Monthly Archives: May 2015

Students dedicate time and money to Houston Food Bank

Students from Patrick Henry Middle School contributed to the fight against hunger on May 21 by volunteering at the Houston Food Bank, where they spent the day organizing and packaging food.

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HISD athletes run to win at state track meet

Several HISD students achieved remarkable rankings at the Texas State Track and Field Meet held May 14-16.

Top sprinter Julia Heyman (Lamar HS) placed first in both the 3200-meter run and the 1600-meter run. Takyera Roberson (Wheatley HS) also gave an impressive performance with a first-place finish in the 400-meter run, as well as third and fourth place in the 100-meter run and 200-meter run, respectively.

Other high-ranking athletes include: Floyd Green (Wheatley HS) with second place in the 400-meter run; Isaac Brown (Washington HS) with third place in the 800-meter run; Tyreik Gray (Lamar HS) with fourth place in the 100-meter run; Holten Hill (Lamar HS) with fifth place in the 110-meter hurdles; and Mikaila Martin (Chavez HS) with sixth place in shot put.

The Lamar HS boys track team also placed fourth in the 4×100 relay.

Rice MBA award given to high school assistant principal

Keri Wittpenn

Keri Wittpenn

Keri Wittpenn, an assistant principal at the Jane Long Academy, has been named the winner of the Founders Award by the Rice Education Entrepreneurship Program (REEP). The REEP Founders Award is given to one REEP Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree candidate each year. As a 2015 graduate of Rice’s MBA program, Wittpenn was chosen for this award by her fellow classmates due to her leadership in both the REEP and her educational community. Continue reading →

HISD wins financial reporting award for 40th consecutive year

HISD’s Office of the Controller has won the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting award for the 40th consecutive year.

The district received the award for the exemplary quality of its comprehensive annual financial report (CAFR). The certificate is considered the highest form of recognition in the area of governmental accounting and financial reporting. Continue reading →

Twain ES named national winner of DreamBox Math Challenge

TwainES_DreamBoxAttending a dual-language school has really paid off for one group of third-graders at Twain Elementary School.

Francisco Martinez’s Spanish immersion class at Twain has been named a national winner in the DreamBox Learning Math Challenge, a competition that requires students in grades K–8 to solve various math problems in Spanish. Continue reading →

Three organizations team up to share the joy of reading

Students at Pugh Elementary School celebrated the joy of reading on May 18 with representatives from Books Between Kids, members of the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo’s Trailblazers Committee, and the Barbara Bush Houston Literacy Foundation.

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HISD Board of Education gets first glimpse of 2015-2016 recommended budget

Despite decreasing state funds, district continues to emphasize competitive salaries for teachers and principals as well as increased bilingual stipends

Under the state’s current funding structure, the Houston Independent School District could lose $46.4 million in state funds for the 2015-2016 school year because of rising property values throughout the city.

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Upcoming EMERGE college tours include Brandeis, Claremont colleges

In the next few months, some of HISD’s brightest young scholars will be visiting the nation’s top colleges and universities as part of the EMERGE program’s summer college tours. The EMERGE program was designed to help low-income, first-generation minority students get into top-notch colleges. Last year, EMERGE helped launch 99 scholars from 24 high schools to colleges and universities such as Stanford, Harvard, and MIT. Five were accepted to Yale University, while three chose to attend Tufts. This summer, students will get to participate in discussions, tour the campuses, and check out dorm rooms and cafeterias as part of the following EMERGE tours:

  • Brandeis College tour (78 students)
  • Claremont College tour (76 students)

Graduating EMERGE scholars have been awarded more than $20 million in scholarships and financial aid this past year, with the majority of students receiving individual financial packages totaling upwards of $40,000 per year.

College-bound seniors celebrate at Academic Signing Day

Nearly 200 graduating seniors from HISD — many wearing college T-shirts — signed certificates of intent to attend various colleges on May 21, while their proud parents cheered them on. Pennants, pompoms, and other college paraphernalia at each table marked the students’ school preferences during the third annual Academic Signing Day event, which took place at the Region 4 Service Center.

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Four college-bound ambassadors from each HISD high school were recognized during the event for their academic excellence, school and community involvement, and ability to overcome personal obstacles. Many of the students will be the first in their families to attend college. Continue reading →

HISD sweeps ESL Teacher of the Year category at HAABE awards

The Houston Area Association of Bilingual Education (HAABE) announced its selections for the 2015 Bilingual and English as a Second Language (ESL) Teachers of the Year on May 9 at its annual banquet, and the Houston Independent School District swept one entire category by winning ESL Teacher of the Year distinctions at both the elementary and secondary levels.

Osias Mendoza

Osias Mendoza

Osias Mendoza, who teaches at Love Elementary School, was honored as the HAABE Elementary ESL Teacher of the Year. He knows the struggle of learning in a second language and navigating a new culture first-hand, because he came to Houston from the Philippines as a young man.

Tanya Thompson

Tanya Thompson

Tanya Thompson, who teaches at The Rice School, was honored at the HAABE Secondary ESL Teacher of the Year. She has taught for 31 years, most of which have been in the area of ESL, and she is known for her commitment to creating a classroom in which all students are valued and challenged.

“These awards demonstrate the high quality of HISD’s teachers and the success of its bilingual/ESL programming,” said Assistant Superintendent of Multilingual Programs Gracie Guerrero. “I am very proud of both of them.”