Office of College Readiness to offer Naviance training Sept. 24 and 27
The Office of College Readiness is offering Naviance training during the month of September for employees who work directly with students to formulate and manage their college plans.
Two sessions are available for both new and experienced users:
- Tues., Sept. 24—Experienced users only. Select the early (8–10 a.m.) or late morning (10 a.m. to noon) session. Since training topics are based on participants’ feedback, please complete this short survey so that instruction can be tailored to your needs.
- Fri., Sept. 27—New users only. Select the morning (8–11 a.m.) or afternoon (1–4 p.m.) session. Training is targeted to individuals who are new to using the Naviance software, but participants who wish to learn about specific topics are invited to complete a short survey.
Questions may be directed to Manager of College Readiness Yolanda Norman 713-556-7240.
Want to help HISD get high school dropouts back in class? If so, sign up now for the Grads Within Reach walk.
Volunteers are still needed for this annual event, which is scheduled for Sat., Sept. 7, this year. For more information, please see this related posting.
Here are some other dates you might want to mark on your calendar:
- Sept. 12: Board meeting (regular)
- Sept. 13: Fall holiday (.pdf)
- Sept. 15-21: Share Our Strength’s Dine Out for No Kid Hungry
- Sept. 18-Dec. 18: Friends of Houston Public Library Farmers’ Market Book Sale
- Sept. 28: The Museum Experience
- Oct. 4 & 5: Friends of Houston Public Library Children’s Book Sale
- Oct. 10: Board meeting (regular)
- Nov. 5: Election Day
- Nov. 27-29: Thanksgiving holiday (.pdf)
In this week’s edition of Breakthroughs, we look at a campus whose leader literally “took steps” this year to reach out to parents and show her commitment to her students and her community.
New principal Alecia Bell and her staff went door-to-door on Thurs., Aug. 22, introduced themselves and delivered school-enrollment forms, volunteer information, and a copy of the school calendar.
“One of the main reasons for the walk was to introduce parents to the challenge and get them to embrace it,” said Bell. “We have several options at Hartsfield Elementary, and failure is not one of them. The community walk showed parents that even though we are new to Hartsfield, we are in it for the long haul.”
Read the full story 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. |
Sandra Little
When Sandra Little came to HISD as a speech pathologist back in September of 1968, the first Boeing 747 was rolling off the assembly line, the Big Mac was making its debut at McDonald’s restaurants across the country, and the Beatles were taking America by storm with their chart-topping hit song, “Hey Jude.”
Now, Little is celebrating 45 years with Team HISD, the last 17 of which she has spent as the sole principal of Valley West Elementary School, which opened in 1996. Before that, she also served as an assistant principal at Stevens and Anderson elementary schools, a teacher, a diagnostician, and a Special Education supervisor.
“I’m pretty surprised,” said Little. “It seems like I blinked my eyes and here it is 45 years later. But it’s a very rewarding position to be in, to see the growth students make. And it’s always very rewarding to see students who’ve gone on to college come back and say hello.” Little noted that with 45 years in HISD, she is now seeing the grandchildren of some of the students she served enrolling in district schools.
Little officially marked her anniversary with the district on Sept. 1, but several other employees are also marking theirs this week (Sept. 1–7). See if you know anyone on this list:
55 years
- Gloria Novak, associate teacher
50 years
- Carolyn Blakley, associate teacher
- Lenieta Trousdale, teacher, Lamar High School
45 years
- Ruth Beery, teacher, River Oaks ES
- Patricia Bonner, teacher, HSPVA
- Penny Howell, teacher, Horn Academy
- Debra Jackson, attendant, Food Services
- Joyce Jones, teacher, K. Smith ES
- Susan Kurland, teacher, Askew ES
- Donna Patch, teacher, Westside HS
35 years
- Henry Barclay, attendant, Athletics
- Leon Moore, associate teacher
- Charles Randolph, teacher, Waltrip HS
- Thomas Cosper, magnet coordinator, Camp Olympia
- Renita Phillips, program specialist, Special Education
- Yolanda Chavarria, clerk, Grady MS
30 years
- Pamela Oliver, teacher, Gregg ES
- Maria Dela Rosa, student information rep., Halpin ECC
25 years
- Carolyn Davis, nurse, Edison MS
- Valerie Payne, teacher, Washington HS
- Alicia Garay, secretary, Carrillo ES
- Cynthia Gonzalez, grants administrator, External Funding
- Martha Rodriguez, teacher, Coop ES
- Hortensia Baldez, crossing guard, Police Dept.
- Sonia Figueroa, crossing guard, Harvard ES
- Cilya Frank, assistant principal, Pershing MS
- Brenda Garcia-Salazar, principal, Mitchell ES
- Rosie Guinn, crossing guard, Alcott ES
- Dorothy Ibarra, clerk, Austin HS
- Priscilla Jeffery, clerk, Attucks MS
- Louise Keyes, crossing guard, Sinclair ES
- Willie Patrick, teacher, Wheatley HS
- Shirley Perkins, crossing guard, Golfcrest ES
- Santos Reyes, principal, Braeburn ES
- Patty Richmond, plant operator, Construction & Facility Services
- Juan Salinas, plant operator, Construction & Facility Services
- Mariano Santos, plant operator, Construction & Facility Services
20 years
- Vimael Pineda Melgar, plant operator, Construction & Facility Services
- Leon Mitchell, senior plant operator, Construction & Facility Services
15 years
- Adriana Guzman, attendant, Food Services
- Ruben Martinez, teacher, Looscan ES
- Linda Vandock, teacher, Kelso ES
- Michael Martindale, teacher, HSLECJ
- Federico Perez, custodian, Construction & Facility Services
- Cynthia Rangel, teacher, Wharton ES
10 years
- Alfreda Ester, attendant, Athletics
- Carol Marsh, crossing guard, Petersen ES
- E. D. Murphy, crossing guard, Police Dept.
- José Tapia, teacher, Love ES
- Elizabeth Hancock, teacher, DAEP ES
- Geneva Parker, attendant, Food Services
- Misty Thakur, counselor, Barrick ES
- Ruth Ward, teacher development specialist, Professional Development
- Gabriela Alatriste, teacher, Emerson ES
- Martha Anaya, teacher, Madison HS
- Gladys Burton, teacher, Harper Alternative
- Robert Fazakerly, senior manager, Procurement
- Joel Hernandez, custodian, Construction & Facility Services
- Amelia Hidalgo-Olaizola, evaluation specialist, Vision Program
- Lucia Juarez, teaching assistant, Benbrook ES
- Gianncarlo Muschi-Hoyos, teacher, Scarborough ES
- Martha Padilla, nurse, Oak Forest ES
- Yolanda Perez, custodian, Construction & Facility Services
- Angela Richard, teacher, Fonville MS
- Sandra Vargas, clerk, Westside HS
- Audra Page, teacher, Almeda ES
- Graciela Rodriguez, attendant, Food Services
5 years
- Farris Blount, crossing guard, Field ES
- Laura Garcia, student information rep., Law ES
- Sanettia Coats, teaching assistant, Harper Alternative
- Tiffany Dewalt, teacher, Oak Forest ES
- Jonas Mendoza, teacher, Wesley ES
- James Moore, bus driver, Transportation Services
- Antonia Ochoa, custodian, Construction & Facility Services
- Adefunke Olaleye, associate teacher
- Haydee Reyes Manzanares, bus driver, Transportation Services
- Julianne Farnsworth, teacher, Whittier ES
- Fahime Fazeli, bus driver, Transportation Services
- Maria Gonzalez, clerk, Askew ES
- Monica Palacios, associate teacher
- Burnis Porter Jr, bus driver, Transportation Services
- Roxy Smith, teacher, Cornelius ES
- Ramon Vazquez, mechanic helper, Transportation Services
- Raul Arauco, teacher, Cornelius ES
- Jarvis Brown, applications developer, Research and Accountability
- Fatima Campos, custodian, Construction & Facility Services
- Rosalva Castilleja, custodian, Construction & Facility Services
- Efrain Chavez, custodian, Construction & Facility Services
- Maria Espinoza, custodian, Construction & Facility Services
- Edith Gonzalez, teacher, Westside HS
- Daniele Hanley, custodian, Construction & Facility Services
- Claudia Izaguirre, custodian, Construction & Facility Services
- Ray Jones, plant operator, Construction & Facility Services
- Steven Levine, clerk, Briarmeadow Charter
- Dora Lopez, teacher, Travis ES
- Senae Martin, teacher, Cullen MS
- José Romero Zavala, bus driver, Transportation Services
- Treuell Thomas, custodian, Construction & Facility Services
- Celina Toney, custodian, Construction & Facility Services
- Shawdae Wallace, teacher, Briargrove ES
| Check back next Friday for more September Milestones. Leave a comment below if you’d like to congratulate any of the above employees. |
Q: How would I nominate someone to receive one of the “Team HISD” hats Dr. Grier gives out now and then at central office and principals’ meetings?
A: The recommendation would need to come from your cabinet member (the chief who reports directly to the superintendent) and be submitted to Chief of Staff Michele Pola.
The Houston Museum of Natural Science is kicking off the new school year with two discount offers for schools.
Campuses that book one of the museum’s Outreach Programs in September will receive a $25 discount, and Discovery Dome visits scheduled for September or October can be upgraded at no extra cost. Book a full day and receive the half day price, or book an extended day at the full day cost–a $100 savings.
To make a reservation, please visit the HMNS website.
The historic George Ranch is hosting an Open House for Educators on Sat., Sept. 7, 2013, 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.
For complete details, please see this related posting.
Hone your communication skills at Toastmasters Intl.
Learning how to communicate effectively can help you excel at job interviews, give powerful presentations, and lead successful seminars.
If you’d like to hone your public speaking skills, consider joining Toastmasters International, a respected non-profit organization dedicating to helping people improve themselves.
One local chapter meets every Tuesday night at 5:30 p.m. at the Looscan branch (2510 Willowick, 77004) of the Houston Public Library, and all are welcome.
See this flyer (.jpg) for details.
Mobile mammograms return to HISD Sept. 9
Each year, The Rose offers on-site screening mammograms to female HISD employees who meet certain criteria.
Seven dates have been added for this fall, starting on Sept. 9 at Lee High School and extending through Oct. 30 at the Hattie Mae White Educational Support Center.
Interested women are encouraged to act quickly, as only a limited number of mammograms can be performed each day.
Please see the attached flyer (.pdf) for complete details.
Next new employee orientation is Sept. 10
Get to know the district and what it means to be a member of Team HISD at one of the new employee orientations being held monthly at the Hattie Mae White Educational Support Center (4400 W. 18th St. 77092).
Topics include benefits, retirement options, and an overview of HISD’s Strategic Direction and employee policies.
The next session is scheduled for Tues., Sept. 10. Details and sign-up information are here.
Houston Arts Partners Conference Sept 13 & 14
The third annual Houston Arts Partners Conference will be taking place on Sept. 13 and 14, 2013, at the Houston Ballet Center for Dance (601 Preston St., 77002).
This year’s theme is “Arts Work: How the Arts Benefit the Individual, the Classroom, the Community, and the Economy,” and attendees can earn up to 15 CPE credit hours.
For complete details, please visit the conference website.
Learn your options at Sept. 18 retirement seminar
The Retirement Storefront at HISD will be hosting retirement seminars from 5 p.m. until 7 p.m. on the following dates this fall:
- Wed., Sept. 18
- Tues., Oct. 22
- Wed., Nov. 6
- Wed., Dec. 4
All district employees are encouraged to take advantage of this opportunity to learn more about their Teacher Retirement System (TRS) benefits.
Employees must register through e-TRAIN to attend, and select course code #BN0200.
Questions may be directed to V. Janene English at 713-695-5561 ext. 343.
Free movie screening for fifth- and sixth-graders on Oct. 24
In observance of Food Day Houston 2013, Recipe 4 Success, will be hosting a screening of the educational film, What’s on My Plate?, on Thurs., Oct. 24, at the Museum of Fine Arts Houston (1001 Bissonnet, 77005).
The documentary, which follows two 11-year-old girls as they explore their place in the food chain, is geared to fifth- and sixth-graders.
Admission is free for schools (transportation not provided), but space is limited, so please register by Sept. 30 to sarah@recipe4success.org. Details are here (.pdf).
In last week’s edition of eNews, we asked teachers for some of the worst excuses they had ever heard as to why students were absent or unprepared for class.
Some were outright fabrications, as with one child who claimed to be sick during both the math and reading administrations of the STAAR exam. That ruse was exposed by her classmates, who showed the teacher text messages they had received on those days from the student “gloating about her fabulous, fun-filled trip to Louisiana.”
Other excuses revealed quite a bit of imagination (if not plausibility), such as the child who insisted he “had” to go sell puppies with his father, or the teenager who claimed to have been prepared for class, only to have an eagle “swoop down and snatch” her finished homework out of her hand as she was driving along the Southwest Freeway.
In the parents category, perhaps the silliest excuse came from a woman who said that her children should be not be marked absent because “it was raining and I didn’t want them to get wet.”
In this week’s I am HISD, which features district students, graduates, employees, and other team members, Chávez High School graduate (Class of 2012) Phuong Ta talks about how the district’s EMERGE program helped her land a full-ride scholarship to a Tier One school, mistakes she made as a college freshman, and her family’s surprising reaction to the news of her acceptance to Tufts University.
You came to Chávez High School from Vietnam at the age of 17. Did you speak any English when you arrived?
Phuong Ta
Yeah, I did. English was a class you had to take in Vietnam. But one difficulty was my accent. Apparently, it was really heavy, so that was a shock to me, not having anyone understand what I was saying.
You just finished your first year at Tufts. What has that experience been like?
It changed me a lot—everything, really. Before I went to college, one of my teachers told me I wouldn’t be the same person in a year, but I couldn’t imagine how different I would be. It really changed my perspective.
You’ve referred to both the University of Texas and Tufts as your “dream schools.” What made you choose the one over the other?
I actually didn’t know about Tufts until my senior year at Chávez. But their admissions officer came to campus, and I took a brochure and looked it up online. Then I applied, and I made a campus visit in October. It was the only private, out-of-state school I visited. I also visited Rice, UH, and UT, but the financial aid package made a huge difference.
Before, my dream school was UT-Austin, but it just seemed so far away. I had no idea what kind of SAT score I would have to get to go to a private college.
How did HISD’s EMERGE program factor into your success? Do you think you ever would have gone to a Tier One school like Tufts without it?
The EMERGE program was extremely crucial in making me who I am. Before, I didn’t really know anything about college, or why I should take the ACT or SAT. I didn’t even know what the SAT and ACT were. No, I would definitely never have had a chance. I thought, “If I go to UT-Austin, that’s good enough for me.”
Are your parents pretty excited about you being a first-generation college student at such a prestigious institution?
My parents were actually strongly against my going to college so far away. My whole family was so upset. It took them months to get used to the fact that I was leaving home. But a friend of the family who lives in Boston talked to them and said it was a good thing to be accepted to such a good school and to get such a great financial aid package. Now, they’re some of my biggest supporters.
On a website dedicated to first-generation college students, you talked about making some mistakes as a freshman, despite advance preparations. What were some of those mistakes, and how did you fix them?
Mostly, my concerns were about how to find a group of friends and figure out where I belonged on campus. Just trying to find activities that I would enjoy all four years, and balancing academic and social life. I spent more time exploring, but then I struggled. In my intro to sociology class, I was one of the only minorities, and I didn’t feel comfortable talking to the professor or asking questions. I didn’t go to office hours when I should have, and got behind in that class, but after the winter break, I worked with the tutor more (which is free there), and started to take advantage of all the help that’s available.
In another article I read, you mentioned being undeclared as far as majors go. Any ideas yet about what you want to study, or have you not taken enough electives to decide?
I’m still exploring, but right now I’m interested in American studies, with a concentration in U.S. education. I’m also thinking about a minor in communication/media studies.
| 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. |
