Crossroads teacher Michael Miller recently received the 2013 Ching’s Champions Award from the Houston Dynamo. Miller was awarded a shopping spree at Kroger with Dynamo midfielder Giles Barnes and donated the items to Alief ISD and Covenant House. He was nominated for making a difference in the Houston community and for his perseverance, devotion and service. Miller was chosen as one of the winners after a review process that included Dynamo forward Brian Ching.

Killough Middle School raised more than $800 during the first week of their Pink Out charity fundraiser. The campus aims to raise more than the 2012 figure of $2,000. The funds will go towards the Susan G. Komen Foundation.

The Collins Elementary SPARK Park mosaic piece, created by art teacher Claudia Bejarano with the help of her students, will be featured in the 2014-15 SPARK Park calendar. The mosaic was created in six months using only defective jewelry and purses, fabric pieces and paint.

Olle Middle School student Lewis Nguyen was named as the most helpful person on the team by an engineer during a career seminar hosted by ExxonMobil and their organization, Black Employee Success Team (B.E.S.T.).

Owens Intermediate R.E.I.D Specialist Moesha Spikes was awarded the Robert G. and Eleanor T. Hall Memorial Fund Scholarship worth $1,050. Spikes was selected amongst a pool of national applicants by the Educators Publishing Service (EPS) to attend the 64th Annual International Dyslexia Association Conference in New Orleans in November.

Alief ISD graduate Sam Carter was named the Walter Camp Football Foundation National Defensive Player of the Week for his efforts in a recent football game against Southern Methodist University. Carter, who is a safety for Texas Christian University, graduated from Hastings High School in 2010.

More than 60 people participated in the Read to Achieve event sponsored by the Hastings High School PALS Program at the HEB on Highway 6 at Bellaire. Students read some of their favorite books to children ages 4 to 11. The goal of the event was to help young school children develop a life-long love for reading and to encourage families to read to their students regularly.

Athletics Update:

* Middle School Football: Albright is ahead for 7B, while Killough is leading for 7A, 8A and 8B.

* High School Tennis: The Hastings and Elsik junior varsity teams are tied for first place in current District 18-5A standings. Elsik leads in district standings with a 6-0 record.

* High School Volleyball: Elsik’s varsity team continues to have a perfect district record (7-0), while their junior varsity team is also in the lead in district standings (6-1). Taylor’s freshmen A team is ahead in district standings with a 6-1 record.