In a fast-paced bout of renewed aggression, the Warriors faced their most anticipated rivals of the season, the Cedar Ridge Raiders, for an intense  Homecoming game on Friday Sept. 19. What began as a slow start morphed into a high-tension game with the Warriors pouring in power, strategy, and confidence to swiftly rack up points on the board. Although the teams remained neck and neck the majority of the game, the Raiders brought a last-minute surge of forceful offense that led to a disheartening Warrior loss 31-40. 

The night’s game held high tensions as the Warriors looked for an opportunity to bounce back from their crushing Mcneil loss. While the Warriors may not have claimed victory in the end, they exhibited newfound coordination, technique, and targeted growth on both offense and defense, putting up a valiant fight against the Raiders. 

“We proved today that we have all the talent there, we have all the might and the energy, all the juice,” Jack Kelley ‘26 said. “It’s just the small things we got to work on week in and week out, whether that’s special teams, some small mistakes on defense, some small mistakes on offense, but altogether, we’re there. We got a playoff contending team.”

Starting on offense, the Warriors begin their drive at their own 25 yard line, pushing swiftly past a robust Raider defense to claim a first down despite the commendable opposition. Assessing the season so far, offense has consistently displayed powerful aggression, however, this aggression alone wasn’t enough to win against a technique or strategy-oriented team. A turning point in the Warriors’ efforts, this game saw that aggression transformed into proactive plays that displayed how the Warriors were targeting their areas of growth and executing them on the field. For example, while the Warriors often relied on rushing plays — falling short on successful passes to enable movement down the field — last night, the Warriors showcased back-to-back complete passes, making good distance. 

“Our run game was very good today,” Zeke Brock ‘26 said. “We were able to carry the ball and we were able to play physical on offense. Some things we need to work on [though] are just finishing our games. We start out kind of slow and we just need to be able to start out fast.”

Defense also demonstrated massive growth from their shaky play against the Mavericks last week. They came back with a renewed sense of confidence and power, posing a solid line of defense against incoming Raiders. However, while Warrior defense pushed the Raiders consistently to third downs, the Raiders offense persevered and earned the first touchdown of the evening. With Warrior offense now on the field, they made steady progress, consistently making first or second downs. However as they inched closer to the end zone, Raider defense began testing offensive limits, by forcing the Warriors to third and fourth downs. However, the Warriors thrive under this pressure — a trend that stays consistent throughout the game. Cooper Waits ‘26 remains clear-headed, a quality that enables him to break through Raider defense, and prompt a facemask penalty on the Raiders. This earned the Warriors an additional 15 yard gain, and boosted their confidence as they peered closer to their endzone. However, with both teams still struggling to find solid footing against each other, the rest of the first quarter bleeding into the second saw both teams’ defense posing unavoidable barriers and both offenses getting pressured into incomplete passes.  

“[In terms of] strengths, I think we did a good job maintaining a flat line in terms of just keeping our composure,” Kelley said. “[If] something bad happened, we got back up and were ready to play. [If] something good happened, we didn’t get our heads up in the clouds, we were ready to play. [In terms of weaknesses], just small details, and that just comes with practice.”

With the Warrior offense shaky on the first and second downs, they riskily moved down the field in on-and-off bouts of rushing breakthroughs and occasional passes. However, the Raiders eventually capitalized on one of those weak first downs, intercepting the ball and winning a second touchdown. With the score not at 14-0, the growing point disparity triggered vigorous determination in Warrior offense; taking a strategy-first approach, the Warriors began using seamless fake passes and diversions that seemed to work until they lost that advantage to overly-rushed passes. However, the Warriors remain persistent, clearing through the defensive line with consistent third downs. Inching closer to the end zone, Warrior offense brought back their newfound complete passes, with Weston Franz ‘27 repeatedly making good catches. However, the Warriors began to fumble the ball, losing yards on the play. This forces them to go for a field goal on fourth down, getting their first points up on the board and bringing the score to 3-14. 

Continuing this bout of newfound strategy, the Warriors return on offense after the Raiders mirror their opponent with a field goal of their own. Exhibiting fluid teamwork to drive the ball effectively down the field, Colten Case ‘26 makes a huge run for Warrior offense, with Drew Norrell ‘26 catching a risky long pass, and Waits scoring an exceptional first down that brings the Warriors to the edge of the end zone. This series of bold movements is continued by a mighty touchdown by Wade Allen ‘26, and a powerful kick by Josh Jack ‘26, eliciting loud cheers from the student section. The Warriors finish off the second quarter with defense also ending strong, only allowing lateral, out-of-bounds Raider movement. 

“We just changed our mentality and had a lot of fire under our defense,” Brock said. “That was able to keep us closer in the ball game and make it more of a competitive game. Our goal was to beat [the Raiders] physically and [keep] that sharp physicality on offense and defense, and to beat them with our power.”

Returning from halftime, the Warriors continued their momentum, with defense successfully cutting off incoming Raider offense with a new strategy of repeatedly swarming the ball carrier. With defense relatively consistent in their efforts, it was now up to Warrior offense to tip the scales in their favor. Maps Mehis ‘28 makes an admirable, long-range catch, shooting down the field to close in towards the end zone. Gaining the advantage over their counterparts — Raider offense, Warrior offense took over the play and immediately scooped the ball to weave past defense. Executing a smooth blocking maneuver, this allowed Warrior offense to claim their second touchdown, again by Allen. 

“My 60 yard touchdown was [definitely] a highlight for me,” Allen said. “We’re a physical team, and we just [have] to carry that on every game.” 

The remainder of the game sees a rapid series of both teams putting their best foot forward, surging past one another to gain the lead. While Warrior defense only enabled Raider movement in small increments, the Raiders managed to tumble into their third touchdown of the night. This move was quickly mirrored by Warrior offense, with a long run by Allen and an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on the Raiders bringing the Warriors closer to the targeted end zone. Culminating this effort, Waits swiftly passed the ball to Norrell, who swooped into the end zone to claim yet another Warrior touchdown.  With the score now at 23-27, the Warriors continued this momentum with an action-packed interception by Finn Chaney ‘26, who, spurred on by the boisterous cheering from the student section, shot into the end zone to mark another Warrior touchdown, and giving the Warriors their first lead of the night. Both offense and defense were on incredibly solid ground now, meshing power, technique, and confidence. However, the Warriors lost their lead almost immediately to a touchdown by the Raiders due to a shaky Warrior kicking team. 

“We ran the ball really well today, in the second half [especially], we turned it on, and later on in the game we did a nice job of getting stops,” Allen said. “We just struggled on special teams. We got to work on how we pass the ball and we need to work on special teams.”

With the Warriors now mourning the loss of their lead, offense becomes pressured into regaining it, losing some of their tactic in return for sheer aggression. However, this only resulted in incomplete passes, and the ball fumbling out of bounds. Meanwhile, the Raiders managed to score yet another unprovoked touchdown, surging past Warrior defense in a quick rush to the end zone. This growing point disparity paired with a ticking clock prevented Warrior offense from making any more significant progress, eventually falling short to the Raiders 30-41. 

“I thought we did amazing,” Josh Jack ‘26 said. “We didn’t give up, and I’m just excited for [Homecoming]. I saw a lot of people I know [show out here].”

The varsity football team will face off against the Hutto Hippos in their next home game on Thursday, Oct. 2.

Loud shrieks and bright smiles filled the sidewalks as students and staff participated in the annual Homecoming parade and pep rally on Wednesday, Sept. 17. Various organizations showed off their ornate floats to the eager students, staff, and families crowded in the neighborhoods, throwing candy to the excited onlookers. 

The Homecoming parade encouraged students to showcase and represent the various organizations present in school. Themed club floats complete with eye-catching decorations, streamers, and banners rolled down the streets, each a testament to student creativity and life. 

“I think my favorite part of making the float was getting everybody together,” International Baccalaureate Student Organization (IBSO) Officer Sofia Granados ‘27. “A lot of different people helped make it and the whole process in general was super fun, especially being on the float and being able to just yell your heart.”

Immediately after school, students began preparing for the festivities in the parking lot, adding last minute tweaks to their floats, dressing up, and stationing themselves in different zones. Student Council (StuCo) members, who plan the parade, pep rally, Homecoming court and nobility, focused on making sure the event went smoothly, holding signs to identify zones where students and floats should be stationed. 

“There’s a lot of parts and pieces,” StuCo Senior Vice President Iris Chen said. “It’s obviously really fun to work with a team of people on the committee to make things happen, but it’s a lot of emailing people, making sure everyone’s on board with everything and making sure that they can be where they need to be.”

In accordance with the Homecoming theme “Press Play,” students carefully chose songs and artists representative of their club to base their floats on. Many groups worked in the mornings, after school, and on the weekends leading up to the parade to design lavishly decorated floats, contributing to the parade’s wide success and turnout. Themed floats referenced a wide range of artists, albums, songs, and musicals, from rock ‘n’ roll singer Elvis Presley to the classic film High School Musical.

“[Decorating floats] was really fun,” Emily Carr ‘29 said. “Especially to be working with all the different grade levels when we were working on it. Today, we were in the choir room and practicing, which was really exciting.”

By 6 p.m., students flocked to their floats to begin the neighborhood festivities. Standing on and running alongside the floats, organizations waved at parade attendees while fostering school pride. Students tossed out candy to spectators holding open bags — a delicious annual tradition. Alongside the club floats were floats from feeder elementary and middle schools, including Spicewood Elementary School and Grisham Middle School, packed with younger students eager to participate in the annual show of campus community pride. 

“It’s really cool to see how [my] last year of high school [plays out],” Chen said. “I really like it when a lot of clubs try and participate in the floats. It’s really representative of Westwood as a whole since there’s so much club stuff that goes on.”

Parade floats drove past judges, competing for the best float. After the parade came the pep rally, where students and families alike flocked to the Warrior Bowl. The top three floats were announced after the performances. Girls basketball’s High School Musical-themed float came in third place, the International Baccalaureate (IB) program came in second place with their The Duck Song-themed float, and softball were crowned champions with their Elvis Presley-themed float, taking the coveted first prize. 

“We did not expect to place [in the] top three at all,” Granados said. “We were really, really hoping for it, but for our first year, our initial reaction was [being] super shocked. A lot of us just wanted to beat basketball and some of the other sports, so an in-school organization [beating] a sport was just really crazy.”

During the pep rally, attendees filled the stands to watch performances and presentations by clubs and teams. Following football’s entrance, the choir began the pep rally by singing The Star-Spangled Banner. Kicking off the festivities, sports captains delivered presentations highlighting athletic achievements, with performances from Warrior Pride and the SunDancers between the exhibitions. 

“I really liked the crowd at the parade,” SunDancer Liana Jones ‘28 said. “It was very loud and it was very encouraging. It feels like [there’s] always so much energy, and everybody always has so much fun, so that’s a very supportive environment [and] I feel like I can always do my best.”

Continuing the Homecoming celebration, students prepared and executed their parts of the pep rally exhibition. After sports captain presentations, the school spirit continued with the Diablo Club’s (formerly the Chinese Yo-yo Club) exhibition of three songs from the recently released movie KPop Demon Hunters, eliciting a round of applause and enthusiastic hollers from students. 

Continuing the classic experience of school spirit and friendly competition, the pep rally culminated by exciting students for the upcoming Homecoming football game on Friday, Sept. 19, and the Homecoming dance on Saturday, Sept. 27. 

“It was a really a positive experience, because a lot of the seniors had never been on a float before, so they were able to just experience that,” Granados said. “We just felt like we were so energetic, [and] how the float was built did not matter because we were screaming our hearts out.”

Now in her fifth year as an educator, Ms. Carvajal’s journey to teaching wasn’t linear;  She grew up in the Rio Grande Valley in deep South Texas, graduating from the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley with a bachelor’s degree in biology and a minor in chemistry. In high school, she was involved in a plethora of extracurriculars, from band and yearbook to student council, diving into activities reflecting her love of student life.

“I did a lot of different things as a student, and I think that’s why, as a teacher, I also get very involved,” Ms. Carvajal said. “I love being part of what students are doing outside the classroom. It’s such a huge part of their growth.”

She began her career teaching science before moving on to engineering and robotics. While she never competed in robotics herself, she quickly found her passion for FIRST through coaching. FIRST is a global nonprofit that uses robotics competitions, namely FRC and FTC, to inspire young people to explore science, technology, engineering, and math while emphasizing soft skills such as teamwork, leadership, and community impact. 

“It gives people that open space to bring a bunch of different skills into one club, which is why I love it, because there’s so many different parts of it,” Ms. Carvajal said.

“My last team came from a really small private school,” Ms. Carvajal said. “Here, we have more students in robotics than I had in the entire school where I came from. It’s a big difference, and it’s been exciting to see what a larger team can do.”

Through the large scale of Westwood Robotics, Ms. Carvajal has been able to witness aspects of robotics that were harder to achieve at her former school, such as extensive outreach projects and wider student participation. 

“At my last school, we weren’t able to engage in outreach as much as I wanted because our team was so small,” Ms. Carvajal said. “Seeing what Westwood students are doing now has been really exciting, and I’m thrilled to be a part of it.” 

Ms. Carvajal sponsors two types of FIRST programs at Westwood. FTC teams design and build smaller robots to complete specific tasks on a 12-by-12-foot playing field, often requiring creative problem-solving in both mechanics and coding. FRC, on the other hand, has bigger high school teams who build 120-pound robots to play large-scale games on fields the size of a basketball court. Both programs challenge students to think like engineers, collaborate under pressure, and present their work to judges and peers. Although there are many rewarding aspects of robotics, Ms. Carvajal is most drawn to the unique atmosphere that FIRST creates. 

“Honestly, I love the atmosphere, especially of FIRST,” Ms. Carvajal said. “It’s not really just about building robots and competing. It’s about building leaders and people who are giving back to their community, and creating well-rounded individuals who can carry those skills into whatever they choose to do.”

To Ms. Carvajal, part of what makes robotics so special is that there’s a place for everyone. In FIRST, there’s multiple ways for a team to succeed. From designing the robot to educating young minds about engineering, FIRST rewards both creativity and community.

“You don’t have to know how to code or build,” Ms. Carvajal said. “We have an outreach side, we have students who are business-oriented, and we welcome so many different skills into one team. That’s why I love it — because it brings together such a diverse group of students and talents.”

Looking ahead, Ms. Carvajal balances both competitive and personal goals for the year. On the competitive side, she hopes to see the FRC team qualify for Worlds and to have multiple FTC teams reach the international stage, building on last year’s success. Beyond trophies and rankings, however, Ms. Carvajal’s broader mission is centered around student growth.

“Overall, I want to build students who are well-rounded and have empathy for their community,” Ms Carvajal said. “I want them to learn how to collaborate and work with people they don’t always agree with. In the real world, that’s an essential skill, and robotics gives them that experience.”

“This organization is fun, and I want them to remember that,” Ms. Carvajal said. “As competition season gets closer, stress rises and tensions run high, but at the end of the day, it’s not just about a trophy. It’s about building experiences, building skills, and remembering why they’re here.”

She also hopes the broader school community sees the full picture of what robotics offers. 

“To the school, I want them to know that this program is so much more than just robots,” Ms. Carvajal said. “Yes, it’s big and can seem a little crazy at times, but behind that is teamwork, outreach, and learning. I really want people to see how multifaceted it is.”

With her mix of enthusiasm, experience, and vision, Ms. Carvajal has helped transform the widely successful robotics program into a space where students not only prepare for competition, but also for future challenges. To her, the program isn’t just a club: it’s a family, one where every student has a place and a purpose. 

“I want this school to also know that [this club], while it is big and you see its craziness, everything that we’re doing here [is] so much more than the robot,” Ms. Carvajal.

“[Homecoming and float-building] is really important because it’s a really great time to build community, spend time with your friends, and show school spirit,” volunteer Isabelle Martin ‘28 said.

Over the course of nine hours, the group painted colorful butterflies and planets and attached stars and streamers to the float. In addition to the decorations, the class decided to incorporate a playful reference to one of Coldplay’s recent headlines, with Ma and StuCo Event Supporter Akshara Reddy ‘28 dressing up as the infamous affair caught at the concert.

“We came up with the float theme by assessing not only popular artists, but what recent events had happened in pop culture,” Ma said. “Due to the humorous nature of Andy Byron’s affair, as well as popular songs by Coldplay, we chose an intersection of both.”

Despite working for six hours on Saturday in the blazing sun, due to the lack of volunteers, the class had to continue their preparations on Sunday. The volunteer team, composed mainly of StuCo members, rose to the challenge with preparation and teamwork.

“We had a major challenge of not having enough people,” Reddy said. “There was so much ground to cover, and we were a little short of supplies. We overcame [these challenges] by having a plan and helping each other out.”

Butting heads against their district rivals the McNeil Mavericks, the varsity football team fell short on Friday, Sept. 12, suffering their second loss of the season 70-45. With defense weakening throughout the game on both sides leading to a massive point buildup, it was up to the offense to take the lead — and while the Warriors put up a valiant effort in the first half, the Mavericks swept in to claim a victory on their own Homecoming game. 

“[Overall], I feel like we did all right, but we just need to be better [about] fixing some [little] things up,” Canon Olofson ‘27 said. “We just need to have better discipline, [which we plan on fixing] by watching film and listening. We [definitely] have things to work on, and we’re building up to get better.”

The Maverick’s first touchdown was within the first minute of the game, setting the tone for the rest of the evening. However, the Warriors were determined to put up a strong fight. They strategically played out the first few minutes of the quarter, making a field goal to get some points up on the board. This maneuver gave the Warriors some confidence, with offense advancing their game and gaining the lead with a run and touchdown by Wade Allen ‘26. With McNeil now on offense, the Warriors continued their powerful defensive tactics seen in their game last week against Austin High. They pushed back strongly against incoming Mavericks, with Dre Kyles ‘28 playing a pivotal role in cutting off the opponent’s attempts at a pass down the field. But this high aggression from the Warriors resulted in a foul, delivering a significant blow to the Warrior’s defensive success for the remainder of the game. 

“They were a great team — we knew that coming in, but we didn’t come off strong from the get go, and that kind of came back to bite us,” Maps Mehis ‘28 said. 

Although the Warriors continued to get struck down with many flags thrown at them, they  continued to maintain their composure and focus on the task at hand. According to Mehis, this will help the Warriors supplement their strategic training with a positive mindset shift that will earn them holistic success in the future. 

“We had a major talk about staying classy — there were some [hard times] in this game, [but] we got to keep up what we’re doing, keep proving that discipline,” Mehis said. “It’s not about the game really, it’s about our behavior, during the play, after the play. I thought we did all right with that tonight, but we can always get better, especially if we’re playing an unclassy team — if that ever happens down the road.”

While defense continued to make powerful efforts, they no longer contained the same degree of aggression seen earlier in the quarter and in past games. This allowed the Mavericks to move easily down the field with consistent first downs. Their offensive drive culminated in a touchdown, passing McNeil the lead again and bringing the score to 14-10. With Warrior offense now on the field and trying to fill in the gaps left by defense, the Maverick’s own defense finally found their footing, creating an unbreakable line and preventing the Warriors from sneaking through gaps.. Warrior offense consistently lost a few yards, with their offensive drives being pushed to fourth down. 

“Offensively, we [ended up] executing pretty well — it was a little shaky at the start, but we got it together pretty well,” Allen said. “[The biggest] challenges were just getting the run game and getting beat deep over the top — if we can fix that, we’ll be successful this season.”

Both Warrior offense and defense were on incredibly shaky ground. While the Warriors impressively pushed the Mavericks to begin their offensive drive from their own one-yard line, this success was quickly trumped by the Mavericks’ record-breaking play: a 99 yard run down the field on first down, earning McNeil their most popular touchdown of the game. Failing to recover from this blow, Warrior defense continued to enable easy points for McNeil, with the Mavericks scoring yet another touchdown off a run just shortly after. 

“Things like defense — its definitely different [from playing as a freshman last year]. There are a lot of similar guys, so we all bring good chemistry and we’re all good friends, [but] we just have to have [a lot] more teamwork on the field,” Mehis said. 

With defense now strongly hit, Warrior offense had to work overtime to make up for the loss.. But, their continued inability to successfully pass the ball lead to continuous runs instead. This resulted in the Maverick’s offense getting the upper hand as McNeil defense quickly read the Warriors running plays and was able to shut it down swiftly. The first quarter ends with yet another McNeil touchdown.  The second quarter opens to see the Warrior offense beginning to build sporadic momentum. Mehis seamlessly gains 12 yards on first down, weaving around Maverick defense efficiently to run the ball closer to their end zone. This progress is matched shortly by Drew Norrell ‘26 shooting down the field to score a much-awaited Warrior touchdown. The play was largely possible by the team’s cohesion, with the O-line successfully tackling incoming defense, allowing for Norrell to gain access to a clear path.

“A specific weakness [of this game] was that we just need to be more focused,” Mehis said. “We need more discipline [with] those small things — Westwood teams [are known] for their discipline, so we need to [work on that]. Personally, I just need to [focus on] the small things, because those can always come back to bite us. There’s never something you can’t get better on — you can always [improve] on something.”

Hopes of a rejuvenated Warrior defense are brought down after the third quarter kicks off to the Mavericks making easy progress down the field. While the Warriors certainly were obstacles in the Mavericks path to the end zone, they failed to successfully tackle any of the incoming offense, leading to McNeil’s first touchdown of the second half, Leading to a  41-17 McNeil lead. With the Warriors now on offense again, they began making decent progress in their drives, with Mehis instrumental in finally moving the line of scrimmage into the opponent half. As a determined Warrior offense faced off against a staunch Maverick defense at third down and seven, the Warriors claimed the minor victory by moving for a touchdown. A quick series of high-powered runs followed, with yet another Maverick touchdown, and then another Warrior one — made possible by a persistent Allen who drove the ball into the end zone. 

“For the team, we want to [strategically] keep the other teams under 30 points, and a personal goal: I want to rush for a 1000 yards and have 10 touchdowns,” Allen said.

The game now in the final stretch, Allen and Mehis singlehandedly continued the Warriors offensive attempts, with Allen bringing the Warriors to third down and one, and Mehis sweeping in to claim yet another Warrior touchdown with a hand off and run to the endzone. Following this, the Mavericks claim yet another touchdown due to complete, long passes paired with a scattered Warrior defense. Then, Weston Franz ‘27 scored a touchdown for Westwood, a feat quickly mirrored by the Mavericks after a commendable 63 yard run. The final quarter saw Warrior offense making powerful attempts, hinting towards a possible comeback, but without the simultaneous support of defense, a recovery slowly seeps out of grasp. The Mavericks end their Homecoming game with a touchdown and two-point conversion, raising the final score to a mighty 70-45. 

“Given that we executed well later on in the game, on offense we scored a lot of points and we [were able to] bring it back into a close game,” Allen said. “Our defense was struggling in the run game, so they just got to start filling the gaps, and that’s how we’re going to win games [in the future].”

The varsity football team will return next Friday, Sept. 19 to play their own Homecoming game against the Cedar Ridge Raiders.

One of the key implementations of HB 8 is the mandation of beginning-of-year, middle-of-year, and end-of-year assessments, meaning local districts can no longer issue STAAR Interim Assessments, also known as benchmarks, to prepare students for the STAAR exam. Previously, benchmarks were not mandated by the state, but if implemented by the district, they could give teachers insight about students’ skill level to guide them accordingly in preparation for the final STAAR exam. The senators voted to remove these practice tests in order to reclaim lost instructional time.

“Benchmarks are usually low stakes and are a good way to test knowledge. I do see how they can be helpful for teachers,” Lasya Medikonduru ‘28 said. “We usually only have around two a year as well, so I don’t think removing them makes space for a lot more [instructional] activity.”

The original draft of HB 8 attempted to scale back the state’s testing requirements to only those mandated by federal law. This included an annual English and math test from grades 3-8 and an annual science test for selective grades. However, the Senate created an amended version to reverse that effort, making significant modifications to testing and accountability policies. The revised bill was approved by the House. The new system is promoted as a more holistic approach to assessing student growth while preserving the high-stakes structure.

“In elementary and middle school, STAAR tests were definitely one of the more stressful parts of the year,” Sailee Chitari ‘28 said. “However, I’d prefer having just one test at the end of the year rather than having multiple tests throughout. The new system could be [even] more stressful for some students.”

While standardized testing is more frequent under HB 8, the first two tests will also be adaptive, introducing an approach that tailors the level of difficulty of specific questions to students based on their performance in prior sections of the test. Under this proposal, the Texas Education Agency (TEA) will be required to return test scores two days after the test administration window closes, ensuring students will know where they stand almost immediately — a sharp contrast to the lengthy waiting time for results from previous STAAR exams.

“[In the past], by the time we got our STAAR test results back, it was the middle of the summer and I forgot my thought process for answering the questions,” Chitari said. “Because these tests will be more frequent, it’s good they’re giving results back earlier. Getting the test back sooner means I’ll know what I got wrong, so I would practice those topics more. I would also have a better opportunity of improving the next time I took the test.”

Despite these significant changes, the legislation still promotes the high-stakes structure of the widely opposed test. Critics of the STAAR test have argued that the assessment places unnecessary stress on students and teachers while failing to accommodate for different learning needs. Even under HB 8, the standardized testing results will continue to be measured by TEA’s A-F accountability system, an approach that assigns letter grades to Texas schools and districts based on student achievement, progress, and learning gaps. Regardless of the testing changes, the STAAR exams will still carry the same sizable weight when it comes to driving school ratings.

“Just because the test may look different doesn’t mean that the pressure necessarily goes away,” Aanya Pathak ‘28 said. “The scores still seem to matter and affect how the school is judged, even though the new version is supposed to be more fair.”

Additionally, HB 8 removes the ability of school districts and communities to legally challenge accountability ratings in court, unearthing a heavy dispute. Communities whose budgets are based on these accountability ratings have criticized the bill as an elimination of state power and a dismissal of locally elected school boards. 

“If the state gets to decide everything, it feels like they’re ignoring what’s best for the schools and the voice of the people running them,” Medikonduru said. 

The full implementation of the system is expected to begin in the 2027-28 school year following two years of beta testing. However, some components of the accountability system will not go into effect until later. In the meantime, students, teachers, and parents are left navigating through a period of transition. While some consider HB 8 as a more equitable approach to public education, debate persists over whether this bill represents meaningful reform or simply repackages the same principles of STAAR under a new name.

“Even though the system is shown to be different, [the pressure] still seems to be the same,” Chitari said. “Students will still be dealing with the same struggle to reach a benchmark. They are changing the presentation, not the impact.” 

Growing up in Pflugerville, Texas, Mr. Kluge’s career path did not clearly lead to education. An indecisive kid, he often entertained the idea of many careers. As he moved on in his high school and college years, however, the teaching path became more apparent as a viable pathway.

“I was a very indecisive kid growing up, and I didn’t know what I wanted to do,” Mr. Kluge said. “My biggest influence [for] going into computer science and becoming a teacher [was] a great teacher in high school, Ms. Stewart. I had her for multiple years, [and] she really encouraged me to go into computer science. [After college], my friends became teachers, and [I was] like, ‘I should come in and sub for their classes,’ so that [also] influenced my decision to become a teacher.”

“I was [at UT Dallas] for five years,” Mr. Kluge said. “I did my undergrad in four [years], and I did an accelerated master’s program. [I minored in statistics] because of my AP Statistics teacher. I excelled in AP Statistics and I [thought it was] fun.”

Drawing on his schooling experience, Mr. Kluge understands the challenges students face. He looks to help students overcome these challenges by providing them with specific tools.

“The biggest challenge is probably getting [students] to think algorithmically,” Mr. Kluge said. “Having them change their thinking is a big shift for a lot of kids. You’re having to think through, step-by-step, how things work. I am trying to prompt the kids. I give them resources such as practicing mapping out programs and being able to walk through their steps, and [I] just toss some problem-solving activities at them all the time.”

Although he has only been at Westwood for four weeks thus far, Mr. Kluge knows he enjoys the students’ dedication for education. He plans on making programming engaging by providing fun activities.

“[My students are] funny. I like how invested they are in their education,” Mr. Kluge said. “They make sure they know exactly what they need to do to be successful. We try to provide game-based coding and hands-on activities, like the building blocks activity.”

As the school year progresses, Mr. Kluge is prepared to embrace the challenges and work alongside his students on problems they face. He deeply desires to impact his students, cultivating applicable programming skills beyond preparation for exams and assignments.

“Ideally, I’d like them to leave [the class] learning how to code something, and that’s becoming super relevant in the marketplace right now in terms of jobs,” Mr. Kluge said. “I want them to leave the class being able to have skills that they can use outside of computer science, such as being able to think logically and decompose problems, and [I want to] help with general problem-solving concepts beyond standard programming.”

For Ms. Flores, teaching wasn’t initially her idea. Growing up in a tiny town and attending a small school, she never imagined herself standing at the front of a classroom. Her spirit for education was always present, however: during high school, Ms. Flores taught other students their science class material. Finding her teaching experience arduous, she believed education wasn’t the right fit for her — an unexpected path for a current educator.

“I’ve always had a love for science, and I will be honest, I did not originally want to be a teacher,” Ms. Flores said. “But in high school, I got cursed by my biology teacher. She was my science teacher all four years [of] science. If we did a lab or a dissection, she had me show the other students.”

After her high school years passed, Ms. Flores attended Texas A&M university, graduating with a degree in finance. While working in finance, the 2001 recession struck her company, and amidst the turmoil, Ms. Flores found herself in a difficult spot.

“During the 2001 recession, I lost my job because they closed the offices,” Ms. Flores said. “My aunts were teachers, and they were like, ‘Why don’t you come and shadow us?’ so I went and saw what they did, and it was interesting enough for me. I literally walked into Concordia University to ask questions about teaching, and they gave me a scholarship to go back to school and become a teacher.”

After getting her bachelor’s degree in education, Ms. Flores began her career at McNeil High School, where she taught Human Body Systems and IPC for seven years. Following her time at McNeil, she furthered her experience through teaching at summer school, working closely with Westwood teachers. As a result of her dedication over the summer, she received a formal invitation to join the Westwood faculty. As a new staff member, Ms. Flores is committed to creating a welcoming and engaging learning environment. With her unique career background, Ms. Flores aims to make biology and IPC more engaging for students that are not interested in science — a position she was all too familiar with in high school.

“I like to prove them wrong,” Ms. Flores said. “Science doesn’t have to be boring. I want students to see how it connects to their lives.”

Outside of teaching, Ms. Flores enjoys cooking, watching movies, reading, and listening to music. She is also an animal-lover, owning six cats and two dogs.

For Ms. Flores, the joy of teaching comes from engaging her students in lessons and sharing meaningful and applicable knowledge. She finds the most rewarding moments in seeing their excitement, whether it’s the spark of curiosity during class discussions, pride in understanding a hard concept, or return of a grateful former student. Every interaction, whether big or small, makes her happier to teach and strengthens the lasting impact she hopes to have on her students’ lives.

“The most rewarding part of teaching is when I’m able to create a lesson or an activity, and I can see it in their eyes that they’re enjoying it,” Ms. Flores said. “Another rewarding part is when students come back and say, ‘I still remember that one thing we did in class. I felt really, really good and confident in your class.’ That fills my bucket.”

“One word I’d use to describe myself is ‘enthusiastic’,” Ms. Flores said. “The enthusiasm that I have for this profession, for helping new teachers get better, and for helping old teachers share their ideas.”

After graduating with a master’s degree in business administration from the University of Texas at Dallas and a master’s degree in education from Lamar University, Ms. Nguyen ventured into the field of education. Having taught math for 19 years — 17 of which were inside RRISD — Ms. Nguyen has garnered immense knowledge that shines through in her teaching.

“In [previous] middle schools, I taught Algebra and Geometry,” Ms. Nguyen said. “Taking those skills and reaching out to help the students in high school, I feel I could do a better job with these students because [they] are more mature. I want to hopefully help our high school learners to appreciate math more.”

Ms. Nguyen’s inclination toward numbers began in her teenage years following a monumental move of 8000 miles from her homeland of Vietnam to the USA. Facing a difficult communication barrier in a new country, she found comfort in the subject that remained the same halfway across the globe.

Additionally, Ms. Nguyen credits her high school calculus teacher Deborah Cannon, an impactful mentor who still affects her mindset, for kick-starting her love for math.

“[Ms. Cannon] had a way to teach us concepts that were difficult while being able to relate to students,” Ms. Nguyen said. “When she made that math pleasant for me, that was how I connected math to love of learning.”

On top of her stable mathematical foundation, Ms. Nguyen began forging her career in education as her own children began school. After walking her eldest daughter through different topics at home, she was motivated to take her skills outside of her home and into a classroom.

“When I was in the education area, I was like, ‘Wow, this is really good. I feel like I could make a difference teaching students,’” Ms. Nguyen said. “Especially when my kiddos were coming home, I wasn’t home schooling, but I could see that when they were struggling, I was able to go over those concepts with them a little bit more. I thought, ‘If I can do this, I wonder if I can help not just my children, but other students as well.’”

In her free time, Ms. Nguyen continuously strives to improve the curriculum for her students, whether that’s streamlining the grading process, creating lesson plans, or brainstorming new ideas to engage her students. While improving the quality of education inspires Ms. Nguyen during work, she also loves spending time with family and friends when she’s off the clock. Her personal hobbies include gardening, reading, and baking — she’s always open to trying new recipes.

“Prior to coming [back to school in the fall], I spent many hours getting ready,” Ms. Nguyen said. “But now that I have established those [fundamentals], I am able to spend more time for myself. [For example], I love to garden, and if you visit the classroom, you could see the plants.”

Accentuating the school’s reputation across the district, Ms. Nguyen praises the standard of education that Westwood brings. She hopes to spread her joy of learning in the school’s community while reminding students to have fun in their final years before college.

“My goal here at Westwood is to make this [the students’] best year ever,” Ms. Nguyen said. “If they haven’t learned to love math, this will be the year that they do.”

Unlike many Westwood staff, Ms. Hooper did not grow up near the RRISD community. Coming from a small town on the coast of Texas, she graduated from high school in a class of around 100 people, a unique experience she believes still shapes her perspective today.

“Growing up in a small town has made me more understanding of different backgrounds or socioeconomic status, and college not being an option,” Ms. Hooper said. “Then, [I] moved to the city, where the expectation is very different [and] very high. It gives me a more well-rounded view of communities.”

After a period of experimentation when she searched to solidify her passions, Ms. Hooper graduated with her bachelor’s degree from the Texas A&M University of Houston-Victoria and received her master’s degree from Lamar University. With 13 years of experience in education, her main inspiration as an academic advisor stems from her own childhood counselor.

“In my community, we had one counselor [who] shared the role of the high school counselor and the middle school counselor,” Ms. Hooper said. “She helped everybody to the next level of adulthood, and it meant so much to me that she had ideas and options for everybody. As a little girl, I thought ‘I could be a teacher’, and then I met her, and I thought ‘I could still work in a school, but be a helper in a different way.’”

Outside of the office, Ms. Hooper enjoys spending time with her 16-year-old daughter, often through their shared interest in volleyball. Spanning from cooking to concerts, she revels in a range of dynamic activities while also appreciating the simplicity of nature, especially when taking care of her plants or neighborhood animals.

“[My daughter] is like my best friend, and I love to do things with her,” Ms. Hooper said. “Outside as a family, we do music festivals, but at home, I have a new obsession with the birds I feed in my backyard.”

While Ms. Hooper understands the pressure and academic rigor that comes with the high school environment, she aims to subdue that. Encouraging a balanced mindset, she reminds students that fostering a work-life balance is vital to productivity and health. As a fresh face, she hopes to bring about a more relaxed student-centered space where they can strive for success, but never forget to enjoy the ride.

“High school is so fun,” Ms. Hooper said. “This is the time in your life where you have this freedom to socialize and try new things, and once you’re out of it, it’s the best, so take every opportunity to have a great time!”