Yearly Archives: 2012

Upgrades transform medical building into kid-friendly early childhood center (w/ video)

In 2007, Houston voters passed a $805 million bond referendum to build new schools, renovate and repair others, and upgrade and improve campus safety and security districtwide. Since then, HISD crews have been hard at work building over 15 new campuses and renovating over 100 others. Every week, a different campus based construction project will be featured here to showcase some of the amazing facility upgrades happening across HISD and to demonstrate the district’s commitment to taxpayers.

One of four outdoor classrooms at Bellfort Early Childhood Center (click image above for virtual tour).

Bellfort Early Childhood Center received major renovations as part part of the 2007 bond referendum. The former medical building was remodeled to be kid friendly in order to accommodate nearly 400 pre-k and kindergarten students. Major updates were also made to the building’s mechanical, lighting, and security systems.

Click here for more information on the Bellfort Early Childhood Center bond project.

Horn Elementary moved into a brand new campus at the beginning of the 2011-12 school year as a result of the HISD Bond Program. The new building was designed with input from the school’s staff and includes larger classrooms, a brand new computer lab, and two science labs. Since the new building opened, enrollment is now up at the school.

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Join HISD for noontime chat on STAAR – March 7 on houstonisd.org

Parents, teachers and community members can visit houstonisd.org for an interactive web chat on STAAR on Wednesday, March 7, from noon to 1.

A chat window will display a running feed of questions and answers during the live event. Viewers can simply watch, or actively participate by typing questions into the chat window. Selected questions will appear along with a response from HISD’s panel of STAAR experts.

On the Q&A panel: Curriculum Director Nancy Gregory, Director of High School Office Mark Shenker, and Middle School Accountability Manager Richard Blair.

Dr. Terry Grier commends “courage” displayed by HISD staff in the face of dwindling state support

Delivering his annual HISD State of the Schools address to a sold-out crowd of 2,000 today, Superintendent Terry Grier said the district took significant steps in 2011 toward raising the level of academic achievement at every campus and meeting parents’ expectations.

And while HISD lays claim to some of the top-performing schools in the nation, Dr. Grier said, too many of Houston’s neighborhood schools are not improving fast enough.

“We’re proud of the schools that reliably produce graduates prepared to excel in college and in the workplace. But we also know that too many of our schools don’t fit into that category,” Dr. Grier told the crowd of community leaders, educators, and business organizations. “We must be able to look every parent in the eye and tell them we’d be proud to send our own children to any school in Houston. That’s the kind of consistency I’m talking about.”

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Sterling HS student: “I’m proof that HISD offers a great education”

Sterling High School senior George Smith Jr.:

Thank you for the opportunity to be here this afternoon. I’m a senior in the aviation magnet program at Sterling High School. And, I am very happy to tell you that as of February 25th, I am a licensed pilot!

I transferred from the Aldine school district to attend Sterling High School as a sophomore because I wanted to be in the aviation program. It’s the best decision I ever made.

It’s been an incredible experience, and I’m proof that HISD offers a great education for anyone willing to take advantage of it. I placed all my pride into my new school and strived for excellence, as I was not just representing myself and my family, but I was also representing my school and my district. I have taken AP and dual-credit courses and with much hard work, I’m proud to tell you that I am the salutatorian of my graduating class.

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Board President Michael Lunceford: “We’ve made great strides”

Board of Education President Michael Lunceford:

Thank you.

Good morning! It’s an honor to stand before you today, as we take a look at the state of our schools — our achievements as well as our challenges.

I would like to recognize and welcome my fellow trustees on the Board of Education. Trustees, please stand as I introduce you.

First, our immediate past president, Paula Harris, who did an outstanding job of leading the Board in 2011. Thank you, Paula, for your dedication and hard work last year.

And our other board trustees:

  • Manuel Rodríquez
  • Anna Eastman
  • Larry Marshall
  • Harvin Moore
  • Juliet Stipeche
  • Greg Meyers

And our newly elected trustee, representing District II – Rhonda Skillern-Jones.

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SOTS begins: Stevenson Middle School Principal praises colleagues, teachers

Stevenson Middle School Principal Alisa Zapata-Farmer:

Let’s give a round of applause to the Pin Oak Middle School Orchestra. Weren’t they great?

Hello and welcome to the 2012 State of the Schools.

It is an honor to be here with Superintendent Terry Grier and to welcome my HISD colleagues, Board of Education trustees, elected officials, parents, students, and business and community leaders.

The State of the Schools is a time for all of us to come together and celebrate our accomplishments, as well as determine our next steps on where we still need to go and the best way to reach our destinations.

As I reflect on the many goals we have set for ourselves this year, I think about the students in class – working to understand concepts, asking questions, and seeing their faces once they understand the concept being presented.

I think about the lessons that my teachers plan for them. Every time I hear the phrase, “effective teachers in every classroom,” I think about my school community – how the teachers at Stevenson plan together; how they truly care about the students.

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Follow the 2012 State of the Schools speech

HISD Superintendent Terry Grier will highlight the outstanding work of the district’s principals, teachers, and community partners in his annual HISD State of the Schools address, and you can follow the event at http://houstonisd.org/stateoftheschools/.  Check in for live photo coverage, Twitter updates, a link to live streaming video via KTRK Channel 13, plus highlights from the annual report.

Students, parents weigh options at Career and Technical Fair

Students interested in the culinary arts, stenography, the military, the automotive industry and other career opportunities packed the Hattie Mae White building for the Career and Technical Education College Fair hosted by HISD’s Career and Technical Education (CTE) Department. Representatives from the Commonwealth Institute of Funeral Service, the Texas Department of Public Safety, The Culinary Institute of America and others were on hand to give students and their parents practical advice on deciding a career path.

Jones High School 11th grader Lashunda Mason, who showed up at the fair with aspiring nurse Krystal Burleson, originally had considered the veterinary sciences, but upon leaving the fair found herself surprised that she was interested in joining the U.S. Army. “I really wanted to sign up for it, but I was like ‘I don’t know,’ ” said Mason. Other students expressed similar sentiments – that the fair exposed them to options they didn’t know existed.

“It’s a way of creating awareness,” Texas Chiropractic College representatives Monique Lewis and Jena Rogers said, when asked why the fair was important. “The most asked question we get is ‘What is a chiropractor?’ ”

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HISD hosts Career and Technical Education College Fair

HISD’s Career and Technical Education (CTE) Department, in partnership with the College and Career Readiness Department, is hosting a Career and Technical Education (CTE) College Fair  at the Hattie Mae White Educational Support Center (4400 W. 18th Street, 77092) from 5 p.m. – 7 p.m today.

Students and their parents can discuss career options with representatives from various two-year colleges and technical and vocational institutions. Information will be available on several fields of study including, but not limited to, the following:

  • Automotive Services
  • Computer Technology
  • Cosmetology
  • Health & Medical Services
  • Hotel & Restaurant Services
  • Law Enforcement
  • Manufacturing
  • Military
  • Technology
  • Welding