Community Open House Showcases 2018 Bond Improvements

Scott Seamon, Managing Editor| April 25, 2023

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  • Principal Erin Campbell cuts the ribbon to begin the open house alongside Board of Trustees Vice President Tiffanie Harrison and Board Trustee Alicia Markum (Place 4). Ms. Harrison has been on the Board of Trustees since 2020 and was previously a teacher at Round Rock High School, where she was twice awarded Teacher of the Year and Ms. Markum has been on the Board of Trustees since 2022 and has previously been in multiple leadership roles including Fern Bluff Elementary PTA President and RRISD Council of PTAs Diversity and Inclusion Chair.

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  • Sophomores Zella Stricklin, Reese Markle, and Rima Vudutalapally spin pottery in a demonstration for visitors. The three sophomores attend Ms. Washburn’s Art III: Ceramics II class.

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  • Theatre teacher Lydia Coats gives a Grisham student and parent a tour of the black box. Theatre was in the middle of rehearsals for senior-directed productions during the tour.

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  • Applauding, district officials, including Board Trustee Alicia Markum (Place 4), Superintendent Dr. Hafhed Azaiez, and Westwood Area Superintendent Dr. Zac Oldham, stand by as the ribbon is being cut. Ms. Markum was elected to Place 4 in the 2022 school board election, Dr. Azaiez was brought on as Superintendent in July 2021, and Dr. Oldham was promoted to Westwood Area Superintendent following four years as Principal of Cedar Valley Middle School.

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  • Snail Dempsey ’23 gives a tour of the technical theatre shop to interested visitors. Dempsey has been in the technical theatre program for four years, since their freshman year.

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On Monday, April 24, Westwood administration hosted a community open house to showcase campus improvements made possible by the voter-approved 2018 bond.

“The Phase IV construction project began with the approval of the 2018 bond and we broke ground in 2020,” Principal Erin Campbell said. “Monday’s ribbon-cutting culminated three years of construction. It was a special moment to celebrate our new academic wing and the ROTC and fine arts renovations and additions.”

Campus improvements funded by the 2018 bond included outdoor projects such as replacing the turf field, resurfacing the track, improving the Warrior Bowl, and building an ROTC building, 

“Thanks to the efforts of our community, board members, and district leadership, the new upgrades at [Westwood] make our facilities second to none,” Westwood Area Superintendent Zach Oldham said. “It was awesome to see so many of our students, community members, and families come to see our new upgrades.”

Following the ribbon-cutting ceremony, students led tours of new elective spaces, including pottery, technical theatre, and band.

“Giving tours of the tech theatre shop was a great experience,” student tour guide Snail Dempsey ‘23 said. “I’m glad I was able to help teach others about our technical theater program and our new spaces.”

One of the many additions to the school was the extended D-wing, which primarily houses math and arts classrooms. Some classes utilized student demonstrators to portray the use of new facilities.

“During the open house, I used the potter’s wheel to demonstrate the process of throwing on the wheel and how intricate it is,” student volunteer Reese Markle ‘25 said. “People don’t realize how much time, practice, and effort the process takes. We were also selling prints to fundraise for the art department.”

For more information on RRISD bonds, visit bond.roundrockisd.org.