Author Archives: HISD Communications

Lamar HS nearing start of construction

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The initial construction phase for Lamar High School is expected to get underway this month after the district approves the project’s Guaranteed Maximum Price and issues a “Notice-to-Proceed” to the construction manager-at-risk, Gilbane Construction.

This first phase of construction — dubbed “Phase 0” — will focus on re-routing underground utilities, relocating the central utility plant, and demolishing a small portion of the current building that stands in the footprint of the new construction. Some street parking and athletics activities will be impacted.

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Texans encourage students to view police officers as community heroes, role models 

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The Houston Texans and the HISD Police Department on Tuesday teamed up to bring a message to students at Cullen Middle School that law enforcement officers – especially those in their schools and neighborhoods – can serve as positive role models.

The program with the Texans, called Houston Heroes: Community Conversations, involves one‐hour, small-group discussions with HISD students to strengthen relationships with police officers from multiple agencies, as well as to highlight some of the heroes everyone has in their lives.

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Last school choice fair on Saturday as first magnet deadline approaching 

School Choice Fair at Westbury High School, September 17, 2016.

School staff discusses magnet options with parents at a school choice fair in September at Westbury High School.

Parents have a wide variety of choices regarding where to send their students to school in HISD, but time is running out to be in the first round of consideration.

Parents who still aren’t sure which school they want their child to attend next year are invited to the final School Choice Fair from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday, Dec. 3, at Sterling High School (11625 Martindale Road, 77048). Representatives from HISD magnet schools will be there, and attendees can get help submitting their application.

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Give to Houston’s students on #GivingTuesday

You scooped up money-saving deals on Black Friday and Cyber Monday. How about a day for giving back?

Tuesday, Nov. 29 is #GivingTuesday, a global movement to raise money for local nonprofits and schools, teach children about philanthropy, and celebrate generosity.

It’s easy to make Houston’s schoolchildren part of your #GivingTuesday. Here are just a few ways you can invest in the children of HISD – with your time, money, or knowledge:

  • Make a donation to the HISD Foundation: The HISD Foundation supports districtwide and school-based programs and initiatives aimed at increasing student academic achievement, eliminating the minority achievement gap, and developing and retaining effective educators in every classroom. The foundation believes equity, literacy, innovation, college access, and great people can help to ensure students are prepared for success in college and the workforce.
  • Become a VIP: Volunteers in Public Schools (VIPS) recruits parents and community partners to donate their time, resources, and knowledge to help increase student achievement. Volunteers contribute in areas such as mentoring, tutoring, fundraising, career education, enrichment programs, extracurricular and community service activities. Register online here.
  • Volunteer for Read Houston Read: Help a child develop a love for reading by sharing a book with them online or in person. It only takes an hour of your time each week during the school year to instill a lifelong love of reading in a student.

Learn more about getting involved in HISD here.

#GivingTuesday was born at 92nd Street Y, a community and cultural center in New York in 2012. Since then, people from different backgrounds, cultures and regions around the world have helped to create a global day of giving that reflects 92Y’s commitment to strengthening communities and repairing the world.  In 2015, nonprofits raised more than $117 million online on #GivingTuesday.

 

Celebrate the 12 Days of Code with a new coding experience every day  

HISD is inviting all students to celebrate the 12 Days of Code in December with interactive calendars that allow them to engage in a new coding experience every day.

Coding helps students solve problems, use logic, and think creatively, and it gives them a foundation for success in 21st century careers. The activities on these three calendars – for elementary, middle, and high school – include designing an iPhone game, tracking Santa, decoding messages with cryptography, animating text, and more. Students can even go beyond the 12 Days of Code and complete activities over the winter break.

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Parent Engagement Representatives enhance parent and guardian outreach efforts 

faceThe Family and Community Engagement (FACE) department carries out its mission of advancing student achievement by building parent engagement within HISD. One key component to achieve this goal is by empowering parents to become advocates in their children’s education, and to do so, FACE is helping schools build their capacity to reach parents through its FACE Parent Engagement Representatives (PERs) program.

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HISD hosting teacher recruitment fair on Saturday

The Houston Independent School District is looking for effective teachers to join the district and will host a recruitment fair on Saturday, Dec. 3.

Principals from across the district will attend the fair to conduct interviews and in some cases extend job offers. HISD has a strong need for teachers with bilingual, secondary math and science, and special education-certified teachers.

In order to attend the invitation-only event, candidates must be pool-approved. Begin the application process by clicking here. Applicants who meet certification standards will receive an invitation with location and other event details.

HISD is the largest school district in Texas and the seventh largest in the U.S. The district’s starting teacher salary is $51,500, one of the highest starting in the region. In addition, certified bilingual teachers are eligible for up to a $4,000 stipend.

Visit www.teachhisd.org for more information about teaching in HISD. If you have any further questions, call 713-556-7373 or email TeacherRecruitment@houstonisd.org.

HISD elementary students announce 2016’s top toys

Fifth-grade students at Longfellow Elementary School on Tuesday announced that video games and Easy-Bake Ovens are a few of the hottest toys this holiday season after polling their classmates for their annual top toy survey.

Every year for the past 17 years, a group of fifth-graders at the school survey their classmates to determine what gifts kids would like to receive for the holidays. Fourteen students announced the top five toys for boys and girls during a press conference at the school. The goal of the survey is to help give parents and relatives an idea of what to buy before they do their holiday shopping. Continue reading →

What you need to know about immigration, discrimination, and your rights at HISD

In light of the recent presidential election, many HISD families have questions about the possible impact a new administration may have on them personally. We strive to ensure that our schools are safe spaces where a student’s race, ethnicity, religion, or immigration status do not create any barriers to that child’s education. We have created this document to address some questions HISD families may have regarding their immigration status and our commitment to protect students from discrimination and harassment.

Q: What impact does undocumented immigration status have on my child’s education?

A: None at all. All children have a constitutional right to equal access to education regardless of their immigration status or that of their parents. That right cannot be taken away by the president, the State of Texas, or Congress.

Q: Do HISD schools ask for information regarding a child’s immigration status when he or she enrolls?

A: No. Public school districts like HISD are obligated to enroll students regardless of their immigration status and without discrimination on the basis of race, color, or national origin.

Q: Would HISD ever share a student’s immigration status with federal immigration officials?

A:  No. We do not collect this information or share it.

Q: What does HISD do to ensure that no student or family is discriminated against or harassed because of their race, ethnicity, religion, or national origin?

A: One of HISD’s core values is a belief in equity. The district has policies in place that mandate no discrimination or harassment for HISD students, families, or employees on the base of race, ethnicity, religion, national origin, and many other protected classes.

Q: What should I do if I feel like I have been the victim of discrimination or harassment?

A: Please report the behavior immediately to a school leader, supervisor, or the superintendent. Complaints and concerns can be filed using the forms and procedures in Board Policy. Go to HoustonISD.org/StudentWelfare to see the HISD Board document “Student Welfare and Freedom from Discrimination, Harassment, and Retaliation.” Go to HoustonISD.org/EmployeeWelfare to see the HISD Board document “Employee Welfare and Freedom from Discrimination, Harassment, and Retaliation.”  Both include instructions on how to report such abuse. We take these complaints very seriously in order to assure that our schools and offices continue to be safe spaces.

 

Q: What about if I am a DACA recipient?

A: Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) is based on an order by the president. The new president could choose to rescind that order. If you are a recipient of DACA, consider reaching out to an immigration attorney now in order to determine if you have access to a better form of immigration status. Additional information can be found on the Immigrant Legal Resource Center website, https://www.ilrc.org.

Q: What should I do if I want to better understand my immigration rights?

A: Only immigration attorneys can provide you with accurate advice about immigration status and how you can pursue your legal rights. For your own protection, please do not seek the advice of notarios or others who are not licensed immigration attorneys.

A list of available resources can be found in the HISD Community Resource Guide. Go to HoustonISD.org/CommunityResources, and under “Topic,” use the drop-down menu to locate “Citizenship and Immigration.” You can refine your search by ZIP code, cost, etc., or you can just hit “Submit” for a long list of attorneys, community services, City of Houston assistance, etc.

You can also seek an immigration attorney from the American Immigration Lawyers Association at http://www.ailalawyer.org/  (English) or http://www.ailalawyer.com/spanish/default.aspx (Spanish).

Q: What other resources are available?

A: Mayor Sylvester Turner created the Office of New Americans and Immigrant Communities to help all Houstonians better access city services. You can call them at 832-393-1010, visit www.HoustonTX.gov/oic, or contact the following offices:

Terence O’Neill
Office of New Americans and Immigrant Communities
City Hall
901 Bagby
Houston, TX  77002
PHONE: 832.393.0855
FAX: 832.393.0844

Benito Juarez
Office of New Americans and Immigrant Communities
Southwest Multi-Service Center
6400 High Star, #131
Houston, TX 77074
PHONE: 713.778.6503
FAX: 713.778.6561

Below are more resources for students, parents, and schools compiled by National Council of La Raza, www.nclr.org:

National Council of La Raza links to resources include Know Your Rights fact sheets for immigrants and advocates, tools for conducting Know Your Rights presentations in English and Spanish, information about mental health services, and a tool to report hate incidents and bullying: http://nclr.org/affiliates/post-election-resources

DACA Q&A document from the National Immigration Law Center (updated May 8, 2017): https://www.nilc.org/issues/daca/daca-after-trump-q-and-a/

Information on applying for DACA available from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services: www.uscis.gov/childhoodarrivals

“Help for Immigrant Families: Guide for Schools” from the Immigrant Legal Resource Center: https://www.ilrc.org/help-immigrant-families-guidance-schools

“Know Your Rights: A Resource for Students, Parents and Guardians” from the Catholic Legal Immigration Network, Inc. provides information about students’ rights to public education and safety at school, parent and guardian rights, how to report incidents of harassment, and resources on filing complaints: https://cliniclegal.org/resources/know-your-rights-students

“Protecting Assets and Child Custody in the Face of Deportation” from Appleseed is a manual designed for immigrants and those who work with them. Appleseed’s manual will help families develop plans in advance to deal with critical financial and family issues in the event of deportation, arrest and other family emergencies:  http://www.appleseednetwork.org/deportationmanual/

“Model Campus Safe Zones Resolution Language (K-12)” from the National Immigration Law Center provides guidance and sample language for K-12 school districts that are contemplating adopting protections for all students: https://www.nilc.org/issues/immigration-enforcement/campus-safe-zones-language-k-12/

Immi is a free online platform in English and Spanish developed by the Immigration Advocates Network that confidentially screens for immigration options, provides plain language know your rights and community education resources, and connects users to more than 1,000 free and low-cost nonprofit immigration legal service providers: www.immi.org

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Robots break ground on new Energy Institute High School

HISD’s Energy Institute High School held a high-tech groundbreaking on Saturday as student-built robots took the lead, turning over dirt alongside school and district officials to formally mark the start of construction on their new school. 

The planned 110,000-square-foot building, located at 3501 Southmore Blvd., will mimic the look of a high-tech corporate environment and house the first energy-themed high school in the nation. 

”This project has been a labor of love,” Principal Lori Lambropoulos said of the new building. “This school is the first one of its kind in the nation. We’re making history in the area of corporate involvement, and we’ve made it our mission to attract students that really want a career in the energy industry.”  Continue reading →