Weekly Teacher Download for September 25
ALL TEACHERS
Apply now for a Hurricane Harvey Teacher Grant: In response to the devastating damage left behind by Hurricane Harvey on HISD schools and across the city, both local and national philanthropists and corporations have come together to create a Harvey Relief Fund managed by the HISD Foundation. A portion of the $1.3 million funds raised so far will go directly to help HISD teachers eliminate as much financial burden as possible in replacing damaged classroom resources so instructional time can be maximized.
HISD teachers can submit an application online for funding to cover the costs of replacing classroom supplies, technology, and other resources that were lost as a direct result of Hurricane Harvey. Applications will be accepted through Friday, Sept 29, 2017. Click here to apply and to see details regarding eligibility, guidelines, and application components.
NEW! Reading and Math Universal Screener: All students in grades K-12 will be administered the Renaissance 360 Universal Screener. Because of Hurricane Harvey, the beginning-of-year (BOY) assessment window for the Universal Screener began Sept 20, 2017, and will end Oct. 13, 2017. Students in the grades below will take the following assessments.
| Early Literacy | Grades K-1 |
| Reading | Grades 2-12 |
| Mathematics | Grades 1-12 |
It’s Back! Chevron Fuel Your School: Chevron’s Fuel Your School program is returning to Harris County this October. HISD teachers can submit their requests NOW for classroom supplies at www.donorschoose.org/. The earlier you request, the better your chance of having it fulfilled. If your project is selected, supply boxes will arrive starting Nov. 1, 2017. Also, invite your family and friends to shop at Chevron and Texaco gas stations across Harris County. During the month of October, $1 will be donated when consumers purchase eight or more gallons of fuel at participating Chevron and Texaco stations in Harris County. The donation will help fund eligible classroom projects. Visit www.fuelyourschool.com to learn more.
Free Achieve 3000 login for K-12 students: In an effort to support student learning and achievement in the aftermath of Harvey, ACHIEVE 3000 is providing free logins for all HISD students in grades PreK-12. The online tool delivers daily differentiated instruction for nonfiction reading and writing that’s precisely tailored to each student’s Lexile reading level. Parents and students can access the tool at achieve3000.com/achievecaresfortexas. For a quick start guide, click here.
ELEMENTARY
K-5 STEM Academy begins Oct. 2: The HISD K-5 STEM Academy is composed of five sessions on a variety of STEM topics and targets teachers in grades K-5. The first session entitled “The Challenge is STEM” will be held on Monday, Oct. 2, from 4-5:30 p.m. at Red Elementary School. Participants will experience the Engineering Design Loop through a hands-on STEM Challenge. Content will include alignment of the challenge within the scope and sequence for each grade level, planning for instruction, and strategies to achieve student mastery. Register in One Source using course #742001.
Beginning of Year Reading Assessment Benchmark Running Record: As part of Literacy by 3, students in grades 1-5 will be administered a Beginning of Year (BOY) Benchmark Running Record Assessment. The BOY assessment window opens Sept 20, 2017, and ends Oct. 13, 2017. By administering the assessment in a one-to-one setting, teachers identify individual student reading behaviors, as well as instructional needs for all students in grades 1–5. The district provides an electronic data collection tool through OnTrack. The platform supports the review of benchmark running record data at the campus and district levels. Additional information on administering a benchmark running record and entering data using OnTrack is available at www.houstonisd.org/runningrecord.
DEAL OF THE WEEK: Free flu shots. Click here to check the date for your campus.
