Monthly Archives: November 2013

Chávez HS Student Wins National Art Contest with Vision of Future

Chavez HS student Luis Enrique Cortez accepts congratulations from Latino Art Beat President Don Rossi on Oct. 29 for winning the national organization’s annual art contest with his charcoal self portrait, entitled “Into the Future.”

Luis Enrique Cortez, a senior at HISD’s Chávez High School, has been named the national winner of the Latino Art Beat art competition for 2013, and representatives from that organization came to the campus on Oct. 29 to formally congratulate him during a special award ceremony.

Cortez earned top billing in the annual art contest with a charcoal drawing that took him two weeks to complete. The self portrait depicts Cortez breaking out of a colorless world and “Into The Future,” which is the name of his submission.

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Three Students’ Artwork Selected for HISD’s 2013 Holiday Greeting Card

DeBakey HS art teacher Neda Khan poses with student Tam Ngo and her winning design.

This year the Houston Independent School District honored the artistic talent of its students by selecting three finalists’ artwork for the 2013 HISD Holiday Greeting Card.  The winners were Adrian Pizarro from Park Place Elementary School, Amy Vaughan from Johnston Middle School and Tam Ngo from DeBakey High School for Health Professions.

“This is one of my favorite events of the year as we have the opportunity to recognize the amazing talent of our students,” HISD Chief of Business and Community Relations Dr. Michele Pola said.  “We are very grateful for all the art teachers who support their students in their creativity.”

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New Instructional Spaces Will Benefit Students at SECHS and Waltrip

Parents and community members at South Early College High School and Waltrip High School got the opportunity to weigh in Thursday on designs ideas for the two schools, which are set for construction under the 2012 bond program.

Site work is already underway for the new South Early College High School, which is being built on the campus of Houston Community College – South, at 1990 Airport Blvd. Waltrip High, located in Oak Forest off 34th Street, is scheduled to be partially replaced and renovated.

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M/WBEs Learn Benefits of Creating Joint Ventures to Do Business with HISD

Minority- and women-owned business enterprises on Wednesday learned how merging forces and resources with large companies can lead to a better shot at landing a contract for an HISD building project.

“Smaller companies are not always able to compete against the big guys,” said HISD Team Lead for Supplier Diversity Bernard Willingham. “So, we’re going to talk about how to compete with them instead.”

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YMCPA, Sharpstown HS Unveil Ideas for New Schools to Community

Project Advisory Teams unveiled the latest ideas for the new building design of the Young Men’s College Preparatory Academy and Sharpstown High School Wednesday night. Both schools are being rebuilt under HISD’s 2012 bond program.

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Student’s Artwork to be Selected as HISD’s 2013 Holiday Greeting Card

Artwork by more than 30 finalists considered

What:             Each year HISD honors the artistic talent of its students by choosing one of their designs for the district’s holiday greeting card.  This year more than 30 students from elementary, middle, and high schools were selected as finalists.  District officials will reveal on Friday HISD’s 2013 holiday greeting card, selected by Superintendent Terry Grier. The winning student will be on hand for the unveiling and all the finalist holiday cards will be available for purchase.

Who:               Winning student, HISD Board of Education Trustees and HISD Chief             Business and Communications Officer Dr. Michele Pola

When:             Friday, Nov. 8, 2013 at 11 a.m.

Where:           HISD Hattie Mae White Educational Support Center, 4400 W. 18th Street

HISD Police Investigating Jordan High School Incident

Houston Independent School District police are investigating an incident that happened around 8:26 a.m. today at Barbara Jordan High School.

The campus officer was patrolling the parking lot when he spotted two people he suspected of breaking into a vehicle. The officer confronted the suspects and ordered them to get out of their vehicle. The suspects did not comply and the officer fired his weapon when the driver of the suspects’ vehicle drove toward him. The suspects escaped.

The incident remains under investigation and the officer will be on administrative duty until the investigation is complete, which is standard procedure when an officer fires his weapon.

Partnership Yields Real-World Skills for Students with Special Needs

Jones High School graduate Cynthia Nieves puts labels on supply bags at a Walgreens pharmacy as a part of her training in the HISD/HCC Transition Program.

Some students need just a little extra help to become self-sufficient—and that’s where the HISD/HCC Transition Program comes in.

This partnership between the district and the local community college system, which began in 1994, was designed for students with cognitive disabilities who have already met the district’s graduation requirements.

HISD teachers work collaboratively with Houston Community College instructors to help students learn skills they can use in obtaining meaningful employment, such as the art of interviewing, how to complete applications, and the characteristics of good employees.

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Reagan Bulldogs Make History Again After 54 Years

The Reagan Bulldogs celebrate their first district title in 54 years Nov. 2 at Delmar-Tusa Stadium. They’ll launch their playoff bid there next week against either Tomball or Tomball Memorial High School. (Photo by Michael Sudhalter/The Leader News)

The last time the Reagan High School Bulldogs won a football title, gas was 25 cents a gallon, Dwight D. Eisenhower was president, and the U.S. had just named its first crop of potential astronauts.

The year was 1959, and 2013 will go down in Reagan history with the same milestone, as the Reagan varsity squad notched its first district championship in 54 years Nov. 2 in a hard fought homecoming battle with rival Waltrip High School at Delmar-Tusa Stadium.

The game ended with Reagan holding on to a 28-14 victory, with a perfect district season record of 7-0, and with Coach Stephen Dixon drenched in celebratory Gatorade.

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