When it comes to temperature levels, HVAC team lead Jonathan Harper is an expert in keeping things ‘just right.’
‘Just right’ can depend on the season with sweltering Texas heat and mild winters. But his goal is always the same — keep students and staff comfortable.
“If I get a call saying a building is too hot, my first response is to check the chillers on the roof,” Harper said.
Continue readingThe Houston Independent School District on Monday, Nov. 16, will unveil the winners of the district’s 2020 holiday greeting card student art competition.
This year, 18 students from HISD elementary, middle, and high schools were named finalists from a total of 99 entries. The 18 finalists were chosen by the district’s area superintendents. Those 18 entries then went to HISD Interim Superintendent Grenita Lathan for judging. She then chose one elementary, one middle school and one high school to represent the district as winners.
During a virtual ceremony beginning at 12:30 p.m. at Hattie Mae White Educational Support Center, the winning cards will be announced by HISD Interim Superintendent Grenita Lathan.
Continue readingThe Houston Independent School District will host its next virtual Parent University workshop from 6 to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 17.
The theme of the third session will be “Digital Citizenship.” The workshop will begin with a general session followed by virtual breakout sessions that will include information on district programs, parent engagement, community resources, and how parents can become active partners in the digital education of their children.
Continue readingApply by March 22 for a full career and technical education scholarship
Students considering a career in construction, transportation, nursing, or industrial technology may qualify for a full scholarship in one of these fields or many more. Local and national industry data show a need for highly skilled employees in high-growth jobs with great earning potential.
Since 2012, the Marvy Finger Family Foundation Scholarship has been awarding worthy HISD graduates full scholarships covering their two-year degree or certification program in these high-demand careers. This scholarship includes not just tuition but books, fees, etc.
This year, 100 full scholarships are available from Finger for a career and technical degree or certificate program in the fields of automotive, construction, digital information and technology, industrial technology, health science, law, logistics, manufacturing, and transportation distribution. Included in these fields are HVAC, pipefitting, cybersecurity, welding, maritime transportation, and more (see application for a complete list).
Continue readingTo guide district decision-making, particularly moving forward on virtual learning, the HISD Research and Accountability Department is launching a districtwide Fall 2020 Virtual/Remote Learning Parent Survey.
The survey will run from Monday, November 9 through Tuesday, November 17. Parents are asked to complete the survey online at HoustonISD.org/FallParentSurvey. The survey is also available in Spanish, Vietnamese, and Arabic.
Continue readingDue to the Covid-19 pandemic, an increasing number of colleges and universities are waiving the American College Testing (ACT) and Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT) as part of their fall 2021 admissions process.
The SAT and ACT tests will not only be optional for students, but most colleges are also not requiring students to take the exams to be considered for admission.
“This presents a great opportunity for students,” HISD Chief Strategy and Innovation Officer Rick Cruz said. “This allows them to demonstrate that they are academically capable in different ways.”
Continue readingWith homemade thank-you cards in hand, Tonya Middleton’s class at Southmayd Elementary School eagerly awaited a visit from a surprise special guest.
When Houston Astros all-star third baseman Alex Bregman burst through the school’s library doors on Monday with a smile on his face and gifts in his hands, a collective gasp could be heard from the group of students, all of whom are on the autism spectrum.
“It is a blast and an honor to be here,” he said while juggling a box of iPads for the students. ““Hopefully, these iPads help the students because it is a fun way to learn.”
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Eight HISD seniors each were awarded a $10,000 college scholarship through the Women’s Energy Network Houston’s Young Women Energized Partnership.
The scholarships are awarded to exemplary high school senior girls from the greater Houston area with exemplary academic records and who have demonstrated leadership potential throughout their high school career.
The winners will be honored at the Women Energized Network Houston’s virtual 2020 Young Women Energized event, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 7. The program will feature breakout sessions on careers in STEM, scholarships, and will be headlined by keynote speaker and BEACON ocean energy probe inventor, Hannah Herbst.
Continue readingWith the third six weeks of the 2020-2021 school year approaching, HISD families have the option to revise their selection for either in-person or virtual instruction for students. The first day of the third six weeks is December 7.
The selection process remains the same. Parents will have from Monday, November 9, through Friday, November 13, to make their selection through the HISD Connect Parent Portal “Forms” section. If parents would like to keep their selection as-is, no action is needed. The current selected mode of instruction will carry over for the third six-week grading period.
Continue readingThe Houston Independent School District’s James DeAnda Elementary School has been named one of the best urban schools in the nation by the National Center for Urban School Transformation.
“I want to congratulate the entire team at DeAnda Elementary School for their continued hard work and dedication to the children they are entrusted to educate,” Interim Superintendent Grenita Lathan said. “Our outstanding educators there exemplify HISD’s mission to empower our students to become global leaders, to strive for excellence, and to become responsible citizens.”
A critical thinking initiative has been in place at DeAnda for more than five years. It provides a rigorous curriculum designed to transform instruction into real-life experiences.
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