Sherry Jones then...
As a member of San Jacinto High School’s last graduating class in 1970, Sherry Jones never dreamed that she would one day log four more decades at the district she had just left.
But after joining Team HISD in 1972 as a clerk at the old print shop on Holman Street, Jones began putting the skills she had learned in business school to use, and she never looked back. Now, Jones serves as the Area 1 secretary in Construction and Facility Services, and she marked her 40th anniversary with the district on Jan. 28.
...and now
“It doesn’t seem like I’ve been here this long,” she said. “I like my job and I like the people I work with, so when people ask me when I’m going to retire, I tell them I haven’t even really considered it. I’d rather be here than sitting at home.”
Jones attributes the flexibility her position requires as one of the keys to job satisfaction. “I like variety,” she said. “I don’t like doing the same thing every day. And here, every day is different.”
Many other HISD employees are also marking milestones this week—see if you know anyone on this list:
35 years
- Gilbert Duran, officer, HISD Police Department
- Denise Mann, evaluation specialist, Special Education
- Deborah Stokes, teacher Washington HS
30 years
- Sheila Elliott, teacher, Bellaire HS
- Katherine Marsh, teacher, Community Services
- Albert Pipkin, maintenance team lead, Construction & Facility Services
- Debra Savage, teacher, Westside HS
25 years
- Margarita Mallory, student information representative, Lanier MS
- Laura Sadler, magnet coordinator, Welch MS
- Elouise Spearman, teacher, Fonville MS
- Maria Zapata, clerk, Stevenson MS
20 years
- Maria Alvarado, custodian, Milby HS
- Felipe Vasquez, officer, HISD Police Department
15 years
- Catherine Atkins, associate teachers
- Margarita Castañeda, clerk, Dodson ES
- Elvia Carvajal, teacher, Ketelsen ES
- Alicia Chacon, plant operator, Edison MS
- Annette Follie, attendant, Food Services
- Carole Franklin, associate teacher
- Pedro Gomez, clerk, Deady MS
- Irma Hasnain, analyst, Federal and State Compliance
- Linda Jefferson, teacher, Davis HS
- Carolyn Johnican, teacher, T. H. Rogers MS
- Stacy Gallegos, teacher, Milby HS
- Donna Garner, teacher, Longfellow ES
- Anthony Madry, assistant principal, Worthing HS
- Teri Marsh, teacher, Longfellow ES
- Joseph Martinez, teacher, Vision Programs
- Brenda Piñeda, student information representative, Longfellow ES
- Richard Schwartz, teacher, Bastian ES
- Robert Simmons, mechanic helper, Transportation Services
- Erskine Vanderbilt, technologist, West Briar MS
- Jose Vasquez, maintenance repairer, Construction & Facility Services
- Barbara Wilson, attendant, Food Services
- Delores Young, attendant, Food Services
10 years
- Maria Adame, attendant, Food Services
- Eunice Alexander, associate teacher
- Nicholas Andrews, bus driver, Transportation Services
- Dalton Benton, mechanic , Transportation Services
- Patricia Bowdry, attendant, Food Services
- Elias Capetillo, telecom repairer, Transportation Services
- Sherrita Coleman, teacher, Osborne ES
- Maria Guerra, attendant, Food Services
- Walter Haller, crossing guard, Halpin ECC
- Araceli Lopez, teaching assistant, T. H. Rogers MS
- Elizabeth Lopez, attendant, Food Services
- Jonett Miniel, manager, Alternative Certification Program
- LaTorya Randolph, teaching assistant, Garden Oaks ES
- Ruby Ruiz, teacher, Windsor Village ES
- James Salterio, teacher, Barbara Jordan HS
- Sharon Smith, custodian, Stevens ES
- Ana Sorta, attendant, Food Services
- Clifford Valentine, warehouse driver, Food Services
5 years
- Onta Allen, teacher, Thompson ES
- Virginia Arriaga, custodian, Waltrip HS
- Mae Ballard, attendant, Transportation Services
- Marcus Compton, trainer, IT Finance & Operations Mgmt
- Eva Davila, teacher, Gross ES
- Jeremy Davison, teacher, Lamar HS
- Eric Denton, clerk, Whittier Elementary
- Rickey Donato, clerk, Stevens ES
- Ardelia Ford, teacher, Westside HS
- Kevin Franco, teacher, Pin Oak MS
- Maribel Garcia, tutor, Milby High School
- Ora Gibbs, attendant, Transportation Services
- Troy Giggans, grounds worker, Construction & Facility Services
- Anita Gomez, teacher, Petersen ES
- Amber Gonzales, teacher, Robinson ES
- Cristina Guerrero, attendant, Food Services
- Orlando Guerrero, teacher, Crockett ES
- Javier Hernandez, teacher, Poe ES
- Ashley Jozwiak, teacher, Johnston MS
- Richard Johnson, associate teacher
- Perry Johnson, crossing guard, Gregory-Lincoln MS
- Claud Kimbrough, officer, Police Department
- Monica Antelo Landivar, teacher, Durham ES
- Mary Lashley, associate teacher
- Rachel Moreno, secretary, Briarmeadow Charter
- Mahnaz Mostafiz, associate teachers
- Cecilia Plancarte, secretary, Franklin ES
- Awilda Rodriguez, attendant, Food Services
- Sarah Scott, attendant, Transportation Services
- Telina Thomas, attendant, Food Services
- Elaine White, clerk, Construction & Facility Services
- Barbara Zamarron, crossing guard, Bonner ES
| Check back next Friday for more February Milestones – and if you know someone who should be featured in this space, let us know at info@houstonisd.org. Leave a comment below if you’d like to congratulate any of the above employees. |
This week’s Shout-Out goes to Food Services Production Attendant Reina Leonor from that department’s Director of Communications Julie Spreckelmeyer.
“Reina supervises a three-person team that prepares food for 20 campuses (20,000 meals each day),” said Spreckelmeyer, who lauded Leonor for maintaining both a perfect attendance record and an unblemished safety record.
“She is a dedicated team member who never leaves her post until the job is done. She truly embraces our Safety First program. Not one single on-the-job injury has occurred in the last year. She is the perfect role model for any employee and I am proud to have her on my team.”
Other shout-outs this week go to:
- Pam Evans and the External Funding team: They have been working directly with schools to not only complete their Adequate Yearly Progress documentation, but also to secure Supplemental Education Services providers for their students so that they may receive tutoring after school and on the weekends. —School Services Officer Lupita Hinojosa
- Furniture Services Warehouser/ Driver Adam Medina: Thank you for sending Mr. Medina to pick up our PC-2 items here in the Production Department. We had more than enough items for one person. He stayed and worked very diligently all morning and sacrificed his luncheon to finish the job, plus he helped us with extras. Here in the Curriculum Department, we appreciate Mr. Medina’s dedication and hard work. —Cathryn De Los Santos, Curriculum Secretary
| 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. |
HISD’s Retirement Storefront will be hosting Lunch & Learn seminars on the topic of voluntary retirement savings accounts. The seminars will take place on three different dates (Feb. 8, March 8, and April 5) at the Hattie Mae White Educational Support Center, and two different times are available on each day (see schedule below).
All district employees are invited to bring a lunch as they get answers to some of employees’ most pressing questions, including:
- Will my TRS income be enough to support me in retirement?
- What else should I do to prepare for retirement?
- What’s the advantage of a 403b or 457?
- How do I get started?
|
Day |
Date |
From |
To |
Location |
Room |
|
Friday |
Feb. 8 |
11:00 a.m. |
12:00 p.m. |
HMWESC |
3C12 |
|
Friday |
Feb. 8 |
12:15 p.m. |
1:15 p.m. |
HMWESC |
3C12 |
|
Friday |
March 8 |
11:00 a.m. |
12:00 p.m. |
HMWESC |
2C12 |
|
Friday |
March 8 |
12:15 p.m. |
1:15 p.m. |
HMWESC |
2C12 |
|
Friday |
April 5 |
11:00 a.m. |
12:00 p.m. |
HMWESC |
3C10 |
|
Friday |
April 5 |
12:15 p.m. |
1:15 p.m. |
HMWESC |
3C10 |
Employees must register through e-Train and select course code BN0100.
Please contact Retirement Programs Administrator Shawn Grimm with questions at 713-293-9780.
Stephanie Moreno, an English teacher at HISD’s Waltrip High School, has been selected as the recipient of a $1,000 Grant for Teaching Excellence award in the secondary category from the Association of Texas Professional Educators (ATPE).
Moreno’s grant project includes a poetry slam, in which students will perform original poems for a special event at school. She also plans to publish their work in a book. The grant money will be used to purchase 100 composition notebooks, two color printers, book-binding spines, presentation paper, and card stock paper.
Moreno’s goal is to improve students’ writing and public speaking skills by giving them practice writing and performing poetry.
“This will encourage students to write more as they see their work published,” Moreno wrote in her grant application. “Students will have the opportunity to participate in an academic setting unlike their normal routine.”
The ATPE Grant for Teaching Excellence acknowledges outstanding and creative ATPE members who develop programs or proposals intended to improve the quality of education for the students in their classroom. Applications are reviewed and judged by the Grant for Teaching Excellence committee.
Two $1,000 awards are presented each year, one to an elementary-level applicant and the other to a secondary-level applicant. Recipients are also honored during the ATPE Summit and receive complimentary registration to the education conference held during the summer in Austin.
You can watch a video of Moreno in action on the KTRK-TV Channel 13 website.
| If you know someone who should be featured in Accolades, please email us at info@houstonisd.org and tell us why. |
HISD leaders who need assistance in:
- creating professional learning communities
- using student data to inform instructional practices, or
- resolving conflicts…
…can now get learn tips and strategies related to all of these topics and more at one of the six classes being offered by HISD’s Leadership Development Department.
Click here (.pdf) to see a full schedule of professional development opportunities for the spring of 2013.
The Houston Hispanic Forum (HHF) will be hosting its annual Career and Education Day for Houston-area students on Saturday, Feb. 9, starting at 8:00 a.m. at the George R. Brown Convention Center (1001 Avenida de las Américas).
All HISD middle- and high-school students are welcome, and attendees can choose from more than 50 panel sessions conducted by professionals from a variety of fields, or speak with representatives from dozens of colleges and universities. Download a .pdf copy of the program here to find helpful tips on how to make the most of your visit.
Here are some other dates you may want to mark on your calendar:
Jan. 15–Feb. 1: HISD’s Souper Bowl of Caring Food Drive
February 10: Lunar New Year
February 11: Deadline to submit early resignation notice
February 11: G/T Speaker Night for Parents
February 14: Board meeting
February 16: T. H. Rogers 50th anniversary celebration
Feb. 25–March 17: Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo
March 1-31: National Social Work Month
March 4 & 5: 27th annual Child Abuse Prevention Conference
March 7: Board meeting
March 10: Daylight saving time begins
March 11–15: Spring Break
March 29: Spring Holiday
April 11: Board meeting
April 14–20: Week of the Young Child
May 6–10: Teacher Appreciation Week
May 27: Memorial Day
June 6: Last day of school (students)
Four HISD schools currently operating without the benefit of a full-time campus leader will soon be getting some extra support from the district’s School Support Officers (SSOs).
Effective Monday, Feb. 4, 2013, four SSOs have been temporarily reassigned to schools with principal vacancies. They are:
- Imelda de la Guardia (Roosevelt ES)
- Nancy Manley (Condit ES)
- Thuy Le-Thai (Sharpstown International School)
- Anastasia Lindo-Anderson (Welch MS; principal has been temporarily reassigned; the position is not vacant)
“We will follow the district’s procedures for finding permanent principals at these schools,” said Superintendent of Schools Terry Grier. “It is important that teachers, parents, and community members have a voice in the final decision.”
Houston is home to one of the finest museum districts in the world, and many of these respected institutions offer educators opportunities for continued learning to better serve their students.
Here are a few activities coming up:
- Saturday, Feb. 2: Learning Through Art at MFAH
- Explore ways to strengthen students’ visual analysis and writing skills through discussions of people, animals, and plants in the Museum of Fine Arts Houston’s permanent collection. Learn how observations can uncover animals’ adaptations and their roles in food chains, and experience how works of art can help develop a strong vocabulary, through “Beyond the Canvas” (Grades 1–6).
- Tuesday, Feb. 5: Teacher Tuesdays at HMNS
- While the heart is the center of the circulatory system, it doesn’t work alone. Come circulate with other educators at the Houston Museum of Natural Science as you investigate arteries, veins, cells, kidneys, and more in “The Heart Is the Place to Start!” (Grades 5–10)
For more information about MFAH’s programs, visit its website. Descriptions of additional Learning Through Art workshops are here (.pdf).
For details on the HMNS’s offerings, visit that website. An Educator’s Guide (.pdf) is also available.
A number of HISD employees participated in the Chevron Houston Marathon and the Aramco Houston Half Marathon held on Jan. 13, including Gerald Garcia, Jason Harville, Marlen Rodriguez, Mollie Milliet, Rebecca Wells, and Geraldo DeLeon (L–R), all from Davis High School.
Harville and Rodriguez completed the full marathon (26.2 miles), while the other four completed the half marathon (13.1 miles). Congratulations to all!
Other accolades:
Congratulations also go out to Dr. Beth Goodrich, a senior manager in HISD’s Special Education Services, who had an article published in the latest edition (Volume 5, Issue 3-4, 2012) of the Journal of Occupational Therapy, Schools, and Early Interventions.
The article, entitled “Facilitating Appropriate Referrals for Related Services in Schools,” was co-authored by Jacqueline Hawkins Ed.D., Andrea Burridge Ph.D., and Cathryn White Ph.D., and appears on pp. 221–238.
| If you know someone who should be featured in Accolades, please email us at info@houstonisd.org and tell us why. |
