Author Archives: HISD Communications

Graduation ceremony schedule for the Class of 2015

GraduateTN_2015_300Hundreds of students from 47 different HISD high schools will take their first steps into adulthood starting on Friday, May 29, when they walk across the stage to collect their diplomas as part of the district’s annual graduation ceremonies.

The ceremonies will take place at various locations around the city (primarily at the Barnett Fieldhouse, Butler Fieldhouse, NRG Arena, and Texas Southern University campus) from Friday, May 29, through Sunday, May 31.

A complete list of the dates and times is here.

Energy Institute named beneficiary of 2015 Offshore Technology Conference

Campus to receive proceeds from this annual event to support school programs

Houston, TX - OTC 2015 - Solange Guedes accepts the OTC Distinguished Achievement Award for Companies during the OTC Annual Awards dinner at the Offshore Technology Conference here today, Sunday May 3, 2015. The Society of Petroleum Engineers hosts the meeting at the NRG Park which has over 100,000 attendees from around the world to see the latest technology in the energy industry. Photo by © OTC/Todd Buchanan 2015 Contact Info: todd@corporateeventimages.com Keywords: (© OTC/Todd Buchanan 2015/Todd Buchanan)Each year, industry leaders gather together at the Offshore Technology Conference to recognize achievements, network with colleagues, and raise funds for a worthy cause. And each year, one organization is selected to receive the proceeds raised by the dinner held during the event.

The designated beneficiary of this year’s dinner is HISD’s own Energy Institute High School, which was created in 2013 in partnership with the Independent Petroleum Association of America (IPAA) and the Petroleum Equipment & Services Association (PESA). Continue reading →

Last distinguished speaker in Energy Institute series more impressed by students

HISD’s Energy Institute held the last of a series of presentations given by distinguished speakers on April 30, and by the time their special guest was finished, he was as impressed by the students as they were with him.

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HISD schools receive TEA reward designations

The Texas Education Agency has recognized two dozen HISD schools for high performance and/or high progress for the 2014-2015 school year based on 2013-2014 student performance results.

Sixteen HISD schools were included on the agency’s list of Title I High Performing Schools and eight schools were named as Title I High Progress schools. All eight of the High Progress schools were also recognized as High Performing schools.  Title I schools are defined as campuses with a student population of at least 40 percent low-income. Continue reading →

Meet the ten finalists for HISD’s 2015 Teacher of the Year

HISD will be announcing its Elementary and Secondary Teachers of the Year during the Celebration of Excellence on Friday, May 15. Check out the finalists below.

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Grady MS holds beam-signing event as new addition goes vertical

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Students at Grady Middle School saw their new construction site go vertical today and marked the occasion by adding their signatures to a steel beam that will be used in the building of a 21st century addition to their campus.

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Bellaire HS teacher wins H-E-B lifetime achievement award

Michael Clark

Michael Clark

Michael Clark, a teacher at HISD’s Bellaire High School, was honored on May 3 with a Lifetime Achievement award at the secondary level through H-E-B’s 2015 Excellence in Education Awards.

Clark was named HISD’s own Secondary Teacher of the Year in 2011. He has been an educator for almost a quarter of a century, with the last 15 of those years spent at Bellaire High School teaching Advanced Placement government and economics courses.

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High School Ahead Academy bus driver honored for going above and beyond

High School Ahead Academy bus driver Clarissa Davis had no idea she would be recognized for going above and beyond her daily route assignment to help a student in need.

HISD Transportation Manager Alan Delaney, High School Ahead Academy bus driver Clarissa Davis and HISD Senior Manager Chandra Robertson

HISD Transportation Manager Alan Delaney, High School Ahead Academy bus driver Clarissa Davis and HISD Senior Manager Chandra Robertson

But Davis and four other HISD employees and volunteers were honored for their services during a special luncheon held on April 30. She says she has only been with the district since last November and was surprised to discover she would be receiving an award for simply doing her job.

“I’m really humbled,” Davis said. “I just treat students how I would want anyone else to treat my own children.”

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Milby HS student wins national digital storytelling contest

Nancy Casarrubias

Nancy Casarrubias

Milby High School’s library is a place “where learning never ends,” and now, the whole world knows it.

Senior Nancy Casarrubias created a five-minute video showcasing her library (and its librarian, Rowena Verdin) for a digital storytelling contest sponsored by the American Association of School Librarians—and her entry won in the high-school category (grades 9–12).

The contest challenged students to show how their school library/librarian helps advance their education by encouraging them to learn new things, fine-tune their research skills, and discover how to make the most of available resources. The focus of entries was the 2015 School Library Month theme, “Your School Library: Where Learning Never Ends.”

 

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Basketball showcase helps HISD girls ‘court’ scholarship offers

In February of this year, hundreds of male student-athletes got the chance to strut their stuff on the gridiron in the hopes of landing college scholarships, and a few weeks ago, it was the girls’ turn—only this time, it was on the basketball court.

More than 40 female junior and senior basketball players from HISD schools took part in the Houston Choice Select Girls Basketball Showcase on April 18. The event is sponsored by the Houston Area Coaches Association, Systems Basketball, and Houston Parks & Recreation, with assistance from the HISD Athletics department. It featured a professional skills workout with multiple scrimmages, and athletic scouts from a number of colleges and universities, including Concordia, Le Tourneau, Paul Quinn, and Tyler, were on hand to watch.

“I really enjoyed it,” said North Forest High School student Joi Simmons. “It gave me an opportunity to show off my skills and to consider other NAIA [National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics] schools for college.”

“I am so glad this opportunity is finally available for these inner city girls,” said North Forest High School Head Girls Basketball Coach Jasmin Cardenas. “I graduated from an HISD school and only wished that we had these opportunities then.”