Awty International School facts for kids

Quick facts for kids The Awty International School
Campus
Address
7455 Awty School Lane Houston , Texas United States
Coordinates	29°47′10″N 95°27′36″W / 29.786°N 95.460°W / 29.786; -95.460
Information
Type	Independent, International School
Motto	An International School for an International World
Established	1956
Founder	Kathleen Awty
Head of School	Heather Beck
Faculty	244
Enrollment	1,754 (2022)
Campus	Urban
Color(s)	Green and gold
Mascot	Ram
Newspaper	RAMPAGE
Yearbook	Double Exposure

The Awty International School is a special private school in Houston, Texas. It is located in the western part of Houston, in an area called Spring Branch. The school started in 1956.

Awty helps students get important diplomas like the International Baccalaureate (IB) or the French Baccalauréat. The school is officially recognized by the French Ministry of Education. This means it is a school for French students living in Houston. Awty teaches students from age three all the way up to 12th grade. It is the biggest international school in the United States. It is also the largest private day school in Houston. Awty is part of a group of schools called the Agency for French Education Abroad (AEFE). This group helps French students studying outside of France.

School History

Awty School first opened its doors on September 10, 1956. It was located on Westheimer Road. Kathleen "Kay" Awty started the school as a preschool. In the beginning, there were 27 young students. They were in kindergarten and pre-kindergarten classes.

In 1960, the school moved to Garretson Street. By 1970, Awty taught students from preschool up to sixth grade. At that time, about 250 students attended the school. The high school part of Awty opened in 1975. In 1976, four girls were the first students to graduate from the high school.

Awty joined with the French School of Houston in 1979. This allowed the school to offer classes in two languages. That same year, the school moved to its current location. In 1984, the school got its current name, The Awty International School. A special building for preschool students opened in 1990. Kay Awty, the founder, passed away in 1996.

In 2006, Awty celebrated its 50th birthday. To mark this, a new sports area was built. It cost $5 million and included a large stadium with 1,400 seats. There were also new tennis courts and parking spaces.

School Connections

Awty is connected to many important groups. It works with the Mission Laïque Française. The school is also approved by several organizations. These include the International Baccalaureate (IB) and the Independent Schools Association of the Southwest (ISAS). It is also recognized by the French Ministry of National Education. The Dutch Ministry of Education also approves Awty.

Awty is part of other groups too. These include the Agence pour l'enseignement français à l'étranger (AEFE). It is also part of the Council of International Schools (CIS). Other groups are the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) and the Association for the Advancement of International Education (AAIE). For sports, Awty is in the Southwest Preparatory Conference (SPC) and Houston Junior Preparatory Conference (HJPC). It is also part of Houston Area Independent Schools (HAIS) and Texas International Baccalaureate Schools (TIBS).

What Students Learn

Awty offers different high school diplomas. Students can earn the IB Diploma or the French Baccalauréat. They can also get a general high school diploma. Awty is the only school in the Houston area that offers both the IB and French Baccalauréat diplomas. All senior students at Awty must take final exams for one of these two programs. The AEFE group officially approves Awty's programs.

Awty helps students get ready for a global world. All students learn a second language. How they learn it changes with their age. Youngest students (PK3 to Kindergarten) learn in English and French or English and Spanish. From 1st to 5th grade, main subjects are in one language. Other classes like art and gym are in a second language. They also have a daily second language class.

Students in 6th to 12th grade have a daily, in-depth second language class. They can also choose to learn a third language. Besides English, French, and Spanish, they can learn Arabic, German, Hindi, Japanese, Korean, Mandarin, and Russian. Awty usually offers about ten different language choices each year.

School Campus

The main campus of Awty School is in Spring Branch. It covers about 26 acres of land. The campus is close to where the 610 Loop and Interstate 10 highways meet. All the school buildings together have 120 classrooms.

A new building called the Levant Foundation Building opened in 2012. It has three floors and 33 classrooms. This building also has offices, a dining hall, and art rooms. It replaced older, temporary buildings. This new building and a five-story parking garage were the first part of a big building plan. In 2014, a new elementary school building opened. It has a computer lab, a media room, and art rooms.

Awty used to have many temporary buildings. The elementary classes were in an old building called "Big Blue." This building was taken down in 2014. This made space for a new Student Campus Center.

In 2017, a second campus for younger students was added nearby. This Early Learning Campus is about 5 acres. It is for students in PK3, PK4, Kindergarten, and 1st grade. It has 26 classrooms and special indoor areas for art, music, and dining. Outside, there are two playgrounds and learning gardens.

The school's old campus on Garrettson Street was west of the 610 Loop. It was near the Uptown Houston area.

Student Body

As of 2021, over 1,717 students attend Awty. This makes it the largest international school in the United States. It is also the biggest private school in Houston. Students come from the United States, France, and 48 other countries. About 54% of students are U.S. citizens. Another 12% are U.S. citizens with citizenship in other countries. The remaining 34% are from other countries. More than 60% of the students can speak two languages.

Getting to School

As of 2021, Awty provides bus services for students. Buses pick up and drop off students in several areas. These areas include Dairy Ashford, Greater Katy, Lakes on Eldridge, Memorial, Shadowbriar, Sugar Land, and the Town and Country Mall area.

School Sports

In the 2019-2020 school year, The Awty International School joined the Southwest Preparatory Conference (SPC) and Houston Junior Preparatory Conference (HJPC).

Cheerleaders with the Awty mascot

The school's sports complex is called Awty Field. It is next to the main campus. It opened on April 22, 2008. The sports area has a stadium with 1,400 seats. There are also four tennis courts and a soccer field. It has locker rooms, offices for coaches, and a snack stand. A 400-meter running track goes around the other facilities. The track has eight lanes. Stuart Holden, a former soccer player for the Houston Dynamo and an Awty graduate, attended the opening.

Before the new sports complex, Awty's sports teams practiced in different places. Tennis matches were played at other schools. The track team practiced at various stadiums. The soccer teams played all their games away from home. They practiced on a small, bumpy field at Awty.

Today, Awty students who swim practice at Dad's Club.

Awty Athletics Team Championships:

Famous Graduates

• Ted Cruz (attended middle school) - a United States Senator
• Stuart Holden (Class of 2003) - a soccer player for the Houston Dynamo and Bolton Wanderers
• Clint Smith (Class of 2006) - a writer, poet, and activist

Famous Teachers

• J. Fred Duckett - a coach and history teacher
• Ryan Harlan - an NCAA National Champion in the Decathlon (a type of track and field event)

Related Schools

• British School of Houston
• St. John's School
• The Kinkaid School
• Memorial High School