Yearly Archives: 2015

Principals thank HISD bus drivers, attendants for their hard work

Before bus drivers and bus attendants set off to transport HISD students to and from school for the first week of classes, HISD Transportation managers and a group of principals showed their gratitude and appreciation for employees during a welcome back program at Key Middle School on Friday.

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Leland College Prep caps another banner year in robotics

Leland_YWCPA_robotics400For the fourth year in a row, the robotics club at Mickey Leland College Preparatory Academy for Young Men has turned out dominant teams at district, state, and national competitions. Coming off of last year’s third-place finish in the SECME VEX Robotics nationals, this year, the Knights of Engineering’s high school team won the first annual NSBE VEX National Championship in Anaheim, Calif.

On a joint team with impressive young ladies from the Young Women’s College Preparatory Academy, the ninth-graders not only won the tournament championship, but also the Excellence Award. Doing so qualified the joint team to participate in the VEX Robotics World Championship in Louisville, Ky., where they competed against the best robotics teams in the world. This was the second year in a row that the boys have been invited to the World Championship. Continue reading →

Norris Foundation helps Madison HS freshmen start the year off right

Entering the ninth grade can be an intimidating experience for some students, as they move from a familiar middle school environment onto a new campus.

To support Houston’s young people as they made the transition, retired NFL player Moran Norris gave away backpacks and other school supplies to students at his alma mater, Madison High School, during freshman orientation on Aug. 18.

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Each year, Norris’s foundation sponsors a number of activities designed to help youth meet higher standards in education and character. Norris is a former Houston Texans player who attended Montgomery Elementary, Dowling Middle, and Madison High schools. His wife, Tamara, attended Mading Elementary, Hartman Middle, and Jones High schools.

13 candidates file to run for HISD school board

Thirteen candidates will vie this fall for a spot on the Houston Independent School District Board of Education.

Monday marked the last day candidates could file for election and be included on the ballot. The election is scheduled for Tuesday, Nov. 3. Early voting will run from Monday, Oct. 19 to Friday, Oct. 30. Winners will serve a four-year term that starts in January 2016.

The four seats expiring at the end of the year are Districts II, III, IV and VIII. Candidates for these seats include: Continue reading →

Arabic Immersion Magnet School opens on first day of school

The first public Arabic language immersion school in the country opened its doors Monday to 132 pre-kindergarten and kindergarten students who will learn Arabic along with English. The new Arabic Immersion Magnet School (AIMS) is among 283 HISD campuses that welcomed back nearly 215,000 students from across the district. In HISD, Arabic is the second most common foreign language spoken at home.

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“There are children from 40 different Houston-area zip codes here,” said HISD Superintendent Terry Grier said. “The Arabic school is a very demographically diverse school, with about 30 percent Hispanic, 30 percent Anglo, and 30 percent African American. This year is especially exciting, as we continue to set our sights on making sure our students have access to a truly global education.” Continue reading →

HISD Dietitians Attend National Conference

Attendees share best practices for schools’ meal program

Dietitians and school-district representatives from around the U.S. attended the 69th Annual National Conference of the School Nutrition Association in Salt Lake City, Utah. HISD Dietitian Amanda Oceguera, along with several Nutrition Services employees, represented the district. The conference covered many aspects of school food services, from vendors to school menus to meal recipes.

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Drones taking students on flights of STEM fancy

Rice camp introduces students to careers related to these devices

Drones are making headlines more and more often in the news these days, and about a dozen HISD students have been learning about these high-tech devices — and the careers they’re used in — during a camp held at Rice University.

The sixth- to ninth-grade students, who attend DeBakey High School, HSPVA, Lanier Middle School, Revere Middle School, the T.H. Rogers School, and Valley West Elementary School, spent three days learning how to design, engineer, and pilot drones in mid-August.

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Nutrition Services offers up new menu options for 2015-2016 school year

HISD Nutrition Services dietitians and chefs worked over the summer to perfect the new recipes to provide their primary customers with healthy and delicious meals.

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Transportation: What you need to know for the 2015-2016 school year

As the first day of school quickly approaches on Monday, HISD Transportation is gearing up for another safe and smooth ride to kick off the start of the school year.

HISD Transportation employees are available in the department's customer call center to answer any bus route question.

HISD Transportation employees are available in the department’s customer call center to answer any bus route questions.

Parents should receive a postcard in the mail and at least two telephone calls with their children’s bus route information.

For a quicker response, a customer call center has been set up again this year to answer any bus route questions. Parents and schools can now call 713-613-3040 between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. for assistance with transportation-related issues. The call center will remain open for at least 30 days. Spanish translators also will be available to assist.

For information about eligibility for transportation and bus stops, contact your child’s school or go here.