Three HISD employees were recognized on Wednesday morning as September’s Employee of the month for Service Excellence after going above and beyond in their roles as district employees.
Author Archives: HISD Communications
HISD partners with ‘Mi Familia Vota’ to host student voter registration drives
The Houston Independent School District joined Mi Familia Vota and Univision 45 this week at Wheatley High School to kick off district wide student voter registration efforts.
Wheatley is just one of several locations hosting student voter registration drives in conjunction with National Voter Registration Day, which was Tuesday. Seven additional HISD high schools will host similar drives over the next two weeks as they work to register eligible students. Continue reading
Chess students take on blindfolded grandmaster in group competition
Grandmaster Timur Gareev will be trying to break a world record soon by playing the largest number of simultaneous chess games ever while blindfolded — and 10 students from HISD schools recently helped him prepare for that challenge.
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The Uzbekistan native, who became the youngest grandmaster ever from Asia in 2004 at the age of 16, played 10 of HISD’s top chess players on Sept. 19, and defeated them all (along with three students from a local private school) within the span of a few hours, despite not being able to see any of the chessboards. Continue reading
HISD third-graders to join NCAA Read to the Final Four literacy challenge
Nearly 6,800 Houston Independent School District third-graders will participate in a bracket-themed reading challenge as part of the NCAA Team Works Read to the Final Four Literacy Program.
The competition was created by the district in partnership with the Houston NCAA Final Four Local Organizing Committee, Houston Public Library, and the University of Houston. Houston will host the 2016 NCAA Men’s Basketball Final Four April 2-4 at NRG Stadium.
The literacy challenge kicks off on Thursday, Sept. 24, with a special celebration at Blackshear Elementary School, one of 68 campuses selected to participate in the challenge based on its high enrollment of at-risk students and commitment to the district’s Literacy By 3 Initiative. Launched in the fall of 2014, Literacy By 3 aims to have every child reading on grade level by the end of third grade. Continue reading
Wilson Montessori K-8 community learns more about proposed renovations, new addition
Parents, neighbors, and HISD administrators on Monday gathered at Wilson Montessori K-8 for the first of three community meetings to discuss a proposed new addition and renovations to the school under the 2012 bond program.
Board of Education to consider approval of $211 million for 2012 bond program
The Houston Independent School District’s Board of Education in October will consider a proposal by district administrators to add $211 million in funding to the 2012 bond program, which would cover unprecedented and unanticipated inflationary construction costs.
Since 2012, when Houston voters approved the district’s $1.89 billion bond program, the district has seen a nearly 40 percent increase in building costs, from about $160 per square foot in 2012 to about $222 per square foot today. Continue reading
Remember: Early dismissal, student holiday this week
Two days this week will be different from a normal school day.
Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2015, is an early dismissal day for most schools. Campuses may choose to opt-out and hold classes all day, so please check with your school directly to see if it is participating. View the full 2015–2016 academic calendar here.
Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2015, is the district’s fall holiday for students and most employees. Check your duty schedule available here to see if you must report to work. Those employees who must report to work will work their normal hours, unless a supervisor has approved their request to use personal time.
EMERGE program now accepting applications from Class of 2018
HISD’s ground-breaking EMERGE program is expanding to all high school campuses this year, and motivated members of the Class of 2018 (currently sophomores) are encouraged to apply.
EMERGE connects high-performing students from underserved backgrounds with the resources needed to apply, attend, and graduate from the nation’s top-tier colleges and universities, which provide high levels of support as well as competitive financial aid and scholarships. Students who are selected to be in EMERGE receive after-school advising at their schools on the college preparation and financial aid application processes, a full-length SAT preparation course, and an out-of-state summer experience at a top-tier university. Continue reading
Sterling HS stakeholders sign beam to celebrate construction phase
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Sterling High School students, staff and community members had the opportunity to sign a steel beam today that will be used in the construction of their new school. The new $72.3 million building project, which is part of HISD’s current bond program, is being built behind the existing facility, which will be demolished once construction is complete.
The new three-story building is making great progress and can now easily be seen over the top of the current school.
“Our community is ecstatic; the building’s going up fast,” said the Rev. A.L. Hickman, community representative on the school’s Project Advisory Team. “I know people who go out of their way to drive by here every day just to see the progress that’s been made.”
After the beam-signing, which was held in front of the current school, workers transported it to the construction site, where they will soon install it in the new building.
Madison High School cafeteria gets a facelift
Nutrition Services listened to Madison High School’s students’ pleas for a new direction in the cafeteria. This past summer, Nutrition Services remodeled and rebranded the school’s facility, and students now enjoy a wider selection of menu items and the convenience of faster service.
When Operations Manager DeWayne Rawls assumed supervision of the day-to-day activities at Madison’s cafeteria during the 2014–2015 academic year, he knew it was time for a change. Rawls, in partnership with the Houston Education and School Personnel (HESP), conducted a focus group at Madison HS in which students voiced their opinions about menu choices and service.
“This was a low-participation cafeteria,” Rawls said. “The serving lines were outdated, and students’ wants were not being fulfilled.”
Food Service Attendant Team Leader Titilola Abumere said Madison HS now offers a broader and healthier menu to please all taste buds. “We have worked hard to serve on four lines,” Abumere said. “I’m excited to be part of the improvements.”
Special Education Teacher Steven Roquemore says students are loving the new look and variety of the cafeteria. “They say you eat with your eyes first, and students like what they see,” he said.
Student Billy Berry also enjoys the new products served during lunch, such as Izzy water and the broad selection of vegetables. “I like fresh broccoli,” Berry said. “We did not have as much selection as we do now.”