Hector Segovia
Asbestos was once considered a safe building material and a good source of fire-resistant insulation, but Hector Segovia has been working for 25 years to remove it from HISD schools.
An asbestos abatement worker with Construction and Facility Services, Segovia said he has worked on dozens of schools over the years to keep classrooms safe for children.
“I like (my job),” he said. “I prep all the rooms for (asbestos) removal. Right now, I’m working on the floors at Burbank Elementary School.”
Segovia will mark his official anniversary with the district on Friday.
Many other HISD employees are also marking milestones this week (June 9–15). See if you know anyone on this list:
25 years
- Ollie Freeman, bus driver, Transportation Services
- Marlene Hector, custodian, Gregory-Lincoln MS
20 years
- Felicia Howell, teaching assistant, Red ES
15 years
- Raquel Gonzalez, clerk, Construction & Facility Services
- Malinda Sims, accounting manager, Finance
- Betty Stevens, crossing guard, River Oaks ES
10 years
- Antonio Herrador, school business manager, Sam Houston MSTC
- Natalie McMillan, school business manager, Wheatley HS
- Timothy Smith, school business manager, Montgomery ES
- Mark Swackhamer, senior manager of fleet operations, Transportation Services
5 years
- Scott Bounds, magnet coordinator, Wainwright ES
- Bobby Espinosa, clerk, Textbook Operations
- Kimberly Ferguson, customer service representative, IT
- Virginia Urrutia, substitute aide/clerk
| Check back next Friday for more June Milestones. Leave a comment below if you’d like to congratulate any of the above employees. |
- Texas high school students struggle on key STAAR exams
- Report on summer meal program finds a gap in Texas
- Valuing physics over P.E., Colorado schools test novel pay scale
- Bridging the male education gap
- Obama promises high-speed Internet in most schools in five years
- Many dropouts try—and fail—to return to school
In last week’s edition of Friday eNews, we asked members of Team HISD about their summer camp experiences—and to a person, everyone who responded said they had attended camp themselves as youngsters.
About 80 percent of respondents said that they went to sleepaway camps as opposed to day camps, and of those who were parents, another 70 percent said they had shared that experience with their children, because it was a good experience for them to have.
About a third of survey takers said they went to camps run by the Girl Scouts or Boy Scouts, while another fifth went to privately run camps. The remainder attended camps with a religious affiliation, either Christian or Jewish.
Lunch ‘N Learn sessions return to HMWESC June 10–Aug. 13
If you’re one of the more than 900 HISD employees who offices at the district’s headquarters, then mark your calendars now, as the next series of Lunch ‘N Learn sessions is returning to the Hattie Mae White Educational Support Center when the 4-10 summer schedule resumes.
The sessions will start with “estate planning, wills, and trusts” on Mon., June 10, and conclude with “getting healthy for life” on Tues., Aug. 13. The sessions will be led by representatives from HISD Benefits, the Employee Assistance Program, and associations for Alzheimer’s and diabetes.
Registration must be completed via e-TRAIN. Direct questions to the Benefits Department at 713-556-6655.
Sign up now for mandatory CPR training June 22–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 Thursday, June 22, and Thursday, August 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.
Early Bird Alert: 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.
Baseball fans can enjoy the classic American pastime at a discount during two upcoming HISD Nights at the Astros.
The team is once again offering group rates to all HISD employees and their friends and families for the games at Minute Maid Park against the St. Louis Cardinals (Wed., June 26), and the Tampa Bay Rays (Thurs. July 4, 2013).
All convenience and handling fees are waived through this special offer. Please visit the Message Center on the employee portal (login required) for details, a downloadable flyer, and the password.
You’re getting this edition of Friday eNews a bit early this week because HISD adopted a four-day work-week schedule to save money over the summer.
Under the 4-10 schedule, HISD offices are open for business from 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mon. through Thurs., and closed on Fridays (through Aug. 2, 2013, this year).
First implemented in 2011, the 4-10 schedule has saved HISD more than half a million dollars each year on operating expenses during the hot summer months. The district will revert to its normal five-day work schedule starting Mon., Aug. 5.
Here are some other dates you might want to mark on your calendar:
- June 10–Aug. 2: Summer Schedule in effect
- June 11: Summer School begins*
- June 11–July 18: Summer Meals program
- June 13: Board meeting (regular)
- June 20: Board meeting (budget)
- 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)
L-R are: Shawn Grimm, Verna English, Lynette Prater, Doris Tindall-Ennis, Maria Gonzalez, and James Chavez
This week’s Shout Out goes to the staff of the Retirement Storefront and Drug Free Workplace, from Employee Support Services Manager Tammy Young, for their determination to deliver top-notch customer service, no matter what.
“They have been displaced from a number of workplace locations over the years, as opportunities arose to use HISD facilities for such things as the on-site clinic and the new Energy Institute Magnet School,” explained Young. “But the unit is heavily employee/customer service focused, and the staff has continued to operate with the utmost patience, caring, and professionalism; treating potential retirees and visitors to the Drug Free Workplace with the great respect that they deserve.”
Young also praised the group for their can-do attitudes. “They do not believe in sending employees from department to department,” she added. “If at all possible, all eight members of the team operate by contacting different resources in other departments to resolve employee issues. They have never wavered in their willingness to make sure all employee/customer issues completely resolved.”
Inge Garibaldi
The honors just keep coming for Inge Garibaldi.
Last month, she was recognized as one of HISD’s Assistant Principals of the Year, and now, she has been named the Secondary Assistant Principal of the Year by the Texas Association of Secondary School Principals (TASSP).
Garibaldi, who most recently served in that role at HISD’s M. C. Williams Middle School, was recently promoted to the principal of Welch Middle School.
She will be formally recognized this month at the TASSP’s annual Summer Workshop in Austin.
Congratulations also go out this week to:
- Westside HS Chef Reggie Martin, who was named Educator of the Year for 2013–2014 by the Texas Restaurant Association. He will be formally presented with the award on June 24, at the Southwest Food Expo in Dallas. Martin will also represent the State of Texas as a contender for the National Restaurant Association’s Educator of the Year award, which will be announced at its annual trade show in Chicago, in May of 2014.
| If you know someone who should be featured in Accolades, please email us at info@houstonisd.org and tell us why. |
SMART Financial Credit Union will be hosting a workshop on the subject of the Teacher Retirement System on Thurs., June 20.
The event will take place in the lobby of SMART’s Newcastle branch (4605 SW Frwy, Ste. 100, 77027), from 6:15 until 7:45 p.m.
Topics covered will include how to maximize pensions and how to navigate retirement paperwork. To reserve your seat, please call 713-407-1891.
Starting June 11, children can enjoy a free healthy breakfast and lunch at more than 200 HISD schools through the district’s summer meal program.
There is no paperwork, registration, or proof of income needed and a child does not have to be enrolled in summer school to participate. The only requirement is for the child to be between the ages of 1 and 18. Adults may also participate in the program by purchasing breakfast for $2.00 and lunch for $3.25.
Meals are available to children at no cost through mid-July.
For complete details, please visit the Food Services website.
Here are some other dates you might want to mark on your calendar:
- June 1: Hurricane season begins
- June 6: Last day of school (students)
- June 7–11(.pdf): Graduation ceremonies
- June 10–Aug. 2: Summer Schedule in effect
- June 11: Summer School begins*
- June 11–July 18: Summer Meals program
- June 13: Board meeting (regular)
- June 20: Board meeting (budget)
- 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)
- August 10: Back to School Fest (.pdf)
- August 26: First day of school (students)
You might not know Clint Walker personally, but if you’ve ever been to Key Middle School or any of about two dozen other campuses around the district, you’ve probably seen his handiwork.
Walker is a brick mason who has been laying a firm foundation for educational excellence in HISD for 35 years. He celebrated his official anniversary with the district on June 7.
“I started off as a helper, then became an apprentice, then went to trade school and became a journeyman,” he explained. “But I don’t want to be any higher, because I love what I do, and I’m sticking to it.”
Walker cites some of his finest work as the ceramic tile he laid in the main office at McReynolds Middle School. “I don’t do ugly work,” he said. “I take my time and do it right.” Walker also had the pleasure of donating his time and expertise to his alma mater, Kashmere High School, which installed a tribute to legendary band director Conrad O. “Prof” Johnson several years ago in its SPARK park. Walker graduated from Kashmere in 1979.
Many other HISD employees are also marking milestones this week (June 2–8)—see if you know anyone on this list:
35 years
- Christopher Dean, maintenance repairer, Construction & Facilities Services
30 years
- Hector Batarse, asbestos abatement team lead, Construction & Facility Services
- Jean Mayes, counselor, Austin HS
25 years
- Richard Gutierrez, officer, Police Department
- Denise Pitre, teacher, Madison HS
20 years
- Minh Do, senior construction auditor, Office of the Inspector General
- Charles Myers, sheet metal worker, Construction & Facility Services
15 years
- Arvis Allen, custodian, Johnston MS
- John Gerwin, internal audit manager, Office of the Inspector General
10 years
- Renee Canizaro, teacher, Parker ES
- Larry Green, maintenance repairer, Food Services
- Roy Johnson, associate teacher
- Beatriz Rivas, custodian, Garcia ES
- Derek Thomas, mechanic, Transportation Services
5 years
- Leslie Baylis, manager, Food Services
- Cynthia Brown, officer, Police Department
- Shirley Brown, security guard, Police Department
- Sheryle Crowe, account/budget clerk, Medicaid/Property Management
- Kim Yvonne Golden, trainer, Professional Development
- Mwamba Justin, academic tutor, Liberty High School
- Assol Kavtorina, magnet coordinator, Furr HS
- Matthew Laday, teacher, Cullen MS
- Tammy Lovse, teacher, Petersen ES
- Wilda Montgomery, teacher, Liberty HS
- Edward Parker Jr, custodian, Teledyne Administrative
- Brandon Senegal, school business manager, Jordan HS
- Rosa Soto, officer, Police Department
| Check back next Friday for more June Milestones, and leave a comment below if you’d like to congratulate any of the above employees. |
