Monthly Archives: May 2014

End of the year is time for reflection

Chávez High School first-year teacher Natalie Nelson is looking forward to some free time this summer, but she is also mulling over the things she will do differently next year. Nelson is one of five first-year HISD teachers who were invited to blog about their experiences on the district’s website. The blog, called “177 Days” for the number of days a teacher works each school year, chronicled the ups and downs of new teachers working in a large urban school district.

Nelson teaches government and economics to seniors, so she is saying goodbye to most of her students as they prepare to enter the next phase of their lives. As a softball coach, however, she has returning students with whom she has bonded, and she is looking forward to seeing them next year. Being a coach made sense for Nelson, because she was a year-round athlete herself in high school, playing five sports during her four years there. “Coaching is a huge commitment on top of carrying a full load of teaching with two preps,” she wrote on her blog, “but it has given me a larger connection to the student body and school community.”
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School districts, law enforcement team up with Ministers Against Crime for ‘Project Safe Start’

Students of HISD and across the city of Houston will soon begin to notice an increase of community and law enforcement officials throughout their hallways as the school year comes to an end.

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HISD announces Nurses of the Year for 2014

A commitment to making every student feel valued and a refusal to limit care to an eight-hour work day have garnered two HISD nurses the district’s highest honors for medical professionals in a school setting.

Lashawnda Harris, who serves at Lyons Elementary School, and Karen Adams, who serves at Sharpstown International School (SIS), have been named HISD’s Elementary and Secondary Nurses of the Year (respectively) for 2014.

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Summer Meal Program kicking off at more than 200 schools

No paperwork, registration or proof of income needed to participate

The Houston Independent School District will kick off its Summer Meal Program on June 4 at more than 200 schools. Children ages 1 to 18 can enjoy a healthy breakfast and lunch at no cost through July 3. The beginning of the program will be celebrated with kick-off parties at two participating elementary schools.

The “Summer Food, Summer Fun” kick-off parties will include giveaways, music, HISD Food Services’ My Plate Relay game, and a visit from Ace the Healthy Fox, Food Services’ nutrition mascot.

Events are scheduled for next week:

Wednesday, June 4, 11 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Herrera Elementary School
525 Bennington, Houston, TX 77022

Thursday, June 5, 11 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Gallegos Elementary School
7415 Harrisburg, Houston, TX 77011

Children do not need to be enrolled in summer school to participate in the program, and no paperwork, registration or proof of income are required. Adults may participate by purchasing breakfast for $2 and lunch for $3.25.

All meals served are nutritionally balanced to ensure children receive the vitamins, minerals, and calories needed to maintain a balanced diet. Last summer, HISD Food Services served over one million free meals to Houston-area children.

To find a summer meal location near you, please visit: www.houstonisd.org/summermeals.

Questions about the summer meal program may be directed to the HISD Food Services Department at 713-491-5944. For information on where to find free meals after July 3, contact the City of Houston Parks and Recreation Department at 713-676-6832 or dial 2-1-1.

New partnership shines spotlight on Linked Learning’s potential

When most people think about employment opportunities available at large grocery or clothing chains, they probably envision minimum-wage jobs such as cashiers, sackers, stockers, or parking lot attendants who collect abandoned shopping carts.

But a new partnership between HISD’s Career and Technical Education department, the University of Houston Downtown (UH-D), and various big-box stores is looking to change that misconception, and in the process, create a steady stream of high-school students poised for high-paying careers in retail management.

“This type of partnership does exactly what we want,” said Michael Webster, HISD’s assistant superintendent of career readiness. “It’s giving kids access to real-life situations. The idea is that within two to four years of graduation, they will be in a managerial role, and a typical manager at one of these stores makes $125- to $150,000 a year.”

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Briscoe ES travels the world of food at International Fruit and Vegetable Festival

Students at Briscoe Elementary were given the opportunity to travel through the world of fruits and vegetables at the International Fruit and Vegetable Festival held at their school.

HISD Food Services Nutrition Team and Recipe for Success Foundation hosted the May 23 event, allowing fourth- and fifth-grade students to taste, touch and smell a variety of colorful, exotic produce from all over the world.

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The Rice School marks Memorial Day with human flag

Students at The Rice School took time out on Memorial Day to honor the men and women who have sacrificed their lives for our security and freedom.

The students watched a video reflection about our military and then joined together to make a human flag. They said the Pledge of Allegiance and sang the national anthem.

Students also wrote letters of tribute to send to families of veterans.

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