Category Archives: Holidays

Blackshear Elementary student triumphs at 28th annual MLK Oratory Competition

Foley & Lardner LLP hosted the 28th annual Martin Luther King Jr. Oratory Competition at Antioch Missionary Baptist Church on Friday, Jan. 12. Each year, HISD elementary students recite original speeches inspired by the civil rights leader. This year’s theme was “How would Dr. King reflect on the 60 years since his I Have a Dream speech?”

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HISD celebrates diverse student body this holiday season

Amid the festivities and excitement of the holiday season, the Multilingual Education Department is celebrating the diversity of our HISD community. In one of the nation’s most diverse cities, with no ethnic majority, HISD serves students from 142 countries who speak more than 100 languages.

Students at Las Americas Newcomer School celebrate with holiday gift bags

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Upcoming HISD and community holiday distribution events

HISD and charitable organizations throughout Houston are gearing up for distribution days, drives, and other special events to kick off the holiday season. See below for a list of scheduled events. More will be added to this list as dates are announced.

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HISD honors student artwork at 32nd annual Holiday Greeting Card Competition reception

Student artists were celebrated at an awards ceremony and reception for HISD’s 32nd annual Holiday Greeting Card Competition on Tuesday, Nov. 15. Seventeen schools submitted one work of art for consideration, and three winners, along with two special recognition winners, were chosen by Superintendent Mike Miles to be featured on thousands of holiday cards that he will send to HISD’s many community partners this year.

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HISD to name winning student artists at 2023 Holiday Greeting Card Competition

Long considered the kick-off to Houston’s season of holiday celebrations, HISD is holding its annual Holiday Greeting Card Competition on Tuesday, Nov. 14, from 11 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

The competition will name one elementary, middle, and high school winner, and their works will be featured on thousands of Christmas cards that Superintendent Mike Miles will send to HISD’s many community partners this year.

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HISD schools and offices closed Monday in observance of Juneteenth

Originating in Galveston and recognized nationwide as a federal holiday in 2021, Juneteenth commemorates the 1865 liberation of the last community of enslaved Black people in Texas.

Juneteenth, also known as Emancipation Day, is widely considered the longest-running African-American holiday and America’s second Independence Day. It is often celebrated with community festivals and the sharing of familial traditions.

Some descendants of enslaved people even participate in pilgrimage to Galveston, where Union Major General Gordon Granger at last informed their ancestors of their emancipation two years after the Emancipation Proclamation was issued.

In observance of Juneteenth, HISD schools and offices will be closed on Monday, June 19. The district will reopen on Tuesday, June 20.

HISD observes Jewish American Heritage Month

Since 2006, the month of May has been nationally recognized as Jewish American Heritage Month (JAHM), a time to acknowledge and honor the generations of Jewish Americans and their part of the diverse tapestry of American history.

“Jewish American” is far from a catch-all identifier, as the Jewish American experience varies from community to community, family to family, and individual to individual. JAHM is significant in its intent to educate gentiles about Jewish culture and tradition and to celebrate Jewish Americans and their impact on American life.

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