Author Archives: HISD Communications

Free ‘Camp Adventures’ offered for HISD elementary students  

The Barbara Bush Houston Literacy Foundation and the Houston Area Urban League are sponsoring two summer Camp Adventures in July and August.

The first camp is July 10 through July 21 at Atherton Elementary School (2011 Solo).  The second camp will take place at Bastian Elementary School (5051 Bellfort) from July 24 through Aug. 4. Each camp registration deadline is open through the end of summer school for all HISD K-5 students. Registration will be on a first-come, first-served basis and will be limited to 400 campers per each camp session. Continue reading →

Three classrooms added to Pilgrim Academy expansion

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Three new classrooms are being added to the current expansion of Pilgrim Academy as part of a plan allowing forecasted bond surplus funds to be used for outstanding needs at bond campuses across the district.

The new plan, approved last month by the HISD Board of Education, set aside an additional $842,000 for Pilgrim.

Continue reading →

HISD named District of Distinction for dual language program

The Association of Two-Way and Dual Language Education has named Houston ISD as the recipient of the 2017 District of Distinction award for the district’s dual language program.

“This national award is presented to schools and districts that have been trailblazers in establishing powerful school programs that ensure the opportunity of bilingualism and biliteracy for their students,” said Rosa Molina executive director of ATDLE. “The dual language programs started in HISD over 20 years ago, and recognition for HISD’s commitment to this work is long overdue.”

The national award will be presented during 25th Annual Two-Way Bilingual Immersion Conference in Palm Springs, Calif. on June 27.  Continue reading →

HSPVA receives ‘Exemplary School’ designation from Arts Schools Network 

HISD’s High School for the Performing and Visual Arts has been designated a 2017–2019 Exemplary School by Arts Schools Network, the nation’s largest professional membership organization of specialized arts schools.

The Exemplary School designation is presented to Arts Schools Network member schools that follow the ASN Principles of Exemplary Practice in strategically evaluating the school’s purpose, operations, and educational programs. ASN will honor HSPVA at the ASN 2017 Annual Conference in the Twin Cities, Minnesota on Oct. 25.  Continue reading →

HISD nutrition services officer serves as keynote speaker at Healthy Food Fuels Hungry Minds conference   

Nutrition Services Officer Betti J. Wiggins served as a keynote speaker during the Healthy Food Fuels Hungry Minds conference at Harvard University last week.

The conference was organized by a partnership between Let’s Talk About Food, the Massachusetts Health Council, and Harvard University Dining Services.

Wiggins was invited to speak about her experience as the executive director of school nutrition at Detroit Public Schools, where she adopted and implemented key principles that allowed students to receive the healthiest food available. Her work included creating community gardens and implementing the first CEP (Community Eligibility Provision) program that allowed 100 percent of students in the district to eat lunch at no cost.   Continue reading →

I am HISD: Brookline ES teacher secures outside support for Title I school

Ted Wills from Brookline ES (left) with Philip Ugalde, Regents Bank; Andrew Arizpe, Mutual of Omaha; and Doug Reinarz, Regents Bank, at an East End Chamber of Commerce luncheon.

Brookline Elementary School teacher Theodore Wills wears many hats. Just four years ago, he was working as a fourth-grade transitional reading teacher when Principal Marco Morales asked him to take charge of the library and become the school’s community-engagement and corporate-outreach point person. Wills has a background in fundraising, public relations, and volunteer management, and he went to work raising $100,000 for the school’s library. It took a while, but he reached his goal recently. 

What did you do first after you got the new job? 

Immediately, I began inviting speakers and organizations for school and after-school programming, including Literacy Advance of Houston, Volunteer Houston, Houston Ballet, the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, University of Houston’s Graduate School of Education, FotoFest, iWrite, Houston Skyline Rotary Club, and Hahn Gallery. I wrote to groups and foundations like Houston CPAs Helping Schools for grants to enhance our ebook collection. I started networking at local professional events and cultivating new contacts on LinkedIn.  Continue reading →

Business representatives get tips on tweaking sales styles to fit different personalities

Representatives from local businesses came together last week to get tips from Houston-area business builder and coach Ted Hair on how to increase their sales by tapping into a buyer’s personality.

Since the early 1900s, Hair said, a personality-based sales model has been used to teach salespeople how to identify and speak to different buyers by classifying them into one of four different categories —dominance, influence, steadiness, and compliance (DiSC).

“You’re not a salesperson,” Hair said, stressing the importance of identifying your buyer. “You’re a problem-solver.”

Continue reading →

Plan to rebuild Bellaire HS moving forward

The Houston Independent School District is moving forward with a plan to rebuild Bellaire High School at its current location on South Rice Boulevard and has formally submitted applications to the City of Bellaire for required permits and variances.

The first stop for the project proposal will be the city’s Planning and Zoning Commission on June 13, when the request for a Specific Use permit will be considered. In addition, the district is seeking variances from the Board of Adjustments that would allow construction of a building of approximately 434,000 square feet with up to four stories on some portions toward the interior of the site.

The Board of Adjustments meeting is June 15. If the Specific Use permit and variances are approved, the project then could head to the Bellaire City Council in August for a public hearing and final vote.

Continue reading →

HISD Board of Education approves changes to 2017-2018 Code of Student Conduct

The Houston Independent School District Board of Education approved a proposal to update the 2017-2018 Code of Student Conduct.

Among the changes is a plan to offer alternatives in some cases to students who have been referred to the district’s Disciplinary Alternative Education Program (DAEP). Other changes include reclassifying the level of some non-statutory offenses and aligning the code with the district’s recently adopted policy banning suspensions in second grade and below. Continue reading →