Author Archives: HISD Communications

Schools advance to ‘Sweet 16’ round of Read to the Final Four

Sixteen HISD elementary schools advanced to the third round – the Sweet 16 – of the NCAA Read to the Final Four Literacy Program, thanks to some very determined third-grader readers.

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The students logged an additional 763,804 minutes of reading time for a total of 1,905,097 minutes since the launch of the literacy competition. Nearly 4,000 students logged reading time during this round.
Here is the ranking of elementary schools that made it to this round: Continue reading →

HISD students performing in the Nutcracker

HISD is well represented in Tchaikovsky’s “The Nutcracker” this holiday season. Many students are performing in the Houston Ballet’s popular production. The children have been rehearsing since October 10 to be party children and clowns. There are eight casts of children, so they don’t have to appear in every performance. Two middle school students are performing with the Houston Repertoire Ballet (HRB) as well.

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64 HISD students named National Hispanic Recognition Program finalists

Sixty-four seniors from 15 Houston Independent School District high schools were recognized for their academic excellence as part of the College Board’s 32nd annual National Hispanic Recognition Program.

The HISD seniors are among about 5,000 students from across the country and abroad to be named finalists in the program, which colleges use to identify academically exceptional students of Hispanic or Latin descent to receive scholarships. The district more than doubled the number of honorees this year, up from 26 finalists last year. Continue reading →

HISD student among nation’s top 10 summer readers through myON

Apurba Roy

Apurba Roy

Apurba Roy, an eighth-grade student at Grady Middle School, has been named one of the top 10 readers in the nation by myON, for logging more than 140 hours on that reading website over the summer break.

As a part of her prize, Apurba received a $50 gift card from Muses3, LLC, the representative of myON in Southeast Texas. She was formally recognized during a special ceremony held on Nov. 18 at her campus.

“There were tens of thousands of students competing in the secondary category, and Apurba placed in the top 10, but that isn’t the whole picture,” said Dr. Carl Franklin, myON account manager. “Her reading was part of a very busy summer schedule. She volunteered at her school for a month, worked with us on activities related to her ambassadorship, and then visited relatives in India for several weeks. She is truly an exceptional student.” Continue reading →

Students learn to think ‘Beyond the Bachelor’s Degree’

A group of Madison HS seniors learned that HISD’s commitment to ensuring that students graduate ready for the world extends even after they have received their high school diploma. By participating in “Beyond the Bachelor’s Degree,” 35 students had the opportunity to talk about what happens after that first hurdle.

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Eleven business professionals and members of the Houston chapters of the National Society of Hispanic MBAs (NSHMBA) and the National Black MBA Association (NBMBAA) served as mentors for college and career planning, giving students advice and tips on time management, selecting degree plans that fit their interests, and understanding how to leverage their unique talents in fields they may never have considered. Continue reading →

Petroleum academy students develop skills, sportsmanship at STEM Showdown

Students from three HISD high schools took home prizes, as well as lessons on teamwork and sportsmanship from the recent Viva Technology STEM Showdown.

The event, which took place on Nov. 6 at University of Houston, is a partnership between Great Minds in STEM and Shell Oil Company. It provides traditionally underserved high-school students in IPAA/PESA Petroleum Academies with a chance to compete in an intensive series of STEM challenges alongside undergraduate partners attending local universities.

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HISD principal named finalist for Texas High School Principal of the Year

Angela Lundy Jackson poses for a photograph, September 2, 2015.

Angela Lundy Jackson poses for a photograph, September 2, 2015.

North Houston Early College High School Principal Angela Lundy-Jackson is among three finalists for the Texas Association of Secondary School Principals (TASSP) High School Principal of the Year award.

Committed to excellence in school administration, the TASSP recognizes outstanding principals and assistant principals from across the state each year. Nominations, bestowed by fellow school administrators, are based upon exemplary performance and outstanding leadership in secondary education.

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Nutrition Services serves up healthier Thanksgiving lunch

Kindergarteners at the School at St. George Place enjoy a Thanksgiving meal.


Kindergarteners at the School at St. George Place enjoy a Thanksgiving meal.

HISD Nutrition Services got a head start on the holiday season Nov. 19 by serving a turkey lunch with all the trimmings to HISD students and parents. The annual Thanksgiving meal is an HISD tradition that has attracted thousands of families to school cafeterias for more than 50 years. The event gives parents and caregivers a chance to celebrate the holiday a week early by sharing a meal with their children.

This year’s menu included roasted turkey with gravy, cornbread stuffing, mashed potatoes, green beans, a fresh fruit medley, and vanilla cake with apple topping. But while the dishes were traditional, Nutrition Services chefs worked hard to make them healthier this year, and not one student noticed. Continue reading →

Service Excellence team hosts first quarterly WOW! card drawing

If you recently received a WOW! card for Service Excellence, you may be a winner of a prize!

HISD’s Business Operations department and Service Excellence team hosted the first quarterly WOW! drawing at Hattie Mae White Educational Support Center on Wednesday, recognizing employees for going above and beyond in customer service.

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Students win prizes in video contest for demonstrating web savvy

Harvard ES fifth-grader Callie Bream took home a gift card for $150 as the inaugural first-place prize winner of a new monthly video contest sponsored by HISD Education Technology and the Future of Privacy Forum.

Harvard ES fifth-grader Callie Bream took home a gift card for $150 as the inaugural first-place prize winner of a new monthly video contest.

Keeping email accounts secure with strong passwords is an important aspect of responsible digital citizenship, and students from two HISD schools have demonstrated their mastery of this concept by winning the top prizes in a video production contest co-sponsored by the Future of Privacy Forum (FPF) and HISD’s Educational Technology team.

Harvard Elementary School students won four of the five prizes available (first and second, as well as two honorable mentions), while a student from Eastwood Academy took home the third-place prize.

The competition was created as a part of Digital Awareness Month in October to increase students’ web savvy while also giving them an opportunity for creative expression. Continue reading →