Blog entries tagged honors

Friendswood High School Ranked Among America's Best High Schools by Newsweek Magazine

Cheryl Boe — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 18:42:59 +0100

The Friendswood Independent School District is again earning attention for its outstanding schools with the most recent focus on Friendswood High School, just ranked among Newsweek magazine’s list of America’s Best High Schools 2010.

Newsweek selects the best high schools in the country each year, based on the hard work of school staffs and their challenge to students with advanced placement college level course and tests. This year, just over 1,600 schools – only 6 percent of all public schools in the United States made the list.

Friendswood High School was developing its AP program less than 10 years ago, and today, according to the magazine, the percentage of students enrolled in the AP courses compared to the number of seniors, earned the school its coveted ranking.

The Friendswood Independent School District reports that what Newsweek did not measure that is equally important, is how well students perform on the exams.

An impressive 77.4 percent of the total of Friendswood High School AP test takers (831) earned a 3 or better on the AP exams, thus qualifying to place out of college level classes.

For the past two years, more than 75 percent of FHS students graduated from high school with at least 12 hours of college credit completed.

This latest ranking is a part of a long list of honors and awards earned by Friendswood Independent School District schools, students and teachers and one of the many reasons for the continued success of West Ranch. Friendswood High School and all schools in the Friendswood ISD which serves students in West Ranch are ranked Exemplary by the Texas Education Agency.

Ben Stein Speaks In Houston For Salvation Army Fund Raiser

Greg Rivera — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 21:31:17 +0100

The Salvation Army has done a great service to Houston, and this time television icon/economist Ben Stein will be doing something for them. Stein will be the keynote speaker for The Salvation Army during the Greater Houston Area Command Annual Luncheon Fundraiser.

The event will be held at the Hilton-Americas Hotel in Houston on November 3rd, where he will be delivering his own brand of humor along with his words of wisdom. Luncheon chairs Jim P. and Jane Wise will honor William T. Slick Jr. as the 2009 Honoree for his leadership, volunteerism, and loyal support as a life member of the Salvation Army.

"We are excited to have Ben Stein as the guest speaker for the 2009 Salvation Army of Houston Annual Luncheon. Mr. Stein’s national reputation and relaxed and funny style will be stimulating and fun for all who attend the luncheon," according to the Wises.

Best known for his role in "Ferris Bueller's Day Off" and the game show "Win Ben Stein's Money", Stein has also earned his reputation as an economist, a best selling author, and a former columnist for the New York Times.

The Salvation Army's annual luncheon is set to raise funds for Fort Bend, Harris, and Montgomery Counties. Individual tickets are $150 with table sponsors range from $3,000 to $25,000, with all proceeds will be donated to 119,000 locals who rely on The Salvation Army of Greater Houston annually.

For tickets, sponsorship details and other information please contact Denise Furlough at (832) 201-8026 or by email at Denise_Furlough@uss.salvationarmy.org. You can also visit their website at www.salvationarmyhouston.org.

Source: Houston Business Journal and SalvationArmyHouston.org

Friendswood Development Company Honored at the GHBA "Houston's Best" Awards

Daphne Hager — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 06:15:12 +0100

Each year, the Greater Houston Builders Association recognizes industry members for their outstanding contributions to the design and development of new homes and communities at an awards ceremony that was renamed this year to Houston’s Best (formerly the PRISM awards).

This year, once again, Friendswood Development Company was honored for its innovative efforts in reaching new-home buyers and Realtors who work with buyers in their search for a new home.

Friendswood Development Company was awarded Best Website by a Developer and Best Internet Marketing Campaign by a Developer for the creative new websites and promotions implemented into FriendswoodDevelopment.com and websites for each of our communities.

“Consumers spend a lot of time on the Internet before they ever get in the car to start their new home search. Understanding this, Friendswood Development Company has made their websites and online presence top priority and it’s the main focus of their advertising campaign,” said Cheryl Perry of Boe Creative Services, Friendswood Development Company’s advertising agency. “This award comes at a time when everyone in the residential real estate industry understands the importance of a great website, so the competition was very strong.”

Our newly designed website offers new-home shoppers all the information needed to learn about any of our communities across the greater Houston area, from builders, schools and amenities, to news and special events on blogs that are updated virtually daily. Boe Creative worked with Houston’s Poetic Systems in the new website redesign that also included a highly successful search engine optimization program. “Poetic Systems' expertise in this area has helped to position Friendswood Development Company and its communities in the forefront of Internet searches among consumers, which has resulted in an increase in traffic and sales,” Perry added.

Friendswood Development Company was also honored for Best Internet Promotion for its efforts in marketing news and information on the company and its communities to Real Estate Agents.

“Real Estate Agents are a very important focus of our marketing campaign and a big reason for our success,” said Christine Draughn, North Houston Region Marketing Director for Friendswood Development Company. “Agents contribute to more than 70 percent of new-home sales in Friendswood Development Company communities, and with so many builders and developer constantly sending information to the more than 20,000 Realtors across the Houston area, it’s important to us to provide helpful information that stands out above all others.”

Friendswood Earns National Recognition Among America's Best Small Towns

Cheryl Boe — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 05:00:00 +0100

Friendswood, Texas has once again been recognized nationally as one of America’s best places to live. The new issue of Money magazine cites America’s top 100 best small towns, which were judged by readers in terms of a solid job base, affordable housing, great schools, and area attractions.

Friendswood, home of the new master-planned West Ranch community, was ranked No. 32 on the magazine’s list of the top 100 Best Small Towns. The magazine cites, “Friendswood was founded by Quakers and remains dry, but that doesn't mean its residents don't know how to have fun. The community hosts frequent parades, summer concerts in Stevenson Park, and an opening ceremony for the baseball season. Residents can travel north to Houston, south to the Galveston beaches, or east to the Kemah boardwalk; all are less than an hour away.”

Money lists major employers in the area: Boeing, Valero, BP, NASA as well as the busy Port of Houston. The magazine also reports, “Friendswood has a strong jobs base. And the housing market here is healthier than most.”

West Ranch, the master-planned community located in the city of Friendswood, is developed by Friendswood Development Company and features beautiful new homes by Trendmaker and Village Builders. Prices range from the $270,000s to the $700,000s.

This summer, West Ranch residents are enjoying their own pool and recreation center, in addition to the numerous summer attractions and activities that are close to home.

Students in West Ranch are served by the Friendswood Independent School District and attend exemplary rated schools at all grade levels.

Friendswood ISD Students Among Scholars at Houston Grand Opera

Daphne Hager — Wed, 20 May 2009 05:00:00 +0100

The Friendswood Independent School District, known for its exemplary rating by the Texas Education Agency and the outstanding achievements of its students and teachers, has even more reason to be proud. Two Friendswood High School students are among eight chosen musical scholars around the Greater Houston area to participate at the Houston Grand Opera's High School Voice Studio.

Friendswood’s Eizabeth Conger and Catherine Goode will receive voice lessons from the Houston Grand Opera staff, prepare for college auditions and receive a stipend to assist with those auditions.

The coveted Houston Grand Opera Vocal Training Program for High School Students is a sought-after program and an honor for the students who are selected.

Based on the highly successful model of the Houston Grand Opera Studio, our High School Voice Studio is a program for talented local high school students. Each April, eight students entering their senior year are selected to participate in a year-long program that includes private weekly voice lessons (technique and repertoire), a monthly voice class, vocal coaching from Houston Grand Opera staff and performance recitals. In addition to vocal instruction, participants gain a “behind the scenes” look at a professional opera company by observing master classes and coaching with artists, attending off- and on-stage rehearsals, and “shadowing” production personnel backstage during performances.

HGO High School Voice Studio works on enhancing self esteem, boosting creativity, rewarding commitment, and fueling ambitions for music study and professional careers. To learn more about the Houston Grand Opera, visit their site at HoustonGrandOpera.org.

The Friendswood ISD serves the students in West Ranch, Friendswood Development Company’s newest Houston area master-planned community. West Ranch is located on FM 528, just south of FM 518 in the city of Friendswood. For more information, visit the website at VisitWestRanch.com.

(Sources: Chron.com and HoustonGrandOpera.org)

Houston Named Ambassador City for Increasing Affordable Housing

Cheryl Boe — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 05:00:00 +0100

The National Association of Realtors® and the U.S. Conference of Mayors have named Houston a 2009 Ambassador City for its Houston HOPE Homes program, an initiative to reinvest in some of Houston’s historic neighborhoods with housing development and infrastructure improvements.

The Houston HOPE Homes is a program of the city of Houston. The city has identified hundreds of vacant or foreclosed properties in nine historic neighborhoods that are currently undergoing revitalization. Those properties are sold to area home builders who are committed to building quality, affordable single and multifamily housing.

To help residents purchase the newly built homes, the city has also established a down payment assistance program. Low- and moderate-income individuals who qualify can receive up to $37,500; Houston police officers, firefighters, and teachers can qualify for nearly $40,000.

“Realtors® build communities and are committed to helping increase opportunities for more families to achieve and sustain the American dream of homeownership,” said NAR President Charles McMillan, a broker with Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage in Dallas-Fort Worth. “A program like Houston HOPE Homes deserves to be recognized for its tremendous impact on bringing stability to and enhancing the appearance of Houston’s historic neighborhoods.”

The Houston Association of Realtors® has partnered with the city of Houston to increase Realtor® and consumer awareness of the program. HAR also created a map-based search engine to help individuals easily search and locate homes for sale through the Houston HOPE Homes program. The search engine is available on both the Houston HOPE website and the HAR website.

At a recent event, McMillan and 2009 NAR Housing Opportunity Committee Chair Len Ferber joined Dave Gatton, Council on the New American City, in presenting the Ambassador for Cities plaque and $5,000 check to Houston Mayor Bill White and HAR 2009 Chair of the Board Vicki Fullerton.

NAR and the U.S. Conference of Mayors, through its Council on the New American City, launched the Ambassadors for Cities program in 2003 to encourage cities and local Realtor® associations to form partnerships to promote affordable housing and homeownership.

Source: The National Association of Realtors

Houston Ranks Among Nation's Top Destinations

Cheryl Boe — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 05:00:00 +0100

In a recent survey released by U-Haul International, Inc., Houston is a place to which people want to move. In fact, Houston ranked No. 2 among most popular destinations.

The annual U-Haul National Migration Trend Report, titled "The 2008 Top 50 U.S. Destination Cities" was released and it gleans some interesting movement around the country. According to moving data reflective of nationwide statistics for calendar year 2008, Atlanta secures the No. 1 spot for the second year in a row, while Houston comes in second, moving up six spots from the 2007 report.

Los Angeles climbed to No. 3 from No. 13 last year, while Las Vegas stayed steady at No. 4 for the second year in a row, and Denver, Colo. moved up to fifth place from the No. 9 rank last year. Portland, Ore.; Chicago, San Antonio, Austin, Texas and Orlando, Fla. rounded out the top 10.

The ranking reflects destinations for movers traveling more than 50 miles, and considers every city in the country, regardless of size. However, the data is not stated as a percentage of population and is not reflective of overall growth. Houston's diverse economic and job base, housing affordability and wide variety of appealing locations continues to make Houston outshine the rest of the country.

The survey reports: *Data compiled from more than 1 million U-Haul one-way truck transactions from January - December 2008.

(Source: U-Haul International, Inc.)

Friendswood Named Best Affordable Suburb in Texas for 2009

Daphne Hager — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 05:00:00 +0100

Business Week magazine has named Friendswood the Best Affordable Suburb in Texas for 2009.

Cities taken into consideration had to be within 25 miles of the most populated city in their state and have populations of 5,000 to 60,000 people, low crime rates and median family incomes of $51,000 to $120,000.

Other factors included commutes, education (test scores), crime, economy (job growth and income), green living and overall affordability.

City Manager Roger Roecker said that when people factor in the 20 percent homestead exemption and compare tax rates, they will understand why Friendswood is more affordable than other areas. He also said that tax rates remain low, the police department is one of the finest and the Friendswood citizenry is well educated.

In the heart of the city of Friendswood is the new Friendswood Development Company community of West Ranch, where new homes by top Houston builders are priced from the $300,000s.

Click to view Business Week's Friendswood feature.