Author Archives: HISD Communications

HIPPY program launches districtwide for 2015–2016 school year

In early October, nearly 600 families across the Houston area began receiving free lessons in their homes to prepare their children to succeed in HISD schools, before they ever set foot in a classroom.

Parents began participating in the Home Instruction for Parents of Preschool Youngsters (HIPPY) program, which models simple educational activities for parents to practice with their three-, four-, and five-year-old children. Forty-four HIPPY home instructors are assigned to communities across the district to enroll families and deliver the HIPPY curriculum. The one-hour weekly lessons span 30 weeks and cover early literacy skills, mathematics, science, fine and gross motor skills, and language development. Research shows that HISD kindergarten students whose parents have participated in the HIPPY program significantly outperform their peers in reading and math. Continue reading →

Sixty Edison MS students receive laptops from Comp-U-Dopt

Sixty Edison Middle School students are proud owners of computers, thanks to a generous donation by Comp-U-Dopt.

Ninety-six percent of the school’s students are considered economically disadvantaged, so a computer isn’t something their families could easily afford to buy. Comp-U-Dopt, a nonprofit that provides laptops to underserved children in grades 3–8, gave refurbished laptops to students who completed an essay application to show a need for a working computer. Continue reading →

Yates HS stakeholders hear about plans to build a new school

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More than 160 parents, neighbors, and alumni attended a community meeting at Jack Yates High School on Thursday evening to hear about plans to build a new 21st century campus for the school. This was the second of three Yates meetings that will be held to update stakeholders on the project status.

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Texans star presents $12,000 check for Looscan ES SPARK park

A group of lucky fourth- and fifth-graders at Looscan Elementary School exchanged high fives with Houston Texans star Vince Wilfork on Tuesday as he arrived at the school’s SPARK park to present a $12,000 check for new playground equipment.

Wilfork, accompanied by United Healthcare team members, presented a grant that will help replace the school’s 20-year-old playground equipment. The 12-year NFL veteran and first year Texan teamed up with United Healthcare and the Dreambuilders Foundation to make the donation through the Vince Wilfork Foundation. The nonprofit organization provides funding for diabetes research, education and care, and financially supports disadvantaged children who need assistance.

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Nine schools to participate in Marching Band Festival Oct. 6

Nine HISD high school bands will be strutting their stuff in the district’s eighth annual Marching Band Festival on Tuesday, Oct. 6.

The festival gives bands the opportunity to receive feedback on their music quality, sections, music effects, visual effects, and visual performance. The critiques will help the bands prepare for future performances and events.

Participating schools include: Continue reading →

HSPVA joins newly formed CLASS Coalition

The High School for the Visual and Performing Arts (HSPVA) is part of a new nationwide coalition aimed at promoting school success.

The Coalition for Leaders for Advanced Student Success (CLASS) was established this year and is focused on helping students overcome challenges to gain the skills needed to succeed after graduation.

“I am pleased to have the opportunity to join with like-minded educators nationwide to help advance curriculum, policies, and activities that will help more high school students gain the valuable experiences and knowledge that will serve them well in both college and career,” said HSPVA Principal R. Scott Allen. Continue reading →

Atherton ES wins music scholarship from gospel association

Students at HISD’s Atherton Elementary School students will soon have more reasons to toot their own horns, after the Gospel Music Heritage Month Foundation (GMHMF) awarded that campus a $750 scholarship to support its fine arts programs.

Dr. Albert Lemons, who serves as Atherton’s principal, accepted the award on behalf of his school on Sept. 14, during the GMHMF’s annual show at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C.

“I’m very seldom speechless,” said Dr. Lemons. “But this came as a complete surprise. Every year, I work backstage at this event, helping the artists, making sure they have refreshments, and getting other people who don’t belong back there out. This year, nobody was saying anything, but they treated me like a guest and seated me in the front row. I thought, ‘Well, I guess they just want me to rest. And for the first time, I’ll get to see the show.’ But near the end of the last number, they sent someone out to say they needed me, and that’s when Sheila Jackson Lee told me my school was being honored.” Continue reading →

New Confucius garden helping Kolter ES ‘cultivate’ global graduates

“Growing” Global Graduates just got easier at HISD’s Kolter Elementary School, thanks to a new garden built in honor of a legendary Chinese philosopher.

The Confucius Garden — which has eight beds for cultivating traditional Chinese herbs such as mustard, cilantro, and parsley, as well as two different varieties of bok choi — was unveiled during a special ribbon-cutting ceremony on Sept. 29. The garden was built with funds from Hanban and the Asia Society, which provides a grant to Kolter each year as a member of its Confucius Classrooms Network.

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“We are so appreciative of the Asia Society and everything it has done for us,” said Principal Steve Shetzer. “We look forward to watching this garden grow along with our students.” Continue reading →

Principal stages freestyle rap session to help students ‘PowerUp’

Furr High School is new to HISD’s PowerUp initiative, but that didn’t stop enthusiastic campus leaders from spreading the word.

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Longtime HISD educator named Bilingual Education Secondary Teacher of the Year

A recently retired teacher from The Rice School has been selected as the 2015 Texas Association for Bilingual Education Secondary Teacher of the Year.

Tanya Thompson, who retired in May after more than three decades with HISD, was selected because of her teaching philosophy, which uses personalized learning to cater to the learning style of each student. Continue reading →