Author Archives: HISD Communications

PSAT Administration Day sets stage for National Merit Scholarships

Thousands of HISD freshmen, sophomores, and juniors will take the first step toward earning a National Merit Scholarship on Oct. 14, when they take the PSAT during the school day at their respective campuses.

The PSAT measures college readiness, and is offered to HISD students free of charge on the district’s PSAT Administration Day. Students will take the exam in the morning for up to three hours. The test includes sections on math, critical reading, and writing.

“It might be tempting to think that the PSAT stands for ‘Practice’ SAT, but it’s actually the preliminary SAT,” said Jharrett Bryantt with the HISD College Readiness Department. “It’s an exam given to HISD students in the ninth, tenth, and eleventh grades. What’s important about it is it’s the exam that qualifies you for the National Merit Scholarship.” Continue reading →

HISD recommending no increase in property tax rates for 2015-2016

Homeowners in the Houston Independent School District won’t see an increase in property tax rates for the 2015-2016 school year under a proposal being submitted Thursday to the Board of Education.

District administrators are asking trustees to maintain the current tax rate of $1.1967 per $100 taxable value. That rate includes two parts: $1.0267 dedicated to funding general maintenance and operations and 17 cents earmarked for debt service. Continue reading →

HISD proposal calls for ban on suspensions, expulsions for youngest students

Houston Independent School District students in second grade and below will no longer be sent home for disciplinary issues, according to a proposed policy update going before the Board of Education on Thursday.

Under the proposal, campus administrators would not be allowed to suspend or expel pre-kindergarten through second-grade students in response to behavioral or disciplinary issues — except as required by state law. The policy revision further explains that students in third through fifth grades should only be removed from the school setting as a last resort. Continue reading →

HISD observes National School Lunch Week with local produce, demonstrations

NSLWTo recognize the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) and the more than 215,000 students it serves each day, HISD Nutrition Services will be celebrating National School Lunch Week (NSLW) Oct. 12–16.

NSLW was created by President John F. Kennedy in 1962 as an annual celebration of the National School Lunch Program. Nutrition Services’ theme this year is “Discover the Great Plate of Texas with a Healthy Lunch,” and the department will highlight its fresh fruit and vegetable program by offering two Texas grown items. Continue reading →

Westbury HS offering additional assignments to select students to ensure content mastery

Students enrolled last year in Reading 1B are eligible for the program

To ensure content mastery, additional assignments will be offered to Westbury High School students who were enrolled last year in a reading course that was the subject of grade integrity concerns.

The option for additional coursework was recommended by the Houston Independent School District’s Federal and State Compliance department as a way to ensure all students have the opportunity to prove content mastery and raise their grade.

Continue reading →

HISD Transportation ranks among top 50 on Green Fleet Awards list

The Houston Independent School District’s Transportation department has been ranked 13th among the top 50 green fleets in North America by the 100 Best Fleets in the Americas organization.

The winners of the 2015 Green Fleet Awards were announced during the National Green Fleet Conference in Columbus, Ohio, on Sept. 24.The most recent designation marks the fifth year in a row that HISD transportation has made the list. Continue reading →

Register now for Oct. 17 Global Graduate Family Conference

All HISD families are invited to attend the Global Graduate Family Conference and Resource Fair on Saturday, Oct. 17, at the Jane Long Academy (6501 Bellaire Blvd., 77074) from 8:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

The event will feature a panel discussion and short workshops on various topics, such as free early childhood programs, choosing and applying to the right HISD school, graduating high school with associate’s degrees and technical licenses, and applying for college.

Board of Education member Michael Lunceford has partnered with the Family Learning Academy to host the event, which will have a special focus on resources for families newly arrived to the United States and students learning English. Continue reading →

Houston Astros Spirit Day is Monday!

The Houston Astros got off to a rousing start on the road to the World Series by beating the Kansas City Royals last night in the first game of the American League Division Series.

In recognition of the team’s many contributions to public education and to HISD students in particular, all students, faculty, and staff are encouraged to show their support by wearing Astros team attire and jeans on “Houston Astros Spirit Day,” which will be Monday, Oct. 12, 2015.

Submit your photos celebrating Astros team spirit to hisdphotos@yahoo.com. You can see a collection of the photos submitted on our Facebook page.

Go Astros!

Puerto Rico: Baseball, blue flag beaches, and forts

Officially known as the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, this Caribbean archipelago is home to almost four million people. Its main island, Puerto Rico, is 100 miles long by 35 miles wide. Spanish and English are considered the official languages, however, the vast majority of the population are predominately Spanish-speakers. The culturally diverse Puerto Ricans are of European, Amerindian, and African descent. This mixture can be observed in its cocina criolla, or local cuisine, which includes grains, legumes, herbs, spices, tropical tubers, vegetables, and fruits — and, of course, lots of seafood, as well as meat and poultry. Some of its national dishes include the savory pasteles, tostones, and arroz con gandules. Continue reading →

Volunteers needed Oct. 19 to help set world record

Volunteers are needed at HISD schools on Monday, Oct. 19, to help set a Guinness World Record for the largest number of children being read to in a 24-hour period. During the event, called Read Across the Globe, 92 HISD elementary campuses will join schools in other cities and countries across the world in a mass reading of “Farmer Will Allen and the Growing Table,” by Jacqueline Briggs Martin. The goal is to read to 300,000 children simultaneously, smashing the current record of 238,000.

Parents, community members, and HISD staff can participate in Read Across the Globe by volunteering to be a classroom reader, timekeeper, or witness. Volunteers need to be over 18 years old and should plan on being at an HISD elementary campuses from 8 to 11 a.m. or noon to 3 p.m. on Monday, October 19. To sign up and to pick a campus, go to www.Connect4Literacy.org/readacrosstheglobe. Continue reading →