Author Archives: HISD Communications

Help determine the ‘Fan Favorite’ at HISD’s Celebration of Excellence

HISD will be hosting its annual Celebration of Excellence on Friday, May 15, and one of the announcements to be made that day is the district’s Elementary and Secondary Teachers of the Year.

Those honorees are determined at the district level using performance data and other criteria, but you can help select the 2015 Fan Favorite by choosing one of this year’s Teacher of the Year nominees—and using your social media know-how to build a network of supporters.

All campus-based Teachers of the Year are eligible for this award, which will be determined by who has the largest number of fans. Anyone can vote—including colleagues, parents, students, and former students.

Visit this link to make your selection during the first round of voting through Friday, May 8, and be sure to share your favorite on Facebook, Twitter, and other social media channels to get the word out. A second round of voting will take place through May 15 to determine the winner from among the finalists.

The Fan Favorite will be announced live and on social media during the Celebration of Excellence on May 15.

Thank an educator during Teacher Appreciation Week May 4–8

If you can balance your checkbook, make a grocery list, or even read this sentence, you have a teacher to thank.

Educators help prepare young people for the world of adulthood—and for more than 170 days each year, HISD teachers carry out that mission—by teaching them not only the basics of reading, writing, and arithmetic, but also how to approach difficult problems, how to think things through logically, and even how to persist in the face of adversity.

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Steady encouragement, support lead to success for HISD students with autism

This week marks the end of Autism Awareness Month, so we asked some of our parents of students with autism about their families’ experiences with HISD, to find out what they felt contributed the most to their students’ successes.

Noah poses with a trophy he won in a robotics competition.

Noah poses with a trophy he won in a robotics competition.

Kristi Anders, the parent of a 12-year-old who is finishing up his last year in elementary school, says her son has flourished at two different campuses due to the inclusive environments created there by caring staff members.

“Noah’s teachers and principal at Garden Oaks Montessori were so accepting and supportive of him,” she said. “He has had to learn his limits and figure out what works for him and what doesn’t, but we bought him noise-reducing headphones and he learned to tell people when they were in his personal space. His teacher would also send him on errands or to get a drink of water when she could see he was getting frustrated. In the third grade, Noah’s friends voted him class president.”

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J.J. Watt Foundation giving HISD after-school athletic programs a boost

Coach Wilson (L) with J.J. Watt and members of the Fondren MS football team

Coach Wilson (L) with J.J. Watt and members of the Fondren MS football team

Eight members of the Fondren Middle School football team received a big surprise on April 18.

They got to meet one of their idols that day—legendary Houston Texans defensive end J.J. Watt—at a special celebration held in Houston by the charity he created. As previous beneficiaries of a grant from the Justin J. Watt Foundation, the students were invited to help accept a large donation from Papa John’s Pizza, one of its biggest supporters, at the event. They also got to visit with Watt personally and ask him a few questions.

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Meet HISD one of HISD’s four dedicated dietitians, Jennifer Lengyel

HISD dieticians Jennifer Lengyel (L) and Nan Cramer

HISD dieticians Jennifer Lengyel (L) and Nan Cramer

As one of the four dietitians in HISD’s Nutrition Services department, Jennifer (Griffin) Lengyel estimates she has educated more than 40,000 HISD students and community members on the subject of healthy eating.

“I love being in the field and interacting with the kids,” said Lengyel. “My teaching philosophy is fun first, learning second. When students enjoy the experience, they absorb and retain information at an incredible rate.”

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Bond Oversight Committee reviews first quarter progress

HISD’s Bond Oversight Committee held its quarterly meeting on Tuesday, in which the panel received an update on bond projects from the first quarter.

Among the topics discussed were a review on how the district calculates capacity for schools, as well as information on M/WBE participation levels and financial reports. HISD staff said they were excited about the work that is underway, including foundation work and vertical construction, and said there is more to come.

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Next round of STAAR EOC exams May 4–8

HISD high school students will be taking portions of the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR) beginning Monday, May 4.

High-school students who are either currently enrolled in or have completed algebra I, biology, and U.S. history will be taking the end-of-course (EOC) exams associated with those subjects.

Make-up test opportunities will also take place during that period (May 4-8). This is the final test administration of the spring season. Re-testing opportunities for EOC exams have been scheduled for early July.

Questions? Visit HISD’s newly updated STAAR website, which has a new FAQ (.pdf), a complete schedule of testing dates, and helpful tips on how to combat test anxiety. Students may also consult with their school counselors with any questions or concerns not addressed on the STAAR website.

Chávez HS scores surprise first-place finish at state chess competition

Coach Robert Myers (far L) with the Chavez HS team at regionals

Coach Robert Myers (far L) with the Chavez HS team at regionals

Students at Chávez High School were thrilled to walk away with a third-place team victory at the State Scholastic Chess Championship in McAllen, Texas, last month, but they were even more excited when they learned that due to an extremely complicated tie-break system, computer results revealed that they were actually the first-place winner among unrated players.

The team had to score among the top five groups at the regional tournament to advance to the state competition, and placing first there qualified them to compete in the national tournament held in Columbus, Ohio, where they ranked sixteenth in the nation in the unrated section.

“Chess is about options,” said Chávez Coach Robert Myers. “The students exercised those options and continued to practice, study, and develop. They have learned through perseverance to never give up, never surrender.”

The team subsequently placed first at a KIPP chess tournament held on April 18.

 

Yates HS holds Elective Fair for future freshmen

Yates High School held an Elective Fair and Signing Day event on April 29 for Houston-area eighth-graders to see all that the school has to offer. Yates has two magnet programs—communications and maritime—and a Career & Technical Education program in health sciences.

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Fondren MS recognized for providing exemplary customer service

A commitment to meeting high expectations in every area has resulted in a big prize for Fondren Middle School. That campus was recently named the inaugural winner of HISD’s Blue Star Award for Service Excellence.

The award was created to honor schools that provide exemplary customer service; a friendly, professional environment; and a culture of positive expectations, and Fondren was selected from a field of 22 nominees and five finalists. As a part of the evaluation, a team of volunteer judges made unannounced, structured visits to each nominated campus, in which they conducted walk-throughs of the facilities and interacted with staff members. They also made anonymous calls to each school to test the clerical staff’s response.

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