Author Archives: HISD Communications

Westbury HS moving into new building addition

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Construction on Westbury High School’s two-story building addition is wrapping up, with the school beginning to move into the space this weekend and use the new classrooms as early as March 5.

Classroom furniture setup is complete. Furniture installation for the dining commons and other flexible spaces is underway, as are final interior touches and wood floor installation in the main gym.

The school will be fully moved into the new addition by the time students return from spring break. Continue reading →

Garden Oaks Montessori to finish out school year in new additions

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The Garden Oaks Montessori campus will be buzzing with activity over spring break, as construction wraps up on two additions and crews work to ensure the buildings are ready to welcome students on March 19.

Final interior touches are underway, and safety and lighting inspections are in progress. Furniture will be delivered in the coming days, and final cleaning and floor waxing will happen before spring break. Continue reading →

Chavez Chess Academy recognized by governor, mayor  

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The Chavez Chess Academy, under the direction of instructor and coach Robert L. Myers, has been busy. In a couple of weeks, the team will travel to compete in Tokyo, and in June, they are headed for Greece and Italy.

The team has won five state chess championships in a row, and team member Anateresa Hipolito is now rated one of the top 100 girls in America. Consequently, the students were recognized by Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner and Governor Gregg Abbott.

Last summer they competed and won in London, Paris, and Rome and were featured twice on the cover of “Texas Knights,” the official publication of the Texas Chess Association.

 

HISD surveys students and parents on magnet programs

HISD is seeking parent and student input on the district’s magnet programs in an effort to better understand our families’ needs. The survey is open to students or parents of students who:

  • Attend a magnet program
  • Do not attend a magnet program
  • Live within HISD but do not currently attend an HISD school

The survey can be found at HoustonISD.org/MagnetSurvey. It will be open until March 30.

HISD pioneered the development of magnet programs in the 1970s and is known nationally for its innovative offerings at more than 100 schools.

“We remain committed to magnet programs and school choice,” said HISD Superintendent Richard Carranza. “We want to be sure that our programs are in line with the district’s vision that every child, no matter where they live, has equitable opportunities and access to an effective, personalized education.”

The community will have opportunities to comment on the magnet program in public meetings that will be scheduled for the coming weeks.

3 HISD teachers, 1 principal named finalists for 2018 HEB Excellence in Education Awards 

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Three HISD teachers and one principal have been recognized as finalists for the 2018 HEB Excellence in Education Awards, one of the largest monetary programs for educators in Texas and the nation.

Kellie Karavias of Gregory-Lincoln, Amber Neal of Almeda Elementary School, Jennifer Chase of the High School for the Performing and Visual Arts, and Principal Diego Calderon of Burbank Elementary School, are among eight educators from across Houston who were surprised in their classrooms and presented the awards.

Each teacher finalist received a $1,000 check for themselves and a $1,000 check for their schools. The principal was presented a $1,000 personal prize and a $2,500 prize for the school at a surprise pep-rally-style student assembly.

HEB will be surprising 40 finalists over the next two months. Finalists across the state will be invited to Houston on May 5-6 to compete for the chance to win additional cash prizes totaling $430,000.

Community meetings scheduled on budget deficit

HISD Board of Education Trustees are scheduling meetings in their respective districts to discuss the district’s 2018-2019 budget deficit.

Meetings may also address the difficult choices the district faces regarding improvement required campuses, HB 1842, and SB 1882. Questions from the audience are welcome.

The following meetings have been scheduled. Each meeting will begin at 6 p.m.: Continue reading →

Jordan HS construction nearly one-third complete

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The new Barbara Jordan High School for Careers is beginning to take shape with the building’s footprint almost finished and exterior and interior wall framing underway.

Roof installation — a major project milestone — is nearly complete, and installation of mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems is underway. In addition, the building will be fully enclosed by the end of May.

Jordan’s $42.4 million construction project is a part of HISD’s voter-approved 2012 Bond Program, which calls for the renovation or rebuilding of 40 schools, including 29 high schools. The 120,000-square-foot career center will accommodate 600 to 800 students who will spend part of the day at their home school and part of the day at Jordan participating in specialized, hands-on career training.

Continue reading →

Parents can sign up to participate in Special Education focus group meetings

The Texas Education Agency will be conducting focus group meetings on Monday, Feb. 26 for parents of students with disabilities across age and grade levels receiving special education services.

During the 2016-2017 school year, the United States Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs, performed a series of onsite monitoring visits to review Texas’ compliance with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. The final report was provided to TEA on Jan. 10, 2018.

The findings from that report require TEA to develop a plan to address four corrective actions. An integral part of the plan development process will be the gathering of input from stakeholders and other interested Texans. Continue reading →

HISD District III Honor Choir to perform inaugural concert

It promises to be a memorable night. The East Area Schools Office and Fine Arts Specialist Dr. Sabrina Nguyen are presenting the inaugural concert by the HISD District III Honor Choir.

The concert will take place at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, March 21, 2018, at Chavez High School, 8501 Howard Dr., 77017. The evening is presented in memory of Trustee Manuel Rodriguez Jr., who was instrumental in launching the East Area Fine Arts Initiative during the 2016-2017 academic year. Dr. Sergio Lira was elected to represent District III in November. “I support all fine arts programs in our schools because they enhance the academic achievements of all our students,” Trustee Lira said.  Continue reading →

VH1 Save the Music and Hard Rock Heals foundations donate $25,000 to Scarborough ES 

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It’s been a rough six months for Scarborough Elementary School students, staff, and parents since Hurricane Harvey flooded their school, making it uninhabitable.

“We suffered a bit of a bump back in August,” said Principal Miriam Medina. “When I saw waves of water inside our beautiful school, I knew we wouldn’t be opening on time.”

It took a month, but they finally reopened in the former Terrell Middle School, which was large enough that they could all be together. Now the students are gathered in the auditorium to celebrate the donation of $25,000 to their music program, thanks to VH1 Save the Music Foundation in partnership with Hard Rock Heals Foundation.   Continue reading →