HISD will be conducting “drug-free workplace” training sessions on Feb. 17, 2014, for central office administrators, principals, principal designees, and managers. This training teaches personnel how to recognize impaired employees in the work place and how to call for a reasonable suspicion drug/alcohol test.
The session will take place starting at 10:30 a.m. in room 1E01 of the Hattie Mae White Educational Support Center (4400 W. 18th St., 77018). The training is two hours in length and is good for four years before having to take the refresher course.
Participants must register through e-TRAIN using course code # BN0005.
Questions may be directed to Lynette Prater at 713-695-5862.
In this week’s I Am HISD, which features district students, graduates, employees, and other team members, Food Services Senior Administrator Audene Chung talks about how being the child of a bodybuilder influenced her career choice, what trends she sees on the horizon for school cafeterias, and the one thing she wants parents to know about her department today.
You joined HISD in January as the new senior administrator of Food Services. What is your vision for that department over the next few years? What changes would you like to see in its operations or offerings?
HISD Food Services is a very complex system, one that has so many opportunities to explore. But because it’s such an intricate system, it will require a team approach and lots of collaboration. One small change could equal huge benefits or a not-so-good result, so we just have to be considerate of how we change and implement.
That being said, my vision for the department is to connect more with our key stakeholders by opening up and improving communications, to bring more awesome food to our customers, and to build a stronger community network that supports our goal of serving the students of Houston so they can get the best education possible.
In your last position as the national vice president for a large food service management firm, you were responsible for managing more than 6,000 schools across the country. How will that experience help you and influence the decisions you make at HISD?
I worked with many disciplines, from culinary, procurement, and communications to training, development, and marketing. Because of this, I’m quite versed in how to collaborate and bring out the best in these areas. By encouraging experts to do what they do best, you bring out their passion—and when people do what they are passionate about, they typically excel at it—and it makes the organization that much stronger and more extraordinary.
You have almost two decades of experience in the school food services industry. How did you come to be interested in health and nutrition, particularly as it relates to young people?
My interest in health started very young, as my father was a bodybuilder. This really influenced how and what my family ate. I never ate at fast food restaurants or ate any processed foods/convenience foods growing up. My mother would prepare breakfast for myself and my four older brothers each morning and then family dinners at home each night.
My parents always encouraged me to eat breakfast, saying this would prepare me for a day of learning. That basic idea—of eating well to prepare your body and mind to take on a day of school or work—has always stuck with me. At the University of Texas, I found it fascinating that you could study nutrition as a profession. I already felt like I knew how to eat well, so I began to explore the field.
I thought I would go into sports nutrition at first, because that was the ultimate example of using foods to fuel your body to get the performance or a result you desired. But then I really enjoyed working with the Austin school system, and especially, hearing about what the Austin ISD food service director did on a daily basis. I realized school food services offered a mix of nutrition, education, culinary, and business—all the topics I was interested in.
So, do you consider yourself a “foodie?”
I do. I’m also an adventurous eater, meaning I will try pretty much any kind of food at least once. I think dining should be an experience—and it doesn’t always mean going to a fancy, expensive restaurant. Some of the best meals or dishes I’ve had were from small hole-in-the-wall joints, local spots, or something someone prepared at home. I am also obsessed with the Food Network; I think it’s a fascinating cultural shift to see how popular watching how food is prepared, sourced, and eaten has become. It has really heightened my awareness and appreciation for great food.
What’s your all-time favorite thing to eat?
It’s difficult to pick just one thing. I really like all Asian foods (Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Thai, and Vietnamese) and Mexican foods. I love tacos—especially fun fusion tacos. But you also can’t go wrong with comfort foods like chicken pot pie or meatloaf.
How about a favorite recipe?
I would have to say my Mom’s roasted chicken. It’s so simple, but it just says “home” to me. And I would give you the recipe, but she just adds a little bit of this and that, so she can’t ever really tell me what the recipe is.
What trends have you noticed lately in the industry that you would like to bring to bear in HISD?
Right now, new flavors and types of cuisine are a part of the foods our students are being exposed to in their lives away from school. There is much more Asian influence— from Thai to Vietnamese—we’ve really moved beyond Chinese food as the only option.
We’re also seeing more authenticity in the flavors, as I think students have more sophisticated palates. They want more seasonings and spices, and this is a great way to move away from salt being the only condiment and more into herbs enhancing the flavors of foods.
We also want to incorporate more local products into our menus. There is a huge push to work with local produce/farmers and suppliers to support local businesses and farms.
Another thing that we’ve started to really strive for is “cleaner” labels, or foods that don’t have so many extra additives or a laundry list of ingredients that don’t offer any benefits to the actual food. Simple is best, and we are really pushing our food companies to offer products that are higher quality and meet our stringent nutritional requirements.
I know you’ve only been here a month, so you’re still getting your feet wet, but if you could communicate just one thing to parents about HISD’s Food Services department right now, what would it be?
We want to hear from you and your children—and we will be doing a lot more outreach to do just that. I particularly want feedback from the students who don’t currently eat in the cafeteria. Our focus is on providing tasty, nutritious meals to students; but it’s not nutritious if they won’t eat it.
We take providing your child with the most nutritious meal possible to fuel them for a day of learning very seriously. And we invite you to come in and try the foods in the cafeteria (or ask your child to try out a meal). You will be so surprised. It’s changed so dramatically since you went to school—and even from last year’s offerings.
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. |
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A glimpse inside Carlos Aguilar's classroom at Austin HS
Changes often require adaptation, but budgetary constraints can sometimes limit the options available. That’s why one clever Austin High School media technology teacher took advantage of a little-known district resource to reorganize his classroom for free.
Carlos Aguilar visited HISD’s own Furniture Services warehouse at 228 McCarty (Bldg. 29), tagged some old comfy chairs and a sofa, and had them delivered to his campus, where he used them in combination with his existing classroom furniture to create a cozy coffee-house-style seating area.
“I did it to coincide with PowerUp,” explained Aguilar. “My students were already doing their work electronically on our classroom desktop computers and their personal smart phones, iPads, and tablets using Edmodo. My goal now is to have every student doing their assignments on their new personal laptops while sitting comfortably.”
Aguilar says that his students particularly enjoy the flexibility his classroom gives them. “Each day, I have the furniture arranged nicely,” he said. “But every class period, the students move it around to suit their comfort level and settle in to do their work.”
The new classroom structure has also had an unexpected side benefit. “Recently, I was off-campus doing some professional development,” said Aguilar, “and I noticed on Edmodo that my students were submitting their assignments online while I was away.”
Special note to employees: For more information about how to obtain gently used furnishings for your school, office, or classroom, please see this related story or contact Sharday Cisneros in Furniture Services at 713-676-9230.
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 historic George Ranch will be hosting an Open House for Educators on Sat., Feb. 8, 2014, and all HISD history teachers are invited!
Come take a journey through our state’s history by following four generations of one Texas family dating back to the 1830’s.
The event will take place from 9:30 a.m. until 1:30 p.m. and highlights include: a tour of the facilities, sample activities at various locations, a cattle demonstration, and a quintessential 1930s bachelor house lunch of beef brisket, smokehouse sausage, beans, coleslaw, potato salad, and blackberry cobbler.
There is no charge for interested educators, but advance registration is required. And while families are welcome, only teachers will be provided with a free lunch (others can purchase one; prices are listed here). To reserve a spot, please contact Susan Rezeppa at 281-343-0218 ext. 220 or send an email to education@georgeranch.org.
Q: I read about the ‘4 for $40’ weight-loss challenge in last week’s edition of eNews and it got me wondering…are there any incentives available for people who are already maintaining an appropriate weight and exercise routine?
A: If you are already at a healthy weight, congratulations! You’re ahead of the game, as studies have shown that being overweight can lead to a number of health problems, such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, hypertension, stroke, cancer, sleep apnea, respiratory issues, and osteoarthritis.
HISD is committed to improving the health of its employees—and most people want to lose weight. Obesity is a national epidemic, and more than 75 percent of the employees who completed the district’s health risk assessment last year reported being overweight—meaning that they had a BMI 25 or higher—so we are providing them with an extra incentive to reach their goals.
HISD also provides the following incentives to all employees enrolled in an HISD medical plan:
- $125 for completing a health-risk assessment
- $150 for completing health-related activities
In addition, all benefits-eligible employees may use the HISD Health & Wellness Clinics at no cost, if they are covered under an HISD medical plan, and at a reduced cost if they are benefits eligible, but not enrolled in an HISD medical plan.
Another benefit provided by HISD medical plans is that preventative care is covered at 100%.
Got a question for Ask HISD? Send it to us at AskHISD@houstonisd.org. |
You asked for it, you got it. The Pre-Paid Lodging Card that HISD piloted late last year has proven so successful that it has now been opened up to the entire district.
Any HISD employee who needs to travel for business and expects to incur at least $300 or more in charges for overnight accommodations is eligible to use the card.
For details, please see the related stories here and here or view these FAQ (.pdf). A downloadable flyer (.pdf) is also available.
Fund for Teachers grant application deadline Jan. 30
Summer may still be months away, but teachers who are interested in broadening their horizons through professional or personal development opportunities should consider applying for a Fund for Teachers grant.
The Fund for Teachers was established in 1998 by Raymond Plank, chairman of the Apache Corporation. Each year, it awards grants of up to $5,000 to individual educators and $7,500 to teams of educators for summer training and enrichment activities.
The grants are as varied as the people who apply for them, and proposals range from “language immersion” projects to geological expeditions and the exploration of historic places or famous travel routes. They are intended to rejuvenate teachers’ passions for learning and teaching so that when they return to the classroom in the fall, they do so with newly gained knowledge and enthusiasm to share. Last year, a teacher from Lovett ES traveled to Iceland to study volcanoes, and in 2012, HISD grant-winners went to Spain, Italy, and Alaska.
Applicants can submit proposals either individually or as a team, but all applicants must have a minimum of three years teaching experience and be full-time teachers, spending at least 50 percent of their time in the classroom, at the time that grants are approved and made.
All applications must be postmarked no later than Thursday, Jan. 30, 2014. For more information, please visit the Fund for Teachers website.
Feb. 5 Eco-Schools webinar to focus on STEM education
The National Wildlife Federation will be hosting a webinar early next month for high-school science teachers and club sponsors who want to help their schools “go green.”
The event will take place at 5 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 5, and is entitled “An Innovative Approach to STEM Education.”
All webinar participants will be eligible to receive for a $500 grant to jump-start their projects. For complete details, please see this flyer (.pdf).
George Ranch to host Open House for Educators on Feb. 8
The historic George Ranch will be hosting an Open House for Educators on Sat., Feb. 8, 2014, and all HISD history teachers are invited!
Come take a journey through our state’s history by following four generations of one Texas family dating back to the 1830’s.
The event will take place from 9:30 a.m. until 1:30 p.m. and highlights include: a tour of the facilities, sample activities at various locations, a cattle demonstration, and a quintessential 1930s bachelor house lunch of beef brisket, smokehouse sausage, beans, coleslaw, potato salad, and blackberry cobbler.
There is no charge for interested educators, but advance registration is required. And while families are welcome, only teachers will be provided with a free lunch (others can purchase one; prices are listed here). To reserve a spot, please contact Susan Rezeppa at 281-343-0218 ext. 220 or send an email to education@georgeranch.org.
Register now for Feb. 17 drug-free workplace training session
HISD will be conducting “drug-free workplace” training sessions on Feb. 17, 2014, for central office administrators, principals, principal designees, and managers. This training teaches personnel how to recognize impaired employees in the work place and how to call for a reasonable suspicion drug/alcohol test.
The session will take place starting at 10:30 a.m. in room 1E01 of the Hattie Mae White Educational Support Center (4400 W. 18th St., 77018). The training is two hours in length and is good for four years before having to take the refresher course.
Participants must register through e-TRAIN using course code # BN0005.
Questions may be directed to Lynette Prater at 713-695-5862 .
Sign Up for Feb. 18 Educators’ Preview of the Magna Carta
Come learn more about the Magna Carta, the British document on which the United States Constitution is based.
Considered by many to be Great Britain’s most valuable export to the world, the Magna Carta continues to serve as the definitive document modeling basic civil liberties, and is the source of many of the most fundamental concepts of law.
HISD teachers can attend a special preview at the Houston Museum of Natural Science on Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2014, from 4:00–7:00 p.m. thanks to the generous support of Shell.
For complete details, please visit the HMNS website. Registration must be completed by Friday, Feb. 14.
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.
For Jawad Tahiri, an engineering teacher at Clifton Middle School, HISD’s partnership with Doug Lemov and Uncommon Schools has meant an opportunity to develop his students’ language arts skills alongside their abilities in math and science.
Tahiri has been implementing the strategies espoused by Lemov in his book, Teach Like a Champion (TLAC), and the effects so far have been stellar.
“The power of TLAC lies not in the novelty of its strategies,” he explained, “but in its focus on developing a reflective practice that encourages teachers to pay close attention to the smallest details…turning good instruction into great instruction.”
One of Tahiri’s favorite techniques is called “format matters,” which requires students to speak in a loud, clear voice when answering questions and to use the appropriate technical vocabulary in their answers.
“It took a short time to explain the rationale behind my additional requirements and to practice the new expectations,” said Tahiri, “But my students adopted the new changes quickly—and shortly thereafter, started reminding each other and correcting each other during call-and-response in a collaborative manner that reinforces the culture of ‘normalizing error’ in the classroom, while also showing how much pride they take in delivering the right answer in the ‘right’ format.”
The result, he said, is that “I have been able to support our school’s language literacy initiative and reinforce language arts TEKS more effectively in the engineering classroom.”
Sixteen HISD schools are now involved in the partnership between Doug Lemov, the author of Teach Like a Champion, and Uncommon Schools. The pilot program was launched during the 2011-2012 school year at seven HISD middle schools. Read more about it here.
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. |
As the initial point of contact with HISD for many people and organizations over the past 25 years, Lisa Bunse could well be considered ‘the face of HISD.’ She spent her first 18 years working in Media Relations, first as a coordinator, and later as the assistant press secretary.
“I was the freak,” explained the Illinois native. “I came from marketing and everyone else came from media. But I had a friend down here who was teaching, and she heard that a media relations department was being developed, so I got in on the ground floor. I got to know a lot of people in this city because of that experience.”
Bunse was promoted to her current position of Information Center manager in 2007, and now her responsibilities include leading visiting delegations on tours of schools and facilities, negotiating the district’s call-out system contract, and greeting some of the more than 120,000 people who call the switchboard or come by the front desk each year.
“The best part of my job is introducing people to all of the wonderful personnel and programs here in HISD,” said Bunse. “I get the opportunity to talk with diplomats and leading educators from all over the world, learn about their methodologies and programs, and contribute to the dialogue and exchanges of ideas. I’m like the yenta (matchmaker) of the district, the little Italian godmother, putting people together to build a better future.”
In her off hours, Bunse is also a writer and an actress. She wrote a play called “Game Night” that was produced at Theatre Southwest in 2012, and had a lead role in a recent production of “Nine to Five” with the Art Park Players. A musical composition of hers was also performed on Broadway last year.
“I studied under Stuart Ostrow in a consortium and the music I wrote with composer Stephen Jamail was performed in New York City,” said Bunse. “It was called ‘Perpetual Yesterday’ and was based on the first chapter of the novel, ‘The Lovely Bones,’ by Alice Sebold.”
Bunse has also been an active member of the Rotary Club for years, coordinating dozens of foreign exchange visits as well as the annual shipment of HISD’s obsolete textbooks to Third World countries.
Bunse officially marked her 25th anniversary with the district on Jan. 23, but several other employees are also marking theirs this week (Jan. 19–25). See if you know anyone on this list:
35 years
- Debra Lane, teacher, Milby HS
30 years
- Patrice Baltimore, manager, Construction & Facility Services
25 years
- Margaret Libby, teacher, Oak Forest ES
- Robbie Denise Moore-Roberts, secretary, Woodson K-8
20 years
- Sakis Brown, teacher, Westside HS
- Oralia Jimenez, teaching assistant, SHMSTC
- Sandra Torres, teaching assistant, Horn ES
15 years
- Reynaldo Silva, mechanic, Transportation Services
10 years
- Marivel Lozano, custodian, Construction & Facility Services
5 years
- Peter Anderson-Kelly, teacher, Westside HS
- Dominique Brown, teacher, Austin HS
- Marina Garcia, liaison, Parent & Community Assistance
Check back next Friday for more January Milestones. Leave a comment below if you’d like to congratulate any of the above employees. |
Five Houston-area museums will be conducting an Open House for Educators on Saturday, Jan. 25, 2014, and all interested HISD teachers and administrators are invited to attend. Attendees can learn more about educational resources, tools, and programs available, as well as training opportunities, field trips, and more.
Teachers who present proof of attendance for at least three presentations are eligible to receive Continuing Education credits. Details are available at the Houston Museum District’s website.
Here are some other dates you might want to mark on your calendar:
- Jan. 14-Feb. 2: Souper Bowl of Caring food drive
- Jan. 29 (.pdf): Payday
- Jan. 30: Fund for Teachers application deadline
- Jan. 31: 2013 W-2s mailed out
- Feb. 4: New employee orientation
- Feb. 12 (.pdf): Payday
- Feb. 8: HHF Career & Education Day
- Feb. 13: Regular Board meeting
- Feb. 26: State of the Schools luncheon
- Feb. 26 (.pdf): Payday
- Feb. 28: Go Texan Day
- March 3 & 4: 28th annual Child Abuse Prevention Conference
- March 4: New employee orientation
- March 4-23: Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo
- March 9: Daylight Saving Time begins
- March 12 (.pdf): Payday
- March 13: Regular Board meeting
- March 17-21: Spring Break
- March 26 (.pdf): Payday
- March 29: Whole Kids Farmers’ Market
- March 29: Houston PBS Spelling Bee
Next Wednesday, you might notice a little something extra in your bank account. If your direct deposit seems a bit higher than usual, it’s not because you got an unexpected raise–it’s probably due to HISD’s semi-annual benefits holiday.
Because HISD takes benefits deductions out of 24 paychecks per year instead of 26, employees won’t have any regular benefits plan premiums deducted from their paycheck on Jan. 29, 2014. So if you check your paystub online early next week and the numbers seem to be slightly in your favor, that’s why.
Please note that this applies only to regular benefits-plan deductions. If an employee has an unpaid balance for benefits, then a deduction to collect past amounts owed may be made on this paycheck.
This is the first benefits holiday of 2014. The next one will be in July.