In the April 19 edition of Friday eNews, we told you about a grant from the Houston-Galveston Area Council and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality to provide free recycling bins to schools and other district work locations.
But the deadline for the district to use the money is June 30, so act quickly if you want to take advantage of this special offer. All orders for recycling bins must be received by Construction & Facility Services Accounting Manager Kim Urban by Thursday, May 30.
You can read the original article here.
Keeping track of students’ progress is a considerable task in and of itself for most teachers. Health and physical education teacher Jorge Rodriguez has noted that it only gets harder when you have to plan lessons knowing they may be changed at the last minute due to the vagaries of Mother Nature.
To reduce the amount of paperwork he handles on a daily basis, the Harvard Elementary School educator began experimenting with Dropbox and Quick Office Pro. Now, he is sharing his insights on his efforts to manage his workload more efficiently with fellow educators in a weekly blog called “Tech for PE” on WordPress.
Rodriguez launched the blog on April 24, 2013. You can read his latest entry here.
Lori Lueptow was named the VegOut! Queen recently in the Principals’ Challenge sponsored by Recipe for Success for her leadership in promoting healthy eating among the students, faculty, and staff at Whitter Elementary School.
Lueptow persuaded 95 percent of her of her faculty and staff (54/57) to complete the VegOut! Challenge, and as part of her prize, she got to ride on the organization’s “Growing Healthy Kids” art car during Houston’s annual Art Car Parade on May 11.
The garden on wheels was modeled to parallel those maintained by students at Whittier and other RFS Seed-to-Plate Nutrition Education sites throughout HISD.
This week’s Shout Out goes to Food Services attendant Rose Williams from Bruce Elementary School magnet coordinator Kay Stephenson.
Stephenson describes Williams as “one of our most beloved staff members,” and praises the cafeteria worker for her willingness to help the school obtain materials through the box top collection program.
“She gives her time freely, staying after her shift is over on many days, to collect and count box tops,” explained Stephenson. “She also goes to other areas to collect box tops and works with school staff to ensure they are ready for shipment. She always has a smile and greets everyone on a daily basis with love and respect. I don’t know what we would do without her.”
Other Shout Outs this week go to:
- Teacher Stacey Montalvo (Benbrook ES): “She was once my fifth-grade student at the same school where we both are now teaching!” —Teacher Coletta Sayer
- Brookline ES Cinco de Mayo program coordinators: “A big shout-out to Ms. Herrera and Ms. Penaloza, teachers who helped plan, organize, and teach the dances to students, and our music department; and Ms. Bradford and Ms. Lewis for practicing with the students. We even had teachers model expectations and dance as well. — Principal Marco I. Morales
- Teacher Robert Love (Jordan HS): “My father has been employed with HISD for 41 years. He started at I. M. Terrell as a teacher and basketball coach, and has made an impact at Dowling, Burbank, and Reagan as well. With his kindness, humanitarian spirit, and dedication, my father has touched many lives. I didn’t intend to be a teacher when I attended college; however, I was at a crossroad in my career path and my dad told me, ‘Choose education; you will be able to obtain employment and make a difference.’ I am thankful to have had him to guide me throughout my journey in education. He taught me to always keep the needs of the students first and do your job to the best of your ability. —Teacher Joy Love
| Know someone who deserves a shout-out? Send an email to info@houstonisd.org with the subject line “Shout Out for eNews!” and tell us why. |
When Patricia Dickson first started driving buses for HISD in 1978, Jimmy Carter was still president, the Vietnam War had only been over for three years, and Grease was about to hit movie theaters.
The Louisiana native, who will officially mark her 35th anniversary with the district on May 17, says she still enjoys her job behind the wheel.
“You have to adapt, because some things change, but I love it,” said Dickson, who has trained more than a dozen other drivers. “I like driving kids and meeting new people.”
Many other HISD employees are also marking milestones this week—see if you know anyone on this list:
20 years
- Betty Harris, clerk, Construction & Facility Services
15 years
- Claudia Hill, teacher, Empowerment College Prep HS
- Rosalba Perez, teaching assistant, Love ES
- Bobby Widrick, teacher, HSLECJ
10 years
- Erika Cardiel, business partner assistant, Human Resources
- Julia Hernandez, custodian, Poe ES
- Linda Martinez-Valdez, teaching assistant, SHMSTC
5 years
- Aaron Andrus, maintenance helper, Construction & Facility Services
- Bridgatte Bass, teacher, Holland MS
- Eva Dansby, clerk, Lockhart ES
- Rose Hogan, associate teacher
- Jennette King, crossing guard, Shearn ES
- Evie McQueen-Martinez, teacher, Black MS
- Maria Perez, custodian, Yates HS
- Blanca Rendon, teacher, McNamara ES
- Ellen Roberson, librarian, Southmayd ES
- Annie Sudderth, teacher, Whittier ES
| Check back next Friday for more May Milestones. Leave a comment below if you’d like to congratulate any of the above employees. |
Q: How do I know which courses count toward Gifted and Talented (G/T) hours if they aren’t labeled G/T?
A: Good question! All courses offered through Professional Development Services state “TAGT Approved” in the description if they count towards Gifted and Talented hours.
If a course is offered by another department, you will need to confirm credit applies to G/T hours with whoever is listed as the contact. If the course is offered through Advanced Academics, then it is TAGT-approved for sure.
| Have a question for Ask HISD? Send an email to AskHISD@houstonisd.org. |
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- InvestigaTexas report: State leaders, educators and courts grapple with segregated schools
- ACT to move toward computer-based testing
This week’s Shout Out goes to Food Services Warehouse Driver Robert Dennis from Bellfort Early Childhood Center Principal Cheryl Lewis, for his adherence to campus safety protocols.
“Mr. Dennis was making a delivery at our school when he was approached by a stranger trying to enter the building through the back door,” said Lewis. “He directed the stranger to go around to the main entrance to sign in, refusing to let him in the gate. Ironically, that stranger turned out to be an HISD employee with the Safety Department conducting an intruder drill…and thanks to Mr. Dennis, we passed with an ‘A’ rating. I just want to let you know how much we appreciate his dedication and commitment to the well-being of our students and staff.”
Other Shout Outs this week go to:
- Nurse Amelia Cano (Waltrip HS): “She works extensively to ensure that students and staff have as many medical opportunities as possible. She was vital to arranging the bone marrow drives we’ve had, and recently, she was instrumental in getting 22 women to sign up for mammograms. She also helped 69 students get 194 free immunizations, including the meningitis shot for those entering college or the military.” —Assistant Principal Cynthia Villalovos
- Data Entry Specialist Theresa Torres (W.I. Stevenson MS): “Ms. Torres is a perfectionist. While she takes her job very seriously, she always has a sense of humor and is loved and respected by students and staff alike. She puts 110% into her work every single day and she deserves nothing but praise. Way to go, Ms. Torres! —After-School Program Specialist Kristin Proctor
| Know someone who deserves a shout-out? Send an email to info@houstonisd.org with the subject line “Shout Out for eNews!” and tell us why. |
In the Feb. 22 issue of Friday eNews, we announced the return of the 4-10 summer schedule. In that same edition, we asked central office employees in our weekly survey if they would take advantage of onsite childcare if it were offered during that eight-week period.
About half of those who office at the Hattie Mae White Educational Support Center (HMWESC) answered in the affirmative, so we looked into it. Unfortunately, no free childcare services are available, but the options we discovered are detailed below.
- Waltrip Child Development Center (1900 W. 34th St., 77018)—Located less than three miles away from the HMWESC on the campus of Waltrip HS, this facility is directed by Francine Robinson. Daycare services will be available M–Th for five of the eight weeks (June 10–July 11) in the summer schedule. Hours are 6:30 a.m.–6:30 p.m. and the cost range is $140–165/week, depending on the age of the child. HISD employees receive a 10% discount. The facility serves babies as young as six-weeks-old and children up to age five. At press time, six spaces were still available, and they will be filled on a first-come/first-served basis. Call 713-688-1361 ext. 304 for details.
- Foster Family YMCA (1234 W. 34th St., 77018)—Just a bit further east on W. 34th Street than Waltrip HS is this facility, which offers daycare for children ages 4–12 from June 10 until Aug. 23. Hours are 7 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. M–F and tuition ($125 or $155/week, depending on the membership selected) covers the cost of lunch, snacks, T-shirts, and field trips. Call 713-869-3378 or visit the facility in person for details.