Yearly Archives: 2013

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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PowerUp Curriculum To Empower Teachers To Use Technology

As HISD prepares to distribute laptops to nearly 17,000 high school students this coming January, the district’s Curriculum Department is preparing an expanded and enhanced set of planning documents to assist teachers at the 11 campuses in PowerUp. PowerUp is the district’s one-to-one initiative that will eventually provide all students a laptop.

“PowerUp is about more than just giving kids computers that they can use in the classroom and at home,” said HISD Secondary Curriculum Director Mike Dorsey. “This is about changing the culture of teaching and learning at HISD by digitizing the classroom and by giving our teachers and students the tools they need.”

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HISD Board of Education Election Results

Incumbent Trustees Anna Eastman and Harvin Moore will keep their seats on the Houston Independent School District Board of Education after beating their challengers, according to final, but unofficial results of Tuesday’s election.

Former City Councilwoman Wanda Adams also won a seat on the HISD Board of Education, beating out two opponents to fill the District IX spot being vacated by departing Trustee Larry Marshall. Trustees Greg Meyers and Michael Lunceford were unopposed in their re-election bids.

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Math Students Tally Up a Victory for HISD in ‘Think Through Math’ Contest

Six of the top ten students in the Think Through Math summer competition came to a reception held in their honor on Nov. 5. From L–R are: Saide Christoffel, Jésus Mendez, Patrick Han, Alexander Chin, Aldo Ortega, and Drayton Gober.

Ten students’ passion for solving math problems over their summer vacation has helped bring HISD first-place honors and bragging rights as the top district in its division of Think Through Math’s (TTM) “2013 Texas Math—Everybody’s Doing It!” competition.

The contest lasted from June 10 until Aug. 9, and districts from all over the state participated by having students complete math lessons to earn points.

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