Monthly Archives: March 2015

Reagan HS broadcast explores personal side of immigration reform

Students in Michael Shea’s magnet audio/visual classes have been producing their own TV show since the spring of 2014, but one recent episode tackled an issue that is both timely and personal for many Reagan High School students: immigration reform.

Reagan’s student population is more than 80 percent Hispanic, and a number of pupils have parents, siblings, or other family members who are in the country illegally. Six different students—four boys and two girls—agreed to appear on camera in a segment that aired on March 13, 2015, to discuss how America’s current immigration policies have affected them and their families.  Continue reading →

Students respond enthusiastically to Dogs of Character

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The rescued dogs visiting Condit Elementary School recently were part of an anti-bullying, empathy-based program aimed at teaching students important life lessons. Sponsored by Dogs of Character, these working dogs serve as living examples of courage, perseverance, and loyalty.

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Status of all students’ magnet applications to become available Friday

New HISD School Choice website to guide parents through the acceptance process

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Awaiting the results of your magnet applications? You are not alone. Approximately 65,000 applications from close to 21,000 students have been received by HISD magnet schools since the submission period opened in November.

To better understand the ins and outs of magnet submissions and acceptances, HISD has created a new page on the School Choice website, called “magnet status,” which explains the meaning of each status category, as well as how and when to respond. This page can be reached using the www.houstonisd.org/magnetstatus URL or by clicking the dropdown menu under the “Applying to Magnet Programs” section on the School Choice website.

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Immigrant students explore ‘what is home’ with activist, author Sehba Sarwar

The road that led to Westbury High School was long and arduous for a group of students and their families from India, Nepal, and Bhutan. The students shared stories about that journey recently at a reading at the Baker-Ripley Neighborhood Center in Sharpstown.

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Get ready: Spring STAAR testing begins March 30

Subjects being covered include reading, writing, and English I and II

HISD students in grades 4, 5, 7, 8, 9, and 10 will be taking portions of the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR) beginning Monday, March 30.

Students in grades 4 and 7 will be taking the writing portion, while students in grades 5 and 8 will be taking the reading portion. High-school students who are either currently enrolled in or have completed English I or II will also be taking the end-of-course (EOC) exams associated with those subjects.

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Grissom Elementary’s STEM night draws crowds

More than 150 parents and students attended Grissom Elementary’s STEM night on March 5. Students created a “robo hand” using data and robotic technology, as well as a Styrofoam plate, straws, tape, and string. Students also designed a freestanding structure with building constraints of height and angles.

Dr. John E. Codwell III was in attendance and showed students a foot model and explained how math and science connect in medicine. There was also a floor robot, which students programmed to travel through an obstacle course. Students were able to use iPads and the STEM lab to learn programming using Scratch and Hour of Code software, and parents enjoyed watching a Mad Science demonstration.

Students showcase digital learning at first-ever districtwide expo

HISD’s efforts to digitally transform teaching and learning in national spotlight during digital learning day

At Burbank Middle School, students are creating videos about their future and life goals using Adobe Voice. At Herrera Elementary, students are using tablets and digital programs such as iMovie, Animoto, Prezi, and Roxio to produce digital book trailers instead of a standard book report. And at Austin High School, teachers are using the HUB, the district’s new online learning platform, to create online discussions and group activities.

Every day, students and teachers across the district are using digital tools and resources to transform teaching and learning inside their classrooms. Recently teachers and students from nearly 50 HISD campuses gathered in the lobby of the Hattie Mae White Educational Support Center to showcase their efforts at the district’s first ever Digital Learning Expo.

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Demolition in progress near Washington HS

Demolition crews begin clearing condemned houses to make way for the new Washington High School, March 13, 2015. (Houston ISD/Dave Einsel)

Demolition crews begin clearing condemned houses to make way for the new Washington High School, March 13, 2015. (Houston ISD/Dave Einsel)

Heavy equipment has arrived on site, and old houses are coming down as the recently acquired property in the Independence Heights neighborhood is cleared to become part of the new Booker T. Washington High School.

After months of preparation, including extensive asbestos abatement, several of the houses were brought down this week, and more are set to follow as part of the demolition phase of construction, which is expected to last four to six more weeks.

As part of HISD’s $1.89 billion bond program approved by voters in 2012, a new $51.7 million facility will be built for Washington HS. Nearly 16 acres of land adjacent to the school was acquired by the district as part of the plan to nearly double the size of the campus.

The new campus, which will accommodate up to 1,300 students, will showcase the school’s engineering program with 21st century technology and flexible learning spaces to support project-based learning and encourage collaboration.

More information on Booker T. Washington and other 2012 bond schools can be found here.

 

Professional development sessions challenge teachers in STEM subjects

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HISD teachers attended their first “STEM Reboot” session earlier this month at Ryan Professional Development Center, where Teacher Development Specialists from the Innovative Curriculum and Instruction Department guided team through a series of hands-on experiments. As part of the science, technology, engineering, and math training, they were challenged to create a hot air balloon from a variety of materials, including plastic cleaners’ bags and tissue paper, and build boats out of aluminum foil that could float while supporting a penny. In addition, the teachers had a rocket-building session and were trained in an Hour of Code.

eNews Highlight: Preparing to become a ‘Mawrter’

Sharpstown HS senior talks about why she’s obsessed with collecting owls

Meghan Berndt has been justifiably excited about being accepted into Bryn Mawr, her dream university, this fall.

Now, the Sharpstown High School senior is getting ready for the big changes ahead, by getting to know both current and aspiring “Mawrters” and obsessively buying anything with an owl (the school mascot) on it.

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