Monthly Archives: April 2016

Delmar Fieldhouse construction nearing finish line

For employees and visitors at Houston Independent School District’s Hattie Mae White Educational Support Center, watching the new Delmar Fieldhouse take shape over the last several months has been a site to see.

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The 55-year-old athletic complex was demolished in March 2014 to make room for a $35.2 million facility that will be part of the new Delmar-Tusa Athletic Complex. Part of the bond program, the new three-story, 139,000-square-foot facility will serve as a multipurpose facility for the district.

Since construction began, construction crews have been working nonstop completing the installation of underground electrical and plumbing lines, steel beam erection and wall construction.

“We’ve received permanent power to the facility, so that would be considered a major milestone,” said Claude Yoas, Senior Project Manager with Rice & Gardner Consultants, who were hired to provide project management services for the project.

Some building features for the fieldhouse include a basketball and volleyball arena, modern locker and training rooms, and ample athletic storage for the complex’s existing stadium and ball fields.

Despite recent severe weather in Houston, Yoas says construction is still moving forward quickly and is visible.

“The rain hurt us just a little bit, but obviously it would be a delay for any work coming out of the ground,” said Yoas.

The athletic complex is scheduled to be finished this summer and open in time to host fall athletic events.

Weekend events canceled because of weather threat

All Houston ISD field trips, athletic events and campus-based activities are canceled for this weekend because of the threat of hazardous weather.

For additional updates, please visit www.houstonisd.org, or call the HISD Inclement Weather Hotline at 713-267-1704. HISD employees and parents can sign up for HISD text message alerts to receive updates on school weather conditions by texting YES to 68453.  You also can follow the district on Twitter and Facebook: twitter.com/houstonisd and facebook.com/houstonisd.

Who is your teacher hero? 

Teacher-Appreciation-Instagram-Banner-800px-800pxShare your photos, videos, and messages on social media 

While they may not wear capes, HISD teachers truly are real-life superheroes. As part of National Teacher Appreciation Week (May 2-6), HISD is asking students, parents, and staff to thank a teacher hero in their lives and share out on social media.

Take a picture with your favorite teacher (past or present) or take a picture of your child with his or her favorite teacher and post on social media using the hashtags #HISDHero and #ThankATeacher. If your favorite teacher is not nearby, take a selfie holding a piece of paper with a simple message thanking that teacher who made a difference in your life.

Or better yet, surprise an HISD teacher using your camera cell phone and tell them why they are your teacher hero. Check out the video below and watch as Westbury High School students give a surprise thank you to their teachers and even their principal.

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HISD will be sharing the posts on its own social media channels, so be sure to follow us on Twitter @HoustonISD and like us at Facebook.com/HoustonISD.

 

 

State releases preliminary STAAR math and reading results for grades 5 and 8

The Texas Education Agency today released preliminary math and reading scores for fifth- and eighth-grade students on the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR).

Students were required to answer more questions correctly this year in order to pass. Continue reading →

Lemonade Day gives students the opportunity to envision themselves as entrepreneurs

More than 4,000 Houston Independent School District elementary and middle school students will set up shop this weekend with creative lemonade stands to learn more about how to start, own and operate their own business.

Lemonade Day, officially scheduled for Sunday, is a citywide hands-on learning program sponsored by Prepared 4 Life, a nonprofit organization dedicated to the empowerment of middle-school-age children. The organization aims to teach students how to become successful entrepreneurs with a strategic 14-step process, which encompasses the ideas of spending, saving, and sharing with the community. HISD students will participate in Lemonade Day activities on Friday and Sunday.

Continue reading →

JJ Watt surprises two schools with donations, emphasizes positive life choices  

Student athletes at Deady and Stevenson middle schools learned the value of hard work and lasting relationships thanks to a visit by Houston Texans defensive end JJ Watt, who handed out donations to the schools totaling more than $53,000 from the JJ Watt Foundation.

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Speaking to the student athletes gathered at each school, Watt stressed how important the choices students make today are for their future, and how surrounding themselves with friends that will motivate them makes all the difference. After, Watt took selfies with the students.

Continue reading →

Community gathers for dedication of new addition at Katherine Smith Elementary

Katherine Smith Elementary School students, staff, parents, and community members gathered at the campus Wednesday morning to celebrate the completion of and officially dedicate the third and final phase of the school’s new building addition.

The construction project included a new library and a multi-purpose cafeteria/auditorium space, which also can be used for a gymnasium. Previous segments of the project, which were part of the 2002 and 2007 bond programs, included Phase 1 construction of 26 classrooms and Phase 2 construction of remaining classrooms, ancillary, special education and administrative offices.

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Student leaders welcomed about 75 attendees in the new auditorium, where they kicked-off the dedication with student performances by the K. Smith Choir and the Second Grade Scholars.

“We are so excited to finally see our new school completed,” Katherine Smith fifth grader Reneijah Richardson told the crowd.

Continue reading →

Interim superintendent stresses ties between industry and education during East End Chamber symposium 

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“It’s so important that our students today have more than the basic education,” HISD Interim Superintendent Ken Huewitt told attendees at the fourth annual Houston East End Chamber of Commerce Education Symposium: Building an Effective Workforce. “They are entering a global market, and that means they must be bilingual and bi-literate.”

As breakfast keynote speaker, Huewitt began by highlighting industry partnerships between HISD schools and East End businesses, including the Energy Institute and BP; Chavez High School and NASA; Austin High School and maritime businesses; and the Rusk School and Baylor College of Medicine.

Continue reading →

HISD, mayor to recognize 100-plus seniors headed to nation’s top tier colleges, universities

The Houston Independent School District along with Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner will recognize 164 graduating scholars headed to the nation’s top-tier colleges and universities during the third annual EMERGE Senior Celebration on Thursday.

Through EMERGE, scholars from 28 high schools have earned the distinction this year of being accepted to colleges and universities including Yale, Harvard, Rice, Brown, Stanford, Smith, Dartmouth, Duke, Wake Forest, Northeastern, Pomona, and  Boston University.

The EMERGE program aims to help low-income, high-potential students gain admission to and graduate from Ivy League and other top tier colleges and universities across the nation. The EMERGE scholars will be recognized for their dedication and hard work during a banquet scheduled for Thursday, April 28 at 6:30 p.m. at Rice University in the Tudor Fieldhouse. Mayor Turner is scheduled to speak at the program along with HISD Interim Superintendent Ken Huewitt. Continue reading →

Bus drivers, attendants support HISD literacy efforts with Reading While Riding program

IMG_3459 (1)Each day after school, HISD bus attendant Betty Beal goes through a special crate full of books, carefully selecting a few to read to two of her student bus riders from Law Elementary School.

Beal is one of 150 support personnel currently assigned to special needs routes in the district and an active member of HISD’s Reading While Riding program, which aims to ensure student success by focusing on students’ literacy and vocabulary development. The program also complements the district’s Literacy By 3 reading initiative, which aims to have every child reading on grade level by the end of third grade.

Continue reading →