Monica Harris
Monica Harris is an accomplished professional musician in her own right (she graduated from HSVPA in 1983 and opened for Kelly Clarkson at a Fort Hood performance a few years ago) but helping students to cultivate their own creative talents is what drives her professionally.
“I think being able to see kids be successful at something—especially those who are struggling—is the most important thing,” said Harris, now a music teacher at Billy Reagan K–8. “Maybe they’re always in trouble or maybe they’re talkers. I make the busybodies and the bullies my stage managers, and use that aggressive energy to help them become proud of what they do on the stage.”
Harris has been teaching young people music for the past 25 years, first at Carnegie ES, and later at Codwell ES, Mading ES, Woodson K-8, and Hartsfield ES.
“I always knew I wanted to be a music teacher,” she said. “There’s even a picture of me with a ukulele in my hand at three-years-old.”
Harris officially marked her 25th anniversary with the district on March 29, but several other employees are also marking theirs this month (March 16–29). See if you know anyone on this list:
25 years
- Diana Alderete, teaching assistant, Almeda ES
- Jacqueline Clark-Barnes, teacher, Bastian ES
- Lawrence Fiemawhle, teacher, Sharpstown HS
- Kironda Johnson, secretary, Osborne ES
- David Martinez, plant operator, Construction & Facility Services
- Mary Morah, teacher, Berry ES
- Marina Navarro, attendant, Food Services
- Leonard Nolan, teacher, Mitchell ES
- Frances Perel, associate teacher
- Angela Smith, teacher, Chávez HS
- Ramona Taylor, teacher, Almeda ES
- Linda Turpin, clerk, T. H. Rogers MS
- Linda Woodstock, Special Education chair, Woodson K-8
20 years
- Noemi Botello, teaching assistant, Crespo ES
- Rose Burrell, crossing guard, Gregg ES
- Regina Jackson, teacher, DeBakey HS
- Carmen Pastrano, clerk, Bellaire HS
- Lourdes Reyes, clerk, Ketelsen ES
- Victoria Reyes, custodian, Construction & Facility Services
15 years
- Heather Babb, senior executive secretary, Chief of Staff
- Kathryn Cyrus, attendant, Food Services
- Afiong Etiese, teacher, Piney Point ES
- Jose Flores, Plumber Facility Management Admin
- Emma Garcia, attendant, Food Services
- Karla Garcia, teacher, Milby HS
- Ruben Gonzalez, IT customer service rep., Ketelsen ES
- Miguel Montero, teacher, Tijerina ES
- Sylveria Ogu, teacher, Sam Houston MSTC
- Janki Sharma, teaching assistant, Neff ES
- Delores Stewart, teacher, Law ES
- Kathryn Thibodeaux, internal applications developer, Research and Accountability
- Regina Thompson, plant operator, Construction & Facility Services
- Ildalia Torres, senior executive secretary, Elementary Schools Office
- Lester Murphy, foreman, Transportation Services
- Sabrina Woods-Tillis, bus driver, Transportation Services
10 years
- Leticia Acosta, attendant, Food Services
- Michelle David, associate teacher
- Juliana Garcia, teaching assistant, Welch MS
- Habiba Faiz, teaching assistant, Askew ES
- Brandon Ford, senior plant operator, Construction & Facility Services
- Leda Fuentes, clerk, Rodriguez ES
- Deliela Henderson, attendant, Food Services
- Davion Henson, officer, Police Department
- Katrina Lyons, teacher, Windsor Village ES
- Gloria Marubio, associate teacher
- Veronica Mireles, officer, Police Department
- Andres Rivera, bus driver, Transportation Services
- LaSonya Sallie, attendant, Food Services
- Ella Simms, attendant, Food Services
- Travettae Sowells, program specialist, Special Education
- Reuben Stiff, teacher, Cook ES
- Tiffany Thorn, teacher, Horn ES
5 years
- Christopher Aguirre, warranty representative, Transportation Services
- Vivek Bhonsley, senior applications developer, IT Business Solutions
- Estefanita Cantu-Saldivar, clerk, Southmayd ES
- Bradley Dawkins, teaching assistant, Holland MS
- Rickey Donato Jr, teacher, Southmayd ES
- La Gerald Fleur, senior Apollo 20 tutor, Lee HS
- Delia Hernandez, associate teacher
- James Newbury, electrician, Food Services
- Nathaniel Norris, senior plumber, Construction & Facility Services
- Dishna Samarajiva, associate teacher
- Angelina Sanchez, associate teacher
- Patricia Sims, bus driver, Transportation Services
- La Shandra Thomas, associate teacher
- Jessie Thompson, associate teacher Linda Thomas, attendant, Transportation Services
- LaQueisha Thorns, attendant, Food Services
- Lagatha Wharton, secretary, Special Education
- Josefina Zuñiga, clerk, Deady MS
| Check back next Friday for more Milestones. Leave a comment below if you’d like to congratulate any of the above employees. |
Educators who long to explore the world of legendary architect Frank Lloyd Wright can do so this summer at his masterwork in Mill Run, Pennsylvania through a residency at Fallingwater.
The deadline to apply to this program is Wednesday, April 30, 2014. Applications postmarked by March 31 are eligible for a $100 discount. For complete details, click here.
Three more HISD Appreciation Nights remain
HISD’s longtime community partner, the Houston Rockets, is hosting five HISD Appreciation Nights for district employees this spring. The first two have already passed, but three more remain: Saturday, March 29; Friday, April 4; and Saturday, April 12, 2014.
Employees can get tickets to all games at a discount. For details, please see this flyer (pdf).
Zzzzzz: Understanding the basics of sleep April 16
Giving one’s body adequate rest is critical to functioning well in our day-to-day lives.
That’s why the Onboarding and Organizational Development Department is offering a new professional development session to help employees understand the basics of sleep so that they can understand how its quality affects their health, productivity, and emotional well-being.
“Sleep: Understanding the Basics” will take place from 9 a.m. until noon on Wednesday, April 16, 2014, in room 3C12 of the Hattie Mae White Educational Support Center (4400 W. 18th St., 77092), and participants will learn about:
- the components of good sleep habits
- treatments for sleep disorders.
Interested employees should register on eTRAIN using course code #BN0038.
Want to grow as a professional? Join HISD’s new Toastmasters chapter!
If you’ve been trying to think of a way to advance in your career, look no further. HISD has a new Toastmasters club that can help you develop the skills you need.
Toastmasters is a nonprofit organization that teaches public speaking and leadership skills through a worldwide network of clubs. Members learn more about public speaking, how to conduct a meeting, how to listen effectively, and how to provide constructive feedback. HISD’s Toastmasters club currently has 30 members and is accepting applications. It received its official charter on Jan. 9.
To see if Toastmasters is right for you, come sit in on one of the monthly meetings. Meetings take place on the second and fourth Thursdays of every month from 5:05 p.m. until 6:30 p.m.at the Hattie Mae White Educational Support Center (4400 W. 18th St., 77092), in either the cafeteria or Room 1E02.
All new members will receive a manual and resources about how to become a better speaker and more confident leader.
For more information, please contact Kim Golden or Theresa Campos at 713-696-0600 or kgolden@houstonisd.org and tcampos@houstonisd.org.
Marianne Phillips
This week’s Shout Out goes to Marianne Phillips, a teacher’s assistant at Sharpstown International School from Dr. Pam Hubbert, the dean of students, for creating a “local coffee-shop atmosphere” in the campus’ media center that students enjoy before classes start, during lunch, and after school.
“Students enjoy coffee or hot chocolate from the coin-operated dispenser, and groups of students gather to complete homework, chat, build puzzles, surf the internet, or play guitar,” explained Dr. Hubbert. “Each month, the library is decorated with timely themes, such as the Lunar New Year, Black History Month, and Texas History Month, and the table tops are filled with popular young adult books.”
“Ms. Phillips is thrilled to have to run students out at the end of the day when the library closes,” added Dr. Hubbert. “It warms her heart to know she is contributing to the well-being of our students, and she was brought to tears to see them show their appreciation of her efforts recently.”
Pictured is Marianne Phillips, among the many cards and posters her students created to express their appreciation and gratitude for her expertise and support.
| 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. |
Tomeka Criswell-Brooks
After only five years on the job with HISD, Tomeka Criswell-Brooks has already been recognized as one of the best in her field.
Criswell-Brooks, who serves as a senior bus operator/trainer at the Barnett Motor Pool, was one of three employees from HISD’s Transportation Services department to complete the Region 4 Educational Service Center’s Driver Trainer Academy in early March at Humble ISD.
About 18 trainers from various Houston-area school districts attended the academy, and Criswell-Brooks beat them all in the mastery of safe driving procedures, earning both a certificate and a trophy for “Best Performance.” She has been with the district since August of 2009, and in her current position since January.
Read more about her here.
Congratulations also go out this week to:
- Young Men’s College Preparatory Academy teacher Rebecca Millhench, who received the Anti-Defamation League’s 2014 Walter Kase Teacher Excellence Award for her efforts to combat racism and bigotry. She will be formally recognized alongside the two other 2014 honorees during a special luncheon on May 2, at the Westin Galleria Hotel.
- Elrod ES librarian Monica Babaian, who has been selected as one of the Top 100 Digital Innovators in the country for 2014 by PBS LearningMedia. She’ll get a year of free professional development through that organization, support from Houston PBS, and national recognition and support from other innovative educators.
- Mistral Early Childhood Center, which won the GRO1000 Garden and Green Spaces Award from Scotts Miracle-Gro. The school will receive cash and gardening supplies worth a total of $40,000 over the course of three years. The campus was formally recognized during a dedication on March 22.
- Red ES Principal Dawn Randle, who was reappointed to the Texas School Safety Center Board by Governor Rick Perry on March 14. The board promotes safety throughout the state and advises the Texas School Safety Center in San Marcos, which provides school safety information and resources for the prevention of youth violence. Her current term will expire on Feb. 1, 2016.
| If you know someone who should be featured in Accolades, please email us at info@houstonisd.org and tell us why. |
In this week’s I Am HISD, which features district students, graduates, employees, and other team members, Senior IT Manager Dave Vollmer talks about why he’s so passionate about the sport of lacrosse, how he helped bring it to HISD schools, and what it was like to be recognized by the mayor last year with a day named in his honor.
By day, you’re a senior manager in HISD’s IT department, but by night, you serve as a boys’ head lacrosse coach for Lamar High School. How did that happen and how does that work? Do you have to leave early sometimes to go coach the team(s), or is your schedule flexible enough that it’s not an issue?
Dave Vollmer, surrounded by some of his current students at Lamar HS
Well, lacrosse is not a UIL sport in the State of Texas, so it’s not sponsored as a sport. Years ago, we created a lacrosse club at the school with the principal’s approval. I serve as a volunteer coach. We have a spring season, and I do my coaching after work. My schedule was officially modified years ago to come in earlier and leave earlier, but if I can’t get away, I can’t get away. I was the first head coach in the 1988–1989 school year, and I’ve been there ever since.
I understand you were instrumental in bringing lacrosse to HISD as a district. Can you tell me a little bit more about that?
I was a lacrosse player and played in men’s leagues for years, but some of us started a summer league and some high school kids started showing up to play with us. One of the boys, a kid named John Paul Wolenski, told me, “We’re gonna start a team at Lamar,” because St. John’s was going to make it a varsity sport so Lamar students couldn’t play with them anymore.
And I said, “Well, let me know if you need any help.” And this was in July or August. In October, he called me back and said, “Can you come to a meeting with (then Principal Ronnie) Veselka and talk to him about lacrosse and what it is and why we want this?” So I said sure, because I knew Ronnie and he knew me.
At the time, a physics teacher named Mr. Montgomery was the sponsor, and Veselka said as long as we adhered to no pass/no play rules and any other requirements, we could do it. Then Ronnie looks at me and says, “So, I guess you’re going to be the coach?” But we won the championship that year and just kind of kept it going.
Wait. You mean you won the state championship your first year out? What do you attribute that to?
The group of kids I was working with was very enthusiastic. There were just some fantastic young men in that group.
How many HISD schools have lacrosse teams now? Do any have girls’ teams?
At the high-school level for boys, there’s Bellaire, Westside, and Lamar, and then Pin Oak and Pershing at the middle-school level. Lanier used to have a boys’ team, but I don’t think they do anymore, just girls’. Lamar and Bellaire definitely have girls’ teams, too, but I’m not sure about Westside.
I want to say the girls’ team started around ‘92-ish, maybe three years after the boys started. They’ve done really well. They were really successful in the late ‘90s and early 2000s. They even had a young lady who got recruited to Northwestern University to play recently, and that’s one of the top five college lacrosse programs in the country, so that really speaks to the quality of the program and the athletes at Lamar.
Why are you so passionate about lacrosse in general?
I’ve been involved in game for a long time. It’s just something I really enjoyed. I started playing lacrosse in college and never stopped.
Growing up, I had two teachers who were gym teachers and coaches—one in elementary and one in high school—who were kind of instrumental. I lived in Chicago until I was about 10, and then we moved to Connecticut, where I was kind of a fish out of water. But I always had after-school sports, and the coach in Connecticut, he was the kind who just made you feel better about yourself. It’s not like I was a great athlete or anything, but those guys encouraged me to a degree that made it good.
As it turned out, (becoming the Lamar lacrosse coach) was a really fortunate accident type of thing, because it’s probably been the most worthwhile thing I’ve ever done.
You were recognized last year by the Positive Coaching Alliance of Houston with the “Double-Goal Coach Award” for your positive impact on young athletes. What was that like for you?
It was very pleasant surprise. I had no idea until I had an email from the PCA that said, “Hey, you’ve been nominated for this award and we’re going to pick 10 winners nationwide.” It really came out of the blue. I ended up having a phone conversation with one of the PCA representatives, and a couple weeks later I got a note that I was one of the winners.
The PCA was founded by Jim Thompson, a Stanford coach who saw some really ugly things going on in youth sports. He felt like people were really losing perspective on what this is all about, so let’s remind ourselves of what the true purpose of participation in sports is for young people. It’s to have fun and compete and try to win, of course. But the other side of it is learning the life lessons—that hard work is important, and that teamwork is important.
What they’ve tried to do is reach out to coaches in youth sports across the country, and give them techniques that not only train young people to compete and win but also to keep the greater message of honoring the game and respect for the game and others. It’s not a “win at all cost” mentality. It’s a great organization.
Houston Mayor Annise Parker declared April 2, 2013, as “Coach Dave Vollmer Day,” and you were presented with a proclamation on that topic by City Council Member (and former player) Jerry Davis. What was that like for you?
It’s hard for me to talk about that stuff, but it was pretty cool. Jerry was on my team in ‘90 and ‘91. I’ve known him ever since, and he came back and helped me coach in the late ‘90s and helped start the club at Westside. It was very humbling and gratifying that they would go out of their way to honor me in that way.
Okay, last question. I noticed there’s a Vollmer Street not too far from HISD headquarters off of Sherwood Street. Any relation to the person it was named after?
I wouldn’t know. I think any Vollmer in Germany is a crowd name (like Smith or Johnson).
| If you know a graduate, student, employee, or other member of Team HISD who should be featured here, please email us at info@houstonisd.org. |
High school English teachers in HISD now have another tool at their disposal in their quest to produce good student writers—a writing guide developed by six of their peers and a Teacher Development Specialist in partnership with the district’s Curriculum Department.
The guide is the brainchild of Curriculum and Instruction Officer Nancy Gregory and Lamar High School Principal James McSwain, who both saw a need for this type of resource and decided to develop it with the assistance of teachers from his campus, Worthing High School, and Westside High School.
“The goal was to present a handbook that would teach effective writing strategies, regardless of the test,” said Gregory. “No other district that I know of has created one to help teachers prepare their kids for STAAR—and not just STAAR.”
The guide is intended to assist teachers in teaching students how to write using research-based best practices and teachers’ first-hand knowledge and experiences. It was released districtwide via eLearn in January.
Click here to download a copy of the writing guide (.pdf).
| Had a breakthrough in your classroom? Tell us about it! Just send an email to info@houstonisd.org briefly describing your situation, and we could feature it here. |
The Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center will be holding its regular quarterly blood drive at HISD’s Hattie Mae White Educational Support Center (4400 West 18th Street, 77092) on Monday, March 24, 2014.
The drive will take place between the hours of 9 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. in Conference Room 3E12, and while walk-ins are always welcome, reservations are strongly encouraged to avoid long waits. Successful donors who make their appointment online and donate on the day of the drive will receive 200 “appointment-kept” bonus points, which they can use toward purchases from the Commit for Life Store.
If you would like to donate blood, visit www.eblooddrive.org and enter sponsor code 0128 or call Charlotte King at 713-556-7379 to schedule an appointment.
Maggie Colar-Hobbs
When Maggie Colar-Hobbs first came to Houston back in the early 1970s, she wasn’t planning to stay.
“I had just graduated from Grambling in December and came here on New Year’s Eve for a vacation,” said Colar-Hobbs. “My sister, who was pregnant with her first child, said ‘Why don’t you stay a little longer?’ And after my niece was born on March 1, she said, ‘Why don’t you sub?’ And that’s how it all happened. They tried to lure me back to Louisiana, but I had already had a taste of Texas. And I’ve been here ever since.”
Forty years later, Colar-Hobbs now serves as a program specialist in the Office of Special Education, but she started out as a Special Education teacher and remained in the classroom for 17 years before moving into administration.
“My greatest joy is to see the look in students’ eyes when you walk into the room and they recognize you,” said Colar-Hobbs. “When the children with speech challenges struggle to get out your name, just that one word, those are the moments.”
“I’m here because I enjoy what I do,” she added. “You know that old saying about ‘time flies when you’re having fun?’ Well, I have been blessed. I’ve enjoyed working with all the students over the years, so I wasn’t counting (them). And when I leave here, I will probably continue to work with young people in some capacity.”
Colar-Hobbs officially marked her 40th anniversary with the district on March 15, but several other employees are also marking theirs this week (March 9–March 15). See if you know anyone on this list:
35 years
- Donald Boehm, tax attorney, Finance
30 years
- Paul Gerlach Jr, repairer, Food Services
25 years
- Sonia Alvarez, secretary, Harper Alternative
- Margaret Smith, secretary, Tinsley ES
20 years
- Shelia Edwards, assistant principal, Grissom ES
- Hilda Knight, teacher, Herrera ES
- Catherine McCleskey, Magnet coordinator, Horn Academy
- Graciela Negrete, clerk, Garcia ES
- Mary Williams, teacher, Durkee ES
15 years
- Frederica Cloud-Haven, teaching assistant, Whidby ES
- Beverly Wilson, school business manager, Carnegie Vanguard HS
10 years
- Robert Antu, maintenance repairer, Construction & Facility Services
- Nancy Deshotel, attendant, Transportation Services
- Roosevelt Finister, attendant, Transportation Services
- Werner Flores, custodian, Construction & Facility Services
- Annie Fritz, associate teacher
- Juan Luna, maintenance repairer, Construction & Facility Services
- Cabrero Vincent, plumber, Construction & Facility Services
- Rosa Zaldivar, custodian, Construction & Facility Services
5 years
- Veronica Aragon, teaching assistant, Longfellow ES
- Nicole Barefield, attendant, Food Services
- Shalunda Bates, teaching assistant, Furr HS
- Randy Buentello, tutor, Scroggins ES
- Kevin Coleman, teacher, Furr HS
- Willie Demby Jr, officer, Police Department
- Janice Donalson, associate teacher
- Claudia Feijo, associate teacher
- Patricia Guerra, custodian, Construction & Facility Services
- Tammy Holmes, teacher, Paige ES
- Marlin Jackson, bus driver, Transportation Services
- Gregg Kabay, lecturer, Parker ES
- Nandi Kumar, Apollo 20 tutor, Lee HS
- Marla Maharaj, teacher, DeBakey HSHP
- Margaret McCoy, warehouse, Food Services
- Rogelio Medrano, plant operator, Construction & Facility Services
- Nora Muñoz, teacher, Southmayd ES
- Jerel Myers, associate teacher
- Santiago Rangel, custodian, Construction & Facility Services
- Shelia Richard, associate teacher
- Iris Romero, custodian, Construction & Facility Services
- Maria Sigaran, officer, Police Department
- Angela Thompson, teacher, Lovett ES
- Bonnie West, associate after-school program specialist, Lewis ES
- Matilde Yapan, attendant, Food Services
| Check back next Friday for more March Milestones. Leave a comment below if you’d like to congratulate any of the above employees. |
Both HISD Health and Wellness Centers will be open during normal business hours over Spring Break, which is March 17–21, 2014.
- HMWESC location hours—M & F: 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Tues-Thurs: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
- Attucks MS location hours— M & F: 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Tues & W: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Thurs: 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Both clinics are closed from 1 to 2 p.m. daily for lunch.
Houston Rockets hosting five HISD Appreciation Nights
HISD’s longtime community partner, the Houston Rockets, will be hosting HISD Appreciation Nights for district employees on Monday, March 17; Thursday, March 20; Saturday, March 29; Friday, April 4; and Saturday, April 12, 2014.
Employees can get tickets to all five of these games at a discount. For details, please see this flyer (pdf).
YWCPA to host women’s economic summit on March 18
HISD’s own Young Women’s College Preparatory Academy (1906 Cleburne, 77004) will be hosting the “When Women Succeed, America Succeeds” summit on Tuesday, March 18, 2014, from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m.
The event is designed to spotlight the economic challenges faced by women today and explore possible solutions. Keynote speakers will include Nancy Pelosi, the Democratic leader of the U.S. House of Representatives, and her colleague, U.S. Representative Sheila Jackson Lee.
The free event is open to any woman over the age of 18. To register, please click here.
Want to grow as a professional? Join HISD’s new Toastmasters chapter!
If you’ve been trying to think of a way to advance in your career, look no further. HISD has a new Toastmasters club that can help you develop the skills you need.
Toastmasters is a nonprofit organization that teaches public speaking and leadership skills through a worldwide network of clubs. Members learn more about public speaking, how to conduct a meeting, how to listen effectively, and how to provide constructive feedback. HISD’s Toastmasters club currently has 30 members and is accepting applications. It received its official charter on Jan. 9.
To see if Toastmasters is right for you, come sit in on one of the monthly meetings. Meetings take place on the second and fourth Thursdays of every month from 5:05 p.m. until 6:30 p.m.at the Hattie Mae White Educational Support Center (4400 W. 18th St., 77092), in either the cafeteria or Room 1E02.
All new members will receive a manual and resources about how to become a better speaker and more confident leader.
For more information, please contact Kim Golden or Theresa Campos at 713-696-0600 or kgolden@houstonisd.org and tcampos@houstonisd.org.
