HISD Board of Education Trustee Rhonda Skillern-Jones will address a crowd of students, parents, community members, alumni, and HISD staff at the dedication ceremony for the new Berry Elementary School (2310 Berry Road) on Monday, April 16th at 9 a.m.
“I am so thrilled for the Berry Elementary community! This lovely new school was designed to create a positive learning environment and to inspire students to want to learn and to grow,” said Skillern-Jones. “With these excellent teachers and this beautiful, technology-driven environment, I know we will see more great leaders emerge from Berry Elementary.”
Berry is among many schools taking part in the Houston Independent School District’s Green School Challenge in which students track how much energy is used on campus and suggest ways to make us even more energy efficient.
“Our students are studying the connection between the environment and they way we live, and this new energy-efficient campus is a huge part of the learning process,” said Principal Deborah Silber, referring to the school’s environmental science magnet program. “It is no accident that we are dedicating our campus during National Environmental Education Week.”
The new Berry facility is built to Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standards – Gold level and is projected to have a 38 percent reduction in water use, and a 24.5 percent reduction in energy use. The district has committed to build all new construction projects to LEED standards.
The $805 million bond referendum approved by voters in 2007 made the project possible. The new school includes:
- New library;
- New science classrooms;
- Outdoor garden and habitat;
- New computer lab; and
- Smart Board technology in all classrooms.
For more information about other school construction projects district wide, visit www.hisdprojects.org.