Monthly Archives: May 2016

Books Between Kids delivers books and adventure to Cunningham ES

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Amid whispers about horses, Star Wars and the occasional princess, students at Cunningham Elementary School on Monday excitedly filled their arms with stacks of books, thanks to the nonprofit group Books Between Kids’s annual book celebration.

Students were allowed to choose up to six books to keep as part of their own home library.

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New Worthing High School addition nears completion

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Worthing High School’s new classroom wing is in the final stages of completion and will open to students for the start of the upcoming school year.

Recently, Worthing Principal Duane Clark led a group of district and community representatives through the new two-story building for a first-hand look at the new facility, which is Phase 1 of a three-phase construction plan.

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Meet the Finalists for Teacher of the Year and Beginning Teacher of the Year  

Winners to be announced at May 20 banquet 

Nearly 2,000 HISD teachers, along with district and school leaders, will gather on Friday, May 20, at the Bayou City Event Center for a superheroes-themed Educators of the Year banquet. The sold-out event, sponsored by Cigna, will honor campus-based teachers of the year and beginning teachers of the year. Fifteen finalists are vying for top district honors, which include elementary teacher of the year, secondary teacher of the year, and beginning teacher of the year.

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 HISD Transportation employees encouraged to be healthy examples during ‘Love Your Heart’ event  

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The HISD Transportation department and the Houston Educational Support Personnel Union (HESP) is teaming up to fight against heart disease and encouraging employees to live a healthy lifestyle with their Love Your Heart initiative.

About 200 employees packed Northwest Motor Pool on Friday to celebrate the joint effort between Transportation and HESP to raise awareness on the importance of checking your heart health. HISD Interim Superintendent Ken Huewitt, HESP Union President Wretha Thomas and Board Trustees Harvin Moore and Rhonda Skillern-Jones were all on hand in support of the program, which is currently for Transportation employees with plans to expand into other departments. Continue reading →

Local nonprofit to donate thousands of books to elementary school students

Books Between Kids to expand to 12 more HISD schools

The Houston Independent School District will receive 250,000 books that will be donated to more than 35,000 elementary school students to read this summer, thanks to Books Between Kids, a local nonprofit that collects books year-round to distribute in May.

This is the fourth consecutive year that Books Between Kids will distribute free books to HISD students. This year, the organization will expand its efforts from serving 29,000 children at 47 HISD schools to 35,000 children at 59 campuses. Each child will choose up to six books during a book celebration at their school. Continue reading →

District response to Texas Supreme Court school finance ruling

The Houston ISD is very disappointed in today’s decision but, we remain committed to working with the Texas Legislature on a long-term fix for an outdated state school finance system. Today, the Texas Supreme Court declared the school finance system is “constitutional.”  The Court’s ruling affirmed that the current system needs to be revamped, but the Court also said the system is meeting the “minimum requirements” of educating students.  Minimum funding requirements are in direct contrast to the high standards Houston ISD and the state set for our students.

Madison High School to compete in national rocketry competition

A team of Madison High School students has built a rocket that the group will launch this weekend in Washington, D.C. at the world’s largest model rocket contest known as the Team America Rocketry Challenge.

The students, who are members of the “Sensation Station” rocket club at Madison, are among only 100 school teams from across the country to qualify to compete in the national finals of the challenge. This year’s challenge requires students to build and launch a rocket carrying two eggs at exactly 850 feet high. The rocket must remain in flight for 44 to 46 seconds and return with no cracks either both egg. Continue reading →

District response to federal nondiscrimination guidance

The Houston Independent School District recognizes and respects each student’s right to an education experience that is free from discrimination, harassment and retaliation. Although HISD policy does not specifically address the issue of student restroom access, HISD Board policy does expressly prohibit discrimination, including harassment and retaliation, against any student on the basis of gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, and/or gender expression, or on any other basis prohibited by law. When restroom access questions arise, campus administrators are counseled to make accommodations that are aligned with the letter and spirit of the district’s policy prohibiting student discrimination, harassment and retaliation.

Board of Education approves new school names

The Houston ISD Board of Education on Thursday approved new names for seven schools that were recommended by committees of students, parents, teachers, alumni, civic leaders and principals.

Earlier this year, the Board of Education voted to start the process of choosing new names for schools that will better reflect the district’s values and diversity. The new names will be in effect beginning with the upcoming 2016-2017 school year. The new campus names are as follows: Continue reading →

Lamar HS construction plans focus on facilitating new instructional model

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More than 100 students, parents, staff, alumni, and community members turned out for a community meeting Wednesday evening to hear about innovative design plans for the new bond construction project at Lamar High School.

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