Author Archives: HISD Communications

First female Carnegie Vanguard student president wins leadership award

Mai Pham

Mai Pham, a 2015 graduate of Carnegie Vanguard High School (CVHS) has been awarded a scholarship from The Texas Lyceum, a program dedicated to fostering youth leadership.

In May, the Lyceum distributed $35,000 in scholarships to seven students. The winners were selected from a pool of 900 applicants from all over Texas based on their leadership, academic accomplishments, personal essays, and letters of recommendation. Continue reading

HISD principal declared best in Region 4

Angela Lundy JacksonAngela Lundy-Jackson, principal of North Houston Early College High School (NHECHS), was awarded the Region 4 Secondary Principal of the Year on June 25. She is now a candidate for the Texas Association of Secondary School Principals’ Principal of the Year award.

Lundy-Jackson was selected to represent HISD in the Region 4 segment of the competition based on her school’s academic ratings, overall student performance, Advanced Placement and SAT participation, and her leadership skills. Region 4 consists of 50 school districts across seven counties.  Continue reading

NFL player brings excitement, equipment to his alma mater

[photoshelter-gallery g_id=”G0000dhTjBdgYtmQ” g_name=”20150629-Lamar-football-Chevron” width=”600″ f_fullscreen=”t” bgtrans=”t” pho_credit=”iptc” twoup=”f” f_bbar=”t” f_bbarbig=”f” fsvis=”f” f_show_caption=”t” crop=”f” f_enable_embed_btn=”t” f_htmllinks=”t” f_l=”t” f_send_to_friend_btn=”f” f_show_slidenum=”t” f_topbar=”f” f_show_watermark=”t” img_title=”casc” linkdest=”c” trans=”xfade” target=”_self” tbs=”5000″ f_link=”t” f_smooth=”f” f_mtrx=”t” f_ap=”t” f_up=”f” height=”400″ btype=”old” bcolor=”#CCCCCC” ]

On June 24, the Lamar High School football team received a generous donation and a dose of inspiration from Chevron’s Fuel Your School, a program that seeks to provide educators with useful supplies and materials.

The players received new equipment as well as a surprise visit from 2004 Lamar graduate and NFL player Brian Orakpo. Continue reading

Jones Futures Academy freshmen tour Prairie View A&M for insight into nursing, architecture

A group of 70 freshman students from the Jones Futures Academy traveled to the campus of Prairie View A&M University (PVAMU) on June 25 to learn first-hand what it takes to  become future construction, architecture and nursing students.

[photoshelter-gallery g_id=”G0000HO2bMoSY_tg” g_name=”20150625-JonesFuturesAcademyPVAMU” width=”600″ f_fullscreen=”t” bgtrans=”t” pho_credit=”iptc” twoup=”f” f_bbar=”t” f_bbarbig=”f” fsvis=”f” f_show_caption=”t” crop=”f” f_enable_embed_btn=”t” f_htmllinks=”t” f_l=”t” f_send_to_friend_btn=”f” f_show_slidenum=”t” f_topbar=”f” f_show_watermark=”t” img_title=”casc” linkdest=”c” trans=”xfade” target=”_self” tbs=”5000″ f_link=”t” f_smooth=”f” f_mtrx=”t” f_ap=”t” f_up=”f” height=”400″ btype=”old” bcolor=”#CCCCCC” ]

 

Continue reading

Educators using grants to expand their classrooms’ horizons

[photoshelter-gallery g_id=”G0000pm2TmhDf2F0″ g_name=”20150624-FFTgrants” width=”600″ f_fullscreen=”t” bgtrans=”t” pho_credit=”iptc” twoup=”f” f_bbar=”t” f_bbarbig=”f” fsvis=”f” f_show_caption=”t” crop=”f” f_enable_embed_btn=”t” f_htmllinks=”t” f_l=”t” f_send_to_friend_btn=”f” f_show_slidenum=”t” f_topbar=”f” f_show_watermark=”t” img_title=”casc” linkdest=”c” trans=”xfade” target=”_self” tbs=”5000″ f_link=”t” f_smooth=”f” f_mtrx=”t” f_ap=”t” f_up=”f” height=”400″ btype=”old” bcolor=”#CCCCCC” ]

 

Once a topic becomes personal, all learning barriers are shattered. Or so Bellaire High School English teacher Matt Olsen and Bradley Quentin of Sinclair Elementary School believe.

Continue reading

Incoming freshmen dive into the world of STEM

[photoshelter-gallery g_id=”G0000P3Gj2Hy6aHs” g_name=”20150624-South-Early-STEM” width=”600″ f_fullscreen=”t” bgtrans=”t” pho_credit=”iptc” twoup=”f” f_bbar=”t” f_bbarbig=”f” fsvis=”f” f_show_caption=”t” crop=”f” f_enable_embed_btn=”t” f_htmllinks=”t” f_l=”t” f_send_to_friend_btn=”f” f_show_slidenum=”t” f_topbar=”f” f_show_watermark=”t” img_title=”casc” linkdest=”c” trans=”xfade” target=”_self” tbs=”5000″ f_link=”t” f_smooth=”f” f_mtrx=”t” f_ap=”t” f_up=”f” height=”400″ btype=”old” bcolor=”#CCCCCC” ]

While some students are vacationing, incoming freshman at South Early College High School (SECHS) are preparing for long careers in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) through a Summer Bridge Program with Houston Community College.

SECHS is HISD’s only STEM magnet early college, aimed at increasing student awareness of and preparation for careers in fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, all while earning an associate’s degree tuition-free from Houston Community College.

The Summer Bridge Program allows freshman to get a head start on building relationships, developing study habits, and improving critical reading, writing, and math skills. The students also had a chance to tour the Houston Community College campus and see where STEM studies might lead them. Back in the classroom, students have been exploring the range of the STEM world by completing virus and yeast labs and learning computer programming to operate robots.

“We are excited about STEM at South Early,” said Summer School Coordinator Cedric Starks. “I wanted the students to experience working in the science lab, conducting tests and experiments, and using codes to program the robots.”

Tropical Storm Bill doesn’t dampen teachers’ enthusiasm for job fair

Despite the rain showers brought by Tropical Storm Bill that day to the Houston area, nearly 500 teacher candidates attended HISD’s June 18 recruitment fair at NRG Center, a record-breaking number for the district.

Cierra Nickerson, a selection specialist with Talent Acquisition, said her team closely monitored the weather reports, but decided that the event could go on safely. The decision paid off, as 491 candidates attended, and 88 teachers were hired during the fair. Another 40 follow-up interviews were also scheduled.

Continue reading

Camp M.I. Way proves educational for both campers and counselors

CECHS student Emerson Greer (holding umbrella) helps a Camp M.I. participant navigate a water activity.

CECHS student Emerson Greer (holding umbrella) helps a Camp M.I. participant navigate a water activity.

Over the past several weeks, middle and high school students from HISD campuses across the district have been volunteering at Camp M.I. Way, a special program designed to give students with multiple impairments a chance to practice and expand their social skills in an atmosphere of fun.

As part of the camp, run by Homerun Hitters International, student counselors guide campers in various activities that are designed to engage the five senses. Emerson Greer, a rising junior at Challenge Early College High School, has served as a camp counselor for two years and describes the experience below:

Continue reading

Students embark on the road to independent living

[su_youtube url=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X82U98iMqsc” responsive=”no”]youtube url=”http://youtu.be/GzLcJfvbaww” width=”320″ height=”200″ responsive=”no”][/su_youtube]

This June, HISD is teaching young people to be part of a community beyond the classroom.

Continue reading