The Woodlands Hills is currently served by the Willis Independent School District. Children attend Meador Elementary, Brabham Middle School, and Willis High School. The district offers students opportunities to explore many areas of interest. Student groups from each of the three schools have recently made notable achievements. As education is one of the tenets of developing The Woodlands Hills, we are pleased to highlight some of the many accomplishments of student groups within the district.
Willis High School
Teachers Association Of Future Educators
Willis High School students Kristen Eilers and Kiriana Leach recently represented Willis ISD at the Teachers Association of Future Educators (TAFE )Teach Tomorrow Summit in Galveston. Alongside more than 3,400 aspiring educators, they explored the path to becoming successful teachers, connected with peers from across Texas, and gained valuable insights into the field of education.
Eilers and Leach competed against top students in Texas, in a record-breaking year with 2,410 competition entries across 37 events. Earning a spot as a National Qualifier, Eilers will compete this summer in Orlando, Florida, in the Exploring Educational Administration Careers competition.
“Celebrating future educators ensures we will have strong candidates to carry on the important work of educating our nation’s students,” said Willis ISD Superintendent Kimberley James. “We wish Kristen all the best at Nationals!”
AFJROTC Drone and Rocketry Teams
Soaring to victory at The Woodlands High School Aerial Drone Competition, the Willis Air Force JROTC Cadets Aerial Drone Team the Drone Kats competed against 14 teams from six schools, bringing home three first-place trophies: Teamwork Mission Champions, Skills Mission Champions, and Coding Champions. At the Cypress Fairbanks ISD Aerial Drone Competition on January 11, the Drone Kats-C team also secured the Teamwork Mission Championship.
At the Waller High School “Bulldog Blastoff” Rocketry Competition on January 18, the AFJROTC Rocketry team showcased their precision and engineering skills earning second place in both the 90-foot Spot Landing event and the 120-foot Spot Landing Event.
Adding to the list of successes, the WHS Drill Teams performed exceptionally well at a recent competition, earning three, third-place finishes in the Unarmed Exhibition, Armed Exhibition, and Academics.
Willis ISD will be cheering on all three WHS AFJROTC Aerial Drone Teams – Drone Kats – A, B, & C – as their season continues. Each have qualified for the 2025 National JROTC All-Service Aerial Drone Championship taking place in Batesville, MS, in April.
“These incredible accomplishments reflect the hard work, dedication, and skill of our cadets and instructors,” said Superintendent James. “Congratulations to all teams. Willis ISD is proud of you!”
Cosmetology 1
Willis High School Career and Technical Education (CTE) Cosmetology I students took their talents beyond the classroom, bringing care and confidence to the residents of the Worthington Manor of Conroe. Cosmetology students made a meaningful impact in their community by providing residents hair and nail treatments, along with heartfelt conversations.
Meador Elementary School
Willis ISD’s youngest students have much to be proud of. On January 28, 38 Meador students (230 district wide) participated in the annual Spelling Bee. First-place winner Logan Johnson, second-place winner Kylie Wilding, and third-place winner Annalisa Kot qualified to move on to the Regional Spelling Bee and then to the Scripts National Spelling Bee taking place at the end of May. Congratulations to the winners and all the participants!
Brabham Middle School
On February 22, Brabham Middle School’s dance team, the Sophistikats took the stage at the Trendsetters 2025 State Competition at Willis High School earning the title of Grand Champion/ First Place overall in the middle school division. The team of talented dancers, under the direction of Kyrie O’Loughlin and Ashton Hickey, proved that hard work pays great dividends. In addition to being awarded Grand Champion, the Sophistikats also earned:
Award of Excellence – One of the Top Scoring Teams of the Day
Best in Class – Small Division
Super Sweepstakes – 90+ scores on all routines
Outstanding Choreography – Pom, Lyrical, and Jazz
Precision & Technical Merit Award
First Place Trio – Small Division
Third Place Soloist – Emma Cerda (6th-8th Division)
“These dancers have worked incredibly hard, and it paid off in a big way,” said Middle School Dance Director, Kyrie O’Loughlin. “We couldn’t be prouder of their dedication, talent, and teamwork!”
Setting goals and celebrating successes helps to encourage students to strive for success. A visit to any of the schools’ websites or Facebook pages illuminates numerous ways Willis ISD students are gaining knowledge, skills and behaviors for life-long learning and for productive responsible citizenship, fulfilling the district’s mission.
