ED & LH

Joseph Ritter, a power forward for the Woodrow Wilson High School Wildcat basketball team, has committed to Cornell University for next fall. The 6-foot-8 240-pound senior is ranked by texashoops.com and Max Preps.

Education

S.S. Conner Elementary School teacher Katey Batey won an essay contest about being a teacher and was a speaker at the Extra Yard for Teachers Summit in January.

Woodrow Wilson High School’s 324 seniors were treated to a pizza lunch in November after 90 percent of them sent college applications, meeting the DISD goal before the Thanksgiving break.

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Mount Auburn Elementary School has the highest math proficiency rate in DISD for students using the Reasoning Minds program.

Robert T. Hill Middle School students and staff collected 247 gifts in December for the Salvation Army to give to children and teens in devastating circumstances.

J.L. Long Middle school students collected 150 toys in December for WFAA’s Santa’s Helpers Toy Drive.

Nonprofits

The White Rock YMCA has raised $12 million, about $2 million shy of its fundraising goal for the new building on Gaston. Supporters can purchase a bricks with their name on them for $1,500 each as part of the YMCA’s “click the brick” campaign. Construction began in April 2014 and is nearing completion.

Please submit news items and/or photos concerning neighborhood residents, activities, honors and volunteer opportunities to editor@advocatemag.com. Our deadline is the first of the month prior to the month of publication.