High School for the Performing and Visual Arts creative writing student Andrew White was selected this week by Mayor Annise Parker as Houston’s first Youth Poet Laureate.
The HSPVA senior was among 45 Houston-area student writers who applied for the Youth Poet Laureate Program, a new initiative offered by Writers in the Schools, in partnership with the Houston Public Library, City of Houston and Mayor Parker. Continue reading
Critical thinking is a key part of HISD’s Global Graduate profile. That’s why students from 59 HISD schools are taking part in a worldwide challenge that introduces computational thinking through online challenges.
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The Bebras Computing Challenge is open to 5th- through 12th-grade students from Nov. 9-21. The goal is to get kids excited about computing and improve their problem-solving skills. The challenge comes just a few weeks before Computer Science Education Week (December 7-13) and the worldwide Hour of Code. Continue reading
The Houston Independent School District Board of Education on Thursday approved the first reading of a proposal that calls for suspensions and expulsions to be considered a measure of last resort for elementary students.
Under the original proposal, campus administrators would not have been allowed to suspend or expel pre-kindergarten through second-grade students in response to behavioral or disciplinary issues — except as required by state law. Continue reading
The Houston Independent School District Board of Education approved the first reading of a policy revision that would provide students with more equitable access to the district’s gifted and talented program.
The proposal is designed to ensure that students identified as gifted are able to retain that designation and remain in the district’s gifted and talented program throughout their tenure in HISD, no matter which school they attend. Continue reading
The Houston Independent School District Board of Education voted Thursday to adjust neighborhood attendance boundaries at 10 elementary schools to address classroom overcrowding resulting from growth throughout the city.
The attendance boundary proposals were created in response to state law, which requires kindergarten through fourth-grade classes to have no more than 22 students per classroom. Classes that exceed that number must request a state waiver. Continue reading
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Celebratory pep rally gives special shout out to top five
In a fun-filled ceremony at the Hattie Mae White Educational Support Center, a crowd gathered (and some watched live, online) to hear the announcement of the 32 schools who will advance to the next round of the NCAA Read to the Final Four Literacy Challenge.
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. Thus far, elementary school students in the literacy challenge have reported 1,141,283 minutes of total reading time. Continue reading
The Houston Independent School District Board of Education on Thursday will consider adjusting neighborhood attendance boundaries at 10 elementary schools to address classroom overcrowding resulting from growth throughout the city.
The attendance boundary proposals were created in response to state law, which requires kindergarten through fourth-grade classes to have no more than 22 students per classroom. Classes that exceed that number must request a state waiver. Continue reading
The month of November is the time that many U.S. workers select their families’ health insurance benefits for the coming year — and parents of HISD students are no exception.
The Open Enrollment period for 2016 coverage under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) runs from Nov. 1, 2015, through Jan. 31, 2016, but did you know that eight out of every ten people who enrolled in health coverage plans through HealthCare.gov qualified for financial help to make their monthly premiums more affordable?
After months of eating meals in temporary buildings, students and staff at K. Smith Elementary School celebrated the opening of a brand new cafeteria and kitchen this past week, and the new facility is getting thumbs-up from both.
Smith Elementary School opened its new cafeteria and kitchen to give students healthier meals.
“We were in temporary buildings for the longest time,” said Nutrition Services attendant Maria Mireles, who has been with Smith for 10 years. “There’s nothing better than to have our own kitchen to prepare meals for the kids.”
Smith Elementary School Principal Gloria Salazar is happy her students are dining in a permanent facility and are able to relax and enjoy a hot, healthy meal.
“We are now having fresher choices in food,” Salazar said. “The combination of meals and new cafeteria is a morale booster for our students.”
“The food is great and my friends and I get more space at lunch time,” said student Andrea Medina.
Houston Independent School District students would have more equitable access to the gifted and talented program under a policy update being presented Thursday to the Board of Education.
The proposal would ensure that students identified as gifted are able to retain that designation and remain in the district’s gifted and talented program throughout their tenure in HISD, no matter what school they attend. Continue reading