What: The free New Futuro Road to College Workshop hosted by H&R Block will give HISD students and their parents the tools they need to plan for college and beyond. This half-day workshop will help students and their parents understand how to prepare, apply and pay for college. Attendees will learn about financial aid, FAFSA completion, entrance exams, ACT/SAT, community colleges, college admission and much more. In addition, the students who attend will be entered for a chance to win a $1,000 scholarship from H&R Block.
Monthly Archives: March 2013
Three-day conference shining spotlight on Montessori schools
Did you know that HISD has three Montessori schools?
- Garden Oaks ES (also a magnet school for environmental science)
- Dodson ES
- Wilson K-8
New Media Partnerships Showcase Students
In an effort to showcase some of HISD’s outstanding high school students, KHOU Channel 11 has launched a new weekly segment called Our Future, which airs every Thursday during the station’s 5 p.m. newscast. The purpose of the segment is to identify and profile young student leaders who can serve as an inspiration and role models for others. Continue reading
HISD Receives Financial Reporting Award
For at least the previous 25 years, the Houston Independent School District has been recognized by the Association of School Business Officials International’s Certificate of Excellence in Financial Reporting Award. On Thursday, the district once again received the ASBO honor.
The award, given to school districts that demonstrate superior accounting practices and reporting procedures, was presented to the district for its 2011-2012 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (PDF), which was presented for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2012.
The award certifies the district has continually conformed to the principles and standards of financial reporting as recommended by the ASBO.
Building 21st Century Schools at the Forefront of Bond Program
John A. Dubiski Career High School in Grand Prairie is a public high school of choice with a focus on equipping students with the skills needed for 21st century professions. Click on image for more photos of 21st century schools.
Gone are classrooms with chalkboards, rows of desks and teachers who only lecture. Consider instead a school with moveable walls, tables with laptop connections, and an instructor who facilitates lessons with online videos, interactive experiments, and small groups of students.
Welcome to 21st century learning, an approach to education that seeks to bring today’s schools into the modern age through technology, design, and new ways of delivering instruction.
“We need to prepare our students for the future,” said HISD’s Sue Robertson, general manager of Facility Planning. “The goal of the 2012 bond program is to ensure we are designing facilities that reflect the importance of collaboration, creativity, critical thinking, and problem-solving.”
African-American Advisory Committee holds regular meeting at historic Yates HS
Three student ambassadors took the African-American Advisory Committee on separate tours of the Yates HS campus.
Members of the HISD African-American Advisory Committee held their regular meeting Wednesday at the historic Yates High School campus. In November, HISD voters approved a $1.89 billion bond package that includes $59.5 million to build a modern new Yates campus.
HISD Community Relations Liaison Lawrence Allen who has been instrumental in assembling the group of educators, journalists, community, and business leaders said Yates High School was selected as the site of this month’s meeting because of its longstanding commitment to excellence in education, a sentiment echoed by Yates Principal Marla McNeal-Sheppard.
“Although Yates has always been known for excelling in athletics, we are extremely proud of our triumphs in academics,” said McNeal-Sheppard. “There have been an increasing number of students applying for admission into our communications magnet program and in 2012 the number of scholarships increased from $2.1 million to $3.5 million dollars.” However despite the successes, she said there is more work to be done. “We’re always working to create business partnerships and to get more resources for our students,” she said.
A highlight of the meeting was when three student ambassadors took the group on separate tours of the campus. Senior Talisha Rhodes who will be studying nursing beginning this summer at Prairie View A&M University was one of the student ambassadors. As Rhodes guided her group through the school’s television studio, graphic design classrooms, and printing press, she raved about what her years at Yates have meant to her.
“Since I started until now, I have changed a lot but only for the better,” said Rhodes. “I will miss my teachers who pushed me to work hard, especially Ms. Clayton. Although I’m excited about studying nursing, I’m going to miss Yates, but I look forward to returning to the school to share my experiences with other students.”
Advisory committee member Dr. Jacqueline H. Cobbin said Yates is a wonderful example of what’s right with our schools. “You can tell from walking through the halls and meeting with the students, teachers, and Principal McNeal-Sheppard how enthusiastic and energized everyone is about Yates,” said Cobbin.
The African-American Advisory Committee was created in 2011 by HISD’s Strategic Partnership Department to advise and support HISD in strengthening and encouraging public support of HISD schools, improving student achievement, and increasing parental and community involvement within the African-American community.