Before Mykayla Clark-Jolivet could begin her high school career at Middle College High School at HCC Fraga, her home was destroyed by Hurricane Harvey. This was the first of many challenges she would face on her way to graduating.
Clark-Jolivet and her family left their mold-ruined house to live in a hotel for three months.
“I left a lot of memories behind,” Clark-Jolivet said. “I was constantly late to school because the hotel was across town.”
Continue readingAs Jack Yates High School senior Ernest Russell sat on the school’s football field for the citywide senior celebration recently, it was far more than an event honoring his graduation from the historic school.
The celebration — marked by colorful Yates High School masks and chairs spaced at a proper social distance — represented the culmination of a trying journey that was marked by the loss of his father and homelessness.
“I don’t really have a word to describe it. But, if I had to come up with one, I’d say it was challenging,” Russell said.
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The Houston Independent School held virtual graduation ceremonies on Sunday to celebrate the district’s 11,000-plus graduating seniors.
The virtual commencements were broadcast in partnership with Herff Jones and in collaboration with graduation technology partners StageClip and MarchingOrder. Each virtual ceremony included recorded messages from the superintendent and other district officials, as well as audio of each student’s name as their personalized slide was displayed.
Continue readingTwo curbside summer meals sites will be closed from June 15 to June 29, following a confirmed case of the COVID-19 virus.
Paige and Port Houston elementary schools will be deep-cleaned and sanitized during the temporary closure.
Impacted employees have been notified and are now in self-quarantine in accordance with public health guidelines. Health authorities do not believe families participating in the curbside summer meals program were exposed.
Continue readingThe Houston Independent School District Board of Trustees voted 7-2 on Thursday to pass a $2 billion 2020-2021 budget, which includes a $34.4 million salary and benefits package as well as an increase in employer contribution to health insurance premiums for employees.
Continue readingThe Houston Independent School District Board of Education will consider passage of a $2 billion budget for the 2020-2021 academic year which includes a $34.4 million salary and benefits package as well as an increase in employer contribution to health insurance premiums for employees.
Continue readingThe National Wildlife Federation is offering two grant opportunities for HISD schools. Applications are due Monday, June 15.
One grant focuses on secondary schools interested in developing nature-based solutions to community stormwater runoff or flooding. The second is open to all grade levels and emphases energy literacy.
Energy and Sustainability Quality Assurance Analyst Stephanie Walker said schools should apply despite the uncertainty surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic.
Continue readingThe Marvy Finger Family Foundation awarded a record 84 full scholarships this year to Houston Independent School District graduates who will attend two-year colleges to pursue Career and Technical Education (CTE) certificates and associate’s degrees.
The scholarship recipients are students who are seeking careers in fast-growing, high-paying professions such as computer programming, maritime transportation, petroleum engineering technology, nuclear medicine technology, automotive, HVAC, pipefitting, cybersecurity, construction, licensed vocational nursing, and welding.
“The generosity of the Finger family is well known when it comes to funding post-high school career training and higher education for our graduates, but they have surpassed themselves this year,” HISD Interim Superintendent Grenita Lathan said. “These scholarships are extremely timely and appreciated right now because many of our graduates and their families are experiencing hardships due to COVID-19.”
Continue readingThousands of HISD graduating seniors gathered at their schools last Friday to virtually celebrate their years of hard work with other Houston-area students during the City of Houston’s Citywide Graduation Celebration.
HISD joined four other area school districts – Aldine, Alief, Spring and Spring Branch – in a first-of-its-kind celebration outdoor event that included a star-studded video tribute from a number of national and local celebrities, including Houston Astros All-Star shortstop Carlos Correa and Olympic gold medalist Simone Biles.
At Wheatley High School, the event was more than just a graduation celebration. Despite starting the school year as an “Improvement Required” campus, students and staff celebrated a class with a graduation rate of 98% that earned more than three million dollars in scholarship funds.
Continue readingFlames flickered and were passed from one candle to another Monday night as hundreds gathered for a candlelight vigil at HISD’s Yates High School to honor the life of George Floyd, a Yates High School alumnus.
Hosted by the Jack Yates High School National Alumni Association, the event, held on the Yates High School football field, was attended by local dignitaries, family, and friends of the Third Ward native, who was known as an accomplished athlete and religious community leader.
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