The top six Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (JROTC) cadets, who were named earlier this month, were honored on April 25 at the Annual HISD JROTC Final Review and Awards Ceremony.
All were promoted to the rank of Cadet Colonel (Army) or Cadet Captain (Navy), which are the highest ranks in the program. The top seniors were chosen from among all the graduating seniors in HISD’s 25 JROTC programs.
Campus is the sixth and last to be featured in a series of articles on magnet schools with space still available
Scarborough High School students tour the Houston ISD data center, March 12, 2014. (Houston ISD/Dave Einsel)
In today’s digital world, the value of technical computer know-how cannot be overstated.
That’s why HISD is giving students a leg-up in that industry by offering classes in networking and computer administration through the Futures Academy at Scarborough High School.
Scarborough is one of eight district campuses offering a specialized course of instruction designed to give students a strong foundation in traditional subject matter, as well as the technical knowledge they need to land jobs in high-demand fields right after graduation.
Campus is the fifth to be featured in a series of articles on magnet schools that still have space available
Members of Marshall Middle School Academy of Fine Arts Band perform during The Rusk School ribbon cutting ceremony, April 7, 2014. (Houston ISD/Dave Einsel)
HISD has six magnet campuses with a fine arts focus serving grades 6–8, and Marshall Middle School is one of them.
There, students can take classes in band, choir, dance, guitar, mariachi, orchestra, piano, theater arts, or visual art to develop their creative expression, and young artists work together to produce high-quality performances, exhibitions, and publications.
Campus is fourth in a series of articles on magnet schools with space still available
Students who attend Austin High School have two enticing study pathways available to them. They can embark on a path to becoming educators themselves through the school’s well-established teaching professions program, or they can explore careers in the thriving maritime industry.
When the school’s teaching program was created in 1982, it was the first high-school teacher preparation program of its kind in the nation. Today, the program benefits from a partnership with the University of Houston that prepares students both for life on a college campus after graduation, and life in the classroom as professional educators afterwards.
L-R are: Bellaire HS students Sue Anne Davis, Kevin Nguyen, Jennifer Wang, Afton Widdershins, and Steven Zhou-Wright
Students win free trip to Calif. to present their work at NASA planetary science conference
A team of three seniors and two juniors from Bellaire High School will be presenting its findings to professional scientists this summer, after winning the annual Exploration of the Moon and Asteroids by Secondary Students (ExMASS) contest.
The ExMASS contest, which is managed by the Center for Lunar Science and Exploration and administered at the Lunar and Planetary Institute (LPI) in Houston, challenges students to research an idea in either lunar science or asteroid science.
Campus is second in a series of schools with space available to be profiled in advance of School Choice Fair
Kellie Karavias (holding rake) poses with some of her students
Students at HISD’s Gregory Lincoln Education Center can not only hone their skills in the visual and performing arts, but also in the culinary arts. This fine arts magnet school, which serves students in grades Pre-K through 8, offers focused instruction in the areas of music, choir, theatre arts, dance, visual arts, and multimedia.
The campus also has a culinary arts program led by Kellie Karavias, who was named a “Food Revolution Hero” in 2013 by celebrity Chef Jamie Oliver. Under her supervision, students learn how food is grown by working in the school garden, how food is prepared by cooking or assembling dishes in the kitchen, and even how restaurants and other commercial food production facilities are inspected by taking tours of district facilities.
Volunteers needed to read with first-graders for 30 to 60 minutes per week
It’s National Volunteer Week, and HISD would like to recognize and encourage the many people who volunteer their time with the district. Volunteers are an integral part of the HISD family who share the common goal of wanting to help students succeed.
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“I heard about the volunteer program on TV and thought, ‘I can get out of the house and do something worthwhile,’” said Loretha Fore, a retired teacher who is now an HISD volunteer at Southmayd Elementary School. “We have so much to give, especially retired people. We’re going out to lunch and getting together with friends, but this is something we can all do to help students and give back to our communities. You are giving, but also receiving.”
Annually, nearly 31,000 community members apply to volunteer in HISD schools through Volunteers in Public Schools (VIPS). With the launch of even more opportunities, including the district’s Read Houston Read volunteer program, that number is expected to grow.
Ministers Alliance to support HISD’s Literacy By 3 program at Burrus, Kennedy
Almost 20 faith-based organizations in the Independence Heights community have joined forces to lend their support to HISD’s Literacy By 3 initiative at two neighborhood elementary schools.
Members of the Independence Heights Greater Houston Ministers Alliance (IHGHMA) met with HISD Board of Education President Rhonda Skillern-Jones, Curriculum Specialist Carley Colton, and representatives from Scholastic, Inc., and the Bush Houston Literacy Foundation on April 9 to discuss plans for “Lifting Through Literacy,” a summer reading challenge that will benefit students at both Burrus and Kennedy elementary schools—and possibly serve as a model for other struggling communities.
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“Illiteracy gives birth to dropouts, joblessness, crime, and teen pregnancy,” explained Reverend Ray Mackey, who serves as chairperson for the IHGHMA. “I envision this pilot as a program that will show how faith-based organizations can get involved to make an impact. And if it’ll work in Independence Heights, then it’ll work in Acres Homes or Hiram Clarke or Sunnyside or Kashmere Gardens.”
Districtwide celebration is also a chance to hand in paperwork
This year, students and families can celebrate their acceptance into a magnet program by participating in a Magnet Signing Day event at their campus of choice.
Magnet Signing Day events—which are scheduled at the school level and do not fall on any particular date—provide an opportunity for parents and students not only to celebrate, but to meet with school officials and confirm their child’s seat at the accepting school. Parents should bring a signed copy of their Magnet Entrance Agreement, proof of residence, and, if they have a child new to HISD entering Pre-K or kindergarten, proof of that child’s age, to the festivities.
One of the best aspects of working for a school district is the opportunity to be part of a team—and that is particularly true for speech therapists.
“After salary considerations, the most critical thing speech therapists say they look for in a position is the chance to work in a supportive environment where they can collaborate with other professionals,” said Cheval Bryant, manager of Speech and Language Services. “In clinical settings, it’s often just one person in a room with a child. But in school settings, professionals aren’t in silos. They work closely with school psychologists, diagnosticians, and teachers to best serve students.”
And that’s precisely the message that Bryant and several other members of the Office of Special Education were out in force to share at the Texas Speech-Language-Hearing Association’s 59th annual convention in San Antonio earlier this month.