Monthly Archives: April 2014

Handwriting still counts: Cunningham ES fifth-grader wins national contest

Maryam Al-Saidi

A Cunningham Elementary School fifth-grader’s skill with a pen has earned her one of the top prizes in a national handwriting contest for students with special needs.

Maryam Al-Saidi, who recently transferred from Cromwell Valley Elementary School in Towson, Maryland, placed first in the “manuscript” (or printing) category of the National Maxim Award, which is sponsored by Zaner-Bloser and only open to students with a cognitive delay, or an intellectual, physical, or developmental disability.

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HISD Board of Education votes to support course in Mexican-American history, culture

The Houston Independent School District Board of Education approved two key resolutions Thursday that will affect high school students across the district. A resolution to include a high school level Mexican-American history and culture elective in the state’s graduation plan passed unanimously. Board members also approved a resolution not to double-test middle school students who are taking Algebra I.

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Preparation pays off for HISD students at SWAC College Expo

Worthing HS senior Erica Lee proudly displays her preliminary acceptance card from Alabama A&M University.

When Erica Lee arrived at the Southwestern Athletic Conference’s College Expo on March 13, she had no firm plans about where she planned to pursue higher education.

Now, the Worthing High School senior has at least one preliminary offer of acceptance, thanks to the care she took in preparing for the event.

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North Forest HS wins $12.7K athletics grant

North Forest High School will enhance and upgrade its athletics department’s strength and conditioning equipment thanks to a $12,700 grant from Muscle Milk.

The school submitted a statement, photos, and videos to let the 2013 Muscle Milk Recovery Grant Program know about their needs. The school said it had flooring that was cracked and corroded, preventing core training and sitting exercises, and cracked asphalt that made running challenging. Many of the machines and weights were rusted, and the weight benches had torn leather and holes. The school said it was lacking mirrors and cardiovascular and aerobic machines.

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HISD Meatless Mondays offer vegetarian lunch options

Houston ISD is the first school district in the state of Texas to participate in the Meatless Monday movement’s Lean & Green Day, according to Monday Campaigns, a nonprofit public health initiative. Since December, the district’s Food Services Department has made an effort to serve more vegetarian menu items for students on a regular basis.

“The average American consumes eight ounces of meat per day, which is 45 percent more than the USDA recommendation,” said HISD Food Services’ Nutrition Manager Amanda Oceguera. “By reducing consumption of meat you can reduce your risk of chronic preventable diseases, such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, obesity, and cancer.”

Oceguera said HISD Food Services decided to join the movement as an added benefit to students and to accompany its efforts to continue to provide students with nutritious, well-balanced meals. Participation levels remain steady as students choose meat-free favorites and learn to enjoy new healthy options.

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Magnet notifications are in. What’s next?

As student notifications hit inboxes and mailboxes, parents began to wonder what’s next. When a student is accepted to a school of his or her choice, parents must notify the school by April 11 in order to keep that spot for the 2014-2015 year. If a school agreement was included with the notification, parents must follow all the instructions and complete the acceptance process for the school of choice.

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HISD mourning death of Elementary School Chief ‘Chip’ Zullinger

Sidney "Chip" Zullinger

HISD is mourning the loss of one of its key administrators today. Dr. Sidney “Chip” Zullinger, chief elementary school officer, died Tuesday night after suffering a heart attack Monday.

“We have lost a good friend, great person, and champion for all children,” said Superintendent Terry Grier, in making the announcement to staff.

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Light It Up Blue to raise autism awareness on April 2

April is Autism Awareness Month, and in recognition of World Autism Awareness Day, communities across the globe are being asked to “Light It Up Blue” on April 2.

Only about 1,375 students have been identified with autism spectrum disorders in HISD (a figure that represents less than one percent of the district’s entire student population), but Jermisha Hardeman, who teaches students with autism at Yates High School, says that it’s still important to increase awareness on this subject.

“With my students, you can’t just look at them and tell they’re autistic,” she said. “But it’s important to recognize them and to learn how to interact with them, because autism is on the rise. The numbers have increased. It’s estimated now that one in every 68 people falls somewhere on the autism spectrum.”

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