Yearly Archives: 2015

First bond community meeting for Scarborough HS outlines ideas for renovated campus

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Scarborough High School students, parents, and community members on Thursday evening learned more about plans to renovate the nearly 50-year-old campus in northwest Houston.

Under HISD’s bond program, $12.6 million is designated for the Scarborough project, which will include renovations and site improvements to the existing facility.

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Cuba: Turquoise beaches, ‘Son’ rhythm, and more!

The Republic of Cuba is an archipelago consisting of the main island — Cuba — and the archipelagos of Colorados, Sabana-Camagüey, Jardines de la Reina, and Canarreos, along with a chain of cays, islands, and adjacent islets. It is the largest island in the Caribbean, and the 17th largest in the world. Thanks to its geographical location, Cuba is home to more than 300 beautiful and paradisiacal beaches, with crystal clear turquoise waters and various sand textures — from the spectacular white found in Varadero to the glittery gold hues found at Guardalavaca — attracting tourists from all over the world.

Music is a commonly known expression of Cuban culture, and that is where we find the musical style known as Son (it means “beat” in Spanish), which mixes Spanish and Afro-Cuban styles with percussion elements and has become widely popular around the world. The Son rhythm is the basis for other musical genres, too, such as salsa, rumba, and mambo.

Cuban cuisine is a fusion of Taino (native inhabitants), Spanish, African, and Caribbean foods. Among their most popular dishes are the Ropa Vieja, Moros con Cristianos (black beans and rice), the Cuban sandwich, and many more. Cuba was a pioneer in the production of sugar cane and is ranked among the most-literate populations of the world, boasting a 99.8% literacy rate.

Did you know: Ernest Hemingway wrote “For Whom the Bell Tolls” and “The Old Man and the Sea” while he lived in Cuba. There are no animals or plants in Cuba that are poisonous or lethal to humans. Christmas did not become an official holiday in Cuba until 1997. More than 98 percent of Cuba’s coastal boundaries are bordered by reefs.

This is the ninth in a series of articles spotlighting different countries in honor of Hispanic Heritage Month. To see a complete list of previous entries, click here.

HISD kicks off student reading challenge with NCAA, Houston Public Library, UH

The Houston Independent School District announced Thursday a partnership with the Houston NCAA Final Four Local Organizing Committee, Houston Public Library and the University of Houston on a bracket-themed reading challenge that encourages students to read at least 30 minutes a day.

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Nearly 6,800 third-graders will participate in the reading challenge known as the NCAA Team Works Read to the Final Four Literacy Program leading up to the 2016 NCAA Men’s Basketball Final Four that will be held in Houston April 2-4 at NRG Stadium. Continue reading →

Costa Rica: Adventure-filled, eco-friendly, and unique!

Nestled between Nicaragua and Panama is one of the safest countries in Latin America: Costa Rica. This tiny country attracts many outdoor and adventure lovers with its volcanoes, rivers, and lakes. Beaches on both the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans also make it a great surfing destination. The country houses both the Poás volcano, which holds the second widest crater in the world, and the Arenal volcano, which is one of the ten most active on the planet.

Costa Rica ranks in the top 20 countries in terms of species density, with some of the richest biodiversity on Earth. It is home to 130 species of fish, 220 reptiles, 1,000 butterflies, 9,000 plants, 20,000 spiders, and 34,000 insects, accounting for five percent of the entire planet’s biodiversity. In 2012, Costa Rica placed first in the “Happy Planet Index.” It is also considered to be the “greenest” country in the world, and almost a fourth of Costa Rica’s lands are part of a protected system, evidence of the country’s concerted efforts to safeguard its environment.

Costa Ricans live a very peaceful lifestyle, which explains why the country does not have an army. It was abolished in 1949. That lifestyle has also earned Costa Rica the label of “Switzerland of the Americas,” because of its neutrality during international conflicts. Oscar Arias, former president of Costa Rica (1986–1990 and from 2006–2010) was even awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1987 for his efforts to end the Central American crisis.

Did you know…? Costa Ricans are known as “Ticos” because of their unique way of referring to things using diminutives in Spanish. Even though Brazil and Colombia are considered two of the largest producers of coffee, Costa Rica has become known for the high quality of its coffee. The national dish of Costa Rica is Gallo Pinto, in which rice and beans are stir-fried together in a pan to create the speckled appearance of a spotted rooster.

This is the eighth in a series of articles spotlighting different countries in honor of Hispanic Heritage Month. To see a complete list of previous entries, click here.

HISD partners with ‘Mi Familia Vota’ to host student voter registration drives

The Houston Independent School District joined Mi Familia Vota and Univision 45 this week at Wheatley High School to kick off district wide student voter registration efforts.

Wheatley is just one of several locations hosting student voter registration drives in conjunction with National Voter Registration Day, which was Tuesday. Seven additional HISD high schools will host similar drives over the next two weeks as they work to register eligible students. Continue reading →

Chess students take on blindfolded grandmaster in group competition

Grandmaster Timur Gareev will be trying to break a world record soon by playing the largest number of simultaneous chess games ever while blindfolded — and 10 students from HISD schools recently helped him prepare for that challenge.

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The Uzbekistan native, who became the youngest grandmaster ever from Asia in 2004 at the age of 16, played 10 of HISD’s top chess players on Sept. 19, and defeated them all (along with three students from a local private school) within the span of a few hours, despite not being able to see any of the chessboards. Continue reading →

HISD third-graders to join NCAA Read to the Final Four literacy challenge

Nearly 6,800 Houston Independent School District third-graders will participate in a bracket-themed reading challenge as part of the NCAA Team Works Read to the Final Four Literacy Program.

The competition was created by the district in partnership with the Houston NCAA Final Four Local Organizing Committee, Houston Public Library, and the University of Houston. Houston will host the 2016 NCAA Men’s Basketball Final Four April 2-4 at NRG Stadium.

The literacy challenge kicks off on Thursday, Sept. 24, with a special celebration at Blackshear Elementary School, one of 68 campuses selected to participate in the challenge based on its high enrollment of at-risk students and commitment to the district’s Literacy By 3 Initiative.  Launched in the fall of 2014, Literacy By 3 aims to have every child reading on grade level by the end of third grade. Continue reading →

Colombia: Biodiversity, emeralds, and the greatest storyteller!

With an estimated population of over 48 million people, this South American country is considered one of the world’s 17 mega-diverse countries. It is also the second-most bio-diverse country in the world, and it was dubbed the happiest country in the world in 2013 and 2014.  Colombia occupies a very privileged geographic position, as it is the only country in South America with coastlines touching both the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. You can experience virtually every type of climate in Colombia — hot or cold and wet or dry — and ecosystems range from tundra, coastal, and desert to tropical rainforest and savanna.

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Wilson Montessori K-8 community learns more about proposed renovations, new addition

Parents, neighbors, and HISD administrators on Monday gathered at Wilson Montessori K-8 for the first of three community meetings to discuss a proposed new addition and renovations to the school under the 2012 bond program.

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