Author Archives: HISD Communications

Aramco donates $4.7 million to support students, teachers at schools affected by Harvey

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The HISD Foundation today announced seven schools in which students were displaced due to damage from Hurricane Harvey will be the beneficiaries of a $4.7 million flood relief donation from Aramco Services Company, the Houston-based U.S. subsidiary of Saudi Aramco.

“The schools that will benefit from this grant are still working toward a sense of normalcy,” said Superintendent Richard Carranza. “It’s overwhelming, in a good way, to know that these students, staff, and school communities are the beneficiaries of this kind of generosity and kindness.”

The donation will be used by the foundation to replace and enhance technology and fulfill needs requests for Braeburn, Hilliard, Kolter, Mitchell, Robinson, and Scarborough elementary schools, and Liberty High School. Those items include, but are not limited to: Continue reading →

HISD honors longtime trustees Eastman and Lunceford 

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HISD trustees Anna Eastman and Mike Lunceford, who both were elected to the HISD Board of Trustees in 2009 and are now retiring, were thanked on Thursday for their service during a reception at the Hattie Mae White Educational Support Center.

Superintendent Richard Carranza thanked Eastman and Lunceford for their eight years of service, calling them “good public stewards of public tax dollars. … Your touch is everywhere in our district, and your legacy will live on for years.” He presented them with crystal apples as a small token of the district’s appreciation. Continue reading →

HISD students get $100 gift cards for shopping spree with police officers, pro athletes

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Houston Independent School District students and police officers experienced the joy and excitement of Christmas a few days early thanks to the Shop with a Cop, Shop with a Jock community event.

With $100 gift cards in their hands and accompanied by one police officer and one professional athlete, 100 students had 10 minutes to shop for whatever they wanted in the Target at 8500 Main St.

When the horn sounded, students took off, making a mad dash to the toy section to grab what they could in the allotted time. It didn’t take long for them to find exactly what they wanted. Continue reading →

New Lawson MS makes steady construction progress

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Construction on the new Lawson Middle School is making steady progress, with work now more than 70 percent complete and on track to be finished in the second quarter of 2018.

Walls and ceiling have been installed, and, in the coming weeks, crews will begin painting the gymnasium, locker rooms, and a section of the academic pods. Installation of the theater stage and elevator also are underway, and driveways are being poured on both the east and west sides of the building.

“It’s exciting,” Lawson Principal Kasey Bailey said, noting that she and her staff would be doing a walk-through next week. “Last time they toured the building, it was just a shell. This time they’ll have a more vivid picture of what the spaces will look like since windows, walls, and doors are installed.”

Continue reading →

Construction on new Yates HS surpasses halfway mark

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Construction of the new Yates High School is more than halfway complete, with crews already in the process of installing floors, painting walls, laying pavers, pouring sidewalks, and erecting permanent fencing.

A CenterPoint transformer and meter also has been set, meaning power soon will be connected to the building, allowing crews to begin testing mechanical systems inside the building.

The main entry facing north is nearly complete, with the main entry facing south and building signage soon to follow. The elevator also will soon be installed, and project officials plan to begin ordering new furniture in January.

Continue reading →

Wraparound services at center of new districtwide initiative 

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Campus specialists to coordinate non-academic supports for students 

Wisdom High’s School’s new Wraparound Resource Specialist Wagma Isaqzoy has only officially been on the job for a few weeks, but her efforts are already making a lasting impact on students.

Recently, with the help of the nonprofit group Be the Peace Be the Hope and the support of Wisdom High School’s ESL Department, Isaqzoy organized a three-day workshop for 200 of the school’s newcomer students. The workshop focused on the unique social and emotional needs of being new to the United States and culminated with a celebration event on campus Dec 11. At the event, students received a Citizenship Month certificate from the Houston Mayor’s Office of New Americas.  Continue reading →

Austin HS hosts community meeting to discuss temporary campus move

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Students, faculty, and community members gathered Tuesday in the Austin High School auditorium to learn about the construction plan for their new facility, as well as the logistics of their relocation to a temporary campus.

Austin High School is being re-built as part of HISD’s voter-approved 2012 Bond Program. The $79.6 million project calls for a new facility that accommodates 1,800 to 2,000 students and preserves the architecturally significant structure of the current building.

To accommodate construction and ensure safety, students and staff will relocate to a temporary campus — made up of 15 temporary buildings offering all of the school’s current academic and athletic programs — along S. Lockwood Drive. Students will report to the temporary campus, which is directly behind the current school, when they return from winter break on Jan. 8.

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Garden Oaks Montessori additions set for first quarter completion

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Construction of two new buildings at Garden Oaks Montessori is nearing the finish line as both structures, as well as the first phase of campus renovations, are scheduled to be complete next quarter.

In the new buildings, external masonry and metal panels have been installed, as have most windows. All interior walls have been inspected and now are being insulated and covered.

Much of the remaining work will focus on interior finishes, including installation of ceiling panels, drywall, doors, and other built-ins.

“It’s been a lot of hard work, but the project has made great progress,” said Garden Oaks Montessori Principal Lindsey Pollock. “We’re planning to move in over spring break, and that’s very exciting.” Continue reading →

Professional Learning Communities driving effective instruction at Worthing HS 

Before Worthing High School teacher Mike Judge sits down and begins to map out a classroom lesson for his students, he meets first with a group of teachers and administrators from his campus to examine data, collaborate and share expertise. The group meeting is called a PLC or a Professional Learning Community.

“Our PLCs are the foundation of effective teaching here at Worthing,” Principal Khalilah Campbell told HISD trustees at a board presentation Dec. 5. “When we sat down as a team and really examined our campus data to determine the root cause of our school’s struggles, it became clear to us that is was planning.”

Continue reading →

HISD thanks Houston Fire Department for sacrifices during and after Harvey

In the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey, HISD students had the opportunity to thank Houston firefighters by creating gifts of art that reflect the heroism of their work.

Michelle Hernandez, a student at East Early College High School, created artwork portraying a firefighter whose shadow turns into a figure wearing a cape. “We might see a firefighter, but we all know they are all heroes,” said Hernandez.

HISD thanked firefighters during November’s College & Career Ready Day at Austin High School, where Houston Fire Chief Sam Peña reflected on the sacrifices made by the city’s firefighters during and after the storm.

“The men and women in our department responded admirably,” said Peña. “Some of these individuals were out there working two, three, four days straight.”

HISD District VIII Trustee Diana Dávila said first responders played a key role in getting Houston schools ready to welcome students back to the classroom — and back to a sense of normalcy — after Harvey.  “While everybody else was trying to get their lives together and get their homes together, our first responders had to go back and work,” said Dávila. “It’s these people that rally together and help make it all possible.”

Watch the video above for a look at how HISD said thank you to the men and women of the Houston Fire Department.