A bright spot after the storm now shines clearly on East Houston Avenue.

Students, teachers and principals at Bobby Shaw Middle School could not hide their smiles when they walked through the doors of their new building as classes resumed Monday, Oct. 29, two weeks after Hurricane Ike struck the Houston-Galveston area.

The students and teachers had been housed next door at the former Southmore Intermediate School, while workers were putting the finishing touches on Shaw’s campus. Shaw’s original completion date was delayed because of weather issues during the summer. Construction of the building was funded by a bond issue approved by district voters in 2004.

However, the slight delay in the opening of the building did not matter – as evidenced by the bright-eyed look on the faces of the students as they walked through the new building.

“Certainly, all of the students were thrilled to see each other, and our teachers were happy to see them back, but walking into a new building to start school over again was like the icing on the cake,” Shaw Principal Liz Ortiz said.

The opening of the campus continues the district’s move to the Middle School Concept, which is designed to give students a smoother academic transition into intermediate school. The campus houses fifth and sixth grade students that live in the Mae Smythe Elementary, Pomeroy Elementary, South Shaver Elementary and Morales Elementary attendance zones.

Classrooms are equipped with the newest technology, including digital learning tools such as Promethean Boards. Ortiz said the teachers wasted no time in putting the technology to use.

“As I walked by the classrooms, I could see our teachers busy using the technological resources that have been provided to them,” she said. “I know they couldn’t wait to begin using it.”

The school’s librarian has been busy at work stocking the spacious library, which will feature more than 14,000 books when it opens to students soon. “The kids are so excited,” said Ortiz.

Ortiz said the transition into the new campus was smooth. “We took the kids on a guided tour of the building before the storm and that seemed to have helped them become more familiar with their surroundings. We also sent letters home to parents informing them of traffic schedules and drop off and pick-up spots. Everything went very well. I think the communication with the students and parents really helped,” she said.

The campus is named in honor of 1940 Pasadena High School graduate Robert Kar “Bobby” Shaw, who was a Musician Second Class of the United States Navy, lost his life on the USS Arizona, the infamous battleship that sunk during the attack on Pearl Harbor.
 
Ortiz said the school is planning a formal dedication of the building around Pearl Harbor Day in December, but a date has not been finalized. She also said the school would begin a tradition of planning a special event in honor of Shaw and Pearl Harbor Day on an annual basis.