Author Archives: HISD Communications

Dogan ES named ‘Read to the Final Four’ literacy champions

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The competition was fierce down to the final buzzer, but Dogan ES came out victorious after scoring a whopping 922,464 minutes in reading time during the NCAA Read to the Final Four Literacy competition.

Dogan ES Principal Tarrieck Rideaux beamed with pride Friday amid cheering, hand-waving, and fanfare at NRG Stadium, where 10,000 HISD students, some representing the Final Four schools – Browning ES, Carrillo ES, Dogan ES and Janowski ES, gathered for the announcement of the winner. Rideaux said six months of intensive reading had paid off for his third-graders.

“It has actually helped their reading growth,” said Rideaux. “Stronger growth over the last few months – more than we’ve ever had.”

The top four schools read a total of 2,695,728 minutes since the competition began in September, and all schools netted 9,128,176 minutes read.

Dogan ES was awarded a Final Four trophy and a $5,000 cash prize. On Monday, there will be a celebration at the campus.

“I was excited when they announced our name, and I screamed.” said Dogan fourth-grader Luigi Marquez. “I was proud that we won.”

Courtside VIPS on hand to celebrate the students’ accomplishments included HISD Board of Education Trustees Wanda Adams, Diana Dávila, and Anna Eastman, as well as HISD Chief Academic Officer Andrew Houlihan and Houston Final Four Local Organizing Committee Chairman Tony Chase.

“I am so excited to be here and to rock the ‘Road to the Final Four.’ I want to personally thank all 68 schools for reading over 9 million minutes. You all need to be applauded,” said Trustee Adams. “And congratulations to Dogan Elementary School for reading all those hours. So again, congratulations Team HISD.”

Early in the program, Team HISD enjoyed performances by the Waltrip HS band and the Atherton ES drum line, as well as a quick game between the Cancer Hardwood Heroes and their coaches.

The NCAA Read to the Final Four Literacy competition, which supported the HISD Literacy By 3 initiative, challenged HISD third-graders to read more books than other competing schools and started with 68 schools. Nearly 6,800 third-graders helped kick off the bracket-themed reading contest that encouraged students to read at least 30 minutes a day.

HISD Nutrition Services is perfectly peachy after Texas Department of Agriculture award

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HISD Nutrition Services was recently recognized with the Texas Department of Agriculture’s Perfect Peach Award for offering locally sourced products such as summer squash, apples and watermelon on school menus.

The state’s Local Products Challenge, which asked districts to use more Texas products in their schools, is in line with Nutrition Services’ commitment to use locally grown products on its menus so students become familiar with the agricultural diversity of the Lone Star State.

At Stevens Elementary School, HISD Chef Brittany Jones recently demonstrated how to use summer squash in a variety of fun and tasty ways. “The students enjoyed learning about spaghetti squash,” said Jones. “They never imagined they could use a vegetable in place of noodles.”

Besides fruits and vegetables, HISD also serves milk and fresh bread from Texas.

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Scarborough HS community learns more about progress of renovations

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Scarborough High School parents, staff, and community members on Wednesday evening heard an update on plans to renovate the nearly 50-year-old campus in northwest Houston – an effort the school hopes will attract neighborhood families.

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K9 is on the case to keep district facilities safe and secure

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With HISD graduation season a few months away, one super sleuth is sniffing out any trouble behind the scenes – ensuring each stadium or facility is secure for those who will attend the ceremonies. Pretty impressive work for a 3-year-old.

Aries is one of three K9s currently serving with HISD’s patrol unit. He specializes in explosive detection, while his peers, Sasha and Gypsy, focus on narcotics. The canines are all trained to support and protect officers, as well as conduct area searches for drugs, weapons, or other contraband that may be on school grounds or in district facilities.

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Bellaire High School debate team to compete in global public policy forum

School is one of two Texas teams advancing to ‘Elite 8’ round of competition in New York City

 The Bellaire High School debate team will travel to New York City on Friday, April 1 to compete in the 2015-2016 International Public Policy Forum (IPPF), which gives high school students from around the world the opportunity to engage in written and oral debates on issues of public policy.

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Five HISD students win additional honors through Scholastic Art & Writing

Detail from Andrea Conley’s artwork titled “Fish Out of Water”

Andrea Conley’s “Fish Out of Water”

Students from four different HISD schools have been recognized as national winners in the 2016 Scholastic Art & Writing contests, and a fifth student has received an additional award at the regional level.

Pin Oak MS’s Andrea Conley won a gold medal at the national level in the drawing and illustration category for her piece titled “Fish Out of Water,” while Ashton (Unity) Haq (HS for Performing and Visual Arts) and Aleia Sen (T.H. Rogers) took home silver medals in the poetry and personal essay/memoir categories respectively.

Carnegie Vanguard HS student Jaelynn Walls was named sole national American Voices Medal winner for her personal essay/memoir — one of Scholastic’s most prestigious awards — and Eli Winter (also from CVHS) received one of three regional Trustees’ Exemplary Awards from Harris County Department of Education (HCDE).

To see a complete list of national winners, please visit the HCDE website.

Students getting energized about STAAR tests

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Students at schools across HISD have been participating in everything from pep rallies to skate parties over the past few weeks to build awareness around the next administration of the STAAR test, which begins on Tuesday, March 29.

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Ten HISD students to compete in Houston Public Media spelling bee April 2

Lovett ES fifth-grader Bryan Moore poses with his mother, Tonyamas Moore, who won the spelling bee at that campus back in 1986.

Lovett ES fifth-grader Bryan Moore poses with his mother, Tonyamas Moore, who won the spelling bee at that campus back in 1986.

Five boys and five girls from 10 different HISD schools will be testing the limits of their vocabulary on Saturday, April 2, when they take part in the finals of the Houston Public Media spelling bee. The top two winners of the Houston-area competition will be eligible to advance to the Scripps National Spelling Bee near Washington, D.C., in May.

This year’s local contest is particularly meaningful for two HISD students: fifth-grader Bryan Moore (Lovett ES) and eighth-grader Christine Bowyer (Baylor College of Medicine Academy at Ryan).

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HISD wins excellence award for financial reporting and accountability

The Houston Independent School District was recognized this week by the Association of School Business Officials International for having met or exceeded the program’s high standards for financial reporting and accountability.

The district received the prestigious Certificate of Excellence in Financial Reporting Award for its 2014-2015 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report. The award is given to school districts that demonstrate superior accounting practices and reporting procedures, and confirms the district’s commitment to financial accountability and transparency.

“It is a tremendous honor for the district to be recognized for its commitment to financial accountability and good stewardship of public resources,” HISD Interim Chief Financial Officer Sherrie Robinson said. “As an entity supported by public dollars, it is our responsibility to provide services effectively and efficiently, and our finance team works extremely hard to ensure we do that every year.”

ASBO International is a professional organization that provides programs and services to promote the highest standards of school business management practices, professional growth, and the effective use of education resources. This year marks the 36th consecutive year the district has received the award.

 

North Forest Early Childhood Center moving toward completion date

North Forest Early Childhood Center is moving toward completion at a rapid pace, with steel framing complete and mechanical and electrical system installation underway.

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