Yearly Archives: 2015

Board of Education to consider approval of $211 million for 2012 bond program

The Houston Independent School District’s Board of Education in October will consider a proposal by district administrators to add $211 million in funding to the 2012 bond program, which would cover unprecedented and unanticipated inflationary construction costs.

Since 2012, when Houston voters approved the district’s $1.89 billion bond program, the district has seen a nearly 40 percent  increase in building costs, from about $160 per square foot in 2012 to about $222 per square foot today. Continue reading →

Bolivia: Rich in natural resources and biodiversity

Situated in the heart of South America, Bolivia is a culturally diverse country with 36 native cultures and more than 30 languages spoken, the main ones being Spanish, Quechua, and Aymara. There are numerous archaeological ruins from different pre-Columbian cultures, and many ancient traditions are still a part of the country’s cultural celebrations.

Continue reading →

Remember: Early dismissal, student holiday this week

Two days this week will be different from a normal school day.

Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2015, is an early dismissal day for most schools. Campuses may choose to opt-out and hold classes all day, so please check with your school directly to see if it is participating. View the full 2015–2016 academic calendar here.

Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2015, is the district’s fall holiday for students and most employees. Check your duty schedule available here to see if you must report to work. Those employees who must report to work will work their normal hours, unless a supervisor has approved their request to use personal time.

EMERGE program now accepting applications from Class of 2018

HISD’s ground-breaking EMERGE program is expanding to all high school campuses this year, and motivated members of the Class of 2018 (currently sophomores) are encouraged to apply.

EMERGE connects high-performing students from underserved backgrounds with the resources needed to apply, attend, and graduate from the nation’s top-tier colleges and universities, which provide high levels of support as well as competitive financial aid and scholarships. Students who are selected to be in EMERGE receive after-school advising at their schools on the college preparation and financial aid application processes, a full-length SAT preparation course, and an out-of-state summer experience at a top-tier university. Continue reading →

Belize: Barrier reef, rainforest, Maya heritage

Belize, located in Central America — bordering Mexico and Guatemala — is one of the best dive sites in the Caribbean and is home to the second largest barrier reef in the world. Much of Belize is still unexplored wilderness and 75 percent of the rainforest is under government protection.  This has led to considerable growth in ecotourism, which is now the nation’s second-largest source of revenue.

Belize has around 900 Mayan ruin sites, and the tallest building in Belize is a Mayan temple called El Caana (“Sky Place”). You can climb to the top and see for miles over the rainforest canopy.

Belize was part of the British Empire until fairly recently, and it was not until Sept. 21, 1981, that Belize was granted independence. English is the official language of Belize, yet Kriol and Spanish are commonly spoken. You can also still hear a mixture of Creole, Spanish, Garifuna, and Mayan languages being spoken on the street.

Did you know…? Belize is the only English-speaking country in Central America. There are no McDonalds, Burger King, Starbucks, or KFC in the entire country. Belizean cuisine can best be described as a mix of Mexican, Central American, Jamaican, Anglo, and Caribbean cuisines.

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

Sterling HS stakeholders sign beam to celebrate construction phase

[photoshelter-gallery g_id=”G0000LMBp7ZoYH0k” g_name=”20150918-SterlingBeamSigning” width=”600″ f_fullscreen=”t” bgtrans=”t” pho_credit=”iptc” twoup=”f” f_bbar=”t” f_bbarbig=”f” fsvis=”f” f_show_caption=”t” crop=”f” f_enable_embed_btn=”t” f_htmllinks=”t” f_l=”t” f_send_to_friend_btn=”f” f_show_slidenum=”t” f_topbar=”f” f_show_watermark=”t” img_title=”casc” linkdest=”c” trans=”xfade” target=”_self” tbs=”5000″ f_link=”t” f_smooth=”f” f_mtrx=”t” f_ap=”t” f_up=”f” height=”400″ btype=”old” bcolor=”#CCCCCC” ]

Sterling High School students, staff and community members had the opportunity to sign a steel beam today that will be used in the construction of their new school. The new $72.3 million building project, which is part of HISD’s current bond program, is being built behind the existing facility, which will be demolished once construction is complete.

The new three-story building is making great progress and can now easily be seen over the top of the current school.

“Our community is ecstatic; the building’s going up fast,” said the Rev. A.L. Hickman, community representative on the school’s Project Advisory Team. “I know people who go out of their way to drive by here every day just to see the progress that’s been made.”

After the beam-signing, which was held in front of the current school, workers transported it to the construction site, where they will soon install it in the new building.

Madison High School cafeteria gets a facelift

[photoshelter-gallery g_id=”G0000swRns3dP9zc” g_name=”20150918-MadisonFacelift” f_show_caption=”t” img_title=”f” pho_credit=”f” f_link=”f” f_enable_embed_btn=”t” f_fullscreen=”t” f_bbar=”t” fsvis=”off” width=”400″ height=”300″ f_constrain=”t” bgcolor=”#AAAAAA” bgtrans=”t” btype=”new” bcolor=”#ffffff” crop=”f” twoup=”t” trans=”xfade” tbs=”3000″ f_ap=”t” linkdest=”c” f_topbar=”f” f_bbarbig=”” f_htmllinks=”f” f_show_watermark=”f” f_send_to_friend_btn=”f” f_show_slidenum=”f” f_smooth=”f” f_mtrx=”f” f_up=”f” target=”_self” wmds=”llQ6QNgpeC.p1Ucz7U.f3cNSZwSPLetrCtOLc.BwueL2KhsYZc.OkZjvyLvGDVSI0JldUA–” ]

Nutrition Services listened to Madison High School’s students’ pleas for a new direction in the cafeteria. This past summer, Nutrition Services remodeled and rebranded the school’s facility, and students now enjoy a wider selection of menu items and the convenience of faster service.

When Operations Manager DeWayne Rawls assumed supervision of the day-to-day activities at Madison’s cafeteria during the 2014–2015 academic year, he knew it was time for a change. Rawls, in partnership with the Houston Education and School Personnel (HESP), conducted a focus group at Madison HS in which students voiced their opinions about menu choices and service.

“This was a low-participation cafeteria,” Rawls said. “The serving lines were outdated, and students’ wants were not being fulfilled.”

Food Service Attendant Team Leader Titilola Abumere said Madison HS now offers a broader and healthier menu to please all taste buds. “We have worked hard to serve on four lines,” Abumere said. “I’m excited to be part of the improvements.”

Special Education Teacher Steven Roquemore says students are loving the new look and variety of the cafeteria. “They say you eat with your eyes first, and students like what they see,” he said.

Student Billy Berry also enjoys the new products served during lunch, such as Izzy water and the broad selection of vegetables. “I like fresh broccoli,” Berry said. “We did not have as much selection as we do now.”

Grandparents’ Day celebrated at HISD

[photoshelter-gallery g_id=”G0000NgcC18jxfrg” g_name=”20150918-GrandparentsDay” f_show_caption=”t” img_title=”f” pho_credit=”f” f_link=”f” f_enable_embed_btn=”t” f_fullscreen=”t” f_bbar=”t” fsvis=”off” width=”400″ height=”300″ f_constrain=”t” bgcolor=”#AAAAAA” bgtrans=”t” btype=”new” bcolor=”#ffffff” crop=”f” twoup=”t” trans=”xfade” tbs=”3000″ f_ap=”t” linkdest=”c” f_topbar=”f” f_bbarbig=”” f_htmllinks=”f” f_show_watermark=”f” f_send_to_friend_btn=”f” f_show_slidenum=”f” f_smooth=”f” f_mtrx=”f” f_up=”f” target=”_self” wmds=”llQ6QNgpeC.p1Ucz7U.f3cNSZwSPLetrCtOLc.BNiH3BcOVnBcHS1sAyb1Et4rL63APNOw–” ]

Hundreds of HISD elementary schools celebrated Grandparents’ Day on Wednesday, Sept. 16, with a special lunch. Grandparents were invited to attend and enjoy HISD and Nutrition Services hospitality during their special day of recognition.

Grandparents’ Day has been celebrated every September since President Jimmy Carter created it in 1978. HISD recognizes grandparents for the love, strength, and guidance they provide to their grandchildren. This special lunch has become an HISD tradition that both young and old look forward to every year.

Grissom Elementary School Principal Jane Ocanas is happy to host Grandparents’ Day and made special gifts to celebrate them, as they remind her of her own upbringing. “I was raised by my grandparents,” Ocanas said. “They taught me values and beliefs I apply to my daily life.”

More than 150 grandparents made their way into the cafeteria to share lunch with their children’s children, where HISD team members thanked them for serving as role models for young people.

After a brief prayer, grandparent Lashunda Williams said it was special for her to come and share lunch time with her granddaughter. “It’s lovely to see the healthy meals the food department has in schools these days,” Williams said. “We are eating healthier at home and she loves the food she gets at school.”

Williams’ granddaughter, first-grader Markayla Conelly, comes from a family of chefs, and she gives the food high marks, too.

“I like everything, especially the nachos, and the fresh fruit and vegetables,” she said. Markayla added that HISD Nutrition Services meals are better than at her previous school district.

Westbury HS community gets preview of addition, renovations for campus

[photoshelter-gallery g_id=”G00009pXtc.e_U_o” g_name=”20150917-Westbury” width=”600″ f_fullscreen=”t” bgtrans=”t” pho_credit=”iptc” twoup=”f” f_bbar=”t” f_bbarbig=”f” fsvis=”f” f_show_caption=”t” crop=”f” f_enable_embed_btn=”t” f_htmllinks=”t” f_l=”t” f_send_to_friend_btn=”f” f_show_slidenum=”t” f_topbar=”f” f_show_watermark=”t” img_title=”casc” linkdest=”c” trans=”xfade” target=”_self” tbs=”5000″ f_link=”t” f_smooth=”f” f_mtrx=”t” f_ap=”t” f_up=”f” height=”400″ btype=”old” bcolor=”#CCCCCC” ]

The Westbury High School community on Thursday got a preview of proposed addition and renovations under the 2012 bond program that would help transform the building into a more modern campus.

“I’m really excited to see the improvements at Westbury,” said Becky Edmonson, who serves on the school’s Project Advisory Team and is president of the Westbury Civic Club. “It’s a step in the right direction.”

Continue reading →

Chile: Country of Poets

Sept. 18 is not precisely Independence Day for Chile, yet for the next couple of days, Chileans will be commemorating 205 years since the proclamation of the First Governing Body back in 1810. This marked the beginning of the Chile’s independence process. The official holiday is observed Sept. 18 and 19; however, the celebration itself can last up to a week. Parades, food, dancing, and rodeos are all typical features — as is taking advantage of days off to visit with family.

Many of the major Latin-American literature contributors are Chileans. From Gabriela Mistral and Pablo Neruda — Nobel Prize winners — to Isabel Allende, José Donoso, Roberto Bolaño and many more, these writers have helped Chile live-up to its “country of poets” nickname.

Did you know…? Eighty percent of Chile’s territory is made up of mountains. Although located in Polynesia (in the middle of the Pacific Ocean), the Easter Islands are also under the control of Chile, and since 1995, they’ve been considered a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. The traditional Chilean empanada is baked and filled with pino, a mixture of ground beef, onions, raisins, black olives, and boiled egg.

Note: Our thoughts and prayers are with Chile after of the 8.3 magnitude earthquake that struck them this past Wednesday.

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