HISD’s chief academic officer unveils comprehensive literacy plan, to be implemented starting in 2014-2015
HISD’s Chief Academic Officer Daniel Gohl presented a comprehensive literacy plan to the Board of Education on Thursday. The plan, Literacy By 3, engages students, teachers, parents, and community members around a common goal: having every student reading with proficiency by Grade 3.
Two 4-year-olds in lab coats launched a model rocket they’d built themselves and kicked off an event to honor early childhood educators at HISD’s Hattie Mae White building on Tuesday, April 15. Made of paper, PVC pipe and an empty water bottle, the two tiny scientists were able to explain without hesitation how the contraption worked, thanks to the hard work of early educators at Fonwood Early Childhood Center.
The district celebrated national “Week of the Young Child” a bit later than usual because of STAAR testing, but that didn’t impact enthusiasm. Artwork graced the walls of the board auditorium, and early childhood educators gathered for refreshments and networking, as young children from HISD’s early childhood centers provided a walking and talking museum just outside the doors.
A T.H. Rogers student has collected books to help rebuild school libraries that were damaged in a massive fertilizer plant explosion in West, Texas, one year ago, on April 17, 2013.
Sixth-grader Camille Abaya is on Education in Action’s 2013-2014 Lone Star Youth Council, which has 27 members across the state. The group came up with ways to collect books in their areas, and Camille asked members of three different clubs to participate. She gathered a total of 114 books.
Two Lamar High School tennis players will go to Austin the last week of April for the state playoffs.
The mixed doubles team of Emily Chen and John Milstead advanced to the state quarterfinals after defeating a team from Spring Branch Memorial High School on April 16.
Emily and John’s quarterfinals game is set for Monday, April 28, at 12:30 p.m. at the Penick-Allison Tennis Center at the University of Texas in Austin. If they win, they’ll advance to the semifinals later that afternoon. The finals match will be played the following day.
Board of Trustees President Juliet Stipeche’s premiere broadcast on HISD-TV is streaming online, and she tackles the complex and looming issue of major changes to high school, starting with this year’s eighth-graders who are now planning their educational pathways.
Stipeche interviews Lupita Hinojosa and Mark White about what HISD is doing to implement the package of state education legislation known as House Bill 5.
Soccer program is district’s first to compete in UIL contest
In honor of the Lee High School boys’ soccer team’s trip to compete for a state title, the band and cheerleading team will host a pep rally at 3:30 p.m. Thursday, April 17 in the school’s auditorium (6529 Beverly Hill Ln. 77057). The spirit-fest for a 19-4-1 team is icing on the cake for a history-making season. The soccer program is the Houston Independent School District’s first to compete in the state’s UIL tournament. The Generals will face Pharr Valley View (25-2) in the 4A Semifinals on Friday. The game is scheduled for 6 p.m. and will be played at the Georgetown ISD Athletic Complex.
Parents can request religious exemption for Good Friday
HISD is scheduled to be in session Friday, April 18, as one of two weather makeup days for icy conditions that shut down the district twice in the winter – but parents can have their children exempted from school for religious reasons.
Good Friday is that day, and parents who observe it as a Holy Day with their children may submit a written note to their school documenting the religious observance. The excuse must be received by the school within three days.
A group of HISD bus drivers were full of joy and excitement during an event held Friday that celebrated their role in having the best attendance during STARR testing week.
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Minute Maid Grand Slam for Youth Baseball has more than $60,000 worth of scholarships available and, if you’re a graduating senior, you could get one.
School communities at four HISD campuses with controversial mascots have selected new names, which were announced Tuesday, April 15, at a news conference at Hamilton Middle School by their principals and Superintendent Terry Grier.
In January, the HISD Board of Education approved a new policy that prohibited the use of any race or ethnic group as a mascot or nickname.
Four schools were identified as not aligning to the policy, and Tuesday, they received their new names: