Special Ed presents a Specially Designed Instruction Symposium
The HISD office of Special Education is hosting a virtual conference on Orton Gillingham teaching methods and how to apply differentiation to the lesson cycle for reading teachers and interventionists from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday, Jan. 23, 2020.
Featured keynote speaker Misty Walker-Ramsey will present “Connecting the 7Gs to Dyslexia Instruction” from 9:00-9:30 a.m. Following that, attendees will choose from breakout sessions on metacognition, comprehension, phonological awareness, fluency, executive functioning, and tech tools (see agenda below). The choice sessions will be led by OSES curriculum specialists and dyslexia team Leads. Attendees will leave with lesson components they can immediately put into practice in the classroom.
There will be giveaways, including gift cards and other classroom items. Please share the SDI symposium and Orton Gillingham in action on social media using the hashtag #OGinHISD.
To attend via Microsoft Teams, please register in OneSource for course 1447586.
See this flyer for more information or click on this link.
| SDI Symposium Agenda | |
| 9:00 – 9:30 a.m. | Keynote speaker |
| 9:40 – 10:10 a.m. | Choice Session 1 Metacognitive Comprehension Connections Five Rules of Spelling Extended Reading & Fluency Dyslexia & ELLs |
| 10:20 – 11:05 a.m. | Whole Group Session with Breakouts Prize Giveaway FAQs answered by Misty Walker-Ramsey Digging through the Data, Differentiation, and SDI Planning |
| 11:15 – 11:45 a.m. | Choice Session 2 Alphabet & Rapid Naming Practice Tech Tools Phonological Awareness for Auditory Processing Executive Functioning and the Orton Gillingham Method |
| 11:45 a.m. – noon | Whole Group Session 2 (close) Survey FAQs answered by curriculum specialists Prizes given away |
Weekly Teacher Download for January 11
ALL TEACHERS
Special Education: Sign up now for this virtual Specially Designed Instruction Symposium on Orton Gillingham teaching methods and how to apply differentiation to the lesson cycle for reading teachers and interventionists from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday, Jan. 23, 2020. Keynote speaker Misty Walker-Ramsey will present “Connecting the 7Gs to Dyslexia Instruction” and attendees will choose from breakout sessions on metacognition, comprehension, phonological awareness, fluency, executive functioning, and tech tools. There will be giveaways, including gift cards and other classroom items. Please share the SDI symposium and Orton Gillingham in action on social media using the hashtag #OGinHISD. To attend via Microsoft Teams, please register in OneSource for course 1447586. See this flyer for more information or click on https://bit.ly/3gQT0Tc.
January Goalbook webinars
Starting in January 2021, Goalbook, the web-based resource that provides academic and behavior strategies, will host a three-part webinar series focused on using their resources to create an antiracist learning environment so that all students succeed. Participants are encouraged to attend all three sessions. Additional information will be forthcoming specific to Part 2 and Part 3. Please contact jander13@houstonisd.org or call 713-556-6844 if you have questions.
Part 1: Antiracism and the Universal Design for Learning Framework
- Jan. 12, 2021, at 12:00 p.m. CT → REGISTER HERE
- Jan 21, 2020, at 2:30 p.m. CT → REGISTER HERE
Social and Emotional Learning
Welcome Back and Happy New Year! Teachers, @SELHISD will provide Thursday Winter Training Offerings that will focus on strategies and best practices for building relationships with students to help manage classroom behaviors. Please consider joining us for Behavior Intervention, De-escalation, Classroom Management, and Trauma Informed Practices trainings, depending on availability. Please see this document for information on how to register in One Source. For additional resources, please visit Rethink Ed and the SEL Google Site.
SEL Campus Spotlight: Bellaire HS
Message from social worker Lara Hulin: “In the spirit of SEL being a process of empowerment for education teams to learn from one another, connect, and collectively create positive school communities, Bellaire High School would like to share the following ideas: Teacher Chats (led by school social worker) and Teacher Book Studies (led by teacher) are informal monthly group meetings in which faculty and staff meet to discuss a topic, book, podcast, Ted Talk or article, specifically focusing on sharing and learning from one another and how we can implement new strategies at Bellaire.”
Group 1 Automotive
HISD has partnered with the Sterling McCall family of dealerships to offer HISD employees an exclusive Vehicle Buying Program with services designed to save you time and money at all Group 1 automotive dealerships. Click here to learn more.
New Teachers
Each month we will spotlight one of the Instructional Practice (IPR) criterion within TADS. This month’s IPR focus criterion is PL-2 collects, tracks, and uses student data to drive instruction. Join us for a live webinar session during which we will dive into effective practice strategies that will support your ability to ensure you are:
- accurately determining student progress toward and mastery of objectives and annual student learning goals using multiple methods of assessment
- using a system to track student assessment data, including individual and class progress toward meeting unit objectives and annual learning goals
- analyzing student progress data at key points during a unit and during the year
- using analysis of student progress data to plan differentiated instruction, including intervention and enrichment
- ensuring students can articulate their performance and progress relative to unit objectives and annual learning goals.
If you are interested in joining our live webinar, click on this link to register for a session:
IPR Spotlight: PL-2 Collects, Tracks, and Uses Student Data to Drive Instruction Live Webinar
SECONDARY TEACHERS
Career and Technical Education
Please view our January 2021 CTE Professional Development Calendar for upcoming after school and self-paced training sessions for Career and Technical Education (CTE) teachers. Please register through OneSource Learning to receive credit for courses. There are many supplemental opportunities available for all teachers. Please visit the HUB for HISD Career Readiness resources and announcements, and see courses explained below. Also, visit the HISD Career Readiness website or click on Weekly CTE News Bulletin for the January edition. Before registering for OneSource courses, please reference the CTE audience on the Professional Development Calendar. If you have any OneSource course questions, please contact Dr. Stacey Whitmore at SWHITMO1@HoustonISD.org.
Additional CTE Information and Opportunities
See the January Region 4 Distance Learning Event Schedule for upcoming events and professional development opportunities. For EverFI Career Exploration Lessons training on Jan. 21, 2021, see this flyer. eDynamic Learning has new courses on robotics, business communications, business law, sport medicine, and more this month; see this flyer for instructions on how to register. Junior Achievement is offering a new course on Strategic Goals for HISD Scholars on Jan. 28; see this flyer for more information. For a course on Culturally and Linguistically Special Populations, see this flyer. Texas A&M AgriLife Extension is offering a new distance education program through the Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program specifically for 6th–12th grade students; for info on their “Healthy Teens, Healthy Future” curriculum, see this flyer. Applied Educational Systems Rep Heather Young will present two trainings; January 26 is an introduction to Health Center 21 Digital Curriculum and January 27 is about Business and IT Center 21.
Career Tip Tuesday
Teachers, please encourage your students to join CTE career advisors every second and fourth Tuesday of the month for a mini lesson watch party led by expert professionals and educators on how to stand out from the crowd and become competitive job applicants.
Register for HISD’s Multilingual Bilingual and Dual Language Summit
HISD’s Multilingual Programs invites teachers and administrators to the virtual Bilingual and Dual Language Summit on Saturday, January 30 from 8:30 a.m.-1 p.m.
The summit will provide research-based instructional strategies to teachers and administrators that will help them explore effective best practices that will enhance existing transitional bilingual or dual language programs. Participants will have the opportunity to attend a keynote session and choose up to three professional learning sessions from experts such as Dr. Sharroky Hollie, Dr. Monica Lara, and Dr. Adrian Mendoza.
read more…Walgreen’s COVID-19 testing for HISD employees
All the COVID-19 testing sites at Walgreen’s listed below are open by appointment only to HISD employees. In most cases, the store will collect insurance/payment at the time of the test. If you are enrolled in an HISD Medical Plan, the test will likely be covered under your insurance.
The test is administered in the drive-through pharmacy line. The test is a self-administered nasal swab. They are able to test children ages 3+ as well. Be sure to make an appointment here or at https://www.walgreens.com/findcare/covid19/testing.
| STORE NBR | Go Live | ADDRESS | CITY | STATE | Zip Code | |
| 2809 | 12/18/2020 | 220 S WAYSIDE DR | HOUSTON | TX | 77011 | |
| 3286 | 12/18/2020 | 9705 SPENCER HWY | LA PORTE | TX | 77571 | |
| 5035 | 12/18/2020 | 8301 BROADWAY ST | HOUSTON | TX | 77061 | |
| 5767 | 12/11/2020 | 2204 SOUTHMORE AVE | PASADENA | TX | 77502 | |
| 11854 | 12/18/2020 | 1301 NASA PKWY | HOUSTON | TX | 77058 | |
| 7020 | 12/18/2020 | 104 E PARKWOOD AVE | FRIENDSWOOD | TX | 77546 | |
| 10477 | 12/18/2020 | 11633 SHADOW CREEK PKWY | PEARLAND | TX | 77584 | |
| 3407 | 12/11/2020 | 12550 WESTHEIMER RD | HOUSTON | TX | 77077 | |
| 3661 | 12/18/2020 | 6768 HIGHWAY 6 S | HOUSTON | TX | 77083 | |
| 7071 | 12/18/2020 | 13196 BELLAIRE BLVD | HOUSTON | TX | 77072 | |
| 7251 | 12/18/2020 | 11038 WESTHEIMER RD | HOUSTON | TX | 77042 |
Weekly Teacher Download for December 18
ALL TEACHERS
January Goalbook webinars
Starting in January 2021, Goalbook, the web-based resource that provides academic and behavior strategies, will host a three-part webinar series focused on using their resources to create an antiracist learning environment so that all students succeed. Participants are encouraged to attend all three sessions. Additional information will be forthcoming specific to Part 2 and Part 3. Please contact jander13@houstonisd.org or call 713-556-6844 if you have questions.
Part 1: Antiracism and the Universal Design for Learning Framework
- Jan. 12, 2021, at 12 p.m. CT → REGISTER HERE
- Jan 21, 2020, at 2:30 p.m. CT → REGISTER HERE
Fall 2020 Remote Teaching and Learning Teacher Survey: Please respond to the Fall 2020 Remote Teaching and Learning Teacher Survey to help inform decision-making regarding support strategies and resources for HISD teachers. The survey will be open through Friday, Jan. 8, 2021.
SEL Blog: Self-care is paramount during these times. Many of us might think of self-care as an indulgence, but it actually a way coping with varied stressors. By setting aside a few minutes to care for yourself, you can better care for those who depend on you for their safety and wellness. Check out the SEL Blog here to begin or add to your self-care regimen. And, from the Social Emotional Learning Department, please have a happy and safe winter break, Hanukkah, Christmas, and Kwanzaa!
Group 1 Automotive: HISD has partnered with the Sterling McCall family of dealerships to offer HISD employees an exclusive Vehicle Buying Program with services designed to save you time and money at all Group 1 automotive dealerships. Click here to learn more.
SECONDARY TEACHERS
CTE Professional Development Opportunities: Please view our December 2020 CTE professional development calendar for available virtual training sessions for CTE instructors. There are self-paced courses, free webinars, free live events, free discussion panels, virtual conferences, and free supplemental resources for CTE teachers. Please visit the HISD Career Readiness page on the HUB to find important resources as it relates to CTE. Please view the Career and Technical Education (CTE) Weekly Bulletin for news, updates, and opportunities.
FIVE Network: The FIVE Network connects talented high school students to a team of five influential and caring mentors digitally through the FIVE mobile app. FIVE mentors help students develop critical life skills, expand their professional networks, and serve as a positive and consistent presence in their lives for five years starting in the ninth grade. Their predictive technologies inform a powerful networks of mentors to teach, inspire, and recruit talent (future and current). They are only accepting students until the end of this calendar year, so the deadline is Dec. 31, 2020. To learn more about the FIVE Network, contact Isabel Bolivar at 571-279-3532 or email her at isabel@thefivenetwork.com.
Career Tip Tuesday: Teachers, please encourage your students to join CTE career advisors every second and fourth Tuesday of the month for a mini lesson watch party led by expert professionals and educators on how to stand out from the crowd and become competitive job applicants.
Interim Superintendent surprised with Leukemia and Lymphoma Society HERO award
During a surprise virtual meeting on Wednesday, Houston Independent School District Interim Superintendent Grenita Lathan was honored with a HERO award by the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society – Gulf Coast.
The award, which was presented during a virtual Microsoft Teams meeting between district leaders, honors individuals and/0r teams/organizations who raise or donate $50,000 to help fund cutting-edge research and support for cancer patients and their families.
“Thank you for this honor, we really honor and value our partnership with this organization,” Lathan said. “It really is the work of Team HISD, they do the hard work, and we couldn’t do it without them.” Lathan said.
HISD is one of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society Gulf Coast’s largest district partners with over 113 schools registered to fundraise for children with cancer. Last year, the district fundraised a total of $80,000 Leukemia & Lymphoma research and programs. At the end of the surprise, Lathan put forth a new fundraising challenge for district.
“If we raised $80,000, then we need to get our act together and raise $100,000 next year,” she said.
For more information about The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society Gulf Coast, visit https://www.lls.org/gulf.
Axiom Checkin2Work App Information
HISD is partnering with Axiom Medical to support employees as we Reconnect Safely and Return Strong.
Axiom Medical has nurses on staff available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year, as well as a chief medical officer. The Axiom Medical health screening app helps employees determine whether it is safe for them to come into work. You can also download the Checkln2Work app on your Android or iOS device.
All employees are required to use Axiom Medical’s Checkin2work (CI2W) app to complete a daily self-attestation before arriving at work. Employees without internet access should call HISD’s Health and Medical Services at (713) 556-7280 to complete the daily self-attestation.
Based on answers to certain questions, the app either provides the clearance for work or a referral to medical personnel for further review.
Supervisors have access to an Axiom dashboard to review employees’ statuses. A green light indicates that the employee is cleared for in-person work, while a red light denotes that the employee should contact Axiom at the phone number provided in the app.
If an employee answers “yes” to a question, they are instructed to call Axiom at (281) 419-7063 to speak to a nurse or a nurse calls the employee within 30 minutes.
Employees with a red-light status must be cleared before reporting to work in person. Employees who are not cleared will be asked to call their administrator or supervisor.
Employees should answer “no,” unless they have a recent onset of symptoms or exposure to COVID-19.
Fall 2020 Remote Teaching and Learning Teacher Survey
Please respond to the Fall 2020 Remote Teaching and Learning Teacher Survey to help inform decision-making regarding support strategies and resources for HISD teachers. The survey will be open through Friday, Jan. 8, 2021.
Beginning in January, HISD’s Human Resources Office and HISD’s Health and Medical Services have been naming an Elementary School Nurse of the Month and a Secondary School Nurse of the Month for each month.
Do you want to recognize a nurse who has supported your campus and students?
Get your campus involved and tell us how these school nurses have been an important part of your school community. Be sure to include specific examples of how the nominee has gone above and beyond their job duties.
Click here to nominate an Elementary School Nurse of the Month.
Click here to nominate a Secondary School Nurse of the Month.
One nurse from each level will be chosen each month and Human Resources will recognize the winners!
Help us celebrate HISD’s outstanding nursing staff!
Weekly Teacher Download for December 14
ALL TEACHERS
Fall 2020 Remote Teaching and Learning Teacher Survey: Please respond to the Fall 2020 Remote Teaching and Learning Teacher Survey to help inform decision-making regarding support strategies and resources for HISD teachers. The survey will be open through Friday, Jan. 8, 2021.
SEL/COVID Video Series: This video series is for families (or educators) and addresses/discusses critical SEL topics in the context of COVID-19 or social justice. They cover topics such as stress management, anxiety, self-compassion, self-efficacy, emotions, and resilience. Please share them with students and parents. Visit the Rethink Ed page and scroll to the bottom to access the videos.
SECONDARY TEACHERS
CTE Professional Development Opportunities: December 2020 virtual training sessions for CTE instructors include Family Consumer Sciences, Understanding Dyslexia in CTE, and GRASPS in CTE. Additionally, view the CTE professional development calendar for a repository of upcoming self-paced courses, free webinars, free live events, discussion panels, conferences, and supplemental resources for teachers. Please visit the HISD Career Readiness page on the HUB to find important CTE resources.
Healthy Teens, Healthy Futures: Texas A&M AGRILIFE is excited to offer a new distance education program through the Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program specifically for grades 6-12 students! Our “Healthy Teens, Healthy Future” curriculum focuses on helping youth audiences develop healthy eating habits, increasing their physical activity, practicing food safety, and developing skills for basic food preparation.
Greater Houston Job Leads and Resources from Disability Solutions: Please check out these great opportunities and resources for talent with disabilities, including veterans with disabilities. Share them with your jobseekers, colleagues, and external partners.
FIVE Network: The FIVE Network connects talented high school students to a team of five influential and caring mentors digitally through the FIVE mobile app. FIVE mentors help students develop critical life skills, expand their professional networks, and serve as a positive and consistent presence in their lives for five years starting in the ninth grade. Their predictive technologies inform a powerful networks of mentors to teach, inspire, and recruit talent (future and current). They are only accepting students until the end of this calendar year, so the deadline is Dec. 31, 2020. To learn more about the FIVE Network, contact Isabel Bolivar at 571-279-3532 or email her at isabel@thefivenetwork.com.
Career Tip Tuesday: Teachers, please encourage your students to join CTE career advisors every second and fourth Tuesday of the month for a mini lesson watch party led by expert professionals and educators on how to stand out from the crowd and become competitive job applicants.
