Weekly Teacher Download for October 1

ALL TEACHERS

Pre-K/Literacy by 3 Survey: In an effort to help HISD make continuous improvements and enhancements to Literacy by 3, Research and Accountability is asking teachers to offer their feedback on the program. The survey was developed in partnership with the Houston Education Research Consortium at Rice University (HERC) and was created on behalf of the district to understand school-level policies and practices related to Literacy by 3. The survey should take approximately 15 minutes and should be completed by Monday, Oct. 15.

Socioeconomic Form: The district will provide free breakfast and lunch to students at no charge for the 2018-2019 school year, but parents will need to fill out a new form to ensure Title I funding for HISD schools. While parents will not need to complete and return a free and reduced-price meal application, they will need to complete the socioeconomic form, known as the blue form. Please encourage parents to complete and return the blue form by Friday, October 26, which is the district’s PEIMS snapshot date.

Online Safety Contest: To empower our students to become good digital citizens, the district is hosting a Digital Literacy Contest in partnership with Learning.com. The contest will run from October 1 through the first 2 cycles of this academic year. Elementary contest ends November 9 and middle school contest ends December 20. To participate: 1) Get as many students to launch and complete all (or as many as possible) of the lessons in the first two HISD cycle units located in Learning.com. 2) Tweet a picture of your students working in the lessons at least once a week during the contest.  Don’t forget to tag your campus, @HISD_Inst_tech, @learningdotcom, and use #HISD_DigLitStrong in all your campus pictures.

Bilingual Teacher Cohort: HISD has partnered with the University of St. Thomas and Houston Community College to prepare elementary bilingual education teachers through a two-year program. The cohort is a perfect opportunity for HISD bilingual paraprofessionals, associate degree graduates, and current aspiring teachers to each a bachelor’s degree through a seamless collaborative process. To learn more about the cohort, click here.

HISD Foundation Grants: The HISD Foundation will offer a second round of a relief grants to provide teachers with up to $1,500 to replenish classroom supplies and instructional materials lost to Hurricane Harvey. HISD teachers can submit an online application here for funding to cover the costs of replacing classroom supplies, technology, and other resources that were lost as a direct result of Hurricane Harvey and have still not been replaced. Applications will be accepted through Friday, October 5. Partial or full grants may be awarded based on need, volume of applications, and available funds.

SECONDARY

Mayor’s Youth Council: Applications are now being accepted for the 2018-2019 City of Houston Mayor’s Youth Council. The Mayor’s Youth Council is a representative body of high school students from across the city who are interested in government and public service. The program is open to high school students in grades 9 – 12 and applicants must live in the City of Houston city limits. Applications should be submitted electronically here. The deadline to apply is October 8. Click here for more information on the Mayor’s Youth Council.