Yearly Archives: 2016

HISD elementary students announce 2016’s top toys

Fifth-grade students at Longfellow Elementary School on Tuesday announced that video games and Easy-Bake Ovens are a few of the hottest toys this holiday season after polling their classmates for their annual top toy survey.

Every year for the past 17 years, a group of fifth-graders at the school survey their classmates to determine what gifts kids would like to receive for the holidays. Fourteen students announced the top five toys for boys and girls during a press conference at the school. The goal of the survey is to help give parents and relatives an idea of what to buy before they do their holiday shopping. Continue reading →

What you need to know about immigration, discrimination, and your rights at HISD

In light of the recent presidential election, many HISD families have questions about the possible impact a new administration may have on them personally. We strive to ensure that our schools are safe spaces where a student’s race, ethnicity, religion, or immigration status do not create any barriers to that child’s education. We have created this document to address some questions HISD families may have regarding their immigration status and our commitment to protect students from discrimination and harassment.

Q: What impact does undocumented immigration status have on my child’s education?

A: None at all. All children have a constitutional right to equal access to education regardless of their immigration status or that of their parents. That right cannot be taken away by the president, the State of Texas, or Congress.

Q: Do HISD schools ask for information regarding a child’s immigration status when he or she enrolls?

A: No. Public school districts like HISD are obligated to enroll students regardless of their immigration status and without discrimination on the basis of race, color, or national origin.

Q: Would HISD ever share a student’s immigration status with federal immigration officials?

A:  No. We do not collect this information or share it.

Q: What does HISD do to ensure that no student or family is discriminated against or harassed because of their race, ethnicity, religion, or national origin?

A: One of HISD’s core values is a belief in equity. The district has policies in place that mandate no discrimination or harassment for HISD students, families, or employees on the base of race, ethnicity, religion, national origin, and many other protected classes.

Q: What should I do if I feel like I have been the victim of discrimination or harassment?

A: Please report the behavior immediately to a school leader, supervisor, or the superintendent. Complaints and concerns can be filed using the forms and procedures in Board Policy. Go to HoustonISD.org/StudentWelfare to see the HISD Board document “Student Welfare and Freedom from Discrimination, Harassment, and Retaliation.” Go to HoustonISD.org/EmployeeWelfare to see the HISD Board document “Employee Welfare and Freedom from Discrimination, Harassment, and Retaliation.”  Both include instructions on how to report such abuse. We take these complaints very seriously in order to assure that our schools and offices continue to be safe spaces.

 

Q: What about if I am a DACA recipient?

A: Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) is based on an order by the president. The new president could choose to rescind that order. If you are a recipient of DACA, consider reaching out to an immigration attorney now in order to determine if you have access to a better form of immigration status. Additional information can be found on the Immigrant Legal Resource Center website, https://www.ilrc.org.

Q: What should I do if I want to better understand my immigration rights?

A: Only immigration attorneys can provide you with accurate advice about immigration status and how you can pursue your legal rights. For your own protection, please do not seek the advice of notarios or others who are not licensed immigration attorneys.

A list of available resources can be found in the HISD Community Resource Guide. Go to HoustonISD.org/CommunityResources, and under “Topic,” use the drop-down menu to locate “Citizenship and Immigration.” You can refine your search by ZIP code, cost, etc., or you can just hit “Submit” for a long list of attorneys, community services, City of Houston assistance, etc.

You can also seek an immigration attorney from the American Immigration Lawyers Association at http://www.ailalawyer.org/  (English) or http://www.ailalawyer.com/spanish/default.aspx (Spanish).

Q: What other resources are available?

A: Mayor Sylvester Turner created the Office of New Americans and Immigrant Communities to help all Houstonians better access city services. You can call them at 832-393-1010, visit www.HoustonTX.gov/oic, or contact the following offices:

Terence O’Neill
Office of New Americans and Immigrant Communities
City Hall
901 Bagby
Houston, TX  77002
PHONE: 832.393.0855
FAX: 832.393.0844

Benito Juarez
Office of New Americans and Immigrant Communities
Southwest Multi-Service Center
6400 High Star, #131
Houston, TX 77074
PHONE: 713.778.6503
FAX: 713.778.6561

Below are more resources for students, parents, and schools compiled by National Council of La Raza, www.nclr.org:

National Council of La Raza links to resources include Know Your Rights fact sheets for immigrants and advocates, tools for conducting Know Your Rights presentations in English and Spanish, information about mental health services, and a tool to report hate incidents and bullying: http://nclr.org/affiliates/post-election-resources

DACA Q&A document from the National Immigration Law Center (updated May 8, 2017): https://www.nilc.org/issues/daca/daca-after-trump-q-and-a/

Information on applying for DACA available from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services: www.uscis.gov/childhoodarrivals

“Help for Immigrant Families: Guide for Schools” from the Immigrant Legal Resource Center: https://www.ilrc.org/help-immigrant-families-guidance-schools

“Know Your Rights: A Resource for Students, Parents and Guardians” from the Catholic Legal Immigration Network, Inc. provides information about students’ rights to public education and safety at school, parent and guardian rights, how to report incidents of harassment, and resources on filing complaints: https://cliniclegal.org/resources/know-your-rights-students

“Protecting Assets and Child Custody in the Face of Deportation” from Appleseed is a manual designed for immigrants and those who work with them. Appleseed’s manual will help families develop plans in advance to deal with critical financial and family issues in the event of deportation, arrest and other family emergencies:  http://www.appleseednetwork.org/deportationmanual/

“Model Campus Safe Zones Resolution Language (K-12)” from the National Immigration Law Center provides guidance and sample language for K-12 school districts that are contemplating adopting protections for all students: https://www.nilc.org/issues/immigration-enforcement/campus-safe-zones-language-k-12/

Immi is a free online platform in English and Spanish developed by the Immigration Advocates Network that confidentially screens for immigration options, provides plain language know your rights and community education resources, and connects users to more than 1,000 free and low-cost nonprofit immigration legal service providers: www.immi.org

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DREAM Summit: A day of exploration for HISD students

The College Readiness and Multilingual departments are hosting the DREAM Summit on Saturday, Dec. 10, 2016, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Hattie Mae White Educational Support Center, 4400 W. 18th St., Houston, 77092. All HISD DREAMers, DACA recipients, visa holders, permanent residents, refugees, and asylum grantees, along with their parents, are invited to attend.

Continue reading →

Robots break ground on new Energy Institute High School

HISD’s Energy Institute High School held a high-tech groundbreaking on Saturday as student-built robots took the lead, turning over dirt alongside school and district officials to formally mark the start of construction on their new school. 

The planned 110,000-square-foot building, located at 3501 Southmore Blvd., will mimic the look of a high-tech corporate environment and house the first energy-themed high school in the nation. 

”This project has been a labor of love,” Principal Lori Lambropoulos said of the new building. “This school is the first one of its kind in the nation. We’re making history in the area of corporate involvement, and we’ve made it our mission to attract students that really want a career in the energy industry.”  Continue reading →

HISD holiday schedule for Thanksgiving

The Hattie Mae White Educational Support Center and all HISD schools and district offices are open on Monday, Nov. 21, and Tuesday, Nov. 22, 2016.

All HISD offices and campuses will be closed from Wednesday, Nov. 23, through Friday, Nov. 25, for the Thanksgiving holiday.

Normal school and business operations will resume on Monday, Nov. 28, 2016.

Please have a happy and safe Thanksgiving!

Free tutorials available for students needing to retake STAAR exams 

High school students who need to retake one or more STAAR End of Course Exams have unlimited access to free online tutorials that can help them master the concepts and learning objectives that are challenging them.

STAAR EOC retest exams for English I and II, Algebra I, Biology, and U.S. History will be given Dec. 5-9.  Students can start preparing for these exams with Apex Learning Tutorials, a districtwide, online resource that allows students to customize their learning to the style they prefer.

A pre-test for each topic is available to help retesters focus on the skills and topics they need to master. The tutorials also offer interactive paths in each topic, such as “Learn it – Try it – Review it – Test it.”

Students can look up their campus code here and enroll themselves in the tutorials.  A “how-to” guide is available here to walk students through the process.

In addition to STAAR EOCs, students can enroll themselves in any of the following classes:

  • College Readiness – TSI, ACT & SAT
  • Adapted English 6th – English III
  • Adapted Math 6th – Algebra II

Questions can be directed to the HISD Virtual School Department at 713-556-7295 or emailed to vschool@houstonisd.org.

High school students get first-hand look into higher-education options

Students from Jones Futures Academy and Milby High School recently had the opportunity to learn more about pursuing their higher-education options and to start thinking about looking into options beyond their bachelor’s degree studies.

In an event hosted by Prospanica Houston (formerly known as the National Society of Hispanics MBAs) and with volunteers from the National Black MBA Association (NBMBAA), students were encouraged to explore the opportunities they can pursue after graduating high school, including the benefits of a master’s degree.

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Elementary students experience joy of competition during Special Olympics Field Day

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Elementary school students took the field on Thursday during final day of the fourth annual Special Olympics Field Days at Butler Stadium. Students were able to participate in a variety of sports, including a “Future Stars” event for the youngest athletes. Middle school and high school students competed last week during their own field days. The events give students with intellectual and developmental disabilities a chance to showcase their athletic skills by taking part in fun athletic contests.

SPARK Week brings 3 new SPARK parks to HISD 

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It’s been a long time coming, and Lyons Elementary School students can’t wait to use their newly rededicated SPARK Park. The updated park opened on Tuesday, with a jungle-themed ceremony that included performances by the school band, cheerleaders, choir, and ballet folklórico.

SPARK Park board members joined representatives from the U.S. Congress, Texas House of Representatives, and Houston City Council, as well as landscape architect Lauren Griffith, at the exuberant rededication. The original Lyons SPARK Park opened in 2004.

Continue reading →

Superintendent takes questions from HISD community during Virtual Listen & Learn broadcasts 

Superintendent Richard Carranza wrapped up his Listen & Learn Tour on Monday night with two virtual sessions in both English and Spanish, which were streamed live on HISD-TV, the district’s website, and Facebook.

Topics included the issue of recapture and how the state’s current school funding structure is affecting the district, equity, dual language programs, fine arts access, serving the whole child, standardized testing, special education, and what the superintendent is looking for in future district leaders.

Continue reading →