Johnston High School -- Home

Johnston has always been an academic heavyweight, and our various individual and organizational awards exemplify that. The students love to compete and enjoy participating in educational tournaments of all kinds to show off what they've learned and worked for all year. Just last May, for example, journalism student Kate Paddock was named "State Champion" in feature writing for her story on Austinite Harry Knowles at the Universtiy Interscholastic League (UIL) State Meet. Ms. Paddock was competing against sixty of the top journalism students from around the state and won first in her class, 4A. At that point judges selected the "Tops In Texas" out of those first place winners, and that's how Ms. Paddock was named State Champion. She returned this year to be co-editor of the Shiloh, our school's award winning newspaper.

But awards aren't limited to just individuals; there are clubs and organizations that are always winning awards for Johnston. In 1998 the Future Business Leaders of America won many awards in the district competition; the Debate Team is continously competing throughoutt the year and wins many of it's tournaments; band and orchestra work all year for their UIL competitions, and many of the members benifit from earning the recognition of such achievements. Spanish students take the National Spanish Exam and every year there are at least two students that receive top honors.

The Johnston Theater Company advanced to UIL State on May 7, 1999 for their production of Mark Medoff's "The Hands Of Its Enemy." The play was one of only eight schools that advanced to the highest level of competition the state sponsors for drama.The Texas Educational Theater Association Certificate of Special Recognition was presented to teachers Rick Garcia and Shelley Grounds. Cast members won various honors for their work, including: member of the All-Star Cast and Honorable Mention.