Julie Warner, a kindergarten teacher at Roberts Elementary School, was recently recognized by the Children’s Museum of Houston for her dedication to working with some of Houston’s youngest students.
Warner was named the 2014 winner of the museum’s Marian and Speros Martel Early Childhood Educator Award on April 26. She was selected by committee from a field of candidates who have worked with children aged eight and under for at least five years and who have an associate or bachelor’s degree in education, Montessori certification, or Child Development Associate Certification.
Warner received a $1,000 honorarium and a year’s membership to the Children’s Museum of Houston as a part of her prize. You can read more about her in this related article.
Congratulations also go out this week to:
- Rusk School teacher Joseph Olan, who has been selected as a Fulbright Scholar. He will be learning and teaching in Singapore during the second semester of next year.
- Jackson Middle School and Scroggins Elementary School, which both received $5,000 grants to expand, update, and diversify their library book collections through the Laura Bush Foundation for America’s Libraries Awards. The Jackson and Scroggins collections are overseen by librarians Cynthia Ramos and Jo Reed, respectively.
- The High School for the Performing and Visual Arts, which received the inaugural Arts Empowerment Award from Young Audiences of Houston (YAH). The school was recognized for its 33-year partnership with YAH, as well its commitment to high-quality arts education, ensuring the continuing success of its many talented students.
- Reagan High School, which received a commendation from U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry recently for its participation in student foreign exchange programs.
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Sharlene Laud, an English as a Second Language teacher at Rodriguez Elementary School, is instilling a strong sense of ownership in her students by having them conduct their own class meetings and encouraging them to reach out when they are stuck.
“Every morning after breakfast, my class conducts a student-led meeting in which they recite our creed,” she said. “I have found that by having the students state the rules, they are reminded of the expectations they need to hold themselves to and start the day with a focused mindset. It is a daily reminder that they must be active participants in their education.”
Laud also has a poster on her wall that reads, “Instead of I don’t know, say…” to remind students of their options. “The posted reinforces a saying we have in our classroom,” she explained. “‘It is okay to not know, but it is not okay to not try.’ Students know that even they always have options for support, whether that is asking a friend or getting clarification. I want students to be comfortable admitting they do not know something, embrace the opportunity to learn, and be proactive in getting more information for themselves.”
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Prepared 4 Life, a nonprofit organization dedicated to the empowerment of middle-school-age children, will be holding its seventh annual Lemonade Day on Sunday, May 4, 2014—and HISD students and their families are encouraged to participate.
The communitywide event, which fosters entrepreneurship and character development among Houston’s youth, teaches children how to start, own, and operate their own business by setting up lemonade stands across the city. Visit the link above for details, or click here to locate a stand near you.
Here are some other dates you might want to mark on your calendar:
- May 2: Gen TX Day
- May 4–10: Teacher Appreciation Week
- May 6–12: School Nurse Appreciation Week
- May 7 (.pdf): Payday
- May 8: Regular Board meeting
- May 10: Houston Art Car Parade
- May 17: Empty Bowls
- May 21 (.pdf): Payday
- May 26: Memorial Day (school in session)
- May 29: Last day of school (students)
- May 30-June 8: Graduation ceremonies (.pdf)
- June 1: Hurricane season begins
- June 4 (.pdf): Payday
- June 2-Aug. 1: Summer schedule in effect
- June 12: Regular Board meeting
This week’s Shout Out goes to Consuelo (Esquivel) Bravo, a cafeteria attendant at Seguin Elementary School. She has been a member of Team HISD for 26 years, and her supervisor, Jerry Davis, has nothing but good things to say about her.
“She’s the type of person that if you ask something of her, nothing is too big or too hard,” explained Davis. “She is one person who I can really count on in a time of need. If I send her to another school, she will fit in perfectly, and it will be as if that was her regular school. She has the best attitude with teaching staff and her co-workers, and she never complains. She loves her job even after all the years she has been in the district, and to me, she is very special. I am her supervisor, and I love the job she does.”
| Know someone who deserves a shout out? Send an email to info@houstonisd.org with the subject line “Shout Out for eNews!” and tell us why. |
Remember: HISD’s Warehouse Operations department will be closed from the end of business on Thursday, May 1, through the end of business on Thursday, May 8, in order to conduct its annual physical inventory.
The warehouse will reopen for business at the usual time on Friday, May 9, 2014.
Please call 713-676-9471 if you have any questions or concerns.
If you’ve been looking forward to two months of three-day weekends, you’re not the only one.
In response to a flurry of inquiries, Chief Human Resources Officer sent an email to all employees on April 3, announcing the return of the 4-10 (or “40 in 4” summer schedule on June 2.
First implemented in 2011, the 4-10 schedule was designed to save the district money on operating expenses during the hot summer months.
HISD offices will be open for business from 7:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and closed on Fridays (through Aug. 1, this year). Employees must work a 10-hour day M-Th, excluding their lunch period. Work hours are flexible, and can be scheduled within the hours of 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. with supervisor approval. All employees must participate.
Details of the 4-10 summer schedule will be posted as an Academic Services Memo closer to the end of the regular school year.
In the March 7 edition of Friday eNews, we alerted you to the district’s Windows 7 migration, which will require the replacement of approximately 39,000 devices across the district before the start of the 2014-2015 school year.
With the pilot program complete, that process has now begun in earnest, and HISD’s Department of Communications has created a website to provide you with all the information you might need to make the transition a smooth one.
The site contains details on the program and why it is necessary, Frequently Asked Questions, a list of tips and tricks, and many other helpful resources.
Questions may be directed to the HISD Help Desk at 713-892-7378 or windows7@houstonisd.org
HISD has traditionally been closed on Good Friday, but remember: this year, that day (April 18) is the first of two make-up days that will be used to replace instructional time lost due to wintry weather earlier this year. All HISD students, faculty, and support staff are expected to report to class or for duty (respectively).
The next make-up day will be Monday, May 26. For details, please see this related article and list of Frequently Asked Questions.
Here are some other dates you might want to mark on your calendar:
- April 1-30: Distracted Driving Awareness Month
- April 18: Good Friday (school in session)
- April 22: Earth Day
- April 23 (.pdf): Payday
- April 26: National Take-Back Day
- May 2: Gen TX Day
- May 4: Lemonade Day
- May 7 (.pdf): Payday
- May 8: Regular Board meeting
- May 10: Houston Art Car Parade
- May 17: Empty Bowls
- May 21 (.pdf): Payday
- May 26: Memorial Day (school in session)
- May 29: Last day of school (students)
- May 30-June 8: Graduation ceremonies (.pdf)
- June 4 (.pdf): Payday
- June 2-Aug. 1: Summer schedule in effect
HISD’s Transportation Department has won a bronze award in the 35th Annual Telly Awards for its educational safety video titled “School Bus Shuffle.”
The department created the music video in honor of National School Bus Safety week in October 2013, to build awareness around topics such as proper boarding procedures, how to sit on a bus, and the importance of reporting bullying.
Read the full story here.
Congratulations also go out this week to:
- Lockhart ES Principal Felicia Adams, who has been named a finalist for H-E-B’s Excellence in Education Awards. She will compete against other finalists in the state for the chance to win $5,000 to $25,000. The winners will be announced in May. Read the full story here.
| If you know someone who should be featured in Accolades, please email us at info@houstonisd.org and tell us why. |
