If you’re feeling a little puny on Christmas Eve or just need a headache remedy stronger than an aspirin after New Years’ Day, HISD’s Health and Wellness Centers can help. Both locations will be operating on regular schedules over the winter break, with the exception of Tuesday, Dec. 25; Saturday, Dec. 29; and Tuesday, Jan. 1, 2013, when they will be closed. Click here for hours of operation or to make an appointment.
Here are some other dates you may want to mark on your calendar:
Dec. 24–Jan. 4: Winter Holiday
December 28: Meineke Car Care Bowl of Texas
January 1–31: Board Appreciation Month
January 7: Jordan HS’s 16th annual Hair Explosion
January 11: HEB Excellence in Education Award nomination deadline
January 11 (.pdf): Magnet application deadline
Jan. 15–Feb. 1: HISD’s Souper Bowl of Caring Food Drive
January 17: Board meeting
January 18: Ruby Sue Clifton Scholarship deadline
January 18 (.pdf): MLK Jr. Oratory Competition finals
January 18: AFP’s Youth in Philanthropy Award application deadline
January 21: Martin Luther King Jr. holiday
January 31: Fund for Teachers application deadline
February 1: State of the Schools luncheon
February 11: G/T Speaker Night for Parents
February 14: Board meeting
The Red Raiders will be will be taking on the Golden Gophers over the holiday break, when Texas Tech faces off against the University of Minnesota at the Meineke Car Care Bowl of Texas on Dec. 28.
The game will take place at Reliant Stadium starting at 8 p.m. and HISD employees can get tickets at a discount of more than 20 percent off the usual $30 price, which includes a waiver of all processing charges, taxes, and fees.
The employee promotion also includes food and beverage vouchers for both Reliant Stadium and at participating McDonald’s locations.
To take advantage of this special offer, please contact Warren Caguioa at 832-667-2319 or warren.caguioa@houstontexans.com.
The Meineke Car Care Bowl of Texas is a part of ESPN’s popular Capital One Bowl Week.
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- Fiscal cliff could mean devastating funding cuts for Texas
- STAAR has dimmed among state legislators
- New math and science results show glass half-full and half-empty
- Expert denies state standardized test is too hard
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Rosetta Calhoun, the director of Career and Technology Education at Sharpstown High School, observed her 30-year anniversary with the district in early December.
This veteran educator has spent her entire career working with students to refine the skills that will help them in business—the first 25 at Westbury HS and the last five at Sharpstown.
“Over the years, I have taught accounting, business law, computer applications, record-keeping, and even typing, before there were computers,” ” said Calhoun, who followed in her parents’ footsteps by becoming a teacher. “The most gratifying thing is when students who graduated come back and say, ‘you made a difference in my life,’ or ‘I went into accounting because of you.’”
Many other HISD employees are also marking milestones in December—see if you know anyone on this list:
25 years
- Cecil Collins, bus driver, Transportation Services
- Margaret De La Rosa, secretary, Reagan HS
- Rolando Flores, police officer
- Ricardo Garza, senior plant operator, Lamar HS
- Genevieve Hill, teacher, Memorial ES
- Paula Ishop, Food Services attendant
- Carolyn Lewis, HR business partner
- Anna Leblanc, unemployment compensation representative, Benefits
- Cleo Malveaux, Food Services attendant
20 years
- Richard Barajas, school support officer, High Schools Office
- Patricia Beavers, teaching assistant, Pershing MS
- Sharon Brown-Mitchell, teacher, Stevenson MS
- Rose Carney, Food Services attendant
- Susan Clamurro, registrar, Westbury HS
- Beatriz Cruz, Food Services attendant
- Herlinda Guzman, teaching assistant, Carrillo ES
- Maria Garza, Food Services attendant
- Pamela Guillory, manager, Food Services School Kitchens
- Ruth Grayson, Food Services attendant
- Michael Henderson, maintenance repairer , Construction and Facilities Services
- Beverly Johnson, teacher, Petersen ES
- Brenda McCann, plant operator, Key MS
- Debra McDonald, bus driver, Transportation Services
- Shawn McMahan, teacher, Horn Academy
- Angela Rockett, clerk, Burrus ES
- Lidia Sanchez, clerk, Grissom ES
- Bedennia Shabazz, bus driver, Transportation Services
- Faustina Stevenson, teacher, Welch MS
- Wanda Thomas, senior analyst, Federal and State Compliance
- Diana Torres, secretary, Sharpstown HS
15 years
- William Caldwell, senior accountant, Property Management
- Santos Castillo, custodian, Briargrove ES
- Elizabeth Curbow, teacher, Crespo ES
- Michele Foley, teacher, Pershing MS
- Cynthia Guillory, routing technician, Transportation Services
- Ora Gaines, Food Services attendant
- Martha Garcia, teaching assistant, Las Americas MS
- Theresa Lee, senior secretary, Office of the Inspector General
- Trudy Linden-Craft, clerk, Finance General Accounting
- Jonel Lockler, senior business analyst, Information Technology
- Patricia Lufsey, clerk, Stevenson MS
- Bridget Moore, senior analyst, Payroll Department
- Cruz Olivas, teaching assistant, Project Chrysalis MS
- Rashonda Palmer, counselor, Herod ES
- Diane Roberts, teacher, Brookline ES
- Lazette Smith-Johnson, teacher, Madison HS
- Bobbie Thomas, secretary, Houston Gardens ES
- Marilyn White, Food Services attendant
- Barbara Wilkins, associate teacher
10 years
- Drusilla Bean, teaching assistant, Browning ES
- Karen Frenny, custodian, Kashmere HS
- Martha Guerra, custodian, Deady MS
- Linda Hudson, teacher, Codwell ES
- Catherine Jack, teacher, Revere Middle School
- Theodore Landa, warehouse, Food Services
- Barbara Landry, teacher, Windsor Village ES
- Albert Mapps, bus driver, Transportation Services
- Vincent Melvin, teacher, Henry MS
- Deborah Morice, nurse, Red ES
- Brenda Munoz-Hernandez, teacher, Love ES
- Goke Ogunmokun, teacher, Reagan K-8 Ed Center
- Maria Reyes, Food Services attendant
- Kevin Ruffin, police officer
- Eleazar Sanchez, IT customer service representative, Rice MS
- Shirley Savoy, Food Services attendant
- Patrick Stapleton, teacher, Jefferson ES
- Ruey Stephens, teacher, Furr HS
- David Tesch, teacher, Herod ES
- Manoj Thomas, teacher, Burbank MS
- Claudia Tiu, Food Services attendant
- John Vasquez, history, Pershing MS
- Marvin Weatherspoon, associate teacher
- Tracy Williams, teaching assistant, Farias ECC
- Gina Wilkins, assistant principal, Whidby ES
- Delois Woodard, associate teacher
5 years
- Shannon Allen, associate teacher
- Emelda Bell, bus driver, Transportation Services
- Vanessa Benitez, clerk, Hamilton MS
- Maria Bernal, bus drivers, Transportation Services
- Maritsa Castro, teacher, Neff Early Learning Center
- Linda Chang, teaching assistant, T. H. Rogers MS
- Cecil Collins, bus drivers, Transportation Services
- Daisy Cruz, clerk, Ketelsen ES
- Michael Dudas, Magnet coordinator, Austin HS
- William Fletcher, teacher, Wainwright ES
- Luz Gonzalez-Medina, teaching assistant, Piney Point ES
- Liliana Guerra, teaching assistant, Williams MS
- Twanna Jackson, Apollo 20 tutor, Young ES
- Charlenette Jones, teacher, Garden Villas ES
- Trupti Kanchanwala, Food Services attendant
- Hector Luevanos, teacher, Fonville MS
- Berlin Marshall, JROTC administrator
- Blanca Martinez, custodian, Jackson MS
- Roosevelt McClendon Jr, crossing guard, Harvard ES
- LaVondia Menephee, teacher development specialist
- Tekisha Miles, police officer
- Catherine Ray, associate teacher
- Rosa Reyes, teaching assistant, Jackson MS
- Ricardo Rios, custodian, Pin Oak MS
- Burley Robinson, crossing guard, Dodson ES
- Vilra Salinas, investigator, Transportation Field Safety
- Claudia Sanchez, teacher, McReynolds MS
- Lilia Sandoval, aide, Braeburn ES
- Khloud Telfah, Food Services attendant
- Donna Tolopka, clerk, Westside HS
- Dora Treviño, custodian, Harper Alternative
- Gerard Vacca, teacher, HSPVA
- Blanca Vazquez, Food Services attendant
- Hugh Waddell, teacher, HSPVA
- Donald Williams, bus driver, Transportation Services
- Lester Williams, custodian, Farias ECC
- Roxanne Willis, associate teacher
- Georgia Wiltz, teacher, West Briar MS
| Check back next Friday for more December 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. |
Employees who have signed up for an HISD medical plan in 2013 still have time to qualify for a $125 incentive by completing a free health screening.
New dates have been scheduled starting in January at both campus and non-campus-based locations across the district. Click here (.pdf) to see a full schedule.
The health screenings are free, but employees must bring their Aetna medical card at the time of the screening to verify enrollment. A list of FAQ is here (.pdf).
Please note that the health screenings are only available to employees who are enrolled in a 2013 HISD medical plan.
Employees can call the Benefits Department at 713-556-6655 with any questions.
Q: When I tried to take the Monday and Tuesday off before the Thanksgiving break, I was told I had to deduct it from my vacation time earned; I couldn’t use my state or local leave. Why not?
A: According to the district’s policy on Leaves and Absences (.pdf), discretionary leave (i.e. state and local) cannot be used to extend a district holiday.
It also cannot be used for more than three consecutive days, on staff/professional development days; days scheduled for end-of-semester, end-of-year exams, state-mandated assessments; or during the first week of a new semester.
The policy was implemented under Education Code 22.003 to preserve employees’ leave benefits while minimizing disruption to the district’s instructional programs.
Almost 80 percent of those who responded to last week’s eNews survey said that they had already completed one of the free health screenings being offered to current district health-benefit plan participants.
Another 15 percent said that while they hadn’t had one yet, they intended to get one soon, with the remainder noting that they were either ineligible to get one, or had been unable to obtain an appointment at a convenient time or location.
“I wanted to,” said one respondent, “but there were not enough slots open at my school, and I could not get time off to go to another campus.”
Employees who complete a health screening are eligible to receive an incentive of up to $125. For details, please see this related article.
Neuhaus Education Center recognizes HISD for ‘visionary leadership’
The Neuhaus Education Center recently announced HISD as the honoree for its 2013 luncheon. Each year, the NEC selects a foundation or individual that has greatly influenced the community, and HISD is being recognized for its work around the Secondary Reading Initiative.
“To the best of my knowledge, HISD is the only urban district to be focusing on improving literacy rates among secondary students,” said Dr. Marybeth Flachbart, the president and CEO of Neuhaus. She called HISD “both bold and visionary” for its leadership, noting that “while most districts are trying to improve higher-order skills, few are recognizing that the underlying deficit is literacy.”
The district will be formally recognized at the luncheon on Feb. 20, 2013.
Other accolades this week go to:
- Hazardous Material Inspector Team members Sybil Ibarra, Jason White, Larry Stewart, Edward Smith, Mario Espinoza, Mike Bisase, Robert Veal, Arcides Martinez, and Sean Porter, whose gingerbread-house theme won the top prize in the Construction and Facilities Services door-decorating contest. A total of 25 offices participated.
Assistant principals, deans, and principals who want to hone their leadership skills, learn more about how to differentiate instruction, keep students engaged in learning, provide useful feedback to teachers, and more, should sign up now for one or more of the professional development opportunities available to school leaders in January.
The Neuhaus Education Center will be offering a series of six sessions for principals called “Building Capacity: Implementing Literacy Leadership.” One topic will be covered each month through June, beginning with “Increasing Instructional Intensity.” Both morning and afternoon sessions are available for campus leaders’ convenience. For complete details, please see this related online memo.
HISD’s Department of Leadership Development will also be offering various courses for principals, assistant principals, and deans during the month of January. Available topics include managing change and creating collaborative cultures. To see a full schedule, click here (.pdf).
HISD’s State of the Schools Luncheon will be held on Friday, Feb. 1, 2013, at the Hilton Americas Hotel (1600 Lamar Street), from 11:30 a.m. until 1 p.m.
For guaranteed seating, please complete the attached ticket request form (.pdf) and submit it no later than Friday, Dec. 21, 2012. Checks may be made payable to HISD.
Professional development opportunities for school leaders in January
Principals who want to learn more about how to differentiate instruction, keep students engaged in learning, provide useful feedback to teachers, and more, should sign up now for one or more of the professional development opportunities available to school leaders in January.
The Neuhaus Education Center will be offering a series of six sessions for principals called “Building Capacity: Implementing Literacy Leadership.” One topic will be covered each month through June, beginning with “Increasing Instructional Intensity.” Both morning and afternoon sessions are available for campus leaders’ convenience. For complete details, please see this related online memo.
HISD’s Department of Leadership Development will also be offering various courses for principals during the month of January. Available topics include managing change and creating collaborative cultures, but to see a full schedule, click here (.pdf).
Update your home address now to ensure timely W-2 delivery
HISD will be mailing 2012 W-2 forms to employees’ address of record during the last week of January. To ensure you receive your form promptly, please make sure that HISD has your correct home address. Click here to learn how to change your address or make changes to other contact information on the employee portal.
Retirement Seminar Scheduled for Dec. 15
The Retirement Storefront at HISD will be hosting a retirement seminar from 1 to 3 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 15, 2012.
All district employees are encouraged to take advantage of this opportunity to learn more about their Teacher Retirement System (TRS) benefits.
Employees must register through e-TRAIN to attend, and select course code #BN0200. Questions may be directed to V. Janene English at 713-293-9780 ext. 432.
Nominate Someone for an H-E-B Excellence in Education Award
All public school districts and state-certified, full-time public school teachers and principals currently within the H-E-B service area are eligible for nomination. Check out this page for details on award categories available, and this page to nominate someone. The deadline to submit a name is Jan. 11, 2013.
Get LinkedIn! Join the HISD Employee Group for Discussion, Updates
The Houston ISD LinkedIn group is a virtual meeting place where district employees can connect, collaborate, and share information and ideas. If you have a LinkedIn profile, please take a moment to join the group—just select “group” in the drop-down search menu and enter “Houston ISD,” then click “join group.” If you don’t have a LinkedIn profile, go to www.linkedin.com and create one. Please be sure to list your employer as Houston ISD.
