Yearly Archives: 2015

CFS announces new attendance incentive program during welcome back in-service

HISD Construction and Facilities Services managers last week announced a new attendance incentive program during the department’s annual Welcome Back Professional Development session.

Throughout the day on Wednesday, over 1,800 employees were treated to breakfast and lunch before heading to a packed auditorium at HISD’s Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps headquarters to receive awards and recognition for their hard work across the district. Employees also learned that eligible CFS employees will have an opportunity to receive up to $1,000 in additional pay based on excellent attendance.

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Band students now required to get pre-participation physicals

HISD has long required its student athletes to obtain clearance from their healthcare providers before participating in extracurricular activities — and now, that same policy will apply to students in marching bands, too.

“Whether they’re wearing 20 pounds of padding or carrying around a 20-pound tuba, it’s important for students to have a physical examination before they start practicing or playing,” said Director of Athletics and University Interscholastic League band activities Marmion Dambrino. “At HISD, safety is our top priority, so we want to make sure all of our students have a clean bill of health before they get out onto the field, particularly in this heat.” Continue reading →

South Early College HS, Mandarin Chinese building projects go vertical

The new campuses for South Early College High School and Mandarin Chinese Language Immersion Magnet School have reached a major milestone in the construction of both buildings as work crews have begun erecting steel columns and beams, taking the projects into the vertical phase of construction.

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Partnership with NMSI preparing students for AP success

A districtwide partnership with the National Math and Science Initiative (NMSI) is helping HISD teachers better prepare their students for the rigor of Advanced Placement (AP) coursework and for success on the corresponding exams — particularly in the areas of STEM: science, technology, engineering, and math.

During the week of Aug. 10, Advanced Placement teachers from across the district gathered at Carnegie High School for the AP Summer Institute. The four-day event, which was facilitated by the Innovative Curriculum and Instruction and Department, included training with NMSI content experts in the AP areas of English, calculus, statistics, biology, chemistry, physics, environmental science, and computer science. Continue reading →

Wheatley HS biology teacher named finalist for Presidential Award

Wheatley High School biology teacher Ferleshare Starks poses for a photograph in her classroom, August 14, 2015. (Houston ISD/Dave Einsel)

Ferleshare Starks

Ferleshare Starks, a biology teacher at HISD’s Wheatley High School, has been named a finalist for the 2015 Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching (PAEMST).

Starks, who came to HISD from Fort Bend ISD last year, is one of only 10 educators from Texas to be so honored. She was nominated by Tia Watson, a first-year teacher she is mentoring.

“Being nominated by my mentee is one of the highlights of my career,” said Starks. “My passion is to fill all new teachers with a love for science. Being named a finalist has given me an overwhelming sense of gratitude.”

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Nominate HISD’s next Service Excellence Employee of the Month

Have you recently recognized an employee, coworker or team member at HISD go above and beyond in providing exceptional customer service? Nominate him or her for the Service Excellence Employee of the Month!

Anyone can nominate an employee under Business Operations—meaning a principal, co-worker, secretary, general manager, community member, or a parent. The honorees will be recognized during a breakfast with Chief Operating Officer Leo Bobadilla.

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Pilgrim Academy K-8 has strong showing at first bond community meeting

A standing-room-only crowd filled the library at Pilgrim Academy for a bond community meeting this week to hear about plans for a new addition to the popular K-8 neighborhood school.

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Elections for Board of Education members set for Nov. 3

Four of the nine seats will be up for election; deadline to file is Aug. 24

A public election will be held on Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2015, to fill four seats on the HISD Board of Education.

The terms of the trustees who currently hold those positions are expiring at the end of the year. They are:

  • District II (.pdf) currently held by President Rhonda Skillern-Jones
  • District III (.pdf), currently held by First Vice President Manuel Rodriguez
  • District IV (.pdf), currently held by Secretary Paula Harris
  • District VIII (.pdf), currently held by Assistant Secretary Juliet Stipeche

The filing period began on July 25 and continues through 5 p.m. on Monday, Aug. 24. Election winners will start their four-year terms in January 2016.

To be eligible for office, a candidate must be a registered voter, at least 18 years old, and a citizen of the United States. Additionally, candidates must have lived in Texas for the past 12 months and in the district he or she wishes to represent for the past six months. Those who have been convicted of a felony and are still serving their sentence, as well those who have been deemed by a court to be mentally incapacitated, are not eligible.

Preparing today’s high school graduates for the future

HISD recognizes the need to instill in students the skills they will need to be successful after high school, in college, or the workplace, and to compete in today’s global economy. In this month’s edition of Up Close, HISD Board of Education President Rhonda Skillern-Jones discusses the skills and characteristics of the Global Graduate with HISD Secondary Curriculum and Development Officer Annie Wolfe, Davis High School Principal Julissa Alcantar-Martinez, Chief Elementary Curriculum and Development Officer Lance Menster, and Shadydale Elementary School Principal Tammie Daily.

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“HISD engaged industry leaders, educators, university professors, community leaders, parents, and students to determine what knowledge, skills, and dispositions are critically important to have in place when a child graduates from HISD,” explained Menster. “Interestingly, they all focused on the six characteristics that form HISD’s Global Graduate profile.” Continue reading →

HISD receives Platinum Pear award from Dept. of Agriculture

(Houston Independent School District)

Dietitian Manager Amanda Oceguera accepts a Platinum Pear award for Nutrition Services’ efforts to serve locally-sourced foods.

The Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) honored HISD Nutrition Services this year with its Platinum Pear Award.

TDA challenged Texas schools to include three local products on their menus during the 2015 School Breakfast Week. Nutrition Services met the challenge by serving locally sourced cinnamon toast, low-fat milk, and apple juice March 2–6.

Nutrition Services Senior Administrator Audene Chung stated that one of the department’s goals is to support Texas farmers. “Our department buys locally-sourced products to bring the freshest products to our students,” she said.

TDA’s Growing Healthy Texans awards were distributed during the Texas Association for School Nutrition’s annual conference in Grapevine, Texas.