Introducing the HISD Financial Wellness Program – Financial $$$ Incentives
The Benefits Department is pleased to sponsor a new financial wellness program to help employees gauge their knowledge and improve their financial fitness. This program is free to all employees and designed to provide a custom-tailored program just for you.
To start your financial wellness program, click here and enter your HISD email address.
FINANCIAL INCENTIVES WITH CHANCE TO WIN RAFFLES UP TO $400!
Raffle #1 – March 2: Complete the Financial Fitness Checkup
Raffle #2 – March 23: Complete any 3 Financial Fitness Academy tutorials
Raffle #3 – April 13: Complete any 5 Financial Fitness Academy tutorials
Raffle #4 – May 18: Complete the Final Fitness Checkup
Each raffle will have five winners, who will receive a $100 gift card respectively. Employees are encouraged to participate early for multiple chances to win a $100 gift card, up to $400. Employees achieving the incentive milestones will rollover to subsequent raffles.
Employees will receive a program invitation email from support@financialfitnessgroup.com, as well as reminder emails to participate.
ALL TEACHERS
SpEd Conference: The Office of Special Education Services will hold the Fifth Annual Special Education Conference on July 17 – 18. This year’s conference will focus on “Engage. Restore. Support. Every Student. Every Day.” Participants will hear about evidenced-based instructional practices and strategies that work for building inclusive school cultures and supporting all learners. If interested in submitting a proposal to present at the conference, click here. If you have questions or need additional information, call or email Kelli Charles at 713-556-7025 or kcharle1@houstonisd.org.
Attendance Tip of the Week: Do you struggle with making contact with hard-to-reach parents? With the testing season upon us, there is no time like the present to implement your best attendance strategies to help reach parents and encourage them to bring their children to school every day. Click here to get a jump on how to engage hard-to-reach parents. You can also contact the Student Assistance Department (Attendance Office) at 713 556-7017 or click here for questions.
Multilingual PD Events: Join Multilingual Programs this week to gain a deeper understanding on the best way to use Interactive Word Walls and Cross-Linguistic Connections in your classroom. You would also have the opportunity to learn about the ESL TExES Preparation and the ELL Data Entry and Documentation. Click here to explore upcoming PD sessions.
Grammy Music Educator Award: Calling all music teachers! Here’s your chance to win a grant for you and your music program by applying for the GRAMMY Museum’s Music Educator Award. Kindergarten through 12th-grade music teachers who have made a significant and lasting contribution to the field of music education and have demonstrated a commitment to the broader cause of maintaining music education are encouraged to apply by March 31. Parents, students and faculty members may also nominate their favorite music educator by March 15. Winners will receive a $10,000 honorarium, a matching grant for their school, and a trip to the GRAMMY Awards Telecast. For more info, click here.
ELEMENTARY
Professional Development: Elementary Curriculum and Development is pleased to offer a variety of professional learning opportunities for teachers during the month of February, including literacy training to support Literacy by 3 (OneSource course #111001). For more info, see the course list here.
National Read Aloud Month: Did you know March is recognized as Read Aloud Month? In celebration, the Elementary Curriculum and Development Office is encouraging teachers to utilize 15 minutes each day to engage with students using read aloud activities. Reading aloud for 15 minutes a day is critically important during a child’s earliest years of life, and the benefits of reading aloud through the elementary years has been shown to instill a love of reading. Teachers are encouraged to use this English and Spanish flyer as a resource to get parents and students engaged.
SECONDARY
Guided Reading Training: Want to learn how to teach reading to struggling middle school or high school students to read and not sure where to start? Uncover the mystery of the reading process and guided reading as a method for growing your secondary students as readers. The two-part series will be offered on select Tuesdays beginning Feb. 27 from 4:30-5:30 p.m. at Hattie Mae White ESC. To find dates and OneSource course numbers, click here. If you have any questions, contact Kerry McArthur at kmcarthu@houstonisd.org.
HISD Tech Summit and Expo: HISD is excited to announce the Second Annual Together with Tech Student Conference for all high schools. High school teachers of all subjects are encouraged to get their students to participate by Feb. 28. This year’s tech summit topics include sound, nutrition, and community safety and will include two events:
- Open Expo – Students showcase their work in a preassigned presentation space during the event. Open Expo allows students to exhibit the skills they have developed without entering the competition component of the student conference.
- Tech Summit Competition – Students deliver a five-minute presentation in which they demonstrate the development of a solution to one of the guiding questions and its impact on the community, as well as demonstrate the competencies of HISD’s Global Graduate profile. Each campus is allowed two entries to the competition portion of the student conference.
To learn more about the competition, click here or consult your Campus Instructional Technologist.
Teachers can sign up to participate in Special Education focus group meeting
The Texas Education Agency will be conducting a focus group meeting on Monday, Feb. 26 for teachers of students with disabilities across age and grade levels receiving special education services.
During the 2016-2017 school year, the United States Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs performed a series of onsite monitoring visits to review Texas’ compliance with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. The final report was provided to TEA on Jan. 10, 2018.
The findings from that report require TEA to develop a plan to address four corrective actions. An integral part of the plan development process will be the gathering of input from stakeholders and other interested Texans.
Education Service Center 4 is assisting TEA in providing notice to interested educators of the following meeting and registration directions. The one-hour meeting will be structured to solicit targeted feedback from participants regarding TEA’s initial draft plan. This meeting is closed to media and the general public to protect the privacy of students and families.
This meeting will be held prior to the final plan being submitted to OSEP on April 18.
Interested participants may only register/attend one identified focus group session.
| Focus Group Membership Requirements | Teachers and/or service providers to include both general and special educators who are currently employed in a public school district or charter school located within the region where the meeting is being held |
| Selection and Registration | Register at www.esc4.net Session ID 1375482 Meetings will include up to 25 participants each with registration spots being allocated on a first come, first served basis. |
| TEA Educator Focus Group Meeting Agenda | |||
| Location(s)
Region 4 ESC |
Date(s)
February 26, 2018 |
Time(s)
9:00 a.m.-10:00 a..m. |
|
| Agenda | Time | Purpose/Outputs | |
| Welcome and Overview | 15 minutes | Concise information given to group to
|
|
| Small Group Targeted Discussions | 30 minutes | Targeted questions that will result in
|
|
| Closing Remarks | 15 minutes | Close conversations and communicate next steps | |
Stakeholders are invited to provide general comments and feedback on the plan the USDE Corrective Action Draft Plan Online Survey by February 18, 2018 or by emailing TEA at TexasSPED@tea.texas.gov at any time during the plan’s development.
Dear Members of Team HISD,
I hope you’ll join me as we celebrate “Go Texan Day” on Friday, February 23, by dressing up in your best Western outfit.
All employees and students are encouraged to dress up to show their support for the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo. It’s one way we can kick off this year’s rodeo as well as recognize the HLSR’s significant contributions to HISD and public education. The HLSR, which is celebrating its 86th anniversary, has been a valuable partner of HISD over the years. In 2017, the Rodeo awarded scholarships worth more than $1.9 million to nearly 100 HISD graduates.
Be sure to share photos from your campus or department on social media using #HISDGoTexanDay, and we’ll share those with our community to show we appreciate our partnership with the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo.
ALL TEACHERS
Digital Learning Day: Don’t forget to celebrate the Seventh Annual Digital Learning Day on Feb. 22. Digital Learning Day began as a way to actively share innovative practices and ensure all students have access to high-quality digital learning opportunities. Teachers and students should share how they are using technology to enhance their learning via Twitter by tagging their tweets with #DLDay, #GlobalGraduates, and @HoustonISD. To view sample Digital Learning Day tweets, click here. To view samples lessons, click here.
Attendance Tip of the Week: According to Attendance Works, experience has shown that schools that successfully reduce chronic absenteeism created a schoolwide culture of attendance that involves everyone in the building. Click here to learn ways you can get everyone involved in student attendance. You can also watch a brief video demonstrating how adults other than teachers can successfully encourage students to attend school.
HISD Fine Arts Summit: HISD is proud to announce the first Fine Arts Summit to be held on Saturday, April 7, at Westbury High School. HISD Fine Arts teachers from every grade level are invited to attend. Professional development will be provided over a variety of topics and content integrations. Fine Arts teachers will receive a $100 stipend for attending. The Fine Arts Dept. will be providing teachers with essential information and learning relevant to their area of expertise. Click here for the flier.
ELEMENTARY
100th Day of School: The Elementary Curriculum and Development Department is excited to announce the 100th Day of School will be celebrated on Monday, Feb. 26. This date takes into account the late start due to Hurricane Harvey. Click here for a list of lesson ideas.
Professional Development: Elementary Curriculum and Development is pleased to offer a variety of professional learning opportunities for teachers during the month of February, including literacy training to support Literacy by 3 (OneSource course #111001). For more info, see the course list here.
National Read Aloud Month: Did you know March is recognized as Read Aloud Month? In celebration, the Elementary Curriculum and Development Office is encouraging teachers to utilize 15 minutes each day to engage with students using read aloud activities. Reading aloud for 15 minutes a day is critically important during a child’s earliest years of life, and the benefits of reading aloud through the elementary years has been shown to instill a love of reading. Teachers are encouraged to use this English and Spanish flyer as a resource to get parents and students engaged.
SECONDARY
Comprehension Toolkit: Do you need a refresher on how to help your students grow as readers? Attend the Comprehension Toolkit workshop on Feb. 19 from 4:30–5:30 p.m. at Hattie Mae White ESC. This workshop is a hands-on experience that has all the resources you need to intervene, help build reading skills in your students, and teach you how to best utilize this immense resource that all secondary campuses received as part of Literacy in the Middle and Literacy Empowered. Register in OneSource course #945002.
Introduction to Strategic Reading and Writing: Check out this new online professional development (PD) course designed to provide an introductory overview of the Strategic Reading and Writing (SRW) curriculum and resources provided in the HUB Master Course. The SRW Master Course is designed to meet the needs of students reading far below grade level in sixth through tenth grade as assessed by district-level literacy assessments and state tests (STAAR). Upon successful completion, participants will receive three hours of PD credit. Register in OneSource course #830001.
Guided Reading Training: Want to learn how to teach reading to struggling middle school or high school students to read and not sure where to start? Uncover the mystery of the reading process and guided reading as a method for growing your secondary students as readers. The two-part series will be offered on select Tuesdays beginning Feb. 27 from 4:30-5:30 p.m. at Hattie Mae White ESC. To find dates and OneSource course numbers, click here. If you have any questions, contact Kerry McArthur at kmcarthu@houstonisd.org.
The Benefits Department is pleased to offer employees a new financial education program called Financial Fitness ACADEMY™. Starting this week, employees can expect to receive an email from support@financialfitnessgroup.com that will include directions on how to get started.
If you haven’t received the email, you can get started here today.
What you can expect
Getting started
If you’d like to participate, follow the instructions in the email to complete the Financial Fitness CHECKUP™ and create a password to start the Financial Fitness ACADEMY™ tutorials right away. If you’d like to speak with a Financial Fitness COACH™, please include your phone number at the beginning of the Financial Fitness ACADEMY ™.
How does it work?
After completing Financial Fitness CHECKUP™ and creating a password, you will be auto-enrolled in three academy tutorials custom-selected by HISD Benefits to help with the basics of money and income management. You are welcome to complete these tutorials and at least two more, or you may opt-in to complete any five or more tutorials of your choice.
Click here to sign up for FREE today!
HISD is excited to announce the Second Annual Together with Tech Student Conference for all high schools on April 7. High school teachers of all subjects are encouraged to have their students in teams of two to five submit their proposals by Feb. 28 to participate. This year’s student conference will be comprised of two events:
- Open Expo – Teams can showcase their work in a preassigned presentation space during the event. Open Expo allows students to exhibit the skills they have developed without entering the competition component of the tech student conference.
- Tech Summit Competition – Students deliver a 5-minute presentation in which they demonstrate the development of a solution to one of the guiding questions and its impact on the community and demonstrate competencies of HISD’s Global Graduate profile. Each campus is allowed two entries to the competition portion of the student conference.
This year’s student conference topics include:
- Sound – How can you harness the power of sound to positively affect others?
- Nutrition – How can you help address the growing concern of inadequate nutrition?
- Community Safety – How can you help keep your community safe?
Once a student chooses the guiding question, then they can select a category to compete in. The categories are as follows:
- Digital Voice: Create a three to five minute multimedia production, based on the selected topic.
- Engineering a Solution: Research and identify a specific problem in your chosen topic and create a model/prototype solution.
- Code.it: Develop a mobile phone and/or web app based upon your selected topic.
To aide students in the development of their ideas, a self-paced HUB course has been created and can be accessed by the campus instructional technologist or designated sponsor.
For more information please consult your Campus Instructional Technologist, or email instech@houstonisd.org, and visit www.houstonisd.org/togetherwithtech .
ALL TEACHERS
February Teacher of the Month: Through a sponsorship with Group 1 Automotive VIP Services, HISD launched a Teacher of the Month recognition program to honor our hard-working teachers throughout the year. Every month, an HISD teacher will be surprised and presented with a luxury loaner vehicle from a different Group 1 Automotive dealer. Read more about February’s Teacher of the Month Becky Orr at AA Milne Elementary.
Digital Learning Day: Curriculum and Development is excited to announce the Seventh Annual Digital Learning Day on Feb. 22. Digital Learning Day began as a way to actively share innovative practices and ensure all students have access to high-quality digital learning opportunities. Teachers and students should share how they are using technology to enhance their learning via Twitter by tagging their tweets with #DLDay, #GlobalGraduates, and @HoustonISD. To view sample Digital Learning Day tweets, click here. To view samples lessons, click here.
Attendance Tip of the Week: What can educators do if their schools do not have an attendance team or lack the resources to help a student improve his or her attendance? If you have made every effort and still need more to be done in order for your students to attend school, it’s time to advocate for a schoolwide approach. Check with your fellow teachers to see if absenteeism is an issue in their classrooms. It’s highly unlikely that absenteeism is isolated to one classroom in a school. For schoolwide solutions, click here for ways to become an advocate to beat absenteeism.
HISD Fine Arts Summit: HISD is proud to announce the first Fine Arts Summit to be held on Saturday, April 7, at the HISD Educational Learning Center (previously North Forest High School). HISD Fine Arts teachers from every grade level are invited to attend. Professional development will be provided over a variety of topics and content integrations. HISD Fine Arts teachers will receive a $100 stipend for attending this event. The Fine Arts Department will be providing teachers with essential information and learning relevant to their area of expertise. For more information, click here for the flier.
ELEMENTARY
Professional Development: The Elementary Curriculum and Development Office is pleased to offer a variety of professional learning opportunities for teachers during the month of February, including literacy training to support Literacy by 3 (OneSource course #111001). For more info, see the course list here.
Student Writing Contest: All HISD first- through fifth-graders are invited to participate in the Former First Lady Libraries Corp. Winter 2017 essay contest. Students should submit a 400-word essay detailing what they lost and what they found during Hurricane Harvey by Feb. 19. Winners have a chance to receive a $250 Visa gift card and a $1,000 scholarship for their HISD school library from the FFLLC. Click here for contest rules and details.
SECONDARY
Introduction to Strategic Reading and Writing: Check out this new online professional development (PD) course designed to provide an introductory overview of the Strategic Reading and Writing (SRW) curriculum and resources provided in the HUB Master Course. The SRW Master Course is designed to meet the needs of students reading far below grade level in sixth through tenth grade as assessed by district-level literacy assessments and state tests (STAAR). Upon successful completion, participants will receive three hours of PD credit. Register in OneSource course #830001.
Voter Registration Week: Did you know your high school principal serves as a deputy registrar and can receive voter registration applications from teachers and students? In honor of President’s Day, HISD will be observing the week of Feb. 19 as Voter Registration Week. Get yourself or your students registered on campus through your principal.
HISD Tech Summit and Expo: HISD is excited to announce the Second Annual Together with Tech Student Conference for all high schools. High school teachers of all subjects are encouraged to get their students to participate by Feb. 28. This year’s tech summit topics include sound, nutrition, and community safety and will include two events:
- Open Expo – Students showcase their work in a preassigned presentation space during the event. Open Expo allows students to exhibit the skills they have developed without entering the competition component of the tech summit.
- Tech Summit Competition – Students deliver a five-minute presentation in which they demonstrate the development of a solution to one of the guiding questions and its impact on the community, as well as demonstrate the competencies of HISD’s Global Graduate profile. Each campus is allowed two entries to the competition portion of the Tech Summit.
To learn more about the competition, click here or consult your Campus Instructional Technologist.
Dr. Valencia Hall will serve as a mentor at this year’s SXSW EDU® Conference & Festival
Congratulations to HISD Selection Specialist Dr. Valencia Hall for being chosen to serve as a mentor at this year’s SXSW EDU® Conference & Festival on March 6. Hall was selected from a pool of over 400 applicants from around the country.
As an experienced project-based learning (PBL) facilitator, Hall will represent and discuss HISD’s integration of technology to transform teaching and learning at the district, and how to make the transition from traditional classroom learning in a STEM course to PBL.
This year’s SXSW EDU® Conference & Festival will be held March 5-8 in Austin, Texas.
The conference is designed to cultivate and empower a community of engaged stakeholders to advance teaching and learning. Participants will have access to engaging sessions, immersive workshops, interactive learning experiences, film screenings, early-stage startups, business opportunities, and networking.
Prior to her conference appearance, Hall will be honored on Feb. 22 with the Excellence in Education Award from Texas Southern University’s College of Education.
To learn more about Hall’s session and to share the news, visit https://schedule.sxswedu.com/2018/events/PP98946.
Re-engaging students in the classroom
Wisdom High School’s Attendance Team shares best practices in this month’s spotlight
Do you know that you can use attendance data to conduct early interventions and secure needed support to monitor at-risk students? According to Attendance Works research, students who miss 10 percent or more of the current school year, starting in the first month of school, are at-risk for chronic absences.
Check out this week’s Weekly Teacher Download for strategies that are essential to re-engaging students in the classroom. It’s important that ALL school staff use these strategies to learn more about the needs of a student and adequately provide positive reinforcements which can keep a student from missing another day of school.
February Attendance Spotlight
This month, the Office of Student Support Services is recognizing Principal Jonathan Trinh of Wisdom High School and his three-person attendance team, led by At-Risk Administrator Kenya Washington. Collaboratively, the campus’ attendance team and Trinh have created yearlong events and resources that keep students encouraged to come back to school.
With a strong focus on ways to increase the school’s average daily attendance, as well as the graduation and completion rate, the team is using effective intervention strategies that range from daily accountability with students and parents to making their attendance expectations and goals readily available on the campus website.
Through strong parent engagement and accountability, the team has also been able to decrease the campus dropout rate. Not only is a student’s attendances tracked several times during the day, but absences from any class are quickly addressed in an effort to establish a course of action that ensures they don’t reoccur. The team also hosts spirited events that recognizes students for their efforts in striving for perfect attendance, as well as those improving their attendance record.
Yet, the school’s most impressive attendance best practice is their credit appeals process. Students who have lost course credit because of bad attendance can appeal by agreeing to a strict attendance contract and by making-up work in grad lab or after school tutorials. This further engages the students and holds them accountable to attend class and also excites them to return to school.
Many of the team’s best practices align with the resources provided by the Office of Student Support Services in the Weekly Teacher Download. It is important that campus leaders identify strategies and provide resources that will help keep students motivated and encouraged to come to school.
