Monthly Archives: March 2015

Fonville Middle School gearing up for CSTEM competition

FVilleMS_CSTEM2015_300Students at Fonville Middle School are already getting ready for the Southeast National CSTEM Challenge on April 17 and 18.

The school hosted its kick-off celebration on Feb. 28, and CSTEM board member Ahmad Shaheed was the keynote speaker. Shaheed, who also works as an engineer, discussed the importance of studying engineering, math, and science. Students also heard encouraging words from Principal Iris Reyes.

“It’s imperative that students be proficient and build their knowledge base in creativity, math, science, and writing,” said technology teacher Vania Willms. “Students have learned the challenges for the 2014–2015 school year and started working on their projects, which incorporate solutions for the oil, gas, and wind industries.”

HISD students offered more than $250K in scholarship money at Black College Expo

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About 450 HISD students attended the 2015 Black College Expo Tour on Saturday, Feb. 28, and a fair amount of those students received “on the spot acceptances,” as well as more than $250,000 in scholarship money.

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Mickey Leland College Prep stakeholders briefed on plans for new school

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The Mickey Leland College Prep Academy community turned out in force this week to hear about the latest plans for their school’s new 21st century campus. More than 125 attended the presentation given by the architect and project manager, which offered the opportunity to view renderings up close and give feedback.

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Diagnostician sheds some light on student evaluation process

Tacy Gilmore poses for a photograph, March 4, 2015. (Houston ISD/Dave Einsel)

Tacy Gilmore (Houston ISD/Dave Einsel)

I Am HISD profile showcases Educational Diagnostician Week

In this week’s I am HISD, which features HISD students, graduates, and employees, we are highlighting Educational Diagnostician Week across Texas by interviewing HISD Lead Evaluation Specialist Tacy Gilmore. Gilmore talks about when she became a diagnostician, how she evaluates students for disabilities, and who decides which students are evaluated.

How did you come to be a diagnostician for HISD?

I was working as a seventh-grade math teacher in Alief ISD, when I became interested in becoming an Educational Diagnostician. As a general education teacher, I wanted to know how I could have a greater impact on student achievement and the process to get the individualized support needed.  I attended graduate school at Prairie View A&M University, where I became certified, first as a counselor and then as a diagnostician.

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CFS improves leadership skills through training program

1000 (5)HISD’s Construction and Facility Services (CFS) Professional Development team recently announced the launch of a new Leadership Development Training initiative designed to dramatically improve the leadership skills of the management team.

The program is developed and delivered by the Sales Excellence Institute at the University of Houston’s Bauer School of Business.

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HISD’s vision of producing global graduates grows with each new IB world school

Herrera Elementary School is officially celebrating its new status this week as an International Baccalaureate (IB) World School, the latest HISD campus to receive official authorization. Herrera joins nine other HISD elementary schools with IB authorization – Durham, Harvard, Northline, River Oaks, Roberts, Rodriguez, School at St. George Place, Twain, and Wharton Dual Language Academy. The growing number of IB schools in HISD, now a total of 17, reflects the district’s vision of preparing students to succeed in a multicultural world.

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Parents of student athletes sing praises of annual Football Showcase

Last month, the seventh annual Greater Houston Senior Football Showcase (GHSFS) took place, and hundreds of student athletes came to NRG Stadium’s practice bubble that day in the hopes of landing an academic scholarship.

The event turned out to be a huge success, as of the 468 students who showed up this year, 374 of them—or a whopping 80 percent—were offered scholarships. And while the tallies of this year’s scholarship dollars still aren’t in yet, the totals have topped $10 million for each of the past four years. Continue reading →

Library love leads to volunteering for Brookline ES fifth-graders

BrooklineES_LilLibrarians_400The “Early Bird Library Club” has been a popular destination for third- and fourth-graders who want to get in a little reading before class starts at Brookline Elementary School since January of 2014. But this year, a group of seven caring fifth-graders also decided to get in on the library love, when they began volunteering to replace books on the shelves after the club members had left.

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Community groups supporting district’s digital transformation

Volunteers spend afternoon at Milby HS learning more about the HUB

Houston community members and local businesses are supporting PowerUp, the district’s effort to digitally transform teaching and learning in the classroom. Recently a group of volunteers spent the afternoon side-by-side with teachers at Milby High School learning more about the HUB, the district’s new online teaching and learning platform.

HISD Instructional Technology Program Specialist Diana Bidulescu came up with the idea of having a support group of volunteers at Milby assist with the school’s recent distribution of laptops to students and its ongoing transition to digital learning. She hopes to expand the program to other HISD high schools in the future.

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