Yearly Archives: 2017

Excellence – Whatever it Takes: Sam Houston motto rings true as construction begins

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The excitement was palpable as the Sam Houston Math, Science and Technology Center Mariachi Band began to perform on Friday, formally kicking off the celebration designed to mark the start of construction on their new school.

Blustery winds didn’t stop dozens of students, teachers, parents, and alumni from gathering in the school parking lot to witness the ceremonial groundbreaking for the new Sam Houston — part of the 2012 Bond Program — and catch a peek of the construction that already is underway.

“I believe strongly that our students deserve a state-of-the-art school,” Sam Houston Principal Alan Summers said. “Not only because they deserve to go to a school that looks good, but also because they deserve to be in a building that has facilities to help prepare them for life after high school.

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HISD Board president to host Hispanic Parent Summit with free workshops, resources 

Wanda Adams, HISD Board of Education President and District IX Trustee, will host a parent summit to provide Hispanic families with access to information and resources to prepare them to support their kids’ academic achievement.

The  free event will take place on Saturday, April 8 at Grissom Elementary School (4900 Simsbrook, Houston 77045) with registration starting at 7:30 a.m. Attendees will have an opportunity to participate in a parent panel and various workshops aimed to help parents and caregivers influence their children’s education. Parents will also be able to have their children screened for dyslexia, receive assistance completing FAFSA/TAFSA applications, learn about selecting the best schools for their kids, and much more.  Continue reading →

HISD Board of Education names new chief audit executive

Garland Blackwell

The Houston Independent School District Board of Education has selected Garland W. Blackwell as the district’s new chief audit executive.

Mr. Blackwell most recently served as an internal audit director for Parsons, a global engineering services firm, where he established and directed the internal audit process for its regional offices in the Middle East and Africa. He has more than 25 years of internal audit and financial experience.

“The HISD Board of Education is pleased to welcome Mr. Blackwell to our district,” said HISD Board President Wanda Adams. “He is an accomplished internal auditor who will provide critical oversight of the district and recommendations for improvement that will safeguard district resources and support our core values. It has been a priority of our board and audit committee to fill this position to ensure that integrity and transparency are maintained across the district.”

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Rain or shine: Parker ES makes headway despite weather delays  

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Construction on the new Parker Elementary School — Houston’s original music magnet — is almost 25 percent complete with the steel structure already in place and build-out of the interior walls underway.

“Things were very slow in the beginning due to rainy weather, but since the walls have gone up, things have been moving along quite quickly, said Parker Principal Lori Frodine. “We prefer a quality job rather than a rushed job, so we are very happy to see that.”

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National Public Health Week event for families scheduled for April 1

The Houston Health Department will observe National Public Health Week (April 3-9) with a family health event on Saturday, April 1 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Judson Robinson Community Center (2020 Hermann Drive, Houston, 77004).

The goal for this event is to create an interactive, fun and engaging experience for HISD families. The Houston Health Department is a longtime partner with HISD and hopes to connect as many families as possible on to on-the-spot services such as:    Continue reading →

Real Men Read volunteers passionate about reading to students 

Real Men Read is a mentoring program in which men volunteer at least one hour a month to read to students in third grade.

“Real Men Read is not just a program, it’s a passion,” said Read Men Read volunteer Bill Turney, who reads to Askew Elementary School students once a month. “My objective is to transfer to the children my love of reading.” He said that reading to young children not only keeps him young but allows him to experience the joy of being a child again.   Continue reading →

I am HISD: Bellaire teacher’s book will likely become a movie 

Bellaire High School English teacher Jennifer Blessington.

Bellaire High School English teacher Jennifer Blessington’s fourth young adult novel, “Moxie,” caught the attention of Amy Poehler, and her production company, Paper Kite, has acquired the film rights. Poehler, 45, is an actress, comedian, director, producer, and writer. She was a cast member of “Saturday Night Live“ from 2001-2008 and the star of “Parks and Recreation“ from 2009-2015. Roaring Brook Press will publish “Moxie” on Sept. 19. Jennifer publishes her novels under the name Jennifer Mathieu.

What grade do you teach?

I have taught sixth, seventh, eighth, and 11th grades. Currently, I teach English II at Bellaire High School.

How long have you been teaching?

I am currently in my 12th year in the classroom.

When did you publish your first book?

My first book, “The Truth About Alice,” was published in the summer of 2014.    Continue reading →

City of Houston to host summer job fairs

Mayor Sylvester Turner and the City of Houston, in partnership with the McDonald’s Owner/Operators Association of Greater Houston, are hosting a series of “on the spot” hiring events to help connect youth and young adults, ages 16-24, with potential employers looking to fill summer jobs.

Bring your resume, Texas ID, and Social Security card, and get hired on the spot!

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Accept an offered magnet seat by Thursday, April 6

Parents who submitted magnet applications for the 2017-2018 school year have until Thursday, April 6, to accept any offered seat.

Parents who participated in Phase 1 of the application process (Sept. 30 – Dec. 9, 2016) were notified of the status of their submissions on Thursday, March 23. Phase I includes in-district applications only.

Parents who created online accounts can find the results posted on their dashboards, and letters were sent out by U.S. mail to all parents who submitted an application.

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Meetings offer opportunities to learn more about Recapture before May 6 vote 

HISD voters will be asked on May 6 to decide how the district will pay its Recapture obligation to the state of Texas.

Voters will choose between two options—purchase attendance credits from the state or have commercial property detached. A vote against purchasing attendance credits means that the district permanently will lose tax collections for certain commercial properties. A vote for purchasing attendance credits means that HISD will write a check to the state for local property taxes and continue to make annual recapture payments as long as property wealth grows. A number of community town hall meetings are scheduled for the public to learn more about the vote and HISD’s Recapture status: Continue reading →