Summer is a great time for administration to begin planning for attendance plan
With only a few weeks left in the school year, there’s still time for campus leadership to help at-risk students with challenges that go beyond the classroom. This is also a great time for administration to review the previous year attendance data to determine the appropriate resources and strategies that would support an at-risk student. Click here to get a head start on how you can help your students succeed and refer them to campus or district resources such as: Social and Emotional Learning, Wraparound Services, and Family and Community Empowerment (FACE).
May Attendance Spotlight
The Student Assistance Department recognizes South Early College High School (SECHS) as May’s Attendance Spotlight. Last summer, Principal Steven Gourrier took the initiative to analyze the campus’ attendance data from the previous school year.
After discovering dwindling attendance from previous years and a record number NGs (no grade awarded for excessive absences), Principal Gourrier charged Instruction Dean, Samantha Brooks to identify ways that would overall provide better support and improve the campus’ attendance record.
Since Brook’s appointment, she has established a nine-person attendance team that has focuses on implementing systems and processes that ensure accurate recording and reporting of the SECHS daily attendance.
From teacher trainings to daily communication with educators and students, the team has executed a streamlined process that involves early intervention, monthly reporting and student attendance acknowledgements, to keep at-risk students motivated to return each day.
Campus administrators should begin scheduling their school safety trainings
In today’s school safety climate where preparation is everything, it’s important that everyone at HISD work collaboratively to ensure each of our campuses are well prepared for any type of major event.
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Throughout the school year, the Risk Management Department offers a mandatory school safety training for each campus, as well as numerous courses on OneSource for teachers, administrators, school and office personnel.
Here’s an overview of what you can expect to learn at each of the trainings:
- Intruderology: How to safely handle an intruder threat to the campus
- Fire safety: This training covers fire drills and the proper use of fire extinguishers.
- School emergency preparedness: A class required by state law, Texas Education Code, Chapter 37, participants will receive training and guidance regarding emergency management planning which includes: school drill requirements, safety related documentation, and specific needs at the campus level.
- Accident prevention: Participants will learn why accidents happen and how to implement controls and training for school campus and non-campus staff.
Click here for a complete list of courses offered by Risk Management.
To schedule mandatory Risk Management school safety training contact Risk Management at riskmanagement@houstonisd.org or call 713-556-9225.
Registration now open for 2018 PLS Series
Registration is now open for June 20-21 conference at Kingdom Builders’ Center
School leadership teams can now register for the district’s Professional Learning Series (PLS) on June 20-21 at Kingdom Builders’ Center (6011 West Orem, Houston, 77085).
PLS provides a platform for HISD’s leaders to cultivate their skills in guiding comprehensive literacy instruction within the framework of equity, cultural responsiveness, and academic success for all students. Leaders will focus on best practices and develop relevant skills and action steps necessary to achieve these goals.
With this year’s theme of the conference, “Children First: Building Strong Systems of Support,” leaders will also learn essential skills on how to manage the social and emotional well-being of all students proactively on their campuses.
School leadership teams should not exceed the following numbers:
| Campus Student Count | Team number limit / day (including Principal) |
| Up to 500 | 3 |
| 500-1,000 | 5 |
| 1,000+ | 6 |
Leadership teams can register in OneSource, course #997001 for Day 1 and course #997001 for Day 2.
Stay tuned for more information, updates, and course descriptions.
Parking
Attendees should plan to arrive early. School teams may elect to carpool. Click here for details on parking and traffic flow.
PLS Pre-Conference
Achieve 180 schools are encourage to attend the PLS Pre-Conference on June 12-13 at Kingdom Builders’Center from 8 a.m.-5:45 p.m.
The Pre-Conference will offer school teams (up to six members) development in the following areas:
- Authentic Instructional Rounds (OneSource course, #986002)
- Structures to improve PLCs (OneSource course, #444002)
- Data Action Planning (OneSource course, #1102002)
HISD employees now have access to on-site dining at McCarty complex
Lured by the smell of fresh, golden catfish fillets and the sound of music pumping out the speakers, employees officially celebrated the opening of HISD’s newest breakfast and lunch spot 228 Diner — named after the facility’s address at 228 McCarty St. — on Thursday.
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228 Diner is open for breakfast from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. and for lunch from 11 a.m. – 1 p.m, and offers a variety of lunch entrées, including: BBQ brisket, bacon-wrapped chop steak, and blackened chicken alfredo. Employees can also enjoy lunch combos that include three sides dishes, as well as grab-n-go salads, snacks, desserts, and beverages.
Business operations opened the diner earlier this month with a goal of offering a convenient option for employees who want to purchase hot and fresh meals without leaving the complex.
“Our goal in opening the diner is to provide good food to the people working at the McCarty complex,” Nutrition Services Executive Chef David Husbands said. “This gives the employees here an affordable, fresh meal every day of the week. And it will give them more time to relax and enjoy their food since it’s on-site.”
“This is exciting for employees at McCarty,” Fleet Operations Manager Gary Daigle said. “I’m going to enjoy having the convenience of having a dining facility on-site.”Now, we can can get our food here and keep the day going.”
Dave and Buster’s 2nd Annual Law Enforcement Appreciation Day on June 19
Dave & Buster’s is offering a free buffet meal and unlimited video game power cards to HISD police officers and their families in recognition of its Second Annual Law Enforcement Appreciation Day on June 19.
All three Dave & Buster’s locations — Galleria (11 a.m. to midnight), and Friendswood and Katy (11 a.m. to 5 p.m.) — are participating, and the perks are available to all Houston area police officers with a valid ID or badge.
For more information, contact Alice Smith at Alice_Smith@DaveAndBusters.com, or call 713-346-0707.
ALL TEACHERS
Teacher Contracts: Teacher contracts for the 2018-2019 school year are now ready for review and to be accepted in OneSource. If you haven’t already, please log in to OneSource Employee Self Service and find the link to your contract under the Contracts & Forms section. Contracts must be accepted or rejected electronically via OneSource by midnight on Friday, May 25. Click here for detailed instructions. If you’d like to print your contract, click on the printer icon from the pop-up menu or toolbar before you click “Send.” Click here for more information.
HISD Connect Teach Training: Teacher trainings are planned for June 13-August 25 at 22 locations around Houston. There are over 34,000 seats in Elementary courses and Secondary courses to train 14,000 teachers. The trainings are approximately two hours long and will cover navigation, attendance, gradebook, and other teacher functions. Teachers can select a location and register in OneSource for the trainings that are most convenient. There are also several sessions offered for non-contract teachers in June, July, and August. Teachers will be compensated for attending training if they choose to attend during off-contract time ($50).
Mathematics Teacher Training: The Conference for Advancement of Mathematics Teaching (CAMT) is coming to Houston July 16-18 at the George R. Brown Convention Center. CAMT is an annual Texas conference that features sessions on mathematics content and pedagogy appropriate for K-12 mathematics teachers. CAMT is extending the early bird rate of $185 (a $95 savings) to all school districts impacted by Hurricane Harvey. If interested, send names and emails of teacher and administrator to Debbie Hurt at office@camtonline.org. If you would like to volunteer, click here.
Attendance Tip of the Week: Today, more students are confronted with more adult-like circumstances, making them more at-risk for chronic absences. Attendance Works suggests mentoring as a mutually satisfying win-win situation to help keep at-risk students on track for graduation. Teachers and administrators are encouraged to partner with Big Brother Big Sisters, another reputable organization, or HISD’s Volunteers in Public Schools program to inquire about mentors for your students. Click here to learn how to tackle chronic absence through mentorship. Please remember to contact the Student Assistance Department (Attendance Office) at 713 556-7017 or click here for more information regarding best attendance practices.
ELEMENTARY
Summer Elementary Training: Elementary Curriculum and Development is pleased to offer a wide variety of professional development opportunities for teachers this summer, including the HISD Elementary Curriculum Conference July 23 through July 24 from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at Kingdom Builder’s Center. The sessions will focus on reading, writing, math, science, social studies, fine arts, and dual language. Participants will also learn about strategies and resources for English Language Learners and Special Education students, as well as leverage the effective use of data and Lead Forward resources. For details on the conference and registration information, click here.
SECONDARY
Summer Secondary Training: Do you want to keep your teaching knowledge fresh over the summer? Join Secondary Curriculum and Development for summer secondary training opportunities. For a full list of learning opportunities, click here. The department will also be hosting its main summer conference July 23-24. School leaders and teachers are invited to submit breakout session proposals here.
In Your Backyard: Are you a Pre-AP or AP social studies teacher looking for ways to make your lessons more engaging? Attend the four-day workshop, In Your Backyard, July 30 through August 2. You will have an opportunity to explore social studies pedagogy and plan future lessons with Pre-AP and AP colleagues. Participants will also explore community resources and meet with local experts to develop engaging lessons that align with Advanced Placement expectations. There is also a series of field trips during which you will have an opportunity to chat with the state history day coordinator, visit the African American Library, explore the Federal Reserve, and learn how to incorporate exhibits at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, into your lessons. Register for all four days in OneSource, course #827002.
Teachers should plan to attend trainings June 13-August 25
Teacher trainings are planned for June 13–August 25 at 22 locations around Houston. There are over 34,000 seats of Elementary courses and Secondary courses to train 14,000 teachers (420 sessions during summer & 740 sessions during the pre-service weeks). The trainings are approximately 2 hours long and will cover navigation, attendance, gradebook and other teacher functions.
Teachers can select a location and register for their trainings that is most convenient in OneSource.
There are also several sessions offered for non-contract teachers in June, July and August. Teachers will be compensated for attending this training if they choose to attend during off-contract time ($50). If you are a department chair or grade-level lead, you are encouraged to attend sessions during that time to ensure you are trained before your team.
Those planning to attend, need to register for training before leaving for the summer break. Please bring your laptop to your training.
Teacher contracts for the 2018-2019 school year are now ready for review to be accepted in OneSource.
If you haven’t already, please log in to OneSource Employee Self Service and find the link to your contract under the Contracts & Forms section.
Contracts must be accepted or rejected electronically via OneSource by midnight on Friday, May 25. Click here for detailed instructions.
If you’d like to print your contract, you may print a copy by clicking on the printer icon from the pop-up menu or toolbar before you click “Send.”
If you have any questions regarding your contract, we encourage you to reach out to your principal or contact Olga Colunga or Rachel Gomez in Human Resources at 713-556-7323 or compensationdept@houstonisd.org.
ALL TEACHERS
Spring Visual Arts Showcase: The HISD Fine Arts Department invites all campuses to display student artwork at the annual 2018 Spring Visual Arts Showcase on May 17 at Hattie Mae White from 6-7:30 p.m. After successful events the past two years, Fine Arts continues to support the visual art experiences of young artists throughout the district. Campuses can showcase art created during the school year, including art cars and award-winning works of art. For more information, click here.
Teacher Contracts: If you have not done so already, please sign your teacher contracts by Friday, May 25, 2018. At HISD, all teacher contracts are processed electronically via OneSource. Please login to OneSource Employee Self Service and click the link under the “To Do” bar to electronically sign your contract. You have two weeks to accept or reject your contract before the end of your 2017-2018 duty schedule. However, at midnight on Friday, May 26, 2018, the contract link will no longer be available.
Summer Family Learning Academies: Family and Community Empowerment (FACE) is launching a new series titled “Summer Family Learning Academies” during June. This four-day program is designed for parents and/or caregivers with the goal of providing families with literacy and oral storytelling strategies, the benefits of music and movement, and health and cultural awareness. A FACE specialist will be responsible for all the materials, books, and activities, including a literacy backpack for participating families. Click here if you are interested in having FACE bring the “Summer Family Learning Academies” to your campus or would like to learn more.
HISD Access: With the summer break approaching, please remember to enroll in HISD’s password reset utility called HISD Access to help reset your password over the long break. HISD Access allows you to change your password during a 90-day window, reset your password should it expire, and unlock your account. If you have not already enrolled please log in now using this link to make sure you do not miss out on using this utility during the summer. For more details, click here.
Attendance Tip of the Week: With only a few weeks left in the school year, there’s still time to help your at-risk students with challenges that go beyond the classroom. Click here for information on how you can help your students succeed and refer them to campus or district resources such as Social and Emotional Learning, Wraparound Services, and Family and Community Empowerment (FACE). Please remember to contact the Student Assistance Department (Attendance Office) at 713 556-7017 or click here for more information regarding best attendance practices.
SECONDARY
Scope and Sequence Feedback Sessions: Secondary Curriculum and Development will host feedback session on May 17 regarding the English Language Arts, Strategic Reading and Writing (SRW), ESL, ESOL I, and ESOL II Scope and Sequence documents from all ELA, SRW, and ESL teachers. As planning for next year begins, we invite teachers to review their data and look for units of study that might benefit from time allotment adjustments. Register in OneSource, course #1072001 (middle school), course # 1072003 (high school), and course #1076003 (SRW). If you are unable to attend, please submit feedback using the ELA Google form.
2018-19 Pre-Enrollment May 14th – June 1st, 2018
Program offers up to 30 additional leave days for catastrophic illness/injury
The HISD Supplemental Sick Leave Bank (SSLB) program offers participants up to 30 additional leave days for extended absences due to a catastrophic injury or illness.
The SSLB membership enrollment materials will be emailed to eligible employees during the week of May 14, 2018. Enrollment forms and plan details are also available on the SSLB webpage. Please note that current SSLB members are automatically re-enrolled in the program.
Eligible employees may enroll or cancel membership during the pre-enrollment period through June 1, 2018. An open enrollment period will be held in September for employees to enroll or terminate membership. A final enrollment period for the school year will be held in November for enrollment only.
Contact Employee Support Services at 713-695-5561 for additional assistance.
