Author Archives: HISD Communications

Statement regarding threats toward Lamar HS posted on Twitter

Update (6:05 p.m. on Sept. 25, 2014): HISD police announced Thursday afternoon that the Harris County District Attorney’s Office has accepted charges against a 16-year-old Lamar student accused of making terroristic threats related to social media posts on Twitter late Wednesday. The student is fully cooperating with authorities.

Update (3:45 p.m. on Sept. 25, 2014): Lamar HS administrators are continuing to work closely with HISD Police, HPD and the FBI as they investigate threats made against Lamar via social media late Wednesday.

Please know that all students were safe today. Classes were in session and the school day proceeded as normal. Classes will be in session tomorrow, as well. Additional officers will remain on campus to ensure students feel safe.

We appreciate your concern, as well as your continued patience and support. We will provide you with more information, as it becomes available.

Update (2 p.m. on Sept. 25, 2014): Thanks to everyone for their patience and concern about this issue. HISD Police continue to work with authorities – including the FBI – to assess the social media threats made against Lamar H.S. yesterday evening. School was definitely in session today and will be tomorrow. Additional patrols will remain on campus to ensure students and staff feel safe.

Statement (released 6:15 a.m. on Sept. 25, 2014): Lamar’s administration, HISD police, and HPD are aware that threats were made via social media late yesterday.

We take these threats very seriously and have been working closely with the authorities to identify where these threats are coming from.

Both HISD police and HPD will have a strong presence on the Lamar HS campus today to ensure students feel safe. As we know more, we will provide updates.

Young scholars rewarded for meeting literacy goals

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Usually, the benefits of reading include a bigger vocabulary, greater word comprehension, and better conversation skills, but dozens of HISD students received a different type of reward recently from two of the district’s community partners for focusing on literacy over the summer.

Most of the students were recognized for participating in the district’s Extended Primary Year program, which was offered at 29 elementary schools.

“The HISD Literacy Team joined forces with Strategic Partnerships and Elves & More to award bicycles to 100 children who met their literacy goals, had excellent attendance and conduct, and exemplified a can-do attitude,” explained Literacy Director Cindy Puryear. “The Literacy Team will partner with Elves & More again this holiday season to reward more that 7,000 scholars for their hard work and determination. One thousand of those will be rewarded for meeting or exceeding their literacy goals.” Continue reading →

Free HISD program helps prepare pre-K kids to succeed in school

Preparing young children to start kindergarten goes beyond buying school clothes and meeting the teacher. Parents are their children’s first teachers, and there are simple and easy ways that parents can help children learn at home before they ever set foot in a classroom.

Home Instruction for Parents of Preschool Youngsters (HIPPY) is a free HISD program that trains instructors to visit parents of three- and four-year-olds in their homes once a week over 30 weeks. HIPPY instructors model instructional activities that encourage learning and development that parents can then practice with their children. Continue reading →

5 seniors named National Achievement Scholarship semifinalists

Five Houston ISD seniors have been named semifinalists in the 2015 National Achievement Scholarship Program.

The program, which is conducted by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation, awards scholarship to academically promising black students. About 700 of the 1,600 semifinalists will go on to receive scholarships worth $2,500 each. Continue reading →

Park Place ES selected by state for best practices case study

Park Place Elementary School has proven to be successful in classroom efforts —despite having a high percentage of economically disadvantaged students and a high mobility rate — and that success has led to it being chosen for a best practices case study project being conducted by the Texas Education Agency. Continue reading →

New program designed to lower stress, boost focus in classes

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Twelve Houston ISD schools have a new program designed to improve students’ health and reduce their stress.

The program, which is sponsored by the Sonima Foundation, will teach students skills for a healthier lifestyle. Through group discussion, character education, breathing exercises and yoga, students will learn to focus their attention, calm their minds, reduce stress and think before reacting.  Nutrition curriculum will be introduced later in the school year. Continue reading →

HISD families invited to attend fall Family Learning Academy events

Do you want your child to excel in school? Get into college? Find a rewarding career?

We can help!

This fall, HISD launches the Family Learning Academy – a series of free events to connect district and community resources that support student success with HISD families across the city. Continue reading →

Chávez HS to participate in ‘transformational’ UDL project with Region 4

Chávez High School has been selected to participate in the UDL: Transforming High School Learning Environments (UDL:THSLE) project this year—and it is the only school chosen from the seven county area that makes up Region 4 to do so.

“Your application reflected the level of excitement, planning, vision, dedication of resources, and commitment that we believe is necessary for a successful collaborative partnership,” wrote Dr. Kirsten Omelan, an education specialist with the Department of Special Education Solutions and a project manager with Building Inclusive Schools Initiative. “We look forward to working closely with the faculty, staff, and students of Cesar E. Chávez High School and Houston ISD to support the transformation of teaching and learning.” Continue reading →

Linked Learning kicks off at Westside HS

Freshmen at Westside High School entered the auditorium to cheers of encouragement from their peers at the school’s recent kickoff for Linked Learning, a district initiative that places real-life career experience in the classroom. The event allows students who expressed an interest in digital media and design to learn more about Linked Learning and their ninth-grade project.

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“They’ll get the opportunity to learn about things they’re passionate about,” said Adam Stephens, assistant superintendent of Linked Learning. Continue reading →

HISD Office of Communications unveils new department logos, taglines

Branding is a way to help people recognize products or companies visually at a glance, but in an organization the size of HISD, it’s sometimes easy for individual departments to appear separate from or unrelated to the district and its core mission: teaching and learning.

That’s why over the past three months, 57 different central office departments have been working to come up with short taglines to accompany a common district logo. The taglines are designed to reflect each individual department’s main focus—as well as how it relates to education—while giving clear visual cues that they are a part of HISD. Continue reading →