Yearly Archives: 2012

Got a Great Story About an Inspiring Teacher? Tell Us!

HISD will be observing Teacher Appreciation Week May 7–11, and announcing its Elementary and Secondary Teachers of the Year at the Team HISD Celebration of Excellence on May 24.

To help us say “thanks” to these dedicated professionals, we invite you to share your most inspiring or heartwarming story with us about a teacher who changed your (or your child’s) life. Just send an e-mail to info@houstonisd.org, using the subject line, “Inspiring Teachers,” and we’ll post as many as we can on the district’s website.

Rice School Educator Named HAABE ESL Teacher of the Year

From left, Juanita Soliz, Teresa Barton and Carmen Parra pose with their awards.

Teresa Barton, an English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) teacher at HISD’s The Rice School/La Escuela Rice, has been named the Elementary ESL Teacher of the Year by the Houston Area Association for Bilingual Education (HAABE).

Barton was selected from a field of 150 finalists from Houston, Fort Bend, North Forest, and Pearland ISDs, 27 of whom were from HISD. She advanced to the citywide competition after earning the same distinction—Elementary ESL Teacher of the Year for 2012—at the districtwide level in HISD. One of her colleagues at The Rice School, Juanita Soliz, was also named HISD’s Bilingual Teacher of the Year for 2012.

School Improvement Officer Debbie Crowe noted how unusual it was to have two districtwide honorees from a single campus. “But I attribute that to the culture of the school,” she said, “and the fabulous teaching and learning that takes place there under Principal Kim Hobbs. La Escuela Rice really caters to every child, and you can see the evidence of differentiated instruction everywhere.”

The other honoree at the district level was Burbank Middle School’s Carmen Parra, who was named HISD’s Secondary ESL Teacher of the Year for 2012.

Barton, Parra, Soliz, and dozens of other educators from the greater-Houston area were recognized on April 27 during HAABE’s thirtieth annual awards banquet.

The organization also awarded college scholarships to two local seniors: Liliana Balboa (Reagan HS) and Thu Anh Nguyen (Chávez HS).

To see a full list of honorees from HISD, please visit the HAABE website.

Students and Parents Discover Quality School Choices at Fair

Shantra Skipper came to the HISD School Choice Fair on Saturday, April 27 looking for a middle school for her daughter. “She’s always been in a magnet program and I want to make sure I know about all the different options available to her for sixth grade,” said Skipper.

There were plenty of choices for Skipper and her daughter to select from at the second annual fair which was designed to be a one-stop shop for HISD families to get a closer look at the quality programs HISD has to offer. Over 80 schools were on display with programs ranging from pre-k and Montessori to early college and the fine arts.

 “It’s great that students and parents can walk around and talk to the magnet coordinator and current students at the schools,” said HISD parent Atria Boxia. “It’s really helpful and I am learning a lot.” Boxia and her daughter got more information about the district’s new Houston Innovative Learning Zones or HILZ academies. The academies, located at six HISD schools, are opening this fall and will offer students training in high demand technical fields and the opportunity to earn an associate’s degree upon graduation.

 Also on display at the fair was the district’s new Mandarin Chinese Language Immersion Magnet school. The school is opening in the fall and is accepting applications for students in pre-k through the second grade.

  “The parents are coming in, they are filling out the applications, and our coordinators are walking them through the process,” said Assistant Superintendent of School Choice Lupita Hinojosa. “We want to ensure that every student finds a quality school choice by August.”

Missed the School Choice Fair? See photos from the event

HISD held its second annual School Choice Fair on Saturday, April 28, at the Hattie Mae White Educational Support Center. The event showcased up to 85 schools, including magnet, early college, multilingual programs, charters, early childhood centers, and dual language.

See scenes from HISD’s School Choice Fair below.

[slideshow]

HISD is First District to be Awarded Climate Corps Fellow from Environmental Defense Fund

The Houston Independent School District is the first district to be awarded an Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) Climate Corps Fellow this summer to develop a customized energy plan for implementation district wide.  Joseph Konkel, instructional assistant at the University of Houston’s College of Business, will provide consulting and expertise on the district’s energy needs during this summer. 

“We are thrilled to be awarded this Climate Corps Fellow as it will provide HISD added support as we continue with our energy efficiency efforts across the district,” said HISD Energy Manager Gavin Dillingham.  “Having a Climate Corps fellow will allow the district to prioritize facilities for large scale capital retrofits.”

The district will provide Konkel with senior-level support, a day-to-day supervisor, and access to energy use data.  HISD has committed to reducing its energy use, acting on the fellow’s recommendations where feasible, and providing updates on implementation of energy efficient measures at six and eighteen-month intervals, following the fellowship’s completion.

At the program’s culmination, EDF aggregates the total projected investment dollars, energy savings in kilowatt hours and cost savings resulting from recommendations made by the fellows.          

“I am excited that HISD has the opportunity to participate in such an innovative program.  Houston is already considered the energy capital of the world,” said Texas State Senator Rodney Ellis.  “This provides a great opportunity for HISD to be an example for other school districts around the country, as they are the first district to participate in the program.”

EDF’s Climate Corps is an innovative summer fellowship program that places MBA and MPA students from top graduate schools at companies, cities and universities to help with investing in energy efficiency.  Companies like Boeing, Blue Cross Blue Shield and Citigroup have achieved more energy efficient operations as a result of having a Climate Corps Fellow.  HISD is the first K-12 organization to participate in the program.

For more information about the District’s energy-efficiency initiatives, and the Green School Challenge, please visit www.hisd.org/greenschoolchallenge.  To access Climate Corps Fellow case studies, and learn more about the program, visit www.edfclimatecorps.org.

Volunteers from North Highland Company to Spend Day Beautifying Milby High School

What: North Highland Company, a global consultant oil and natural gas service organization, is donating 65 volunteers for a Milby Beautification Day in support of the IPAA Milby Academy of Petroleum Exploration & Production Technology.  The volunteers have committed to 350 man hours to improve and refurbish the school grounds, courtyards, walkways and park benches. 

Who: HISD Board Member Manuel Rodriguez, Milby High School Principal Roy de la Garza, IPAA Academy Coordinator Sarah Hewitt, North Highland Company Vice President Clark Varner, volunteers, students and teachers

When: Saturday, April 28, starting at 8:00a.m.

Where: Milby High School, 1601 Broadway

Davis High School to Create Awareness of Upcoming GenTX Day with News Conference

What: HISD’s Davis High School will be promoting the upcoming GenTX Day (Friday, May 4) during a campus news conference.  All students, staff, teachers and community members in attendance will be showing their support for the students of Generation TX by wearing their favorite college T-shirt.  The purpose of this event is to create a culture of college and career readiness that leads to the most successful generation ever.

 Who: HISD Board Member Anna Eastman, Davis High School Principal Jaime Castaneda, and students from Ketelson Elementary, Marshall Middle School and Davis High School

 When: Monday, April 30, 10:30a.m.

 Where: Davis High School, 1101 Quitman

HISD and Houston’s Chinese Consulate General Partner to Expand Educational Opportunities for Students

In an effort to provide increased learning opportunities and success for all students, the Houston Independent School District and the Consulate General of the People’s Republic of China in Houston have committed to work together in good faith to explore ways in which the two organizations can bring a variety of resources, expertise and learning opportunities to HISD students.  An official signing ceremony will be held on Thursday, April 26 at 9 a.m. at the Chinese Consulate, 3417 Montrose Blvd.

“Now, more than ever, children need to learn another language so that they can compete in the global marketplace and become more informed citizens in our diverse society.  We are committed to expanding our global partnerships and the opportunities we are affording our students in HISD,” said HISD Superintendent Terry Grier.  “This partnership with the Chinese Consulate of the People’s Republic of China in Houston is a key step towards achieving this goal and providing a quality education to every child in the district.”

By signing this agreement, HISD and The Consulate General express commitment to working together in a peaceful and productive manner with a focus on the collective goal of improving the quality of education for all students.

“We are pleased about our agreement with HISD.  This is a very good program for our young people as they are our hope and future,” said Consul General Erwen Xu.  “We should help them be fully prepared to meet the challenges of this new era, live healthy, work productively, and make contributions to cooperative partnership between China and U.S.”

Through this educational commitment, the Chinese Consulate General and the district agree to work together to explore ways in which the two organizations can bring a variety of resources, expertise and learning opportunities to HISD students.

These opportunities include Hanban-provided educational and cultural resources, financial support through grants and donations, and stronger collaborations between HISD students and teachers with students and teachers in China through exchanges and partnerships.

Young Men’s College Preparatory Academy to Beautify Campus in Honor of Earth Day

HISD’s Young Men’s College Preparatory Academy (1701 Bringhurst)  will celebrate Earth Day by hosting a campus beautification project on Friday, April 27 at 10 a.m.

“We are excited about this event, and our school community has embraced being an eco-friendly campus, not just on Earth Day, but all year round,” said Principal Dameion Crook.

On Friday, nearly 200 students, parents, volunteers and school staff will plant 80 trees near the school’s soccer field and throughout the campus. 

“I am excited to join Principal Crook and the students at the Young Men’s College Preparatory Academy in their efforts to revitalize our community in the Fifth Ward,” said Houston City Councilman Jerry Davis.  In an effort to help spruce up the academy’s grounds, Davis’ office donated supplies to support the school’s Earth Day event.  “I think it is imperative to work with our youth to instill a sense of pride in our community. Through their actions today, they are truly making a lasting impact that generations can appreciate for years to come.” 

The school currently has a campus-wide recycling program and is taking part in HISD’s Green School Challenge, a competition designed to reduce schools’ energy and water consumption, and to increase the amount of single-stream waste recycling. 

For more information about the Green School Challenge, and other green and energy-efficient initiatives, please visit www.hisd.org/greenschoolchallenge.