Iowa Colony High aims to establish its own traditions with fall opening

For Principal Ashley Marquez, opening the new Iowa Colony High School this fall means much more than adding a campus to help Alvin ISD meet surging growth needs. For her, it’s about creating and nurturing the campus culture and encouraging students and staff to embrace it. Marquez will get her chance when the school, , 3700 Davenport Blvd., Iowa Colony, opens for its ninth-graders on Aug. 17. Students in the other grade for the opening year — the sophomores — will come the next day. The school won’t reach full grade-level enrollment until its third year. Next school term, officials expect at least 800 students to take their place at the new high school. Total enrollment capacity is 2,500. The district is growing by about 1,000 students a year, particularly in its northern end. Creating a school culture Once Aug. 18 rolls around, the party starts, so to speak. The day will begin with a pep rally, complete with traveling drumline rocking down the hallways. Kids also will have their first chance to learn and sing the school’s fight song. “We want to have a little bit of fun with them and help them envision what their next four years will be like,” Marquez said. That includes introducing the school mascot — the Pioneer — as well as the school colors of hunter green, black and silver. Marquez, a seasoned educator with more than a decade’s worth of experience both in Alvin ISD and other districts, said the choice of the Pioneer mascot was deliberate, a way to set a tone for students and what she hopes they will aspire to achieve. She said the use of fire elements in the building’s decor and signage also has meaning. “Pioneers navigate change, blaze the trail for others and set the world on fire, and that’s what we want to instill as some of our core values,” she said. Marquez, who said it’s long been her career ambition to open a school, said she and staff members hope to impart students with a sense of passion and empathy as well as inspire a culture of academic excellence. She said teachers will certainly emphasize studying hard and learning to the best of youths’ ability, but she said another focus will be to encourage empathy and cultivate a love for things other than academics, be it art, music or athletics. This type of emphasis on holistic learning is part of a larger shift in American schools. “As we look at the world, especially after COVID, we realize how important it is to empathize with each other,” Marquez said. “We want to teach them that we don’t all have to agree, but we can appreciate people and recognize their life experiences.” Marquez hopes her incoming Pioneers will take time in high school to explore, investigate and find what they love. School to include 2 band halls, 3 gyms Attention to detail also went into the $131.5 million building’s design. Construction began on Alvin ISD’s fourth high school more than two years ago. Once complete, the sprawling campus will encompass more than 525,000 square feet. It will include: • two sports practice fields • two weight rooms • three full-sized gymnasiums • dedicated space for the school’s color guard and dance team • art rooms with access to a fenced-in outdoor courtyard • two band halls with direct access to their practice parking lot and private ice machine, and • a multi-functional cafeteria that can be adapted for use by organizations and clubs. School has numerous safety features Designers also paid particular attention to safety needs, including automatically locking doors, entrances that require visitors to be buzzed in before they can enter and floor designs designating “safe spaces” in rooms so that students and staff can be out of the line of sight from the door in the case of an active shooter or other danger. Marquez said during the school day there will only be one point of access. Additionally, strict safety protocols are in place for staff members. “We’ve worked on these protocols all year, and every time someone deviates from them for convenience it puts us at risk,” she said. Library to include maker space, computer lab Marquez said she’s especially excited about the school library. Built to encourage movement, comfort and discussion, she envisions a space where students will feel at ease. “ It’s going to be one of the most incredible spaces,” she said. “We are creating zones for small-group lectures, round tables for work, a maker space and a computer lab with capacity for two classes to be on devices. We want the kids to really use the library, to come in and talk and showcase their work, and I think that’s what our space will be.” The classrooms will be equipped with movable furniture and standing-height desks. This not only encourages individual movement — a boon to students who are naturally fidgety — but also allows for students to reposition their desks to better collaborate and work with one another. Marquez said the standing-heights desks can also be put to use as presentation lecterns, and teachers will have the option to relocate their class to different parts of the school if they think a change of scenery will invigorate kids and enhance learning. Small-group instruction tables will allow teachers to work closely with any struggling students.

Iowa Colony High aims to establish its own traditions with fall opening

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