Yearly Archives: 2016

HISD seeking families and home instructors for HIPPY program

HISD’s Family and Community Engagement department is still recruiting families and part-time home instructors to work with the Home Instruction for Parents of Preschool Youngsters (HIPPY) program for the 2015–2016 school year.

HIPPY is a school readiness program for 3-, 4-, and 5-year-old children that helps parents prepare their preschoolers for academic success. Instructors visit parents in their homes for an hour a week over a 30-week period during the school year, and model research-based learning activities designed to help Pre-K children develop skills in reading, math, and science. Parents then practice the activities with their children over the week until they learn a new activity during the next lesson. Children whose parents participate in the program consistently outperform their peers in reading and math in kindergarten and first grade.

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HISD students have opportunity to attend four college fairs in February

Houston Independent School District students will have the opportunity to attend several upcoming college readiness fairs being held across the city. The events are supported by HISD’s College Readiness department, which is committed to providing higher education access to all HISD students. All events are free for HISD students. Students should check with their college access coordinator to see if school-based transportation is available. Continue reading →

Finalists announced in last round of Read to the Final Four literacy competition

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Of the eight schools that advanced to the Elite Eight, only the Final Four remained standing on Feb. 5, during the Read to the Final Four Literacy Competition pep rally at the University of Houston’s (UH) Hofheinz Pavilion.

After an activity-filled morning that included a dance-off, a science experiment by UH professor Dr. Simon Bott, and lots of cheering (assisted by the UH cheerleaders), the Final Four schools were announced. They are:

  1. Dogan ES
  2. Carrillo ES
  3. Janowski ES
  4. Browning ES

“It was so much fun!” said third-grader Braniya Banks, from top team Dogan Elementary. “All of Dogan helped us log our time to win.”

The Read to the Final Four Literacy Competition began in the fall of 2015, with 6,800 third-graders participating. Since that time, they have logged 6.4 million minutes of reading and, according to the Houston Public Library, checked out more than 5,000 books from its shelves.

Approximately 800 students attended the pep rally, which aimed not just to inspire the students, but to reward them as well for all of their hard work.

The top reader from each of the 68 participating schools will receive a bicycle, courtesy of CYCLE (Changing Young Children’s Lives through Education). The winning school will also receive a monetary award.

“This is a great event,” said Rachel Quan, vice president of External Operations for the Final Four Houston Local Organizing Committee. “It’s the culmination of a lot of different partnerships with the Final Four and the local organizing committee, the NCAA, the Houston Public Library, Cycle, UH and, of course, HISD. There’s a lot of folks involved in seeing that these third-graders get more excited about reading.”

The remaining four schools will continue competing until the final event in April, when the top school will be announced. Students at the other 64 schools should not stop reading, though, as there may be additional prizes for the top individual readers.

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First Class Breakfast expands to middle and high schools

A student at Jackson Middle School enjoys breakfast at her desk through the First Class Breakfast program.

A student at Jackson Middle School enjoys breakfast at her desk through the First Class Breakfast program.

HISD has been serving healthy, nutritious breakfasts for free to all students every school morning since 2010, and many of them receive it right in the classroom through First Class Breakfast.

Now, even more secondary students are taking advantage of this option. First Class Breakfast was already in place at 40 middle and high schools, but Nutrition Services recently added two more schools to the program and continues to add schools weekly.

Offering breakfast to students in the classroom eliminates many of the obstacles that get in the way of students eating the first meal of the day. Kenya Davis, a student at Washington High School, noted that some of her classmates ride the bus and get to school just as the bell rings. “I love the idea of breakfast in the classroom,” she said. “It gives students who are on time for school — but late for breakfast — an opportunity to eat.”

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Bellaire HS advances to “Sweet 16” round of global debate competition

Hundreds of debate teams from around the world entered the 2015–16 International Public Policy Forum (IPPF) competition, but only 16 remain — including HISD’s Bellaire High School. If Bellaire advances in the next round, the team will win an all-expenses-paid trip to the IPPF Finals in New York City on April 2.

Sponsored by the Brewer Foundation and New York University, the IPPF is the first and only competition that gives high school students from around the world the opportunity to engage in written and oral debates on issues of public policy. By advancing, the students remain eligible to win a $10,000 grand prize. The Bellaire High School team is one of only two teams from Texas to advance this round.

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HISD Board of Education outlines tentative timeline for superintendent search

The Houston Independent School District Board of Education soon will begin gathering community feedback on the candidate profile for the next superintendent, and could have a replacement named as early as May.

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HISD facing $107 million budget shortfall under current public school funding structure

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Under Texas’ current funding structure, the Houston Independent School District will be required to send millions of dollars back to the state, resulting in a projected $107 million budget shortfall for the 2016-2017 school year.

Under Chapter 41 of the Texas Education Code, the state school finance system requires districts designated as property-wealthy to send tax dollars back to the state — a process known as “recapture” and commonly referred to as Robin Hood. The money is then re-distributed to districts deemed to be property-poor, as well as to the state’s general fund for use in non-education purposes.

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Students formalize college commitments during National Signing Day ceremony

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As a part of National Signing Day, more than 100 HISD students gathered at the Pavilion on the Forest Brook Middle School campus on Feb. 3 to formally announce their intent to play sports for particular colleges or universities this fall. The annual ceremony marks the culmination of years of hard work — both in the classroom and out on the field — and many of the talented athletes present were savoring their moment in the spotlight.

“I have never been to anything like this before,” said Reagan High School soccer player Stephanie Sanchez, who is going to Alcorn State University in Loman, Mississippi. “I am just soaking it all in.”

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HISD student athletes commit to play college sports on National Signing Day

More than 100 of HISD’s top performing student athletes committed to taking their academic and athletic talent to the college level on Wednesday as part of National Signing Day.

The HISD ceremony recognized the students’ formal commitment to continue their education and sports careers at colleges and universities around the country. During the event, students signed symbolic certificates of intent to continue their careers in baseball, basketball, football, lacrosse, swimming, tennis, track and field, volleyball, water polo, and wrestling. Continue reading →

Tinsley ES building ‘Global Graduates’ through leadership council

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A group of 20 students at HISD’s Tinsley Elementary School is getting a head start on middle school, as well as a chance to build their leadership skills, thanks to a new council created by the principal.

Twice each month, 17 fifth-graders and three fourth-graders meet with the principal and faculty sponsors to discuss qualities of the Global Graduate and other subjects of interest, and once a month, they host a dinner for families and distinguished community members. The most recent dinner, held on Jan. 28, featured a special guest — Board of Education First Vice President Wanda Adams.

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