The fourth annual HISD Special Olympics Field Days—scheduled for Nov. 9, 10, and 17—are in need of hundreds of more volunteers. About 1,000 volunteers are needed throughout the three days to help with set-up and breakdown, athletic events, escorting students around the facility, serving lunches, and other tasks.
Below is a breakdown of the volunteers needed. read more…
HISD has decided to extend the Combined Charities Campaign in order to reach the goal of $400,000 in total donations. The new deadline to contribute is Friday, Nov. 18.
“We’ve topped $300,000 the last three years, and I have no doubt we can match that number again,” said Combined Charities Campaign Coordinator Tanya Mackey.
The Combined Charities Campaign is an annual fundraising event where Team HISD employees can contribute to a variety of local, state, and national organizations that champion causes such as education, protecting the environment, and helping the less fortunate. Thanks to Team HISD’s generosity, the district has raised a combined $1 million for charitable organizations in the previous three years.
This year’s theme “Be an Olympian for Children,” capitalizes on the excitement generated by the recent Olympic Games. In the spirit of a little friendly competition, campus and departments who have pledged the most have been recognized on the Combined Charities “weekly leaderboard” located inside the cafeteria at Hattie Mae White.
The online payroll-deduction pledge system makes it easy to contribute and is totally confidential. If you have any questions, please contact your Combined Charities Campaign coordinator, who can help you understand how the campaign works and how to navigate the online system.
To see a full list of federations and to make a donation, click here.
Television personality Anthony Bourdain visited with Wisdom HS Principal Jonathan Trinh and students during the filming of his show, Parts Unknown, which airs at 8 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 30.
Nearly two years ago, Wisdom High School Principal Jonathan Trinh was featured in a local newspaper story about adults who immigrated to the United States as a child and how they adjusted to life here.
So when producers for Anthony Bourdain’s show on CNN, Parts Unknown, were doing research for their upcoming show on Houston, they read the story and wanted to include the Trinh family.
Sylvia Trinh, Director for North Area Schools and Jonathan Trinh’s wife, said she was happy to be included in the show and talk about the positive aspects of living in Houston and being involved in the education of students who have similar backgrounds as her family. Parts Unknown airs at 8 p.m. Sunday on CNN.
ALL TEACHERS
- Teacher support email addresses temporarily unavailable: As the district continues its upgrade to Microsoft Office 365, the Mentor@ and NewTeacher@ emails are all currently inaccessible by the staff who normally monitor those accounts. In the meantime, email any concerns or questions to tcole3@houstonisd.org, who will forward them to the appropriate Program Manager for response and resolution. If you are having any problems with your email, servicedesk@houstonisd.org or 713-892-7378.
- Benefits changes to be aware of as annual enrollment approaches: Before our Annual Enrollment period (Nov. 3-17), there are some changes that you should be aware of before making your benefits elections. While HISD has increased the amount it contributes to help pay for your benefits, unfortunately keeping employee rates the same for 2017 is simply not possible. To cover our rising claims, we must make changes to our plans and rates, placing our highest priority on providing high-quality care and affordability for all. These changes include slightly higher rates for our medical-plan options and the elimination of our HealthFund contributions for next year. Rest assured, any money you currently have in your HealthFund account from previous years is still available to help pay for eligible expenses. Click here for additional information and an FAQ document.
- Upcoming Literacy Leaders Speaker Series featuring Kwame Alexander: Spots are still available for the Nov. 3 HISD Literacy Leader Speakers Series featuring Newberry Medal winner Kwame Alexander. To sign up for a morning or afternoon session at Kingdom Builders Center, use Course Number 183003 in OneSourceMe. Kwame Alexander is a poet, educator, and New York Times bestselling author of 21 books, including Booked and The Crossover, which received the 2015 John Newberry Medal for the Most Distinguished Contribution to American literature for Children. Alexander writes for children of all ages. His other works include Surf’s Up, a picture book, Crush: Love Poems for Teenagers, and She Said, He Said, a young adult novel. The HISD Literacy Leaders Speakers Series is part of the district’s larger literacy efforts. Both elementary and secondary teachers and school leaders are invited to attend the Thursday, Nov. 3, session.
Challenge your campus or another school on Twitter using #Bebras
UPDATE: The Bebras Challenge has been extended to Wednesday, Nov. 23.
The Bebras Computing Challenge is a fun and interactive 45-minute contest that introduces students to computational thinking to get them excited about computing and improve their problem-solving skills.
The challenge, which is open to 5th- through 12th-grade students worldwide, will take place on Nov. 7-23. HISD was the largest 2015 participant nationwide with more than 7,000 students taking part in the challenge last November, and the district hopes to continue to lead the nation in participation this year. read more…
Spots still available for HISD Literacy Leaders Speaker Series
Spots are still available for the Nov. 3 HISD Literacy Leader Speakers Series featuring Newberry Medal winner Kwame Alexander. To sign up for a morning or afternoon session at Kingdom Builders Center use code #183003 in OneSourceMe.
Kwame Alexander is a poet, educator, and New York Times bestselling author of 21 books, including Booked and The Crossover, which received the 2015 John Newbery Medal for the Most Distinguished Contribution to American literature for Children. Alexander writes for children of all ages. His other works include Surf’s Up, a picture book, Crush: Love Poems for Teenagers, and She Said, He Said, a young adult novel.
The HISD Literacy Leaders Speakers Series is part of the district’s larger literacy efforts. Both elementary and secondary teachers and school leaders are invited to attend the Thursday , Nov. 3, session.
It’s no surprise that health-care costs have been on the rise for some time. Despite this, the district has toed the line on employee contributions for many years, even lowering them by 20% in 2014, where they have remained.
Before our Annual Enrollment period (Nov. 3-17), there are some changes that you should be aware of before making your benefits elections. read more…
Bellaire High School feeder pattern principals will shadow a student for a day to gain insight into how their campuses work and students navigate their days.
When Bellaire High School Principal Michael McDonough suggested that principals in his school’s feeder pattern shadow students for a day to better understand their challenges, the only tough part was deciding on a day they all could participate.
On Wednesday, Oct. 26, several principals in the Bellaire feeder pattern will become students for a day as they follow around a lucky scholar to experience their typical day. The principals plan to share their adventures on social media via Twitter.
“We may think we understand that student experience, but until we live it for a day, we can’t be certain,” said Condit Elementary Principal Dan Greenberg. “I hope that my day will allow me to better understand the student experience and the ways I can serve my campus.” read more…
ALL TEACHERS
- Speed dating with instructional technology: Join other HISD instructors for a fun and interactive professional development opportunity as you go on three “speed dates” with specific instructional technology tools. During each speed date, teachers will participate in a quick demo and trial of the new tool. Teachers will then choose one instructional tool for their “master date.” During the master date, teachers can experiment with the resource and plan a lesson. The training session will show teachers how to successfully integrate new technology that aligns with I-1 and I-2, so they can broaden their EdTech toolbox, as well as expose teachers to the “eTool Harmony” model that they can replicate on their campus. The speed dating session is scheduled for 4:30-6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 25, at Westside High School. Contact Ansley Merriweather (amerriwe@houstonisd.org) or TJ Hoffman (thoffman@houstonisd.org) for more information.
- Sign up now for STEM Engineering Design Challenges: Engaging students in engineering design challenges provides opportunities for critical thinking and problem-solving in a PBL format. The Advanced Academics Department’s STEM Teacher Development Team will present the HISD Cycle 2 Engineering Design Challenges for all elementary teachers and Cycle 3 Engineering Design Challenges for middle school teachers. K–5 grade-level sessions are 4:30-6:30 p.m. Monday, Nov. 7, or Tuesday, Nov. 8; 6-8 grade levels are set for 4:30-6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 8, or Thursday, Nov. 9. Each challenge is aligned to grade-level TEKS, and teachers will have the opportunity to experience the challenge and plan for implementation. All sessions will be held in the Ryan Professional Development Center Auditorium, 4001 Hardy Street. Register in OneSource, Course Number 80001 for elementary teachers and Course Number 80008 for middle-school teachers.
- Take instruction to new heights with drone programming curriculum: “An Introduction to Drone Programming,” a new HISD-created curriculum targeting elementary and middle school students, is now available. This supplemental curriculum composed of 20 exploration tasks integrates drone use with computer coding and standards-based content topics. These self-paced tasks are intended for students working alone or in small groups. Since schools need to acquire their own drones to use in conjunction with the curriculum, additional information on approved HISD vendors selling drones is available. Contact Sabrina Provencher at sprovenc@houstonisd.org in Advanced Academics for more information.
Both HISD Health & Wellness Clinics will each be closed for a day during an upgrade of the clinic computer system. The Hattie Mae White Educational Support Center location will be closed Wednesday, Nov. 2, and the Attucks Middle School location will close Thursday, Nov. 3.
Employees are encouraged to reschedule any appointments that conflict with the closures.
Also, any employees who may need medical care on those days can use the “Find a Doctor” tool on the Benefits website to find an in-network urgent care location.
If you have any further questions, call 877-780-4473.
