Yearly Archives: 2015

Mark White ES community meeting offers update on construction, introduction to new principal

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Community meeting attendees for the new Mark White Elementary School on Thursday heard an important update on the construction phase of the project and received a formal introduction to the newly hired principal for the relief campus.

Lisa Hernandez, former assistant principal at The School at St. George Place, will lead the campus when the school opens in August 2016.

“We’re going to be looking at building a strong community for the school and really setting the mission for the school,” Hernandez said. “Our job as educators is to prepare students for the 21^st century, and that is something I’m really looking forward to building at Mark White.”

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Nutrition classes let students learn through baking

HISD’s Nutrition Services culinary team is teaching students about baking and healthy eating through Nutrition Education Classes.

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At the Gregory-Lincoln Education Center, which has a culinary arts program, the classes are a collaboration between Dietitian Jennifer Lengyel and Gregory-Lincoln Culinary Arts Instructor Kelly Karavias.

The goal is to develop students’ interest in kitchen fundamentals while also letting them practice concepts learned in math and other subjects. Continue reading →

Next School Choice Open House set for Oct. 24

Parents who have not yet decided where to send their children for the 2016–2017 school year still have plenty of time to make up their minds, and HISD is helping them narrow the field with a series of four School Choice Open Houses scheduled through mid-December.

The first Open House took place on Oct. 3, but if you missed it, don’t worry. The next one is this Saturday, Oct. 24, at Sharpstown High School (7404 Bissonnet, 77074), and there will be two more before the deadline for guaranteed first-round consideration of magnet applications on Dec. 18. Continue reading →

Class of 1975 plants tree at Forest Brook MS to honor the past, inspire the future

HISD’s Forest Brook campus served as a high school for more than 40 years before it was converted into a middle school in 2013. And on Oct. 16, members of that school’s Class of 1975 came together to plant a magnolia tree on campus in honor of the more than 30 classmates who have passed away since graduation.

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“We’ve lost 33 people since 1975,” said class member and Memorial Ceremony Chair Val Adams. “We picked the magnolia because it doesn’t need a whole lot of water, and they practically live forever. As it grows, it will remain a symbol of strength and history.” Continue reading →

Board of Education looks at class-size waivers, superintendent search firm

The Houston Independent School District Board of Education on Thursday voted to approve a plan to submit 875 class-size waivers to the state for the 2015-2016 school year – more than a 40 percent decrease compared with the previous year.

State law requires each school district in Texas to conduct a class-size enrollment survey to ensure that kindergarten through fourth-grade classes have no more than 22 students per classroom. Classes that exceed that number must request a waiver from the Texas Education Agency.

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HISD homeowners won’t see increase in property tax rates for 2015-2016

Homeowners in the Houston Independent School District won’t see an increase in property tax rates for the 2015-2016 school year.

The Board of Education voted Thursday to maintain the current tax rate of $1.1967 per $100 taxable value. That rate includes two parts: $1.0267 dedicated to funding general maintenance and operations and 17 cents earmarked for debt service.

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HISD Board of Education requests additional information on discipline policy proposal

The Houston Independent School District Board of Education on Thursday declined to consider a proposed policy revision that would ban suspensions and expulsions for students in second grade and below.

Trustees had been set to review the proposal during the October board meeting. The agenda item was withdrawn by trustees on Thursday afternoon. Board members have asked district administrators to provide additional information about the educator support systems that are tied to the proposal.

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Deady MS receives $5K grant from House of Blues to strengthen music programs

More students at HISD’s Deady Middle School will soon be able to benefit from music instruction, thanks to a $5,000 grant from the House of Blues’ Music Forward Foundation.

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The grant was delivered to the school on Oct. 14 in the form of instruments and other music resources as a part of the organization’s 2015–2016 Action for the Arts program.

“Participation in music programs helps youth develop transferable life skills such as diligence, focus, and critical thinking,” said Music Forward Executive Director Marjorie Gilberg. “Action for the Arts ensures thousands more young people will benefit from learning and playing music.” Continue reading →

Johnston MS student’s story published on Teen Ink website

Sandy Ramirez, an eighth-grader at HISD’s Johnston Middle School, became a published author recently when one of her short stories was selected for inclusion on the youth-driven website, Teen Ink.

“Isaac the Element” was the very first thing she wrote in teacher Mark Dostert’s unit on short fiction, and it was included in the “realistic fiction” category on the Teen Ink website. Sandy said she wrote it “to express my empathy to children whose parents argue and fight.”

You can read the full entry here.

And Latin America was born!

Today, the month-long celebration to honor the histories, cultures, and contributions of Hispanics and Latinos to the U.S. comes to an end.

Over the past 30 days, we have highlighted more than 20 Spanish-speaking countries from Latin America and Europe, learning about their traditions, history, music, food, culture, and in many cases, their contributions to the world. Our schools have held a variety of events in celebration of this annual observance, including performances, music festivals, food tastings, art shows, and many other displays.

We hope you had an opportunity to experience one or more of them, to gain more knowledge about the rich diversity of Hispanic culture.

Did you know…? The reference to “Latin” America stems from the fact that the languages of many countries in the region are derived from Spanish, Portuguese, or French (considered “Romance” languages), all of which evolved from Latin.

And Central America was born…
Viva Mexico! Celebrating 205 years of Independence
Argentina: Tango, Soccer, Gauchos, and more!
Chile: Country of Poets
Belize: Barrier reef, rainforest, Maya heritage
Bolivia: Rich in natural resources and biodiversity
Colombia: Biodiversity, emeralds, and the greatest storyteller!
Costa Rica: Adventure-filled, eco-friendly, and unique!
Cuba: Turquoise beaches, ‘Son’ rhythm, and more!
El Salvador: Land of volcanoes, coffee, and surf
Ecuador: Rivers, nature, and bananas!
Spain: Tapas, soccer, and flamenco
Guatemala: Mayan heritage, archeology, and crafts
Honduras: Mountains, a biosphere reserve, and culture
Nicaragua: Land of lakes, volcanoes, and poets
Panama: Culture, skyline, and the crossroads of the world
Paraguay: Guaraní culture and hydroelectric resources
Peru: Ancient cultures, colonial architecture, and a multiethnic melting pot
Puerto Rico: Baseball, blue flag beaches, and forts
Dominican Republic: Where it all started!
Uruguay: Natural beauty, music, and high-tech farming
Venezuela: Joropo, oil, and the world’s highest waterfall