Author Archives: HISD Communications

HISD Conducting Tele-Town Halls for North Forest Parents

Parents of Houston Independent School District students in the North Forest community are invited to participate in a tele-town hall meeting Thursday night.

This is HISD’s second tele-town hall meeting to provide North Forest parents an opportunity to ask questions of top HISD officials before the first day of school on Aug. 26.

Continue reading

Graduation Day Finally Arrives for 36-Year-Old Sharpstown HS Alumna

Graduation day may have come about 17 years later than she originally intended, but come it finally did for Samiya Savannah and more than 430 other HISD students on Sat., Aug. 17.

Each August, the Houston Independent School District hosts a summer graduation ceremony for students who have completed their coursework and passed any state testing requirements over the summer months, and this year, Savannah was among them.

The freshly minted Sharpstown High School alumna, who just turned 36, was originally slated to graduate in 1996 but did not complete the TAAS/TAKS exit-level requirements until this year.

Continue reading

Lockhart Elementary to Celebrate Dedication of New School

Ceremony will mark new building constructed under 2007 bond program

What:             Lockhart Elementary will dedicate its new 750-student school, built under the 2007 bond program. Events will include student performances, special guest speakers and classroom tours of the new facility.

Who:               HISD Board of Education Trustee Paula Harris, Lockhart Principal Felicia Adams, and Rev. William Lawson of Wheeler Avenue Baptist Church

When:             Thursday, Aug. 22, 2013 at 9 a.m.

Where:           Lockhart Elementary School, 3200 Rosedale St., Houston, Texas 77004

Transportation Department Revving Up for a New School Year

The first day of the school is only days away, and HISD’s Transportation Department is doing everything possible to ensure a safe and successful school year.

All parents should receive a postcard in the mail and at least two telephone calls before school starts with their children’s bus-route information, but a customer call center has also been set up to answer questions. Parents can call 713-613-3040 between 7 a.m. and 5 p.m. starting Thurs., Aug. 22, for assistance with transportation-related issues. The call center will remain open for at least 30 days.

For HISD school bus safety tips, watch this HISD informational video.

More Transportation Updates:
• There are 889 bus routes this year, a 5 percent increase over last year
• Some 60 new drivers are coming onboard this year
• Safety trainers were schooled in bus inspections, precision-driving techniques, parking, and correct mirror usage so that they could train drivers
• Bus drivers and attendants partnered with the Houston Fire Department for bus evacuation and rescue training and received instruction on treating smoke inhalation and burns
• All 1,001 buses in the HISD fleet will have been inspected and bus cameras, GPS units, and newly activated silent alarms have been checked

Teachers Being Trained in Preparation for Students Receiving Their Own Laptops in January

Teachers at Austin HS received their laptops on Aug. 13

After 33 years with the district, 65-year-old HISD Secondary Curriculum Manager Angela Miller had every intention of retiring at the end of the 2013 school year. That was until she was tapped this past spring to serve on a committee charged with implementing the district’s PowerUp initiative.

“This program is so exciting in terms of what it’s going to do for students and teachers that I knew I couldn’t leave,” said Miller. “I had to stick around and be a part of this.”

Continue reading

HISD to Monitor Students After State Issues Measles Alert

The Texas Department of State Health Services issued a measles alert after more than a dozen cases were reported throughout the state.

As of Aug. 16, one case of measles had been reported in Harris County. Dallas and Denton counties have each reported two cases of measles, and nine cases have been reported in Tarrant County. There were no cases of measles in Texas in 2012.

Continue reading

Flurry of Activity to Ensure Campuses are Prepared for Students

[photoshelter-gallery g_id=’G00000LbR3XGcD0A’ g_name=’20130815-BondWork-Gallery’ 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’ ]

With school about to start, HISD staff and construction workers are working around the clock to ensure all of the district’s 282 schools are ready for students when they walk in the door on Aug. 26.

“We’re committed to creating facilities that support academic achievement and ensure safety,” said HISD’s Officer of Construction & Facility Services Robert L. Sands, Jr. “Every HISD family should feel confident that their child’s school is clean, well-maintained and ready for learning.”

This summer has been especially busy with more than 60 building projects in full swing after the school year ended on June 6. The work marks another milestone in the 2007 bond program, which has included more than 180 expansion, renovation and maintenance projects across the district.
Continue reading

Special Ed Teachers Gather to Prepare for New School Year

Special education teachers gathered across HISD to train, network, and share ideas as they prepare for the new school year. The training on August 15, called Job-Alike, brings together participants with similar roles at various campuses. It’s all part of efforts by the Office of Special Education to strengthen services to the district’s nearly 16,000 special-education students.

Continue reading

Share Your Back-to-School Photos for a Chance to be on TV

From first day of school clothes to first time on campus, last year’s parents and eager students were willing to share with us some candid snapshots of their first week of school. We want to show how proud we are of all of our students, so we’re asking for your photos again for the kickoff of the 2013-2014 year. Share them with us and they may end up on TV. Continue reading