nurture nature

Doing good can feel good too: Hiatus Spa + Retreat honors Earth Day all monthlong

Vishy Shower
Photo by Ryann Ford
Foot Soak
Photo by Ryann Ford

Hiatus Spa + Retreat is my new favorite hiding place from the hustle and bustle of downtown living. It’s an urban oasis where the mission is to provide affordable, yet luxurious spa services with a conscious effort towards sustainability.

Located in the heart of downtown on West Fifth Street, this environmentally focused respite is owned by Kristin Peabody and Sheila Garrison.

Earth Day may come around just once a year, but Hiatus launched its business with specially designed packages to promote healthy living while doing good for the environment, year round.

For April, Hiatus partnered withGlobal Greengrants Fund and the Gulf Restoration Network. The Global Greengrants Fund provides funding via grants to developing countries for local projects and grassroots campaigns to although for environmental sustainability. The Gulf Restoration Network is an organization devoted to protecting and restoring the natural resources of the Gulf.

Water conservation is a priority to the folks at Hiatus and they are making a conscious effort to do so with their Earth Month Retreat, a virtually waterless treatment that quenches the skin.

The treatment begins with an invigorating dry body brushing to give an invigorating exfoliation. A light, herbal mist tones and purifies and organic cocoa and shea butters are smoothed over the skin with the help of warmed stones to massage and relax. The treatment continues with a warm body wrap and concludes with a warm and cool, revitalizing stone facial massage.

The spa also makes a conscious effort to use mostly 100 percent organic products with lines including Aveda, Intelligent Nutrients for face and body treatments and SpaRituals' toxin-free, vegan-friendly nail polishes.

Their manicure and pedicure is a luxurious 80 minutes and includes nap time. I’m not kidding. You lay in their zero-gravity chairs draped with a blanket, put on a warm neck wrap and eye mask and recline while aestheticians buff, file and scrub you to perfection. You emerge refreshed, recharged and perfectly polished.

Who knew doing good could feel so good, too?

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schools with high achievers

19 Austin elementary and middle schools rank among Texas' best for 2025

enrollbasistx.com

Congratulations are in order for the Bats.

Several Austin elementary and middle schools are at the top of the class when it comes to educating and preparing the next generation for a successful life and career, according to U.S. News & World Report's just-released list of 2025 Elementary and Middle Schools Rankings.

One such school – Basis Austin – is the No. 1 best middle school in Texas for 2025.

U.S. News ranked more than 79,000 public schools on the state and district level using data from the U.S. Department of Education. Schools were analyzed based on their students' proficiencies in mathematics and reading/language arts on state assessments, and tie-breakers were decided based on student-teacher ratios.

Texas' best middle schools for 2025
Basis Texas Charter School's Austin campus has a total enrollment of 273 students, 19 full-time teachers, and a student-teacher ratio of 14:1, according to U.S. News. A majority of students at this charter school – 89 percent – scored "at or above the proficient level" in mathematics, and 92 percent showed at or above proficiency in reading.

"Basis Austin did better in math and better in reading in this [test score] metric compared with students across the state," U.S. News said in the school's profile. "In Texas, 51 percent of students tested at or above the proficient level for reading, and 41 percent tested at or above that level for math."

Basis Austin also ranked No. 16 in the statewide rankings for the best elementary schools for 2025.

Eight other Austin-area middle schools earned spots in Texas' top 100, including:

No. 31 – Canyon Vista Middle School, Round Rock ISD
No. 40 – Chaparral Star Academy
No. 47 – Hill Country Middle School, Eanes ISD
No. 64 – Cedar Valley Middle School, Round Rock ISD
No. 81 – West Ridge Middle School, Eanes ISD
No. 85 – Pearson Ranch Middle School, Round Rock, Round Rock ISD
No. 91 – James Garland Walsh Middle School, Round Rock, Round Rock ISD
No. 100 – Florence Stiles Middle School, Leander, Leander ISD

The best elementary schools in Texas
Jesus A. Kawas Elementary school in Laredo was crowned the No. 1 elementary school in Texas for 2025, while three Austin-area schools were among the top 25.

Round Rock's Cactus Ranch Elementary is the No. 18 best elementary school statewide, boasting 743 students, 47 full-time teachers, and one full-time counselor. Students at this public school scored 88 percent efficiency in math and 90 percent efficiency in reading.

U.S. News says student success at Cactus Ranch is significantly higher than the rest of Round Rock ISD.

"In Round Rock Independent School District, 64 percent of students tested at or above the proficient level for reading, and 52 percent tested at or above that level for math," U.S. News said in the school's profile. "Cactus Ranch Elementary did better in math and better in reading in this metric compared with students across the state."

Following one spot behind Cactus Ranch in the statewide ranking is Austin's Canyon Creek Elementary in Round Rock ISD, coming in at No. 19. Canyon Creek has a student population of 369 with 27 full-time teachers, and one full-time counselor. The school's student-teacher ratio is 14:1, and 90 percent of students are proficient in math, and 88 percent in reading.

Other Austin-area elementary schools that were ranked among the 100 best in Texas are:

No. 22 – Patsy Sommer Elementary, Round Rock ISD
No. 31 – River Ridge Elementary, Leander ISD
No. 42 – Elsa England Elementary, Round Rock ISD
No. 53 – Laurel Mountain Elementary, Round Rock ISD
No. 81 – Laura Welch Bush Elementary, Leander ISD
No. 88 – Mills Elementary, Austin ISD
No. 94 – Clayton Elementary, Austin ISD
No. 100 – Cedar Creek Elementary, Eanes ISD

"The 2025 Best Elementary and Middle Schools rankings offer parents a way to evaluate how schools are providing a high-quality education and preparing students for future success," said LaMont Jones, Ed.D., the managing editor for Education at U.S. News. "The data empowers families and communities to advocate for their children’s education. Research continues to indicate that how students perform academically at these early grade levels is a big factor in their success in high school and beyond."

schools rankings us news & world report