Yearly Archives: 2017

Supe embarks on marathon tour to welcome students, staff back after Harvey

On Sept. 11, the first day of school after Hurricane Harvey hit Houston on Aug. 26 and delayed the start of school in HISD, Superintendent Richard Carranza visited six schools to welcome back students and staff members. 

7:22 a.m.: Allison Acres Mobile Home Community

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On a cool, clear Monday morning, Superintendent Richard Carranza greeted two elementary students in south Houston at their bus stop, admiring their electronic sneakers and new backpacks and taking selfies with them for his Twitter page. He was impressed when he asked one of them for advice to pass on to his followers, and she said, “Don’t talk back to your teacher.” Carranza then boarded the bus with the students and rode with them to school, showing off the drawings they did for him when he arrived at Codwell Elementary. Continue reading →

Teachers awaiting start of school attend trauma training and plan community event

Displaced teachers gathering at Kingdom Builders Center for week of training and collaboration

HISD teachers working at schools with delayed starts are gathering at the Kingdom Builders Center in southwest Houston for a week of planning, collaboration, and learning how to best meet the emotional needs of students affected by Hurricane Harvey and its aftermath.

Later in the week, staff from the nearly a dozen campuses will travel to the impacted neighborhoods surrounding their schools for a community event.

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DeBakey HSHP welcomes back students for the first day of school

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Reaching five-stories high, the stairwells at DeBakey High School for Health Professions were filled with students making their way to their classrooms on Monday morning for the first day of school.

DeBakey Principal Agnes Perry said she had been looking forward to having her students back, and both her parents and students also seemed excited about the day.

“I’ve been waiting for this day to happen,” Perry said. “Our teachers are ready.”

Continue reading →

Milby HS students walk new hallways for the first time

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Footsteps echoed throughout the hallways of the new Milby High School as students flowed into the building on Monday for the first day of the 2017-2018 school year.

Principal Roy de la Garza said he and his staff were excited to spend the first day in the school after so much time away. For the past three years, Milby High School students and staff have been temporarily located at the old Jones campus to allow for construction of their new school, which was part of the 2012 Bond.

“It’s so much nicer to be back in the neighborhood,” de la Garza said, admitting that he was overcome with emotion after walking the building on the first day and seeing his students in their new classrooms for the first time. “It’s so good to have them here.”

Continue reading →

Codwell ES students mark first day of school year with newly renovated building

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Codwell Elementary School staff were all smiles on Monday as they welcomed students back to their newly renovated Tavenor Lane campus.

The day held special significance for many parents and students — not just because it marked the first day of the 2017-2018 school year, but because it marked the first time they were able to go back into the building since having to relocate to a temporary campus three years ago.

“This is like a dream come true,” Codwell Principal Kristy Love said while greeting her students with hugs as they trickled into the main entrance of the school. “Our 21st century building with modern technology will rival any suburban school.”

Continue reading →

Wisdom HS staff work around the clock to repair leaks, open new school after Hurricane Harvey

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Senior Jasmine Jones cringes when she thinks of the old Wisdom High School. Corridors were narrow and dark, the air conditioning was always on the fritz, and negativity seemed to surround the student body.

It looked and felt like a prison, Jones and her friends said Monday — their first day of class in the new Wisdom High School, which was built as part of the 2012 Bond Program.

“It’s just a whole new environment. It feels so different,” Jones said, noting that the impact of having a modern new building was academically and emotionally significant. “I feel like people are going to be more into school and trying to learn. I feel like even the teachers are more motivated.” Continue reading →

Sharpstown International School showcases renovated spaces on the first day of school

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Sharpstown International School Teacher Kyle O’Heron chuckled as he pointed to a group of students who had planted themselves in desks that were the farthest possible distance away from the entrance to his classroom.

Without fail, he said, students always gravitate to the back of the classroom.

But in Sharpstown International’s new learning centers, where white boards hang on nearly every wall, the concept of front and back is now obsolete.

“My goal is to never have a back of the classroom,” O’Heron said, pointing to the large white board hanging directly behind the students. “The more board space we have, the more kids can be up and doing problems on the board.” Continue reading →

Kashmere High School opens renovated campus

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Kashmere High School students buzzed with anticipation Monday morning as teachers, staff, and community members welcomed them for their first day back to school at a newly renovated campus.

“It’s just beautiful,” Principal Nancy Blackwell proclaimed. “We went from dark and dingy to light and open.”

Blackwell said that the aesthetics that surround a child are important, so she is hopeful the new environment will positively impact students — both academically and emotionally.

Kashmere was renovated as part of HISD’s voter-approved 2012 Bond Program. In conjunction with an upgraded front entrance, the $17 million project included upgrading and enclosing the main central courtyard to create a large, indoor flexible space designed for year-round use. Continue reading →

Completed renovations mark new start for Waltrip HS

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Waltrip High School students and staff had an unusual start to the new school year — and not just because of the two-week delay caused by Hurricane Harvey. For the first time in almost 10 years, the school is not under construction.

“I’m thrilled that construction is complete, and we have a facility that is well suited to supporting instruction,” Principal Dale Mitchell said on Monday. “Educating students is much easier to do when classrooms are sized correctly and with new equipment.”

The first day of school initially was planned for Monday, Aug. 28, but that start date was delayed as a result of damages and flooding sustained from Hurricane Harvey. Most HISD schools — including Waltrip — opened on Sept. 11, but some were further delayed or even relocated to temporary campuses as crews worked to repair buildings that sustained the most significant damage during the storm. Continue reading →

Hurricane Harvey delays don’t dampen excitement at new Leland College Prep Academy

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After a two-week storm delay, Mickey Leland College Preparatory Academy for Young Men Principal Dameion Crook was so excited for the start of school on Monday, he couldn’t sleep the night before.

“I got here at 6 a.m.,” Crook said as he stood in front of his school directing cars in the driveway. “I beat the plant operator.”

For Crook and his students and staff, Monday marked not just the first day of school but the first day of school in their new building, constructed as part of the 2012 Bond Program. The $30.3 million project called for a new facility that could accommodate up to 1,000 middle school and high schools students. Continue reading →