Heritage Rose Elementary Fort Bend ISD Diana Toledo

Location • Heritage Rose is located in Rosharon Texas on FM 521 • Heritage Rose is the last school on the South end of Hwy 6 in Fort Bend ISD. • Rosharon, also known as "Buttermilk Station, " is an unincorporated community in Brazoria County, Texas, at the intersection of FM 521 and FM 1462.

1 a Historical Background of City The Rosharon town site went unnamed during its early years. The area was settled by cotton and sugar plantations before the Civil War. Once the Houston Tap and Brazoria Railway (Columbia Tap) was completed in 1859, the Rosharon stop on the train line was given the name Masterson's Station, after a nearby plantation owned by Thomas G. Masterson (ca. 1813– 1884). Rosharon was known locally by trainmen as "Buttermilk Station" because an early resident was known to bring a bucket of buttermilk and a dipper to the railroad station to give the engineer and crew a drink. George Bingham’s Station and Columbia Tap train in Rosharon

1 c Pioneers • George Wetmore Colles, Jr. (1871– 1951), an electrical and mechanical engineer educated at Yale University and the Stevens Institute of Technology, bought property in the area around 1900 and called his estate the Rose of Sharon Garden Ranch after the many Cherokee Roses that grew there. He named the town after his ranch and later renamed it to Rosharon. Colles also designed the community water system. • Antonio G. Arcaro served as Rosharon's postmaster from 1912 to 1920. The Rosharon post office was discontinued in 1920 and mail was then sent to Sandy Point. The post office reopened in 1936, only to be closed again in 1979. A new post office was dedicated under President Ronald Reagan & operates today. • Tom Lochridge (1903– 1985) platted the town site. Lochridge was responsible for having a cotton gin moved to Rosharon from Houston. Aside from providing employment for several persons, the gin's engine was used as Rosharon's first power plant. The community's first telephone exchange was operated out of Lochridge's home. Plat of Rosharon from BCHM drawn by Tom Lochridge

1 b Community • Rosharon's school was initially held in private home, and later in its own building. Eventually, the Rosharon school district was consolidated with the Angleton schools. Students began being bussed to Angleton in the late 1900 s, a practice that continues to this day. • Church meetings were first held in a former school, then in a tavern that community members had bought and converted into a church. Eventually a brick church was constructed. • The South Texas Water Company located in Rosharon in 1935, and its fresh water canals for irrigating rice brought some seventy-five to eighty rice farmers to the area. • By the late 1980 s, Rosharon had an estimated population of 500. In 1990 the population was 435. Most residents commute to jobs in nearby towns.

1 b Community • There are four Texas Department of Criminal Justice prison units near Rosharon. • Ramsey, Stringfellow and Terrell are all co-located. • In addition Darrington Unit is near Rosharon. • The Handbook of Texas stated that the prison authority employees and their family members "added considerably to [Rosharon's] economy. " • A Schlumberger product center is located in Rosharon.

1 b Community • The Rosharon Volunteer Fire Department provides fire services for Rosharon. • In the 1940 s Rosharon community members, wanting to start a fire department, met with Brazoria County officials and purchased firefighting equipment. • From the 1940 s until 2004 the firefighting department received all of its support from fundraising events, private donations, and small contributions from the Brazoria County government. The volunteer group organized in 1956, and in 1986 the Rosharon Volunteer Fire Department, Inc. incorporated as a non-profit corporation. • In 2002 taxpayers formed the Brazoria County Emergency Services District #3, which provides EMS services. • The United States Postal Service operates the Rosharon Post Office at 1810 East FM 1462. Rosharon Post Office in 1911

1 b Community • Neighborhoods in Rosharon include Songbird Ranch Airport (private), Lindell Estates, Lakes of Savannah, Southern Colony, Chenango Ranch, Coffee Lake, The Enclave at South Fork, Southern Trails, Silverlake, Seven Oaks Ranch, Sun Creek Estates, Sun Creek Ranch and Sterling Lakes. These is also a lot of land plots with houses and trailers. • Students in Rosharon attend the Angleton Independent School District, as well as the Fort Bend Independent School District for residents in Southern Colony. • In the 20 th century the Rosharon school district was consolidated into the Angleton district, and busing into Angleton began in the late 20 th century.

1 d, f, g Heritage Rose History • Heritage Rose was Fort Bend ISD #45 TH Elementary school opened. • The school, is located at 636 Glendale Lakes Drive in Rosharon, opened in the 2010 -2011 school year. • The naming committee, made up of parents, staff and students, also included newly-appointed principal, Katina Brown and board member, Susan Hohnbaum. • The committee picked the name “Heritage Rose. ” • According to the selection committee, “Heritage” reflected the rich history of the community and “Rose” paid tribute to an area pioneer who bought the Rosharon property in the early 1900 s and called his estate the Rose of Sharon Garden Ranch because of the abundance of Cherokee “roses” that grew throughout the property.

1 d, f, g Heritage Rose History • Heritage Rose is designed to accommodate 1100 students in a rapidly growing school district. • Classrooms are organized by grade level in a manner that creates an atmosphere typically found on a smaller campus. • Grades served PK-5 th, PPCD, Life-skills, Bilingual Campus • 127, 500 sq ft

1 e. Fort Bend ISD • The Fort Bend Independent School District, is a school district system in the U. S. state of Texas based in the city of Sugar Land. • The district spans 170 square miles (440 km 2) covering almost all of the city of Sugar Land, the city of Meadows Place, the Fort Bend county portion of Missouri City, Arcola, small sections of Houston, small sections of Pearland (including some of Shadow Creek Ranch), the unincorporated communities of Clodine, Four Corners, Juliff, and Fresno, and the Fort Bend County portion of Mission Bend. • Fort Bend Independent School District was created by the consolidation of the Sugar Land ISD and Missouri City ISD in 1959. • The school district is the seventh largest public school system in the state of Texas and third largest within the Houston–Sugar Land– Baytown Metropolitan Area. • 75 Schools 71, 222 Students • 11 High Schools • • • 4 Specialized Schools 14 Middle Schools 47 Elementary Schools Number 46 opening Fall 2015 Number 47 opening Fall 2016

2. Campus Governance Chain of Command We have one principal and one assistant principal. They have divided equally the staff for who you report to. Assistant principal has all bilingual teachers Principal has all new teachers Campus site based committee • Selected by staff members who are appointed to serve in • campus leadership capacities by colleagues, students, parents, and community representatives. • The committee reviews all campus programs/activities to ensure alignment of the Campus Improvement Plan.

3. Enrollment/Growth/Achievement District Enrollment 70, 931 and 2, 920 Bilingual Students for 2014 -15

3 b Heritage Rose Enrollment

3 c. Heritage Rose Performance

4 a Political and Geographical Characteristics Socio-economics level of the families

4 b Political and Geographical Characteristics • Family Involvement We have a big parental involvement at Heritage Rose thanks to our parent educator. In addition to her role as HRE's Parent Educator, she also serves as a District Team Lead Parent Educator and is a member of the district's School Health Advisory Council (SHAC). Her passion is outreach and doing everything necessary to impact HRE families and her community in a positive way. • PTO President - Tawanda Kelly Vice President Treasurer - Maritza Rodriguez Secretary - Beverly Hargrove Hospitality Chair - Nicola Matthews VIPS Coordinator - Nicola Matthews PTO organizes lots of events with a lot of parent involvement.

5 Professional Staff • More than 9, 500 full and part-time employees in the district.