Yearly Archives: 2014

Fifth-graders learning the difference between texting, every day, and academic language

ALIAS vocabulary program helping students build literacy skills, understand the concept of ‘code-switching’

For students to be successful in the Digital Age, they must learn to distinguish between the abbreviated syntax they use in texting, the casual way they speak to their friends in person, and the more formal style of communication called for when writing school essays or drafting a business memo.

Fifth-graders at more than three dozen HISD elementary schools will soon be making those distinctions while building their academic vocabulary this year, thanks to a partnership the district forged with two educators from Harvard University. Continue reading →

Walnut Bend ES and community raise awareness for National Literacy Month

Celebrity readers share stories, set an example for community involvement

Walnut Bend ES partner Phillips 66, along with the Barbara Bush Houston Literacy Foundation and Lone Star Sports & Entertainment, got together at the campus on opening day Monday to raise awareness about the importance of literacy for Houston’s children. The star-studded event kicked off HISD’s Literacy By 3 program, a movement designed to turn around and end the literacy crisis in Houston.

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Recent grads learn ‘It’s Not Too Late’ to apply for fall HCC classes

Westbury High School graduate Darling Romero’s busy work schedule kept her from registering for fall classes earlier this summer at a local community college.

“The summer went by fast, and I got caught up in work,” Romero said. “The next thing I knew, it was almost time for the (enrollment) deadline.”

The HISD College Readiness team helped students like Romero make the time to register for fall classes during the department’s “It’s Not Too Late” Application Day last week at Houston Community College-Southwest.  A second event was held at HCC-Southeast.

The event, in collaboration with HCC, is part of a new initiative to help 2014 high school graduates who have not enrolled in college apply for community college classes and financial aid. Continue reading →

Giving high mobility students the ‘Home Field Advantage’

Living up to a promise made by Superintendent Terry Grier during February’s State of the Schools address, HISD is enacting “Home Field Advantage,” a program to create educational stability among highly mobile student populations.

Students at 13 elementary schools where families are most transient are being offered transportation to continue to allow them to make that school their home, even if their families move. General mobility rates in the selected schools is about 30 percent annually, according to Susan Kaler, Student Services officer. Continue reading →

Togetherness at Jones: Three separate schools start the 2014-2015 year under one roof

“Morning. How’s everyone doing?” asked HISD Superintendent Terry Grier as he made a tour of the Jones Futures Academy on the first day of school Monday. “We are proud of you guys — you’re going to work hard this year?”

The enthusiastic students responded with a resounding, “Yeah!”

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Jones High School is experiencing a renaissance this school year. While it is now the official home of the Jones Futures Academy, the South Early College High School continues to hold classes on campus, and 10th- through 12th-grade students from Milby High School will go there for the next three years. Both of those schools have new campuses being constructed. Continue reading →

‘Early Matters’ to HISD, part of new coalition advocating for preschool learning

On this day when hundreds of thousands of Houston-area youngsters began the new school year, six local superintendents took time out for a news conference at HISD’s Rodriguez ES focusing on a segment for whom education is often hard to come by — low-income, preschool children.

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HISD Superintendent Terry Grier joined his fellow educators and a broad coalition of community, business, education, philanthropic, and nonprofit organizations operating as “Early Matters.”  The more than 50 members have pledged to fight for increased funding, access, and quality of the area’s early childhood education programs over the next decade. Continue reading →

CFS employees recognized at appreciation breakfast

HISD Facilities and Operations employees received a warm welcome back to school on Friday, as they were treated to breakfast and special recognition by General Manager of Facility Services Brian Busby and HISD District 9 Trustee Wanda Adams.

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Surprise! Shearn ES students find new program, meet the superintendent

Shearn Elementary School is one of 14 HISD schools launching the school year today as a dual-language campus, with instruction in both English and Spanish, and students had a special visitor this morning.

Dr. Terry Grier dropped in as the school day began to greet students and parents, and to pump up their enthusiasm for dual-language. “I sure wish we had this when I was in school,” Grier told a trio of fifth-grade school leaders who guided him on a tour of Shearn.

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Marques Foster was delighted to hear about the new program. “I really want to learn Spanish,” she said. “I know it’s important to have more than one language.” Continue reading →

Share your first day of school photos

We’re welcoming students back to school at all of 283 campuses in Houston ISD! We love seeing so many smiling faces, and we want to share that joy with you! Take a look below at the back-to-school photos that have been sent to us, and yours can be included by emailing them to hisdphotos@yahoo.com.

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