While fellow employees are sipping eggnog, exchanging presents, or just visiting with their friends and family, some members of Team HISD will be spending most of their winter break at one of 12 schools around the city.

Those campuses, which include Fondren Elementary, Woodson K–8, and Austin, Chávez, Davis, Lee, North Forest, Reagan, Sharpstown, Jones and Worthing high schools, are conducting credit recovery programs during that two-week period to help students who are behind in their classes get caught up with their peers.

“Our goal is to make sure everyone graduates college- and career-ready,” explained Austin High School Principal Jorge Arredondo. “And there is always somebody on staff who wants to do this. So if the students can commit to three days a week, this is an extra opportunity for them to earn a half a credit (each week) that they won’t have to take again over six weeks during summer school or over the course of another whole semester.”

The winter “mini-mesters” or “inter-sessions” are designed primarily to help juniors and seniors who have failed a class stay on track to graduate with their peers.

“The message we’re sending is that we will do whatever it takes to see you graduate,” said Arredondo. “The hope is that the students will see how much people really care about this, and that will motivate them to commit themselves to reaching that goal as well.”