students are paired with younger students as “Reading Buddies.”  This activity is not only a great chance to take a break from a busy day and read a book, but also an opportunity for older students to practice reading aloud, and for younger students to practice listening.  It also builds friendships across grade levels.  As our school mascot is the bear, each student was assigned to a “Bear Den” made up of students across every grade, and led by a group of teachers.  The Bear Dens worked together on projects, and had special lunches together to form strong inter-grade bonds.   Each group had their own name and flag.  One fun activity they did together was preparation for Via Colori, a festival celebrating chalk art held in Downtown Houston.  Their art was featured on the school Christmas card, which celebrated the year’s theme of “Love.”  TBS Bears also participated in the Rodeo Houston art contest for the first time, taking a field trip to George Ranch for inspiration for their art.  The student-prepared Yearbook won a prestigious national award for the third year in a row for their excellent publication. 

Students also participated in the “Hour of Code” event.  Started as a way to introduce children to the world of computer science and de-mystify coding, it has grown into a world-wide event.  Our Middle School students attended a three day long field trip to The Outdoor School at Camp Champions in Marble Falls.  They engaged in team building activities, archery, kayaking, fishing, rock wall climbing and high ropes. They learned about edible plants, and the legends behind various constellations as they star-watched.  They even saw a shooting star!  And of course, s’mores around the fire pit were enjoyed by all.

Our students also took field trips to George Ranch, the Renaissance Festival, Via Colori, the Houston Zoo, and Blessington Farms.  Students visited a local elementary school to hear a popular children’s author talk.  Our annual spring trip for our 7^th and 8^th graders, this year to Washington D.C., had to be cancelled this year due to the pandemic, but we look forward to resuming these special trips as soon as possible.

Branch School students competed in track meets, and although we were one of the smallest schools competing, we did very well.  We also participated in WHCSA (West Houston Christian Schools Association) leagues for both soccer and basketball for our younger students.  We view sports as not only an area for building strength, agility and stamina, but also as a way to build character and grit.

Holidays are a time for special events and camaraderie at The Branch School.  Halloween was celebrated in style, with a costume parade and a pumpkin patch. The winter holidays are always celebrated and enjoyed as well.  With the campus beautifully decorated by the Parents Association, everyone enjoyed “Gingerbread Night” where students and parents decorated gingerbread houses in preparation for the season.  Our students put on a festive Christmas program, which coincided with Grandparents Day.  This special program was fun for both the participants and the audience.

Our students also participated in service learning, doing good in the community.  The Student Council organized a “Toys for Tots” campaign, which provides toys to underprivileged youth in the area.  They also organized the “Coins for Kenya” drive, which blended a class contest along with a mathematics component and raised over a thousand dollars.  Proceeds went to our sister school, The Sunrise School of Africa in Nairobi, Kenya.  Our National Junior Honor Society members held several fundraising events to raise money for a bear statue for the future middle school.  Students also collected Box Tops for Education, fundraised for the Fall N2 Fitness fun run, and made amazing class projects to place in the Auction.  One of our 8^th grade students did his Capstone project on animals, organizing a pet food drive for “Animeals,” which was very successful and delivered hundreds of pounds of food to local shelters.  Our students also participated in active TBS parent-led Boy Scout and Girl Scout troops.

Our students not only worked hard, they had a lot of fun.  The Branch School offers many forms of after-school enrichment, including art, piano, Junior Athletes, soccer, robotics and a Zoo Kids club, led by one of our teachers who worked as an animal keeper at the Houston Zoo.  Another popular group is “Dumbledore’s Army,” based on the beloved Harry Potter series.  Participants sharpened their wizardry skills and played Quidditch under the tutelage of staff members who are just as enthusiastic about Hogwarts as the students are.  Middle school students enjoyed “lock-in” events where they brought friends, and everyone enjoyed movies, popcorn, pizza and fellowship. 

After the school changed to distance learning, our students still were able to be creative and make important virtual connections with each other.  Student performers entered  a school talent show, which featured student emcees and wonderful performances, all broadcast via Zoom.  Students also participated in a virtual sleep over camp in partnership with Space Center Houston, where families camped out and star watched.  Students sent in wonderful photos of their at-home learning activities, capped by a sidewalk chalk art show.

School Community

We are also grateful for our many volunteers.  Our active Parents Association (PA) encourages participation in both their fundraising and fun activities.  The PA hosted a “Fall N2 Fitness” 5K/1K fun run/walk event in the fall of 2019 as their main fundraiser.  They also planned and executed a Fall Carnival event which was well attended and very much enjoyed by young and old alike.  Holidays at The Branch School would simply not be the same without our tremendous volunteers.  One parent donated dozens of pumpkins for a Halloween pumpkin patch, and other parents provided spooky treats for our Halloween parties.  The PA hosted the annual Gingerbread House Night event in December, which was enhanced by the festive decorations they put up throughout the campus.  Other volunteers assisted with mailings and helped in the school library.  Other talented and skilled volunteers coordinated and served as teachers in our beloved Outdoor Classroom and gardens. 

We were able to have a very enjoyable and successful partial Track season, as well as a great intermural soccer league season for our younger students thanks to our parent volunteer coaches.  We are grateful for getting to hold these events, as the usual spring events like “Go Texan” Day, Field Day and team sports were cancelled due to the pandemic.  However, we have no doubt that our wonderful parents will rise to any occasion in the new year and continue to be stalwart supporters of TBS.  A staff member who is also a TBS parent held classes on “Safety in Technology” which was very timely and helpful for our parent community.

Alumni and Recent Graduates

Our alumni continue to support The Branch School.  A TBS alumnus and his Boy Scout team constructed raised planting beds with an innovative and eco-friendly watering system for his Eagle Scout project.  Our Outdoor Classroom instructors were thrilled with this gift, which worked beautifully.   Peppers, herbs, cucumbers, tomatoes and more were successfully grown and harvested.  One of our alumni received a full scholarship to attend Wellesley, which is a great achievement.  We were especially proud to learn that she had credited The Branch School in her scholarship application essay for the values she learned here.  Another alumni came to school and presented to our students and the wider community about her recent trip with a group of fellow women scientists (100 Women in STEAM) to the Antarctic where they studied global warming issues.  Another TBS graduate was admitted to the University of North Carolina School of the Arts (High School) to study dance. 

While most events were cancelled, we were able to hold to one of our most cherished traditions, the Graduation ceremony, for our 8^th graders.  (see a brief video for this special day here)  This first gathering was good practice for reopening school in the fall, as we held the event with stringent COVID-19 mitigation policies in place. This year’s TBS graduates continued their history of excellence by being admitted to top schools, including Kinder High School for the Performing and Visual Arts (HSPVA), De Bakey High School for Health Professions, St. Thomas High School, Randolph-Macon Military Academy and the Awty International School, among others. 

Facilities

We continue to progress in our upgrading and improving our campus.  We completed a remodel of the main building office to better serve our students and parents, as well as make the space more usable for our staff.  A new reception area features a service window and desk area for our office staff and thoughtful storage.  Offices were reconfigured and made more comfortable with better ventilation.  Best of all, we were able to make a teacher lounge space complete with comfortable seating and a table for a quick lunch or rest between classes.  Several new offices were also completed in the building which gave us better accommodations for our hardworking administrative staff.  A new security system, including  “Lobby Guard”  was installed, as well as locking doors inside the foyer which has greatly enhanced our security.

A new, beautifully green and manicured soccer field was completed, which allowed us to host league soccer games for the West Houston Christian Schools Association.  Our guests enjoyed our facility, including our wonderful playground, for these soccer games.  Our playground got a major upgrade with new play structures including a large “stone” bear that the children can climb on, as well as two large structures for climbing, sliding and all sort of games with friends.  The basketball area at our Middle school was enlarged, and our HMS students have enjoyed this greatly at recess. 

We received a grant from the Whole Kids Foundation for an observation bee hive.  This hive has (strong!) plexiglass sides where students can study the bees’  activities.  A beautiful “BeeZeeBo” was built in the back of the playground where the hive awaited its future occupants.

We replaced our lighting with new LED fixtures which will greatly reduce our energy use and give us better illumination throughout the campus.  Technology was upgraded, including the addition of a Ricoh Smart Board which has been exceptionally useful.  Needed HVAC upgrades were accomplished, along with upgrades to our WiFi capabilities throughout the campus.  We also resurfaced the walking/running track, making it much safer and more enjoyable to use. 

We are tremendously grateful for the donor who made this upgrade possible, making our beloved campus safer, more secure, more beautiful and more useful.

Donor Impact

The Branch School is continually grateful for our many donors.  Your gifts make possible the nurturing and challenging environment we provide, allowing our students to “love, learn and lead.”  Our main fundraiser is our TBS Annual Fund drive, followed by the annual Auction event in the spring.   The spring Auction raises money for school development as well as scholarships, and is a fun community event.  These impactful events are the result of the hard work of our many parent donors, staff and volunteers.  The Annual Fund helps bridge the gap between tuition and the actual costs of educating our students.   We are grateful for our staff and Board of Trustees who are consistently generous, and we congratulate them for achieving 100% participation as Annual Fund donors this year. We have also gratefully received generous donations from our many Christian Science friends. 

Our spring 2020 Annual Fund drive was very successful, bolstered by a generous matching grant opportunity from an anonymous donor.  Donors all over the nation responded, and supported us in a big way.  We are grateful and humbled by this outpouring of support, particularly in this uncertain time.

 

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Financials

The charts below reflect our 2019-2020 fiscal year (July 1, 2019-June 30, 2020) audited financials, finalized September 2020. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Revenue   Net tuition and fees                   $  1,620,305 Auxiliary services fees                 $      72,054 Annual fund contributions     $    208,247 Restricted contributions            $      33,526 Other realized income                 $       9,899

 

Expenses

 

Educational expenses            $2,305,801

Management/general           $    644,091

Fundraising                             $   108,032

Real Estate                                      $     -0-

The mission of The Branch School is to love, learn, and lead.

(and have fun!)