Yearly Archives: 2015

‘When I Grow Up’ career expo draws crowd of thousands

Despite an overcast sky and the threat of rain, an estimated 5,107 students, parents, and community members attended the third annual “When I Grow Up” career expo on April 11. Students of all ages talked with representatives from nearly 100 local companies and employers. Click here to see a list of participants.

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“We are very pleased with the growth of this event,” said HISD Career and Technical Education Manager Dana Sturdevant. “Each year the career expo is bigger and better – more students attend, and our partner companies provide more engaging hands-on experiences.”  Continue reading →

Schools in DFW area offer Jordan HS planners a glimpse of 21st century CTE spaces

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HISD educators are looking at the district’s $1.89 billion building program as a unique opportunity to align their buildings with 21st century education – especially career and technical programs.

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Want to volunteer at a school? Sign up during National Volunteer Week

Volunteers needed to read with first-graders for 30 to 60 minutes per week

It’s National Volunteer Week, and HISD would like to recognize and encourage the many people who volunteer their time with the district. Volunteers are an integral part of the HISD family who share the common goal of wanting to help students succeed.

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“I heard about the volunteer program on TV and thought, ‘I can get out of the house and do something worthwhile,’” said Loretha Fore, a retired teacher who is now an HISD volunteer at Southmayd Elementary School. “We have so much to give, especially retired people. We’re going out to lunch and getting together with friends, but this is something we can all do to help students and give back to our communities. You are giving, but also receiving.”

Annually, nearly 31,000 community members apply to volunteer in HISD schools through Volunteers in Public Schools (VIPS). With the launch of even more opportunities, including the district’s Read Houston Read volunteer program, that number is expected to grow.

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Johnston MS student named myON’s second ‘Reader Leader’

Robert Edmond

Robert Edmond

Robert Edmond, a sixth-grader at Johnston Middle School, has been named the second “Reader Leader” by myON for logging the most time spent reading on that website during a particular month.

Alfredo read for 13 hours and eight minutes on myON in March. He also completed 109 books and took their accompanying quizzes.

As a part of his prize, Robert received a laptop (with computer case) from Muses3, LLC, the representative of myON in southeast Texas.

“This was another very tight race,” said Linda Bessmer, managing partner of Muses3. “Robert’s teacher, Wilfred Dacus, instituted a myON Camp for his Life Skills students, where they spent concentrated time reading on myON, and several other Johnston students were only minutes away from the leader’s record, with elementary students close behind.”

Robert was formally recognized during a special ceremony held on his campus April 10.

Photo courtesy Muses3, LLC.

‘Lifting through Literacy’ pilot to serve as model of community involvement

Ministers Alliance to support HISD’s Literacy By 3 program at Burrus, Kennedy

Almost 20 faith-based organizations in the Independence Heights community have joined forces to lend their support to HISD’s Literacy By 3 initiative at two neighborhood elementary schools.

Members of the Independence Heights Greater Houston Ministers Alliance (IHGHMA) met with HISD Board of Education President Rhonda Skillern-Jones, Curriculum Specialist Carley Colton, and representatives from Scholastic, Inc., and the Bush Houston Literacy Foundation on April 9 to discuss plans for “Lifting Through Literacy,” a summer reading challenge that will benefit students at both Burrus and Kennedy elementary schools—and possibly serve as a model for other struggling communities.

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“Illiteracy gives birth to dropouts, joblessness, crime, and teen pregnancy,” explained Reverend Ray Mackey, who serves as chairperson for the IHGHMA. “I envision this pilot as a program that will show how faith-based organizations can get involved to make an impact. And if it’ll work in Independence Heights, then it’ll work in Acres Homes or Hiram Clarke or Sunnyside or Kashmere Gardens.”

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Burbank MS student wins scholarship to summer math camp

Shermya Parkere poses with Principal Rosa Hernandez (L) and teacher Olivia Holub

Shermya Parkere poses with Principal Rosa Hernandez (L) and teacher Olivia Holub

Shermya Parkere, a seventh-grader at Burbank Middle School, is one of one two middle-school students in the State of Texas to win a Texas Association for the Gifted and Talented (TAGT) scholarship to attend the Summer Mathematics Institute (SMI).

The program is sponsored by the Texas Academy of Mathematics and Science at the University of North Texas. Shermya will live on the college campus and meet other gifted students who share her passion for mathematics. She learned of the opportunity to apply for the scholarship from her math teacher, Olivia Holub.

“I was really surprised and excited,” said Shermya, who plans to pursue a medical career as an obstetrician. “This experience will look great on my applications next year, when I apply to high schools.”

The institute is a three-week residential program with an intense focus on mathematics. Students enroll in a single class and have the opportunity to complete one year of high school mathematics in this self-paced program.

Thanks to the generosity of Summer Mathematics Institute, the Texas Association for the Gifted & Talented (TAGT) has awarded the full scholarships to the SMI program, valued at $2,250.

Nutrition Services honored with the No Kid Hungry Breakfast Champion Award

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HISD’s Nutrition Services Department was presented with the No Kid Hungry Breakfast Champion Award, sponsored by Share Our Strength during a pep rally event on Wednesday at Marshall Middle School. The department provides the First Class Breakfast program, offered in more than 240 locations districtwide.

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Submit nominations for HISD School Nurse of the Year by April 17

Do you know a great nurse at a Houston ISD school? Nominate him or her for the district’s 2014-2015 School Nurse of the Year award!

Nominees must have at least five years of experience as a school nurse and spend at least 50 percent of their time caring directly for students.

Anyone can make a nomination by submitting a form (.pdf) and a letter of support. Applications are due by April 17.

The nominee will need to submit his or her resume, a PowerPoint of no more than 10 slides that includes photos of them interacting with students, an essay describing their personal strengths, and letters of recommendation.

For more information, contact the Health and Medical Services department at 713-556-7280. Also see this related flyer (.pdf) on five ways nurse benefit schools.

HISD elementary school receives $50,000 grant for smart boards, books

Bruce Elementary School was selected this week to receive a $50,000 grant from the Leonore Annenberg School Fund for Children, an organization that provides educational resources to underfunded schools in urban and rural communities.

Bruce Elementary was one of nine schools from across the country to receive the grant, which will be used to purchase interactive whiteboards and nonfiction books for existing classroom libraries to boost literacy through student engagement and teacher effectiveness.

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Student Congress using literacy to cultivate readers, leaders

Students from North Houston Early College High School read to second-graders at Roosevelt Elementary School.

Students from North Houston Early College High School read to second-graders at Roosevelt Elementary School.

Literacy is so important to HISD’s newly formed Student Congress that the organization has already created its own mentoring program.

“Bring a Book” got its start last September, when Congress members began brainstorming ideas for possible service projects. After agreeing to focus on literacy, the group decided to pair high-school students with second-graders to develop the younger children’s reading comprehension skills.

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