Weekly Teacher Download for November 11

ALL TEACHERS

Technology Training: Join Instructional Technology for Super Saturday on November 16 from 9 a.m.-Noon at Chavez High School (8501 Howard Dr., 77017). Come out and learn about various resources offered on the district’s HUB and learn how to take the technology within the classroom to another level. To learn more about Super Saturday, click here.  

DREAM Summit: All HISD DREAMers, DACA recipients, visa holders, permanent residents, refugees, and asylum grantees along with their parents are cordially invited to attend the DREAM Summit on Saturday, December 7 from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. at Hattie Mae White (4400 West 18^th St., 77092). Attendees can learn how to successfully complete your college applications, apply for financial aid, and how to make the most of your college experience. The event will also include a college and resource fair with information about Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals information, university programs, financial assistance, and community resources. During this event, five twelfth-grade students will win $500 scholarships for college. For more information, click here. To share the flyer in Spanish, click here.

Name That Book Competition: Join the HISD Department of Library Servicesfor the Name That Book contest, which will identify our district’s super readers.  This contest serves to acquaint HISD students with classic literature as well as contemporary award-winning books, representing a variety of genres. The districtwide competition awards first, second, and third place teams for grades K-2, 3-6, MS, and HS with awards and a chance to build their home library with self-selected books from Barnes and Noble. Those interested must register and complete this form by Friday, November 15.  For more information, click here.

Wraparound Survey: The Wraparound Services Department is requesting staff, teachers, parents and students to complete a survey that will ask specific questions to non-academic needs such as physical, food insecurities, housing, and many other challenges that the department can improve to leverage resources that supports students socially, emotionally, and academically.  To complete the survey, click here.

Kagan Cooperative Learning: HISD will host a five-day Kagan Cooperative Training in November, January and March during the 2019-2020 school year. Day one and two of the training will be held on November 13-14, 2019 at Clifton Middle School (6001 Golden Forest Dr., 77092) from 8 a.m.-3 p.m. Participants will explore instructional strategies used to increase cooperative learning opportunities in the classroom environment. Those interested should register by November 11 in OneSource, course # 1439327. For more information, click here. Reimbursement for substitute pay will be provided.

ELEMENTARY

Prekindergarten Guided Reading: Now that the CIRCLE Assessment is complete, prekindergarten teachers should be preparing to implement the Guided Reading small group instruction in the following weeks. For support, there will be a Pre-A Guided Reading sessions offered to all pre-k teachers on November 12 at Ninfa Laurenzo ECC (205 N. Delmar St., 77011) from 4-6 p.m.

SECONDARY

EMERGE Applications: Do you know a sophomore student who wants to explore in-state and out-of-state college options and would like to work with a mentor to create a competitive college application? The applications for students to become an EMERGE fellow will open Tuesday, November 12 and are due on Sunday, December 15. If you know a student of interest, recruitment sessions will be held at HISD high schools November 12 through December 6.  Students can apply here. Competitive applicants are usually economically disadvantaged and generally the first in their family to graduate from a four-year college or university. Students must have a strong academic profile that includes getting good grades in rigorous courses. 

AP Registration Change: The College Board has completely changed the AP exam registration process from previous years. Students must register online for exams by November 15 (in previous years, the deadline was April). If students register after November 15, they will be charged a $40 late fee per test plus the exam fee. The cost for an unused/canceled exam is $40 per exam. The spirit of the fee is to encourage students to follow through on taking the test they signed up for. The district will centrally fund the cost of all exams (including those for students who’d like to take an AP exam such as AP Spanish, but are not enrolled in the course), and campuses are responsible for all incidental/late/cancelation fees.

Advanced Placement Teachers: The deadline for your students to enroll in My AP CollegeBoard online digital courses for fall semester and yearlong courses is Friday, November 15. All students planning to take an AP exam must be digitally enrolled in either (1) a teacher AP course or (2) an exam-only section in My AP CollegeBoard. The student must be digitally enrolled and the exam must be ordered for all fall semester and yearlong courses by November 15, or students will not be able to sit for the exam in May without a late fee. If you have questions or need additional information, please contact Christopher Bowser at CBOWSER@houstonisd.org.

Upcoming CTE Trainings: The CTE department is hosting professional development opportunities during the month of November. Are you a new CTE teacher or a seasoned CTE teacher who would like to learn more about lesson planning?  Join us for a lesson planning event on November 14 or November 19 where you will learn about digital resources, career exploration, differentiation, and the lesson cycle.  Bring a copy of your TEKS, scope and sequence, and lesson plan template to the event held at Barbara Jordan Career Center, Room B201.  If interested, register in OneSource, course #1440002. For specific information regarding date, time, and location, visit the CTE website.