Tag

West ISD

Aug 04
0
6_Performance_Hall_West_HSMS

West Wins ENR Best Project

By | Clients

West ISD’s new West High School / Middle School was awarded ENR Texas & Louisiana’s 2017 Best Project for K-12. The project was recognized for excellence in design, safety, innovation and teamwork. Designed by Huckabee and constructed by Bartlett Cocke General Contractors, the high school / middle school opened in 2016 and serves grade 6-12. Notable features include a 588-seat performance hall that transitions into a collegiate-style lecture hall; a 1,000-seat competition arena; movable walls, writable surfaces and flexible furniture in the classrooms; a 2-story STEM Lab and Learning Resource Center with pre-making, making and post-making spaces; and a large student union and pre-event space that serves as a civic center for the community. The campus also features an ICC 500 tornado shelter.

6_Performance_Hall_West_HSMS
Jan 14
0

West ISD Film in New Markets

By | Clients

A Bright Future: West ISD Rises Up has been picked up in Houston, Austin and San Antonio. The documentary follows the story of West ISD, from the 2013 explosion that devastated the school district’s facilities and much of the town, to the day the new high school / middle school opened in 2016. It is narrated by five students who share their experiences, memories and hopes for the future.

New airdates include:

  • Houston: KHOU 11 at 4 PM on Jan. 15 (part I) and 3 PM on Jan. 22 (part II)
  • Austin: KVUE at 2 PM on Feb. 19 (part I and II)
  • San Antonio: KCWX Channel 2 at noon on Feb. 12 (part I and II) and 4 PM on March 11 (part I and II)

For more information visit www.restorewestisd.com or www.facebook.com/restorewestisd. To see behind-the-scenes and additional footage from the documentary, click here.

Oct 19
0

A Bright Future: West Rises Up

By | Clients

“What I’ve learned is we could teach inside a cardboard box…learning can take place anywhere. And what I’ve learned about our kids is they’ll respond if we’re truly doing our best to engage them,” said David Truitt, West ISD Superintendent in the new documentary, A Bright Future: West Rises Up.

The documentary follows the story of five students, following the 2013 explosion that devastated West ISD’s school buildings and much of the town. Through their eyes, it tells the story of the community’s resilience in the aftermath of the disaster, leading up to the opening of the new schools this past August.

“

We’ve got a lot of people in our district and our town who didn’t let tragedy keep them from succeeding. We’re excited for this film to tell their story in such a memorable way.

David TruittSuperintendent, West ISD
“

You’ll see captivating images showing the damage to the old schools and the beauty of the new educational spaces, but this isn’t actually a story about buildings. It’s a story about resourceful, resilient people.

Rush OlsonDirector, A Bright Future: West Rises Up

The film will make its broadcast debut on KWKT FOX 44 (Waco-Bryan-College Station) on Thursday, October 20 at 9:30 PM, with hour two running the following evening at the same time. The station will run both hours back-to-back on October 21 from 4-6 PM; sister station KYLE Y28 will air the film on October 22 from 7-9 PM. The documentary will be shown in the Dallas-Fort Worth area on November 26 at 11 AM and November 27 at 7 AM. Additional airings will be announced.

Rush Olson, of FourNine Productions and Rush Olson Creative & Sports, and director of photography/editor Dave French of Ludisian Legion Entertainment have gathered interviews and footage for more than three years. Their finished film includes stories of getting children back to school 100 hours after the explosion, years spent on a campus consisting entirely of portable buildings and some remarkable athletic and academic achievements. Being, at its heart, a story about learners, the filmmakers felt the choice of narrators should reflect its essence.

The students’ voiceovers will accompany interviews with numerous others connected to the story. Follow the story of West ISD at www.restorewestisd.com or www.facebook.com/restorewestisd.

Aug 20
0

First Look at West HS / MS

By | Clients

West ISD’s new High School / Middle School opens Wednesday. . . a special moment for a community that has been waiting for a new building to call home after losing theirs in 2013.

The school was designed with a civic-inspired architecture, a representation of how central it is to the community. It features two distinct academic wings (for middle school and high school); an open-concept commons, dining hall and competition gymnasium; two Learning Resource Centers complete with learning stairs and second story break-out rooms; and collaborative learning space that connects classrooms with an open and flexible layout.

West High School / Middle School serves up to 1,000 students in grades 6-12. It is one of 10 new Huckabee-designed schools that open in August 2016.

Oct 13
0
hand over heart Huckabee Texas

Rise Up West ISD Trailer Premiers

By | Clients

In 2013, the town of West, Texas suffered a tragedy, when a nearby fertilizer plant exploded, causing loss of life and irreparable damage to nearby buildings, including three of West ISD’s schools. As the heart of the community, the schools represented the enormity of the loss, as well as the community’s determination to “rise up.” More than two years later, the community is working together to restore their town, and the school district has turned tragedy into opportunity as they work with Huckabee to rebuild the district’s high school and middle school campus.

The documentary, Rise Up West ISD, follows the school district’s and community’s efforts to restore West—and documents their immense pride in their historic town. The feature will follow the town through next year, but the trailer premiered at the TASA / TASB convention for school district professionals. To follow West ISD’s progress and their efforts to “rise up,” visit www.RestoreWestISD.com.