Whether to stay in state or go out of state for college is a big decision for HISD seniors, and an upcoming college fair may help students and their parents make that important choice. College fairs are a great way to collect information about potential schools – students can meet face to face with college representatives, ask pertinent questions, and even get insider tips on how to get admitted to the school of their choice.
Monthly Archives: October 2013
HISD School Turnaround Effort Closing Math Achievement Gap
Dr. Roland Fryer
Students taking part in the Houston Independent School District’s three-year effort to turn around struggling schools have achieved academic gains similar to students enrolled in America’s highest-performing charter schools, according to Harvard University Economics Professor Roland Fryer’s research.
Dr. Fryer presented his research findings Wednesday to the HISD Board of Education and representatives from non-profit and business organizations. Launched in 2010-2011, the Apollo 20 program has received $16.8 million in donations to offset costs. Key findings from Dr. Fryer’s research include:
New Furr HS to Showcase 21st Century Learning Spaces
Instead of a projector, students and teachers at the new Furr High School will showcase their lessons on an interactive technology wall with an embedded LED screen and glass panel that can easily be written on. Continue reading
Students Fleshing Out Mars Plans Thanks to 3-D Printer, Fuel Your School
Students in Dr. Nghia Le’s engineering classes display some of the three-dimensional objects they created with equipment purchased through Chevron’s Fuel Your School program.
Students at HISD’s Booker T. Washington High School are giving three-dimensional form to their imaginings, thanks to a new 3-D printer, a powerful new laptop, and Chevron’s Fuel Your School program, which helped fund the equipment’s purchase.
The students are involved in an exciting challenge to design an extraterrestrial colony on Mars with their contemporaries in England, and the new computer will allow them to Skype more effectively with their peers overseas. The new Afinia 3-D printer will enable them to generate scaled-down models of the buildings and other facilities they plan for the colony.
White ES Latest to Benefit from Partnership with Target, Heart of America
Students at HISD’s White Elementary School got food for thought and a head start on creating home libraries on Oct. 18, thanks to Target, its nonprofit partner—the Heart of America Foundation, and the Houston Food Bank.
White was one of 25 campuses from across the nation to be selected for a complete facelift through Target’s School Library Makeovers program, which has transformed hundreds of facilities since its inception in 2007.
The renovated library features 2,000 new books, furniture, rugs, and paint, as well as upgraded technology that included new iPads and desktop computers.
Worthing Project Advisory Team for New School Inspired by Tour of 2 Area Campuses
A visit to two innovative Houston area schools Friday left the Worthing High School Project Advisory Team feeling inspired about the building of its new campus.
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New Community Meeting Dates Scheduled for 2012 Bond Schools
Community meetings for 2012 bond schools are underway with some schedule changes to encourage as much participation as possible.
Bus Drivers and Students Sing and Dance for School Bus Safety
HISD Buses by the Numbers
- HISD operates more than 1,000 school buses
- School buses travel about 70,000 miles a day
- HISD transports more than 30,000 students a day
- All HISD school buses use bio-diesel fuel
- All bus drivers receive at least 20 hours of training each year
The week of October 21 is National School Bus Safety week and HISD’s Transportation Department has found a creative way to bring attention to the importance of safety on the school bus. Transportation Field Safety Investigator Curtis Harris, who is also a local musician, came up with a catchy song and some even catchier dance moves to remind students and drivers about staying safe on the school bus. It’s called “School Bus Talk,” and with a little help from the HISD Multimedia Department, Harris produced a music video.
“I wanted to do something fun that would get the students’ attention but also teach them an important lesson,” said Harris. “HISD drivers transport over 30,000 students every day on our school buses and we take pride in keeping our kids safe.”
Performers in the video include students from Yates High school, Peck Elementary, and the High School for the Performing and Visual Arts. HISD bus drivers also got in on the action. Check out their dance moves by watching the video, and please share it with your friends, family, and students.
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Students at Three PowerUp Schools Receive Laptops
A thundering round of applause broke out at the Energy Institute High School this past week as nearly 200 students received their own laptops to use at school and at home as part of PowerUp, the district’s one-to-one laptop initiative.
‘’It was really touching and emotional for me to see these students get so excited as they were handed their computers,” said Instructional Technology Senior Manager Beatriz Arnillas. “This program is really going to change our students’ lives and prepare them for a successful future.”
Clerk Pays It Forward in Memory of Aid She Received After TS Allison
Cynthia Smith
Sometimes, it’s the small kindnesses that can mean the most to people in a bad situation.
Such was the case for Cynthia Smith, a clerk in HISD’s Police Department, who lost everything back in 2001, when Tropical Storm Allison dumped more than three feet of water on some areas of Houston, leaving about 30,000 people homeless.
Smith was one of the many employees who responded to a survey about why people contribute to the Combined Charities Campaign every year. And in her case, it all boils down to the kindness and quick assistance she received from the American Red Cross.