Representatives from a number of HISD departments are giving district employees a chance to expand their knowledge while they eat their mid-day meal during various “Lunch ‘N Learn”-style sessions scheduled for the summer months. Here are brief descriptions of the next two, which will both be held from noon until 1 p.m. at the Hattie Mae White Educational Support Center (4400 W. 18th St. 77092):
- Memory Fitness: Protecting a Valuable Asset—Presented by the Employee Assistance Program on Wed., June 26, this session will discuss what memory is and how it works. Participants will gain tools to sharpen their memory and to prevent memory loss. Course Code: BN0017; Room 3C10
- Thriving in a Multigenerational Workplace—Presented by the Employee Assistance Program and Benefits on Thurs., June 27, this session will show how multigenerational work environments can be a source of positive challenge, opportunity, and growth, if managed correctly. Participants will increase their understanding of the differences between generations in today’s workforce and learn how to work with those differences and enjoy them. Course Code: BN0035; Room 1E01
Registration must be completed via e-TRAIN. Direct questions on the first session to Benefits at 713-556-6655 and the second session to Onboarding & Organizational Development at 713-556-7575.
Each year, The Rose offers on-site screening mammograms to female HISD employees who meet certain criteria.
The last few dates in July are already booked solid, but seven new dates have been added for the 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.
Survey reveals summer vacation isn’t just for kids
More than 80 percent of the employees who took our survey in the June 14 edition of eNews said they were planning to take some time off this summer. Vacation destinations ranged from Maryland to Florida and South Carolina.
Most respondents said they would be visiting family at those locations, but others were taking cruises and going on camping trips. One employee, who will be taking part in a 65-mile hike with a troop of Boy Scouts at the Philmont Scout Ranch in New Mexico, said his main goal was to avoid being eaten by a bear.
Mandatory CPR training for coaches, other eligible staff June 27–Aug. 8
If you are a campus-based member of Team HISD who participates, sponsors, and/or coaches any UIL-sanctioned or co-curricular activities, then the State of Texas requires you to be certified in the administration of Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation, Automated External Defibrillator, and First Aid (CPR/AED/FA).
Stipend payments are dependent upon this certification, so if you need the training, please sign up now for one of the available sessions between Thurs., June 27, and Thurs., Aug. 8, to ensure that the district is in compliance with this legal requirement.
For details, including training dates, times, and locations, please see this related Academic Services Memo.
Discount offer to Aug. 31 Texas Kickoff Classic
The Houston Texans, HISD’s longtime community partner, is offering district employees a savings of about 15 percent off of the regular price of tickets for a new fall tradition.
The inaugural Texas Kickoff Classic is coming to Reliant Stadium on Saturday, Aug. 31, 2013, and district employees can get a family value pack of four tickets, four hot dogs, and four soft drinks for prices starting at $120.
Come launch the college football season by watching the Mississippi State Bulldogs take on Oklahoma State Cowboys for less.
To take advantage of this special offer, please contact Warren Caguioa at 832-667-2319 or warren.caguioa@houstontexans.com. A downloadable flyer (.pdf) is available for reference.
All processing charges, taxes, and fees will be waived.
Claudette Bean
Claudette Bean describes herself as a “people person,” so it’s small wonder that she enjoys her job as a Human Resources assistant.
Bean has been helping HISD fill its staffing needs since 1998, first in the Associate Teacher department and later in Teacher Certification. Now she helps fill non-instructional positions, and over the years, she estimates she has probably met thousands of people.
“I enjoy every moment of it,” she said. “I love it.”
Bean marked her official anniversary with the district on June 16, but several other employees are also marking theirs this week (June 16–22). See if you know anyone on this list:
10 years
- Scott Houston, teacher Lamar HS
- Nakesa Lawrence, DDC Controls Admin, Construction & Facility Services
5 years
- Anthony Hamm, mechanic, Transportation Services
- Naushia Swearington, clerk, Food Services
- Angelique Villarreal, clerk, J. P. Henderson ES
| Check back next Friday for more June Milestones. Leave a comment below if you’d like to congratulate any of the above employees. |
Government Fleet, a leading transportation industry magazine, has announced the top 100 fleets for 2013 and HISD is once again the only school district in the country to earn a spot on the list (not including Honorable Mentions).
2013 will mark the third consecutive year for HISD’s Transportation Services department to be on the list. In 2011, it ranked 57th in the nation among the best fleets in North America, and last year, it moved up five spots to number 52. This year, HISD broke into the top half of the list, with a ranking of number 47.
Read the full story here.
Congratulations also go out this week to:
- Professional Support and Development, which received two Telly Awards for the Video Exemplars it created and produced to showcase effective instruction. The Telly Awards are the premier award honoring outstanding local, regional, and cable TV commercials and programs, the finest video and film productions, and online video and films. Winners represent the best work of the most respected production companies, television stations, cable operators, and video departments in the world.
| If you know someone who should be featured in Accolades, please email us at info@houstonisd.org and tell us why. |
Brenda Mims with her grandson, Collin
This week’s Shout Out goes to recently retired educator Brenda Mims, from her daughter (and fellow teacher), Malika Mims.
“My mother (logged) 42 years of service to middle and high school students,” said the younger Mims, who teaches at Garden Villas Elementary School. “Eight of those she dedicated to (students at) Westbury High School, and the rest were at Fort Bend ISD and Webster Parish in Minden, Louisiana.”
“Teaching youth and young adults has always been and still is her passion,” explained Malika. “She was asked by her principal to teach summer school and even to stay another year because she has such an influence on her students and colleagues. Although she declined, she made a commitment to her students that she would remain in their lives for guidance and academic advice.”
Malika Mims is hosting a surprise retirement celebration for her mother at 5:30 p.m. on Sat., Aug. 3, at the Islamorada Fish Company restaurant inside the Pearland Bass Pro Shop (1000 Bass Pro Drive, 77584). Colleagues and students who wish to attend are asked to RSVP by sending an email to her daughter no later than Fri. July 26, 2013.
HISD will be hosting a public meeting on Thurs., June 20, 2013, to discuss the district’s budget, which will determine the tax rate that will be adopted. The meeting starts at 5 p.m. at the Hattie Mae White Educational Support Center (4400 West 18th Street, 77092), and public participation is both invited and encouraged.
For more information, please see the Budget and Tax Rate Meeting flyer (.pdf) or visit the Board of Education’s website.
Here are some other dates you might want to mark on your calendar:
- June 10–Aug. 2: Summer Schedule in effect
- June 11–July 18: Summer Meals program
- June 22: TX Black Expo College Fair & Youth Summit
- July 4: Independence Day holiday
- July 11: Board meeting (regular)
- July 15-19 & Aug. 5-9: HMNS Summer Energy Workshops
- August 8: Board meeting (regular)
- Aug. 9–11: Texas Sales Tax Holiday
- August 10: Back to School Fest (.pdf)
- August 26: First day of school (students)
Middle- and high-school science teachers are invited to participate in one of two weeklong workshops over the summer sponsored by Marathon Oil Corporation.
The sessions will take place July 15–19 and Aug. 5–9, and participants will acquire knowledge of careers in the energy industry by touring production sites such as the Cedar Bayou Natural Gas Power Plant, the Varel Drill Bit Factory, and the South Texas Nuclear Project.
The workshop costs $45, with lunch provided each day. For details, please visit the HMNS website or see this related flyer (.pdf).
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 Tues., June 24, 2013, and all HISD employees are encouraged to participate.
The drive will take place between the hours of 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. in Conference Room 3C12. Walk-ins are always welcome, but reservations are encouraged to avoid long waits.
Each donor who comes out to donate or attempts to donate will receive a coupon to Subway and a free T-shirt. 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, please visit www.eblooddrive.org and enter sponsor code 0128 or contact Charlotte King at cking1@houstonisd.org to schedule an appointment.
If you’ve been meaning to submit a request for mileage reimbursement for fiscal year 2012–2013, don’t delay any longer.
Employees are being strongly encouraged to submit their requests in the next six days, as the SAP system will be inaccessible starting at noon on Wed., June 26, and not be back up until Mon., July 8, 2013.
The final date to submit travel reimbursements for the 2012–2013 fiscal year is Thurs., July 18, 2013, but Accounts Payable is hoping to process the bulk of such requests before the SAP system goes down for regular year-end activities in late June.
Details can be found in this related online memo. The form to request mileage reimbursement is here (.xls) and can also be found on the private side of the Accounts Payable department website (login required) under Forms and Documents>>Accounts Payable Forms>>Indistrict Travel Packages (.XLS).
