Yearly Archives: 2014

Community generosity helps Rodriguez ES ‘Get in the Game’ with new soccer field

Rodriguez Elementary School students, along with the Gulfton-area community, now have a new soccer field, thanks to the generosity and fundraising efforts of the Dreambuilders Foundation and United Healthcare. The two groups joined forces with Houston Texans player Chris Myers for a campus celebration on Nov. 11.

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Due to the weather, the rededication ceremony was conducted indoors, but despite the change in plans, Myers was able to create an indoor soccer challenge for the kids and talk to them about the importance of good health habits and being physically fit. Continue reading →

HISD Transportation recognized by national magazine for innovative programs

Magazine honors school district for bus-tracking tool, safety training, green fleet

The Houston Independent School District’s Transportation Department recently was named a recipient of District Administration magazine’s 2014 Districts of Distinction award.

Districts of Distinction is a new national recognition program created by the publication to honor school districts that are demonstrating education excellence with innovative approaches and ideas that work.

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‘Backpack Buddy’ program to become more convenient for HISD schools

HISD has been working with the Houston Food Bank for years to provide non-perishable, kid-appealing, nutritious foods to students who are at high risk of food insecurity or are chronically hungry over the weekend. About 2,100 district students from 62 schools receive bags of donated food each week through the Food Bank’s Backpack Buddy program.

Now, that program is slated to become even easier for campus administrators and staff, as HISD’s Nutrition Services department will begin delivering the food bags directly to participating schools starting Nov. 17. Continue reading →

Briargrove students enter solar-powered project in national contest

hydroplanterBriargrove Elementary School students are once again being considered for a national award for their efforts to build a greener campus and maintain a healthy environment.

As part of HISD’s recent Green Apple Day of Service, the school has entered their solar-powered hydro-planter project into the 2014 National Reuse Contest, sponsored by The Reuse People of America.

Continue reading →

Legendary ballerina, HISD alumna exposes dance students to fine arts careers

Houston Ballet’s first black principal dancer Lauren Anderson talked to dance students about her 20-plus-year career as a ballerina on Nov. 11 at Gregory-Lincoln Education Center.

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“When I first started dancing, I didn’t like it,” said Anderson. “But I never gave up…I’ve been in the Nutcracker, Swan Lake, Sleeping Beauty…I’ve been all of the fairies and the birds, and I’ve danced in almost every continent.” Continue reading →

CNN Hero helps Harvard ES kick off IB Action Project

Elizabeth Suneby and Razia Jan

Elizabeth Suneby and Razia Jan

Harvard Elementary students learned what some students in Afghanistan deal with on a daily basis, straight from a woman who founded an all-girls school in a rural area of the country.

Razia Jan visited Harvard on Nov. 11, 2014, as part of the school’s IB Action Project. Jan, who was named a Top 10 CNN Hero in 2012, is the founder of Razia’s Ray of Hope Foundation, which is dedicated to improving the lives of women and children in Afghanistan through community-based education. Harvard students will raise money for the foundation through a read-a-thon, selling spirit bracelets, and seeking direct donations. Continue reading →

Advanced Placement teacher named to national AP Advocates Program

Diane Morrow teaches an AP English class at Davis High School, April 14, 2014. (Houston ISD/Dave Einsel)

Diane Morrow teaches an AP English class at Davis High School, April 14, 2014.

As an Advanced Placement literature and language teacher at Davis High School, Diana Morrow takes pride in challenging and pushing her students to pursue rigorous coursework in order to prepare them for life after high school.

“I tell my students this is going to be the hardest class they’ll take in their life,” Morrow said. “They need this class to understand analyzing, synthesizing, how to defend an argument, how to write. These are the skills they need for college. So, I have such a big responsibility to help these kids be successful.” Continue reading →

Community meetings scheduled to share design concepts and site plans for 2012 bond schools

Editor’s note: The story has updated to reflect that the community meeting at Mandarin Chinese Language Immersion School has been postponed to a later date that has yet to be scheduled.

The Houston Independent School District has scheduled two additional community meetings to discuss the progress being made within the 2012 bond program, which will renovate or rebuild 40 schools to create 21st century facilities.

The meetings for Sterling High School and Parker Elementary are part of the district’s commitment to host at least three community meetings for each bond campus during the different phases of the building program: planning, design and construction.

This will be the third community meeting for Sterling, and the second for Parker in a process designed to encourage collaboration and participation. The goal is to present the work done so far in the design process and to share site plans, exterior drawings, final designs and construction schedules.

Input from the community meetings is used to guide the work of each school’s Project Advisory Team, which is made up of teachers, staff, administrators, students and community members. The team provides recommendations on all phases of the projects, which will undergo a final scope-to-budget review before construction begins.

The meetings will be held from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m

Tuesday, November 18 Sterling High School
11625 Martindale Road
Monday, December 15 Parker Elementary School
10626 Atwell

Video: Vision for a new Bellaire HS is coming together with community’s help

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In a new video, members of Bellaire’s Project Advisory Team (PAT) discuss their vision and priorities for the school’s new 21st century campus, which will be built as part of the district’s 2012 bond program.

Continue reading →